Page Title

Core Knowledge
About Golf

Insights Into Golf's Core Knowledge 101

Even though there have been millions, perhaps trillions of words said and written about the golf swing,
(because ball flight has only two elements: distance and direction,) it could be said that there are only
two things to learn about a swing. What will influence distance and what will influence direction? In order
to begin to answer this you must have core knowledge related to golf.

Having insights into what could be called golf’s core knowledge is imperative in order to take advantage
of the opportunities that learning and playing golf offer for enhancing one’s mental learning skills.
Studies show that having insights into the core knowledge of any skill or any topic enhances ones ability
to learn and make progress. The most useful core knowledge seems to be generated by the
environment that the skill takes place in. For example, the only reason we shoot basketballs up is
because the basket is up, which is core knowledge about the game of basketball. When learning to read
the core knowledge we must be aware of is the sound of the 26 letters of the alphabet.
The following is basic or core knowledge about golf courses, golf equipment, and a golf swing. For
some, this information will be a review, for others it will be a new and useful resource.

The Golf Course

At its core, golf is a stick and ball game with individuals swinging golf clubs and hitting golf balls on
playing fields of grass that are called golf courses. These courses are built and designed with 18 holes
of different length. Golf courses are normally 6,000 to 7,000 yards long, (as long as 600 to 700 football
fields) with each hole having different physical and visual characteristics. Normally, golf courses have 4
short holes, 10 medium length holes, and 4 long holes. Each hole has a starting point called a tee from
which a golfer swings and hits their golf ball on to the holes’ fairway, from which the golf ball is then hit in
the direction of what is called a golf holes’ putting green. Once on the green (which has very short, rug-
like grass) there is a flag in a hole that a golfer tries to roll their ball into (with a short swing called
putting), thereby completing playing that hole. The aim of the game is to complete playing each hole in
the fewest number of swings.

The 4 short holes on a golf course normally range in length from 130 yards long up to 230 yards. These
holes are referred to as par 3s. An experienced golfer expects to land their ball on the green with one
swing, and then have two putts, for a score of 3, thereby making par on the hole. On any hole, a score of
one stroke under par is called a “birdie,” a score of one stroke over par is called a boggy.

The 10 medium length holes on a golf course normally range in length from 300 yards long up to 475
yards. These holes are referred to as par 4s. An experienced golfer expects to land their ball on the
holes’ green in two swings, and then have two putts for a score of 4, thereby making par on the
hole.

The 4 long holes on a golf course normally range in length from 480 yards in length up to 600 yards.
These holes are referred to as par 5’s. An experienced golfer expects to land their ball on the holes’
green in three swings, and then have two putts for a score of 5, thereby making par on the hole.

Golf courses are designed to present golfers with a variety of circumstances, or said another way, many
different problems to solve consisting of long shots, short shots, uphill shots, downhill shots, side hill
shots, shots that have to curve to the right, shots that have to curve to the left, shots played with the wind,
shots played into the wind, shots played with the wind blowing to the left or to the right. Golf is a game
that is played under ever-changing weather and golf course conditions, both of which influence the result
of the shot. It’s been said that a well-designed golf course will require golfers to use most, if not all of
their 14 golf clubs. When a golfer shoots a score of 90 they have solved 90 problems with 90 different
golf swings, from 90 different environments.

Golf Equipment

The rules of golf permit golfers to have up to 14 golf clubs in their bag. A typical set of golf clubs has one
putter, nine irons, and three woods. Golfers may carry more or less clubs from any of these categories
in their bag, but may not exclude a 14 club limit. Each of the 14 clubs is unique, with a different length
shaft ranging from 33” long up to 45” long (on average). Each golf club’ also has a face loft angle that is
unique, ranging from having 9° loft up to 56° loft (on average).
A set of iron clubs are normally numbered #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, with a P.W. (pitching wedge) and
a S.W. (sand wedge) completing the set. The longest iron club is a #2 iron (39”), and it has the least
amount of club fact loft angle (20°). The shortest iron club is the sand iron (35 ½) and it has the most
club face loft angle (56°). Typically, moving up from a short sand iron to a #2 iron, golf clubs become a
½” longer, and the face angle decreases, with a putter the shortest club in the set having the least
amount of loft angle.

A set of wood clubs (today called metal woods) are typically numbered #1, #3, and #5. The #1 wood has
the longest shaft (42” to 45”) with the least amount of club face loft angle (9° - 10°). As the numbers go
up on wood clubs the shaft becomes shorter and the club face loft angle becomes greater.

It’s a fair general statement to say that a goal for golfers should be to develop a style of swinging a golf
club that is similar for every club. This similar swing style while using different clubs is an approach to
playing golf that seems to promote the most workable results for making adjustments to the swing and
creating all of the different ball flights needed during a round of golf. The goal is a flexible style, not a
consistent one.

