Instruction
Do golf swing models work?
It’s a question that will always linger in the instruction world: do swing models work?
Many great teachers have taught a particular model to their students with great success — Jimmy Ballard, David Leadbetter, for example. Others such as Butch Harmon and Chuck Cook have had great success without sticking to a model.
So what’s the best way for golfers to learn? In my opinion, the student needs to answer two simple questions:
- Do you buy into this teacher’s swing model 100 percent?
- Will a swing model simplify the game for you?
If you answered yes to both, then you might be a candidate to try a particular swing method. I know plenty golfers who played great golf, but then adopted a new swing method and became much better — Matt Kuchar is a great example of this. Often times when you fully commit to a swing model and believe that it work for you, it does.
There are also countless examples of when swing models just do not work for certain golfers. It often has to do with golfers not buying into the process, or their inability connect with what their teachers were telling them. Tiger Woods’ time with instructor Sean Foley is a great example of this. Foley has had great success with Hunter Mahan and Justin Rose, who attribute their best golf to what they’ve learned from Foley, but Tiger just couldn’t make Foley’s swing work. There were some apparent physiological limitations, which ultimately led to their split.
Contrary to what many golfers believe, Foley does not teach a model swing, nor do I believe that he was he far off with what he fundamentally wanted from Tiger. But somewhere between Tiger’s brain and Tiger’s body, the wires got crossed and things started to unravel. I’m fairly certain that Tiger bought into Foley’s concepts, but there was some kind of block that Tiger couldn’t break through.
If you have an ounce of doubt regarding the validity of the fundamentals that this teacher is espousing, then you are certainly doomed from the start. What if Faldo had not bought into Leadbetter’s teachings? He would have floundered for years. Tiger with Hank Haney? Same thing.
I think when you are dealing with a supremely talented player, it’s easy for that player to swing any way he chooses. For beginners, I feel that it’s not overly harmful to put them into some type of system to allow them to better focus on the basics — grip, stance, and overall setup, etc.
In my teaching, I have tried to gravitate away from any particular model. I do find myself teaching a few swing patterns more often than others in the club-golfer world in which I work, however. My way is neither right or wrong, but it’s how I’ve chosen to do things. Some would argue for my way, while others would argue against it. I find that having a few models to choose from helps me improve the players and swings that I most often see at the club level. This gives me the versatility to help a wide-range of golfers.
This is not to say that if I started teaching on Tour full-time, I would do the same thing… at this point I just don’t know. That would take time to figure out.
The only thing I can say confidently about golf swings, swing models and teachers is that you must buy into their vision 100 percent, or you will never get better — and you’ll probably get worse. Take the time to interview your next teacher and see if you are on the same page. If not, go to someone else!
As a teacher, if you DO teach a swing model, half your students will love you and half will hate you. If you DON’T teach a swing model, half your students will love you and half will hate you!
Welcome to the wonderful world of teaching golf for a living.
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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Josh
Dec 21, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Click Here!
Regis
Dec 17, 2014 at 6:40 pm
I’ve been experimenting with different models through lessons, books , videos for years. Best lesson I ever had was probably 20 years ago. Pro said Golf is a shoulder turn. He said So much instruction focuses on using the ground, hip rotation, weight transfer…all great, but if you don’t get the shoulder turn down properly, its counter productive. When my game goes south, I start by focusing on the shoulder turn. Kind of like the Austrian Ski lesson: Bend the knees-5 dollars please.
Tom Stickney
Dec 17, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Reg- good deal
FormerCartWasher
Dec 17, 2014 at 3:24 pm
I worked for a while at a facility that used the Model Golf system that the graphic refers to. Take a bunch of measurements, plug them into the computer, and you’re supposed to see what the perfect swing would be for that person. Suppose you have a healthy 19 year old with unlimited practice time, and an arthritic 60 year old who is lucky to play once a week, but they have the same body measurements. The computer spits out the same swing. It may be valid for the 19 year old to rebuild their swing to try to match the model, but the 60 year old will need some pretty substantial adjustments to account not only for his physical limitations, but for the lack of practice time. He may be much better served by patching some things up to make his swing simpler and more repeatable, and devoting more time toward working on the chipping and putting, which require much less physical prowess.
Tom Stickney
Dec 17, 2014 at 5:14 pm
For- couldn’t be more true.
