Forward to the past

I realised recently that I needed to look back at when I played some of my best golf. This was nearly ten years ago when I was younger and fitter - well, slightly fitter. However, the golf was nothing special, and was probably more inconsistent than now.

But that look back has helped me realise that my swing has not really changed in that time. The main improvement I made that allowed me to go from a real hacker to a reasonable golfer was to ensure that my set up (shoulder alignment specifically) was square or slightly closed. This helped me develop a swing plane was in to out; not over the top.

Since that change I've tinkered with every other possible element of the swing - grip, weight distribution, wrist and elbow position, shoulder connection, stance, pivot, lead arm, ball position, etc. etc. But with the possible exception of grip - that is, development of a fairly conventional neutral grip - nothing has contributed to any improvement.

My conclusion is that with the exception of those set up fundamentals - shoulder alignment and grip - the golf swing is something that is relatively natural - like throwing a ball - or even throwing a ball of paper into a bin. Hand-eye coordination is the term used for that ability to assess the strength and direction of the throw needed to find the target. So it is with the golf swing.

There is, as in many human traits, a continuum. Some people have great hand-eye skills, timing, touch, coordination or however you want to describe the ability to hit something (like a golf ball) accurately and repetitively to a target. Some people have less skill, and perhaps just as importantly, less desire to use or test those skills.

This brings us to sports psychology or more simply motivation and application. The greatest golfers (or any sportspersons) have not only been blessed with great physical skills, but strong minds. Perhaps so strong in fact that they could be called single minded or driven individuals. This can apply to some weekend warriors, but generally only to higher level professionals.

That's not to say that a combination of decent skills and good concentration cannot produce good scores in golf. However, the most important lesson I've learnt is that it is much easier to sabotage one's game than it is to improve it.

My constant tinkering, searching if you like, has produced a golf game that is only marginally better than it was some years ago. The set up improvements I made in the first couple of years of taking golf seriously could have been the end of that search if I'd only realised it.

My mission now is to work on some other important aspects of 'playing the game' such as confidence, concentration, shot selection, temper control and having fun. It has been an interesting journey exploring the many theories of golf including the mechanics of the swing, concepts of swing plane, positions, swing thoughts, timing and tempo issues, weight shift, etc., but enough is enough.

I now know that my stock shot, with anything from mid iron to driver is a fade - a fairly soft fade. It is extremely workable, other than in high winds, and ideal for my home course. Many pros actually favour it, and I intend to go to it from now on, especially as I have learnt that the draw / fade distance differential is a myth. Height and quantum of curvature factors are what's relevant, not the direction of the spin.

I'm not going to abandon an interest in the nuances of the golf swing, but in some ways I am going to go back to the past.