Flick's Golden Rules

Rule 1: Don't Be An Empty Suit

The golf swing is made of motion, not positions. Unfortunately, many players become so concerned with hitting certain body positions that they develop what I call an "empty-suit" swing -- it looks good, but it doesn't work under pressure. ook, do you think I could hit the ball !!" yards while sitting in a chair if I was worried about how far my hips were rotating or whether my shoulders were "on plane#" $o way. %y arms and hands are in control, and the body is simply taking its cue from the motion of swinging the club. &tart the swing off right by letting the hands and arms move the club back from address 'what I call the "swingaway"(. This allows the club to set itself naturally at the top of the swing 'photo(. )mpty-suit swingers often think of "turning" away from the ball, initiating the club's movement with the body. *hen this happens, the hands and arms become passive and the club is pulled too far inside, becoming laid off at the top. +emember, "swinging" gives the club priority, while "turning" gives the body priority. The ball is not listening to the body -- it only knows what the clubhead tells it to do.

Rule2: Tension Is A Swing-Killer

Tension can cripple both the mind and body. %ind tension creeps in before the swing, its root causes being either poor strategy or unreasonable e,pectations. -or e,ample, many amateurs choose the wrong club for approach shots, picking one that must be hit perfectly to reach the flagstick. The mind knows this, becomes fearful, and tries to make up for the poor club choice by swinging too hard. -or most, the smart choice is to take more club and swing within your capabilities. .ody tension comes from not being physically prepared to e,ecute a shot. Though the benefits of stretching don't happen overnight, two stretches that work on golf-specific areas -- the shoulders and hips -- can help loosen up your muscles and better prepare your body for playing.

&houlder stretch
/lasp your hands behind your back, bend forward from the hips, and raise your arms over your back as far forward as you can. 0old this position for five seconds, release, and repeat. This is a great stretch to warm up your shoulders before the round and keep them loose on the course.

0ip stretch
This one is a little tougher, but if an old sour puss like me can do it, you probably can, too. .end forward, letting your arms hang as close to the ground

as possible. 1rab your ankles and pull yourself down to allow your knuckles to touch the ground. 2ou should feel a burning sensation in your hamstrings as well as your hips

Rule 3: Acti !te "our #$eelers#

If you say a player has good feel, you mean he or she can identify what the club is doing throughout the swing, as well as how the body is reacting to it. 2ou can develop better feel by focusing on your two main "feelers," the hands and feet. 0ands &ince the hands are your only connection to the club, grip pressure is crucial to feeling the clubhead, and correct grip pressure corresponds to each club's weight. 2our lightest grip will be on the driver 'which has the lightest head weight and longest shaft(, while tighter pressure is reserved for the sand wedge 'heaviest head, shortest shaft(. To find the right pressure, hover the clubhead above the ground 3ust before you swing 'photo(4 you'll feel the head's weight and your arms and hands will respond naturally. -eet 5s your weight shifts first away from the target and then back toward it, your sense of balance is communicated through the feet. .ut for this to happen, your feet must be in motion, not cemented to the ground. &o while addressing the ball, keep your feet active by alternately lifting your toes and heels.

Rule %: A &oo' Swing St!rts (it) A &oo' Set-up

The late, great teacher 6avis ove 7r. had a saying8 "2ou have a contrived set-up so you can make a free swing4 a free set-up leads to a contrived swing." That's why, despite what I said in +ule 9 about the swing, positions have their place -- in the set-up. 5 good swing won't produce the desired results without proper aim 'the orientation of the clubface( and alignment 'the orientation of the body(. -irst, make sure the clubface -- and only the clubface -- is pointing directly at the target. :nce the clubface is aimed, build your alignment around its position. 5 common mistake is pointing your toeline at the target, which produces a closed stance. 2our feet should be aligned parallel to the line that runs from the ball to the target. To envision this, stand behind the ball and e,tend both arms parallel in front of you 'large photo(. ;oint the right arm through the ball and at your target4 this indicates the target line. The left arm indicates your stance line, which e,tends left of the target. $e,t, rest a club along your right arm 'inset photo( to ingrain the image that only the clubface touches the target line.

