Golf Swing Illusion
Few golfers realize there is an illusion going on between how you see your hands at impact and where they really are.
This illusion leads to some of the biggest problems facing amateur golfers, such as fat shots, club head throw away, inconsistency, and weak “bunted” golf shots.
This illusion isn’t physical or mental, nope, it’s purely visual, which is actually a good thing. Because once you understand what causes this visual illusion it’s pretty easy to fix.
Why the Golf Swing Illusion Exists:
Unlike most precision sports (archery, shooting, billiards, darts, basketball, etc.) when aiming a golf shot you stand to the side of the target line. Just imagine how dangerous a shooting range would be if you had to hold and fire your rifle while standing to the side. This is where the illusion begins.
On top of having to stand to the side of the target line a proper golf swing puts your head behind the ball at impact. Let me explain.
In the down swing a golfer’s spine should tilt backwards as the hips and torso lead the pivot and weight transfer. This is proper form.
Unfortunately this backward spine tilt puts the head behind the ball giving you a different view of the ball and club head than you had when you addressed the ball.
The result is: your brain misinterprets where it thinks your hands are.
Because you’re off to the side and behind the ball your brain thinks your hands are way too far ahead of the ball to make solid contact.
Your brain tells you to flip the club head (club head throw away) or not allow your hand to get into the proper position for impact in the first place. Until you realize what’s going on, your brain will always misinterpret this part of golf swing.
The worst part is most golf pro’s don’t even know about this illusion. They were simply lucky enough to figure out what works usually without ever knowing what they did. This partially explain why so many instructors fail to turn their students into better golfers.
How to Fix The Golf Swing Illusion:
The key to fixing the golf swing illusion is educating your hands to get to the right place despite what your eyes are saying.
At impact your left wrist should be flat and your right wrist should be bent. When you fall for the illusion the opposite will be true.
You also need to understand that your hands should be in front of the ball at impact, and they will look like they are really far ahead of the ball since your head is behind the both the ball and your hands. This is how it should look.
Once you teach yourself these two things you will no longer have to worry about the swing illusion.