Waggling isn’t just about moving the club head behind the ball in a rhythmic motion. It is multi-dimensional. Sure there is movement of the club head behind, around, or above the ball prior to striking it, but there is also motion in the feet as well. Though it might almost be imperceptible by some, a good waggle incorporates both the movement of the club head and the movement of the feet.

Moving the club head should simulate the speed or tempo that you wish to duplicate in the swing. Hogan even encouraged a movement of the club in the speed and direction the club might take in the first few inches away from the ball. For instance, if he wanted to hit a low fade or slice, he might waggle the club a bit more hurriedly or aggressively, and waggle slightly outside of a straight line behind the ball. The aggressive speed of the waggle would promote keeping the hands ahead of the club head at impact, and the path of the waggle would promote an outside to inside swing. He might do the opposite to create a draw or hook.

I played a lot of golf with the legendary Hall-of-Fame golfer, Jay Hebert. I still remember his advice about how important the waggle was. He said, “If you will ever notice a professional golfer playing golf, he is always in motion. He is never stagnant or still over the ball. He moves almost constantly waggling the club and moving his feet. Then, there is a momentary pause, and the shot is off.”

That constant motion did several things. First and foremost, it helped the professional relax. Tension is your worst enemy in golf. Second, if the did it correctly, it gave him a routine……two waggles of the club head and swing, for instance. That routine kept his mind focused on the performance of his swing and not in the results of the shot. And lastly, it created a rhythm – a tempo, that kept his swing under control.

For those of you who have never waggled the club, I encourage you to start learning how. It will not only make the game more enjoyable for you because you will finally be able to relax when you play, but you will see your shots fly farther and straighter than you have ever hit them.