The golf swing is probably the most dissected movement in all of sports. And almost every one has an opinion about what should happen in the golf swing. Arguments among professional golf teachers are common. But over the last 25 years of playing golf I’ve discovered that all of this leads to one thing, which is…
GOLF SWING CONFUSION
For example, you get golf coaches saying you shouldn’t let your right elbow fly out at the top of the swing like Jack Nicklaus (18 Majors).
You get some golf teachers saying we should only swing to parallel because swinging past parallel is bad. Yep, if you swing past parallel you might only win a major or two like John Daly.
And almost everyone agrees you need to watch the ball being struck when you’re swinging because if you don’t you have no chance of shooting 59 for 18 holes of golf like David Duval
And you most certainly have to keep your right hand on the golf club exactly like you had it at address or you’ll be a terrible ball striker like Vijay Singh.
For almost every “should” in the golf swing you’ll find someone who successfully contradicts it. Here is an interesting video which shows some of the funkiest and most successful swings in golf (apart from the last one 
).
I’ve given up on swing positions…apart from one! (mentioned at 5 minutes and 17 seconds in the video above)
You see, for the last couple of years I have looked at the golf swing from an 80-20 point of view. And this 80-20 point of view is to find the MOST important things in the golf swing. To start my quest I turned to the goal of the long game which is…
“To hit each club as long, accurately and consistently as possible.”
Upon reflecting on that goal and looking at the golf swing in terms of results I’ve come to the conclusion that the most important aspect of the golf swing is what happens at impact. And there are 5 main things that concern us golfers at impact which are…
1. Hitting the ball first.
2. Striking the ball on a path that will send the ball straight where we want.
3. Striking the ball out of the center of the clubface.
4. Contacting the ball consistently with a slightly open or slightly closed clubface.
5. Contacting the golf ball with the clubhead moving as fast as possible.
Now IMPACT may not seem like much of a perfect golf swing revelation to you, but to me it was HUGE and let me explain why because it’s very important…
When I was trying to play on tour as a teenager I was obsessed with swing positions but I never focused on those 5 things above. I mistakenly thought that if I had perfect swing positions then the result at impact would be perfect. Sadly the reality is that you can have a great looking swing that hit’s the ball consistently badly. But conversely like that video above showed, you can have a terrible looking swing and hit the ball consistently great.
The only way that can happen is because at impact the great golfers all consistently achieve those 5 impact conditions above.
So now I firmly believe that if we want to improve our ball striking in the shortest amount of time we should systematically work on improving the 5 critical impact elements above. If we improve those 5 impact elements over what we are doing currently then improved ball striking has to be the result.
This may be a different take on the perfect golf swing than you were expecting so I’d be interested to hear your comments. Just post your thoughts below on the 80-20 perect golf swing.
Tags: perfect golf swing
May 6th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Sure was a different take on the perfect golf swing. But reading your post Nick I had one of those ah-ha moments. Like you, I have been hooked up on swing positions. Not anymore. I can see what you’re saying affects every golf shot I play. During my game tomorrow I will keep your thoughts in mind. Cheers!
May 6th, 2009 at 2:27 am
Confused and frustrated explains me! My playing partners often comment on my lovely swing but my ball striking doesn’t match up. For sure I have been playing golf swing rather than golf! I am going to start to focus on improving what happens at impact. It sure does make an awful lot of sense. Can’t believe I have been sidetracked for so long.
May 6th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Loved the video Nick. Your pictures and the video has really opened up my eyes. For a long while now I have been fed up with all the different swing methods, gadgets, tips that I’m bombarded with. You seem to be about the one and only voice of reason. Love the 80-20 focus on the game of golf. Please give us more. This has me really fascinated. As your typical “average” golfer my ball striking could sure use a boost. Just not going down the “try a new swing method” route. Been there, done that. A warning to anyone considering trying some strange ole swing method: DO NOT DO IT. Listen to Nick’s common sense approach and you can’t go too far wrong. Keep up the good work Nick.
May 6th, 2009 at 2:42 am
Liked the humor in the post. You appear to be right about impact being the most important. I must confess I have not focused on impact. How does one go about doing such a thing? Any further help and advice would be most appreciated.
Sid
May 6th, 2009 at 2:57 am
Can’t believe that picture of Vijay at impact! Great post by the way Nick. Made me look at my golf swing in a new light. Thanks!
