What is a a Clear Key?
What is a Clear Key? And is it necessary?
Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC. We conduct 1, 2 and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993. We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.
Monthly Golf Tip by Mel Sole.
Our subject this month is What is a Clear Key? A Clear Key is a mantra (using either a word or a phrase) that can help you clear the mind of swing mechanics and add rhythm to your swing throughout the round.
How many times have you gone out and played the front nine well, and then, suddenly, your swing seems to disappear, and you misplay the back nine? Sometimes the opposite happens - you misplay the front that you have thoughts of giving up the game, and then - like magic - you play great on the back nine. Well, the key is rhythm or "pace."
After playing the front nine well, you start trying too hard with your swing. As a result, you lose your rhythm and play poorly. Exactly the opposite happens when you misplay the front nine. You feel a little depressed, you stop focusing so much on the mechanics of the swing and all of a sudden, your swing feels smoother, and you're hitting the ball well.
How do we maintain this rhythm all the time?
Here at the Mel Sole Golf School, we teach something called a "Clear Key" or mantra. This helps you with two things. 1. Keep the same pace throughout, and 2. to help you have no swing mechanics in your mind as you swing the club.
Two important facets.
1. It must be non-golf related - this helps you from thinking mechanics during the swing - a no-no during a round.
2. The mantra must match the rhythm of your swing. For example, if you have a fast pace like Lanny Watkins, John Daly or Arnold Palmer, you need a short quick, clear key. However, if you have a slower swing like Ernie Els or Freddie Couples, you need a longer phrase.
Let me give you an example:
Here are four pictures of myself showing how the clear key fits in with the rhythm of my swing. My Clear Key is "Geronimo." I say it three times during the swing.
As you can see from this sequence - the first Geronimo takes me halfway back, the second takes me to the top of my backswing, and impact occurs on the "Ron" of the third Geronimo. So if I am saying my Geronimos at the same pace each time, and my impact point occurs on the "ron" every time, I have accomplished the perfect pace for my swing.
It would help if you obviously found your own Clear Key, experiment with various words and phrases until you come up with the one that matches the pace of your swing.
Try this, and you will develop a consistent rhythm and produce better scores!
Source: Mel Sole Golf School.
Thanks for reading - What is a Clear Key? Try this on the range before taking it to the course.
Related Posts.
Can the Clear Key Improve your Golf – Technical Thursday #78.
Mantra for Rhythm – Course Management #22.
Clearing Obstacles – Trouble Shot Tuesday #14.
How to get Great Tempo in Your Golf Swing – Technical Thursday #93.
Softness Rhythm and Feel – Short Game #63.
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