“Majoring In Minors”
I don’t know where I originally picked up the phrase “majoring in minors,” but it’s become one of my favorites. It describes spending your time and energy on the less important things at the expense of the critical things. In this lesson, I’m going to describe how we can apply this concept to golf to enhance our practice and our performance.
This Lesson Is For You If:
You frequently tinker with your game
You change the focus of your practice regularly
Your practice is not yielding improvement on the course
The Long Game
Majors: Contact. Club Face at Impact.
Minors: Club Path. What Your Swing Looks Like.
There is nowhere that golfers major in minors more than in the long game. In fact, if I had a dollar for every guy trying to “fix his swing path” while hitting every part of the club face except the center, I’d have retired to Bandon Dunes long ago. Stop worrying about what your swing looks like. Stop trying to fix your path. Start focusing on hitting the center of the face and controlling the ball’s start line.
If you want some great drills for improving your contact, click HERE.
The Short Game
Majors: Contact. Club Face at Impact.
Minors: Club Path. Angle of Attack. What Your Swing Looks Like.
The majors are the same in the short game: contact and controlling the club face. I added angle of attack to the minors because it becomes a preoccupation for some people inside 100 yards. While it would be nice to have that perfect “bruise the turf” AoA, it’s much more important that you hit the ball solidly. Again: hit the center of the face, control the start line, and you’ll be in good shape.
Putting
Majors: Speed Control. Club Face at Impact.
Minors: Club Path. What Your Swing Looks Like.
If you ask the top putting coaches what the most important skill on the green is, they will all say that it’s speed control. It’s very hard to three putt when you consistently roll the ball pin high. Stop trying to create a perfect stroke – whatever you think that is – and spend your time on speed control drills. Second to that, work on dialing in your club face at impact. If you pair good distance control with quality start lines, you’ll be a marvel on the green no matter what your stroke looks like.
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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2 Comments
Thank you Matt!
Excellent excellent excellent teaching on this article!