Become a Home Run Hitter

Touch ’em all to help your game.

ARIZONA IS KNOWN for many things. Tourists flock from all over to escape the winter and enjoy some of our world-class resorts, amazing restaurants, the Grand Canyon and all it offers and–of course–over 300 golf courses throughout the state.

One thing that you might not immediately think of is baseball. Every February, Phoenix/ Scottsdale and the surrounding areas host Spring Training baseball for 15 teams–half of Major League Baseball. If you’ve never been to a Cactus League game here in Arizona, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Did you know that golf and baseball have a lot in common? One of the biggest misconceptions I often hear from golfers is that they have too much of a baseball swing and that it causes them to hit poor shots. In fact, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are a lot of similarities between the golf swing and swinging a baseball bat.

The athletic motion of the body moving through the ball with the club/bat as it swings around the body follows a certain movement pattern that is referred to as “Kinematic Sequence.” Simply put, when our body is required to make an athletic movement, four different body parts move–but at different times, ranges and speeds. Your hands move first—and fastest—in your golf swing. They are also the one body part that moves the greatest distance around your body.

If the hands are the first thing to move the club, the arms come second. Both arms move before the torso rotates and the hips turn to round off the backswing. It is your job at the top of the backswing to start your downswing in the reverse order: hips turn, torso rotates, arms return back towards the golf ball before you release the club with the hands. Maintaining this sequence will ensure that the club stays on plane and its path through impact travels towards the target.

So, how can baseball help you play golf? It can certainly stop you slicing your shots. A slice is caused when you come over the top and your swing path is outside-in on the down- swing–a problem resulting from a violation of your downswing kinematic sequence. Basically, you’re having a false start at the top of your backswing because the arms and hands are moving towards the ball before the hips and torso. To create the correct sensation with your downswing sequence, something simple as making baseball swings with a golf club or even a bat can certainly help.