When I go to golf tournaments or watch an event on TV, I often wonder if the average viewer understands what he or she is watching. Regarding appropriate lines and movements, let me help with that:
POSTURE
Great players, when seen from behind, are equidistant with their points and parallel to the target line.
Adam Scott, for example, has as good a setup as anyone on the PGA Tour, and if you stand behind him you can’t see his left leg because his right leg is so evenly lined up. You also can’t see his left shoulder because his right shoulder is evenly lined up, and you can’t see his left arm because his right arm is naturally lined up. In addition, his spine looks like it’s bisecting the shaft of the club, and, no matter how hard the wind blows, it could never knock him over. That’s what great posture looks like.
BACKSWING
A good backswing requires rotating halfway up with your core muscles and keeping your body on plane. Halfway back, the toe of the club should be on the plane line from your chin to the ball. The top of a proper backswing isn’t too upright or flat; it simply looks right because it matches the player’s anatomy.
Because Ben Hogan was relatively short, he had a flatter-looking swing at the top. On the other hand, Ernie Els is tall, so his swing is more upright at the top. But the turn and shoulder pivot, for each swing, was and is on plane. The perfect position at the top is what I call the hook, because the forward arm is flush with the wrist, shaft and face of the club on an imaginary pane of glass from the chin to the ball. When all parts are lined up, it looks like the club is hooked on the top part of the glass.
DOWNSWING
Although address and impact often don’t look the same, the downswing should always be on plane – nothing too in front and nothing too behind. In great impact positions the shoulders, forward arm and club’s shaft are square to the target line, the hips are turning out of the way and the lower body is providing the momentum.
FOLLOW-THROUGH
This is a reaction to all movements described. It looks like a player simply allows his or her body to unwind all the way through. Chipping and putting are mirror images of that as well. Obviously, with putting you’re trying to roll the ball rather than hit it in the air, so the stroke is along the ground but the lines should be similar.
RHYTHM
When golf is played right it looks easy. But many amateurs have trouble with the relaxation and rhythm that’s needed to get their body and swing to perform correctly. The best professionals, however, have the ability to blend solid mechanics with a beautiful rhythm to hit the ball with a natural beauty.
It’s fun to watch, but even more fun to be able to play that way. At least that’s what I’ve been told.
Jamie Mulligan is director of golf at Virginia Country Club in Long Beach and a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher who instructs several professional players.
