It has been a while since my last post. Much of it was spent on putting the finishing touches to my book about the life and times of my father: Jack Grout, A Legacy In Golf.  As you might imagine, writing a book isn’t an easy thing to do. It requires hard work, extreme ambition, and intense discipline. But, nothing in life is easy and accomplishing a dream is rare—and awesome.

Now for today’s post. Whereas golf on the PGA Tour has historically been recognized as a game of single-minded individualism – an important quality in a true badass – it’s obvious that this belief in self-determination isn’t universally accepted in the modern game. Today, numerous professional players surround themselves with full-swing instructors, short-game coaches, psychologists and other specialists who form their ever-present entourages. The player is rarely alone long enough to learn self-sufficiency or to develop any real faith and trust in himself.

Dr. Richard Orlando, a Columbus, Ohio resident who took golf lessons from my father and later observed the practice routines of hundreds of touring pros as the on-site ophthalmologist for Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament, talked skeptically of this phenomenon. “So many of the current players bring (David) Leadbetter, Rick Smith, Butch Harmon, etc., out on the range at every damn tournament. These guys can’t ever take the club back without having their ‘guru’ with them.”

In the heat of battle, a successful golfer must be able to self-diagnose and self-correct. Occasionally, great “old school” players like Nicklaus, Hogan and Snead have prevailed without firing on all cylinders. At times, these guys emerged victorious even when things had gotten downright ugly. They were able to do so because they learned their game and were able to control what they were doing.

When Jack Grout began teaching the game to Jack Nicklaus, he instilled in his young protege the importance of understanding why he was doing something on the golf course. My father insisted that Nicklaus learn to use his head, not just his golf swing. And, by the age of nineteen when Jack went out to play golf, he didn’t have to keep running back to his coach for answers. Grout taught Nicklaus the nuts and bolts of being independent. My father held the conviction that a little self-reliance never hurt anyone.

In 2017 Jack Nicklaus wrote; “I could go on and on about the different lessons Jack taught me, but his greatest was one that reminds of the great philosopher’s words, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Jack Grout knew the golf swing as well as anyone I have ever encountered. But his true genius was in knowing what was best for the individual. His greatest gift to his students was his belief in them and his ability to get them to believe in themselves. Jack wanted you to develop your skills, technically, but to be so confident of those skills that you could identify and fix your own swing flaws even in the heat of competition, and certainly without him there by your side. You always hear the word indispensable. Jack Grout’s life work, at least in my case, was to make himself dispensable. He wanted his students to be able to function at the highest level without him.”

1. Not Working with an Experienced Coach. Even Jack Nicklaus needed the analytical eye of a trained professional to keep his game well honed. At the start of every season, the Golden Bear would schedule time with my father to work on the basics. He’d say, “J. Grout, teach me how to play golf.” These days, PGA Tour players have an entourage of swing coaches, mental trainers and fitness gurus – which is my subject in another blog.

2. Going to the First Tee without Warming Up – Ideally, you need at least a half hour to ready yourself both mentally and physically.

Don’t rush from the parking lot or the clubhouse, take out your glove and driver, take two swings at broken tee or a cigarette butt and say, “I’m ready, what are we playing for?”

Do some basic stretching – move your shoulders, arms, neck, the parts you expect to use in the swing

• Place a club behind your back and underneath the arms and turn the shoulders and hips
• Do several shallow knee bends. Pull your knees up to the chest
• Swing Drill: step to the right with the left foot on the backswing and then step back to the left on the forward swing to activate your weight shifting & moving

3. Practicing on the range with your favorite club – instead of working on what you don’t do well. Determine your strengths and weaknesses then, work on the areas that need improvement. Everyone likes to hit their old “Billy Baroo” on the practice tee. Everyone likes to bang out drives. Few people will spend an hour chipping and putting.

It’ll Happen Every Time: The Club Championship comes rolling around. The wannabes and also-rans are out on the rock-pile pounding away at full shots while the defending champ is over at the practice green working on his short game.

4. Not Aiming – every shot you hit at some target. In the fundamental approach – The first action in aiming a shot is to place the club behind the ball with the face square to the target. The second action in aiming is to stand square to the clubface – toes, knees, hips, chest and shoulders parallel to the target line. Paralleling your body to the target line at address gives you the best chance, instinctively and consciously, of swinging the club head along it at impact.

