People think moving the same way at a golf ball is impossible to replicate, which is a false idea. They assume the movement they are being taught works – regardless of set-up, which is also a false idea. Every time you set up to a golf ball you have an opportunity to either destroy or create patterns of movement.
I had a young, indignant, and inexperienced instructor poke at me the other day about his closed stance and the “fine” shots he was hitting. I said, “That’s great. So, I guess you’ll be telling students to use a closed stance, then?”
“No. Because It’s not for everybody. Nothing is for everybody.”
“An open Stance is.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Sure it is. You wanna know why?” I was waiting to hear the sound of his next shot behind me. (We we’re practicing side by side.)
“Well, he said incredulously, are you gonna tell me?”
“Oh, sorry, I thought you might be swinging. The reason is that we are symmetrical. Able-bodies golfers are symmetrical.”
“Why does that matter? We’re all different sizes and shapes. We’re not supposed to all swing the same.”
“There you go with that motion stuff again. All you motion guys believe the golf swing begins and ends with motion, and it doesn’t.”
“Why should everyone set up the same if you don’t think they should swing the same?”
“You’re trying to prove an objective with a subjective. It’s interpreting facts to support your own conclusions… it’s the daVinci Code’s, Lee Teabing method of golf instruction… ‘interpret facts to support your own conclusions.’
“I don’t see that.”
“Few instructors do.”
Although my young counterpart was earnestly arguing a point of view, he was not trained to look beyond his didactic. His is a common fallacy – ‘We are destined to relativism because we are relative to one another.’ Some folks are oblivious to the commonalities that bind us athletically.
Anyway… this interaction was all in good humor as we were both in a good mood. I don’t want to leave you with the impression this was combative. It was men talking trash… but without the hyperbole and irony. This kid was trained to take a view of the golf swing that every other instructor is trained to take. It’s not his fault he doesn’t see beyond his nose.
What is alarmingly pervasive, however, is the inclination to dismiss, out of hand, any idea that usurps the established, enabling dialectic in favor of a self-help suggestion. The Open Stance created another convert today. I gave no swing help, yet procured another student. How do you suppose hat happened?
Golfers DO NOT NEED instruction. They need teaching. Teaching allows a student to pursue their own solutions. Pursuit of our own solutions is as close to freedom as we will ever be.
John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/our-stance-ball-position-and-adaptation/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/open-stance-creates-great-ball-strikers/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/ball-position/
