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Golf The perfect golf swing. Is there such thing? Turn on the TV and watch the professionals on any of the tours and you might think that their swings look flawless; the reality is that even these men and women who make a living putting a little white ball into a hole in the fewest number of strokes are far from perfect. They’ve honed their swings through thousands of hours of practice and they constantly work on their games. Even these pros have coaches and sports psychologists who help them get the most out of their unique golf swings. The reality is that the fundamental mechanics that lead to a well-executed golf shot are one of life’s great mysteries. (Well, at least they are if you are a golfer and, if you are reading this, I assume that you are.)This intellectual quest for the perfect swing is one which countless authors over the past century have tried to answer…from Search for the Perfect Swing − published in 1968 by the Golf Society of Great Britain − toBen Hogan’s Five Lessons, and the all-time best-selling golf instruction book: Harvey Penick’sLittle Red Book. While some of these mysteries are now known, there are still many unanswered questions. And that’s one of the reasons so many people are drawn to play this sometimes frustrating, but just as often awe-inspiring game. Scientists, sports psychologists, philosophers and writers such as the ones cited above have all tried to analyze and break down the game of golf to figure out the best ways to improve. The game not only requires physical co-ordination, it also takes all of your mental focus and fortitude. So many muscles are used, it’s no wonder that even though you are hitting a stationary ball (which sounds simple in theory), it becomes easy to err in Teacher, Teacher, Can You Teach Me? 50 | www.snowbirds.org

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