“Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.” – Ben Hogan
The movements required to strike a golf ball aren’t difficult in and of themselves as I demonstrate in my latest exclusive video here on MyGolfingStore…
> its just that those movements and related feelings defy the mind’s sensibilities; in fact, those movements are “…the opposite of what you are inclined to do…”.
For instance,
> throwing the heel of the club head at the ball automatically “squares” the club face to the ball at-through impact. I cover the science, feel and kinesiology behind this “magic trick” in great detail in Driving Distance Series Episodes 1A and especially 1B.
> hand action that leans the shaft forward at-through impact to accelerate the top of the club face faster than the bottom of the club face gives the ball lift and proper trajectory as I cover in the video, “Staying Connected & Coming Through Impact”…
> …that is, the intention and feeling of compressing the golf ball into the middle of Mother Earth will send the ball high into the sky.
It takes some real mental effort (and a bit of faith to even make that effort) to understand why those at-first-blush nonsensical movements and related feelings during the swing actually do make sense.
Understanding replaces thinking, and understanding clears the path for the hands and body to start making the movements that will work to make you a pure ball striker.
The most basic faulty concept that everyone brings to the game, and is perpetuated by mainstream golf instruction, is the idea that you need to train yourself to be a “club swinger” by focusing on swing mechanics.
In spite of, not because of this approach, a few golfers “get it” who start early while their bodies are pliable enough to do things it really would rather not do and the mind is nimble enough to time a lot of moving parts.
The vast majority of us don’t start early enough with such training – our window in human development for learning how to be a “club swinger” in a way that translates into being a good ball striker is behind us.
Yet mainstream golf instruction still teaches the masses whose window has long since closed as if they still have the ability to translate “club swinging” into ball striking.
My focus is on embracing our hitting instincts to become a ball striker [for both youths and adults].
There is no such thing as a “swing instinct”.
As I like to say, the swing doesn’t create the hit – the hit creates the swing.
Our approach is to get the club head moving with its own momentum.
Then we sense and reflexively react to that momentum in order to throw the club head at the ball and hit it – to strike it – and even beat it as I demonstrate in my Driving Distance Series [Episode 4] where I equate beating a rug to maximizing the inertia of the club head at-through impact.
By embracing your hit instinct you’ll cause the classic swing mechanics.
Again, the swing doesn’t create the hit – the hit creates the swing.
Mainstream golf instruction trains you to kill your instinct so that you can be a “club swinger”.
Instead, we [me and my mentor, Peter Croker, PGA-Australia] train you to embrace your hit instinct – the effect of which is a beautiful, powerful, repeatable and timing-free golf swing…
> I cover how our approach leads to a timing-free golf swing in the video, Driving Distance Series Episode 3.
You will begin to make sustainable progress when you understand:
a) you come into this world with perhaps 50% of your golf “swing” built in…
> it is about discovering how to tap into what you already possess by embracing your hit instinct to be a “ball striker” versus learning how to be a “club swinger”;
> remember, there is no “swing instinct”, so if you go the “club swinger” training route you are forsaking the “work” that has already been done for you from many millions of years of evolution…
> …what’s worse is that you’ll actually have to learn how to move your body in ways that it doesn’t want to move and you’ll likely injure yourself over the years. I cover this in the video, “Instinctive Golf With Ted – Mainstream vs Croker”.
b) perhaps 25% of your golf swing takes no talent (TNT)…
> think about it, how much athletic ability does it take to learn a proper grip and stance and even the core individual movements of our “swing” as I demonstrate in my latest exclusive video here on MyGolfingStore related to this blog article.
So that leaves 25% of the “swing” that is up to practice and athletic ability.
> In Episode 5 of my Driving Distance Series I show you how you can improve your athletic ability, especially as it relates to being a ball striker.
In conclusion, yes, there are many hours of video and written content I’ve presented on MyGolfingStore, but its not so much about there being a million things to learn in order to become a ball striker…
> Job #1 of this content is to bend you toward a new paradigm in your thinking so that you arrive at a powerful new understanding that will clear the path for you to start making the movements that right now you think are nonsensical and unnatural.
So I’ll close with another Hogan quote to let you know that you’re on the right path if you’ll take to heart and mind what I’m spending many hours trying to convince you of…
“I don’t believe there is anything like a natural golf swing. A golf swing is an unnatural thing, and it has to be developed.” – Ben Hogan
I can’t find the exact quote, but, related and paraphrased, Hogan also said, “Golf is about learning to do naturally what comes unnaturally.”
Signing off for now – Ted Williams.
Questions…comments? Write me at TWilliams@MyGolfingStore.com
