GGolf instruction is always evolving, but the best advice stands the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Lifetime Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice that teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. Today we look back to the March 1970 issue of GOLF magazine for some ball striking advice from Julius Boros.
As a golfer in my early 30s, I didn’t get to watch many of the greats play during their prime. Of course, I was lucky enough to grow up watching tiger, Phil and Ernie, and I’ve made a living covering Rory, Bryson and Scottie, but with so many legends of the game, my understanding only comes from the history books.
That’s one of the joys of writing Eternal Advice. Every week, I can dive into GOLF magazine archives and learn from legends of the game. This week, an article caught my eye from Julius Boros — and it predates my birth by 25 years.
Watch below to see how a three-time major winner thought about the swing. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that the way the legends have moved the club isn’t all that different from the way the current greats do it.
Julius Boros’ tip for great ball striking
Whenever a golfer tries to muscle the ball, or hit it too hard, he very often makes a movement with his body commonly called a “swing.” Imagine there are two vertical lines boxing you in. If your right hip and shoulder move sideways in the backswing so much that they are out of line, you are swinging back. This is a very poor position that also tends to move your head too far out of position.
Once he has swung “off the ball,” as the saying goes, almost every golfer inevitably makes up for this mistake with another. On the downswing, the body now moves far forward laterally and the left side and left shoulder move out of line, and the swing is complete. By moving the body too far forward, the club hits the ball at an inappropriate downward angle, the left side has not stayed “behind the ball” and the result is either a low right slice or a pop-up “ski” shot. In any case, little energy is generated because the body is not coiled.
To avoid swings | I think of my chin as the anchor point under which everything turns. I start the backswing by pushing the club back with my left shoulder and left side, and turning my left knee toward my right. This creates a twisting motion of the body in which the right hip must turn rather than slide out to the side. I have curled my body properly so that my back is facing the target. The entire right side remains within the imaginary line.
From this curled up position it is now much easier to pull back into the ball. Shoulders turn under my chin, right knee is pushed to the left, which facilitates weight transfer, and my left side turns like a rotator. Now I’ve generated real power with my legs and body, and it’s further enhanced by being able to release my hands properly at the point of impact. To hit the ball hard, accurately and consistently, keep your body inside the imaginary box. Make it work for you, not against you.
