Sam Goulden Golf Blog

A friend of mine was asking me what technique I use in teaching the other day.  He was more than surprised to hear me reply that I “don’t”.  He replied, “there must be some technique you use in helping people swing”.  Well, I answered, I guess I just have faith in the human technique. The idea is this:  If you have a plan or some sort of ultimate goal, you understand the simple laws of nature that are going to influence your action, and are capable of evaluating your results, you are capable of achieving that goal.   Ever throw a frisbee?  In high school my friends and I use to toss a frisbee around after lunch.  We actually got pretty good at it.  By noticing the different flights and discerning their cause, we made adjustments and began to actually control the thing really well.The goal of the golf swing is to propel an object toward a target.  Similar to basketball, baseball, bowling, tennis, football, soccer….. this list is very long!  Each sport uses different equipment from a club to a bat and even just a hand or foot.  The equipment is designed to work well in its arena.  It is also designed to fit a human being.  If we didn’t have fingers, the bowling ball would not have holes.  I use a club that looks very similar to yours.  Some minor physical characteristics customize my club to my level of play and desired result but for the most part, I have a handle, shaft, head, and face on my club and so do you.  Now how do I get better at using this club?  First I have to understand the physical characteristics of ball flight.  Why does it curve, go high or low, and start left and right?  Understand that and you are on your way to learning.  Just do, analyze, and make an adjustment based on your knowledge of the action.  If the frisbee seems to curve right when it flies at an angle, try throwing it horizontal or parallel to the ground.  Practice getting different results using different methods.  Use your own knowledge to try and determine what will happen if you change the set up a little.  Using this understanding of the swing and the flight of the ball, continue to practice hitting different shots.  This exercise will raise your awareness and make you more capable of controlling your ball, more capable of sending an object to a target.Pay attention to results!  Be aware!  Learn!