The first 30 years I played golf, finishing square or facing your target was an absolute must. You wanted to hit a good golf shot you had to finish square to your target. In baseball we say “look where you throw and throw where you look.”
You're suppose to be facing where you throw the ball so that your release will go to that target, in most sports, like throwing a basketball in foul shots, you're always facing and releasing square to your target. The concept should fit with golf also. And, as I said, that's always been a major premise in golf that, unfortunately, changed in the early to mid-90s with the advent of the rotational swing. You are pulling the forward side through the shot and pulling through as hard you can. That had golfers really swinging and turning way past the target. Their tenet almost became, you had to have your back shoulder facing the target, which would have your chest, in baseball terms, facing almost into the left field bleachers rather than at your target, which would be dead center field.
Over the years, as the rotational swing got more in vogue and more golfers were being taught that swing, some golfers started to come to me for lessons to get them out of it. They were not happy with their consistency, their control and, in many cases, their bodies were having too much stress and strain, even to the point of pain and injury. They wanted to get back to vertical and one of the biggest problems that I constantly saw (and still see) was golfers, even when they tried to make the peak Performance Golf Swing, kept finishing left.
As I said in yesterday's article, I had a student who thought his swing problem was too much turn in the backswing and his finish was perfect when, in fact, it was just the opposite. His backswing was good, he was staying over the toe line, but his finish was way to the left. It begs us to ask the question: Why do all golfers have a problem finishing square to the target? Do they not know where it is?
We know that when we address the golf ball, we're facing straight at the ball with our target way out in front of us. So, to be able to make a backswing and hit the ball and stand up facing the target, we have to maintain target awareness. We have to know exactly where it is so we know when it's time to stop turning as we stand up and swing our arms over our shoulder, then recoil and relax to have the body facing the target as well is the club recoiling to the target.
I think we lost target awareness. I pondered this question for a long time. Why to golfers lose that? Heck, when you watch a baseball game, say an infielder dives to his right or left to catch it. He tumbles on the ground and comes jumping up to his feet and he's facing the base he wants to throw to. I've almost never seen someone facing the wrong direction. They turn and adjust themselves to throw. How can a baseball player or basketball player putting a fake on someone guarding him and turn around and just jump up, releasing the ball right to the basket? How can they have that target awareness with all the dynamic motion and golfers, who are just standing beside the ball don't seem to have it because so many can't finish anywhere near square to their target?
I think we haven't concentrated enough on it and, standing over the ball, knowing in our mind's eye, where it is. So I have a test you can do that will help you out.
When you're standing over the golf ball at address, with both hands on the club, and you've looked at the target a couple of times. On your last time, when you look at the ball again, what you need to do is take your forward hand off the golf club, raise it and point it where your mind's eye says it should be pointing, right at the target. Then just turn your head (not your body) and look and see where hand is pointing.
I've done that test thousands of times with students and it's scary how far off where they're pointing. In many cases I'm standing directly behind them, looking over their shoulder to see where it's pointing. I've seen everything from way left to way right. Sometimes it's 30 and 40 and 50 yards off. For whatever reason many golfers do not have good target orientation. This test will help you get it.
I promise you, when you get that concept in you mind of that target awareness, where it is in front of you, you'll find that your T-Finish and recoil and relax will finally now have your body and your golf club pointing at that target. When you get that down, you'll find your balls will go to that target with a lot more consistence and a lot straighter. Your blocks and pulls will be a lot less. Target awareness is where it's at.
(Note for Golf School. Look for details soon on our California PPGS schools at Talega Golf Club in beautiful San Clemente, May 17 – 19 and 20 – 22. It's going to be one heck of an experience. Call: 1-888-84SWING(79464) or 1-864-525-7336.)
The Surge!