By Shawn McConnon

February 17, 2021


Own Your Natural Golf Swing

Every golfer on the planet swings their own unique way so why not find your natural golf swing? Marcus Bell, aka Zen Golf Mechanic, believes that your own body can help you find the most efficient golf swing for you.

Too often golf instruction conforms you to a method versus finding a method that fits and feels good to you. 

Nobody had a better quote than Arnold Palmer when it comes to owning your natural golf swing...

“Swing your swing,” Palmer said. “Not some idea of a swing. Not a swing you saw on TV. Not that swing you wish you had. No, swing your swing. Capable of greatness. Prized only by you. Perfect in its imperfection. Swing your swing. I know I did.”

Arnold Palmer

The King

We are seeing more and more golfers find their natural golf swing. Look at Matt Wolfe, Bryson DeChambeau or Viktor Hovland and his double-pump backswing move. Viktor actually played with that double pump in PGA events. 

So don't be afraid to try something unique and new. It could be the missing piece to your own natural golf swing.

Natural Golf Swing Commentary

00:00

are you the guy on the driving range who

00:02

sets his alignment sticks out

00:04

and has been told that he's got to

00:05

practice

00:07

swinging to parallel to the target line

00:10

a hip high

00:12

with a toe pointing up in the air

00:15

cocking the wrist and pointing the

00:16

button at the target line

00:18

on the backswing rotating the shoulders

00:21

90 degrees

00:22

hips 45 keeping the knee bent weight on

00:25

the inside of the foot

00:28

because if that is you is it right for

00:31

you

00:32

have you ever asked why are you doing it

00:34

because surely we can't all be trying to

00:35

swing the same way

00:37

we don't all fit into the same pair of

00:38

trousers we don't all

00:40

move the same way with different shapes

00:42

sizes and we all see the world

00:44

differently so why are we all told to

00:46

practice the same way

00:47

because surely this is an individual

00:49

sport and so we should have

00:51

our own individual technique but the

00:54

question is how do we find it

00:56

we don't need these for starters

00:59

because that just starts to add

01:01

interference that's conformity

01:04

that's everybody doing the same thing

01:09

and everybody getting the same problems

01:10

if we were all trying to fit into the

01:12

same pair of trousers

01:13

it's going to suit somebody it's going

01:15

to fit somebody so i'm not saying that's

01:17

not right

01:18

or wrong it may suit somebody

01:21

but dustin johnson's over here matthew

01:25

wolf's over here

01:26

who's to tell those guys that they're

01:27

doing it wrong because they've got a few

01:29

quid more than us i guess

01:30

they found a way that works and we can

01:34

use the same process

01:35

we just need to know how so this

01:38

exercise is going to help

01:40

you find your most

01:43

efficient natural golf swing

01:46

by recognizing the movements by

01:48

recognizing the space

01:50

through self-discovery how do we know

01:53

what's right for us

01:54

if we've not explored all the options if

01:57

we're only trying to do it a single way

01:58

that's all we ever know

02:00

you only know what you know so if you

02:01

don't learn anything else then how do

02:03

you know what you're doing is right for

02:04

you

02:05

it's a very constrained approach and if

02:07

we're all doing the same thing

02:09

which you can see on the driving range

02:10

day in day out people alignment stakes

02:13

checking the club face alignment

02:14

checking the shaft positioning

02:19

maybe just maybe that's not the right

02:21

technique

02:22

for them because they've been doing it

02:24

52 weeks a year on the driving range and

02:26

they're still doing the same drills

02:27

they're still having to think where the

02:30

golf club is

02:31

but do we do that in other sports no we

02:34

just play the sport we just find

02:36

our mechanics and we've done it through

02:38

exploration

02:40

so this drill is going to help you

02:44

explore and find your mechanics so

02:47

first of all we need to have some kind

02:49

of conceptual image

02:50

in our mind and we're going to go over

02:52

here and we're going to look at

02:55

this picture and imagine that's us

02:58

hitting

02:59

this way down the range and imagine

03:02

