Got a question from Brian in Salt Lake. It's a really good one and he brings in a really famous golfer. Brian says, “Years ago I heard a quote from Arnold Palmer. He basically said that if people would just swing like their practice swings they would play much better. He alluded to the fact that we swing slow and relaxed in our practice swings, then we step up to the ball and tighten our grips and swing harder. Maybe that's the problem. We should practice swing the exact speed and grip that we are going to use on the actual shot. Then we can transfer one to the other.”
Hello! What does the Surge always say? What's a practice swing? It should be a perfect practice of the shot we want to hit, right down to the fact that I'm going to setup with my stance exactly as I'm going to have for that shot. I'm going to grip it the exact same way I'm going to swing. And I'm going to make the same swing speed and force and everything that I want to hit that ball on that next shot. Perfect practice makes perfect. Lackadaisical, haphazard practice makes garbage.
The whole concept is to practice. That's why I say that if you've got a downhill lie or a side hill lie, you should take your practice swing right beside the ball so you can feel in that practice swing how the difference of the angle of the slope is going to affect the swing. You'll know if it's going to affect your backswing where you might have a problem losing your balance; or if it's going to affect your forward swing because you might have a problem of getting there. You'll know what's coming, so you can make the practice swing so you know you can maintain balance throughout the swing from a side hill or downhill lie.
That's the whole key. This is absolutely correct. Arnie couldn't have said it any better and Brian, you couldn't have restated it any better. So, what is the major premise I always use about practice swings. Feel the swing, then swing the feel. That's kind of what Arnold Palmer said here and you reiterated it.
Yes, let's make good practice swings and I guarantee you folks, you start making better practice swings and you'll start to hit a lot more shots a lot better, and playing the golf you know you can play.
The Surge!