As we head into 2025, I find myself considering the progress I’ve made in my golf game.

Looking back at my scorecards for the year, it was clear that I am a golfer who plays moderately well for about 2/3 of most rounds. On average, I make 10-12 pars per round. Unfortunately, the rest of the holes almost always include double and triple bogeys.

My New Year’s resolution is to minimize the number of brain farts that appear on my scorecard. I’m going to do that by committing to making better decisions on the golf course and by adopting a pre-shot routine that I will implement religiously.

I’m also going to practice with the aim of lowering my scores. That means I will spend more time on the practice green working of putting and chipping.

Let’s see if I remember all that when the golf season rolls around again.

In this issue

• Obliquely back, obliquely through

• The ONLY secret in golf?

• Putt better with Brad Faxon

Obliquely back, obliquely through

World renowned golf coach Pete Cowen teaches that you need to coil up in the backswing, as if you’re going up a spiral staircase.

I always find that description hard to process. But now, Chris Tyler of My Golf DNA explains it in a way that makes sense to me.

Chris has started a four-part masterclass on the driver. In the first part, published on December 17, he wants us to concentrate first on our setup. He gives us the means to ensure that our posture is solid, so that our backs are not in jeopardy. Click anywhere in the image below.

He asks us to set up a practice station where the ball is aligned with our lead ear (left ear for righthanders). And while we won’t hit any balls with this first part of the driver masterclass, we will learn how to start the backswing and how to turn using the oblique muscles on the trail side (right side for righthanders).

When he directs us to practice the downswing, the turn through the ball is powered by the oblique muscles on the lead side (left side for righthanders).

Do these drills at home and try to do 25 to 100 swings in each direction daily. Do them slowly and feel the muscles that strap around the trail rib cage in the backswing. Feel the same muscles activate around the lead ribcage in the downswing and follow through. In particular, feel those muscles when you get to the impact position.

Watch for parts 2 and 3 that are scheduled to be published on YouTube on December 24 and 31, with the last lesson dropping on January 7.

The ONLY secret in golf?

Russell Heritage offers a 96-second video that purports to reveal the only secret in golf.

While I think there might be a bit of hyperbole in that statement — and maybe a touch of click bait — he does deliver a great lesson in how to start the backswing. Click the image below to view it.

He uses some sort of training aid that you can replace with an alignment rod held against your grip and extending behind you.

Start your backswing and keep that alignment rod touching your lead hip/side until your trail elbow folds and lifts the club up with your turn.

At the same time, when you start the backswing keep your lead shoulder over your lead ankle until your trail elbow starts to fold. The shoulder then moves under your chin as you complete the backswing.

I like to feel that when I’ve completed the backswing, my back is facing toward the target. Waiting for that feeling helps me ensure that I don’t rush the start of the downswing.

Putt better with Brad Faxon

No one doubts that Brad Faxon is one of the best putters in the PGA Tour history. He’s also one of the coaches that many tour players look to for help with their putting.

In this video presented by Titleist, he helps us create a great set up or address position when we putt. While acknowledging that everyone has their own style, he points out that the best putters he’s seen set up to the ball with these four key fundamentals:

1. Hip-width stance

2. Weight favoring lead foot

3. Stacked posture (nose, chin, sternum and belt buckle)

4. Square forearm alignment

So click the image above and build the putting set up that gives you the best chance of making more putts.

Happy New Year!