Aligning your body: In the advanced approach – good golfers work into their setup for address from an “open” body position – they step into their stance from left to right. Place your right foot into position first, while half facing and “sighting” the target. Then, ease your left foot into position from the left of the target line.

5. Getting in your own way – on the downswing results from a poor set-up position. How would you stand if you were playing another sport that required you to move from side to side?

• Spread your feet apart wide enough to keep your balance
• Bend over at the hips and not at the waist
• Slightly flex your knees with your weight more or less on the balls of your feet
• Allow your backside to move out and up; your stomach points down
• Your arms and hands hang down and have plenty of room to swing freely
• The spine is straight but tilted because of the bend at the hips

6. When you consider the golf swing as a series of positions or segmented movements – when, in truth, it’s simply a SWING!  It is not a hit, although the ball gets hit. It is not a sway or a lunge, although the body weight does transfer from side to side. Instead, it is a swinging motion of the hands and arms, assisted by other body parts in a sequential continuing pattern of movement.

7. When you consider golf to be either a left-handed game or a right-handed game – when, in truth, it’s a two-handed game.

At the moment you place both hands on the club to take your grip, golf becomes a two-sided game with each side having a different function to perform.

Your left hand, arm and entire side are for direction. It keeps the club on path.

• It Guides – Leads – and Brings the club into and through the hitting area

Your right hand, arm and entire side are for distance. It’s where you get your power.

 For Distance – “You’ve Got to Have Speed in the Swing.”

I. The Waggle Motion helps to initiate your golf swing. These movements act as a rehearsal for the swing and they serve to ready the body and to relax muscles. It provides a smooth transition from the static position at set-up to the dynamic in-swing movements.

II. The club head moves away from the ball in a swinging manner. To achieve full and complete extension, the arms and hands travel out and up in a wide arc. When the club head is traveling through a wide arc it gathers speed and velocity. That equals distance!

III. The violent force of a tee shot has to swing around a steady head position. Even though the actual center of the swing is located in the sternum, it is easier to think about the head as it relates to the body turn, weight shift and swing.

PGA Tour analyses indicate that professional’s heads move about two inches on the backswing. Allowing for a slight movement makes room for a good full turn.

• The head at set-up must be slightly behind the ball.
• During the backswing the head must stay within the stance, that is, move no farther back than the inside of the right foot.
• During the forward swing, the head must remain behind the ball position until after impact. It should then move forward and up to a relaxed finish of the swing.

IV. Weight Shift and Footwork

 A fundamental weight transfer takes place during the backswing. Nearly 80% of the body weight shifts to the right side by the time the hands have swung back to waist height. Most of that happens because the hips and shoulders have started to turn. And, as that happens the feet begin to play an active part.

The correct movement of the feet during the backswing and forward swing is rolling the ankles. This technique makes it easier to keep the weight balanced throughout the swing, never letting it slide to the outside of the right leg and foot

V. Impact and Balanced Finish

 The club head must be released during the forward swing. Unless the club is being held too tightly, the swinging action of the arms and the unhinging of the wrists will square the club face immediately before impact.

Releasing the club is a rotation of the entire left arm as it goes through the impact area. The left arm does not collapse or bend at impact. And, the wrist does not break down.

At the end of every swing you should experience – Complete balance. A good, completed swing pattern will have the weight totally to the target side with the hips and shoulders facing in the direction of the target; both arms should be relaxed with elbows bent.

Dick Grout was one of my father’s older brothers. As a golf professional, he was both a respected teacher and a fine player. In 1926, at twenty-two years-old, he received an introduction into the “big leagues” when he played in the 9^th PGA Championship held at Salisbury Golf Links, Westbury Long Island, New York.

After making it through the thirty-six-hole stroke-play qualifying round, Uncle Dick managed a satisfying victory in the first round of match-play. Only problem was a fellow by the name of Walter Hagen awaited him in the second round. Unfortunately, during next day’s 36-hole match, my uncle did not play his best, and defending champion Hagen dispatched him from the tournament.

After that match, “The Haig” had lunch and drinks with Uncle Dick, then took him to the practice green for a putting lesson. Evidently, Hagen had no qualms with my uncle’s scientific approach to putting. He even complimented him on his sound technique.

