Relax!

One bit of advice that I've found hard to implement is to "relax" as I set up to play a shot. I can recall my first golf teacher back in 2000 telling me to address the ball as though I'd been playing golf for fifty years. Great advice; just mighty hard for a beginner to do.

Recently I've discovered that body posture has a good deal to do with how relaxed or otherwise I am when I address the ball. If I try too hard to get the correct spinal angle, straight back, and bent knees - not to mention getting the buttocks thrust backward for balance - I invariably tense up. What is more, I find it nearly impossible to have that "nice, easy, smooth and relaxed swing" that is so much commended from such a position.

Recently I've been studying The Ernest Jones Method of playing golf and have been struck by Jones's insistence on a more upright stance. It was his opinion that most golfers bend over too much. He advised an easy, minimal adjustment of the body angle when swinging the club.

I've tried it this past week and certainly found it easier to stand to the ball in a relaxed manner. That in turn has helped me swing the club in a more relaxed way. The initial results are mighty encouraging - a score of 39 for a nine hole practice round this past Monday (my previous best was 45). The test will come when I've next got a full competition round. I'm eager to see what happens.