| Ever wonder why you don’t hit your clubs on the golf course like you do on the range? Maybe the problem starts with unnecessary movements in your swing. | ||
| Lean manufacturing principles focus on eliminating unnecessary procedures and components and, as a result, product costs. Eliminating unnecessary product components also often increases quality and, thereby, reduces support costs. Lean principles reduce costs of both manufacturing and support. The same might be true for your golf swing.
Observation. Golfers don’t hit the ball consistently. Beginners often have a tendency to rise up as they take their backswing and fail to come back to their original stance as they hit the ball. The result is a six-pound divot that goes farther than their ball or “worm-burners” that never seem to get off the ground. Hypothesis. Unnecessary movements kill good golf swings. For example, it is tougher to alternate between clubs on the golf course than it is to hit a bucket of balls with the same club at the driving range. Test it For Yourself. Okay, let’s test this out. First, hit five shots with your pitching wedge and then five shots with your 3-wood counting how many shots feel great. Next take another set of ten swings, but this time alternate your swings between your pitching wedge and your 3-wood. As you change clubs notice whether you hit each shot as sweetly as the last. Analyze Your Results. Which set of ten produced more swings that felt better? Why? Look Closer. Find a full length mirror or a sliding glass door where you can watch yourself swing a club. Next face your “mirror” and setup in your typical stance. While looking at your reflection draw a line with a dry-erase marker at the top of your head. Note, you can also draw lines down the left and right side of your head’s reflection to check for swaying, but let’s first things first. Now, reestablish yourself in front of the mirror again with the reflection of your head just touching the bottom of the line. If space permits, take a full swing like you are teeing off while watching your reflection. Did you rising up slightly? Try taking swings until you can do so without rising up. Remember that every time you rise up you will need to come back down to your original stance before you hit the ball OR make other accommodations to avoid miss hitting the ball. Correct and Retest. One way you can help minimize rising up is by passing your “target side” shoulder under your chin as you turn your shoulders during your backswing. Now, head back to the mirror. Watch yourself take the same swings and look to see if your shoulders are taking a full turn on the backswing and that your head isn’t rising above the line. Try this alternating between each club in your bag to solidify the change for your game. The Lesson: Get lean to make more consistent golf swings! |
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