Because all 14 golf clubs in a set are designed with different length shafts and different club face loft
angles this causes a golf ball to fly different heights and go different distances. In general, there are
different outcomes because each golf club that’s being used is designed to create different results. This
is a very important insight.

When a golfer chooses to use a longer, less-lofted club, they want the golf ball to fly longer and lower
than when they are using a shorter, more lofted club. The lower numbered golf clubs have longer shafts
and less club face loft angle than the higher numbered shorter clubs that have more loft angle.

In 1910 champion golfer Harry Vardon said, “The best advice I can give – you must obey the club and
what the club wants you to do – letting the results be natural.” Bobby Jones also a champion golfer in
1930 said “Golfers should first and most importantly, learn how to the clubface and ball intact at impact.
No one can play good golf until they know all the many ways a ball can be expected to react when struck
in different ways.”

What follows is grounded in the suggestions of Harry Vardon and Bobby Jones. These suggestions are
based on core golf knowledge that has been the same since the game of golf’s inception, over 500
years ago. Every shot in golf (for over 500 years) had some type of ball flight that was influenced by how
the golfer intentionally or unintentionally angled the clubface, club head, and shaft of club through impact.
Golfers should be focusing on learning what to do with the golf club’s shaft, head, and face, rather than
focusing on how to move their bodies.

When it comes to the nature of learning, a stronger case can be made for learning what-to-do with a golf
club, than for focusing on how to move ones body parts. The brain is interested in what-to-do. The how-
to of doing anything is revealed to individuals through the trail and feed back of their attempts to
accomplish the task at hand. Human beings are designed to learn by doing, observing the outcome,
then make adjustments if needed based on past experiences.

Application of Learning Skills
Learning what to do with a golf club’s shaft, head, and clubface enhances one’s ability to learning
anything.

Note: What a golfer should be doing with a golf club is based on the design of the club and the
requirements of the shot about to be played. Similar to every aspect of life – it’s the environment that tells
us what to consider when choosing a swing model for the shot about to be played.

When a golf club is manufactured it is designed with its shaft coming up from the ground with two
different angles. Golf clubs are designed for how these two angles should be aligned as the club is
impacting the golf ball. It is these angles that influence the two elements of ball flight – Distance and
Direction. Understanding these two shaft angles is core knowledge that provides insight into how
efficient force is applied to the golf ball.

One of the angles has the shaft coming up from the ground on a roof like or hockey stick like inclined
angle (core knowledge).

Note: This inclined angle is very important when it comes from influencing direction of ball flight.

When the aim is to make a golf ball go straight - efficient golf swings are swinging the shaft of the club
parallel to the inclined angle the shaft was designed to occupy at address, with the clubface looking in
the same direction as the path of the club head (core knowledge).

Address                               Top of Swing                                Impact
By taking into consideration what has been written about the inclined angle of a golf club shaft – answer
the following question.

For a Right Hand Golfer: When the shaft of a golf club is swinging down to the ball traveling over the
angle it was designed to occupied at address with the club face looking in the same direction as the
path of the club head at impact –
In what direction will the golf ball start to fly?

To the Right   -   To the Left     -   Straight

For a Right Hand Golfer: When the shaft of a golf club is swinging down to the ball traveling under the
angle it was designed to occupy at address with the club face looking in the same direction as the path
of the club head at impact –
In what direction will the golf ball start to fly?

To the Right   -   To the Left     -   Straight

What learning-thinking skills are used to find the answer?

Core Knowledge
The second shaft angle is designed to come up from the ground angled slightly forward of the club face.
This shaft angle that is designed to be forward of the club face is very important when it comes to
efficient application of force to a golf ball, influencing the distance the ball will fly.

During efficient swings-as the club face is making contact with the golf ball, normally the club shaft
should be passing the ball before the club face impacts the ball. This shaft-before-club face alignment
through impact is an efficient way for the golf swing to apply force to a golf ball. Sound swings are not
lifting the ball into the air. When the shaft of a club (that is designed to be angled forward of the club face)
passes the ball before the club face its leaning and applying pressure into the ball, compressing it on to
the club face. The golf ball now has the ability to jump off the club face at the club’s loft angle.

During unsound golf swings the tip end of the golf club (its club head – club face) arrives at the ball
before the shaft of the club, causing the shaft to be angled away from the ball at impact.

When the club face arrives at the ball before the club shaft, will the ball tend to fly higher or lower then
when the shaft arrives first?
What learning-thinking skills are used to find the answer?

When golfers are rolling the ball on the putting green its useful to have the shaft of the putter pass the
ball before the club head. To influence how far the ball will roll should the golfer’s putting swing;

a)        Change the size of the swing, but keep the same speed for both long and short putts?
b)        Change the speed of the swing, without changing the size?
c)        Change both the speed and the size of the swing?
What learning-thinking skills are used to find the answer?