“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
Pause and think about that statement; “…do the opposite…”, that is, different thinking isn’t enough…it must be opposite thinking.
> So Hogan is effectively saying an epiphany is required for you to experience a breakthrough in your golf journey; human reasoning and common sense just aren’t enough, in fact they are exactly wrong when it comes to golf!
For instance, golf is a reflex sport. Offhand that sounds nonsensical, unreasonable and even absurd. Golf is nothing like, say, table tennis!
Excellent that you feel that way – that means you are at the doorstep of an epiphany and therefore a breakthrough!
The golf ball is stationary – so how can golf be a reflex sport?
> It isn’t of course the golf ball that we react to, but the free momentum of the club head. That is, our hands reflexively react to club head momentum while our body simultaneously reacts to what the hands are doing.
Your epiphany here [with a little help from me] might be something like,
> “So, learning how to create and react to club head momentum is the key to having a timing-free, thought-free, dependable, connected, coordinated, reflexive and instinctive way to hit the golf ball!”
You see, it is the instinctive intention to throw the club head at the ball in order to hit it that creates the mechanics of the classic golf swing…
> classic meaning a “caddy swing” where, like Ben Hogan and Harry Vardon, the handle leads the club head back away from the ball so as to drag it so it can then be freely slung back…
> versus a deliberate back “swing” designed to carefully position the club head at the “top” per “proper”/mainstream training.
You see, the “magic” Hogan and other great classic ball strikers have at impact doesn’t happen unless the club head is dragged and slung back so it has its own free momentum.
[More on “magic” in my next article.]
There is nothing to react to if the club head doesn’t have its own free momentum, therefore you won’t experience golf as a reflex sport without that key ingredient of free club head momentum [which is the result of dragging and slinging the club head back].
Further, without free club head momentum there isn’t the possibility of having the club head do any work for the golfer.
[The grossly misunderstood subject of “getting the club to do the work” alone will require attention in future videos and articles; hint, it doesn’t mean the club head falling from the “top” down to the ball].
Ready for another epiphany? This epiphany is planted as a seed inside of your intuitive inclination to control the club head in order to get it to do what you want it to do.
So here’s your second epiphany:
> Freeing the club head to do what it “wants” to do is the first step to getting the club head to do what you want it to do – every time…timing-free and thought-free as all of the movements are connected and coordinated by design along neuron pathways that already exist within each of us.
The above epiphanies will lead you to breakthroughs in your golf journey.
The idea is to discover how to tap into what you are already richly equipped with as a result of human evolution in order for:
> your hands to reflexively react to free club head momentum while your body simultaneously instinctively reacts to your hands’ actions.
Is this the only way to hit a golf ball? Of course not, but it is the most effective and most enjoyable way to become a real ball striker versus a club swinger.
I say this as a former golf club swinger turned pure ball striker; hands down from my experience trying everything but this approach for decades.
Okay, Ted Williams signing off until our minds meet again on my next article and/or exclusive video here on MyGolfingStore where I plan on bringing you more breakthrough opportunities.
