The Right Diagnosis

If you visit the “Open” in July or any tournament for that matter and spend time on the practise ground watching the players, you would find quite often that the coaches in attendance spend more time watching the ball rather than the player himself.

The reason for this is quite simple; the ball tells the coach what is wrong in the technique. When a player at the top level loses his game, the glitch is more often than not so small in the swing that even the most astute eye in the world cannot always pick up the fault in such a brief moment. It is then that the focus turns to the ball for the answers to the swing problem because the golf coach understands the workings between cause and effect. Cause being the swing, effect being the shot patterns or tendencies.

An understanding of shot patterns is essential along with an understanding of the correct golf terminology used when describing certain shots. A lack of this understanding can be, and is, disastrous.

The following conversation occurred only last week when a fellow booked a lesson out of desperation saying, “I cannot get rid of my Hook. I have read the lessons in golf magazines, bought the latest coaching video, and still it’s no better. In fact it’s got even worse!” was his cry. One look at the swing and I asked him, “Tell me, which direction your ball has been leaving the club at impact, left of target or right of target before the hook comes in”. I knew the answer before I heard the reply; “Left” was the inevitable response. “There is your problem,” I said, “You have been trying to apply a cure for a problem you do not have.” You have a “Pull Hook” not a “Hook” so your remedy will not work. It is like taking cough medicine for a sprained ankle.

Identify what really blights you before you set about correcting it. A “pull hook” finishes in the same bush as a “hook” but the swing that caused it is more in common with a slicer. (I.e. an “out to in” across the target line swing.) The only thing different is the position of the club - face at impact.

Remember, before you take the medicine for a slice make sure it is a slice you are suffering with.