The pain

It pains me to have to admit I was wrong. Which means there have been a lot of wrongs and a lot of pain. But the good news is that sometimes two wrongs or even many wrongs can make a right.

Last round I discovered or re-discovered the benefits of 'connection'. That is, making sure my left shoulder and left upper arm operated as a unit - stayed connected through the backswing and into contact.

It's a physical connection, but also a mental awareness that creates stability and synchronisation of the arms and body. The great Jimmy Ballard was a big proponent of this type of connection, along with a number of other principles associated with various braces or feelings for the golf swing.

I discovered this connection some time ago, but, as usual, I went searching for more. This search has taken me to all sorts of theories or methods, but nothing has really made any difference, at times even producing poor and inconsistent results. They are all in this blog.

The problem many people have with connection theory is that it can make you feel constrained or tight and therefore less powerful. And while it's great to have a free flowing, armsy swing, like John Daly or Fred Couples, you need to have a lot of natural talent and hit a lot of golf balls to achieve any sort of consistency.

The tightness or constraint that comes with connecting the upper arm and shoulder unit, and inevitably reducing the length of your backswing, is actually no less powerful. For many it adds power, and particularly consistency, for a couple of reasons:

Connection does not restrict width, provided you keep your left (lead) arm straight. Width (a wide club arc) is critical in creating clubhead speed, and is much more important than a long, armsy backswing which might or might not result in acceleration of the clubhead where it matters - at and just after contact.

Connection also allows the body, connected to the arms, to turn in synchrony with the arms. This coordination adds power and actually simplifies timing. Timing, which I've talked about in relation to pauses and transitional issues, is very important - and very elusive.

So, a connected swing is a simpler swing, a more consistent swing and is no less and probably more powerful. It also makes it easier to time the swing - synchronisation again.

In a way, this concept of connection takes me back to Swing Machine Golf and Paul Wilson. This is because his method was based on a machine-like, body rotation, sort of rigid-arm swing. I have a few reservations about following a method that is supposed to be one size fits all - golfers come in all sorts and sizes - but a repeatable swing is an important key to good golf.

A quick word about chipping. I am going to adopt a multiple club approach. That is, using a 7, 9, gap wedge depending on the ratio of green-side grass to green, with the objective of landing the ball on the surface. The idea would be to have virtually the same backswing and tempo, using the different elevation (ball flight) created by different clubs to determine the landing spot - which is critical in distance control. Raised greens and lie must come into the equation, but trying to use one club has not been working for me lately. Keys are a stable left (lead) wrist and head forward and over the ball.

Putting is another problem area lately. Although recently watching old Jack putt crouched over the ball and using his right hand like a piston appeals to me as a method that might work for me. The main objective being to feel the distance - direction (reading putts) is not such an issue - I three-putt much more often by leaving putts short or long.

I think connection is the key for me along with some smarter short game tactics. I've felt the pain of playing badly and inconsistently. Admitting that I've been wrong about a lot of things about the golf swing is the pain I need to accept. And golf is only a game - isn't it?