South African Ernie Els is one of the undisputed all time greats. With 70 career victories – including four major championships – and a World Golf Hall of Fame spot – there’s a lot to learn from the man they call “the Big Easy.”
From his famous smooth swing to his incredible short game, let’s take a look at what makes Els such an great golfer and see if we can pick up some tips from the big man.
Your address position is crucial
Before you even think of your swing, get your ball position sorted. “If my setup is not comfortable, I can’t hit the golf ball properly,” says Ernie. It’s such a simple part of the game, yet one that so many amateur golfers – and even the pros – get wrong all too often.
Ernie recommends going through several key steps of the address position. First, make sure you’re actually aiming where you want the ball to go.
Then, get your ball position right. “For driving, you don’t want the ball past your left toe. This will lead to you staying behind the ball for too long,” says Ernie. “You also don’t want it too far back in your stance. The ideal place is just inside the line of your left heel.
You should move your ball position toward the centre for mid irons. With shorter clubs your ball position should be just back from the middle.
Above all, you should address the ball with a positive attitude. Feel strong over the ball. Stable hips with an athletic stance is the ideal baseline for a great swing.
Swing easy to hit hard off the tee
For Ernie, the way to get distance is to have a smooth, rhythmic swing. The more you force it, the less effective it will be – he’s not called ‘the Big Easy for nothing! “You’ll get better results – and often more distance – if you swing at 80% effort,” he says.
You should set up with the feet just inside the line of your shoulders. Have a little bit of knee flex and a straight back. It should feel like your arms are hanging from your shoulders, with minimal tension in your forearms.
On the backswing, get your left shoulder behind the ball. This gets you into a good position on the backswing. From the top of your backswing it should feel like your left arm and the clubhead are dropping straight to the floor.
“To be honest,” says Ernie, “the swing is then just a matter of tempo and rhythm. I don’t feel like I’m trying to do anything or force anything. It’s just happening, like a chain reaction.”
Iron shots
Much of the swing basics of Ernie’s game apply to iron shots too. From the position of address through to the backswing, he likes to think in terms of shapes. He starts with a triangle when addressing the ball then, as his elbows bend and he approaches the top of his backswing, he forms a box between the club shaft, his forearm and his upper arm. As he begins the downswing, he maintains the box angle.
Completing the backswing is crucial, he says. “If you feel like you can’t load up and you don’t have enough power, how can you hit the ball?” he says. “The only way to get power is to wind up properly. Then you don’t feel the need to push through the swing.”
“Get your left shoulder behind the ball. From that position you’re fully loaded and your transition will be nice and smooth. You won’t be snatching at the ball for extra power.”
Ernie advises a simple 2 count as you swing. So, count 1 as you swing back and 2 on impact with the ball. It can help you maintain an easy, smooth tempo, with a slight pause at the top of the swing.
No nonsense putting
Ben Hogan described it as a “game within a game.” It’s one of the most crucial aspects of golf, where games are won and lost in a moment. It’s no surprise that the pressure and stress can get the better of even the most accomplished golfers.
Ernie’s take is that you shouldn’t give pressure time to sink in. In fact, after a recent spell of poor putting form, Ernie decided to take a look at the tapes from his younger days. He noticed that he was a lot more fluid and no nonsense about his putting approach.
“The more time you have your head over the ball, the more time there is for nerves to creep in,” he says. “Some guys start thinking ‘What’s my playing partner going to think if I miss this putt? What’s my wife going to think? What’s my bank balance?!’”
For longer putts, the Big Easy is, unsurprisingly, a fan of taking it easy. “Swing the weight of the putter through the ball, rather than focusing on trying to move the ball from point A to point B.”
Ernie says reading the greens is key. If you’re on a slope, mark out a little spot on the ball’s path to the hole. You can even read the grain of the grass, looking at the direction it grows (towards the setting sun) to gauge whether you need more or less power.
The biggest putting tip? “Have a putting routine and keep it consistent.”
Keep that natural swing!
Lots of great golfers, Ernie included, are natural players who play through instinct. This is what makes them great. However, they all discover flaws in their game from time to time.
How they correct these flaws is crucial. The last thing they want to do is ruin what makes them special in the first place. Ernie Els only ever tweaks his game. “Know the flaw and fix just that,” he says.
So, don’t be tempted to try to ‘correct’ every part of your swing. If it ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it!