Instruction
Should golfers over 50 try the square-to-square golf swing?
If you have been looking for golf swing instruction on the Internet lately, you have probably noticed the recent surge in various golf swing techniques being offered. Vertical golf swings, Moe Norman golf swings, rotary golf swings, stack and tilt golf swings, etc.
One swing that I have been studying lately is the “new” square-to-square golf swing. I say the “new” golf swing because there was a “square-to-square” golf swing proposed in the late 1960s and early 70s that is different from the one advertised today. However, some components of that past swing are present in the “new” swing, but the current version appears to be be much more palpable.
In preparation for this article, I sat down with tour player Sam Goulden and discussed the basics of this new swing theory. Here are the highlights from that interview.
The Setup
Compared to the modern golf swing, the square-to-square golf swing recommends a slightly stronger grip, and presets the hands forward to help keep the club face square.
“The preset stronger grip does two things,” Goulden said. “Along with the kickstand trail foot, the preset helps ensure that the bottom of the arc is on the target side of the ball. [A] stronger grip makes it easier to keep the face square longer in the backswing. See Zach Johnson.”
Conventional golf swing wisdom says that the spine should be tilted slightly toward the trail leg to promote a more flat or ascending blow to the ball with the driver. With the irons, the spine should be vertical to promote a more descending blow to the ball. However, Goulden instructs golfers to preload the trail leg with all clubs.
“When pre-loading the trail leg, it’s actually the feeling of having a kickstand or support as you turn,” he said. “So at address, more weight will not be on the trail leg even though we want to feel “pressure” there. [Put] pressure on the ball of trail foot.”
The Takeaway
Keep your spine rotation centered with no posterior shift. You may also find this teaching in the stack and tilt golf swing.
Start the takeaway by “nudging” the lead shoulder down instead of initiating the swing with the arms moving back. This is a considered a “more square” backswing since the shoulders initiate the first part of the backswing. Golfers should avoid lifting their arms and rolling their wrists open. This keeps the club face slightly more closed, instead of rolling the wrists so the toe of the club is facing directly up. From here, the backswing is continued with rotation: no arm lift or vertical motion.
“[Keep] the club more comparatively square until about half-way up in the takeaway and allow the golf club face to then move naturally with the body turn,” Goulden said.
The trail leg is allowed to rotate and slightly extend, but no lateral knee motion is allowed. This is consistent with most swings.
Square-to-Square Swing Differences in the Through Swing
When I interviewed Sam Goulden, he stated that one of the most critical components of the square-to-square swing is to pause the swing slightly at the top. This gives the lower body a chance to move before the upper body to prevent an over-the-top swing motion and help the swing get on the right plane.
He further instructs that golfers should feel the lead shoulder moving back upward toward the target. I see the benefit of this in getting the swing back on plane, but you would have to avoid the tendency of pulling out of the swing. Focusing on keeping your spine angle consistent through the impact position would accomplish this.
Another big difference is that you want to focus on maintaining a square club face traveling down the target line as long as you can. Of course you don’t want to get carried away with this by contorting your swing. Once your arms travel past a certain point, you want to naturally allow them to turn around the body.
Physical Benefits of the Square to Square Golf Swing
For the golfer over 50, the appealing aspect of the square-to-square golf swing is its more limited impact on the body. More limited motion at the wrists and shoulders should reduce the risk of injury.
The focus of the swing is rotation. This can be a benefit to some, but might be detrimental to others. Four-time PGA Tour winner Doug Tewell promotes a three-quarters or less backswing to minimize spinal motion, but if rotation causes you back pain, this may not be the swing for you.
You can limit the rotation of your individual spinal segments by rotating your trail foot outward 20 degrees. This allows more hip rotation which is generally frowned upon by proponents of the modern swing and the X-Factor. However, if you have a lot of pain, the modern golf swing may no longer be a good option for you anyway.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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jay henman
May 12, 2015 at 9:11 pm
I just got off Doug Tewell’s 28 minute spew to see the free videos..there were none..every
5 minutes we were going to see video..never did see anything..I had to buy them to see them.
a ripoff ..no integrity here.. don’t waste your time or money on this sham presentation.
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Graham
Jul 12, 2014 at 10:20 am
I have been using a swing much like this for years. When, as seems to happen in golf, I start to have problems, pros and friends tell me my club face is closed as it goes back. When I try to use a more classic swing with weaker grip I really get screwed up. Then I watch the Zach Johnson and some others, and decide to go back to what I have always done.
Presently, I have been hitting shots thin, pulling to left, hitting off toe and generally having trouble keeping face square at impact. Trying restricted backswing with acceleration through ball, and it has improved ball striking.
