Form or Function

Too often, golf instruction focuses on positional teaching - an approach rooted in rigid methodology rather than real-world results. But history has shown us that some of the greatest players in the game had wildly different swings. If positional perfection was the key to success, how do we explain champions with unconventional moves? 

Consider these examples: 

• Jim Furyk lifted the club steeply on the backswing. 
• Lee Trevino took the club outside the line going back. 
• Ray Floyd pulled the club dramatically inside. 
• Calvin Peete played with a permanently bent left arm. 
• Greg Norman crossed the line at the top. 
• John Daly took the club well past parallel. 
• Kenny Perry lifted the club early, well before turning his shoulders. 
• Nancy Lopez pulled the club extremely inside on the takeaway. 
• Scotty Scheffler’s footwork looks like he’s dancing. 
• Sam Snead’s motion was "in and over." 
• Arnold Palmer finished with his signature "whirlybird" move. 

We could go on, but the point is clear: none of these players fit into a cookie-cutter model of positional teaching. And yet, they all found success at the highest level. Why? Because they understood what truly matters - impact. 

The one common denominator among all great players is their ability to deliver the club to the ball in a functional and repeatable way. It doesn’t matter how the club looks on the way back, at the top, or even in transition. The only thing that counts is what happens at impact. 

As instructors, our job isn’t to mold every player into the same positions. It’s to help them find a motion that allows them to strike the ball effectively, consistently, and under pressure. Golf swings are as unique as fingerprints, but great ball striking follows universal truths at impact. 

So, the next time you see a student with an unorthodox move, ask yourself: Is it really a problem? Or is it just different? If it holds up through impact, maybe it doesn’t need fixing at all.