As the Equipment Editor for The Daily Duffer, I’ve seen my share of golfers battling their swing. Some come in with textbook fundamentals, ready to fine-tune their spin axis. Others, like the author of “Scratch By 50: The Bad Habits I’m Bringing To Golf,” are fighting decades of ingrained movement patterns. It’s a familiar story, and one that often highlights a crucial point: no matter how cutting-edge the club technology, your swing mechanics dictate its ultimate effectiveness.
The author’s journey, marked by an extreme inside takeaway and a lack of proper body rotation, resonates deeply with what I witness daily on the launch monitor. He describes his natural golf swing working “to get the club to my back shoulder as quickly as possible,” resulting in an open face throughout. This isn’t just a minor flaw; it’s a foundational issue that club technology, no matter how forgiving, can only mitigate so much. I’ve seen countless golfers with similar patterns, and the launch monitor doesn’t lie. An open face at impact, especially with an inside-out path, is a recipe for high spin, slices, and significant loss of ball speed and distance. Even with a driver boasting a high MOI and low spin properties, that open face will kill your efficiency.
What I find particularly insightful is his coach’s pragmatic approach:
“Your shoulder mobility and some of the deeply ingrained baseball motions are there to stay,” Hahn says. “We’re not going to mold you into Robert Rock [the British pro known for his picture-perfect swing]. The trick is figuring out what we can address and what we should leave alone. Focusing on some basic fundamentals, like the grip and the takeaway, will allow for success throughout the bag.”
This is precisely the philosophy we employ in fittings. It’s about optimizing for *your* swing, not trying to force someone into a swing they can’t physically sustain. The author’s recognition that he can’t replicate the swings of Rock or Aberg is a massive step towards effective improvement and equipment selection.
The Data Behind the Fix: Takeaway and Turn
Let’s talk technicals. An extreme inside takeaway and a lack of body rotation hurt you in several ways. When the club comes too far inside, golfers often compensate with a steep downswing and an over-the-top move, or they get stuck, leading to a massive block or snap hook. The author’s description of an open face with an inside path perfectly explains his need to time the release. This is a high-skill, low-consistency move. A well-fit driver, designed to minimize spin and maximize ball speed, can only do so much if the clubface is consistently open by five degrees or more at impact. The gear simply can’t overcome that much compensation.
I’ve tested hundreds of drivers. With a consistent club path and face angle, even a mid-range driver can produce impressive numbers. But add that open face and inside path, and you’re looking at significant variations: a massive spin rate jump, a higher launch that balloons the ball, and a dramatic drop in carry distance. For instance, a golfer with a 95 mph clubhead speed and a relatively square face might see a ball speed of 140 mph, a launch of 12-14 degrees, and a spin rate of 2200-2500 rpm, leading to a 240-250 yard carry. Introduce that open face and path the author describes, and those numbers can easily shift to 130 mph ball speed, 16-18 degrees launch, and 3500+ rpm spin, cutting carry down to 200-210 yards, with massive dispersion.
His focus on keeping the club outside his hands during the takeaway and engaging his core for a proper turn are fundamental changes that will have a profound impact on his numbers. These aren’t marketing gimmicks; they are biomechanical principles that lead to a more efficient transfer of energy from the body to the club, and from the club to the ball. A more neutral club path and a squarer clubface at impact will unlock the true performance of his equipment – whether it’s a new driver or his existing set.
Age, Fitness, and Equipment Choices
The author also touches on the common belief that age inevitably leads to decline in golf. While it’s true that swing speed can decrease with age for many, his dedication to fitness paints a different picture. I’ve fitted plenty of golfers in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s who maintain, or even improve, their strength and mobility. When they do, their swing speeds hold steady, or their consistency improves dramatically. For these golfers, equipment choices become even more critical:
“I’m not saying being good at mountain biking or basketball will make me a great golfer. The skills don’t translate. But I am saying that I get good distance out of my clubs because I’ve paid close attention to fitness over the years and fitness is a large part of golf.”
He’s absolutely right. Fitness and mobility directly affect how much clubhead speed you can generate and how consistently you can deliver the club to the ball. If you’re physically strong and mobile, you might opt for a driver with a slightly stiffer shaft to handle higher clubhead speeds, or irons with less offset for more workability. If mobility is a challenge, lighter shafts and more perimeter-weighted heads (high MOI) in irons can provide more forgiveness and easier launch.
My advice for golfers struggling with similar “baggage” is this: Invest in yourself first. Lessons and physical conditioning will unlock more potential than any single piece of new equipment. Once you’ve got a handle on your core swing mechanics, *then* a proper fitting becomes incredibly valuable. We can then optimize lofts, lies, shaft flexes, and clubhead characteristics to perfectly match your improved swing. A low spin driver won’t fix a 10-degree open face, but it will certainly maximize your distance potential once that face is square and path is neutral.
The author’s journey is a testament to the fact that you can teach an “old dog” new tricks, especially when those tricks involve fundamental movement patterns. His improved contact and distance are direct results of addressing the root cause, not just slapping a Band-Aid on it with the latest, greatest (and often overpriced) club. Golf is as much about understanding your body and your swing as it is about the equipment in your bag. Prioritize the former, and the latter will truly shine.
