This is the first of an on-going series to identify the COMMON DENOMINATORS of all successful players.  Each issue, I will make you aware of one or more of the commonalities required to eliminate all wasted practice time.  Interested?

Answer this question quickly; who has the lower career score on the PGA Tour – Tiger Woods or Jim Furyk?  Answer is Jim Furyk.  Tiger’s career low round is 61 (multiple times), Jim has shot both 59 and the all-time record of 58!  OK, who has the “prettier” swing, Tiger or Jim?  Answer is subjective, but you KNOW the answer (if not, please YouTube both and watch ONE full swing of each and decide). 

If Tiger has the “pretty” swing, and Furyk the “ugly” swing (a TV commentator once described it like “an octopus falling out of a tree”), how has each been so successful?  As of this writing, Furyk has 17 PGA Tour victories and 1 major victory and will be elected to the World Golf Hall-of-Fame one day. 

We must conclude, that if both have very different looking swings, while both highly successful, there must be COMMON DENOMINATORS which link them. YOUR life-long golf goal (with the guidance of your PGA Professional) should be to gain “crystal clarity” of the COMMON DENOMINATOR “list.”  Fixing or changing set-up and swing motions simply to improve the esthetics of a perceived “good swing” without understanding the common denominators is unproductive and a waste of time and effort (and haven’t you been doing that for too long already?)

This is where the experienced PGA Professional who understands learning stages and the common denominators comes in.  I’ll only speak for myself, but I have 100% confidence that I know and understand the common denominators of all top players and 100% confidence in my ability to deliver that message to you, my client.  And, the number of common denominators is EXTREMELY small and simple to “install”; and why the players on TV make it look so EASY!       

Sadly, most of my PGA Professional colleagues, gear their lesson model towards improving their client’s swings.  What?  Let me rephrase; they have geared their model towards improving the “look” of their client’s swings.  The traditional “do-it-like-this-and-stop-doing-it-like-that” lesson has been determined to be “non-brain compatible” by learning scientists.  Have your lessons been tailored to have you change/fix things, OR come to understand and realize common denominators for the long-term? 

When I was first starting out in this business, a common claim seemed to emerge… “There is NOT one way to swing the club”, is that a true statement?  Yes and No.  There are NON-NEGOTIABLE COMMON DENOMINATOR impact conditions which must be met for desired ball flight.  Once you understand the “list”, you can discover, through practice, your PERSONAL way of swinging while still installing the common denominators.  Interested?