Article #21
To meet this week's teacher, or to purchase a copy of MUNIE ~ The Jitterbug Collection, go to www.bobbysteiner.com
Dear Jitterbug:
I know I'm supposed to swing softly, but I can't. No matter what I tell myself, the temptation to go after the ball is too much. Any thoughts?
Roger Tabor
Jitterbug Gang Fan
Jitterbug:
If it feels like you're swinging hard, you're probably not swinging at all. Rather, you're hitting.
To understand the difference between a "hit" and a "swing," turn a five-iron upside down, and grip it just below the head. Having gripped the head end of the club, swing the grip end so that it creates a high pitch swish near the bottom of the arc. This isn't easy, because to do it, you have to resist the temptation to pull violently in the early part of the downswing. Soft hands, patient, slow-turning shoulders, and arms that simply free-fall are required to make the swish happen at the right time. The club shouldn't make any sound at all until the very bottom of the swing, when the right hand rolls over the left.
I suggest you swing the inverted club 25 times, and then turn it around and swing it 25 times the normal way, careful that the swish still sounds off at the right time. At the very least, you'll gain a sense of where in your motion the disruptive "hit" impulse originates.
Mr. Vaughn:
True swingers of the club get velocity from centrifugal force.
Let me give you an example of a true swing. Stand straight up with your arms extended on either side of you. Next, loosen up your shoulders as you turn your torso clockwise, then counter-clockwise with your arms swinging in tempo with your turning body. Now, speed it up just a little. Feel the blood rushing to your finger tips? Does it feel effortless? You are feeling centrifugal force. Don't be fooled into thinking this motion is weak neither; if someone accidentally walked up behind you, you'd probably score a knockout.
Now, we'll do it another way. Stand there with your right arm extended horizontally from your right side. Without turning your torso, move your arm as fast as you can from your right side to your left. Notice that even though this motion requires more effort, there is no blood rush. You couldn't squash a grape swingin' your arm like this, but this is how most people try to use the golf club. They apply a great deal of effort, but because the swing is not in sync with the turning body, they got no pop.
Lord Berry:
To hit, rather than swing, is the result of learning the full swing before the short swing. Too often, golfers attempt to master the long clubs (1-wood, 3-iron, etc.) before having even a reasonable command on the shorter clubs. In doing so, golfers adopt the mindset that progress should be measured in yards, with scant regard to the level of grace and fluidity with which they swing. The irony, of course, is that despite their desperate attempts, they never reach maximum potential, but instead, develop an inefficient impulse to hit at the ball.
Beginner golfers should learn first the smaller swings-putts, chips and pitch shots-to ingrain a fluid, free-swinging motion without the debilitating temptation to pull, strain, and pain the body as a means of fostering power.