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Natural Golf

slicer69183

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2006
5
0
Does anyone have an opinion on "natural golf"? As a new golfer, I just ran across this and was wondering what the room thought.

Slicer69183
 

ezra76

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2006
12,412
16
What is "unnatural" golf? I mean, I was once accused of an unnatural act, but not while golfing??
 

Sandpiper3

Golf Course Designer
Aug 9, 2006
5,058
2
Natural golf, imo is definately ugly, but if you do it properly it is an amazingly simple and effective way to play our great game. Look at Mr. Moe Norman, just simply amazing.

Id never ever do it, but id vouche for it.
 

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
5,601
central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
Natural golf is unnatural, naturally. If nature would have meant for people to golf they would have made them look like iron byron so naturally nature made it unnatural for us.
 

JEFF4i

She lives!
Supporting Member
Jul 3, 2006
13,545
95
To summarize Warbird's post: Natural unnatural natrually nature naturally nature unnatural.
 

sidvicious

Well-Known Member
Jul 8, 2005
158
0
natural golf promotes a baseball grip, widened stance, with weight more on the back foot than in more traditional methods.

it seems to rely more on guiding the ball rather than striking through it.
 

Eracer

No more triple bogies!!
Oct 31, 2005
12,405
8
My 73 year-old uncle uses it, and plays to about a 10 cap. He doesn't hit the ball a long way, but he is remarkably accurate. Natural golf is about accuracy. You'll never be terribly long, but you'll keep the ball it play.
 

Bravo

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2004
5,822
15
About five years ago, I started playing golf with a retired fellow at our club...he's been a member for a long time and so have I. We'd just never played together before. and I had never heard of Natural Golf.

After a few holes, I started to notice his stance, grip and swing. It looked really unconventional and downright odd but he hit it down the middle virtually every time. Since we were new acquaintenances I didn't feel comfortable about asking him about the way he played. He's about 70 years old and after I played a few rounds with him, we got to know each other better. He usually shot a really solid round about 90. Sometimes in the mid-to-high 80's....

So after a few rounds I finally said, "Hey Harry, with that baseball grip and really wide stance, you really seem to hit it straight"....

He says with a straight face, "This is a method called Natural Golf. I have played golf 50 years and about five years ago, my back started going bad on me. After each round, I'd stiffen up so bad, I could hardly walk. I was about to give up the game when someone told me to try Natural Golf. Natural Golf does not require the twisting of the lower back like regular golf and I tried it. At first I was really frustrated with it, and my scores went up but my back never hurt. So I stayed with it for a year and I now shoot just as well as I did before, and my back never hurts".

He says, "Go to the Internet and look up Natural Golf. There are schools and instructors that teach it."

I couldn't believe it because it looked so weird but I looked it up and it is indeed true. It is indeed a very valid way to approach the game. People think it is weird because it does not look like conventional golf, but it undeniably works.

If you are new to golf and want to learn how to play the Natural Golf way (and you have no aspirations of shooting in the low 70's) it couldn't hurt to give it a try. The swing is simpler than with conventional golf and there are fewer 'moving parts' that have to come together in proper timing for you to hit it straight. It's kind of like using a baseball approach to playing golf.

And yes its true, it is based on the true story of Moe Norman, a mentally handicapped man from Canada who shot some incredibly low scores in tournaments he played in Canada. He could hit a ball 250 yards time after time and have a shot dispersion of less than five yards in approximately 98% of his shots.

Look him up on the internet. His is a true and facinating story...and the beginning of Natural Golf...
 

bames

Purchased a better game
Supporting Member
Jan 8, 2006
1,979
315
Utah
Country
United States United States
I've heard Moe Norman stories where he would tee off with a 9 iron and then hit a driver or 3-wood into the green. I'm going to look him up.
 

Bravo

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2004
5,822
15
There is a guy on the current Big Break 6 who took lessons from Moe Norman and plays with a Natural Golf swing. His name is Kelly Murray. New episode tonight at 10PM on The Golf Channel.

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/bb6/f8/biopages/kelly.aspx

Thanks for the link...I'll get one of my Tivo's to grab it.

You really cannot appreciate Natural Golf until you play about five rounds with somebody who plays that way. After awhile, you really could care less about the baseball grip and wide stance...its just a different way to approach getting the clubhead on the ball square with good speed.

I honestly think it will grow in popularity over time...
 

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