GOlf education is constantly evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new Timeless Tips series, we highlight some of the best advice teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we look back at the March 1970 issue of GOLF Magazine for a ball-striking tip from Julius Boros.
As a golfer in my early 30s, I didn’t get to see many of the greats play during their prime. Sure, I was lucky enough to watch Tiger, Phil and Ernie growing up, and I made a living covering Rory, Bryson and Scottie, but with so many legends of the game, my understanding only comes from the history books.
That’s one of the joys of writing Timeless Tips. I get to dive into it every week GOLF Magazine archives and learn from the legends of the game. This week I came across an article by Julius Boros – and it dates back 25 years before I was born.
Watch it below to see what a three-time major winner thought about the swing. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that the way the legends got the club moving isn’t that different from the way the current greats do it.
Julius Boros’ tip for a great ball strike
Whenever a golfer tries to drive the ball or hit it extra hard, he often makes a motion with his body commonly called a “sway.” Imagine there are two vertical lines enclosing you. If both your right hip and shoulder move so far sideways during the backswing that they go out of line, you have started swinging backwards. This is a very weak position that also causes your head to move too far out of position.
Once hit “off the ball,” as the saying goes, almost every golfer inevitably compensates for this mistake with another one. On the downswing the body now moves too far forward laterally and the left side and left shoulder move out of the opposite line, and then the swing is complete. By moving the body too far forward, the club hits the ball at an incorrect descending angle where the left side has not remained “behind the ball” and the result is a low shot to the right or a pop-up “skied” shot. In all cases, little current is generated because the body is not coiled.
To prevent swaying | think of my chin as the anchor point under which everything revolves. I initiate the backswing by pushing the club back with my left shoulder and left side, and rotating my left knee toward the right. This creates a rotational body movement that requires the right hip to rotate instead of sliding sideways. I have my body properly curled up so that my back is facing the target. The entire right side remains within the imaginary line.
From this curled position at the top, it is now much easier to recoil as you enter the ball. The shoulders rotate under my chin, the right knee pushes to the left, facilitating weight transfer, and my left side rotates as if turning. Now I have generated real power with my legs and body, and increased it even further by being able to properly release my hands at the moment of impact. To hit the ball hard, accurately and with consistency, you must keep your body within the imaginary box. Make sure it works for you, not against you.
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