In one of my recent posts, I shared a video where I showed the head pro at Club Campestre putting his birdie putt off the green and into the bunker! That’s how fast the greens are and the pro told me it’s common even for professionals to “tap” that putt into the bunker.
By chance I was paired with the head pro and another gentleman. He wore a Greg Norman style hat and must have been in his 60’s. Before the round started I inquired about his handicap and he told me “3 or 4”. Of course the pro was scratch. Wow! I love playing with low handicap golfers because I can learn from them.
So after the 11th hole, we stopped for a bowl of soup and a drink at the little restaurant off just off the 11th green. I opted for a cold Poker beer – brewed in Cali – while my playing partners ordered a combination of orange and carrot juice. It’s not bad. I don’t really taste any carrot in the juice.
In any event, I asked what my biggest swing challenge was. I like asking scratch and low single-digit handicappers because they are obviously better than me so there advice is valued.
Without hesitation both of them told me to slow down my backswing. The head pro explained that with a slower backswing, you give your arms, shoulders, hips, and other body parts a better chance to stay in sync and unleash a powerful downsing.
I wish I could remember the saying the other gentleman quoted for me but it was in Spanish so I don’t recall exactly what he said. It was something to the effect of take it back slow and then swing like hell. What he said was better than that but you get the idea.
This gentleman definitely practiced what he preached. Not only did he have an incredibly slow backswing but he paused for a full second at the top before he initiated his down sing.
And trust me he was crushing his drives as far as I’ve ever seen any 60+ year old hammer a driver. He was right out there with the club pro who must have been in his 50s. And I don’t recall him missing a fairway all day.
So when we stepped on the 12th tee box I decided to give it a try. Sure it felt a bit odd but it really wasn’t so difficult to slow down my backswing a bit. And I’ll be damned if I didn’t instantly start hitting my drives straighter. My draw that sometimes turns into a quick hook disappeared and I didn’t lose any distance either.
So if you are struggling with consistency try slowing down your backswing – a tip I picked up from 2 older Colombian golfers with a combined handicap of 4 or less. I can tell you from experience it works!
Dedicated to Lower Scores and More Fun on the Course,
Robert Phillips
Co-Author “How to Break 90”
P.S. Do you know the 5 most common swing faults and the quick fixes that will help you play better golf in a hurry? Claim your free videos here: Common Swing Faults and Quick Fixes
