Natural Golf Discussion / FAQ

Got any questions or comments about Natural Golf ? Send it to Marty at Marty@switchtonaturalgolf.com

Question from Chris: I have been a single digit handicap up until 5 months ago I had rotator cuff surgery . I have been cleared to play golf, but totally lost my swing - completely lost it! I have enjoyed your site and tried the technique that appears to be much simpler and consistent. Except I can't even hit the ball using natural golf after 2 months of trying. Do you have any drills that will help me build this swing? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Marty: You have my sympathy. A rotator cuff injury can be incapacitating for golf (and many other sports). The good news is that the NG swing is easier on all body parts and doesn't require the precise timing of the conventional swing. I certainly think you'll get your game back faster with NG than with the conventional method.
My best suggestion is to focus on chipping and pitching right now. Keep your backswing short, hands no higher than your waist, and just try to make solid contact.

Here's one good NG drill that may help;
1. Practice short pitches one handed.
2. Hold a PW in your right hand only.
3. Address the ball in your NG stance (not too wide for pitching, with weight almost all on your left (lead) leg).
4. Use the NG palm grip in your right hand.
5. Position another club with the butt end on the ground about 1 foot away from the ball.
6. Hold the second club with your left hand holding the club head.
7. Practice a short swing with NO body movement, just a right hand going back and forward, inside the other club.

This drill helps develop the skills in the right hand, which does most of the work in the NG swing. The left (lead for righties) just hangs on for control. The drill isolates the right hand and takes your left side out of the swing. Once you start hitting solid chips like this then add your left hand to the swing. Hold off on full swings until you can make solid contact with your pitches.

Question from Ted: Are there any "checks" during the swing, that will insure that my swing path and swing plane are correct? I tend to swing too much to the inside and my club shaft is too vertical.

Marty: Yes, there are a few checks you can do. The first is about half-way to the top of your backswing. Your left arm should point nearly straight back from the target line with the club shaft forming nearly a right angle (90 degrees) with your left arm.
The second is at the top of your backswing where your hands should be about shoulder height and even with - or just behind - your shoulder. You don't want your hands to get any closer to your head or you'll be off-plane (too vertical).

Question from David: My understanding from Peter Fox's book and my Natural Golf clinic is that Moe's swing began with the club grounded 12 inches behind the ball. Your way makes much more sense to me. HOWEVER, I was wondering:
1. what the reasons were for the twelve inches
2. what led you to change the "Natural Golf" swing on that point

Marty: Frankly, I'm not sure why Moe positioned his club 12 inches behind the ball. I heard once that he liked this position since it shortened his backswing - - it was 12 inches shorter. I prefer to match my setup position to my impact position. I certainly don't claim to know more about the swing than Moe - it's just that I find this easier for me. Moe would also tee the ball forward of his left foot on the driver. I think he did this so he could get more body weight behind his drive. He looks like a machine on video, but I can't make this work for me. I position the ball with my lead (left) hip with the driver. I'll slice the ball if I move it forward of this. You may want to check out Graves' website for more info on this; http://swinglikemoe.com.

Question from Tim: Marty, this has to be one of the best golf websites even compared to companies that make a living at it. I started with NG and have since went with Scott Hazeldine IMA. I think they are just different explantions of the same thing. The question I have is in relation to a pull or pull hook. If I swing too hard my right hand will close the club face. To fix it I extend my index finger straight down the shaft similar to a putter grip. It works but I do not think it is the right fix. I do not have NG grips currently just oversized regular grips. I might go back to a jumbo grip if it will help.

Marty: I like to play a draw but occasionally hook the ball, especially if I try to hit it a little harder. Here's a few things I'd recommend:
1. Don't extend your index finger down the grip/shaft. That's just not the right fix.
2. Check your grip, it may be too strong. If your left hand has more than two knuckles visible from face on, it's too strong. Your right hand "V" should point up your right forearm to your right shoulder. If it points further to the right it's too strong. You may want to adjust your grip so that your hands are not in such a strong position.
3. Check your backswing. Ideally, you'd like it to be as close to your right shoulder as possible. If it gets too high above your shoulder it's easy to hook, especially if you break your left wrist at the top of the backswing.
4. To correct my hook, I focus on shortening my backswing so that my left arm is straight across my chest and my left hand knuckles point away from the target line. This is more of a swing "around" my torso instead of around my head.
5. Tim Graves makes a good point on his website about keeping the backswing in the "Moe Zone", which requires your hands and grip to be no higher than your shoulder. This isn't easy for me to do but I think it's the right concept.

