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 After committing to play in a competitive amateur golf tournament this summer in Michigan, I knew I needed help. Since I'm down to playing about once a month these days, I assembled a team of professionals - Dale Abraham, Dr. David Wright and Jamie Mulligan - to help me achieve the seemingly impossible. They put together a program that, if I can follow it, will kick my game up a notch or two. So there I was at East Valley Golf Club in Beaumont awaiting my first swing assessment lesson with Abraham. The temperature gauge on my car read 39 degrees. I'm a fair-weather golfer at best, so the sacrifice to get out of my car to beat balls while someone told me I needed to get in better shape and practice more sounded less than thrilling. I felt miserable, but Abraham wanted three hours of practice a week and two rounds of golf a month to get me up to speed. I couldn't bail on the regimen in the first month, could I? The lesson started with a wedge. I was trying to keep my body still and relaxed, but it felt as comfortable as trying to ride a unicycle while juggling chainsaws. "Where do you feel the pressure in your hands during the swing?" Abraham wanted to know. I wanted to respond that I couldn't feel my hands, but I thought I was feeling an excessive amount of pinching in the thumb and index finger of my right hand. "Make your right hand slightly resist the left on your takeaway," Abraham said. Instantly, the ball started firing out on the right line. I changed clubs and it was more of the same. Every shot felt pure, the swing felt effortless and most were struck with impressive crispness. "Your hands were rolling the club inside and behind you on the takeaway," Abraham said. "The only thing you could do was come from a very inside position, which promotes a severe hook if you release the club or a block if you hold on to it. The other outcome is to come over the top. By resisting slightly with your right hand, the club naturally moves back into the right position." My spirit was brightened and my soul was lifted – temporarily. I went to the range a few days later, but after about an hour of mediocre ball striking I became discouraged. Why didn't the new swing follow me home? "It's just like taking medicine," Abraham said. "You don't take the whole bottle of medicine on the first day and expect to get better. You take a pill every day until you aren't sick anymore." Abraham suggested hitting Wiffle balls in the back yard every day, even if it was only for 15-20 swings. "Smaller doses over a longer period will produce lasting results," he said. "The more you do the correct motion, the more likely your body will be able to reproduce it on a consistent basis." So there I was, in my backyard with a sand wedge hitting Wiffle balls. It was something I hadn't done since I was 13, and it didn't feel bad. Each day, I found the feel of my swing a little easier. Abraham and I also worked on getting my address consistently into a more athletic position. "It's not uncommon for a person who spends a lot of time in front of a computer to develop a slouched posture," he said. "The shoulders roll forward and you round your back. The exercises we have incorporated into your program will help with your posture, but it is something you need to constantly be aware of. The golf swing is an athletic motion and it needs to start from an athletic position." To do this, Abraham told me to move my weight toward the balls of my feet as if I was preparing to leap for a rebound or sprint in from third base. Once I found my balance, there was less pressure on my body during the swing. I felt like I could swing all day. Let's just hope I don't have to. |
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