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 seriously 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 agree that, despite the name, the motion is quite unnatural. But in spite of this I do think Moe Norman's golf swing has much merit. The reason I like Norman's swing is that it simplifies the manipulations needed to hit a golf ball, which is a great option for most amateur golfers. The downside is that this swing will produce less power than a more traditional swing due to less body rotation, but this would probably only be noticeable to better players who are capable of using their bodies reasonably well. For those golfers who don't use their bodies well, they may even hit the ball further with Norman's swing because they should be able to make more solid contact. I think there are players out there who use different variations of the Natural Golf Swing who do hit with good power, but I believe the benefit of Moe's swing is the great control, which is why I feel golfers should stay true to Moe's swing.

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 much as in a traditional swing. This is one of the reasons this is a good option for amateur golfers—they don't have to coordinate as much body rotation with arm movements. To understand how the body works in general (with a more traditional swing), 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, and you don't even have to do anything with the arm. Add some independent arm movement and a late uncocking of the wrists and you can generate real power. Picture Tiger, Els, Sergio, Duval, etc.—examples of tremendous hip rotation!

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, in my opinion is a very good alternative for golfers who want a simpler way to swing.

Next Page—A Discussion Of The Upright Swing (with pictures)

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