Question from Dave: I have tried natural golf and hit it good on the range and then when I try to play it in a round of golf I seem to lose it. I think I accelerate more on the course with adrenaline flowing too much and overswing. I am also thinking everyone is looking at my swing and I get paranoid about it. They think you are not finishing your swing because there is no left hip clearing for the shot and the finish is different.I also spoke with alot of good teachers in town and no one likes the method which also makes me wonder about the swing and set up. My regular swing is not bad but I think in natural golf my impact is better. Sometime on the course i tend to come out of the shot like I am swinging too fast and I am past the ball by the time I swing and push about 10 yards right, but on the driving range I do not do it. Do you have any tips how to stay in posture with out coming out of the shot early ? My shoulder comes out early before impact and produces a bad shot as it does not give it chance for my arms to drop down to the ball at impact. Also can you give me some positives why I should try and stay with it versus a conventional swing ? I have good eye to ball contact and played alot of baseball in my earlier years.

Marty: Yes, the NG swing is different - and if you're uncomfortable with that you may not want to use it. But if you'd use a belly putter or a long putter because you had better results, then I'd urge you to consider NG. Of course, few PGA pros have a postive impression of NG. Few have heard of Moe Norman and most think the only way to play golf is the way Hogan, Nicklaus, Woods, and other greats play. NG is for the other 99% of golfers who don't have great talent or years to spend on refining their game.

Posture: Focus on hitting down and through the ball with a shallow divot in front of it. Your knees, hips, and shoulders should be parallel to the target line at impact.

If you can get your handicap below 6, then stay with the conventional swing. Otherwise, make a commitment for one year to play only NG - on the range and the course. If you do this, the odds are that you will make a significant improvement.

Question from Steve: Hi, just found your site and like it very much. I also am mid teens hcp and want to be single digit. Took NG school and lessons but never stuck with it. I would have few bad rounds and figure if I'm going to do something different it better work. Anyway I am having a tough time deciding to commit to ng or stick with Jim McClellans idea of just copying a good conventional swing. Ever see McGolf.com ? There is a guy in UK who went from 103 to scratch one year doing this. Check out mcgolf.com - - he is a pro that says 99% pga instruction is nonsense. He says good backswing, head still, good follow through. Just copy his "perfect swing" and practice. It's really "modelling" he's suggesting. He also takes a swipe at NG on his blog.

I'm ready to commit and practice but unsure which way to go. Have any golfers in USGA events you mentioned commented on your swing one way or the other? Do you have any mental problems being a little different looking,actually your swing looks great!

Marty: I've been playing NG for about 5 years, have a 4 handicap and still have an occasional bad round. That's just golf. Even though NG is a more reliable technique it doesn't change the nature of the game. If your swing is off you can still push or pull the ball OB, hit fat wedges, get stuck in the sand and 3 putt greens. A lot depends on the courses and conditions. There are some courses out here where I struggle to break 80 (although Fred Funk also shot an 81 on one of them in the final round of the Champions tour).

You do need to commit to NG and try to perfect your swing. Switching back from conventional to NG is almost impossible. I've only seen one person who could hit good shots with both swings (a PGA teaching pro) but even he wasn't much better than a 5 handicap.

I've had other golfers comment on my swing (but not in tournaments because that's just bad etiquette). When I explain what I'm doing nearly everyone is curious. When I hit most of the fairways and greens they're quite interested. I've only met a few very good golfers (near scratch) that look down on NG. They typically are "purists" who also play with blades and practice like mad. I think there's a better way.

I had not seen the Jim McClellan web site prior to your email, but I have a few thoughts on it:
1. If his bio is true, than he is truly a gifted golfer. Hitting 300 yard drives as a 110 lb, 15 year old is truly exceptional.
2. When he states that 90% of golf instruction is bad, he's greatly overstating the case. The reason there is so much advice, and some of it contradictory, is that there are so many things people can do wrong in swinging a golf club. For every error there's a "fix". I will agree however, that having a dozen different swing thoughts won't help anyone.
3. He's right about the top four factors in playing good golf...with #1 being your natural ability.
4. His criticism of NG is not fair or appropriate. NG is just an easier way to swing the golf club and matches his idea of keeping things simple.
5. His swing is very good and his tempo is outstanding. With a swing that smooth and consistent, he would be good regardless of his grip or address position. For the other 99% of golfers I'd recommend NG.

