J. D. Martinez Quotes

I would say that my downswing mirrors the path of my backswing pretty closely.

I started changing my swing in late 1999.

The golf swing is very, very rhythmic. There's a certain tempo to it, just like in music.

I think a firm grip helps you control the club and prevents it from turning in your hands. Another thing about feel is, if you make a change in your grip, it takes time for your brain to adapt.

I can remember back to my early tour days when some fellows didn't think I'd last too long. Nothing physical - they said it was my swing. Some said it was too much of a 'muscle swing' to stand the test of time. One fellow predicted I wouldn't get past 30 out there.

I'm still learning about my swing more. I continue to learn, with the help of my hitting instructors.

A question I get asked a lot in pro-ams is how I'm able to swing the club as hard as I do. Honestly, I'm not swinging that hard. I'm using about 75 percent of my maximum effort.

We've been trying to get my body and head moving toward the target on the downswing. I have a tendency to hang back and not release the club.

Because my lower body is quiet, I need a full shoulder turn to generate power and speed. Keep your tempo smooth, and with the quiet lower body, you don't have to worry about losing your balance.

Your woods, irons and wedges are built with specific lengths and lie angles, which demand that you stand to the ball a little differently for each one. The secret is to know which elements of your address position remain constant, and which ones you have to tweak to match the club in your hand.

Going to a one-plane swing method has made me a much more consistent player. Even when I'm not on, I never get very far off.

The beauty is, while you're working on chipping, you're also working on driving. This is because the bottoms of both swings - the area around impact - are identical.

I almost never hit a shot all out, and I make a conscious effort to swing my long clubs just as I do my wedges. Keep this in mind when hitting your fairway woods.

The ultimate judge of your swing is the flight of the ball.

When I was getting overly 'droppy,' that's when I was hitting shots left and right. That's what we were doing, so maybe if my swing was a touch flatter, I wouldn't drop the club as much.

There have been nights I've stayed up late thinking about, 'What's wrong with my swing? What do I need to fix?'

Swinging harder with a longer club almost always leads to bad shots.

Sometimes my backswing gets long, and I get in bad positions. The club also can get behind me coming down, so I have to flip my hands to catch up to my body.

The biggest mistake is trying to pinch down on the ball and ripping out a big divot, often hitting the ground before the ball. You'll dig up some turf, but you won't create much backspin.

Great touch is often written off simply as 'talent,' which is crucial, because a good swing can take a golfer only so far. I've seen thousands of fantastic swings in my day, but that doesn't guarantee anything.

The way I see it, thinking about the position of the club during the swing is about the worst way to play golf. It makes you tight and defensive, which kills your natural speed and rhythm. Although there's obvious value to minding your technique, at best you'll play an OK round. Where's the fun in that?

I'm pretty much a self-taught player. My swing hasn't changed a whole lot, I don't think. But I watch a lot of people.

It's very difficult to consistently hit good iron shots if you get off to a bad start. That's why I'm always paying attention to my setup and takeaway.

For a 7-iron, you never want the ball to be closer to your left heel than just slightly ahead of the mid-point of your stance. That's especially true if you're a tall player, like me.

I very rarely watch anybody swing. All I do is follow where the ball goes.