There’s a lot your golf pro didn’t tell you about your game. A lot.
That’s the reason for this blog… to unravel the mysteries of why you have swing faults despite golf lessons, books, and expensive equipment.
The purpose of this blog is NOT to bash golf professionals. Quite the contrary, in fact.
Some of the smartest, highest educated, and most inspirational coaches in the world are in the sport of golf.
Not only that, technology has advanced this game to a new level.
I mean, with computer generated swing analysis software, high speed cameras, and years of working out the bugs, golf has become one of the most advanced sports in the world.
Combine the technology with world class teaching pros, and you have a fantastic opportunity to play better golf now than ever. These guys can be crazy smart.
That said, there are some things most teaching pros just don’t know about how the human machine works. And since golf technology has skyrocketed in the last few decades, how come golfing scores haven’t? Clearly there is a disconnect between technology and bodily function.
Take for example, Bob:
Bob is our average “weekend warrior†golfing enthusiast that fights his fear of slicing the ball on the first tee, and humiliating himself in front of his golfing buddies. Not to mention the foursome behind him.
You see, Bob has been here before. He’s kind of gotten a reputation for the banana ball. In fact, the water cooler talk has given him his very own nickname… “Banana Ball Bob!â€
Life can be tough on our hero, Banana Ball Bob. His only solace is he’s been working with a golf pro lately taking lessons to help straighten out his problem of having to replace the glass plane windows in the houses lining the golf course. Now it’s Banana Ball Bob’s turn to hit his first tee shot of the day.
He tries to remember what his golf pro told him during their lessons together: “Take a strong grip… line up correctly… don’t bring the club back inside too quickly… don’t sway… don’t swing from the top… don’t cross the line at the top… start the downswing with the legs… clear the hips… swing inside to out… don’t dip… keep your eye on the ball… transfer your weight… follow through… oh, and one last thing; don’t think about the swing, just let it happen.†Yeah, right.
Well, you guessed it, Bob got to go hunting, fishing, and hiking all on the first hole. Ouch! Bob’s got a problem. It’s a problem he doesn’t know he has, and his golf pro doesn’t know it either.
Bob’s Got a Neck Tightness Problem
You heard me right, a neck problem. Bob can’t rotate his neck like he should. And because he can’t rotate his neck, he slices the ball. Plain and simple. Doubt that? Stay with me (and Bob) and I will show you, and explain to you what your golf pro doesn’t know.
Skill vs. Ability
Look, it’s really simple, there is a difference between your ability to preform a task and the skill necessary to preform that same task.
Here’s what I mean: if Bob can’t rotate his head and neck to 90 degrees both right and left, then he has a lack of ability to rotate his head and neck 90 degrees to the right and to the left.
There could be a few different reasons he can’t rotate his head and neck to 90 degrees, but the fact remains that if his neck is too tight to turn his head 90 degrees, and he can only turn his head to say, 60 degrees, then 60 degrees is his body’s current ability.
This means that he now must develop his skill around his “lack†of ability to rotate his head the normal range of motion.
Bob slices the ball because he can’t keep his head still during the back swing. (Notice: I didn’t say, “Bob slices the ball because he can’t keep his head DOWN during the back swing.â€) Keeping your head still, and keeping your head down are two opposite ends of the spectrum.
Still, Bob’s slice is caused by a little know mechanical disruption during his swing that your golf pro doesn’t know about. And there is a causative factor:
Bob’s head (and yours) is half as wide as your hips…almost to the millimeter! It’s universal to everyone baring deformity.
Take a look at this picture and see what I mean:Â
When your neck is too tight, you will have a tendency to move off of the ball with your head. And this means your head is located outside of the axis of your hips during your backswing.
Take a look at this picture:Â
Notice the left image. Â Notice how his head is outside his left hip axis.Â
This will almost guarantee a slice, because now, you have to use your upper body to get back into position at impact. Yeah… good luck with that.
When you swing “from the top†you will swing “outside to inside†(meaning your club crosses the target line) and this is how Bob got his nickname.
Bob’s golf pro doesn’t have a clue about Bob’s real problem, and so the golf pro has to create new and inventive ways to get Bob to hit the ball straight.
On the one hand, the golf pro is a genuis if he succeeds at getting Bob to hit the ball straight during his lessons together.
On the other hand, the magic trick quickly gets revealed as “smoke and mirrors†when real life happens on the first tee.
What’s the cure for Bob’s slicing problem? Bob has restore the proper range of motion to his neck.
Assuming that his neck is “normal†and healthy, (no surgeries, whiplash, or other injuries) then Bob needs to work on restoring his neck’s range of motion to 90 degrees so that he can keep his head “still†not “down†during his backswing.
For more adventures on Banana Ball Bob, stay tuned to this blog.
Aaron Crocker is writing a fascinating book entitled What Your Golf Pro Doesn’t Know… Revealing the Hidden Reasons Your Body Works Against Itself During the Golf Swing. If you would like to know more information and how to pre-order a copy, then shoot him an email at aaroncrocker@mac.com
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