The issue with learning Golf

The issue with learning golf.

There is so much coaching, opinion and bullshit in the sport of golf it is almost impossible to navigate which is "correct" for you as an amateur player. Having taken up the sport recently I was enthused at the idea of learning and possibly "mastering" it.
At first I was a typically bad new golfer, often my shots would go left or right or I would top or thin them, usual stuff. However doing things "naturally" meant it was simply hitting a ball with a stick best I could muster.
I have decent hand to eye co-ordination and am a reasonably skilled footballer - as a youth I also played a few racket sports which although not being particularly "good" at, I felt competent enough striking the ball in most sports and could easily co-ordinate my limbs to make shots "naturally".
With a little bit of thought off the course and range I realised my "swing" was based loosely on what I have observed golfers doing during my lifetime. On television etcetera - the classic heel turning golf swing right?

Honestly my first round of golf was probably better than the subsequent rounds. Thinking I would use the "internet" to get some tips and hints brought me to watching various youtube channels and guides on all aspects of golf, swing improvement, positioning etcetera. All of which made me much worse. Over analysing my own game gave me too many thoughts and my swing became erratic and inconsistent to the point I injured myself trying to "hit the ball 45 degrees downwards, like a nail - to get that perfect divot".
Having spent almost every day practising and trying to improve, all with negative effects I was now injured to the point I could no longer play and needed to rest up for at least 10 days.

What did I do with my time? Besides the usual every day stuff a bloke has to do I carried on researching golf coaching and training. Absorbing Youtube guides and watching established pros past and present videos. Again so much information.
This lead me to an understanding of "swing thoughts" - which I will go into later. During my time spent perusing the many golf guides and content on the internet I stumbled across a now dead golf professional called "Moe Norman" - I had never heard the name before and briefly wondered if he was any relation to Greg. Of course he was not.

Now I won't go into huge detail about Moes' career or his character but I was interested by his "odd" style of hitting the ball and watched a little more. Having researched the man some more I realise now that the "natural" golf movement is at least somewhat inspired by Moe Norman. From my understanding within the golf world this is called the single plane swing. But that does not concern us. Having thought and watched more Moe over the next few days one thing stuck with me. Moe was completely self taught and had disdain for the general way golf was played, primarily the swing. I think he called it "hope" golf.
Now this could be controversial but this is my conclusion and opinion.

I believe the standard golf technique taught makes 95% of us never able to achieve a "good" golf game and that even the professionals are playing to an extent "hope" golf.
The established technique is extremely complicated requiring precise positioning and many different physical accomplishments to achieve the perfect swing. When all is lined up and working properly the ball will go approximately where required (with good players using fade or draw if required).

I think the established system of coaching, the entire "swing" is bullshit. I have decided to teach myself to play golf using 2 simple swing thoughts. The first one is the obvious and the most basic one.
1) HIT THE BALL. - sounds so basic right? Well, "turn your shoulders" "pivot your hips" "keep your wrists forward" are bullshit. Swing thoughts like that will simply destroy your game. The first swing thought should be simple. This is what you do when you "throw a stone" or "catch a ball" - your body and brain are amazing things and they are more capable naturally than you give them credit. Complicated physical swing thoughts will just confuse your brain. Just hit the ball.
2) TOSS THE BALL UNDERHANDED TO MY TARGET - This i personally believe is the most valid swing thought you can ever have. Even a bad strike of the ball will be relatively good if the follow through with the club and body is that of a "tossing" motion. Just visualise the ball like you would a toss and let it happen.

The most valuable piece of instruction the numerous golf content on the internet gave me was from Moe Norman. Known as the best ball striker of all time he had a reputation as being a freakishly accurate player. I watched his swing and listened to him talk for hours and he basically puts his hands towards the ball path he desires and the ball goes there. Simple. He talks of "lifting the pin from the cup" as he strikes.
Of course there is some physics behind this. not that I am expert or in any position to analyse Moes swing versus established greats like Nicklaus by my own judgement all the best established players are not as accurate as Moe was or as consistent and most importantly seem to be trying so much harder. They honestly look like they are still playing "hope" golf to a skill level that is out of this world.


I believe I can improve my game to a sub 10 handicap in less than a year from being a complete rank amateur using these 2 swing thoughts.

I understand there is more physics and improvements to be made on "hitting the ball" and "tossing it to the target" but fundamentally in my brief practice sessions using these thoughts my game has improved 100% in 2 days. By experimenting with club speed, ball position, amount of back-swing I am learning things I never thought possible in a way I can understand.

Wish me luck, I will be hopefully posting progress here soon.