Golf Tips - Dont Over-Analyze Your Swing

While all golfers continue to look for that elusive secret that will perfect their swing, it's wishful thinking that they will find it. The reason is because their is no secret to swinging the golf club. People attending last weeks Byron Nelson event or this week's Colonial might want to sudy some of their favorite players and observe their overall balance and tempo that they maintain throughout the round. Even with the best of players no two swings are alike. What works for one player doesn't necessarily work for another. There are no two swings alike-similar yes, but not alike.

For example. I could ask ten players what starts their downswing, and I would get ten different answers. This is because everyone perceives things differently. A group of people could witness a car accident and if you ask them to descibe what they all saw you would think that were watching different accidents. Many times I will listen to someone giving advice to another person on the golf swing and watch them get frustrated at the individual there trying to help because he or she can't seem to comprehend what the person is telling them. One persons way on understanding and communicating their point is completely different than anothers and the way they sort things in their mind. "Different words mean different things to different people"is a way to be respectful that we are not all the same when it comes to our thought processes and the way we interpret and digest information. It has been said that golf is both an art and a science. " To know a thing by its parts is a science:To feel it as a whole is an art. "I tell all my students it helps to understand the mechanics(Science) of your swing. However, it also helps to understand how to develop the feel(Art)of your swing as well. Don't get too caught up in overanalyzing your swing or your going to have the old" Paralysis by Analysis" syndrome.

Remember this that golf like all sports in a game of motion. Once you have started your swing, there should be no interruption. It should be a smooth flowing motion from start to finish;not a series of abrupt actions. So when your watching world class players this week at Colonial or good players at your golf course observe how the best players create and stay in motion. To teach your muscles the proper feel is to realize that the physical movements of the body determines how one swings the club. This is why having the correct grip is extremely important since it's the only contact you have with the golf club and it controls the clubface angle.

If there is a secret I believe the first thing you can do is to it to not think so much and just get up there and swing. Most people have reasonably good motor skills so don't inhibit it by trying to get to cerebral. I teach a lot of young kids and my first few lessons all I ask them to do is mimic me in a exercise I call the (Mirror drill), and do what I am doing just swinging the club back and forth without any conscious thought. I have a catch phrase that I came up with and they all learn it very quickly. It goes "Too much thinking and your game will be stinking." So the secret is out. Just swing and have some fun!