Wise Guy

10 secrets to better golf by europe's top coach, pete cowen

- Pete Cowen

1 IS A TEXTBOOK-PERFECT GRIP the cornerstone of a great swing? Not necessarily. I’ve seen players with perfect grips who can’t find the planet. It’s all about matching the grip to your imperfect swing. The purpose of the grip is to hold onto the club, not manipulate it.

2 I’M NOT A FAN of perfectly square alignment for the average player because it takes a perfect shot to hit it where you’re aiming. I’d advise most amateurs to align their feet a little left with their irons, as it favours hitting down on the ball. With the driver, they should align their feet a bit to the right, with the clubface aimed at the target. This will promote swinging from the inside, and hitting the ball “on the up.”

3 I LIKEN THE GOLF SWING to a car. Your body is the engine. The arms, hands and the club are the steering wheel. Your brain is the driver and provides the fuel. When we start hitting poor shots, more often than not the problem is the car’s transmission, which is the shoulders. Poor shoulder movement is a huge cause of inconsistency. Any command from your brain to your arms and hands can’t be obeyed if it’s not transferring correctly through the shoulders.