Golf instruction/lessons/coaching/teaching has become a place of highly technical information with model swings and methods and fierce debate as to who is right and who is an asshole. Believe me, the online forums about swing technique get so heated it’s actually funny.
Technique is all very well and we certainly do need to be able to swing the club with some efficiency to make consistent contact with the ball and the ground. However, to play golf well we need skills. Allow me to explain…
Technique, simply put, is the accepted way of swing the club around a pivot point in order to hit the ball. Skills are using that technique to manipulate ball flights or producing the required spin rate or choosing landing zones for the ground to do its thing. Skills are things like the ability to control a wedge shot from 50 yards in 9 different ways. It could be hitting a 5 iron 3 different distances, accurately. Skills are using the technique you have to shoot lower scores. Or, look cool doing it. Or, both.
The guys and gals at the top of the game have refined their techniques to the point that they can acquire more skill. Us mere mortals, probably haven’t refined our technique that well yet but we can use what we have to gather skills.
That’s why it’s important, if you want to shoot better scores, for you to develop your skills. I often get my players to play a high one, a low one, and a medium one for clubhead and face awareness. After all if our technique will let us control the path and face we are well on the way to acquiring great skill.
All that said, you need technique to acquire skill. But, for goodness sake, don’t spend all your time on only technique. Spend a third practicing like a kid does. You’ve all seen them, kids trying shots like flops or massive hooks or spinny wedges. Get a feel for it. Coaching too should be about working towards your goals and if that is to score better then at least a third should be on skill acquisition. I have developed a program called Course Coach for this very purpose. We get out on the course and teach you skills under the pressure of game conditions. Looking forward to my first couple sessions coming up.
Thank you for reading, I don’t say thank you enough. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you that take the time to listen to my ramblings. 🙂
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