Master Golf’s ‘Magic Moment’ and Take Your Ball-Striking to New Heights!
As I occasionally scroll through the endless amount of social media posts which tout every possible drill, random tip, training aid, and piece of technology you can imagine, I am often reminded of my roots as a golf instructor. Those formative years when I searched for answers, studied the greats, and was willing to take almost any path or go to any length to improve my craft. My quest led me to the Hall of Fame instructor Ben Doyle at Quail Lodge in Carmel, California and later to my greatest mentor, Lynn T. Blake in Marietta, Georgia. These two giants of golf instruction were among the most versed minds on the planet in Homer Kelley’s seminal work, The Golfing Machine.
Mr. Kelley was a proponent of G.O.L.F. (Geometrically Oriented Linear Force) and he stated that the secret of golf is to sustain the line of compression through the ball, to as he called it, Sustain the Lag! Mr. Kelley knew that the ball didn’t care who you were, what your pedigree was, what size you were, or anything else for that matter, except for the application of cold, hard physics when it mattered most… ‘the impact interval’…that part of the swing lasting milliseconds and fractions of an inch when your clubhead is actually in contact with the ball. “You can kid yourself, but not the Ball. The Ball ALWAYS tells the truth”, Mr. Kelley so directly told us.
Of course, there are other factors that play a role in creating a swing that operates with power and precision. But, at the end of the day, if you have a beautiful swing with poor impact alignments the result will be garbage ball striking. So, heed Mr. Kelley’s words to “let today’s garbage be superior to yesterday’s” by practicing the two drills I prescribe below. These drills will help you on your journey to minimize the chunked, topped, thinned, and other poorly struck shots that seem to always plague your game. Focusing on these exercises will set you the path to eliminate the steering, quitting, and other mechanical malfunctions that wreak havoc with your game.
