Debunking Popular Golf Myths

Author: Jack Moorehouse

Article:
Golf is replete with myths. Covering everything from driving to
course management, these myths are passed down from father to
son, some in the form of golf tips on swing mechanics, others in
the form of wise advice on how to do things. Unfortunately, many
of these myths are just plain wrong.

Below are three popular myths I like to debunk in my golf
lessons and golf tips. One or two of them may have an element of
truth in them. The other may have no truth in it at all.
Regardless, all of them embody ideas that can elevate scores and
boost golf handicaps.

1.Aim at the Target We've all heard this statement before. Maybe
even said it. The statement isn't so much mythic as it is
confusing. The question is, aim what at the target? Your
clubface? Your shoulders? Your body? The statement doesn't
really say.

The problem with this myth is that it can cause people to
misalign themselves in one of two ways, hurting his or her golf
handicap.

* aiming the feet, hips, knees, and shoulders directly at the
target, leaving the clubface following a line well right of the
target; or,

* aiming to compensate for ballflight errors, like when you aim
left to compensate for the ballflight error of a slice (for
right handers).

When aimed correctly, the leading edge of the clubface sits at a
right angle to the target line while your body aligns
parallel-left of the target line. This set up establishes
perfect parallel alignment. This position doesn't come
naturally. So you need to work on it on the range to recognize
when you're aiming correctly on the course.

Here's a drill I use in my golf instruction sessions. First,
pick a target and lay one club down on the ground a few feet in
front of the ball, but on the target line. Then, take a second
club and lay it down parallel to the first but along your toe
line to indicate body alignment. Make adjustments as necessary.
Finally, hit a few balls and see what happens. After awhile
you'll have trained your body and eyes to accept this new
alignment.

2.As the swing gets longer, it gets faster If you're like most
golfers, you swing the driver faster than the 7-iron or 8-iron.
Most of us invariably ramp up our swing speed with longer clubs
because we envision hitting the ball harder and driving it
farther. It's a natural tendency, one I often see when giving
golf lessons.

Unfortunately, when you ramp up your swing speed, you destroy
your natural swing tempo--the total amount of time it takes to
create your swing from beginning to end. That's not good. When
you start varying your swing's tempo from club to club, you
destroy the timing required to hit consistent golf shots. It's
one reason why you feel that you can hit your irons well one-day
but not your woods, and vice versa.

All of us have our own swing tempo. Some of us have a fast
tempo, like Nick Price. Some of us have a slower tempo, like
Fred Couples. Either way is fine, as long as you keep the same
tempo for each club in the bag. It's not something you control.
If it takes two seconds to hit the pitching wedge, it should
take you two seconds to hit the driver. Practice consistent
tempo with all your clubs and you'll hit consistent shots.

3.Play the ball back with shorter clubs Most of us vary ball
position as we change clubs. The shorter the club, the farther
back we position the ball. But incorrect ball positioning can
create major problems. With the ball positioned too far forward,
our shoulders tend to align too far left of forward. Since your
club swings where our shoulders point, we slice. With the ball
positioned too far back, our shoulders tend to close,
encouraging a push or a hook.

While you should position the ball more forward for the driver
than the pitching wedge, you should never place the ball farther
back than center for any normal shot with a level lie,
regardless of the club you're using.

Remember, for normal shots on level lies, there are just three
basic ball positions;

* Short iron: one inch left of center * Mid-irons: two inches
left of center * Long irons & woods: three inches left of center.

In addition, always relate the position of the ball to your
upper body, not your toes. Using your toes can create the
illusion that the ball is positioned correctly when in fact it
isn't. For example, if you use your toes to position the ball
with your foot flared out but then close up your foot, the ball
seems to move forward in your stance, when it actually hasn't.

These are just three of the more popular golf myths that exist,
many of which I address in my golf lessons and golf tips. There
are lots more. Unfortunately, many of them are just plain wrong.

So be wary of them. And don't be afraid to challenge them. Even
if you're wrong, the worse thing that can happen is that you can
learn something valuable about the game of golf.