• A steady head
• Hold the club in a comfortable, light grip of your preference
• Set up with your eyes directly over the ball-target line
• Keep the putter head low going back
• Accelerate through the ball

However, the “master putter” did find fault with my uncle’s apparent inability to read the greens. According to Hagen, Dick needed to get in touch with his artistic side and develop a “sixth sense” of how the ball will roll. His tutor added that, it’s a skill that comes after hitting enough putts over enough different types of terrain and grass. In other words, it’s a skill that comes with experience.

Here is a synopsis of what Walter Hagen told Dick Grout back in 1926:

As you walk on-to a green, whether you realize it or not, you take in all sorts of subtle information. This data runs through your mind before you even mark your ball.

• Even if you don’t look closely at the surrounding terrain, you are aware of any major slope in the land.
• Without having to tell yourself, you know where the low side of the green is and where the high side is.
• If the putting surface is hard and crusty under foot, you receive one message; if it’s soft and spongy you get another.
• If the green is situated on an elevated section of the course and, you feel a breeze as you step on-to it, you sense that the putt will be fast.
• If, the grass appears light, you’re putting against the grain; if it’s dark you’re putting with the grain.

The most subtle aspect of green reading has to do with the grain. Grain refers to the direction in which the blades of grass grow. The light/dark appearance is one way to read it. Another method you can use is to take your putter blade and scrape it across a patch of fringe. If the blades of grass brush up, you’re scraping against the grain. If they mat down, you’re scraping with it. (Incidentally, be sure to do this scraping on the fringe. If, it’s done on the greens, it’s a violation of Rule 35.)

A third method is to take a look at the cup. Often, the blades of grass will grow over the edge of the cup in the direction in which the grain moves. Grain usually grows toward water and, especially toward the ocean. In the West, it’s apt to lean toward the mountains. If, you’re not near any such topography, figure on the grain-growing in the direction of the setting sun.

Grain is strongest on Bermuda grass, where short, crew-cut-like blades tend to push the ball strongly. As a general rule, you can figure on stroking the ball about 20 percent firmer than usual on a putt that’s into the grain and about 20 percent easier on a putt that’s with the grain.

These effects are less noticeable on long-stemmed bent grass and other strains of grass, but they are present nonetheless. The break of your putt will also be affected by the firmness of a green, the wetness/dryness, the amount of wind you’re facing, and even the time of day. In general, any time you have to hit the putt firmly, you should play for fewer breaks.

Another way of reading the break on a green is to observe the putt of another player. Hagen told my uncle that he favored “going to school,” but with one stipulation: Allow for any difference between your own playing style and those of your fellow players. If, for instance, your friend is an “aggressive” putter and you’re a “lag” putter, allow for more break than he does.

Hagen wrapped up his coaching session with Uncle Dick by explaining matters like this. And, I quote: “Did you ever notice a flower when the sun first hits it? It leans toward the sun’s rays. Well, the same thing happens to grass on a green when the sun first touches it. When the rays of the sun touch the grass from the left side, the grass leans that way. If, the sun reaches the grass from the right side, the rays pull it in that direction. In other words, just like a flower, the grass leans toward the sun.”

“Putting well is no accident,” Hagen declared. “It’s not simply a matter of stroking the ball in the general direction of the cup and hoping that it drops. You must read the green as best you can. You have to study the line and roll to the pin, form a definite plan of attack, then go ahead and execute it. The grass in relation to the sun’s rays figures in your firm plan of attack.”

“The direction in which the grass is leaning will have an effect on the roll and break of the ball as it heads toward the hole. If, you have a break to the left and the grass is leaning in the same direction, you must anticipate that the ball will break more sharply and compensate for this when lining up your putt. If, the grass leans the other way, the ball will make a slower break toward the hole.”

In conclusion, Hagen emphasized that “Good putting is never an accident. It always requires careful thought and preparation.” FYI – Several days later, Walter Hagen went on to win that PGA Championship. In fact, he won it a record-tying five times (1921, 1924-1927).

Golf is about precision and concentration and instincts. The game is played with an eye on the ball, an eye on the slope of the green, an eye for the hazards, and an eye to gauge the distance to the pin. It’s important, then, to improve these qualities and your visual skills if, you want  to play your best.

