As I browse the blogs and websites of golf teachers and golf addicts alike, the themes tend to be fairly common. The majority promise instruction, tips, drills, training aids or gimmicks that will fix your golf swing quickly and permanently. They offer “scientific research” and other “evidence” that their methodology is the answer to your godawful mess of a swing. My first thought when I see this (after immediately leaving the website) is this: What if it isn’t your golf swing that’s broken?
Take the common swing fault of coming over the top, for example. This occurs when the club’s path on the downswing becomes steep and outside the proper downswing plane, or above the plane. According to the Titleist Performance Institutute, 43.5% of golfers exhibit this fault. The main reason that this happens is an early rotation of the upper body. But why?
Often the problem is a poor grip, or a lack of understanding of how power is created, or how the club should actually swing. But just as often, coming over the top is caused by physical limitations, which will not allow you to perform the correct action. In order to produce the correct downswing, the following physical capabilities must be present:
- The ability to separate movements of the lower body from the upper body
- Enough core stability to maintain posture and stabilize the thorax
- Good balance on each leg, allowing a correct shift to the left side
Absence of any of the the above characteristics will force you to perform compensations in your swing that lead to an over the top action. These characteristics are developed in the gym, not at the driving range or the course.
That makes it important that your coach has an understanding of how the body works in the golf swing. As your coach, I can work with you all day to shallow out your downswing, but if you can’t physically make the motion, we are both beating our heads against a wall. And that’s no fun for anyone!
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