Golf's only Problem

“Golf’s only Problem”

Dennis M Clark.


Every bad golf shot is caused by exactly the same problem. It is a basic fundamental and yet it is the least dealt with issue in teaching.

"The clubface is in the incorrect position at impact"

This is the simple truth of golf. It is an indisputable fact.

It sounds so simple, and while we all acknowledge it, we actually do little about correcting it and therefore suffer at its hands continuously.

We TRY many different things to correct it. Get ourselves in all sorts of different positions to try to make it right, but with no real lasting effect.

The problem is that clubface on ball is given very little importance in developing the swing. It is considered an effect; if I do steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, the clubface should return to the correct position. But the fact is it more often than not doesn’t.

If we applied common sense we find that this is singularly the most important issue in the playing of the shot and deserves the highest priority. While all these other steps may help, that fact is there is only one thing that guarantees getting the clubface on the ball correctly at impact and that is….Getting the clubface on the ball correctly at impact.

It’s as simple as that.Whatever we practice we become good at.

If we practice going through steps 1-8 hoping the clubface is correct, all we become good at is going through steps 1-8 ‘HOPING’ the clubface is correct. And when we’re hoping for a result there is no way we can develop any confidence and so our game is driven by doubt and fear. And why hope for a result when you can do something constructive about achieving it.

By giving clubface on ball high priority and making it a cause in the development of the swing rather than an effect we can begin to deal with the real issue of controlling the golf shot. If we make the main focus of our practice, clubface on ball correctly we become good at clubface on ball correctly.

It is actually easier than you may first think. All it requires is awareness and focus of club face. It is a technique, and can be learned just like any other part of the golf swing. The only difference is that this is a technical factor that directly relates to control of the ball.

Positions 1-8 are important and they need to be acknowledged, but in order of priority.You would be surprised how when clubface on ball correctly takes place, how many of positions 1-8 happen reasonable well as effects. But even if they didn’t you would have created a good shot anyway.

Unfortunately the way we view the swing at the moment is like this: Step1 + step 2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 = X factor, or Clubface on ball correctly. Now let’s prioritise slightly differently. What we want is X. In fact the only reason we’re doing 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 & 8, is to achieve X. Now if X is the most important thing, and what we want, why not start there? We can, and in doing so we’ve fast tracked the journey, and we only have one swing thought instead of 8.

It’s a common held belief that you can’t get to clubface correctly on ball without going through steps 1-8. That is only an idea, not necessarily a fact. An idea held simply because that’s the way we’ve been educated to believe by people who are trapped in this limiting belief. And so we choose to allow these limiting beliefs to limit us also.

An irony is that if we we’re playing tennis, common sense would prevail and we would give the highest priority to the racket face on ball correctly, realising this solely controls the direction of the shot. We would do this at the expense our getting our body into the correct position or anything else. So why can’t we do it in golf? But when it comes to golf, sadly, common sense often doesn’t prevail. I am in no way underselling the importance of good technique, but if it continually doesn’t produce the result you desire, is it really good technique?

While the analysts only comment on the positions and movements in the tournament players swings, you can guarantee the players themselves are very aware of clubface on ball, for it is this that allows them to create the shots they want.

Let’s summarise it. When you write, you simply control an instrument (the pen) to create an effect. The effect is created at the working surface which is the contact between the pen nib and the paper. A golf shot is simply an effect and it is created by controlling the instrument (club) at the working surface which is clubface on ball. Without this one factor, everything else, to coin a phrase, is just hit and hope.

A final point to ponder: Taking up our address position, the clubface is sitting squarely behind the ball. By this mere fact we have actually created perfection before we’ve even started the swing. If our full attention to detail was on simply returning the clubface at impact, to it’s original starting position, the results would be quite outstanding.
Not to mention simple.

Copyright Dennis M Clark 2009