• Peripheral vision refers to the outermost boundary of a person’s range of vision. Central/peripheral awareness – is being aware of the primary target (the ball) while simultaneously knowing where you want to direct the ball with your club. Obviously, this is a basic skill to master.
• Depth perception – the ability to judge distances is crucial in golf. When trained properly, depth perception acts as a valuable aid in estimating yardage, in selecting the proper club and, in making solid contact with the ball.
• Fixation ability – using a series of quick and accurate eye movements, it’s the ability to fine-focus on a target, whether 3 feet or 300 yards away. Then, being able to properly focus on the ball. This skill is essential in making good contact between the clubhead and the ball. Fine focusing techniques can help both in hitting the sweet spot and stroking a smoother putt.

This scenario requires the golfer to focus or “gaze” at the right points in their surroundings and ignore the rest of the scene. Research has proven that expert golfers with “quiet” eyes are able to focus on specific targets, e.g., a precise spot in the landing area or, the flagstick. Then, they can finely focus on a specific point on the back of the ball and, remain fixated on that part until the club strikes the ball. In contrast, average golfers with “noisy” eyes allow their gaze to wander all over the place, without having a very specific focal point on their target or their ball.

No doubt, the age-old decree to keep your head down and keep your eye on the ball stems from the poor habits of the high-handicapper. Most good players, on the other hand, try to maintain their head position through impact and focus their attention at a precise point on the back of the ball until it is struck. This arrangement seems to give them a straighter path to the ball, better contact, increased swing speed, more hip rotation and improved balance on the follow through and finish.

But, this principle of keeping the “head still” and the “eyes-on-the-ball” isn’t preferred by everyone. In fact, the natural move for PGA Tour stars like Jim Furyk, Robert Allenby, Annika Sorenstam and David Duval is to not even look at the ball during impact. Instead, they let their right sides turn through the shot, allowing their heads to swivel with the rotation of their body. Maybe, those that favor this particular method are right eye dominant and/or simply prefer to play a fade. In any case, these players have found success by allowing their head and eyes to move freely through the impact zone.

My father was quoted as saying, “Never keep your eye on the top of the ball, chances are you will blade it.” Aspects like depth perception and, the fact that a golf ball’s diameter is 1.68 really mattered to dad. When he’d watch me play and I’d happen to mishit a sand shot, often his best advice would be to finely focus my attention on the sand behind the ball. Regrettably, I found this course of action to be unsettling. And, it bothered me because purely and simply I did whatever my dad told me to do on the golf course.

Occasionally, I’d find myself wondering about the ifs ands or buts of dad’s viewpoint. Well, the opportunity to discover the “truth” finally presented itself one day. It was May, 1977, when I happened upon the talented Taiwanese professional Lu Liang-Huan or “Mr. Lu” as he came to be known to British golf fans. He was practicing sand shots in a bunker at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Mr. Lu was a regular winner on the Asian Tour and, in 1971, he finished runner-up to Lee Trevino in the British Open at Royal Birkdale,

I remember being excited by the sight of Mr. Lu because, at the time, he was regarded as a world-class bunker player. Not wanting to disturb the master, I approached him cautiously. As I stepped closer to the bunker, Mr. Lu looked up to acknowledge my presence. Then, the polite man nodded his head as if to say hello. At that point, I asked him if, it would be ok to watch. After he nodded, yes, I moved to within 20 feet of him and positioned myself immediately to his right. Then, after watching him splash several more shots right next to the flagstick, I asked him my question. I said, “Mr. Lu, where do you focus your attention when you’re playing sand shots? Do you look at the ball or do you look at the sand behind the ball?” What happened next was truly amazing. Mr. Lu gazed up at me and, while maintaining eye-contact, he said “I look at you” as he proceeded to delicately extricate the ball from the sand. Then, I got to watch another of his unreal shots trickle to within several inches of the cup!

In the February 1988 issue of Golf Illustrated, there’s a section entitled: “The Top Teachers Talk” Q&A “An Interview With Jack Grout.” In it, writer Bill Fields discusses various golf matters with my father. One question, he raised was: “When video came in, did you use it in your teaching? Dad’s reply was, “No, it’s a waste of time. “Why,” he asked?” Dad answered, “I don’t teach from pictures, I teach from fundamentals. You don’t need pictures for that. They don’t prove anything to me.”

