The Headmaster: It's Time To Go On Tilt

by Darrell Klassen

Sitting here at my computer, I’m working on a rather large instructional monthly newsletter I write for Australia every month — a piece distributed throughout the continent and into Europe and South Africa. You’re getting the same information in smaller bites ... and for a lot less money.

Nevertheless, I’m sitting here thinking about this whole thing called a “golf swing.” You could fill an entire library with the information out there on the subject, and yet it all boils down the simple little thing I keep stressing.

That’s right, ball spin.

I know a lot of you who have struggled with you golf game for so many years think I’m nuts, but I assure you I know what I’m talking about. I have helped to scholarship 35 young boys and girls to a free college education in my career. Some of them have gone on to play on the various golf tours. Two of them went all the way to the PGA Tour, and one of the ladies played on the LPGA Tour for seven years.

If I could only get you to take the time to relax in your easy-chair and think about all of this for a while, you would begin to see it clearly.

If I want to hit a draw shot to the green, I must make certain I start the golf ball traveling to the right of the target, so it has room to curve left without ending up left of the target. This isn’t rocket science. The opposite applies when I want to fade the golf ball. I must make certain to start the initial path of the golf ball to the left of my target so the right curve has room to work, without going too far to the right to do me any good.

Now, here is where the whole thing comes into focus. It is impossible to start the golf ball in either of these directions — based on a relatively “square” stance — without your body and spine being in the correct position required for the shot.
Sounds very demanding, doesn’t it?

Well the opposite is the case.

The fact is, you cannot swing the golf club toward the right of your target unless you have your spine tilted a bit to the right. The human body isn’t made to do anything other than that.

When your spine is vertical or tilted to the left, you can do nothing but pull your shots left. The human body is made to accommodate that naturally, also.

Here is the place where I take issue with most instructors. They want you to work on the top of your backswing, your takeaway or your alignment. I simply want you to learn to swing the golf club slightly inside-out to your body. That will not be inside-out to your golf ball because the lower body will naturally rotate toward the target.

When you throw a ball, your front hip clears out of the way in order for you to make the motion. When you release the ball, your hips are pointed more toward the intended receiver than they are to where you began. Just like a golf swing.
Golf is a very natural and simple game. Quit fighting it. It’s an easy game when you make it and keep it perfectly natural.

I’m not talking about “Natural Golf” here. I’m talking about making your golf swing perfectly natural.

If you will take some ping-pong balls into your back yard and strike them with a 7-iron, as you impart different curving spin on the swings, strike them to the right and to the left on purpose. You’ll soon realize what I have just told you is perfectly natural and correct. Hit them to the right of center and simultaneously apply left spin on them. Then hit them to the left of center, and impart some right spin on them. With the ping-pong balls, you will soon be able to do whatever you wish. Then go to the driving range and do the same with golf balls. You will also soon realize you can do whatever you wish with the golf balls, too.

Don’t try to hit any targets until you get fairly proficient with curving them the direction you desire. Then, don’t make your targets too exacting. Just start to curve them from the right toward the center and curve them from the left toward the center. When you can do this, you are almost ready to take it to the course.

It’s almost embarrassing to have you find out this is all there is to striking great golf shots. Any golf professional who wants you to do anything more than this should be a bit embarrassed, too.

Oops, I did it again. I put my foot in my mouth. As my granddaughter says, “Well, it’s the truth, Grandpa.”
Golf’s an easy game. The sooner you learn that, the better off you will be. FG