“Keep your eye on the ball” “Keep your left arm stiff” “Cock your wrists when you start the backswing” “Turn your hips on the backswing” — What I have just written are what I call ‘Myths of the Golf Swing’  Let’s review these  myths: 1. X Keep your eye on the ball: without a doubt, this is the biggest misconception of trying to make a golf swing. This thought restricts your motion; you will end up worrying about keeping your head down than making an athletic motion through the ball. I have shown my students that I can keep my eye on the ball and still miss it! What am I doing wrong? I am changing my spine angle.  The key to any great swing is not keeping your eye on the ball, it’s maintaining your spine angle. 2. X Keep your left arm stiff (right arm stiff for lefthanders):  Keeping that arm stiff creates tension – and that’s the worst thing to do when swinging a club! I like to tell my students yours arms are ‘al dente’ — soft with a touch of firm. This ‘al dente’ in your arms allows freedom of movement; and with that a freer motion. You can hinge your wrists without having to consciously think of hinging your wrists because it will come naturally. 3. X Cock your wrists in your backswing: If you purposely cock your wrists you ending up lifting the club and not turning your shoulders, thus robbing you of power and accuracy. But if you swing the club straight back (with your ‘al dente’ arms), and turn your shoulders, they will cock up! Try this drill for yourself: Hold the club in your forefingers and thumbs – now swing back and turn shoulders – miracle of miracles — the club sweeps back and then up — without you having to do it! 4. X Turn your hips on the backswing: Unless your are physically limited in your motion and are not flexible, turning your hips on the backswing is a power loss. The golf swing turns around a fixed point (a pivot). That fixed point are your hips. Your turn your shoulders around your hips (the fixed point), to create torque – which creates power. Turning both creates nothing- your are spinning in your place! Place a club behind your shoulders, take your posture and while you turn your shoulders keep your hips quiet. You will feel the stretching created in your torso — that is your power being built up. Those are some of the popular ‘myths of the golf swing’. So please be aware of when one of your friends says to “keep you eye on the ball” — I would not take that literally. Please contact me if you have any questions about these myths – and any more you may think are good swing thoughts,  but might possibly fall into the ‘myth’ category. Now go practice!