The 2008 British Open will undoubtedly go down as some of the most challenging and harsh weather conditions in the tournament’s history. The guys who finished at the top have brisk, upbeat swing motions… true swinger’s motions that can power the club through the heavy wind. None of these guys are position conscious like so many golfers these days. They use centrifugal force and inertia to allow their clubs to cut through any conditions… even 30 and 40+ mph winds. Such swings allow for a player to trust his swing and focus on the strategy and creativity necessary to triumph in such testing circumstances.
I predict that, like the kids who grew up through Nicklaus’ era and imitated his movement and learned to overuse their legs and create too much lateral motion coupled with a still head, that of kids of today, who are watching and emulating Tiger Wood’s play and all his grinding away at positions in the golf swing will produce similar but different kinds of physical casualties.
Jack’s ideas hurt a lot of backs and left hips… including his own. Tiger’s concepts are producing golfers that are too much into the swing and never really learn to play golf with creativity and feel. Thanks to Norman’s outstanding performance, the world was again reminded of what a classic, rhythmic true player’s swing looks like, at any age. Harrington, Poulter and Norman all have built beautiful, classic swing motions utilizing transfers and turns and freedom of motion with no efforts to get the club in any particular positions in the swing. Each sets up beautifully, makes their move, while naturally maintaining their arcs, planes and elevations, and goes right through to the finish without trying to influence the club through impact. This is the way to move… this is the way to swing… this is the way to learn, play and enjoy golf.