Follow-up from Steve: You're right about sticking with it all or nothing. I had my irons regripped with the lamkin jumbos you recommend. I LOVE these grips. They feel much better than ng grips and are perfect for palm grip. As you indicated, using my taylor made 200 irons produced a soft draw with the NG swing. I focused on a straight left arm and smooth tempo and hit ball great. Hit six drivers three in fw, three just off in first cut. Hit irons great too (had two tops where i slashed at the ball, think smooth) Anyway your videos helped me get a good picture prior to swing. I am definitely stickin with ng. Last question: How did you practice to get the HCP down to 4 ? (ie; just play a lot, chipping, putting, any suggestions?)

Marty: Glad to hear you're having success with NG. There may be periods when your swing goes astray, but I think you'll find this method is more reliable than any other.

As for my story, I spent most of my practice time on the range, hitting one bucket, two or three times a week. I've tried to make my swing as simple and repeatable as possible. My goal is to hit the ball relatively straight and solid and not worry about the distance. I hit my 7 iron about 150 with a 10 yard difference with each successive iron. I don't try to stretch any club, just take what a smooth swing will produce. I also practice pitches with LW-PW at the range. I start with the LW and hit one ball each for the following; 20,30,40,50,60,70 yards. I hit my SW, UW and PW for at least two different distances. Then I hit about 3 balls with each iron up to my 4. I then hit about 20 balls with a 7w, 3w and Driver. I place a metal yardstick along the target line to ensure that I'm reasonably well aligned and that my feet are placed appropriately.

The weakest part of my game is putting. I don't 3 putt much but don't make enough from 5-15' to break par very often, unless it's an easy course. I've tried every putting method known to man (including side-saddle) but have never found any putter or method that provides great results.

Question from Jerome: I have been playing with natural golf for about three years. It has improved my game, but my biggest problem is I hit a lot of fat shots (behind the ball) I was hoping you could give me some insight on this problem? I love your website It is by far the most informative and easiest to understand about this method.

Marty: The easiest solution to this problem is to move the ball back an inch or two in your stance (closer to your trailing foot.the right one for righties). Ideally, you want the club head to contact the ball just before the club hits the ground.the saying is.hit the little ball before the big ball (earth). If moving the ball back doesn't solve the problem check your setup, make sure you have your sternum behind your belt buckle, and focus on keeping your head steady and behind the ball prior to contact.

Question from James: First I want to say thanks for taking the time to keep up your website, and I wish the all the best to you and yours. I have one question though... On the NG forums I read that NG clubs are +1" and on average 2* upright, but you state that the NG clubs are +1/2" and have a flatter lie than CG clubs( which btw makes more sense to me). Just wondering what gives? My experience has been similar to yours when using standard clubs using the NG method, i.e. I tend to draw or hook all my shots.

Marty: Some of the disagreement may be due to personal preferences and the differences in address position. If you take a standard club (a PING black dot for example) and address a ball with the NG stance you'll generally find that the club is just a little too short and the toe is off the ground. Thus, the NG clubs I've hit are longer, between 1/2" and 1", and have a flatter lie so the toe of the club lies evenly with the heel. However, since far more golfers fade and slice than draw and hook, it's common to see clubs with a higher lie angle to counter a slice. Frankly, I think the length of the club is the most important spec here. If it's too long it can be much harder to hit consistently. I have the Graves "training club", which I like for the grip, but find much more difficult to hit than my PING 6 iron, which is about 1" shorter.

Question from Mark: I stumbled onto your videos on the web and thought you did some really nice teaching. Then I found your website and was very impressed. You would be a great teacher of this method. I have a Certified NG instructor that I have seen twice now, next lesson is this weekend. I have been practicing NG for the last couple of years and I am committed. This year I lost my driver swing. My instructor is having trouble with me getting it back. He can't seem to help me. Heres what's happening. I tee it up, follow your preshot routine and set up, then when I hit the ball it tends to go high to the right maybe a hundred yards. (I am a right handed golfer.) When I am on, I can hit it maybe 255 yds like a rope down the middle. I thought maybe my head was going forward on the shot before I hit the ball which might cause a slice but that does not seem to be the case. Then I thought maybe I was holding the club to tight on my trail (right hand) because sometimes that causes hooks to the right but that does not seem to be the case. I guess I am struggling and looking for answers from anyone who might be able to offer up some advice. You seem like you really have this method down so I thought I would try you. I have graves troubles and solutions, even been to one of their schools. I have the training club and the leverage bag but I am still struggling. Maybe its my grip. I've attached some pictures of my left and right hand grip but it maybe difficult to see. Maybe you can offer up some advice. I take the yard stick to the range and practice lots of drills. My short game is really good, its just the driver I can not get down. I also have a nine wood I am deadly with from 150 yds but the driver is keeping me from breaking 80. If I could get the driver down I would be good. I really hope you can help.