that's the arc of the club head

03:03

traveling around the body

03:05

we've got a red arc we've got a blue art

03:07

we've got a green art but we've got lots

03:08

of variations think of this as more of

03:10

space this is red space

03:12

this is blue space and this is green

03:14

space

03:15

this is not swing plane or any kind of

03:17

swing terminology

03:19

this is just space okay that we're

03:21

traveling through

03:22

or an arc that we recognize because the

03:24

golf club doesn't travel around the body

03:26

on a plane it's so variable it's

03:30

continually changing there's so many

03:32

directional components to the swing

03:34

and to the to how the club moves in

03:36

space that it's not traveling in a

03:38

perfect arc

03:39

but we don't need to recognize that we

03:41

don't even need to try and conform to

03:42

that or feel it

03:43

what we need to do is we need to

03:45

recognize our own movement

03:47

so this drill is going to allow us to

03:48

explore the space

03:50

because maybe swinging parallel and

03:52

pointing the club at the target line and

03:54

lifting the arms or turning

03:56

takes us into a place that's actually

03:58

adding more interference and confusion

04:00

and making it more difficult for your

04:02

body

04:03

to find a functional movement pattern to

04:06

hit the golf ball

04:07

maybe we're putting our body in a

04:08

position it's not comfortable with

04:11

but we don't know that it's

04:12

unintentional we've consciously

04:14

overridden the system and now the body's

04:16

got to try and compensate and create

04:18

some kind of movement

04:19

that you recognize or don't recognize as

04:22

your golf swing

04:23

sometimes it might feel strange but

04:24

maybe that's just the body's

04:25

subconscious

04:27

organization that's its mechanism for

04:30

creating that

04:31

what it seems what it feels is the

04:34

functional

04:35

movement for the outcome that you want

04:38

so

04:38

we're going to explore some space what

04:40

does it feel like to swing red

04:43

red is upright what's it feel like to

04:45

swing blue

04:46

so this is red and blue

04:49

this is how i interpret red and blue for

04:51

you it's going to be different

04:53

your red's going to be different

04:54

tomorrow your blue is going to be

04:56

different to my blue

04:58

your green's going to be different to my

04:59

green it doesn't matter

05:02

all that matters is what is meaningful

05:03

to you that's what you're going to

05:04

recognize

05:05

as your patterns the golf swings just a

05:07

feeling

05:08

and all we're doing is matching a

05:09

feeling to an image of a golf shot this

05:12

golf shot doesn't exist it's just a

05:14

figment of our imagination it's how well

05:16

can we

05:16

create movement in response to our

05:19

imagination and we don't even feel the

05:21

golf swing

05:22

there's latency to this when we make a

05:24

movement when we hit the golf ball

05:26

we don't sense it in the moment it is

05:29

almost instantaneous

05:31

but it's not actually instantaneous so

05:34

actually

05:34

movement is a simulation so we've got to

05:38

recognise patterns

05:39

we've got to know what this movement

05:42

we're making

05:43

is going to do are we acting

05:47

autonomously with a sense of knowing

05:50

with a sense of confidence

05:52

or are we not sure what our movement's

05:53

going to produce and if not

05:55

then maybe we've got to reassess how we

05:57

practice

05:59

so this is the red

06:02

this is the green and this is the blue

06:05

and if you think about

06:07

let's say the wrists what kind of wrist

06:09

notion

06:10

would help me make it red what kind of

06:13

wrist motion would help me make it go

06:15

blue

06:16

and what would help me make it go green

06:20

and then if i want to make a green swing

06:23

so we're making movement with ease we're

06:26

not thinking about

06:27

wrist conditions shoulder positioning

06:31

scapular setting ribcage rotation

06:35

we're just thinking of a whole motion we

06:37

can shift our attention for a moment

06:40

and isolate certain places we can be

06:41

aware because this develops an overall

06:44

awareness

06:44

it's a mindful awareness these thoughts

06:46

come and go we don't hold

06:48

on to them we're aware and then we'll

06:49

let it pass

06:51

i'm aware i can feel something i can

