About thinkingolfer
thinkingolfer is a golf knowledge base under constant revision. We are dedicated to revealing the true secrets of the game of golf by using scientific methods. One of our most important contributions is to help reduce the amount of misinformation, myths and false knowledge that thrives in this age of easy communication – where useful information is as scarce as useless information is abundant.
On this web site you'll find:
- The golf knowledge base:
Facts & definitions of golf swing theory, physics, golf equipment etc.
Reviews of golf teaching methods, books, e-books, sites, courses, pro svings, clubs etc. - The common denominators for good golf swings:
What do the professionals have in common, why do they swing like they do?
Knowing the scientific truth enables you to understand the professional's swing, what their strengths are, their weak points etc. - Instruction on how you can learn to swing optimally:
Simply put, it is a way of describing the golf swing that involves a minimum of components and degrees of freedom, making it easy for any golfer to progress from "powerless effort" to "effortless power".
Who is Steen Winther?
Your author is a self-confessed golf-nut, mechanical engineer (M.Sc. from the Technical University of Denmark) and graphic designer. I started playing golf in 1982 and got down to a low handicap (4.5) in 5 years. I regularily shot in the mid seventies, the crowning achievement being the disposal of my club professional on two seperate occations with rounds of level par and two under par. But all was not well - I didn't like my swing or my ball striking (ball-turf contact) or the fact that I used two entirely different swings for full shots and pitch shots. This led me on a long quest to understand my swing, seek a better technique and eventually change some very faulty foundations.
Mind over Matter
I truly believe that most golfers, myself included, are not naturally gifted. What I mean is, that the first time we are handed a club, we instinctively do just about everything wrong! We focus on a hitting motion involving the use of hands and arms and neglect the far more powerful muscles in our body and legs. At this very early stage in our golfing careers, this incorrect approach basically sets us up to be chronic slicers and unhappy golfers in constant search of "secrets" to redeem our game. Great news for the golf magazines and the equipment manufacturers who'll exploit our tormented souls.
The truth is, that the "hands and arms approach" is great for hammers, paint brushes, pencils, steering wheels and all other interaction that requires precision but not a lot of force. But swinging a golf club in a circular arch at high speed requires significant forces that you can't rely on your hands and arms to supply.
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