Marty: Your 255 yard drives that are straight down the middle are excellent. I don't hit the ball much further, but I am able to do this fairly consistently. I've looked at your photos and have a couple of tips that may help you resume your excellent drives. Based on your email, with a high short ball to the right, it indicates you are blocking the ball and may have a slightly open clubface on contact. There are two areas I think you should focus on. One is the grip. Try to move the club grip further into the palm of your hand. See my top photo on the Palm Grip page of my website.

The second tip concerns swing path. To avoid hitting a block, make sure that you have your "rod position" (with the club shaft and your left arm aligned) at address. Don't allow your hands to drop closer to your body because that will take the club shaft out of plane. On the downswing, make a conscious effort to keep your head still and your sternum behind your belt buckle. Your comment about moving your head forward is a very common error and sometimes is hard to correct without conscious effort.

Question from Mark: One other question. I realize you use the crossline jumbo however my hands are small. When using the Lamkin grip wizard my hands measured a small. Do you think I would be able to handle the jumbo? Are they much like the original natural golf non tapered grips. I have some of those grips on clubs from years past. I am just a bit concerned with using a a jumbo because the guy at the golf shop where they have them locally asked if my hands were really large? There not. I am worried about not being able to hinge the club at the top of the back swing do to this. Any opinion?

Marty: I prefer the tapered grip of the Lamkin Crossline Jumbo over the non-tapered NG grips. If you like the feel of the non-tapered NG grip, I'd suggest staying with that. If you want to try a similar sized but tapered grip, I'd suggest trying one of the oversized Ping grips. Ping makes 5 different sizes. White is standard sized; orange is one size larger; yellow is two sizes larger than standard. (The other two are smaller than standard). I've used both the yellow and the orange grips. I switched to Lamkin because I like the feel better, but it is really a personal choice.

Question from John: I'm considering a switch to natural golf, and I'm curious of your background. And where your information about the natural golf method derives from?

Marty: My golf background is rather modest. I've played golf for about 30 years but it was mostly as a diversion from my primary sport, which was tennis. I played tennis in high school, college and many amateur tournaments. I still play tennis twice a week and am a 4.5 rated player.

Back to golf.I've taken numerous golf lessons over the years, and worked my handicap down under 10. About 5 years ago after moving to Hawaii, I became interested in Natural Golf. It's often very windy here, the pros say it's the toughest wind they face all year. So it's really important to hit the ball cleanly and control the flight.

NG appealed to me as a simpler technique, similar to baseball, which I had played quite well in my youth. I bought a number of NG videos and books and took about a dozen lessons from Tim Dietrich, the only certified NG pro in Hawaii. I've attended clinics put on by Tim and a former associate of Moe Norman, Tim Hurja. I've also taken lessons from Kelly Murray, who was probably the closest person to Moe Norman who is still alive today. Kelly was a multiple year World Long Driving Champion in the 80's.

I'm currently a 4 handicap golfer and play a couple USGA stroke play tournaments a year. I'm not a golf pro and don't claim to be. But I've had lots of experience playing different sports and think my knowledge of both conventional and NG can help just about anyone who has a 10 handicap or more and is interested in Natural Golf.

Question from Joe: I have switched to the natural golf swing and I have had very good success with it expecially with my irons. However, when I am on the driving range I eventually start skying the ball with my driver. I usually start hitting it very well but for some unknown reason I start to sky it and it only goes about 100 yards. Any idea what might be causing this?

Marty: Check your tee height and ball position. You want the ball teed so that about 1/2 of hit is above the face of the driver when the club is soled behind it. I see a number of people at the range teeing the ball so that it is entirely above the driver at address. This makes it harder to hit squarely although you might be able to hit it a little farther if you hit it perfectly. The ball should be positioned just inside your left hip. If you get it too far outside your lead foot, or too far away from you, it may be difficult to make consistent contact.

Question from Mark: I was playing to a 9 handicap the conventional way but was way too inconsistent. I was always intrigued with Moe's easy style and accuracy. I made the switch and sold my irons and got natural golf equipment. All in all, I am hitting the ball well especially my driver. It seems like the further I reach out on set up with my irons the better I hit the ball. Does that make sense to you ? If my arms are fully extended the ball goes straight.

