Natural-Play

The Natural Way
This article is an excerpt from EA Tischler's book, Golf -The Timeless Game -
A Natural Way To Play. It is copyrighted by EA Tischler. All rights reserved.

The average player must find a natural approach because he cannot afford the full amount
of practice necessary to achieve a more intricate level of accomplishment. Thus, the more
simple and natural your approach, the more likely you will be able to stay on track. As a
result, the development of your game will not take as long, internalization will be more
readily attainable, and maintenance is sure to be more manageable. Even though the
professional golfer may seek out a more involved style of play, he too would be wise to
keep his approach as simple and natural as possible. For as with the amateur, he too
needs to deal with the pressures of the game. Consequently, the more complicated your
approach, the more likely you will fold under the pressures of play. If your fundamentals
are both simple and natural, your foundation will be solid, and you will acquire a style of
play you can depend on.

You can begin to understand the natural approach by understanding how you approach
everything else you do in life. As you write with your dominant hand, so should you play
golf. As you hammer with your dominant hand, so should you play golf. As you kick with
your dominant foot, so should you play golf (i.e. the transfer of weight). With everything we
do in life, we depend almost completely on the skills of our dominant side. Although we can
find exceptions to the rule in ambidextrous players, this is not the norm. Even though we
may find exceptions in our own lives, this, as well, is out of the norm. Therefore, for your
play to be natural, you must utilize your natural skills, and you must call on the assistance
of your dominant side.

Nowhere else in life is the individual so apt to undertake something so unnatural as in golf.
We are so addicted to the game, that we are compelled to try even the absurd if there is
the possibility it can help advance our play. The traditions of the game uphold such
sayings as, "If it does not feel right, then it probably is." You might say then, "If it doesn't
feel natural, then it probably is." I know for myself that this is wholly untrue. Furthermore,
think about how the game supports a multitude of training aids, gadgets, instructional
material, as well as types of equipment. We find ways of tying ourselves up, strapping
ourselves down, manipulating our bodies, and tormenting our minds. Then we wonder why
the game seems so difficult. Consequently, I believe we could all learn much by following
the lessons of the masters. Keep it simple, keep it natural, and stick with it until you
understand what it truly entails.

As your journey progresses forward, you'll find a need to understand the games basic
fundamentals. Becoming aware of these fundamentals and incorporating them into your
approach in as natural a manner as possible is imperative to the development of your
game. Although there has been much discussion as to which technique is the best, there
are no mysteries surrounding the actual fundamentals. No matter what technique you
develop, no matter what physiological type you might possess, the hands control the
transfer of the swing’s energy through the club to the target, the arms convey the swing’s
stored energy through the hands and club, the body generates the swing’s basic motion by
rotating through the ball to the target, and the player's weight can provide additional power
if needed. Therefore the fundamental motions include the Body Motion, the Arm Swing,
and the Transfer of Weight. The Body utilizes the assistance of a pivoting action to
transfer rotational force through the ball, as well as the driving of its weight to transfer
additional energy through the ball, and the arms must be connected to the pivot in such a
way to convey the body's energy through the hands, club, and ball to the target. Thus, the
most simple view of the swing is that the body must rotate through to the target as the arms
and hands direct the swings energy down the intended line of flight. Beyond this, you keep
in reserve the ability to drive your weight when additional power is necessary. Lastly, to
make this process natural, you must utilize the understanding of your dominant side to
control these actions. Therefore, the necessity of these fundamentals is clear, and their
application accessible. The way in which you apply these fundamentals is solely up to
yourself. You can make the process as complicated or simple as possible. You can
choose a technique you notice your favorite professional utilizing, or you can find a style of
play that is suited to your unique physiology.

With all this in mind, the true mysteries of the game lie within your inner relations and the
way your inner relations affect your commitment to the approach. If you search for more in
your swing beside a centered rotation of the body, the blending of a connected arm swing,
and synchronization of your weight shift, then you are sure to evade the real questions you
must answer. But, you must acquire some sort of foundation with the physical part of the
game, an awareness of what actions produce what shots. And you must demonstrate
some command over these fundamental activities. Otherwise, you will be continually
searching for answers where they cannot be found.

Playing Naturally
This article is an excerpt from EA Tischler's book, New Horizons Golf Approach
Pocket Coach Volume 2 - Developing Your Skills. It is copyrighted by EA Tischler.
All rights reserved.

Although playing naturally is not a fundamental issue, I believe it is something that all
golfers would like to experience. The more natural the golfer can be while
accomplishing the fundamentals, the happier each golfer will be. Since playing naturally
is not a fundamental issue, adhering to the principles of natural play is simply a choice.
Therefore, if you do not care about playing naturally, then you can skip the rest of this
section and move on to the rest of the approach.

