Top instructors preach simplicity in swing changes

TSN Senior Reporter

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As a new golf season begins in most parts of Canada (you lucky West Coasters who play all year, please disregard), it’s time to improve that swing and lower those scores. That seems to be the feeling from most golfers who approach the new year full of optimism. This will be the summer that they finally break 100 (or 90, 80, 70), they proclaim.

New clubs, a new swing and better practice habits are all part of the plan that will lead to success on the course. But most plans are high on optimism and low on actual execution.

So, what is the best way to get better? I reached out to several of the country’s best instructors, all of whom teach some of Canada’s top tour professionals, for suggestions and advice. All of them said that, in most cases, what they work on with their top players could go a long way towards realistically helping the average player.

Collectively, all three said that most average golfers are worried about the wrong things. PGA Tour pros aren’t thinking about the position of their left pinkie finger at the top of the golf swing but rather more simple things.

“I think people would be amazed at how simple they keep it,” said Derek Ingram, Golf Canada’s head coach of the national men’s team who also guides Corey Conners. “They’re usually only thinking about one, or maybe two, things and most of the time it’s the fundamentals.”

Grip, stance, posture, and alignment are at the top of the list. Those are parts of the golf swing that many average players overlook.

“It’s easy to over-complicate things but the pros know that most problems can usually be cured by working on the basics,” Ingram added.

Mackenzie Hughes is a perfect example. For several months, he worked mainly on