Marty: Congrats on your success with Natural Golf. The short answer to your question is, "Yes", reaching out and fully extending your left arm will help with your accuracy. If you check the videos of Moe, or anyone else with the NG swing, you'll see they set up to the ball with a fully extended left arm, which Moe called the "rod" position. By fully extending your left arm at address and impact you're more likely to keep you swing on "one plane". This makes it easier to hit the ball straight or with a slight draw or fade.

Question from Tom: I have been doing the Natural golf for about two years and learned a lot from Kelly Murray through lessons. Unfortunately, it seems my iron play disappears at the most crucial times and takes weeks for it to reappear as if by magic. My driver is always the same but the irons have me baffled on how to correct what is going on. Things such as the "shanks" and "fat", lack of distance and dead pull rights are just some of the afflictions. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Marty: While I've been impressed with Kelly's video and swing I don't think it's very easy to copy. Kelly is a great athlete with tremendous golf skills and flexibility. He's set a number of long drive records worldwide and also putting records in Canada. But his swing tempo is too fast for me and his transition from backswing to forward swing is very quick. When I've tried to copy his swing I lose consistency. For my best results I need to do the following;

1. Take a slower backswing, like some of the women on the LPGA (watch an old Nancy Lopez backswing for example).

2. Extend my hands no more than 6" above my right shoulder (I'm right-handed). If I lengthen my backswing and get my hands too high I'll lose consistency. Some shots will go farther but others will go off-line.

3. Swing easy on the downswing and keep my head steady and behind the ball until impact.

When I'm on the range and hit a few poor shots I'll try to take a few very slow and easy swings to just hit the ball straight and solid, without any concern for the distance. This usually helps gets my swing back.

Question from Troy: I want to switch to Natural golf. I have the original 2 VHS tapes that I got from my uncle. I play to about a 15 handicap now with conventional golf. I really have no options for lessons here in Sioux City, IA. Are these tapes going to be enough for me to learn the system? Obviously I will also rely on your website for help. I have the opportunity to purchase several DVD's from the Grave's Golf Academy at a very reasonable price. Do you think these are necessary or can I switch to natural golf with the original videos and your websites help?

Marty: I don't know how good the original VHS tapes are but I can say that I'm very pleased with the two DVD's I purchased from Grave's. I'd recommend buying the Grave's DVD's because they are very well produced and they make it easier to understand the specific swing instructions. I'd also note that Grave's and the Natural Golf folks occasionally bicker like Clinton and Obama even though they agree 90% of the time. I think Graves can be too dogmatic about some concepts, such as the ideal distance from your toe line to the ball, which I think is really more a matter of personal preference.

You can learn a lot from my web site and the DVD's but it's still tough to master the NG technique without an instructor. If you can't find a NG certified instructor in your area then you should videotape your swing. I try to do this every 3-6 months and find it helpful. Occasionally, I find that I'm doing something that I was not aware of. When you compare your videotaped swing with the DVD's (or my web site) you may find it easier to see what you need to improve.

One last point, you may want to experiment with different grips before you commit to one. I tried the NG grips and used them for about a year. I've since switched to the Lamkin Crossline Jumbo grips and like them much more. You must have a larger than conventional grip to use the NG swing but which grip you choose is more a matter of personal preference than anything else.

Question from YouTube: I just watched your video about the NG swing. You hit an iron and showed that it followed the line of your left arm. This puts your hands in front of the ball. what do you do with the driver? I see a lot of the pros tilting their spines toward the right leg and the club head in front of the hands. If I place my driver in the position like your iron, I will sky the ball and take a divot.

Marty: The driver, as well as all the other clubs, is positioned in line with the left arm. That's what Noe Norman called the "Rod" position. For the Driver, the ball should be positioned just inside the left hip and ahead of the hands at address. That promotes a sweeping, slightly upward path of the club head. The driver is the only club you want to hit this way since it leads to a higher ball flight and generally more distance...if you hit it correctly.

You're also correct in noting that all pros tilt their spine away from the target line and toward their back leg (right leg for righties). You want the center of your swing, the bottom of your sternum, to stay behind the center of your body, your navel or belt buckle. One of the most important things to remember is that you need to keep your head relatively still and definitely behind the ball at impact. If you let your head more forward or you drop your left shoulder prior to impact you will likely drive the clubhead into the turf. Try some very easy swings with your driver while keeping your head still and your spine angled toward your right leg. If you practice this at about "half-speed" you'll likely to feel how this is supposed to work. Good luck.