Rule *: Sync)roni+e Bo'y An' Arms

Trying to create power, players often play "+un 5way, /atch Up"8 -rom the top of the swing, their bodies run away -- begin the downswing with a <uick, 3erky move -- which leaves the clubhead trying to catch up by impact. Typically, this results in a push-slice and robs, rather than adds, distance. The best way to generate clubhead speed is with a rhythmic, more natural motion, like that of a pendulum.

To feel this pendulum-like motion, try the "front-loader" drill. -irst, place the clubhead ahead of the ball 'photo left(, and swing forward to the finish position 'photo right(. -rom there, swing to a full backswing, then through impact as normal. 2ou should feel as though the arms and club are leading the body into the ball. $ow you can combine the pendulum with pace and rhythm. ;ace is the speed at which something happens4 rhythm is the relationship between the moving parts. Tom *atson swings at a faster pace than )rnie )ls, but the relationship between their body parts and club will be nearly identical, because they both have good rhythm. To find your ideal pace and rhythm, tee up a driver, and with a full swing, hit the ball 9== yards. 6o it again, swinging a little faster, and hit the ball 9"= yards. *ork your way up in "=-yard increments4 when you reach full speed, you will have grooved a balanced swing and found your ideal pace. This drill also teaches your body parts to move in rhythm with the club.

Rule ,: Tilt B!c- to St!y B!c*ith all full swings, your head should be behind the ball at impact. This keeps most of your body weight where it belongs -- behind the ball, not racing out in front, which leads to a slice. :nly after impact do the head and body get pulled through to the finish by the swinging of the club and arms.

0ow far behind 'away from the target( your head should be depends on the club8 The longer the club, the shallower its approach angle, and the farther the head should be behind the ball. 2our head will be farthest behind with a driver, when you're trying to hit up on the teed ball. It will be more forward with the short irons -- which have a steeper angle of approach -- but should never pass ahead of its original address position. To visuali>e proper head position, focus on your spine tilt at address. -orm a "ball" by making a circle with your left thumb and forefinger 'left photo(. ),tend your left arm outward, then tilt your spine slightly to the right as if you were at address with a driver. %aintaining this tilt, swing your right arm into the "ball" 'photo(. 2our right arm should swing slightly upward as your head stays back.

Rule .: /e0t Arm /ow1 Rig)t Arm 2ig)

There are two basic greenside shots8 low runners that land <uickly and roll, and high lobs that land softly near the hole. I have a simple solution to control both of them. -or a low-tra3ectory pitch, put the left arm in control. ;ull the grip forward with your left hand, hooding the clubface and moving your hand ahead of the ball, as it should be at impact. To feel this, hit ?-iron practice shots with 3ust your left arm.

-or high-tra3ectory pitches, your right arm is in control and your right hand is even with or behind the ball at impact. ;ractice hitting a sand wedge with 3ust the right hand, feeling the clubhead's leading edge pass under the ball and launching it upward.

Rule 3: 4!-e A &oo' Re)e!rs!l

%any golfers don't know how to waggle the club. If they waggle at all -- and many don't -- it's usually a <uick, nervous wave that takes the club too far inside. .ut golfers who make rhythmic swings start with a rhythmic waggle that rela,es the arms and wrists while previewing how the entire motion will feel. 2our waggle should make a small loop going back8 along the target line, then back to the ball on a line slightly inside of that 'photo(. It's a mini-rehearsal of the ideal swing path away from and back to the ball, and it will ingrain the feel and muscle memory for a good shot. ;arting thought

+emember, golf is an evolving process, re<uiring ad3ustments to create the desired ball flight. 6eveloping patterns and good habits takes time -- be fair to yourself@