Any mere mortal who has ever picked up a club will know just how hard the game of golf is, yet the very best players in the world regularly make it look easy. But for all that they are ridiculously good, they aren’t infallible. There are many examples I could use to illustrate but I’ve chosen Tommy Fleetwood.
To say 2017 was a big year for Fleetwood would be an understatement. Having progressed through the ranks fairly seamlessly since turning pro, claiming his first professional win in 2013 and breaching the world’s top 50 by May 2015, he took the decision to make some swing changes and subsequently lost his form, falling to No. 188 in the world just a year later.
“When I originally changed my swing, I was a bit stupid, almost naive, thinking I could keep playing to the same level while getting better. It worked in the complete opposite way.”
So how did he recover and what can we all learn from it?
After some soul searching, Fleetwood decided to reunite with a familiar face – old swing coach Alan Thompson – and the pair set about rebuilding. Fast forward to present day and you can still find Tommy on the range working on the same drills that brought him back from the brink.
Check out this post Steven Guilano, a golf coach based in Asia:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5aG34iBgL9/
It’s no coincidence that, through consistent application of drills specific to the faults in his swing, his game has gone from strength to strength. The Englishman is now one of the most consistent performers in the world and I wouldn’t be surprised if he bagged himself a major this year.
Fleetwood admits the whole thing was a real learning experience, saying: “As much as we all do it [make swing changes] for the right reasons, the older you get the more you realise everybody has their own tendencies. I wouldn’t change it because I’ve learnt from the experience.
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“If I could tell anything to young kids or amateurs turning pro, I’d say you never get rid of them [your tendencies], you just have to figure out a way to get better at them.”
If you’re working on your game this winter, take his advice. We all have our own swings so find some drills that keep your bad habits in check without attempting a complete overhaul. You’ll have good and bad days, just as Tommy did, but with consistent application, you could reap the rewards for years to come.
What are your favourite drills? Let me know in the comments or tweet me.
