Have you ever heard that one before?  That's classic Monkey Talk!  I believe that Golf is not a hard game to play.  It may be a hard game to shoot Par, but it's not a hard game to play.

Why do I believe that most Golfers have a tough time with golf, because I believe that 16 out of every 16 Golfers were not taught how to play correctly.  "16 out of 16?  Marc, where did you pull those numbers out of?"  Yes, 16 out of 16 Golfers find that's it tough to play this game because that's the exact number of Golfers that we see every week and that's the number of Golfers that we have found don't understand the most important, yet basic question every Golfer should know and understand.  How do we know that 16 out of 16 Golfers don't understand this important, yet basic fundamental of golf?  Because each week we ask each Golfer that comes to see us this one question - What makes the ball go up in the air?

And then there is silence - as the 4-Golfers that stand in front of us say to themselves - "I should probably know this answer, yet why don't I know what makes the ball go up in the air?  I've spent all this time reading all the books and magazines and listening to all these Pro's that I've paid good money to teach me to hit the ball straight and I don't even know what makes the ball go up in the air!"

Basic, yet extremely important to understand - would you agree that you should know what makes the ball go up in the air?  And I know, I know, you're probably looking at the screen of your computer saying - "Of course I know what makes the golf ball go up in the air."  Ok then tell me, what is it?  But, before you answer - don't say Loft!

Yet, these 16 out of 16 Golfers probably were taught in their 1st Stage of learning how to play golf from Friends or Family members.  And the bulk of the talk probably focused on almost everything there is to know about keeping your left arm straight (for a righty Golfer) and everything there is to know about shifting your weight and everything there is to know about keeping your eye on the ball.  And though you try to do all these things during every swing, the ball still doesn't go up in the air on every shot.

Getting the club under the ball is definately not the answer on how to get the golf ball up in the air.

So you seek more advice.  And in this 2nd stage of learning Monkey Tips from Monkeys you meet around the golf course or driving range, you learn that 16 out of 16 Golfers need to have an interlocking or overlap grip, with 2 or 3 knuckles showing and that you need to turn your shoulders and your hips on every swing and that you need to cock your wrists on every swing (except on chips and putts).  And though you try to do all these things during every swing, the ball still doesn't go up in the air on every shot.

Golf has got to be the hardest game I have ever played!

So in your quest to play better golf and to learn how to do things the right way - you begin the 3rd stage of learning Monkey Tips from more qualified Monkeys.  You firmly believe that these Monkeys are going to help you more than the previous group because this is what they do for a living and you're paying them $35 for a half-hour lesson.  So during this stage you learn that your Grip is all wrong and that your swinging on an out to in swing path and that you're cocking your wrist too soon on the way back and releasing them too soon on the way forward.  So you change your grip, you practice taking the club more inside on the backswing and down the first base line as you go through the golf ball and that you need to keep your wrists firm on the takeaway and through impact.  And although you try to do all these things during every swing and that you're now going to the Driving Range 3-times a week to hit 3-buckets of balls during each of these sessions -

YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU SHOULD BE AT LEAST ABLE TO GET THE BALL UP IN THE AIR ON EVERY SHOT!

The answer isn't the speed of the club.

So after your series of 6-Golf Lessons that you wrote a check for $150 (Pro's always give you a discount for signing up for 6-lessons), you still can't get the ball up in the air everytime, which is incredible to you since you're thinking about everything you've been told before like - keeping your left arm straight, shifting your weight, keeping your eye on the ball, you have the correct grip (even though it sure feels awkward), you're turning your shoulders and hips, you're cocking your wrists (but not too soon in the backswing), you're not releasing the club to soon through impact, you're swing path is more in to out and you're even going to the Driving Range 3-times a week and if you haven't done so already - you're thinking about purchasing the range card they offer that allows you to get 10 buckets of balls for the price of 9.

And though you try to do all these things during every swing, the ball still doesn't go up in the air on every shot.  (And when it does go up, it doesn't go where you're aiming it - especially with your Driver.)