Ed
Dec 17, 2014 at 12:03 pm
Tom, my experience is that swing models work and don’t work–at the same time. A swing model focusing on how someone’s body moves (eg. arms, hips, shoulders, etc.) doesn’t work for two reasons: 1) everyones body moves uniquely (eg. walking behind someone you can often identify that person by their walk. There walk is sucessful but unique to them); 2) no single body part or collection of a few body parts controls the golf club. I can move my arms, shoulders, and hips in a variety of ways and still produce a good shot. A swing model of how the club moves always works. Because the movement of the club is universal. It must satisfy 4 conditions: 1) ball must be contacted by the center of the clubface, 2) the clubface must be square to the target line at impact, 3) the club must be swung along the target line and 4) the club must impart enough energy to propel the ball to the target.
Body models seldom work. Club models always work.
Tom Stickney
Dec 17, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Agree to a point but the first three principles you listed regarding the club are incorrect. The centerdness of contact is important but many pros miss geometric center if the club on most of their shots. Gearing to some degree in every shot one hits. Second, the club can be rt, left, or square to the target line and provide great results. Third, the club can be moved in to out, down the line, or out to in with great results.
Observer
Dec 21, 2014 at 12:20 am
I disagree with you Ed,
When you say that bodies can move differently that is not true (unless someone has had surgery to hinder normal function, or has broken or deformed a part of their body). Bones and muscles are set to move in very particular ways. Example: knees are hinge joints they are constructed to move in a very particular way – straighten and bend. They are not built to rotate. Models that are constructed on the anatomy and sound bio-mechanics can be very effective if they are based on and adhere to scientific principals, and as Tom Stickney said the student believes in their validity. Movements that don’t adhere to those principals are never going to be as effective as ones that do, they will require compensations giving false hope to the student, and leave them wondering why they can’t be consistent or efficient. Your so called club-models are dependent on the human body since clubs don’t move themselves.
Pat
Dec 17, 2014 at 7:02 am
I have had instructors that have stuck to a swing model and it ruined it my swing. My last instructor didn’t have a swing model and worked with my swing making slight adjustments here and there. Had the most success doing it that way. I think it’s best to find which method works for you and find an instructor who teaches that philosophy. Most important things for me was to start the down swing with hip rotation, and fixing my swing path so that I hit the inside of the ball. Doing so increases ball speed and helps me hit that high baby draw. Once I learned to do this consistently, my handicap dropped from 15 to all the way down to 2 when I played my best. Currently I’m a 5 handicap because I don’t have as much time to practice anymore.
Tom Stickney
Dec 17, 2014 at 1:05 pm
Some models don’t work for the player for sure. Some do.
Jeffcb
Dec 16, 2014 at 9:51 am
It also seems important to me to ask the student just what they want to get out of the game. If they just want a little more consistency is a complete overhaul really necessary? I think you can tell pretty quick if a particular theory is going to work for you or not. It took me about 5 swings to get a handle on a one plane swing (Speaking of Kuchar). So that’s how I know its a good one for me. Nice article Tom, I enjoy your articles.
tom stickney
Dec 16, 2014 at 2:45 pm
Jeff- Agree, it’s all up to the student and his or her goals…I am not in favor for a complete overhaul unless the student asks for it, but even then I tell them it’s a LONG process! Appreciate the comments.
Jeffcb
Dec 16, 2014 at 7:37 pm
LONG indeed but not so long as to quit the process. Progress is certainly one shot at a time. Takes patience
other paul
Dec 16, 2014 at 12:11 am
I love that Tom took 5 minutes to go through the comments and respond to almost every single one. Good on you.
Tom Stickney
Dec 16, 2014 at 12:29 am
Other- I always try and reply. Thx sir
juststeve
Dec 15, 2014 at 6:18 pm
I was taught how to swing the club on an arc in the direction of the target. I was taught to allow my body to respond to the swinging of the club and that the way my body moved might be different from the way someone else’s body moved. Is that a method?
Steve
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:44 pm
Steve. You’re fine.
James
Dec 15, 2014 at 2:45 pm
With the injuries I sustained playing baseball, no way I could ever swing the beautiful perfect swing that everyone strives for in a swing model. However, I figured out I have a personal swing model and I stick to that. I can make little tweaks now and again but the basic model I have developed for myself stays the same even if it isn’t pretty. Got me down to scratch so I’m good with it. I believe one has to understand the fundamental concepts of the golf swing then tailor it for what they can do. Once you have it, stick with it only making small tweaks.
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:45 pm
James- if you’ve found what works for you then you’re fine!
other paul
Dec 15, 2014 at 2:09 pm
I have no idea if my instructor has a model or not. I just go in for a lesson and he asks if I have issues. And I list my issues and what I try and do about them. He tells me how to fix it and I drop 5 more shots. Took 5 lessons and now I shoot in the low to mid 70s. Going to start on my official handicap this spring when the snow is gone.
