Left side

Question
Hi John,

I am a 64 yr. old golfer who has lost a lot of length with all my clubs. I am now a 20 hdcp. and "back in the day" was a 10 at best. A few of my playing partners  have not lost their distance nor consistency to the degree that I have. They are proponents of the let side dominating the swing. I know golf is a bi-lateral game but would appreciate your thoughts re: the proper use of the left side. This creeping inconsistency is killing me. Thanks...by the way...my buddies tell me they can see the dominance of my right arm in the swing.

Matt (always trying to improve).

Answer
Hello Matt.  Your friends may be right about the swing being a left-sided game, but there are as many that would argue for it being right-sided.  I would sooner think they are witnessing the symptoms rather than the cause when they see alot of right arm in your swing.

I suspect something has caused you to change your address position.  People who have aches and pains whether caused by aging or by an accident or some such physical event will unwittingly change their set-up to ease the resulting pain in the golf swing.

And the fact you say you've lost your consistency tells me you've done something to compromise your balance.  Golfers with poor balance won't let themselves shift their weight like it should.  This puts them out in front of the shot most of the time and causes the right side to become very active as it really is the only side involved in the swing.

To generate the most power and consistency, one must be in balance so he'll let himself turn, pivot and put the left side in the swing.  Optimum balance is achieved by putting yourself in as close as possible to the following position at address.  I refer to this as the golfer's profile as it is viewed from down the line.

1.  One must bend from the hips to reach the ball.
2.  Flex the knees just enough to unlock them.
3.  Stand far enough from the ball to allow the arms to
   hang from the shoulders, and
4.  Position the weight on the balls of the feet.

I would guess something has caused to to stand a bit more upright than you used to, putting your weight towards your heels and preventing a proper weight shift.  And because you're more upright, your shoulders turn on a plane shallow enough that the left is running into your chin, preventing a full turn.  And this in turn causes the club to spend very little time on the target path.

I don't know if I've told you what you want to hear but I encourage you to compare your profile with those who make their living at the game.  You can do this and learn a bit more about the swing at www.golfnutts.com.  I hope you find this of value and give it a try as I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with improvement in both distance and consistency.

Fairways and Greens,

John Brott