The practice swing
Jesse Grewal
At the outset I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year and a year of good golf and loads of fun on the course. Follow the three P’s – Practice, Patience and Perseverance and watch your game improve.
What is the role of the practice swing? For some it is mandatory and for others it is not necessary. Some swing the club just to loosen up while others create an actual swing with an image of brushing the ground as if they were hitting a ball.
Around the green we see professionals on TV make a number of swings imaging the speed of the club head and how far the ball will fly by the sound and feel of the club head brushing the grass. After they feel the correct speed they step in and hit the ball. I see many golfers make lots of practice swings on the range even immediately after they have hit a good shot. This seems unnecessary to me.
While on the course practice swings are important, it also depends on what feedback the golfer is getting from the swing. Is it about the tempo or feeling the plane of the swing or any other component? I personally feel that a good practice swing is when you feel the club head brush the ground as it gives the person a feeling of delivery of the club head to an imaginary ball and switches off conscious thought and lets the sub- conscious control the swing.
Harvey Pennick, a legendary golf professional and coach, was a strong advocate of this method. This does not mean that we start taking practice swings with a divot as this would damage the golf course and give grief to the course superintendents!
On the putting green, there are some who take many practice strokes and yet there are great coaches like Dave Stockton who do not advocate a practice stroke.
So, find what works for you and do not make practice swings just because someone said so. Watch your favourite Professionals on TV and try the different methods you see to find what suits you.
Happy golfing!
(Grewal is currently the Director of National Golf Academy of India and CGA Hero Honda Golf Academy)