Some years earlier, I, too, sought out dad’s view on the subject of video. I remember him giving me this response; “Dickie, most golfers, I know, would quit the game if they saw what their swing looked like.” At the odd time, though, when the “old school” graduate wasn’t being quite so resolute, he’d acknowledge that high-speed, stop-action cameras might be of some benefit to the visual learner. Nevertheless, he cautioned video buffs against getting hung up on pictures. His vast experience taught him that it was wrong to consciously try to replicate the swing of another by placing the club into certain “positions.” Dad said, “Keep in mind, from start to finish, the entire golf swing takes less than two seconds to execute. And, besides, you find the correct place from your own sense of feel. What is a picture going to tell you about how something feels?”

My father knew that developing feel is essential in becoming a good golfer. And, that feel isacquired, in the highest degree, by learning the correct fundamental moves, then practicing them over and over again. He recognized that a golfer could learn certain things by watching great players. But, he warned against getting yourself tangled up with small details and bogged down with gimmicks.

To the best of my knowledge, my father’s only compliance with “new school” gadgetry came in the mid-1970s, when he purchased a Polaroid SX-70 Camera. He had done some research on the new-fangled contraption and figured that it might come in handy for his teaching. But, first he would have to learn how to operate it. And, during experimental times like this, it was my good fortune to be his usual test subject.

Well anyway, when dad came looking for me, I was hitting balls on the practice tee at Muirfield Village. As I remember it, he came driving up in a golf cart. Then, after showing me his new “point-and-shoot” camera, he said that he wanted to try it out on me. For the longest time, he’d been wondering about my position at impact and now, maybe, after clicking off a few, the mystery would be solved.

After fumbling around a bit with his new toy, my father declared that he was ready and, that, I should swing away. At the instant my driver made contact with the ball, a “whirling” sound emanated from the camera. I can tell you, both dad and I were anxious to see what that picture looked like. But, first, we had to wait about 30 seconds for it to develop in the sunlight. Once it did, though, dad was holding a genuine snapshot of me at the finish of my swing.

Being only slightly confused, dad said, “let’s try it again.” Once more, he took the picture at the moment of  impact and, once more, the result was a fine representation of my finish. Then, showing some insight, the sage pointed out that he would have to push the camera’s button as I reached the top of my backswing in order for us to get a picture of my position at  impact. Eureka, it worked! The next photograph was a lot closer to what he wanted and, his timing with that Polaroid did get a lot better.

To tell you the truth, my father remained true-to-form and never did make use of that magic camera when he taught. Before too long, it was back at the house and destined for family matters. A few weeks later, though, I remember finding in dad’s locker, several images of Jack Nicklaus’ swing that dad had taken with the camera. All of them were excellent depictions of Jack demonstrating incredible extension during the backswing and follow-through.

Fortunately, I was able to glance quite often at those pictures because they stayed in my father’s locker for a long time. During Nicklaus’ backswing, with the club at about waist-height, not only was his left arm straight but, his right arm appeared to be straight, too. And, on his follow-through, the pictures revealed that, at waist-height, not only was his right arm straight, but, his left arm (having had rotated correctly through impact), was straight, as well. Wow! It is my belief that nobody has ever swung the golf club with the superb extension and wide arc of Jack Nicklaus.

“All great golfers have been great practicers at some time or other in their lives. Practicing golf is an art unto itself. The sooner you master the art, the better you’ll play. The more you improve the quality of your practice, the less quantity you’ll need.”

Jack Grout 1977: Let Me Teach You Golf As I Taught Jack Nicklaus

• The first rule of good practice is to have a plan. Don’t just go out and “hit balls.” Plan some specific objective you want to meet. Practice some swing component. Try to groove your swing. Work on aiming. Work on distance. Different practice sessions should have different goals. Just make sure you have one.

• Practice as much as you can. Most of us don’t want to pay our “sweat equity.” Often enough while growing up, I experienced my father’s high regard for “putting in your time on the rock pile.” One afternoon on the practice tee, during his tenure as teacher-in-chief at Muirfield Village Golf Club, I walked over to him and complained about how sore my hands were from hitting balls. He scanned my puffy red paws, then looked me straight in the eye and said, “That’s good, now go back and hit some more.”

