If you happen to have been following along on all our short form video channels (Reels, TikTok, Shorts, X), you know that I’ve been working on completely overhauling my swing. Coming from years and years of studying the Single Plane Swing of Moe Norman (taught in rigorous detail by Todd Graves), this change is a fundamentally big one for me.
The Easiest Swing (based on teachings from Brian Sparks) is literally a 180-degree, about-face change to my swing that I’ve begun learning just in the past few days. Gone are the rigid positions, forceful moves, and straight lines. All of those are replaced with the 6 fundamentals of The Easiest Swing: turn, weight shift, balance, rhythm, coordination, and suppleness.
You would think going from such extremes would be difficult, but it’s gone shockingly well so far. Perhaps after so many years of rigidity in my swing, the simple, relaxed, tension-free movements encouraged by Brian Sparks’ method are just what the doctor ordered. I know my body is responding quickly and I feel the after effects of practice far, far less these days. Seriously, I can hit tons of balls and not even feel the slightest tinge of soreness.
About that left arm
Part of all this tension-free suppleness (or souplesse as they refer to it over at Easiest Swing) is one of a few distinctions that this swing mechanic requires you to consider: allowing a bent left elbow. For some, you’ll read that and immediately assume I’ve become a golfing heretic, and if you delve a bit deeper into the Easiest Swing, you’ll also find that they don’t force you to keep your head still or keep your lead foot planted on the ground, either. Shocking, right??
But it is working! I’m nearly through the standard course they offer and deep into the book they recommend by Brian Sparks that started all of this, and I must say I’m a bit blown away. Future posts and videos will undoubtedly track the progress of all of this, so I’ll stay on the subject of the left arm for now and a bit of a breakthrough I had working on my swing just today.
And that breakthrough is allowing my lead arm to bend freely my backswing. Granted, it feels like I’m bending it 90-degrees when it is only actually bending a tad, but the point still stands: bending the left elbow is 100% acceptable in the golf swing. And maybe, like me, if you allow yourself to try it, you may find a whole new world of freedom in your golf swing that simply makes you want to hit more balls.
This isn’t new, and it’s less of a no-no than it’s been
And that’s what I’m learning in all of this. The mechanics and swing thoughts taught by The Easiest Swing aren’t new. They are simply forgotten. While great ball strikers like Kenny Perry, Angel Cabrera, Jordan Spieth, and Bubba Watson, and Tom Watson all exhibit bent lead arms and lifted lead heels, they were all (or still are) amazing at hitting the golf ball. Though modern teaching has generally left this behind, there are current instructors coming back around on these things and they also explain that there are players on tour who exhibit both of these traits. And they are professional golfers!
While many of you may see this and never consider allowing your body to move this way, I’d tell you to reconsider. If you lack power, consistency, and feel like garbage after a round, maybe your body is trying to tell you something. There are other ways to move a golf club that still produce lots of power, speed and consistency, and if you are willing to try a few things, there’s a good chance the fundamentals of The Easiest Swing (or something like it) could truly help you. And before you ask, no, I don’t work for these guys and I don’t make a dime from sharing my journey. I just think it could help a lot of you out there.
