Some golf lessons are just timeless, able to withstand the pressures applied by new technology and the demands of the modern game. When rifling through the wealth of expert tips content in the Golf Monthly archive, I stumbled across one particular gem from three-time Major winner, Vijay Singh.
The former Masters Champion has an iconic golf swing, packed with flow and rhythm, giving him the ability to generate the effortless power that so many amateurs would do almost anything to achieve.
Well, 33 years ago in our February 1992 issue of the magazine, Vijay shared his secret to playing good golf... and it's something plenty of amateurs would benefit from reading today. Below, I share his musings on the subject...
Vijay Singh: The Secret To Good Golf
People often ask me why I hit the ball such a long way. One reason is that I am quite tall and naturally create a wide arc. However, I feel the key to my length comes from keeping the swing as smooth as possible.
A lot of amateurs I play with in pro-ams are guilty of swinging too fast. There is no rhythm to their swings. They would benefit from working on tempo. By tempo, I mean swinging the club at an even pace. It can be a fast tempo or a slow tempo, depending on the individual. The most important thing is that it should be as smooth an action as possible.
Make a smooth takeaway
The first way of making sure that you swing smoothly is to make the takeaway as slow as possible for your personality.
You have to start from a good set-up, but after that, a smooth takeaway sets the tone for the swing. Snatch the club away from the ball, and you will not only risk throwing the clubhead off line, but you will swing too fast.
Take the club away smoothly, and you will more than likely keep that pace to the top. Only with a smooth, even backswing can you hope to get the club into the necessary position at the top. Then your main aim is to try to make a good transition from the backswing to downswing.
DON'T RUSH THE DOWNSWING
My main thought from the top is to start the downswing as smoothly as possible. Most amateurs often take the club back slowly then throw it from the top. That’s why they slice. They turn the shoulders back too fast, leave the clubface open, and cut across the ball.
You must resist the great temptation to rush from the top. When you rush the downswing, you don’t give your lower body time to start the downswing. When you get to the top, you must give the rest of the body time to react to the backswing.
You want the legs and hips to start the downswing, not the arms and hands; they should simply react to the lower body. If you do that, then you save the hit until the last possible moment, thus increasing your chances of hitting the ball a long way.
I’m not saying that you should pause at the top or that you should start down in slow motion. The important thing is to make the change between the backswing and downswing as smooth as possible.
Only when I start down smoothly can I concentrate on hitting the ball a long way.
Time for a quiz...
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