Is there a magic move in golf?

There’s a section in my practice journal titled WOOD band-aids where I keep particularly helpful swing keys and fixes that I’ve discovered during play and practice, and there’s a reason for the acronym WOOD because it truly (Works Only One Day).  Success at golf, like any other sport, is based on mastering fundamentals and then making daily small scale adjustments.  I was reminded of this after my practice session today.  My progress with a swing change has been good over the last few weeks but it all fell apart on the range today and it seemed the new move had deserted me, as I stared at pull-hook after pull-hook.  I eventually found the WOOD band-aid and simply slowed my tempo down a hair and all was well again.  Bottom line:  it had nothing to do with my fundamental change but required one of those small adjustments.  I’m smart enough to know that today’s fix may not be good for tomorrow but I have confidence in my investment in the fundamental change because it will elevate my level of play over time.

To gain sustained improvement, build good fundamentals by seeking instruction from your PGA professional and working hard at mastering your lessons.  I’ve taken lessons with several professionals, and to this date, the most valuable remains the first, where the fundamentals were imparted.  The second set of eyes and knowledge a professional can provide are invaluable.  Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, practice and repetition will allow you to identify your faults and a small set of fixes to minimize the hills on the roller coaster ride.

Experts hawking “magic moves” in golf magazines and instructional videos are merely conveying swing keys that have worked for them after thousands of hours of practice.  You’re better off paying your local pro for a series of lessons then plunking down $400 for the newest driver and another $50 for a box of someone else’s WOOD band-aids.

Hit ’em straight!