Shared by Gregg Yorkison, C.Y.G.
Having spent most of his life in Southern California, Gregg Yorkison of C.Y.G. has seen plenty of perfect days for golf. Working in finance, he has also found plenty of opportunities to merge business and tee time. Along the way, Gregg Yorkison of C.Y.G. learned a few important lessons about the perfect golf swing. He also noticed that the way we play golf can say a lot about how we do business.
The perfect swing
Gregg Yorkison of C.Y.G. reminds us that the perfect swing starts long before the club heads in the direction of the golf ball on the green. It all starts in your stance. Body mechanics and how you stand are vital in determining how a swing will go, including the distance and accuracy.
First is the basic stance:
“Among other things, the club should rest flat behind the ball. It should be held by the golfer with hands flowing straight down from the shoulders. The knees should be comfortably bent and the upper body tilted forward and straight. The right hand being lower than the left will put the shoulders on an upward slope. The weight is evenly divided between the two feet and rests mostly on the ball of the feet.
Finally, the shaft of the club is angled forward slightly, the clubface is perpendicular to the target and the feet are parallel to the target line.“
Image credit: Ashford Marx
That is when we get into the mechanics of it. A small change in posture, even in keeping a knee loose as we swing, can make the difference between a poor swing and a stellar one. Over time, golf has become a science, and many have researched it extensively:
“If we retain our right knee flexibility throughout our backswing, we keep the quadriceps in a lengthened state, our hamstrings and gluteals are also lengthened when we maintain hip flexion (maintaining posture). All of the muscle groups above are further lengthened as the pelvis rotates away from the target during the backswing.
These swing mechanics are shown brilliantly above by Rory McIlroy. They have the effect of pre-loading large muscle groups in the lower body, ready to generate some serious speed in the downswing.°
Business, finance, and a game of golf
So, you’re set to make the perfect swing, but what does any of this have to do with business? As it turns out, Gregg Yorkison of C.Y.G. notes that we can learn a lot about how someone can manage a crisis. It all starts by seeing how well they do on the 10th hole. How they deal with stress on the golf course is a window into how they deal with stress in business. Do they find another way through? Or do they keep trying from the same angle? Do they call a “Mulligan” and move on? Knowing their likely response to a challenge can help in deciding how you should present solutions, and which are most likely to be well received.
It’s all in a game of golf.
Image credit: Kampus Production