Greetings Golfers,

I’m not a believer in the perfect golf swing. The dream that you can achieve a perfect swing that basically takes over and plays golf for you is not what you want.

Instead, I believe in developing a swing that allows you to hit the shots you need … and is right for your body and temperament.

Definitely not a one-size-fits-all type of swing.

One of my favorite writers – former Israeli Professor Jacob Talmon – said this about people’s desire for a perfect society “The longing for it may in a sense be, the inability to face the fact that life is a perpetual and never resolved crisis.”

Substitute “life” for “golf” in that sentence and I think you have the same desire for the perfect golf swing.

Now, I edited Professor Talmon’s quote … he said “it may in a sense be cowardice and laziness … “. His quote is a little harsh … but it’s probably true. We do want life to be easier … we do want golf to be easier. We want success to be easy. Just get up on the tee … hit the “perfect swing button” and boom – a 300 yard drive in the middle of the fairway. Then again, press the button and … an iron shot 3 ft from the pin.

But that’s not reality. Golf (as he said) “is a perpetual and never resolved crisis”.

Reality is cause and effect … actions have consequences.

Removing that is not a good thing. We’ve all seen spoiled kids who never have to deal with the consequences of their actions … it’s not pretty … and it usually doesn’t turn out very well for them as they get older.

And the reality in golf is that you have to deal with every situation. And if you don’t deal with it well … your next shot will be even more of a challenge.

That’s why you need to be able to hit a variety of shots and from a variety of lies. That’s what the game is all about … how to navigate your way around the golf course. And you need a variety of tools to do it. Not one swing.

You need diversity – not uniformity.

People are different. Some will easily take to putting … or long driving … or flop shots … low draws, etc … that’s a good thing. A standardized robotic swing would probably minimize their natural talent. But they do need to learn shots that are not natural for them. Golf demands a variety of shots. They need to hit the golf course prepared. Doesn’t mean mastery … just good enough so they aren’t screwed.

Learning to hit different shots fixes swing flaws … naturally. This winter is a great time to work on hitting different shots. And it makes practicing fun.

As the ad said “Try it – you’ll like it”.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
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