06:52

shift my attention onto my wrist i can

06:54

feel that

06:55

i can shift my attention to my feet my

06:57

hips any place i like but i don't hold

06:58

that attention there

07:00

that is not the purpose for me moving

07:01

the purpose when you move in

07:03

is the golf shot and everything is

07:05

integrated as a system

07:07

so we can be mindful of it but then we

07:10

don't use that same awareness to

07:12

actually

07:12

initiate and execute the movement does

07:14

it feel comfortable to go red

07:18

blue green what's it like going red

07:23

but then green with the wrists okay

07:27

what's blue like blue and red

07:30

blue and green now to help us find this

07:35

all we have to do is play around in

07:37

space

07:39

and find that place find that place

07:43

i'm moving my arms up and down i'm

07:45

moving my club up and down

07:47

it's almost like painting a wall behind

07:49

you where

07:50

is this place that i feel comfortable

07:53

and then when you feel comfortable make

07:56

a swing

07:58

and now can you go to that place without

08:01

doing the exercise can you go straight

08:02

to that place

08:06

can you recognize this place where you

08:09

get

08:11

the most speed

08:14

with ease what's it like up here

08:18

does it feel as easy does it feel as

08:21

effective

08:23

is it balanced can you rotate

08:26

and move with freedom does it feel

08:30

restricted

08:31

where is the best place we need to

08:33

develop this spatial awareness

08:36

what we do need is we need that club

08:39

head

08:40

behind the body this has to be

08:43

behind the center of rotation the center

08:46

of mass of the club has to be

08:48

behind the center of rotation behind the

08:52

pivot

08:52

and then we can use these pivot forces

08:55

to swing the club freely

08:58

and use that centrifugal acceleration

09:02

the club's working for us now but where

09:04

is that

09:05

optimal place to achieve this where's

09:08

the club got to come from to feel that

09:09

effortless power

09:11

well we need to explore the space like

09:13

i'm trying to hit a draw

09:15

does green feel easier

09:18

or red we do have to be mindful when

09:21

we're trying to conform

09:23

to swing ideology if you are trying to

09:26

be parallel

09:27

and you are pointing at the club face

09:29

and you are then swinging up

09:32

is the club actually behind you if it's

09:35

in front

09:36

we've got big problems now trying to

09:38

rotate this

09:39

the way the body reacts is different

09:41

you've placed heavy constraints

09:44

because you've physically put the club

09:45

in a position that's now

09:47

demanding a movement solution from the

09:49

body and you've severely constrained its

09:51

movement potential

09:53

if you were to throw this club where

09:55

does the club go it goes behind

09:57

it's behind the body now you're starting

10:00

to recruit all that stretch recoil from

10:02

the body

10:04

and you've now got physics working for

10:07

you

10:08

you've got the pivot forces the body's

10:11

going to use the ground

10:12

because it has to it's like swinging a

10:14

sledgehammer the body's hardwired for

10:16

efficiency

10:17

we're moving into a place where we're

10:19

tapping into these efficient mechanics

10:21

automatically evolution has given us

10:23

these skills

10:25

we'd have to think about it what we've

10:26

got to do we've got to give the body the

10:28

opportunity to use these

10:30

but if we're throwing in the conscious

10:32

constraints

10:34

early goals maybe just maybe

10:38

the body can't reorganize with

10:40

efficiency in the way that you want for

10:42

your golf swing

10:43

and now we've got confusion in the

10:45

system now it's haywire

10:46

now it's really noisy we're getting

10:48

results we're not sure of i'm doing the

10:50

right thing

10:50

i'm parallel and checking my clubface is

10:52

square and my grip's okay

10:53

and everything but i'm not getting these

10:55

results

10:57

so i'd suggest you go right back

11:01

and explore space with your club

11:04

and movement and develop an awareness

11:09

it's more of an intuitive awareness it's

11:10

a feeling you don't have to look at the

11:12

club

11:13

to know where it is the body knows trust

11:16

the body

11:17

and how do we develop trust we've got to

11:20

take the leap of faith

