Do All Tips Apply to Everyone, Regardless of Handicap?

It is widely known that the vast majority of golfers cannot break 100. However, most instructions that you might see on TV or read in magazines do not always tell you whether certain tips are most appropriate for low handicappers or high handicappers (example: taking a full turn and swinging hard may not be good advice for a high handicapper). If the instructions are giving you more and more things to think about while you are swinging, then they must be aimed at low handicappers , since they must be assuming you already can make clean contact on every shot, and you play several times per week. For high handicappers, or people who play less frequently, I feel we must be careful to keep the game simple. It makes no sense to overly complicate the swing for them. Clean contact on every shot is of paramount importance.

We are not robots. We all have different amounts of hand-eye coordination skills and athleticism. No two people are built the same. Everyone has some differences in bone and muscle structure, and the way our natural hinges work (wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, etc.). Although it makes sense to try to imitate the way the pros swing to some degree, you can’t expect a high handicapper to execute every single move like the pros can. Pros play every day and have personal swing coaches, and the best customized equipment. People who play less frequently and have average equipment, average physical skills, and cannot afford lessons must tailor their expectations accordingly.

It is OK to have a long list of swing keys, but it is hard to think of more than one or two at a time during your swing. Therefore, just pick from your list one key for the backswing and one for the downswing. There may be a certain combination of keys that seem to work better one day and a different combination on another day. Why is that? Because your swing is controlled by many different muscles of differing sizes and shapes, all of which are getting bigger or smaller, stronger or weaker in different combinations every day, so without you realizing it, your swing does change. This is true for all sports, not just golf. Nobody ever maintains a perfect swing for very long. Be prepared to adjust, and minimize the slumps which happen to everyone. (see www.geocities.com/golfwithjoey)