I’m reminded of Henry Cotton when I think of simplicity and coaching golf. Mr Cotton was a three-time winner of the Open Championship, three-time Ryder Cup player and renowned teacher of the game. One of his favourite drills was to get the player who he was teaching to feel impact by hitting an old tyre.
More recently, I think of Shawn Clement who teaches golfers to swing a grass whip to feel their swing. Not a new technique but certainly an effective one.
I love to watch the Bob Brue video
There is almost no technical detail whatsoever. It’s just him, the club and the ball. He puts on a pretty good show too.
On the golf course I love to watch players who are smooth and syrupy. Golfers like Fred Couples and Ernie Els. Luke List and Jake Knapp. Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda. They’re just out there having a great time and swinging smoothly. Embracing the simplicity. That is to say, the club goes back then it comes forward, hits the ball and carries on towards the target.
Teaching using this simplistic mindset is a Zen-like experience in itself. You can see the golfers make sense of it themselves while conveying nothing or almost nothing of a technical nature.
Picture a round of golf. What are you doing? What are you doing at its very core? Making the ball go at a target so it goes in the hole in as few shots as possible. No cameras, no launch monitors, no long-winded explanations of kinematic sequences. Just you, the club and the ball. Golf should be a meditative endeavour – I know there is far more that goes into it but let’s think about it. You’re in nature. You’re whacking a ball with a stick. You’re walking in the fresh air. You’re mostly with friends.
For most of us, playing golf isn’t work. It’s a sport and can be competitive but can be one of the most refreshing sports to play. Embrace the simplicity of it. Being in a zen-like state will almost certainly improve your golf as well as your well-being. Bad scores will happen but good ones will too. Bad shots will happen and good ones too. Accept it all. Golf is medicine…we just have to realise it.
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