John Lucas

I always have been adamant that I prefer a natural looking swing over a robot-like motion used by many amateurs and even some professionals on the lesser-known tours. I’m talking about players who have taken numerous lessons throughout their lives but failed to really make it because their swings always were being worked on — like a car that’s always in the shop.

 

I read many golf articles and have looked at numerous instruction books and at most I simply shake my head. After all, the golf swing only takes about 1.2 seconds from start to finish. Really, how much can one think of in that short time span? Too much thought tightens muscles and fosters indecision.

 

So I will give you a simple drill or exercises to help you feel a natural movement. They can help you “feel” the proper motion instead of a gaggle of words to digest and think about.

 

The bucket drill: Take your address position by spreading your feet apart, balancing your weight on the balls of your feet and let your arms just hang down naturally while maintaining a straight-as-possible spine angle in your posture.

 

Use a metal driving range bucket capable of holding about 50 balls. Simply grasp the left side of the bucket with the sensitive fingers of your left hand and the other side with your right hand.

 

Now, swing back naturally, sort of pushing the bucket away from the target while stretching the muscles of your back and left arm. Naturally and automatically, and quite magically, the weight will shift to your back foot on the backswing then onto your left foot on the forward swing.

 

Thinking about your weight shift will become a thing of the past. The natural thrust of the swing will carry you back and through. This is the essence of a natural swing, controlled by your instincts. This is particularly good for beginners because it allows them quickly to program the proper basic actions involved in a technically correct on-balance swing into their subconscious minds. Once these elements of the swing register in the brain, the more one is likely to repeat a good action virtually automatically, not by thinking, but by “feeling” it.

 

Rules teaser:
A player looking for his ball exceeded the five-minute time limit. He couldn’t find it because another player had played it. Ruling?

Answer to last column’s teaser:
A player, before teeing off, discovered he had 15 clubs in his bag. He removed the club and declared it unplayable and laid it on the floor of his cart. Ruling? Two-stroke penalty per hole with a maximum of a four-stroke penalty.

John Lucas is the professional at SkyRidge Golf Course and can be reached at john98382@olypen.com.