The Golf Swing Versus Technology

What David says about clubs and balls is true, however sad that could be. Manufacturers and retailers will have us believe that we are able to buy a better game. We most probably can, within reason.

Technology has allowed manufacturers to create more forgiving clubs and balls that travel further. The argument can be made that it will make the game more fun, attract more folks and all the rest of it.

The result that distance has on courses and tournaments is a topic we might tackle at a later stage. Everybody knows (and the manufactures do too) that distance sells.

Retailers (and manufactures, for example) can contribute with proper club fitting. Gone will be the old days when the boys purchased individual clubs from various sources. Matching sets was unusual. Computerized customization permits differences in build, swing speed and degree of skill.

With hybrid clubs, and sets, the death of the long iron was inevitable. When last did you see anybody swing a 1-iron?

It really is noticeable that the professional golfers lean more towards so-called amateur equipment whereas the ammies back many years ago yearned for a set of traditional forged blades. (I'm still a sucker for all those things!)

The end result is that if you cannot swing a club half-decently, and, as Mr. Nicklaus puts it, propel the ball in a predominantly forward fashion, it might be a good idea to take up whatever else but golf.

I am a firm believer of proper ball striking. If you fail to make contact with the ball first, particularly with irons and hybrids, you will never control the ball, and that is what this game is about!

Just as much as technology permits forgiveness on mishit shots, and compensates for not-so-pure ball striking, the actual fact remains a fairly decent swing, predicated on basic principles, will enhance your scores, enjoyment and, yes, all the rest of it. It will also hold up under great pressure.

A good, solid swing shouldn't be recognised incorrectly as a nice-looking swing. We've different physical attributes and natural abilities. The mere physics of the dictates that swings will change from person to person.

Gary Player said a variety of very clever things. One is that if it works, use it. That, to me, means that how my swing looks may be flattering, but it is the score that counts.

If you go through the truly fluent swings on the market, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, and compare that to Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer (with all due respect), whose swing would you rather copy?

Yet at impact they are all exactly the same: head behind the ball, hips out of the way, weight on the left foot. Good, solid fundamentals can't ever be replaced!

I must impress on all golfers on the market, current and aspiring, the correct use of the driving range. Only a few ideas:

Warm up properly

Check the basics: grip, stance, posture, alignment, ball position

Work on something specific as opposed to getting maximum distance from your driver

You cannot see yourself swing, so get help, a friend, video camera

If you are sincere about, get yourself a forged blade 6-iron and an old persimmon driver. If you can hit a golf ball consistently with those two, it is possible to hit anything!

It might take a little more than a simple golf swing to reduce my scores, but I am still a devoted follower of the weird game!

Many thanks for bearing with me. This is my first effort - I will try again!

Corrie Nel is a golf fanatic and former club captain. See how to lengthen your drives and decrease your scores at:

http://www.sportatlas.com (Please use ID 1536)