Does it need fixing?

Does it need fixing?

By Dennis M Clark

What would you think if I said that most of you are capable of playing better golf than you thought possible right at this very moment, swinging the club just the way you do now.

I can sense the scepticism as I write these words. It sounds like an outrageous statement, doesn’t it?

But there is always more than one way of looking at things, and the choice of a different point of view may offer you the solution you’ve been looking for.

It is surprising the number of lessons where major improvements in results are made with no technical swing changes taking place.

Not possible?

That depends on one’s thinking.

Nearly all golfers think their swing needs fixing, and until it’s fixed they can never produce the level of golf they desire. This is because they are told, directly or by reading books or watching videos that they are not good enough, whatever good enough may be.

Have you ever considered this possibility? Does it need fixing, or understanding?

Unless you can understand your swing how do you know it needs fixing or not?

“Because I hit bad shots,” you say. And so you set about making these changes to try to stop the bad shots even though that mightn’t be necessary.

It just may be that you’re not using your swing in the most effective way.

If you don’t understand your swing, how do you know what’s happening? If it does need fixing, how do you know what needs fixing, and how will you know when it's fixed?

A couple of questions I will always ask pupils are, “What do you understand of your swing?” and “What are you aware of happening during your swing?”

These questions will normally draw a somewhat blank response.

This basically means that if you do manage a decent shot it’s more by good luck than good management.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. If the saying, “Knowledge is power” is true, then the knowledge of understanding your swing places you in a much more powerful position than you are in right now. It empowers you with the choice of taking control of your game.

Be comforted by the thought that no golf swing has ever been, or will ever be, technically perfect. They said Jack Nicklaus would fail because of his flying right elbow, but he understood his swing well enough to win a couple of tournaments.

Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Corey Pavin, Jim Furyk, to name but a few, all have swings that need “fixing”, but they understand them well enough to make them work.

I’m certain everybody reading this would play better by learning to understand their swing before setting out to “fix” it.

Before going somewhere you should first realise where you are now.

Ask yourself this question. “Do I understand my swing totally?”

No?

Then what is it exactly you are trying to fix, and why?

Copyright Dennis M Clark 2004