The Golf Swing is Like Steering a Boat

By: Arlen Bento, WGCA contributing writer It is not uncommon for good players to struggle with little changes to their swings, even though they know that making the change will improve their game. I just started working with a mini-tour player who has a lot of talent but tends to drop the club inside too much in the downswing, causing him to hit a lot of weak toe shots.  His angle does not allow for a firm compression strike in the middle of the club face. We have been working at changing his lower body rotation so he can feel like he covering the golf ball more.  When he does it, he this the ball squarely on the clubface and with a lot more distance and accuracy.  The shot is more straight with a slight fade on misses – very different from what he normally does and expects. We are working hard at getting the ball to start more left instead of right of target line, a big change, but to get better and to improve ball striking this is important. One of the big things is to get all players to lower expectations when working on a change.  When making a change, players have to understand that they will go back to their tendencies in an attempt to make what they are working on feel good or to feel comfortable.  If a swing change starts to feel comfortable too soon, it is probably not changing.  “Trust” the change, commit to the idea; if a bad shot comes out, think, look at what you did, understand, make the correction, and try again. I tell all my students the golf swing is like driving a boat – if you veer right you have to bring it back left; if you veer left you have to bring it right. You are never ever really going straight – just moving.  The better player you are, the more your veer is minimal, almost non-existent.