subject: Perfect Golf Swing - Pre Shot Routine For All Levels Of Players [print this page]
In the space of one evening I saw two separate shows and something clicked when I saw a connection between the two. The first show was about a baseball charity event where some famous players were being interviewed at a charity golf event - turns out that a lot of baseball players enjoy golf. In the interview, one player mentioned how some of the baseball players are naturally long hitters of a golf ball.
So, two hours later, highlights from the PGA tour were being shown and it showed Miguel Angel Jimenez doing his pre-shot routine on a fairway drive. What got me was that he used a baseball style swing, with the club head a good one to two foot above the ground (at the bottom of the swing). It looks like he uses it to 'groove' the swing - i.e. to find his rhythm.
I've been using Miguel's baseball style drill as part of my own pre-shot routine and it definitely encourages a coiling motion around the core muscles and a smooth transition from back swing to down stroke.
So Why Does This Work?
The perfect golf swing and the ideal baseball swing both involve some striking similarities in order to generate power:
-Both require a strong stable stance around which the rest of the body pivots.
-The stomach muscles are the powerhouse of the swing. As the body pivots it is essential that the back swing ratchets up the stomach muscles and that the hips start the transition from back swing into the down swing.
-If the body muscles are tensed up then the transmission of power (from the legs to the core muscles to the arms and finally down through the club) are constrained. A pre-shot drill that focuses on doing a loose golf swing is the ideal way to encourage a smooth rhythmic golf swing.
There are many elements to the perfect golf swing, perhaps too many. Making the effort to complete some practice swings in a baseball-swing style helps loosen up the core muscles and encourages a free-flowing golf swing. At the very least it is worth giving it a try next time you're at the range.
