Free The Natural Golf Swing by George Knudson, Lorne Rubenstein Page A

seemingly random movements. The former is connected from start to finish; the latter allows his arms to fly off into space while his legs remain stuck to the ground as if they’re secured there with a ball and chain. There’s no unity. The general impression is one of chaos. No wonder the unbalanced golfer whips his hands so abruptly into the ball; he doesn’t know where he is in space; he is, of course, all over the place, and reacts by trying to get his club on the ball any way he can. It’s all very inefficient, and unpleasant to watch. He’s working too hard.
    Think of yourself as a golfer who knows what it means to be in balance. You wouldn’t tilt while walking down a level path, would you? Dynamic balance simply refers to that state you’re in while moving with purpose and organization. It doesn’t make sense to do otherwise.
    Dynamic balance, then, is achieved by (a) incorporating all the elements in static balance (for if we are not balanced while we are not moving, we cannot be balanced while in motion); plus, (b) allowing for inertia to prevail; (c) passive hands; and (d) proper weight transfer.

5. The Starting Form
    A FLAWLESS starting form gives us the best opportunity of making a proper swing motion. We set up in balance because we want to swing in balance. A balanced starting form gives us that chance. When we connect it to a balanced finishing form we ensure the desired result.
    A balanced starting form accomplishes many good things. It sets the tone for the motion, for one, while promoting feelings of simplicity and freedom.
    The starting form is totally within our control. We’ve gone a long way toward ensuring a positive result if we get it right.
    Before we get into the components of the starting form, I’d like you to look at the illustration of the starting form that begins this chapter. The impression is of a golfer who is relaxed yet alert, at ease yet full of vitality. There’s a feeling of being ready, in a “go” position. I have an impression of strength when I see golfers who are set up like this. They resemble boxers, or tae-kwon-do experts. They’re prepared, ready to move. It seems that you couldn’t budge them, they’re so stable, but thatat the same time they’re like cats, ready to spring loose. You can sense the energy coursing through their bodies.
    By contrast, a golfer who is slumped over appears weak and sluggish. You could easily push him over. His body language speaks of withdrawal; he’s given up before he starts. There’s no feeling of intent, no sense of power. He’s as sluggish as the other fellow is alive.
    Keep the accompanying illustration in mind as you study the starting form. We’re setting you up to make an aggressive move, an athletic move, one full of purpose and direction.
    Let’s look at the starting position in detail. We’ll break it up into its components: target awareness, grip, stance in relation to target, alignment in relation to target, ball location relative to the body, and posture.

TARGET AWARENESS
    Imagine that you are about to play a standard shot with a five-iron. You’re not trying to curve it any particular way; your goal is a straight shot. Before you do anything else, before you think about grip or the other elements in the starting position, get a picture in your mind of the target. Imagine yourself swinging through the ball toward the target and beyond it, as I did while swinging to the flagpole at St. Charles. Feel yourself moving back and forth. Let the image of the motion that you will make as you swing through the ball on the way to the target fill your mind’s eye. Let it sink in, as if it were a picture you were projecting onto a blank white wall.
    The idea here is to plant the image of the target in your mind. It’s the object to which you will react. Golf in this way
is
a reaction game. It’s not a hand-eye game in which we react to a ball, as I’ve emphasized, but a location game in which we react to a target.