Learning something new is always a challenge. Depending on your age, experience, and open-mindedness, can complicate the learning process. Over the years, I have watched videos, read articles, listened to experts, experimented and stumbled upon fixes to my golf swing. It was not a pretty process, but overall I cannot complain as I always seem to keep moving forward. However, I often wonder if my game would be a higher level if I knew the ‘why’ to all my changes.

Teaching golf is challenging!

You have heard someone say at one time or another that he or she is “a student of the game”. This means that they seek answers to questions, understand the fundamentals, and can reason solutions to vexing challenges. In most cases, they can explain the ‘why’ to quandaries. But, these students a generally considered experts in their field, and unfortunately most amateur golfers are not that knowledgeable.

Through the years, I have learned primarily through watching and aping what I saw. This process is not really all that effective, but I would see something and try it. I did not pursue the reason, I just tried to repeat their success. Although moderately successful, I have missed an important aspect of my education. The reason ‘why’ about my swing.

Well, my apparent haphazard approach to my golfing education stopped about 7 years ago. Before I changed my approach to learning all things golf, I was a solid 8 handicap. I had stayed at that number for about 10 years. But then something changed, I started watch someone putt and admired their stroke. I was amazed at their tempo. It was exactly the same and never seemed to change. When the player finally looked up, we made eye contact and a fruitful conversation ensued.

We started talking about tempo and he explained that the speed of his putter rarely change.  He explained that by maintaining the same tempo, he was able to duplicate his stroke 99 times out of 100. This consistency was something I was seeking and his explanation his tempo was based in three things: stance, body position, and maintaining the putter triangle. I started to work with these three points and settled on my current putting technique. Additionally, I developed my back 6 forward 12 putting mantra.

My point to all this diatribe is that knowing and understanding the ‘why’ is very important to lowering my golf score. Everyone learns differently, but understanding ‘why’ we do what we do in our golf swing is very important to develop the consistency needed to lower our golf scores.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!

Written by Jim Burton from The Grateful Golfer blog.