So because the local Professional couldn't help you to become more consistent (actually you feel as if you've gotten worse - which you were warned would happen when the Pro said "Now, when we do these new things in your swing, you're probably going to get worse before you get better."), you decide to try a yearly subscription to one of the Golf Magazines.  Your theory to getting the subscription is - "Well the Golf Magazines have tips from all the best Pro's in the world.  They even have a section that gives tips for each different level of Golfer based on your score.  And although I read the tips for my level of Golfer, I also sneak a peak at the other levels and sometimes while at the Driving Range I try some of those tips as well."

So in the September Issue you learn that you need to have a Flat Swing Plane, in the October Issue you learn to vary your club selection around the green depending on how far you need to carry the ball and far it needs to roll, in November you learn how to "Hit the Stinger Shot like Tiger Does", in December you learn that you need to have an Upright Swing Plane, in January you learn there are Two Tilts to Better Ball-striking, in February you learn that to gain 10-more yards you need to get your left shoulder underneath your chin and in March the magazine comes out with their annual issue entitled "52 Ways To Stop Your Slice", which is perfect timing for you because you get a 2-day stretch of good weather that allows you to go to the Driving Range to try all 52 Tips and become so frustrated that you can't hit the ball in the air everytime -

(And when it does go up, it doesn't go where you're aiming it - especially with your Driver) - so then you again say that "Golf has got to be the hardest game I have ever played!"

The answer isn't to take a divot.

So you read about this Golf School in the South that has this unbelievable Practice Facility, that you can practice every shot in golf.  So you sign up for a 3-day course and you're excited because "Now I'm going to really learn how to play golf!  These guys are the best there is and they have all the latest video equipment to analyze my swing.  I can't wait!"  So you get down South and you're herded in to this glorified Driving Range with 60-other Golfers as all the Golf Professionals are huddled together like they're choosing up teams for a baseball game.  And after 3-days of learning that your grip is again all wrong (doesn't anybody ever agree on the same grip?) and that you're swing path is all wrong and that you're swaying and that you need to keep your head more still and supinate your wrists on the back swing and pronate on the follow-through -

YOU STILL CAN'T GET THE BALL IN THE AIR ON EVERY SHOT (AND WHEN IT DOES, IT DOESN'T GO WHERE YOU'RE AIMING IT - ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR DRIVER).

Golf has got to be the hardest game I have ever played!

And the sad part or maybe I should say the frustrating part of Golf Instruction is that after all the time and effort and money - not one of these supposedly expert resources every once told you what makes the ball go up in the air.  All you heard was about all the things you need to do to make a good golf swing and yet not one person ever mentioned the most important thing - What makes the golf ball go in the air and when it does, what makes it go where I'm aiming.

So to toot our own horn and you can ask every Golfer that has ever been to see us - The very first question we ask you on the very first day is "What makes the golf ball go up in the air?"  And in every class after this question is asked, for a few seconds, there is dead silence - a silence that says "I have gone through all these years of trying to do all this different stuff from all these expert resources and I don't even know what makes the golf ball go up in the air.  This is not what I thought was going to happen when I came to Golf Made Simple, I thought we would pound balls all day until my hands were hurting just like I heard they do at all those other Golf Schools."  And if you don't believe me that this is true - answer the question of what makes the golf ball go up in the air (and like I said above don't say loft and don't say getting under the ball and don't say hitting down on the ball and don't say the speed of the club and don't say taking a divot).

So, if you can't come up with the answer - go and find someone that has been to see us and ask them what makes the ball go up in the air.

So who says - Golf has got to be the hardest game I have ever played! - Not my new friend, Jesus Guerrero from california, who recently wrote "I can honestly say that the class was the most fun vacation I have ever had (excluding my honeymoon, of course).  I look forward to taking some serious skins off my buddies.  Thanks again!"

So what makes the golf ball go up in the air?  Once you know, you'll never say - Golf has got to be the hardest game I have ever played!

Regards,

Marc Solomon - Your Instructor For Life