Perhaps like you, I have struggled with this wonderful game of golf most of my life. An avid reader and student of the game, I tried countless tips and numerous training aids, all with little help. There is a golf cartoon floating around that depicts a golfer taking a swing, with the club in several different positions. Around the golfer, and using up every bit of white space, the cartoonist wrote in 52 tips or techniques of which he was aware. If space allowed, he could have added others. The cartoon simply reminds us how difficult the swing can actually be.
Not so surprising, most of the tips were arguable. It was not until I focused on two unarguable aspects of the swing did my game improve and did I finally break 80 at age 65. I am not a good athlete like a Michael Jordan, who is still struggling with his game. But with a focus on these two aspects, it is my belief that there is hope for all golfers at any age.
Within my readings, I recently came across a golf article simply entitled Entropy, by Ben Witter and published in "Essays on the Future of Golf". Holding a mechanical engineering degree myself, I wondered what "entropy" could have to do with golf. Here is what Witter wrote. "The second law of thermodynamics states that all objects in the universe are subject to entropy, meaning that they will all revert back to their original form and shape unless acted upon by an outside energy." Applied to golfing proficiency, Witter writes:" If you began golf as a hacker and you work on becoming better, your destinations toward becoming a hacker again is inevitable. It is actually a physical law of the universe."
Evidence to support his conclusion is offered by comparing and reviewing USGA indices from golf clubs across the country, over the past 50 years, wherein golf handicaps have remained about the same. This statistic is astounding because of the fact that there have been huge advances in equipment technology, advances in instructional technology, and advances in golf course maintenance and course conditions.
I for one, take issue with Witter's analogy and his conclusion. I did start as a hacker at about age 30. Not a good age to start such a difficult sport because according to physiologists, my body had already reached or was soon to reach its peak physical condition. My handicap remained around 19 for a good part of my life. Finally at age 65, I shot a 78 and have shot rounds in the 70's several times since. To what can I attribute my improvement and how does the law of entropy apply, if at all?
There is no doubt in my mind that improvement came about because I began to focus on keeping my head behind the ball through impact and by maintaining my spine angle. My study of the game lead me to the conclusion that at least these two aspects of the golf swing were unarguable. To incorporate this change into my swing was now the challenge. I knew enough about muscle memory and neuromuscular training to realize any change to my swing required feedback, if such change was to become consistent, repeatable, memorized and ultimately executed unconsciously.
At my age I knew also that time was not on my side. I did not have the time to get sufficient feedback from playing enough rounds of golf, or by hitting hundreds of balls at a driving range or by taking numerous lessons from the same Pro. I somehow had to get frequent and instantaneous tactile feedback on these two aspects to change and improve my swing. And so I did with a full swing training device that I designed and built. Lo and behold the 80 barrier was broken.
As for the law of entropy, if in fact it does apply, my only explanation is that the forces exerted by my body, coupled with the training device, might have provided that "outside energy" that enabled me to delay the inevitable journey to again becoming a hacker. For me, golf is fun.
Robert S. (Bob) Doyle is the founder and president of Forever Better Golf Inc. a golf equipment and training aid company dedicated to helping all golfers improve their swings and lower their scores. Their flagship product is the PRO-HEAD Trainer, a full swing training aid that helps golfers maintain their spine angles and keep their heads back and behind the ball through impact. To see the PRO-HEAD Trainer in use and take the 60 second challenge, visit http://www.foreverbettergolf.com
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