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My Learnings: #71

I've been playing golf since I was barely old enough to walk, thanks to my father, who was a serious and talented golfer. I still remember watching him in the garage of our first house, where he cut down the shaft of an old wedge and added a reused grip—roughly sliced down the center from another club—so I could have something to swing. I used that makeshift club to try hitting frogs near our house as a kid. I don't recall ever actually connecting, but I sure remember trying hard.

Golf has been a constant in my life, though my focus and effort have varied over the years. During my youth, I prioritized baseball and basketball—baseball was my main sport through college. Whenever I could, I'd sneak in rounds of golf. In my early to mid-20s, after baseball ended, I spent countless hours at the local driving range, launching balls well over the net. I even snapped the shaft of a TaylorMade Bubble Burner II iron in half during a practice swing—it just broke from the sheer speed I generated back then.

I've had my share of struggles, fun, and successes on the course. I've made a double eagle and come agonizingly close to several hole-in-ones, though one has yet to drop. I've shot a round in the 60s on a local course that's not overly challenging (par 70)—I made a few bogeys but tallied eight birdies, so it was likely mid- to upper-60s. I've driven the ball nearly 400 yards, with my longest on flat ground being a 393-yard par 4. My swing speeds have hit the 130s mph with a stock driver and 3-wood, peaking at 136 mph with the 3-wood.

Over decades of playing—sometimes with intense practice—I've

gotten quite good, but I spent years trying to master the swing. I devoured podcasts, YouTube videos, magazines, and even legendary Moe Norman interviews. I experimented endlessly: moving arms across my body, manipulating wrists for lag, yanking the handle down, using closed or open faces, strong grips—you name it. Some worked temporarily, leading to success, but they often felt unnatural, like my body was resisting. Occasionally, I'd hit a pure shot effortlessly and wonder what I'd done right, but I never had a clear, consistent model that made complete sense.

That changed when I discovered this YouTube video: [https://youtu.be/ty5ZhXKLUJQ]. The instructors use 3D modeling to analyze pro swings in aggregate, comparing them to amateurs to identify key fundamentals. Their big revelation, backed by the data, is that the arms don't move across the body as most people think. The back arm never crosses the midline; instead, it swings in a more vertical circle, staying on its side of the body—like the backstroke in swimming, though not that extreme. It's better likened to a tennis forehand topspin stroke.

Watching the video, everything clicked. I've since had tremendous success with ball striking by adopting this model. I use a neutral grip with a square clubface, a slightly open stance, and play the ball a bit back. On the backswing, I raise my hands like drawing back a tennis racket for a topspin forehand, then swing the club around to make contact. The swing feels complete early—just a calm but energetic lift back and around. This works exceptionally well for my irons, and I suspect it applies to woods and driver too, though I need more practice to confirm. For low-flight wedges, I adapt slightly, but that's for another discussion.

This approach makes the swing so simple and natural—no yanking arms across the body or fiddling with wrists, hands, or forearms. It automatically creates hip rotation, a firm front side, lag, shaft lean, and ball compression. Everything falls into place effortlessly.

If you're looking to understand how the arms really work in the golf swing, I can't recommend this video enough. Watch it and try it out—it's transformed my game. I'm no longer young, but I've never hit my irons so purely and effortlessly. Now, instead of battling the swing, I can just focus on playing golf. It's eye-opening and makes the game far more enjoyable. This might be the best golf lesson I've encountered, and my early practice sessions have me convinced their 3D-backed insights are spot on.