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If you think of the golf swing in broad terms, as one continuous movement, Jim McLean says you’re making it too hard. McLean, a top-five instructor on Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America, believes that breaking the swing into key positions is the best way to start improving your technique and playing better golf. “Henry Ford said, ‘Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs,’” McLean says. “That’s how I look at the golf swing.”
In “The Four-Corner Swing,” a 30-minute video program, McLean identifies the critical junctures of the swing and shows you how to work on them. He starts with the transition at the top of the backswing, where the arms and body must be in sync to set up a powerful, effective downswing. Next, McLean discusses the delivery position—the crucial last stop before impact. Then comes the extension position after impact, where the club completes its outward arc toward the target. Finally, McLean looks at an often overlooked checkpoint on the way to the finish: the mirror image of the top of the backswing. Working on these positions individually and then blending them together, McLean says, is the most effective way to improve your swing.
“I’m a position teacher,” McLean says, “and so are the best teachers in any sport.” If you feel like the golf swing is complicated or confusing, try breaking it down into the parts that matter most. McLean’s method, developed over 40 years of working with tour players and golfers like you, provides the organization you need to take your technique to the next level.