Committing to a Swing Change

Alex Elias

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Every golfer experiences periods when their swing feels off. For me, it’s coming over the top in the downswing—something many golfers can relate to. Although many golfers are aware of their over-the-top move, Matt Benton, Head Golf Professional at Old Marsh Golf Club, said, “You can’t just know that you’re coming over the top. You have to understand what’s causing it.”

Once the issue is identified, the swing change can begin—but not without understanding that change doesn’t happen overnight.

“The speed at which golfers abandon change is crazy. In order to make a change, you have to understand the feel,” said Benton.

“To best understand the feel, the swing must be exaggerated,” said Benton. “Swing changes are often minimal but feel drastic. To achieve your goal at full swing speed, you need to repeatedly exaggerate the new feeling in slow motion first.”

Even when rehearsed and practiced properly, many golfers abandon change—often during the transition from the range to the course.

“If you’re making a swing change and doing it well on the range, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll do it well on the course. In fact, chances are it won’t go well, but that doesn’t mean you need to start diagnosing something else,” said Benton. “You have to stick with the change and recognize when a shot is the result of the new swing versus the old swing. That’s how you’ll successfully make the change and eventually see positive results.”