The Science of Better Golf: Why Traditional Golf Fundamentals Are Keeping You Stuck—And the Hidden Truth About Matchups

The Science of Better Golf: Why Traditional Golf Fundamentals Are Not Fundamental To Great Golf

Hi friends and golfers.  My name is coach Erik Schjolberg, founder and owner of EJS Golf and the Science of Better Golf community. You can find me teaching live at McCormick Ranch golf course located in Scottsdale, AZ.  Having coached thousands of lessons over the past 25 years plus, I have learned that the more golfers focus on data and what is real vs. feels or imagined, the better they get.  This is a super important topic that you are going to read and learn about today. 

There's a revolutionary concept in golf that most instructors won't tell you about, either because they don't understand it or because it contradicts everything they've been teaching. It's called matchups, and it's the key to understanding why traditional fundamentals are not only wrong—they're preventing you from ever building a consistent swing.

After twenty years plus of coaching at EJS Golf here in Scottsdale, AZ measuring thousands of swings on TrackMan and force plates, I've discovered something that changes everything: The golf swing isn't about perfect positions. It's about matching your movements to create predictable impact conditions. This is why I've built The Science of Better Golf community at tsbgolf.com—to share these game-changing insights with golfers who are ready to abandon myths for physics.

Last night during our weekly coaching call in The Science of Better Golf community, a member asked me why his textbook grip and stance weren't producing consistent shots. When I explained the concept of matchups—how every piece of your swing must correspond with every other piece—the lightbulb went on. He realized he'd been mixing and matching pieces from different swing styles, creating a Frankenstein swing that could never work. This is exactly why I'm limiting membership in our community at tsbgolf.com. These concepts require real coaching, not just videos.

The Fatal Flaw of Traditional Fundamentals

When instructors teach fundamentals, they present them as universal truths. Neutral grip. Square stance. Spine tilt away from the target. Ball position off the left heel for driver, in the middle for wedges. These are supposedly the building blocks every golfer needs. But here's what they don't tell you: These "fundamentals" only work if they match up with the rest of your swing pattern. And for most golfers, they don't.

When instructors teach fundamentals, they present them as universal truths. Neutral grip. Square stance. Spine tilt away from the target. Ball position off the left heel. These are supposedly the building blocks every golfer needs. But here's what they don't tell you: These "fundamentals" only work if they match up with the rest of your swing pattern. And for most golfers, they don't.

Let me give you a perfect example from a lesson last week at my teaching by at the EJS Golf Academy in Scottsdale, AZ. A student came to me with what he called a "perfect" setup—neutral grip, square stance, textbook posture. His previous instructor had spent months perfecting these fundamentals. Yet he was hitting massive blocks to the right. Why? Because his "neutral" grip didn't match up with his club path and body rotation pattern.

You see, if you have a neutral grip but your body stalls through impact (like many amateurs), your club face will be wide open at impact. The matchup is wrong. You'd actually need a stronger grip to square the face with that swing pattern. But traditional instruction would never tell you this—they'd just keep insisting on that neutral grip while you spray balls all over the course. What the golfer was trying to do was cast the golf club to square it up by impact.

This is the dirty secret of golf instruction: There are no universal fundamentals. There are only matchups that work together. 

Understanding the Science of Matchups

In The Science of Better Golf community at tsbgolf.com, I spend a considerable time teaching members how matchups actually work. Think of your swing as an equation that must balance. Every input on one side requires a corresponding output on the other. Change one variable, and you must adjust another to maintain the balance.

Here's a practical example that blows most golfers' minds: The strength of your lead hand grip must match up with your wrist condition at impact. If you have a weak left-hand grip (turned toward the target), you'll need a more bowed left wrist at impact to square the club face. If you have a strong grip (turned away from the target), your left wrist will be flatter or even slightly cupped at impact. Same square club face, completely different positions.

I demonstrated this last week during a session I was teaching for my online golf lessons program. Two students, both approximately scratch golfers, had completely different impact positions. One had a weak grip with a dramatically bowed left wrist. The other had a strong grip with a flat left wrist. Both were hitting perfect draws. The positions were opposite, but the matchups were correct.

This extends to every part of the swing. Want to hit a draw? Here are the matchups you need:

• Ball position slightly back (to hit on the ascending arc)

• Weight more forward (to ensure an in-to-out path)

• Stronger grip OR the ability to bow the left wrist through impact

• Alignment slightly right (to allow room for the draw)

• Spine tilt patterns that keep you behind the ball

Want to hit a fade? Everything changes:

• Ball position more forward

• Weight distribution more centered or even favoring the back foot

• Weaker grip OR less wrist rotation through impact

• Alignment left of target

• Different spine tilt patterns that promote an out-to-in path

These aren't preferences—they're requirements. You can't mix and match from both lists and expect consistent results.

Why Tour Players Look So Different (But Are Doing the Same Thing)

This concept of matchups explains something that confuses amateur golfers: Why do tour players' swings look so different if there are supposedly universal fundamentals? The answer is that they've all found different matchup combinations that produce the same result—consistent, powerful impact.

During my work with tour players, I've cataloged these matchup patterns extensively. Jim Furyk has an extremely weak grip, but watch his left wrist through impact—it's bowed more than almost any player in history. The matchup works. Dustin Johnson has a strong grip, and his left wrist is flat to slightly cupped at impact. Different positions, same square club face to the intended start line.

In our community at tsbgolf.com, members have access to detailed breakdowns of these tour player matchups. We analyze why certain combinations work and how to identify which patterns might work for your swing. This isn't about copying positions—it's about understanding relationships.