Question from Howard: Hi Marty. I have switched to naturalgolf, finding your website one of the best resources on the web. My question is: do I really need to get the natural grips? will changing my grips to the natural golf grips without changing my clubs suffice, or do I really need to get the clubs as well?

Marty: Glad you enjoyed my web site. My answer to your question is, "Yes", you really want to change your grips. The reason is because it's almost impossible to use a Natural Golf hand position on a conventional/standard size grip. The standard grips are designed to be held in the fingers and are too small to be held effectively in the palm of your right hand. But you have a few options. The Natural Golf grips are certainly the best known. They are about 3.0" (inches) around. Another option which I like even more are the Lamkin Crossline Jumbo grips. These are 3.5" at the butt end and taper to 3.0" at the middle and bottom. I like the feel of these grips, the extra width at the end really helps to eliminate unwanted wrist action; the only wrist action you want is similar to that you would use with a hammer; one direction back and through.

The good news is that you don't need to buy new clubs. Natural Golf clubs are specially designed for the NG method and are about 1/2" longer than standard. They also have a flatter lie angle, which means the toe of the club will lie flat with the ground when held correctly. A conventional club will likely lie a few degrees "toe up"when held in the NG setup. That's not perfect but it won't have a huge impact. It will simply facilitate a right to left shot (draw) and since 90% of golfers hit a face or slice a club that counters that tendency will probably help more than hurt. I'd advise regripping just a few clubs at first and make sure you like the grips. If you don't like the Lamkin (which most pro shops will have) then try the NG grips (which only NG sells). You could also try one of the conventional grips as long as you get the largest size they make. You might find one that feels really good to you. Most grips only cost about $8-10$ per club so it's not a big investment and the grips can be changed in a day.

More questions from Howard: The oversize grip you recommended is tough on my hands. Winn and Golf Pride make softer grips. Which specifications do you suggest?

Marty: Whatever feels best to you. The most important thing is that the grip is large enough to be held securely through the palm of the right hand.

Howard: Another question is what is more important to the swing, the oversize grip or lengthening of the club, which means I would need to get either new clubs or lengthen my existing ones by .75 inch since I was fitted for a -.25 shaft length

Marty: The large grip is much more important than the length of the club. If your clubs are a little short you'll just have to bend a little more at the waist. As I mentioned, the toe of the club may lie too upright but that would only encourage a slight draw, which isn't a problem for most golfers.

Howard: Finally, I am hitting my woods and hybrids very square; my irons very inconsistently. I hit my 8 and 9 ok, and struggle with 7 and lower. I have a problem taking divot in front of the ball. Other than the driver, is it one swing for all clubs? I would appreciate your thoughts

Marty: Not really, you want to hit up on your driver, that's why you tee the ball high, so you can get "carry" distance. With fairway woods you want to sweep the ball off the turf and take a minimum of divot. With your irons you want to take a divot in proportion to the club, the largest divot for the SW and the least for a 4 iron. These are slight adjustments, not major swing changes. If you have trouble taking a divot in front of the ball try to find a grass driving range for practice, it's hard to develop this skill hitting off mats.

Final question from Howard: Also, what role does the lead (my left) arm play on the downswing through impact?

Marty: With the NG method, the left arm is used primarily for helping guide and control the club. The right arm is the primary source of power.

Question from Alain: Is it possible to use the natural golf swing in combination with the one plane swing? And does the natural swing have to be done with the palm grip?

Marty: The short answer is, yes, you can combine the Natural Golf swing principles with some of the principles of the "one plane swing". Just keep in mind that once you start mixing these concepts you're on your own. If you start having trouble with your swing it might be difficult for you , or a NG/PGA pro to fix it. The major difference between the one plane swing and NG is that NG uses a larger grip which is held in the palm of the hands. For someone who thinks NG is too radical a change, I'd recommend first trying to follow the one plane swing theory. If it helps but you still feel you should be more consistent then I'd say give NG a chance.

Question from Donnie: Did you lose distance? i tried it about 2 years ago and did real well but had a flaw that i couldnt shake and lost all of my distance.

Marty: To answer your question, I have not lost any distance with Natural golf but am not a long hitter. I average 150 w/ 7 iron and go up/down about 10 yards per club...160 w/ 6 iron, 140 w/ 8 iron, etc.. I only go up to a 4 iron (180) and then use a 7 wood (190), 3 wood (230), driver (260). With less body, especially hip sway, you won't get as much weight into your shot but I think that does far more harm than good.