I will have a look at the videos – hopefully find link that is currently missing. Being 74 with less and less flexibility may be part of my problem!
John
Dec 28, 2017 at 2:14 am
Sir…playing at 74…while trying to always seek improvement is most admirable. Thank you sir!!!
preston
Jan 1, 2014 at 7:21 pm
Basically, you want people to set up on the impact position and swing form there. Problem is, you have to remember to set up one way for driver, another way for irons, and anther way for hybrids. This whole article seems like an advertisement for the latest fad. People, just go to a reputable PGA pro and learn the basic fundamentals.
Me
Dec 27, 2013 at 2:48 am
Isn’t this the same as stack & tilt?
Steve
Dec 26, 2013 at 11:45 am
I think that if the readers would focus on the concept rather than Square to Square that there would be fewer negative comments. The swing is actually a very centered swing around the spine as an axis. The takeaway with the left shoulder (RH) working down and back is what Carl Lorehn advocated in One Move to Better Golf in the early 70s. It is very simple move and works. I started using it because I tended to come up and hit too many thin shots.
Ryan
Dec 28, 2013 at 2:37 am
Steve, thank you for your comment. I agree, the name appears to be the hang up
Mateo
Dec 26, 2013 at 1:48 am
Wow. Any golfer that wants to get worse………… read this article. Nice work.
Sam
Dec 26, 2013 at 9:37 am
Could you explain this Mateo?
Eric
Dec 24, 2013 at 10:03 pm
This is a direct result of a basic fundamental ” the grip” being strong. I agree that this is beneficial for senior golfers who want hit the ball low and roll the ball onto the green. It is beneficial for students who have wrist problems. Think of this as a type of golf shot. Not a swing fix!
benseattle
Dec 24, 2013 at 8:50 pm
Curious about an online ad I noticed about a golf swing involving “one weird trick,” I made the mistake of clicking on the link. There was former tour pro Doug Tewell touting his version of the Square To Square swing. Ho hum… moving on.
Well, not exactly.
For WEEKS… perhaps even MONTHS afterward, I couldn’t go on the internet without seeing that Same Damn Ad popping up. Google’s marketing algorithm was in relentless overdrive, shoving the same “weird” ad down my throat over and over.
If I recall correctly, Jim Flick introduced the square-to-square swing to the world in the early 70’s and it screwed up so many golfers that he spent the next 40 years apologizing.
So you’re “over 50” and you want to try THIS? Good luck, pal.
Sam
Dec 26, 2013 at 9:36 am
It’s interesting that so many people find square to square a difficult concept to accept. Zach Johnson won a major with it and most recently held off Tiger Woods by holing out a wedge on the final hole.
Doug Tewell’s method is not the same as mine but he was a tour winner.
I personally have made 8 holes in one using this method.
My students are scoring better than ever.
I’m not saying that it’s the most amazing method ever but to discount a swing which has produced multiple wins on tour seems a little harsh.
I’m happy to speak with anyone who needs more clarity on my approach to Square to Square. I’m confident that the confusion is due more to a misunderstanding of the concepts than anything else.
636-221-4133 if you would like to talk 🙂
Happy holidays!
Hayssam
May 20, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Hi Sam, your method wich I discovered on youtube is really worth trying for any skill Level, I was convinced from the first shots that it’s really consistant and easy to put in practice.
I never thought that I could switch to another technique than the classical one, but yours is much more repeatable and I would advice it to any new golfer taking up the game.
Thank you and best regards
Adam
Jul 27, 2014 at 8:15 am
Sam
I have seen your online videos on youtube and incorporated those principles you speak of in them. I have dropped from a 7 handicap to a 5. It works. My fairways stats have improved and I am averaging 12 gir. I have always looked for swings that work for tall golfers and this method is gold. Thankyou for your teachings Sam.
GolferX
Dec 27, 2013 at 2:44 pm
Try downloading Adblocker! It will cancel those ads and then some.
Patrick Doherty
Dec 30, 2013 at 6:29 pm
I am 55 years old, a student of Sam Goulden, and have a 10 handicap. I was a range rat for 13 months before I ever played a round of golf. Had lessons from local pros, bought tons of dvds, etc. After watching Sam’s square- to – square videos I set-up a couple lessons. It was refreshing to find a simple, repeatable, swing that does not land me at the chiropractor’s office. It works for me. For the naysayers:
“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance–that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”
Jerry
Mar 21, 2014 at 8:37 pm
Contempt prior to investigation. I like that. I didn’t have any contempt and I’ve changed to this swing plane with its other tweaks. The result has been phenominal. Ball flight is a little lower, however accuracy and repeatability are great. These are the results I’ve been looking for.I’m 73, haven’t lost much length at all. I like the accuracy. Now, if I could just improve my putting. WOW.