To play naturally, commit to using your natural skills. For example, if you are right-
handed, play right-sided golf. This means standing on the right-hander’s side of the ball
and swinging with your right hand in control of the golf club. If you are left-handed stand
on the left-hander’s side of the ball and use your left hand to control the club.

Dominant hand control of the golf club was a controversial topic between 1940 and
1990. However, over the past ten years we’ve seen a resurgence of this once popular
idea. Historically, golf has always been a dominant hand sport. From the ancient
Scottish teachers, to Tommy Armour, to Ben Hogan (who said he wished he had three
right hands), to the modern teachers, dominant hand control has always been present.

Only during a short period of time did it become popular to pull through with your non-
dominant hand. And this was mainly due to the change from hickory shafts to steel
shafts in the 1940’s. With hickory-shafted clubs, the clubface would torque open during
the downswing. Therefore, it was necessary to roll the hands and clubface over, closing
the clubface throughout the release.

When the golfers of the Forties needed to make the change from hickory-shafted clubs
to steel shafted clubs, they found their old rolling the hands action inappropriate. With
steel shafted clubs, the old rolling action produced hooking golf shots.

Players like Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, and Byron Nelson all found the need to develop a
new type of hand action. Ben Hogan simply opened the club so much in his grip and
backswing that no matter how hard he supinated in the forward swing, the clubface
would never be closed through impact. Sam Snead simply delayed his release as long
as he could so that he would not roll the clubface too early. The longer he held the
hinged attitude of his wrists, the less he found the ball hooking. This technique was
later coined the “Delayed Hit.” Byron Nelson made his grip more neutral, firmed up his
hand action, and tried to make a more straight-back straight-thru swing path. To do this
he implemented a lateral weight shift. He drove his weight laterally through the ball to
the extent of dipping and sliding his body through to his finish. This motion was later
coined “The Caddy Dip.”

The thing to remember about all these adjustments is that they were compensations
made by players who had a habit of rolling their releases aggressively. It was a good
habit for hickory shafted golf clubs, but a bad habit for steel shafted golf clubs. If you
never developed the habit of rolling your hands too much, then their methods will not
work for you. Even Byron Nelson finally admitted that he overdid these adjustments,
and that the modern day player does not need to do so.

So, what does the present day golfer need to do? First of all, realize that the more you
pull through with your non-dominant hand, the more your shots will slice through the air,
and the more unnatural your swing will feel. It will be unnatural because you are
controlling the club with your non-dominant hand. It will create bigger slices because the
more you pull through with your leading hand, the more open the clubface will remain.
However, the more you control the club with your dominant hand, the more natural it will
be to deliver the clubface squarely. It is similar to tossing a ball with your hand. It is
natural to keep the palm of your hand square to the path of the toss.

What all golfers eventually learn is, there is no need to roll the clubface back-n-thru. If
the palm of your dominant hand remains square to the path of your swing, the clubface
will remain square and the overall feeling will be a square-to-square delivery of the
clubface. This is clearly the most natural way of playing. And it has been utilized by
many great players. Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, David Duval, Paul
Azinger, and numerous other golf professionals have managed the clubface in a square-
to-square manner.

I would also like to note that these players are not lacking in power, while at the same
time displaying above average accuracy. So, follow their lead and learn to control the
clubface naturally in a square-to-square manner.

The sequence pictures shown above demonstrate
how naturally and athletically you can play with your
dominant hand in control of the golf club. Being
dominantly right handed, I am playing shots with my
right hand only holding the club. Each golfer must
decide individually how full of a one arm swing they
can manage. Only swing a large as your strength
will allow. If you try to swing too full you may
experience an injury.

Playing the game in a Natural manner
is a key aspect of the New Horizons
Golf Approach. All New Horizons
Golfers find a way to apply their skills
in as natural a manner as possible!!

Training one-handed tosses, and one-handed
swings is a great way of developing a natural way
to play. (Pictured Above) New Horizons coaches
encourage their students to begin each training
session with one-handed tosses and one handed
swings.

New Horizons Golf Approach
I n n o v a t i v e C o a c h i n g F o r G o l f e r s

If you have any questions regarding New Horizons Golf Approach please contact
EA Tischler at (408)203-7599, or email your questions to EA Tischler at newhorizonsgolfer@yahoo.com.

Playing Naturally

Compare the sequences above to below and you will notice how similar the one-handed swing is
to my two handed swing. In the sequences that match up the positions are strikingly similar.

Compare the sequences above to below and you will notice how similar the one-handed swing is
to my two-handed swing. In the sequences that match up the positions are strikingly similar.

Learn To Play Golf Naturally:
Both of the books below give you the guidelines for
playing a more natural and fundamentally sound game.

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