11:21

we've got to allow ourselves to explore

11:24

and play some shots

11:25

allow what we might perceive as failure

11:27

it's not really it's a learning

11:29

opportunity

11:30

for the next shot and the next shot and

11:31

the next shot and this is how we're

11:32

going to get better it's the ultimate in

11:34

self-discovery

11:35

and you're going to find the efficient

11:37

mechanics but you also know

11:39

the physics behind it this needs to be

11:40

behind me but where does it need to be

11:42

behind me in space and how do i get it

11:44

there

11:45

how do i rotate the body with freedom

11:48

how do i allow rotation through the

11:51

whole body

11:52

not just thinking about how the arms are

11:54

moving because the rest of the body now

11:56

is going to react

11:57

to just enable you to move your arms in

12:00

this way

12:00

and this might not be how the body needs

12:02

to function to create power

12:05

it could be back to front you might be

12:06

thinking about this and in doing so

12:08

we're not using the ground now the way

12:10

that the body would do if we were just

12:12

throwing or kicking or hitting we're not

12:16

recruiting those

12:17

ground reaction forces that the body

12:19

needs because we've

12:21

restricted the system what's it feel

12:23

like to swing

12:24

and go red what's it feel like

12:28

to go blue feel it

12:33

where's blue there's red there's blue

12:35

for me there's green

12:37

have a practice swing

12:40

i'm gonna i'm gonna feel blue even

12:43

hit a shot

12:47

what's it feel like to go green

12:50

now the key to this is to not use the

12:53

ball as a performance indicator

12:55

don't get distracted by the outcome with

12:56

the ball

12:58

we're learning to shift our attention

13:00

onto our movement

13:02

and recognize it so we're disconnecting

13:05

ourselves

13:06

from that ball focused outcome

13:09

just for a second just for just for this

13:11

shot this isn't going to be for the

13:13

whole practice session this is just for

13:14

a

13:15

portion of the practice session so that

13:17

we can actually

13:18

develop an awareness a feel for where we

13:23

are

13:23

because our attention is there just for

13:25

a moment and when your attention's there

13:28

you can start to develop that awareness

13:31

but if i start getting distracted by

13:32

that ball

13:34

my intentions changed i'm now trying to

13:36

hit a ball and i'm starting to

13:38

become dissonant from that body

13:40

awareness

13:41

focus so develop the awareness

13:45

where is this in space red what's red

13:48

like

13:52

what's blue around here this feels like

13:56

blue

13:59

and what's green

14:06

[Music]

14:07

which face which arc makes it easier for

14:09

the fade or the draw

14:11

now we can be mindful of the wrists very

14:12

close to the end of the chain

14:14

is this sending the club upwards

14:17

on red are the wrists sending the club

14:20

around the body more on blue

14:21

or are the wrists sending it more round

14:24

on green

14:25

so let's go let's go red

14:29

let's go blue this feels blue more

14:32

just shallower than red

14:42

and now green

14:45

green blue

14:48

red we're gonna go green now what's

14:51

green feel like

14:56

so now i'm starting to recognize this

14:58

space and i'm starting to develop a

15:00

preference

15:02

because it feels better it feels easier

15:05

i can feel where i need to be

15:09

to move

15:15

with the most efficiency with ease

15:19

and produce that shot that i want give

15:22

it a go

15:23

change the way you practice explore

15:26

and discover your optimal swing

English (auto-generated)


Your Natural Golf Swing Final Thoughts...

I think this type of teaching warrants some diving into even if it helps you identify a motor pattern that is more suited to your golf swing. 

Have you tried any of the tips in the video to develop your own natural golf swing? If so, definitely leave a comment below. If not, why not? Leave a comment as well. 

Best,

Shawn

About the author

Shawn is the founder of UpGlove. He started UpGlove to solve his own problem of getting an affordable player's glove. Shawn is a single-digit Handicap and loves to play different courses throughout Tampa Bay. He also enjoys taking his two doggies Brutus & Champi for long walks.

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