If you want a little more distance I'd recommend trying to extend your hands away from your head as much as possible (as long as it's not too difficult). The extra width created will help increase club head speed and give you a few more yards. Of course, I'm always more concerned with hitting it straighter. It's easy to go up a club if you need more distance but if your shot doesn't go straight there's no club that will help.

Question from Stephen: Hi. I'm just starting up golf again after not playing for ten years, so this is a perfect time to try and make the switch to Natural. I don't think anyone teaches it around here, so I'm going to be fending for myself. I ordered the older Natural Golf video series from eBay. Are there any other training aids that you think would be useful? Thanks for the help.

Marty: It's really helpful to have someone who's a certified NG instructor. But if you don't have anyone in your area I'd recommend two training aids that I've found quite useful:

1) 36" yardstick from any hardware store. Use it to help position your feet (consistent stance, parallel to your target line), and position your ball. I prefer to place my feet the same distance apart for all shots although the traditional NG instruction recommends a narrower stance for shorter clubs. I also prefer to position the ball just in front of my body center (pants zipper) for all clubs except the Driver, which I play just inside my left heel. It may be more comfortable for you to adjust your "feet-width" for each club. The yardstick will help you measure this so you can experiment and determine what works best for you and then how to practice that consistently. I always use a yardstick when I go to the range. It helps me make sure that my feet and ball position are consistent.

2)The Swing Extender. This only costs about $25 but it's a good aide. It helps you avoid over swinging and at the same time helps create swing "width" so you can still hit a powerful shot. Here's a link for a site that sells it. http://www.golftrainingaids.com/swingextender.html

3)Graves Golf Academy - "Feeling of Greatness" Training Club. It is a 6 iron with a pre-formed grip that will put your hands in the recommended position. You can hit balls with this club - unlike the Momentus. It is pricey, however, around $130 and available on his website.

Question from Bob: What initiates the natural golf swing? Do you drag the club straight back or slightly inside?

Marty: Ideally, the hips, torso and arms all start at the same time. Since the hips have the shortest distance to travel they will move the slowest and the arms the fastest. It's better if they all move together rather than in sequence, which would look rather robotic. I prefer to bring the club straight back but that is mostly a personal preference. The key is to not allow the club to get too far inside or outside at the top of the swing since that will make it difficult to get the club on plane for the downswing.

Question from Bob W.: I am recently side lined from playing due to a back injury from years of golfing. I am hopeful that I will get this corrected and return to the game. My thinking is that I need to make a change so I do not put so much stress on my back. From what I read natural golf is one of the main options. What is the best way to go about this? If there is no NG instructor nearby any thoughts on the best instuction package? Do I need to get new clubs or can I have my current clubs adjusted? I was thinking of starting by having the proper grip put on a 6 iron but am not sure it would work well with the toe up. Have you had any experience with the Simple Swing being marketed on the internet?

Marty: The Natural Golf swing is certainly less stressful on the lower back than the conventional swing. I've met one instructor who switched from conventional to Natural to reduce his back pain and has maintained a scratch handicap. So it's a good choice for anyone. The NG website (www.naturalgolf.com) offers a great booklet and video instruction on DVD's. They provide some of the best instruction and tips I've seen and are very well produced. But as good as they are, they can't provide everything a certified NG instructor can. It really helps to have someone look (and video) your swing from different angles analyze what things you do well and what you should modify. It's very difficult to do this on your own....which is why nearly all the PGA Tour pros work with an instructor... it's not that they don't know what to do, but rather they can't watch themselves while they hit the ball.

You don't necessarily need new clubs although you will need new grips. The NG grip is larger, designed to fit in the palm of your hands, not the fingers. If you were going to buy a new set of clubs you would want to get fitted with a NG set up...since you extend your arms at address and stand farther away from the ball you'd like a club with a flatter lie....the toe of the club is flat on the ground at impact. However, since most amateurs tend to slice/fade the ball having the toe up helps to correct for this.

The Simple Swing follows many of the same ideas as NG but does not use the larger grip. I think the grip size and placement of the hands on it are two of the most important factors in the NG swing and the reasons why it's more reliable than the conventional swing. I must admit though that it's not foolproof. I shot a 74 +2 yesterday and still hit two, pulled drives in the water (lateral hazards). No method is perfect, but NG is the most reliable technique I've found.

Question from Scott: Marty, what does "Cocking left wrist may lead to hooking" mean exactly? Do I not bend my left wrist of the top of my backswing?

