Instruction
The best approach to working on swing mechanics
When I was in college and playing full-time, I was notorious for leaving the course early to “go work on my swing.” This tendency did me no favors in learning how to score, but it did help me to understand how to practice. As with anything, too much or too little of something can be an issue in golf. I’ve watched many good players practice too long and ruin any good work they have done. I’ve seen many others ignore their swing mechanics entirely, which is just as dangerous.
In this article, I’d like to help you understand how to work on your swing mechanics for the fastest-possible improvement. In my 30+ years of experience as an instructor, I’ve learned that focusing on swing mechanics is not always the best idea, whether you’re working on your swing by yourself or with an instructor. A better path is to focus on the feels that create better mechanics, and ideally, those feels should come from you.
There are endless swing issues that hamper golfers from hitting the ball straight. For the sake of this article, we’re going to say that your problem is caused by a face-to-path issue and your swing analysis is the one above. If you’re trying to hit a straight shot or draw, the club path (blue line) is too far left of the target at impact for your club face. This causes a fade or slice. Assuming you’re making center contact, the red and green arrows show club-face positions that will cause you to hit a fade or slice with your left-ward path. And if the club face is pointed where the black arrow is, you’re going to hit a monster slice that doesn’t go very far.
To hit straighter shots, we know we must move your swing path in line, or slightly right of the club face if you want to hit a draw. Now, we must figure out how to do it.
Related: Read more about the face-to-path ratio and what it means
This is the point where you have a decision to make on how to fix your issue: with feel or with mechanics. As a teacher, I’ve always wanted my students to learn through what’s called guided self-discovery. I point them in the right direction and give them checkpoints to audit. They then come back to me with the best feel that works for them. When I was a younger teacher, I used to immediately give students mechanical thoughts to fix their issues, but I found the scientific approach to the swing wasn’t always the best. By encouraging them to feel things on their own rather than spoon-feed them an answer, they often got better faster.
So let’s go back to our example, and what I would do. Provided the path is a few degrees left and not extremely left, I would tell you we need to shift the path back to the right. I would put a training aid on the ground to make you feel what I want you to do, compared to what you are currently doing. After you have made a few swings, I would ask you what you feel and have you focus on this feel for a few more swings. After we have identified the best feel, I would take the training aid away and ask you to repeat the process and see if the feel sticks.
The key to the process is allowing you to identify your own feel and fix for your swing issue. If I instantly tell you to do “X,” you will only focus on that. Since I don’t know exactly what you’re feeling, I cannot accurately describe what you need to feel to fix what you’re doing.
If you can’t feel the fix
If this works, great, but as golfers who have taken lessons know, students can’t always find the feel that fixes things for them. What happens then? At this point, I use my experience to help them find the right feel, and this is where mechanics can come in. It’s also here that we often must break the swing down into smaller sub-skills that golfers need to master in order to fix the bigger problem. So let’s say that your backswing is too far inside and behind you on the takeaway, and this is causing your leftward path. I might have you work on taking the club back straighter and focus on what parts of the body drive this motion.
When working on your swing on the range, try to focus on feels in order to perform your motion. If you’re not sure what you’re feeling, or the results aren’t getting better, then maybe it’s time to see a qualified golf instructor. Remember, he or she has probably seen your exact issue in hundreds of lessons. It’s ultimately that experience that will help him or her guide you on the proper path.
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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Mbwa Kali Sana
May 18, 2016 at 9:45 am
You have to develop a “repeat,repeat ,repeat “swing from sound initial mechanics .
The best sound basic teaching is to be found in the ancient book of famous Golf Pro and champion JOHNNY REVOLTA .
Just practise the simple “JOHNNY REVOLTA formula ” 100 times a day ,and I guarantee you will develop a super grooved and consistent swing!
Tom
May 6, 2016 at 9:48 pm
Tom,
I was a 9 in the pre-index era at my home course (equal to about a 7 index). I was always a feel player and did not learn a lot of mechanics. I did not play much then for about 30 years. Upon returning to the game, when I did make a good swing I knew it but I could not for the life of me tell you what was wrong with my many bad swings and proceeded to get worse until I got help.
I have been working with my pro now from Oct 2014-June 2015 then again from Feb. 2016 to now on a weekly basis. (Gap in time was a health issue.) Anyhow I have had to learn a lot of mechanics so I understand things better and can get to that good feeling swing. There are many many things I wish I had known at a younger age and while I can support looking for a feel, it seems like when one goes off the rails knowing the mechanics is just as in not more important.
The very best things have been a combination of drills that ingrain the feel and explanation of the mechanics so I can self diagnose a bit.
Jim
May 6, 2016 at 1:27 pm
Tom,
It seems like almost all instruction talks about a left swing path and fixing a slice. I have a horrible inside out swing path, that comes from too far behind me and way too shallow to the ball. I have worked relentlessly to try to fix this by weakening my left hand grip, moving the ball well forward, keeping my right shoulder higher, and trying to swing left. The results after working on this for over six years, is that I still greatly fear the left, still hit fat and thin shots, and way too many flip hooks off the planet. I’m good with anything teed up, but tight lies are almost a non starter. I find it very difficult to turn through the ball and I’ve had a significant lower back injury. What am I doing wrong?
Bob Jones
May 6, 2016 at 11:53 am
Yes, find the “feel” during the lesson so it is attached to the right mechanic. Feel is the only way we can know that the things we can’t see are the right things to be doing. The big problem with feel is that it can drift over time — the mechanic gradually changes but the feel stays the same. I’m not sure what the answer to this is.
Josh
May 5, 2016 at 9:25 am
Interesting read. A new look at teaching feel vs just mechanics. I’ve always had a hard time with feel. What has worked for me personally is to use the extremes in order to develop the feel and/or the correct mechanics.
For example I’ll over exaggerate a strong grip that will after several weeks settle to a slightly stronger grip, which is what I wanted. However; what doesn’t work is just starting off with a slightly stronger grip. I’ve found in my own endeavors that small subtle changes are the hardest to keep because you can easily revert back, but using the extreme change, you body and mind is forced to use the change, and therefore, more likely to stick without reverting back.