S.Y.S.T.E.M. Key #1: Addressing the ball There are 16 important sub-categories to discuss regarding the larger topic of addressing the golf ball. These include: pre-shot routine, pre-shot trigger, grip, setup, alignment, stance, hovering over the ball, ball position, solid ball striking, swing speed, maintaining vertical height, tempo, take-away, backswing, follow-through, and imagining your shot. All of these key elements of S.Y.S.T.E. M. will be reviewed separately. Pre-shot routine (PSR) A consistent pre-shot routine (PSR) will help you to "overcome the beast". the conscious mind that wants to invoke fear in you on any course. You are about to see why. Everyone has a different PSR. Watch the pros on television. Some pros start their pre-shot routine when they pull their club out of the golf bag. You need your own pre-shot routine for every shot. Your PSR should be exactly the same for each shot. Almost to the second. You may, however, have a different routine on the putting green. A PSR may take time for you to develop. Look at Jordan Spieth. His pre-shot routine while on the fairway with irons is different than his tee box routine. On the fairway, he usually takes his club out of the bag, comes up alongside the ball and takes three or four rapid fanning strokes towards the hole. He then touches the towel with this right hand that his caddy is carrying. He approaches his ball to strike it. These moves loosen up any pre-shot jitters he may have. Here's a trait of bogey golfers: You may have a PSR, but it is not the same for every shot. You might keep modifying your PSR during a round. This gives you your mind a chance to "meddle with you." Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition is what allows your subconscious mind to take over. It crowds out the conscious mind, and that's what you want. If you don't have a mechanical PSR, you will greatly benefit from having one. Copy the pros. An example will show you how the subconscious mind can be in control. When you learn to drive a car, your conscious mind is on "overload." When you take a car out on the highway for the first time and travel at higher speeds, you've got all you can do to keep your vehicle in the middle of your lane. You are a little tense, your heart rate is faster, and you may even be sweating a little more. Fast forward a year or two. After more and more driving (remember.repetition, repetition, repetition), it's now a "piece of cake" to keep the car in your lane. No tenseness, no fast heart rate, and no excess sweating. You have tamed the conscious beast of fear, and allowed the subconscious to take over The purpose of having an unvaried PSR is to remove pressure from the shot that will be performed moments later. You want to be like a robot. Unemotional. Pre-shot "trigger" (PST) One of the reasons that golf is such a tough game is because it involves striking a ball from a static position, and then hitting a static ball. Static means "not moving." Think about it. Most sports with balls involve hitting, kicking, throwing, or catching a moving ball. In baseball, the pitcher winds up. In bowling, the bowler has at least a five step pre-delivery. The basketball player has a one or two second jump-shot routine for their three-point shot. The quarterback in football gets to step into their pass with proper foot work (a flat-footed passer just wouldn't make it). I'm sure you get the point. A trigger is an initial body movement that removes the static element. Having a PST is key to eliminating tension. It signals the brain for the start of the swing. After you have done a PST for hundreds and hundreds of shots, it will become automatic. It is a huge help to a fluid swing and to make S.Y.S.T.E.M. more effective. For Jack Nicklaus, his PST was a slight turn of his head to the right. For Tom Watson it is two or three quick club waggles; for Jason Duffner, it's a prominent repetitive waggle of the club. For Ernie Els, it's a slight lateral hip wiggle. For Mike Weir or Scott Langley, it's a partial one-step takeaway into the backswing and then down. For many others, like Phil Mickelson, it's a slight forward press of the club, especially when putting. Again, the purpose of all of these PSTs is two-fold: 1) To relax the golfing muscles, and 2) To make the player more comfortable standing over the ball the few seconds before takeaway. If you don't have a PST, you would definitely benefit from developing one. Not having a pre-shot "prompt" before your golf swing is like Batman without Robin, Charlie Brown without Snoopy, Bill Gates without Microsoft, and the Lone Ranger without Tonto. Look how Dave Stockton, one of the best putters of all-time, rolls the ball. Even his putting routine contains a PST. He places his putter head in front of his ball, sets his stance, then he brings the putter to setup position behind the ball, does a slight forward press, and this initiates the takeaway of the putter head. This PST works for Dave, and it'll probably work for you. Learn to copy the best. Your PST is for all shots, including putting. Your particular triggers may be different for driver, long irons, or your putter, but the key is this: Make them consistent. Grip location and pressure Too much grip pressure is one of the factors that "fouls up" the bogey golfers' swing. Don't squeeze the "life out of the club." Too much pressure prevents you from releasing your club properly as you go through impact. Nervous tension will increase grip pressure. These are by-products of a lack of confidence. A light grip pressure assures "softness" in your forearms and upper arms/shoulders as you strike the ball. This will aid in solid ball contact. How much pressure? Just enough to hold the club so it doesn't slip. The importance of the location of your hands on the grip is not as important as instructors make it out to be. A baseball bat grip (hands apart), an overlapping Harry Vardon grip (the little finger rests on top of the other hands' fingers), or an interlocking grip (for the right-handed golfer, the forefinger of the left hand interlocks between the fourth and fifth fingers of the right hand) are all effective grips. It doesn't matter. Stop adjusting your grip. Do whatever is most comfortable physically and mentally for you. There may be a more popular grip on the professional tour, such as the overlapping or Vardon (over 90% of the players use it). But do you know that there are PGA players who have used the less popular baseball grip have won tournaments also? Conclusion: Don't spend time changing your style of grip, to something "better." There is no better grip! Stay with the grip that feels the most "snug" to you. There is a lot of talk about the strength or weakness of your grip. Is it weaker or stronger? It doesn't matter. Professional golfers have won tournaments with strong grips, weak grips, and neutral grips. Stop the madness by trying to change your grip location for the standard shot. Here is what you need to know: A strong grip for the right-handed golfer is when the hands are rotated to the right. This forces the club head to turn to the left (be more closed) at impact and causes the ball flight to be more of a draw. If that's the way you like your hands in terms of comfort, then stay with it. Winner of the 2015 British Open Zach Johnson certainly seems to flourish with his strong grip. A weaker grip for the right-handed golfer is when the hands are rotated to the left. The thumbs may be pointed slightly to the left or straight down the club shaft. This forces the clubface to be more open at impact and causes the trajectory of the ball to be more left-to-right. This grip seems to do just fine for Jordan Spieth, doesn't it? Ben Hogan liked it also. If you are battling a slice, then you will want to adjust your grip towards being stronger. For "neutral grip" (halfway between a strong and weak grip) bogey golfers, don't make any changes, unless S.Y.S.T.E.M. suggests that you do for an upcoming curved shot. Lastly, you should re-grip your clubs periodically to prevent slippage during the golf swing. Nothing can change your swing-path more than "slipping of the club." Many bogey golfers don't remember to do this inexpensive procedure on a regular basis. How often you re-grip will depend on how often you play. Setup and alignment In S.Y.S.T.E.M. you don't have to change the mechanics of your swing. But that doesn't mean that you can't adjust alignment in your setup. Your setup may need some minor "tweeking" to shape the ball. Alignment is related to where you are aiming the ball to a particular target. Very important, no doubt. Many professional and college players that I have seen have a four-foot...
