Salt was musing at how nearly every high handicapper he met was obsessed with their golf swing speed. They wrongly equated a slow backswing with a slow golf swing. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Just then Salt saw a curious gentleman in the distance. Or rather, he heard him. He was pounding drivers on the range, one after the other.
We are Playing Golf. We are Not Playing “Long-Drive Contest”
He could hit the ball a long way indeed. Sometimes he would carry his drives 250 yards, very long for an amateur. Salt was watching him hit ball after ball with a furious intensity that intrigued him.
The man was working up a sweat from his high impact aerobic workout.
Not every drive was perfect, though. Sometimes he missed badly, maybe 40 yards right or left. Of course this sort of wayward shot is death on most good golf courses.
Salt did not know the man, and the man did not know Salt. So he stood politely at a distance, watching.
The man hit another fifteen balls before taking a break and looking up. It was the opening Salt needed.
Honestly, A Slow Backswing Can Help You
“Good afternoon, I’m Salt.”
“Hello, I’m Jim. Pleased to meet you, Salt. Not every day I meet a man named Salt. Don’t tell me your last name is Pepper!” Jim was enthusiastic and warm, a friendly sort. Instantly likable.
“How’s the practice session going Jim?” asked Salt, ignoring the question for the moment.
“Great. I’m getting good distance on my driver.” Salt nodded.
“I’d like a little more consistency, though. I guess we all would.”
Salt approved. “Yes, consistency is the foundation of the game.”
“What do you do for a living, Salt?” asked Jim?
“Oh, I help out around here, this and that, giving golf lessons and so on,” Salt replied.
“You’re a golf teacher? Wow. What do you think of my swing? How can I get more power? I want to amp up my golf swing speed.”
Salt knew that people tend to want more of what they already have, not what they really need. Golfers, being people, were no exception. So he was cautious.
“Well, Jim, I was watching you hit balls and I’d like to make a suggestion”.
“OK, shoot”.
“Jim, I’d like you to slow down your backswing. Just a bit. Try a slower backswing for me.”
“Slow down? But I don’t want to lose power. I am focused on hitting at least 106 mph golf swing speed.” Jim was just a bit defensive.
A Slow Backswing Can Generate Great Golf Swing Speed
Gary Woodland has a slow steady backswing but generates tremendous power on the downswing.
“Jim, what part of the swing do you use to hit the ball?”
Jim was confused. “Well, the downswing, of course.” He thought for a moment. “I see. What matters is the power in my downswing, not a fast backswing”.
“Yes,” said Salt. “The only real purpose of a backswing is to store energy in your body that you release in the downswing. What matters is how well you store that energy, and how well you are positioned for your downswing to deliver clubhead speed at impact.”
Jim pondered this for a moment.
“Maybe take a few practice swings with a little slower backswing and see how it goes,” suggested Salt. “Think of Gary Woodland’s swing. He hits the ball a long, long way, with great control, and a very compact, slow, and controlled backswing.”
Jim remembered seeing Gary Woodland’s swing on TV, and recalled how stable and controlled his swing looked from start to balanced finish:
The Unexpected Results of a Slower Backswing
Jim did as Salt requested. His swings improved instantly. Jim was a fine athlete; it took a lot of ability to gyrate as he did with his old swing and still hit decent shots. He also had an excellent setup position which helped a great deal.
And Jim did. His first shot was straight but a little weaker than usual.
His next shot, though, was very good. The third shot was the longest of the day, and straight. As was the fourth. Jim found that he was actually attacking the ball at impact with more swing speed with a slow backswing. He surely did not have a slow golf swing as he had feared.
“Salt, I can’t believe it. Thank you. I owe you. Would you like a beer? Sorry about my wise crack earlier.”
Salt had moved along the range already. He waved at Jim. “No problem. Come back soon,” said Salt.
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