My Golf Digest colleagues Chris Powers and Keely Levins have been hard at work over the past few months tuning up their games ahead of a big match against one another.
First came a club fitting followed by some lessons. The best part of both is that they each came back with lessons the rest of us can learn from.
Here are three key takeaways from their work with coaches and fitters.
Related: 7 clubfitting myths that stop golfers from getting better
1. The swing starts from the ground, not the arms
Chris’s snap hooks traced back to one issue: he wasn’t shifting into his front side fast enough, which led to early extension and the shaft standing up. Tour players move their hips roughly five inches toward the target by impact. Most amateurs are closer to one inch. That lack of forward motion often leads to a flip through impact and is a clear sign the ground is not being used properly.
Keely had a similar breakthrough. She realised she had been swinging almost entirely with her upper body, relying on her hands to get the club into position. The biggest muscles in the body live in the lower half, yet they were doing very little in her swing.
Two versions of the same issue: they were not using the ground effectively. Hands and arms matter, but so does how you move into the ground.
2. Borrow feels from things you already know how to do
Keely has a background in cross-country skiing. Her coach used that to explain the motion. Skiing requires pushing off one leg and moving into the other in a sequence that closely mirrors a golf swing. Once she connected the two, the concept clicked.
There is a lesson here for both players and coaches. Good instruction often comes down to translation. The information does not change, but the way it is felt can be adapted. Finding a personal reference point can make all the difference.
3. Being a good student means communicating
Chris and Keely were both open to change, but one of the biggest differences came down to communication.
When something did not feel right, they spoke up. That allowed coaches to adjust language, drills and explanations until the message landed.
Good coaching is not about mind reading. It is about feedback. The more clearly a player communicates what they feel, the faster improvement tends to come.