Martin
Dec 24, 2013 at 4:14 pm
I was really hopeful when I saw the headline, any ideas for guys with two bad knees?
Ryan
Dec 28, 2013 at 2:40 am
I can help with bad knees….what is causing your knee problems? I am guessing arthritis and pain?
Martin
Dec 30, 2013 at 4:02 pm
One needs to be replaced, I play with a full ACL brace and I appear to have damaged my meniscus in the other this summer. My physiotherapist theorizes the edges of the inside of little hole my thigh bone slides around is is wearing out. Sorry for the non-technical explanation, I can’t think of the right word.
I have lived it the pain and instability in my left knee for a while and am using the brace to put off the inevitable replacement, the right knee problem is new and unpleasant.
pav
Dec 24, 2013 at 3:25 am
Sam, you compare in your video the STS swing to Steve Striker’s swing. Seems to me like the STS swing as
you demonstrated is a heck of a lot flatter than Striker’s swing, with the club seemingly so far behind with the
left arm lower than the shoulder plane, while in Striker’s swing, the left arm is higher than his shoulder plane
and does not feel so far behind. Can you comment on that, or am I just seeing things ?
Thanks for the youtube video!
Sam
Dec 24, 2013 at 6:07 pm
Pav,
Thanks for having a look. It’s not essential that the plane of the swing be flat. The concept is more about keeping the face square and pre-setting the impact position with a little forward press. Some players who have components of s2s but differ in address position or plane are Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, and plenty more. Zach and Dustin both set up neutral and hinge on the take away. Steve Stricker sets a little forward press and then just turns his shoulders. In the end, the most important thing is the ability to get the face square to the arc with a forward low point. The book leads a little more toward a draw pattern but for myself, I hit many draws and fades throughout the round.
pav
Dec 24, 2013 at 6:57 pm
Hi Sam,
Thank you for the reply. I tried the S2S swing concept on the practice range this afternoon and
it seems to work great for shorter iron (7I down, the contact was crisp with a nice divot, and the
result was very accurate). As I move to longer iron and fairway wood and driver, it seems to get
progressively harder, esp with the driver when I hit more pull than usual, probably from the
feeling of over the top or the shut club face on impact with the driver. I should take a look at
your video on S2S driver swing again to see what I am missing.
Thanks and happy holidays.
Ty
Dec 24, 2013 at 12:14 am
Anywhere we can see video of the new square-to-square swing?
Sam Goulden
Dec 24, 2013 at 12:34 am
Ty, feel free to check out the free videos from the ebook.
http://youtu.be/5xrV6lHE60w
More info in the ebook but the videos should give you a good concept of the swing.
steve z
Dec 23, 2013 at 9:30 pm
Square to square = total disaster, disproven many moons ago, I read the book back in the 70’s. Forget it! Go find a good PGA pro.
Ryan
Dec 24, 2013 at 12:05 am
Steve z, thanks for your comment. As I mentioned in the article, this square to square swing is not the same square to square swing that was brought about in the 70’s.
Only the name is similar, the two philosophies are different. Sorry for the confusion.
Ryan
Ian
Dec 23, 2013 at 5:28 pm
I’m 55 playing off 2. I have used a square to square swing most of my adult life. It helped promote a draw and a lower ball flight, something essential playing in Scotland in windy conditions. Now I find my swing speed slowing down I have problems getting the long irons airborne. I have recently been experimenting with more shoulder rotation and more wrist rotation and I can once again hit my long irons with the flight I am after. I play with Mizuno blades that don’t help but I could not get used to looking down at oversized cavity backs. Everydays a school day.
Sean
Dec 23, 2013 at 3:55 pm
I’m 58 Ryan. Interesting concepts. Any way you can post some diagrams? Little confused on the through swing. 🙂
Ryan
Dec 24, 2013 at 12:08 am
Sean, after reading it again, it is pretty confusing without a diagram. Sorry about that!
Here is a link to Sam Goulden’s youtube video where he demonstrates the these parts of the swing. Hope this helps you:
http://youtu.be/jX1LM-rkzOw
and
http://youtu.be/tuBTVdoet-o
Thanks
Ryan
Sam Goulden
Dec 24, 2013 at 12:37 am
http://youtu.be/5xrV6lHE60w
This is a link to the video from Chapter One of the ebook.