Decoding One’s True Golf Swing DNA: Part Nine

In continuing my discussion of various golf swing styles, including a brief look at one of Tiger Woods’ swing characteristics, the point I want to make is that if Tiger can achieve what he has (with presumably more to come) with that swing, then one can be a superb golfer with just about any type of swing imaginable.  Since hitting a motionless object is naturally easier than hitting a moving one, greater swing style variations can be expected (and are perfectly allowable) in golf compared to many other activities.  Golfers, here is your justifiable opportunity to give many swing teachers a taste of their own medicine so to speak after oh so many times of experiencing golfers’ swings being “analyzed” (maybe yours is one of them) and being told that their swings are “faulty” in some way.  Truth be told, a very large percentage of so-called golf swing (and clubfitting) “experts” (who have unfortunately been labeled as such) are far more “faulty” in their theories and practices than most golfers’ swings generally are.

There is, however, something that all various swing types must have in common if they are to put one into a position to play one’s best after attending to all crucial playing facets.  Regardless of the golf swing style used, one must learn to accomplish the swing (and this absolutely includes one’s grip) with only the limbs of the body, the irreducible foundation upon which all else is ultimately built.  The limb-only golf grip and swing process has no imposed restrictions regarding what type of golf swing style is practiced and developed.

Now put aside for a moment the swinging of the identical club repeatedly as is routinely done at a driving range (altering the “game” conditions) and think more in terms of on-course circumstances.  Suppose one is implementing any given swing style and using a set of clubs while trying to assess swing performance while playing.  The “set” basically equates to using different individual clubs from swing to swing.  Presume that any given club(s) in the set is something less than perfect from the standpoint of construction and/or fit, that one does not positively know which club(s), and that discernible swing-to-swing variations (even if minor) are imminent as a result (all very realistic presumptions).  Are you aware that even the particular order in which the clubs are swung can alter the kind of and/or amount of swing change(s) taking place during any given stroke?

Based on these conditions, what sound frame of reference can be used to know exactly how good or not so good any given swing is made with respect to the chosen swing style?  Can one really know what the chosen style (or any style) of swing/grip is really supposed to look and/or feel like in a consistent, well-supported manner under such circumstances?  If no, then how does one authoritatively fit golf clubs to one’s swing under such transient swinging conditions?  The fact is there is no competent structure for being able to do so under these conditions.  If attempting to fit a golf club to one’s swing where the swing’s “target DNA” is taken from a swing made with any golf club(s) in hand, and such club(s) cannot be conclusively proven to be of flawless construction and fit to one’s golf swing at the outset, then no credible process of fitting golf clubs to one’s swing can implemented.  If nothing else, the poor track record of the custom clubfitting trade has proven this well.  (Remember that this serious clubfitting process flaw can occur even when swinging the same club over and over again at the outset if the club does not fit one’s swing correctly.  Also remember that fitting golf clubs to one’s swing is of an entirely different nature than fitting clubs based on ball travel results).

If one is not able to execute a clubless exercise of his golf grip and swing, then he is at a tremendous disadvantage against anyone who is able to do so.  The inability to perform a limb-only grip and swing precludes one from knowing and having a reference of what his swing looks and feels like in the only situation that unconditionally assures zero errors in fit or construction within his (utopian) clubs.  Limb-only swinging principles, when used and believed in as the only true DNA of one’s golf swing, can be an extremely powerful tool.  For instance, if a promoted style of gripping and/or swinging does not lend itself to efficient performance in a totally clubless manner, such a discovery might enlighten one as to whether the promoted grip/swing style has any real merit and genuine potential for success or is more of a gimmicky type of thing.

While there is no better test to help determine the merits of various golf swing concepts, limb-only gripping and swinging principles also comprise the quintessential tool of golf equipment fitting processes to help determine the true fit of clubs and club specifications to one’s swing.  Clubfitting procedures (and results) can be vastly different depending on whether foundationally based on ball travel results from swinging various golf clubs and club specifications or limb-only gripping and swinging principles.  The former is often ignorantly called fitting clubs to one’s swing but in practice is most often merely what it says, which is the superficial fitting of clubs to ball travel results.  Clubless swinging principles, however, allow one to first focus on one’s true swing characteristics while eliminating the often-deceptive ball travel results respecting how well one is actually swinging.  Ball travel results are then implemented as a supplementary (not necessarily less important) clubfitting tool while maintaining one’s best swing performance.  Fitting clubs utilizing limb-only swinging principles will be Waggle Weight Wisdom’s next topic.

Next I will look at some of the inherent characteristics of physically melding one’s hands together and swinging without any clubs or club-like devices, the only situation deemed to exist where one’s external golf clubs are always as perfect as they can possibly be.