Core Movements: How the Legends Move Their Middle
Instruction
The Wedge Guy: Beating the yips into submission

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!
Instruction
Looking for a good golf instructor? Use this checklist

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!
Instruction
What Lottie Woad’s stunning debut win teaches every golfer

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!
Rick T.
Feb 8, 2019 at 1:08 pm
I think its only fair to Lucas to post the following from Steve W from 2012. Its from an article he wrote about Dustin Johnson….which described what was “killing this kid” :
THANK GOODNESS players like DJ ignore these pseudo teachers with their comfort zone mentalities!!
Steve W., who I followed for years is a typical example of a teacher stuck in a swing model…who has never advanced, absolutely certain, despite advanced modern camera evidence to the contrary, that their “model” (now outdated and flawed) is the only model. And the disrespectful arrogant reply?, he has done this same useless behavior with other sincere teachers as well…pretty classless.
Terry
Mar 6, 2018 at 3:20 pm
Love the trend lately of golf instructors becoming experts in everything from physics to human anatomy. If you want advice on how to move your spine without injury, ask those who actually have had extensive formal education in that area(ie orthopedics) instead of a golf guy throwing out some big words he learned third hand from some other golf dude.
OB
Mar 6, 2018 at 1:51 am
Most recreational golfers lead a sedentary life… at the office.. at home.. in the car.. in bed….. and their bodies adapt to this sedentary existence. When they try to swing a golf club in a rotary motion their bodies cannot adapt for consistency and power. It’s just not there and the sedentary lifestyle will overwhelm any golf swing and override and cancel out any attempted changes.
Not only are their legs weak, their core is very inadequate. They attempt to swing from the clubhead inwards into the hands arms and shoulders… rather than from the feet, legs, hips, torso and shoulder. They want to learn the golfswing bass ackward.
Ray Bennett
Mar 5, 2018 at 6:11 pm
Those tips should wreck quite a few spines. Another reason not to watch you-tube golf instruction. Golf advice needs to be extremely precise not hazy given the complexity of the disipline. Every movement leads to another movement, get one wrong, miss one or exaggerate one and we are in repair mode (all in under half a second
Joro
Mar 5, 2018 at 2:20 pm
I had the occasion to play with Arnold Palmer a couple of times and we talked about the hlt. He said he liked the way I did it cause I just swung at the Ball and hit the Hell out of it with my left hand, I am a Left Handed player. He said that was his theory also and that it make the swing natural and not contrived. He also said the way it is “taught” today, using the word Taught loosely causes way too many problems. This was about 40 years ago.
Too many “GURUS” out there ruining Golfers.
ogo
Mar 5, 2018 at 12:37 am
Didn’t Tiger have lower back problems requiring spinal fusion? Maybe that happened cause his daddy forced him to improperly swing a golf club from the age of 2 and it all showed up 40 years later.
The Truth
Mar 5, 2018 at 12:00 pm
Id take a little fusion after 40 years of GOD like golf that the world will never see again…Just sayin
ogo
Mar 4, 2018 at 4:54 pm
“hollow body” and “tightening of the core”?
That means if you got a pot belly you have a “full body”!
Good luck tightening that… even your belt doesn’t help. Suspenders for you!
Steve Wozeniak
Mar 4, 2018 at 11:02 am
WOW!!!!!! Feel sorry for this guys “students” they are going from bad to worse…..
Need to bone up on physics and how the body works bud……
Steve Wozeniak PGA
ted
Mar 4, 2018 at 2:23 pm
… and the different body shape physics too. His spine mechanics only applies to athletic golfsrs who can practice endlessly… not recreational golfers who are out of shape. A stout man’s spine functions very differently from a slim man’s spine.
Jalan
Mar 5, 2018 at 5:03 pm
Curious as to why you say this. Can you give us some insight to support your opposition. I’d be interested in what you have to say.
Lucas WALD
Mar 5, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Steve, Thanks for viewing the video. We have documented case studies and consult with physicians before publishing anything on anatomy…I can gladly put you in touch with a doctor if you’d like to further discuss what was said in this video…as to physics, I’d recommend Dave Tutelman, my views align with his papers as well…he will gladly answer your questions involving math/physics… Our numerous case studies are available as well and you will find many happy customers that have gone through the training process….at the end of the day we teach the common elements of the greatest swings of all time….If you’d like to share some information or document some case studies that differ from those elements–please post somewhere as I’m always looking to learn more. cheers, Lucas
Steve Wozeniak
Mar 12, 2018 at 12:41 pm
uh….Tutelman along with THOUSANDS of so called physics and math majors have NO CLUE how to align with what they know to the golf swing, you simply prove it yourself in the video, I have dealt with a hundred of these guys in my 30 years of teaching and prove them wrong every time…..I have met a handful that know what happens, sadly you have not…..yet….but hey cheers…..double cheers to you.
Jalan
Apr 7, 2018 at 10:38 pm
I’m curious, you have bashed the author of this column as well as the references he provides. Yet, not one word on how people should use their body. You just cite your “30 years of teaching” as all the references you need to be critical of others.
Perhaps you could upload a video you’ve produced showing us the ‘correct” way to rotate, and provide some detailed knowledge and data on why your way (whatever it is — you don’t elaborate) is superior. I’ll wait.
John
Mar 3, 2018 at 8:03 pm
#Tathatagolf!
jeff
Mar 3, 2018 at 11:23 pm
yep. BH and I talked for hours about this
Sir Charles
Mar 3, 2018 at 7:36 pm
I heard Tiger could move his middle like no one else. Especially on those trips to work on his “game” in Vegas.
steve
Mar 3, 2018 at 5:31 pm
Very insightful video on spinal dynamic positioning throughout the golf swing.
Now, on your “hollow body” or tightening of the core. I assume you are referring to the tightening of the stomach abdominals into the downswing and through impact. This works well in the athletic golf swing but not for most recreational players.
Here’s the problem for obese men, they let their bellies hang out because their abs are stretched out. Because of this added belly momentum they are forced to block their core rotation and straightened up as a normal reaction. Have you encountered this situation in your teaching and what did you recommend? Thanks.
George
Mar 3, 2018 at 3:08 pm
This teaching is right on the money. If everyone would learn to move like this it would put the rest of instruction of business.
steve
Mar 3, 2018 at 2:24 pm
Very insightful video on spinal positioning throughout the golf swing. Obviously the spinal column flexes and unflexes as you swing and your explanations clarify what actually should happen.
Now, your “hollow body” or tightening of the core. I assume you are referring to the tightening of the stomach abdominals into the downswing and through impact. I do this but I have also kept my belly loose to experiment particularly on wedge and chip shots. It works for slow speed swings.
Here’s the problem for obese men, they let their bellies hang out because their abs are blown. Because of this added belly momentum they are forced to block their core rotation as a normal reaction to protect the spine. Have you encountered this situation in your teaching? Thanks.