All Left, All The Time

Much of my recent practice has been focused on changing the *feel* of my left hand.

In fact, I am starting to think that one of the biggest differences between good golfers and Hackers is that the real players have so much more left-hand dominance throughout the swing - only the naked eye can't see it on account of there being two hands physically connected to the club.

Anyways, I played today in the rain and hit some really good shots - 18 or so by my count.

What *worked* today was standing further from the ball - see previous post - and making sure the club was coming back to the inside right away.

What also *worked* was a grip swing thought where I told myself to "push the right-side of my left hand toward the club....and to push the left-hand side of it toward the club". This is hard to describe. I guess I am squeezing the club so as to not let my wrist hinge initially, in either direction - as was my bad habit for years.

Nobody reading this is going to understand what I just said so I'll think about how to better articulate it. This blog is for me, anyway.

But for now, understand that I simply do not want the relationship between my left-hand, left wrist, and left forearm to change during the swing. A *straight left arm* is what those old pros used to teach - which I guess is almost the same thing. But I used to focus on the arm so much that not only did it induce unwanted tension, that I let the small muscles (wrist) flap around ever so imperceptibly, but nonetheless.

These days I am watching the pros carefully and noticing how consistent and how solid they keep the *left-arm through left-wrist through left-hand through clubface* geometry.

As I watch a guy like JB Holmes waggle his brains out I can't help but think the very essence of his swing is finding the right feeling in his left-hand.

Also, what about hitting balls one-handed? Can you do it? All the pros can pick up a club and easily smack shots with just their left-hand.

I'm thinking the inability to do so is a clear indication of insufficient, inconsistent, and improper left-hand grip action.

I can only do it a little bit. Everytime I try to practice it I get frustrated because the club just flips around, on the way back and on the way through.