May 6th, 2009 at 3:09 am
So far the 80-20 is making sense. It is just trying to remember what I am doing right the 80% of the time and doing that consistently. It is always the results not the way it is achieved. By that, I mean you dont have to look perfect in your swing just as long as you hit the ball. This is very good info Nick, keeping us on the edge of our seats waiting and hoping that this is true.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Great video!!! I have been confused about the golf swing for some time but thanks to your post today Nick, I have seen the light!!!! Been struggling for some time to perfect my golf swing. Now I realize I have been wasting my time. Better late than never I suppose!!! You have truly opened up my eye to improving ones golf swing. Not sure what to do next but I sure no that I will not be continuing to do what I have been doing!!! I feel a bit stupid to be honest with you. I have been sucked into almost every swing fad going. Maybe one day Charles Barkley will have a swing DVD. LOL!!! Can not wait to see what you have for me next Nick. In anticipation, yours Jared.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:13 am
Fantastic post! One of the best golf posts I’ve ever read. Funny how the BIG revelations are often soooo simple! Can’t wait for more from you Nick.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:46 am
Well, you can’t show me a single one of the golfers in the post save maybe Barkley whose hands are not past the ball at impact.
May 6th, 2009 at 4:17 am
Hi Nick:
I tried your simple swing routine. First in my yard, then one bucket at range and then straight to my weekend match play. I broke 80 with ease. Its sweet and simple. But like any other thing has to practice diligently and make it my personal routine! Will report back again in a few weeks to see how it has improved my game!
Thanks for this wonderful gift!
May 6th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Nick
I loved it. I could never understand why all teachers work on take away, elbows etc. Just take the club back and bring it somehow to hit the ball. 80-20 makes it seem real
May 6th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Nick
I am glad to see that you, like many more teachers nowadays, are moving away from the ‘one swing fits all’ philosophy. I couldn’t agree with you more that the ball isn’t interested in the swing and only the physics of impact. However, what us poor hackers need from you now is not repitition of the physics (your 5 main things) but guidance on how the 5 main things can be achieved, i.e. drills etc.
Please don’t get me wrong, I think your site is great, but you appear to be falling into the trap of telling us what we all really know already rather than giving us a way of learning to implement the physics of impact.
Look forward to hearing your views.
Cheers
Alex
May 6th, 2009 at 5:21 am
It is certainly important to know the impact conditions for a perfect swing. However, one can know these conditions but still cannot improve when left to his own devices.
May 6th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Nick,
This is one of the best posts I’ve ever read. You make it sound so simple, I can’t wait to receive more from you.
Thanks Again,
Edward
May 6th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Hello Nick,
Great stuff to think about. Everybody is different and has a different “swing”. Of course you need to know the basics but do not change every part of it when somebody says your swing looks no good. Especially when you have reached a particular age. If you are young, your body will do everything you want and you can change a littlebit easier, but if you are older you have your problems. Teaching pros wants your swing to look like Tigers or Lorenas swing or at least looking nearest to it. Every pro has his own ideas about this but I think it does not fit for every(s)”body”.
Try to hit the ball on your own way as consistently as possible and have fun. Keep it as simple as possible for you without consistently thinking about “how does my swing look?”
Good work Nick, till next time.
Try to hit the ball straight and happy golfing!
May 6th, 2009 at 8:35 am
I too have been hooked on trying different types of swings. I had came up with one of my own and I was hitting it straight and pretty
long too. Then of course I saw something different on the internet and sure enough off we go trying something new. Well sadly enough they haven’t worked and I AM going back to my old swing again. all I was doing was pulling the club back by bending my elbow and then my wrist and then swing down to the ball with a pushing motion and then right at the ball straightening first my elbow then my wrist. I also was postioning the ball on most all shot just ahead of center. Also I have found that if I slid to the left when starting my swing ( which is also a NO NO ) I hit it straighter the when I would ( as they say) spin or roate your hips. Thanks again for so COMMON SENCE look at the golf swing.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:08 am
This is an interesting revelation you have here but it’s not completely unique. I have taken lesson from Coach Dori(perfectapproach.com) here in San Diego Ca. She has a similar philosophy about the golf swing. With that being said it has helped me tremendously to improve my contact, so I can attest to the fact that at least for me the concept works. Now I just have to improve my consistency.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Thanks Nick,you have saved me money – I was going to have my swing analyzed – so instead I’ll work on the 5 points – If the Great ones didn’t have the “perfect” swing, why do I? I need to work on the perfect contact.
