Jim McLellan:
The Importance of Lard

By Jim McLellan,
Senior Writer

Yes, Lard, ugly fat, impedimenta, your gut, extra baggage....what would be the most important thing you could do for your golf? . . . learn another "trick" for your already befuddled swing OR drop some baggage? I submit the following for your ponderment.

Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus (in prime), Tiger, David Duval. Think about this...they were all in great shape. Arnie looked like a full back. Sam could pass for a star athlete in any sport. Gary and Ben, tough as nails. Tiger and David workout and eat correctly.....stomachs flat as a table.

Think about this....near greats...Billy Casper, Lee T., Phil M., and many many others who could have been better. What was missing....conditioning. How good do you think Tiger would be with a 42" waist?

The diff between the greats and near greats and also rans could have been the amount of lard they were toting. Jack could probably have his original hip if he didn't have a weight problem.

• Discuss this story at GolfBoards.com • Past articles by Jim McLellan

And.....I will bet ya that if he would drop the extra baggage, get serious about nutrition, do some yoga, lift some weights, and ease the club back a little further (easier if your not swinging around a gut).... that he would have a few more horse races left in him.

Go pick up a 20 or 30#...or 40# dumbbell and walk around with it for a while. Try doing this for 18 holes. It is not only more difficult to swing around a fat middle but you can be super tired after an 18 hole stroll. These dumbbells represent the extra weight you are lugging around, Chubby.

Lets have a golf match between Tiger and Jack. Lets say they both have to be the same age. But....Tiger has to use Jacks body and Jack gets to use Tigers. Do NOT misunderstand my point..... I am focusing on conditioning. Who are you going to put your nickel on?

Golfers sit around and discuss the importance of the left wrist and dominant eye and other nonsense when their focus should be on dropping the ugly fat.

Your best golf? Stand in front of the mirror naked and see if you can find the culprit. Better yet, hop in your shorts and have someone take a front and side picture of you....You may be shocked.

Reach down, right now and pinch your stomach. Whatcha got? Pinch an 1" or more.....how about a hand full? Want to swing back further...it is not your flexibility its your gut.

Want to walk 18 holes without life support? Drop the lard. It is the single most important thing you can do. I could never had taken a 30 year lay off from golf and come back "swingin like a kid" if I had a pot.

To learn more about Jim McLellan's simple way to learn your best golf in the shortest period of time visit his website and read what golfers are saying...www.mcgolf.com

Reader Comment: Education by the Anti-Pro

This semester, I took a beginning golf course to fulfill my phys-ed requirement. I didn't take it just to fulfill the requirement, but also because I really wanted to learn how to play. Besides, isn't that the real corporate boardroom in this country.

The semester comes to an end tomorrow and I was researching golf articles to write a 2 -3 page paper on and I came across several of yours and I just want to say...YOU ARE A GOD!!!

I go through the same thing every time I get to the range. I get to the tee, I hit the first ball or two BEAUTIFULLY!! As I kid myself and say that I could be a pro, that's when I start to make my mistakes. I find myself thinking TOO MUCH after the first two hits. I think "Wow, that was great, how did I do that?" Then before the next swing I stand there and think "OK, slight bend in the knees, don't bend left arm, look at the ball, turn from the hips and not the knees, don't slide your right foot back on your follow through, right elbow, right pocket, etc. etc..." and then I swing and I miss, or I slice or I send it 20 feet or knock the tee out from underneath and never touch the damn ball!!! Then the rest of my time at the range I am frustrated because I can't copy the first two hits I did. NOW I KNOW WHY!! Because I didn't think about them, I just did it! Even though when the instructor sees those beautiful hits he tries to correct a good thing because my swing is kind of akward....but it works when I am not thinking about the mechanics of it.

I can't tell you how much I wish I would've read your articles BEFORE I took this class. That way I would've shut my instructor out and just got up there and did it. After all, everybody is different and everyone is going to swing differently. You do what works for you. I feel an incredible weight lifted off my shoulders. From now on, no more thinking....just hit it.

Thank you so much,
Heather Garrett