Pulling the Trigger
For Jack Nicklaus, it’s a slight turn of the head. For Gary Player, it’s a kicking-in of the right knee. Every good golfer has one, and any golfer who wants to be good needs one: a swing trigger. The swing trigger is that little movement that takes place when your pre-swing countdown is completed and all systems are ‘go’ to launch your shot. I have a rather unorthodox one. I slide my hands (along with clubface) outward a bit so that the ball, which in my pre-swing routine was positioned off the toe of the club, now is smack behind the sweet spot.
Some instructors recommend that you develop a swing trigger that helps to remedy a chronic fault. For instance, if you tend to fall back off the ball in the swing, trigger your swing by rocking slightly to your left side before taking the club back. This kind of remedial trigger may or may not work. Frankly, I think it’s more important to develop something that’s comfortable and will always work smoothly into your swing, no matter what sort of fault you may have now or in the future.
So experiment with different moves – a pump of the grip, a tap of the foot, a flex of the knees – and find yourself a trigger that feels right. Then use it to fire your swing.