May 6th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Great job Nick,
Your portrayal through humor and visual effect was right on! Look at one of the greatest ball strikers of all time and that was Hogan…his swing was almost flat, but it got the job done! As a matter of fact Moe (Norman) stated that only he and Hogan knew how to truly hit the golf ball pure!
One more I would add to this list is Bobby Jones. He had a smooth silky swing but used a turn of the hips to the left to wind up the corkscrew per se and he only won the Grand Slam in a single season and the only one in history to ever accomplish that feat. But, when you look at his swing at impact it is a beautiful thing. I only wonder how his swing would look today with Titanium drivers and highly technical graphite shafts. By the way from address to impact Bobby Jones probably used up all of 5 to 7 seconds.
Swings that endure with time and precision at impact and above all FEEL!
Again GREAT BLOG POST,
Dan
May 6th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Why open or closed clubface at impact? I have always been told to square up the clubface at address in order to come into the ball at the impact zone with the face square to the ball target line,paying especial attention to the grip in order to effect this.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Re point 4, what about square as well, especially if you want to hit the ball straight, without a draw or a fade? In general, your points are well taken, and your collection of different swings in the video demonstrates there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:08 am
I believe that the secret is hitting the ball with a downward movement with the club leaning forward i.e. no club head throw away, or flipping
May 6th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Great post Nick. I understand it better now – there is no thing as the perfect (or proper) golf swing. If you can constantly make perfect impact every time, it doesn’t matter what your swing looks like.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:41 am
I totally agree with you Nick. I have seen so many players with varieties of funny looking swings hitting the ball long and splitting the fairways. So I think now we should forget about the swing and just focus only on hitting the ball. You may get a perfect shot!
May 7th, 2009 at 3:59 am
I’ve been playing golf for almost 2 years now, and as a beginner it came up to me that most of us will be dealing with a lot of tips & suggestions about how your swing should be, just a little bit might help, but too much tips complicate your game. Every now and then, it always come back to “keep it simple”. Thanks for your reminder Nick
May 8th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Hello Nick
After watching the video I went to the pub and had a few beers while thinking about it. Unfortunately I thought about it too much and finished up getting severly hammered!! The next morning on the first tee I felt realy grim, I had no thoughts about my swing only about my head an body being severely hung over. Now we get to the good part!! I played the first nine holes with 4 pars and a birdie, I also had 2 doubles and a triple!! but finished with the best score I have had in a long time for the front nine.
So maybe in the past I thought too much about what I was trying to do when swinging the club. Now with the major intake of alchohol the night before I played I freed my mind of those thoughts, had a good slow tempo, (my head hurt if I swung too quick). The guys in the video all had individual swing habits, do you think my pre-game routine will catch on??
One more important thing to note when considering this approach is to make sure you have enough in your system to last 18 holes, sadly I hadn’t and finished the last nine in my usual1 4 over.
Regards and thanks for the video, Eamonn Darcy is the classic, he like guinness too!!!
May 12th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Hi Nick,
This is really something to think about, which is to stop thinking so much. The first thing that came to mind was a phrase that Ben Hogan used frequently, and that is that all the answers are in the dirt. I now take that to mean that it is possible to take a less-than-perfect swing, and with enough practice, shoot some pretty decent scores.
I’ve worked (well, not so “work” as researched) on getting myself into the proper positions in order to be a more consistant ball striker. I had two basic flaws that were identified and that I’ve tried to correct: taking the club too far on the inside, and being too flippy in the impact area. I’m now not sure the first is so big a problem. I found myself hitting pushes, as I could not get the down swing into the proper path after going back inside.
The second problem was more serious, as it appears to be the cause of a lot of fat shots, and the occasional flare to the right.
Is the bottom line to just take what you’ve got and make it work?
May 13th, 2009 at 12:44 am
Hi Nick. I play a few times a year with a +3 golfer. Apart from the basics of the swing, he will always tell me, “just hit the f****** ball, just take the club back, rotate your hips and mash it.”
It does work as we all get caught up it the mechanics and idiosyncratics of the swing. Great video link.
Paul