Confused yet? We’re only about two-thirds of the way to the ball.

Our Head Professional has a bumper sticker on his car that reads, “Life is Easy, Golf is Hard.” I had to chuckle when I first saw this, but then realized how much truth there was to the statement. I’ve often told people the more I learn about the golf swing the happier I am to play as well as I do.

Golf is hard, real hard. If most people knew a little more about the physics involved in hitting a golf ball they wouldn’t even attempt it. We talk about how technology is making it easier to play well, but let’s face it, there are a lot of variables going on during a swing regardless of how much technology is built into the club.

For example, when we swing a driver the club head travels between 30 and 35 feet before it contacts the ball. That’s a long way, and a lot can and does happen during this time. Forget the backswing – we’ll go straight to the downswing where all the exciting stuff happens. As the downswing begins the shaft starts bending in one of two directions (or a combination of both) depending on hand position and swing plane. Most of the time this causes the shaft to flex back which opens the face of the club several degrees. As the downswing progresses towards the ball, inertia causes the toe of the club to drop several degrees which in turn will cause the ball to fly to the right due to the flatter lie of the club head.

Are you confused yet? Wait, we’re only about two-thirds of the way to the ball. At this point the wrist cock starts to release and momentum and inertia really start to kick in, causing the forearms and club head to turn over and hopefully square up to the swing path so you at least have a chance of hitting the ball on the fairway. About this time the shaft that was “loaded” or bent as you started down begins unloading, which combined with the release of the wrist cock and rotation of the forearms finally puts the club on the back of the ball sending it somewhere off the end of the tee box.

Now, assuming you didn’t release the club too soon and have the face closed a couple of degrees at impact - producing a nasty “blue darter” snap hook - or held on too tightly trying to coax a few more yards out of your technology and sent the ball way into the wilderness, you may have been fortunate enough to keep the ball on the hole you’re playing. And this was the “Reader’s Digest” version.

I’m thrilled to play the game as well as I do, given the apparent odds against my hitting the planned shot. When I hit a bad shot I simply recall all the physics and vectors I once learned about and wonder how in the world I didn’t hit the shot any worse than I did.

Golf is hard - real hard. Don’t get upset if you have some bad shots.

Kim Anders is the Director of Golf at Estrella del Mar Golf and Beach Resort in Mazatlan. An accomplished player early in his career, Kim now focuses on the administrative side of golf and helping others find enjoyment in the game. Contact Kim at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .