Several years ago, while developing some of the theories that led to the publication of Holographic Golf, I tried an experiment with children that yielded revealing results. I would take a youngster who had never swung a golf club, give him a seven iron and a golf ball, place him in a field with a flagstick and a hole, and situate him about 150 yards away from the flag. I would explain that the object was, using only the club, to get the ball into the hole in as few "hits" (strokes) as possible, and I would tell him nothing else--not how to hold the club, how to stand, or anything else. I would inform him that I'd return in a half-hour to see how he was doing. And I would leave him, go into the woods, hide in the trees, and observe him with binoculars.

The first few attempts by these kids were what you'd expect: awkward swipes and hatchetlike slashes at the ball, grips of every type (none correct), stances of every kind, and strange postures. But then they would begin to figure it out, how to propel the ball forward most efficiently. As the process evolved, their form would become more conventional and effective as they refined their methods on their own, using for reference only their natural instincts. At the end of the sessions an amazing picture had developed. They had created a method for propelling the ball forward that very closely resembled a pretty good golf swing, all on their own.

After witnessing this same scenario over and over again, I became convinced that people who say that the golf swing is not a natural movement are wrong. What is unnatural is when those same boys and girls start taking golf lessons from a "teacher," learn the mechanics of the golf swing, and proceed, through a long, analytical process, to tie themselves up in knots, losing all sense of their natural instincts, feel, and rhythm along the way. The "teacher," through an endless series of positions and swing mechanics, has helped them to "train away" their natural gifts.

Many world-class players have fallen into the same trap from time to time. One shining example is Hal Sutton, one of the world's top-ranked players, who nearly wrecked his career by trying to develop the "perfect" swing. Only when, in a desperate state, he decided to forget all of the mechanics and just go back to swinging his natural, instinctive way did he regain the form that had brought him early success.

It's a lesson well worth remembering. Trust your instincts and use your natural rhythm. And never make the mistake of training away your natural gifts through over-analysis. Don't view every bad shot as evidence of a flaw--view each simply as a mistake. If there was an intrinsic flaw, you would never hit top-quality shots. Realize the mistake, take a corrective preview swing, and try again, with the same intended technique and with your natural rhythm.

From EXPLORING THE ZONE by Larry Miller.  Copyright (c) 2001 by Larry Miller.  All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission from Larry Miller.