The Ever Cryptic Messages
March 28th, 2010Stories of the late and great Moe Norman continue to fascinate me. At first I think they are myth: Stories of Moe deliberately aiming for a small bridge in the distance (in order to reach a hard-to-access green) and hitting his mark not once, but twice (after being told he could not do it again by his playing partners). Yet after developing my own ball-striking, I know these stories are true. While I’m not there yet, I sense what is possible.
I believe Ben Hogan and Moe Norman did tell us everything we need to know about the golf swing. The problem lies in the (mis)interpretation of what they left behind. The internet is a great place to find both information and (unfortunately) anyone with an opinion. So we ruffle through hundreds, if not thousand of opinions on the subject of golf, all slightly conflicting, all 100% convinced that they have discovered “the secret”.
Truly understanding the meaning of words such as ”don’t fight it” took me over a year to understand. It is small yet cryptic messages like these that make golf a journey worth taking, and far more beneficial than any “technique” advice from the swing gurus of this world.
After watching various clinics and reading various “bits” here and there, one other piece of advice was clear from Moe:
“I swing into my legs, into the golf course. Not over my legs, over the golf course“.
Moe speaks words like these while mentioning the great Ben Hogan (among other great ball strikers), as if to further justify his position. His general message was clear: “Both Hogan and I did this. Nobody else did. That’s why everyone else struggles.” If pushed, he would repeat the same message “I swing into my legs“, leaving everyone who had just heard the words knowing that they had just been told something of great importance, yet having no idea what exactly it meant.
Understanding came to me when I caught the end of one of Moe’s clinics, where he was giving advice to a fan. Moe showed him where he wanted his hands/arms to be around impact and how he would arrive at that position.
Suddenly the penny dropped! “I swing into my legs“.
From the top of the backswing, the right shoulder needs to drop down. The whole chest/shoulder area needs to feel as though it tilts down the target line, as if you are trying to keep your right shoulder as far away from your head as possible during the downswing. When you do this correctly, you get the feeling of your upper body swinging “into” your legs, “into” the golf course. Do the move incorrectly, and you may end up with back problems 
Do the move with correct footwork (and elbow-work) , and you have something. Watch Moe and Hogan for the footwork. Study their motion. Their swings were works of art, something beautiful to behold.
PS. This isn’t the secret to golf btw, merely a step in the right direction. For those undertaking this journey, I can tell you there is no one secret. There are various swing keys when put together that create a ball striker. Then there is a mastery of the mental game. Combine both of these (and learn how to putt) and you have your “secret” to golf. Hardly a secret … just a whole lot of work. Yet for those of us so inclined, it is not work at all, but something we undertake with a smile, knowing that feeling of greatness: a perfectly struck golf ball.