• Practice what you don’t do well. Instead of automatically reaching for the favorite clubs in your bag, pull out the ones that are misbehaving and work on them. Everyone likes to bang out drives. Few people will spend hours chipping and putting. Through careful analysis, determine your weaknesses and set about trying to improve them.

• Take lessons. Even PGA Tour players need the analytical eye of a competent teacher to keep their games sharp. I’ve taken over 1000 lessons in my life and have learned something from every one of them. Naturally, some pros taught me more than others. Be selective and stick with the teacher(s) you like.

• Spend time studying the game and the golf swing. There’s not a successful player who doesn’t know a great deal about the golf swing and how they swing and play. Learn about the game by reading books and by listening for helpful hints that you happen to pick up along the way. Evaluate everything and use what works.

• Prepare yourself both physically and psychologically. Keep your body and mind in tiptop shape. Don’t settle for less than the best from yourself in these areas. Utilize every advantage there is to help you play better.

• Practice and play within yourself and your capabilities. Rise to your highest level. Accept your limitations of time, of talent, of technique, of physicality and strength. However, never stop trying to improve and never stop loving the game. It’s like no other you will be privileged to play.

There are a lot of people who absolutely love reading golf books – some of them could really do with a library attached to their homes just for the books! However, I find I’m increasingly disappointed by the range of golf instruction books being offered.

I’m also looking carefully at writing a golf instruction book and I obviously want to try to make it as effective as possible to help people learn. The question I’m confronted with is how best to do that.

What follows are some thoughts on:

• the way people learn
• the way people learn about golf
• the nature of instruction available in golf books

Golf Instruction Books

Golf Instruction books are supposed to help people learn. So – here are some things to think about:

• Is it possible to become a decent golfer just by reading books?
• Can you really learn all you need to know from books?
• Do golf instruction books help to make it easier to become competent?
• Can golf instruction books – which tend to show golf as a simple step by step process – make it possible to hasten the process of learning how to play the game properly?

Keep in mind today’s post sets its sights just on instruction books. The question about becoming skilled at golf is actually a much larger issue. Recently, I attended a conference on how best to obtain favorable results at golf schools and, the most effective methods of teaching golf! The discussion – between lecturers – tended to focus on different ways of teaching, while personally; I felt it needed to start from the perspective of different ways of learning.

How do people learn?

Here are some of the ways that I know about how people learn.

• On the left of the table below are some of the standard ways in which people learn
• On the right are some of the ways in which the usual methods are employed. The right hand column emphasizes golf instruction rather than golf instruction books. However, I’ve highlighted the latter to demonstrate how often they play a part in the process

I hear, and I forget;
I see, and I remember;
I do, and I understand.
Confucius (China’s most famous teacher, philosopher, and political theorist, 551-479 BC)

As always, I’m interested to hear your views on this topic.

Jack Grout was an aficionado of the long-drive. It didn’t matter if you were pro or amateur, man or woman, large or small. When you were swinging your driver, he wanted you to whack the daylights out of that ball. Even a hint of laziness in this regard would bring his stern disapproval.

Dad even had his own lexicon when promoting this philosophy. Some of his more inspirational maxims were: “Let’s see you peel that onion! Come on, put some smoke on that potato! Hey, quit hittin’ it like a girl! Go ahead, wheel and deal this next one! This time, put a little smoky Joe from Idaho on it! Don’t worry where it goes. We can fix that later.

Of course, a golf lesson from my father involved a lot more than just “swinging for the fences.” Typically, when he watched me, we’d begin with a few short irons, maybe 6 or 8 with a wedge or 9-iron. Next, I’d hit about 8 or 10 middle-iron shots. By the time I struck another 10 or 12 balls with my three-iron or a fairway wood, Dad would say, “OK, let’s see you get out your smoke pole.” Then, I’d spend an hour or so, walloping drivers.

During one of these slugfests, a famous member of the club walked past and made a brief observation. The man came out with, “Jack, you’re gonna kill that kid!” It was none other than the great Eddie Arcaro, the only jockey in history to ride two Triple Crown champions, Whirlaway in 1941 and Citation in 1948. Mr. Arcaro had witnessed our extravaganza and apparently was concerned for my wellbeing!

