The Secret To Golf
    Can there really be a secret to golf?  Do the pros all know it and have all signed a secret pact to never divulge this information?  What about all those instructional books, articles, videos, and countless one-on-one and group lessons given?

    Yes, there is a secret, or rather, there are a number of elements to the golf swing that are so rudimentary that they can be considered secrets.  And no, the pros and swing gurus are not hiding anything.  But the problem lies in that with such an abundant supply of information, disinformation, and conflicting information, all but the most astute student of the golf swing goes hopelessly flailing around at the local muni and private layouts.

    Here, then, are the 'secrets'.  Ssshhh.   Don't tell anyone!
     

    Secret # 1 - Make a 'Real' and Complete Back turn.

    Any day at your local driving range, you can see this happening.  Someone in a stall will be preparing to knock one out there.  They freeze over the ball, and then turn their shoulders about 45 degrees and yank the club right across their body and bend their left arm.  Yuck.
    It's easy to spot a bad swing.  Why?  It looks bad.

    So then, what was wrong with this swing? Number one, with a complete true turning back swing, your chest will be pointing directly to your right instead of halfway there.  Your arms will not pull to your right, but merely raise straight up.  Your right hand and arm will be even with the outside of your right shoulder, and your left arm will cross across you chest on a slight angle in order to reach your right hand (due to the forward tilt).

    What happens if you don't make a real back swing?  You have set the stage for a slice, as explained further in a later section that details how to begin the downswing (and avoid a slice).

    So turn your chest 90 degrees, and look good!
     

    Secret # 2 - Turn Your Right Knee Into Cement.

    Now why would we want to do that?  Mostly, you hear that your body should be limber and not lock up.  Well, the right knee, during the back swing and the first half of the forward swing, should be like cement.  That means that it should not move to the right, or straighten up.  Think of it as your entire body's registration point during most of the swing.  Without such a reference point, if you will, there is no way to consistency perform the same movements from swing-to-swing.  If it moves left or right, or you straighten it, you can hit the ball fat or thin.

    The moral:  don't be a cement head, only your leg (knee didn't rhyme).
     

    Secret # 3 - To Begin Downswing, Shift Hips Left.

    If you really must insist on having one thing that you can call the secret to golf, THEN THIS IS IT !!!  Are you happy now?  This is the one change that you can make in your swing that will make you look more like a pro than anything else.  And besides that, it's all but next to impossible to slice the ball when you start down correctly.  Why is that you never see a pro slice it?  Duh...  Well listen up.  You can kick yourself later when you realize how easily you can do this secret.

    From the top of the swing, DO NOT SWING SWING YOUR ARMS DOWN AND DO NOT TURN YOUR SHOULDERS BACK TO THE BALL!!!  Or, go ahead and slice it like you always do.  Instead, shift your hips laterally to your left (only an inch to two), which will also 'unturn' them so that they now again point almost straight ahead towards the ball.

    This movement should be of a medium speed (you will find yourself getting too fast with the hips.  It's a common problem.  Just pay attention and catch yourself when it happens). While this movement is going on, it is also very important to:
     

    • Keep your upper body  from moving left with the hips.  Use your head as a reference.  It should remain in a steady position .
    • Keep the coil in your upper body. While it will turn somewhat along with the hips, do add a bit of resistance so that your arms and chest remain fairly close to the top of the back swing position.
    • Keep you right knee where it is.  There will be a spreading of the knees as the left hip and knee return to the address position.
    All right, now for part two of secret three.  After the hip shift is complete, the right side smoothly fires to complete the swing to impact and follow through:
     
    • The right hip swings around so that the hips face the target (your right knee will move at this point as your right heal starts to come up off of the ground).
    • Your arms and shoulders are both pulled by the right hip and also add some of their own power to extend through the hitting area.
    Now you know how to look like a pro.  Just get some fancy golf duds and you're all set!
    As we promised earlier, a more detailed explanation of why the slice occurs and why it can no longer happen with your new swing follows.

    The slice occurs when the arms/shoulders lead on the down swing, because their initial movement pushes the club out forward past the ball/target line.  And then when the hips finally do turn, they bring the club back towards you.  So the club head does return back to the ball, but it is now traveling on a diagonal (right to left in relation to the target line), hence the side spin being imparted to the ball, and hence the curve to the right.  If the club face is somewhat shut, it will pull left instead of slicing.  Pretty strange, isn't it?  You never know which way a top/down swing will go.

    Now, if in addition, the back swing is the dreaded arms only type with little shoulder and hencely little hip turn (because it is the shoulders that pull the hips around to their recommended 45 degree position), there is not much play in the hips with which to move them left and unwind with, so the tendency is to make the major action happen first with the arms.  In this case, fault one is the leading cause of fault two.  So please; make a 'real' turn back, and start down with the hips.
     

    Secret # 4 - Hold Head Behind Ball On Downswing.
     
    Using the above 3 secrets, if you have now lost you slice, and gained some distance, but all your shots go left, you may be letting your head move forward some where in the down swing.  All the way through impact, your head must remain behind the ball (meaning to the right of it as you look at it).

    When you let your head go forward (towards the target) with the down swing, it realigns your body to the left of the target, so that is now the new aiming point.  Note that this is not a pull.  In addition, you will find that instead of hitting the club face on the sweet spot, those hand numbing towards-the-toe hits will also result.  Oohhhh.   Ouch!!!

    When you do hold your head back, in addition to straightening your shots, you will also gain more distance as full extension of the arms can now take place at the proper moment. At impact, your body will appear bowed, with your head over your feet, and your midsection stretched towards the target.

    Talk about looking like a pro!!!
     

    Secret # 5 - All The Little Sub-Secrets.

    There are several fine-tuning principles that I like to think of as sub-secrets.  Without correcting any of these potentially minor problems, you will still have a pretty darn good ball flight, but these finishing touches are what in the end separates the men form the boys, the women form the girls, and a fool from his money (her money as well).
     

    • At the top of the swing, the back of the left hand must be on the same plane as the left arm; neither cupped (making a higher than normal flight, slightly right) or bowed (making a lower than normal flight, slightly left).
    • Do not chicken-wing the left arm in the downswing. In other words, don't try to pull your left arm to the left by bending it at the elbow.
    • Do not follow that advise that says your left shoulder should touch your chin at the top of the back swing. Some people actually lift their shoulder a bit so it does touch!  Bad bad bad! What you really need to do is in fact raise your chin up a bit at address so that your shoulder can turn beneath it without touching!

    So, there you have it, the secrets to golf. Commit them to your swing, and become the next club champion! Happy golfing!!!

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