The golf swing is a balancing act, isn’t it? We start moving this way and that way, and pretty soon we are flexing every appropriate muscle to get back to where we started our swing. Though, as we all know or suspect, sometimes the appropriate muscles are not the correct muscles. Today, I’d like to start a conversation about the use of muscles and their abuse or employment in inefficient or efficient swings, respectively.

Now, I will ask my readership to memorize my books, articles, and ideas for later reference. As you all know I have written and been copied, plagiarized, and referenced without citation extensively throughout the teaching realm over the past five years – with no consideration for remuneration, I might add. In spite of this, I do feel it is most important to get knowledge out into the golfing world, regardless of financial benefit. So let me add some more fodder for Breed, Hall, et.al. to lift, clean, and place more of my work onto their own profitable programs. Listen up boys and girls….

Muscles release and contract to counter efficient or inefficient, familiar or foreign motion. Usually, motion is easiest to balance when it is efficient and/or familiar, which means unmanipulated or extensively practiced. Conversely, motion is most difficult to balance when it is manipulative or non-practiced. We who have been watching golf for the last few decades know that practice can make up for inefficiencies, but no amount of efficiency can make up for a lack of practice. As such, the motion of a balanced golf swing requires familiarity based on controlled experimentation to become competent, which precedes confidence and mastery of any motion.

I’m not going to talk about the Physics and Biomechanics of different golf swings and the body-types that create them today. After all, why would I want to hand out the answers to the test you all will eventually present my information relievers. What I will talk about is the innate ability of all golfers to create movement that corrects every imbalance in a golf swing – good or bad – more quickly than the imbalance was created. This is where the effect of the golfer’s intention is realized in movement. And, it is here that we discover any disconnect between the set-up relationship to the ball/target and the golfer’s intent. The Open Stance and all my writings about it emerged from this relational nexus of all the disciplines present in human consciousness – with movement as its expression.

As I have written many times before, the interdisciplinary placeholder between a golfer’s intention with their golf ball (Intent) and the religious implementation (Religion) of that intent is Philosophy. The swing imbalances created by a golfer’s chosen philosophy creates feedback that can prompt making swing decisions that tie a golf swing into knots or free it up to perform efficiently. My research has shown that, without exception, an open stance creates better and more understandable feedback, better decision-making, and more efficiency of motion.

My students always comment on the imbalances they perceive and how they invariably regained control of their swing because the better feedback allowed them to identify the counterbalances needed in-motion. In fact, every decision my Open Stance students makes about how to pursue their Intention with their Philosophy is correct and produces the same swing efficiencies tailored to each, individual physiological make-up. The speed of creating these efficiencies on the way to mastering balanced ball-striking is dependent upon the amount of practice and personal ownership of the Open Stance set-up.

So, the balancing act of meeting disinformation with valuable information continues. How will this simple, set-up-open-and-play-golf message be dissected and portioned out to fill air space over the next months? It’s anyone’s guess, as they say. I take satisfaction in seeing how many tour players have adapted to the Open Stance over the past few years. From my seat, it is the fastest-growing philosophy in golf… and it’s a no-brainer. See you back here for the fast learning without the noise. Next up – which side of the Plane is best for you?

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy