"Perfection" vs Consistency

As the 2010 PGA Tour season came to a close I took note of the top performers from the past twelve months. The list includes Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Bubba Watson. These players were the model of consistency with a combined stroke average of 70.08 - nearly 2 under par for every competitive round played.

Interestingly what isn't "model" is their golf swings. That is if you buy into the description of what a "perfect" golf swing should look like. Consider for a minute other professional athletes such as baseball players, basketball players and quarterbacks. They all have unique styles in throwing, swinging and shooting, and yet still achieve an amazing level of consistency and performance. Why should we think golfers should be any different?


Human beings come in all shapes and sizes which requires variations in swing types. An experienced and competent instructor will help improve each student's ball striking by working within those parameters. As their instructor my job is to help them develop a repeating swing resulting in consistent ball flight rather than the unattainable quest for "perfection".

So next time you observe Kuchar's swing plane, Furyk's backswing, Westwood's head movement or Watson's finish you can relax. Then when you go the course you can focus more on the "where" rather than the "how".