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:45 pm
Other- stick with his ideas regardless
TheFightingEdFioris
Dec 15, 2014 at 12:47 pm
Love the end of this LOL
“As a teacher, if you DO teach a swing model, half your students will love you and half will hate you. If you DON’T teach a swing model, half your students will love you and half will hate you!”
Very, Very true. I may be puring every one of them, but I HATE when my teacher holds my head during my swing. Damn him!
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:46 pm
Ed- agree.
marcel
Dec 15, 2014 at 11:58 pm
if the teacher is holding your head during your swing then you have no core – not legs and no glut… meaning you cannot back swing nor follow thru on the same path without changing height and spine angle… your golf suffers… Bless your coach and start bucket drills and lots of squats man – like lots of squats in gym
Tom Stickney
Dec 16, 2014 at 12:30 am
Mar- core exercises are key for stability
Observer
Dec 21, 2014 at 12:41 am
If he’s holding your head to try to stop it from moving in some particular way, but can’t explain to you why its moving in the first place, or can’t explain why it shouldn’t be moving then it may not be worth following his advice/sticking with him.
Don’t know if you’ve heard of the push vs pull theory of muscles and movement, but if something it being moved in a undesired way it could be because something is pushing on it while pulling might be the more sound action. Here is an example with regard to your head. If you push your left shoulder away from the target (as some instructors and players advocate) that is going to push other parts of the body (like your head), but if you pull a part of the right side of your body behind you(towards your heel) (like your right ab(s), shoulder blade, lat, etc) different muscles will activate and your head will be more likely to maintain position. Now weather that works with whatever other actions (or compensations) you have as part of your swing is another topic.
David Gebhardt PGA
Dec 15, 2014 at 12:20 pm
I find that I adapt to the physical and mental needs of each student and have a base model.
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:46 pm
David- that’s why you’re successful on the lesson tee
B-Haf
Dec 15, 2014 at 12:10 pm
A lot of people harp on Tiger not fitting with Foley’s swing principles. Pretty sure it worked in 2013 when he was healthy (won almost a 1/3 of his starts and was player of the year). Did the swing style influence his injuries in 2014? That’s the question.
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:46 pm
B– wish we could find out.
DF
Dec 15, 2014 at 11:11 am
Could you please define the term “swing model”? If a coach had a particular way of teaching grip, backswing, plane etc is that a “model”?
Each coach has concepts that he considers fundamentals, that doesn’t make them necessarily have a model. Take Ballard for example. Do Parnevik, Strange, Sutton or Rocco’s swing look the same? Not really but they supposedly use the same “model”.
And Butch is not a “model” teacher ? He teaches most of his players strong grip, wide stance, head movement etc. Isn’t that a “model”? Are you aware that Ballard and Butch teach essentially the same stuff but you labeled one a “model” teacher ?
CD
Dec 15, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Great response.
In my opinion there are a range of variables that work but there is a narrower range (still fairly wide) that works really well or people have found to work well. Or with a smaller group of people. Why would a human being not have a preference or series of preferences? Like a tennis grip maybe. People can still be ‘unorthodox’ or have ‘style’ or creativity. Model and method in golf seem to be very dirty words, perhaps the only art/subject/sport/thing in the world where method is derided. Bizarre.
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Cd- we only want to put people in models that work for them.
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:48 pm
DF– Ballard is much more rigid on what things must happen within his teaching. Like his stuff.
Justin
Dec 28, 2014 at 11:27 am
I look at it this way: a swing model is like a football coach that only wants to run a certain type of offense or defense. If he doesn’t have the kind of players needed to make his scheme work, it generally fails.
Butch is akin to the football coach that adapts his scheme to his personnel. He takes what the golfer has currently and makes it better (or more efficient). In football, regardless of scheme, there are core principals, like how to read a coverage, make a tackle, etc., while the scheme is different. There are core principals in golf- Posture, Grip, Address- but the scheme, your swing, is adaptive to the individual.
D Louis
Dec 15, 2014 at 10:55 am
Great article Tom, as a teacher also, I agree 100%…hopefully the 50% that love you make it worthwhile.
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:49 pm
D- 50% success rate makes me a stud in the baseball world! Ha.
JT
Dec 15, 2014 at 10:37 am
Great article, completely agree, if you can’t buy in, why are you paying the individual for instruction?
Tom Stickney
Dec 15, 2014 at 7:49 pm
Jt- you must buy in 100%. Agree.