A question I get asked a lot in pro-ams is how I'm able to swing the club as hard as I do. Honestly, I'm not swinging that hard. I'm using about 75 percent of my maximum effort.
That's one thing I learned from watching great hitters hit. A lot of hitters, they're ready to hit from pitch one.
We've been trying to get my body and head moving toward the target on the downswing. I have a tendency to hang back and not release the club.
Because my lower body is quiet, I need a full shoulder turn to generate power and speed. Keep your tempo smooth, and with the quiet lower body, you don't have to worry about losing your balance.
I think a firm grip helps you control the club and prevents it from turning in your hands. Another thing about feel is, if you make a change in your grip, it takes time for your brain to adapt.
I hit the ball early and move my wrist a lot, so I get bigger angles.
I started changing my swing in late 1999.
The way I see it, thinking about the position of the club during the swing is about the worst way to play golf. It makes you tight and defensive, which kills your natural speed and rhythm. Although there's obvious value to minding your technique, at best you'll play an OK round. Where's the fun in that?
I would say that my downswing mirrors the path of my backswing pretty closely.
I'm still learning about my swing more. I continue to learn, with the help of my hitting instructors.
There have been nights I've stayed up late thinking about, 'What's wrong with my swing? What do I need to fix?'
I'm a very analytical guy, I like to study my swing, I like to study what my back foot is doing, my elbow, whatever it might be, and there's a lot of guys nowadays that are like that. That's the trend of the game, that's the way the game has gone.
The golf swing is very, very rhythmic. There's a certain tempo to it, just like in music.
I can remember back to my early tour days when some fellows didn't think I'd last too long. Nothing physical - they said it was my swing. Some said it was too much of a 'muscle swing' to stand the test of time. One fellow predicted I wouldn't get past 30 out there.