One morning, just before engaging in another ball-busting session, Dad presented me with “metaphor” which was one of his teaching methods. Trying to create some “images” in the mind of his young student, my brilliant teacher asked me, if, I thought I could keep the ball up in the air for a longer period of time than he could whistle. Naturally, I knew it was another one of his ploys to coerce me into creaming that ball even farther. In any case, the arrangement was this; he would take a deep breath during my backswing. Then, at the moment my club contacted the ball, he would exhale and begin to whistle.

I was sixteen-years-old when Dad and I began that whistle contest. Throughout the next two or three years, whenever he whistled he could always out-whistle my very best drives. It didn’t matter how far I launched one. I was never able to bomb one far enough to outlast that consarned whistle of his. In spite of developing into an extremely long hitter, I never won!

Then, during a break from college, he and I were on the practice tee once again, going through our routine. I was really cranking them out there and Dad was just whistling away. After one colossal blast, that actually cracked the persimmon face of my driver, my father pursed his lips and blew. I knew it was now or never for me in our little contest. As his eyes were riveted on the rocket that I blasted which continued to go up, up and away, I posed on my finish and peeked back at him. The ball took so long to come down that Dad had to sneak in a quick breath to keep whistling. But, this time I saw him. I cried out, “Ah-ha. I caught you. I caught you breathing!”  My father, knowing the gig was up, nonchalantly replied, “Dickie, I’ve been breathing for a long time.”

To step or not to step into the ball, that is the question?  Does your body empower you more when you move into and step into the ball, or when your weight lags behind?  Well, try pushing “a close talker” away from you, or throwing a ball without stepping into what you’re doing.  The answer is clear: move yourself and take that step.

How about accuracy?  Ever hit a golf ball with your weight on your back foot? Your golf shot will have very little accuracy, if your lower body fails to keep pace with your arms and hands. The result will most often be a weak slice.

Power means shifting body weight.  The weight is shifted, creating momentum, into your body’s power zone to empower your arms and legs.  There’s acceleration with the striking mechanism (arms and hands, clubhead, etc.) for more pop, but it’s the weight shift that sets everything in motion.

Tour pros are the best at transferring their weight and stepping into their shots. Even if, it appears that the soles of their shoes aren’t moving, their weight is shifting subtly backward and forward, advancing their center of gravity into the shot.

To add some pizzazz to this important lesson, a meaningful story: One summer day, back in 1977-78, my father was watching me hit balls at the far end of Muirfield Village’s practice tee, when Jack Nicklaus and his oldest son Jack II came riding up in a golf cart. After exchanging hello’s, big Jack said, “J Grout, I want the boys to work on a particular move that I think is crucial to playing good golf.” Dad’s response was, “Sure, go ahead.” At that point, the best player that ever lived, demonstrated to us what he wanted done. Needless to say, Jackie and I went on to practice the step drill for many hours.

This same drill will help you feel the strong shift of body weight that must occur as the backswing transitions into the downswing. Though, it requires coordination, give it a try during your next practice session. At first, do it as slowly as possible. Then, as your technique and your timing improve, apply more speed.

Step Drill: Take your normal set up position with a golf ball on a tee using a 7-iron. As you swing the club away from the ball, just take a small step back with your front foot towards your back foot. Then, to start the forward swing, move yourself. Simply, step towards the target with your front foot. Let your arms and hands fall naturally, allowing for centrifugal force to build up and unleash the clubhead through the ball and into the finish position.

Step Drill (Specifics): The step consists of a short (5-7 inches) step with your front foot either directly towards the back foot or at a slight angle in that same direction. Lead with your heel and land on the ball (instep) of your foot. During the step, shift your weight at least 40/60 towards the back foot. Also, complete your backswing by making a full shoulder and hip turn. About the time that you complete the backswing, you should be stepping towards the target and transferring your body weight forward. The step of your front foot needs to be short in length, no longer than 5-7 inches. You should have the step foot (front foot) down and balance maintained well before the club contacts the ball.

Should you have trouble with this motion, your problem could be a lack of strength and/or flexibility with your core muscles. If this is the case, then, practicing alone will not cure your problem. You will have to exercise to get stronger and more flexible.