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Natural Golf - Moe Norman And His Golf Swing

Anyone who has looked into the Natural Golf swing method knows that the teaching philosophy is supposedly exemplified by Moe Norman's golf swing. I say supposedly because I've read that there are some factions that are moving away from Norman's swing, and it's possible that many Natural Golf instructors never did teach Norman's version of the swing. If new factions are forming, a distinction may need to be made between Moe Norman's swing and Natural Golf, but for the purposes of this page I'll assume they're the same. My recommendation to those interested in Natural Golf is to stay as true to Norman's swing as possible.

As an aside, from the limited video I've seen of a few Natural Golf instructors, Todd Graves comes pretty close to Norman's swing, closer than the others I've seen. I've never met Todd and I have no idea if he has any teaching ability, but he should probably be a consideration for anyone who is interested in Natural Golf because if his swing is true to the Norman swing, then maybe he has a better grasp of Norman's swing. There is no guarantee of this, however.

Regarding Moe Norman, he was known to be a very accurate ball striker, some even think he rivaled Ben Hogan for best ball striking ability. I don't agree since Hogan proved his swing technique under the intense pressure of major championship golf while Norman shied away from such situations. A true comparison is impossible, but there is no denying Norman's tremendous ability, even if not tested as thoroughly as Hogan's.

Most instructors who teach a more traditional swing don't like the Natural Golf swing because it seems quite unique and quite unorthodox. I, on the other hand, do think Moe Norman's golf swing has a lot of merit, but definitely not for aspiring PGA Tour Professionals.

The reason I like Norman's swing, and this is something probably no one realizes, is that the general nature of Norman's wrist and arm action through impact was not that different from Ben Hogan's. However, due to a limited wrist cock and limited coil in the backswing, Norman couldn't create Hogan's late release and therefore wasn't able to generate nearly as much clubhead speed.

Of course, another important difference between Norman and Hogan was that Norman didn't use his body as well, which is precisely why I don't recommend it to golfers who want to be as good as they can be, and it's one reason why I believe you won't ever see this swing be competitive on the PGA Tour. Proper body motion adds power to a golfer's swing and without it a golfer's playing ability is limited—good golf on today's long courses requires a combination of power and control, not just control!

I know some Natural Golf aficionados think that the body does work in the Natural Golf swing, but it doesn't, at least not nearly as well as in a traditional swing. To understand how the body works in general, all you have to do is watch a baseball player swing a bat (or a tennis player, a shot putter, a baseball player throwing, a quarterback throwing, a javelin thrower, a boxer throwing a big punch, etc.)—the body winds and unwinds, which adds speed to the motion of the arms and hands. The body sliding a little sideways, which is basically Moe Norman's move, does not have this effect! Test it yourself—hold your arm out in front of you and slide your hips and/or body sideways without any independent arm motion. The arm barely moves. Now rotate your body and notice what the arm does. The faster you rotate, the faster the arm moves. Add some independent arm movement and a late uncocking of the wrists and you can generate real power. Picture Tiger, Els, Sergio, Duval, etc.—tremendous hip rotation!

On the plus side, by limiting wrist and body motion, the Natural Golf swing is simpler because there is less movement. For golfers who struggle, this should allow for more consistent ball striking.

Natural Golf fans, I know you're a dedicated lot and by now I'm sure you're upset with me, so don't get me wrong—I like the Natural Golf swing! I'm just not recommending it to those golfers who want to take their golf games as far as they can. I know there are some good players who are using the Natural Golf method and I'm sure there are some who hit the ball very far using modified versions (technically not Norman's swing), but I don't think any of them will ever be as good as better players using the more traditional swing—i.e, using body rotation. Maybe I'm wrong, Moe Norman was a golfing savant and possibly another savant using the Natural Golf swing will come along—only time will tell. The Natural Golf swing, or I should say Moe Norman's swing, may be a very good alternative for golfers who struggle with the game or those who want a simpler way to swing.

On another note, Norman's later swing appears to have had more body rotation. From what I've heard, Norman knew he needed more body rotation to generate more power, so I'm assuming he applied great effort in order to achieve the greater rotation.

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