Greetings from the Merchandisers of the Year Convention in Orlando. Today was a non-stop flurry of seminars and break-out groups. The theme of the convention is “innovation”. There are many ways to sell things. Lately, box stores and the internet have focused on efficiency and thus can sell things at cheap prices. I have no problem with that … it’s great to be able to buy basics such as soap at a bargain. But, that model doesn’t translate to everything – especially not golf. What makes the sale with important things in our life is the relationship – mostly trust. Too often sales training focuses on manipulation and tricks … it should focus on knowledge of the product and what is best for the customer – and the sales person needs to do that in their own way with their own style. That is true innovation.

I’m only recently appreciating balance. Not only in the golf swing – but in everything. I was always a pretty black and white guy – I looked at balance as wishy-washy. But … I’m starting to understand the reason for balance: winter/summer, cold/hot, hyper/mellow, left/right, etc.
Let’s relate balance to the golf swing. I see the left hand as the control hand – sort of the robot of the golf swing. The right hand is the feel hand – sort of the artist of the golf swing. The left hand needs to be in control to allow the right hand to do his job. When I was a young man, I had a totally right handed golf swing. I hit the ball far and hit a lot of really cool shots … I was also inconsistent and could shoot any number low or high. Then, as I got older, I began to focus on my left hand. My game became much more in control. But, I went too far focusing on the left hand. In fact, I took my right hand out of my swing. My swing began to lose power and I even began to lose feel. As my game got worse, I focused even more on my left hand … not pretty.

So, here’s what I’m now doing: I’m taking the club back with my left hand and hitting the shot with my right hand. I don’t mean totally left on the backswing and totally right on the downswing … but definitely more left than right on the back and more right than left in the hitting zone.

Bobby Jones once said that he felt he was “freewheeling” as hit went through the ball … that’s a great expression and definitely a right handed feel … Jones also consciously took the club back with his left hand.

I’m even trying to do this with the putter.