Dan's Papers - July 18, 2008

Over the course of my career as a golf instructor, I have heard more fallacies about the golf swing than I care to share. Many of you contribute to the job security I enjoy with some of the most ridiculous ideas on what your playing partner is doing wrong. Here are some of my favorites. It is time to set the record straight.

This is by far the number one myth given by golf greenhorns. KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN! What does this mean? What does this accomplish? I assume that when someone gives this tip they mean keep your head still and watch the ball. All this does is create tension in the body and restrict powerful motion.

Good players hit the golf ball with their head behind it. This allows the arms to release and the club to bottom out properly. If you watch any good athlete whether golf, tennis, or baseball, the ball is hit in front of the head, not vise versa. Some great players (like Tiger Woods) move their head sideways during the swing, however when the ball is struck their head is behind. A steady head will promote the most consistency, but the head can move slightly side to side.

Power comes from holding the release of the golf club until the last second. This is one that's often seen in magazines and videos. The longer you can hold the release, the more speed and power you will gain by a last second whip.

Delaying the release is going to send your golf ball slicing into the woods. The average golfer swings a driver at about 90 mph. If you wait until the last minute to release the club at that speed, you will never be consistent. The release of a golf club should be gradual. This means at the start of your downswing your release should begin. This will give you the appropriate time to square up the clubface. You gain more power by imparting a draw spin on the ball with a consistent release.

If you want to hit the ball in the air you must swing up and help the ball. In defense of most golfers this is an instinctual habit. Beginners look at a ball sitting on the ground and the natural tendency is to try and help the ball into the air.

In order to hit the ball in the air the golf club must swing down. Golf is a game of opposites. In order to make the ball go up you must swing down. A golf club is designed with loft to hit the ball in the air. Let the club do its job, don't help it. In a downswing with help, weight moves away from the target and the club swings up to hit the ball in the air. In a proper swing, the weight moves forward on to the front leg, similar to a pitcher throwing a baseball. I have never seen anyone throw a ball falling backwards.

These are some of the most common myths about the golf swing. If you're a golfer, I'm sure you have heard these before and most likely given them as advice. Do yourself a favor and give these myths to your opponents. Only you will now know the truth.

If you have any questions please send them to tenmindoctor@aol.com.