Marty: That statement can be confusing... it may be better to say Don't "overcock" left wrist. Check your left wrist at the top of the backswing. The wrist and bottom of the left hand should be in a straight line. Another clue, if you wear a golf glove with a Foot Joy logo, the logo should be parallel to the ground. If you overcock the wrist to the point where your left hand is bent to the left, it is very hard to control the wrist release on impact. If the release is a split-second too early, you'll hook the ball. If it's too late, you'll slice it. This same advice applies to the conventionial golf swing.

Question from Bob: I have been a natural golfer for about 3 years now. I have noticed much improvement with my tee shots but I struggle with my chipping. Do you have an open stance, weight on the front foot, etc. I tend to not hit the ball square. Any suggestions?

Marty: 1) Weight on left/front foot 2) Open stance 3) Ball slightly behind center of stance to promote hitting the ball before the turf 4) Short back swing; club head doesn't rise further than mid-calf.

Question from Phil: I switched to Natural Golf a couple of years ago... Spent a lot of time on it... Was erratic golfer.... I hit the ball straight, but with no distance... I am in great shape, 45 years old... and can't hit a drive over 200yds...... My friends say I grandpa people to death... I have tried everything... any thoughts.

Marty: Yes, to achieve more distance you need more club head speed. There are basically two ways to get this. One way would be to try to swing very fast, like Tiger or many of the PGA tour pros. However, if you don't have their tremendous flexibility and strength you'll probably just injure your back...and hit balls all over the place. A better approach is to lengthen your back swing by making a fuller shoulder turn. Ideally, you'd like to rotate your shoulders near 90 degrees from address (your back would then face the target line) with your hips rotating about 45 degrees. The difference between the shoulder turn and hip turn creates club head speed. So if you turn your hips the same amount as your shoulder you won't gain any yardage.

With the longer back swing you'll have more time and distance for your hands (and hence) your club to pick up speed before it hits the ball. The longer your back swing the more speed you can generate. If you've ever seen a photo of John Daly at the top of his back swing, his club head is just above his left pants pocket. That's how he gets so much speed and distance. Of course, I wouldn't recommend that to anyone I try to make a shoulder turn that puts my left shoulder directly under my nose. But I don't want the shaft of the club to get parallel with the ground at the top...I have better success keeping the shaft about 45 degrees from parallel. With a full turn I hit my Driver about 260. I could hit further but would lose accuracy.

Question from Chris: I use the natural golf swing but do not use the st110 irons. Is there a big differencr in using these irons over like ( callaways,ping,taylormade, Cobra, ect). At the moment I use the Callaway Big Bertha irons. I was going to put the natural golf grips on them but was told not to it would make me hook the ball a lot.

Marty: There's not a big difference in the NG clubs, but their design is better suited to the NG swing than conventional clubs that are bought "off the rack". The NG stance is wider, with the club held further out in front of your body....the club shaft should be aligned with your left arm (for righties). When viewed from behind, the club shaft and your left arm should form a straight line. The NG clubs are designed so they lie correctly, with the sole of the club flat on the ground, the toe even with the heel. Conventional clubs would likely lie "toe up", since they are not designed to be held in the NG address position.

You can change your conventional club grips to the NG type. They are thicker and are designed to be held in the middle of the hands. If you've been playing conventional golf for a while it is common to hook the ball when your learning the NG swing. It took me about a month to get it under control. You have to be willing to get worse for at least a few weeks before the new swing starts to feel comfortable. And it's near impossible to try to go back and forth between NG and conventional. If you're more than a single digit handicap and want to make a significant improvement, I think this is one of the best options.

Question from Scott: I found your web site very interesting. However, I have totally lost my natural golf swing recently and at a loss on how to get it back. I think most of the issues lie within my grip, but noticed that your grip appeared to be weaker in the right hand and stronger in the left, Can you reiterate or expound on you grip and also the grip pressure?

Marty: You're right, I have a weaker right hand grip than the NG book/video promotes. For me, that grip was just too strong and caused me to hook the ball. My right thumb is at the 11 o'clock position on the grip and my left thumb at 1 o'clock. That feels more balanced to me. My grip pressure is about a 6 on a 1-10 scale, just enough to secure the club through the swing.

My other advice when a club goes awry is to practice with a club that's at least two clubs shorter. So put your driver in the bag and go to the range and hit a 5 or 7 wood if you have one. Try hitting very smoothly, even if the ball only goes 175 yards. All you want to do is to find your swing again. Don't think at all about distance or club head speed. Just try hitting the smoothest shot you can, imagine your on TV and you're trying to impress everyone on how smoothly you swing. Once you regain your confidence with the shorter club you can go back to the driver.