BY MIKE BENDER, TOP 100 TEACHER
With LUKE KERR-DINEEN
TOP 1OO
TEACHERS In
AMERICA20 1994 GOLF.COM / S e p tember 2019
My swing philosophies have remained the same
for more than 20 years, mostly because they’re based on
the accepted principles of physics and my own study of
human anatomy. I’ve changed the way I’ve taught them
here and there in response to the onslaught of innovative
coaching tools, but if you look at the success the players
my team has worked with—notably 2007 Masters and
2015 Open Championship winner Zach Johnson—
there’s no arguing that they’ve stood the test of time.
My method shines a bright light on how the right
arm works in the swing, and much of it borrows fromwhat we see athletes do in other sports and activities. Picture a baseball player
smacking a home run, or a fisherman casting a line: the right elbow leads
the hands. This relationship not only delivers efficient energy, it provides
a template for what you need to do well in the rest of your swing and, more
importantly, avoid unnecessary compensations. Recreational golfers don’t
have the time to hit practice balls eight hours a day, or perhaps the athleticism
to do what Tour players do. It doesn’t matter. Just follow the six simple steps
outlined on these pages. A Tour-ready swing is just around the corner.
YOUR BEST
BACKSWINGMost golfers tend
to overswing on
their way to the top,
leading to a litany of
bad positions. Your
arms can get too far
behind you or lift too
high. Other maladies:
a flying right elbow,
a bent left arm, and
spine-angle changes—
all consistency-
killers. To make sure
this doesn’t happen,
simply keep your left
arm straight, or as
close to straight as
possible. I liken it to
the spokes on a wagon
wheel. As everyone
knows, each spoke
is the same size and
they never grow or
shrink, thus keeping
the wheel round. In
a solid backswing,
your left arm acts
just like the spokes,
maintaining its
length all the
way to the top—
and giving structure
to your backswing.
The length of your
“spoke” depends
on your anatomy,
specifically the
length of your arms
and the size of your
chest. Combined they
determine the ideal
stopping point in your
backswing. To find
out yours, perform
the test pictured
at right. In minutes,
you’ll groove the
perfect backswing
for your body type—
and an error-free
top position that
can’t miss.6 STEPS TO
THE BEST
SWING OF
YOUR LIFE