Last month, a member posted his breakthrough in our forum. He'd been trying to copy Rory McIlroy's positions for years. Strong grip, aggressive body rotation, flat left wrist at the top. But he couldn't hit anything but hooks. When we analyzed his matchups during a live coaching call, we discovered the problem: He was also trying to maintain the spine tilt of someone like Jon Rahm, who plays a fade. The matchups were fighting each other.

Once he understood that Rory's positions require specific corresponding moves—including different spine tilts, hip patterns, and release dynamics—everything clicked. He stopped trying to copy positions and started building a matched set. His handicap dropped from 12 to 7 in six weeks.

The Hidden Matchups Nobody Talks About

Here's where it gets really interesting, and why The Science of Better Golf community at tsbgolf.com is so valuable. There are matchups in the golf swing that even most instructors don't understand. These hidden relationships determine whether your swing can ever be consistent.

Consider the relationship between shoulder tilt and hand path. If your shoulders turn level (which is still taught), your hands must lift off your chest to create enough swing arc. But if your lead shoulder turns down steeply, your hands can stay connected to your chest throughout the swing. Different shoulder tilts require different arm actions—it's a matchup that must balance.

During a recent lesson at EJS Golf, I worked with a college player who'd been struggling with consistency for months. His coach had him working on "staying connected" with his arms while also turning his shoulders level. These two pieces don't match up! Level shoulders require some arm lift. Connected arms require steeper shoulder tilt. He was trying to combine incompatible pieces.

When we matched his arm action to his shoulder pattern—in this case, steeping his shoulder turn to match his connected arm swing—his ball-striking transformed instantly. He'd been fighting mismatched pieces for months, all because nobody had explained how matchups work.

Building Your Personal Matchup Matrix

This is where The Science of Better Golf community at tsbgolf.com becomes invaluable. We don't just teach positions—we teach you how to build your own matchup matrix. This is a systematic way of ensuring every piece of your swing corresponds correctly with every other piece.

Here's how we approach it in our community:

First, we identify your impact goals. Do you want to hit a draw or fade? High shots or low? This determines which matchup family you belong to.

Second, we assess your physical capabilities and preferences. Can you bow your left wrist? How much hip mobility do you have? These factors influence which matchups will work for you.

Third, we systematically build your swing using matched pieces. If you need a stronger grip for your desired ball flight, we match that with the corresponding wrist conditions, body rotations, and release patterns.

Fourth, we test and refine. Using the measurement protocols I teach in our community, you can verify that your matchups are producing the desired impact conditions.

This process is what separates random improvement from systematic development. In our weekly coaching calls at tsbgolf.com, we work through real member swings, identifying mismatched pieces and prescribing the correct combinations. It's like having a master mechanic explain exactly which parts work together and why.

The Disaster of Mixing and Matching

The biggest tragedy I see in golf instruction is players mixing and matching pieces from different swing styles. They'll take a strong grip from one instructor, a centered pivot from another, and a hold-off release from a third. These pieces don't match up! It's like trying to build a car with parts from different manufacturers—nothing fits together properly.

Last week in The Science of Better Golf community, we analyzed a member's swing who'd been to six different instructors over two years. His swing was a collection of unmatched pieces:

• Strong grip (promotes draw)

• Ball position forward (promotes fade)

• Weight hanging back (promotes draw)

• Shoulders spinning open (promotes fade)

• Trying to hold the face square (fights both patterns)

No wonder he couldn't break 90! Every piece of his swing was fighting every other piece. When we mapped out his matchups during our coaching call, he finally understood why he'd been struggling. More importantly, he understood how to fix it.

This is precisely why I limit membership in our community at tsbgolf.com. These concepts require careful explanation and individual attention. You can't just watch a video and understand how matchups apply to your specific swing. You need interaction, feedback, and guidance.

Revolutionary Practice: Working on Matched Sets

Traditional practice has you beating balls while thinking about positions. Keep your head still. Maintain your spine angle. Turn your shoulders. This position-based practice, while it has its place at times, is why most golfers never improve. They're working on pieces without understanding how they connect.

In The Science of Better Golf community, we teach matched-set practice. Instead of working on positions, exclusively. For example, if you're trying to hit a draw, you don't just practice a stronger grip. You practice the entire draw matchup set:

• Stronger grip WITH the corresponding wrist pattern

• Ball back WITH weight forward

• In-to-out path WITH the proper face relationship

• Body patterns that support these matchups

This is how tour players practice, whether they articulate it or not. They understand intuitively that changing one piece requires adjusting others. We make this intuitive understanding explicit and teachable.

Recently during a community Q&A session, a member asked about his struggles with driving. He'd been working on hitting up on the ball (good for distance) but couldn't stop hitting blocks and hooks. The problem? He was trying to hit up while maintaining the matchups for hitting down. Different vertical strikes require different horizontal patterns—another matchup most golfers never learn.

Your Path Forward: Matched, Not Mixed

As you consider your own golf journey, ask yourself: Are you playing with a matched set of swing pieces, or are you mixing and matching from different systems? If your improvement has stalled despite working on "fundamentals," it's likely because your pieces don't fit together.

The revolution happening at EJS Golf and in The Science of Better Golf community isn't about new positions or methods. It's about understanding how the pieces fit together. It's about building a swing where every element supports every other element. It's about matchups, not positions.

This week in our community at tsbgolf.com, we're diving deep into the matchups for different ball flights. Members will learn exactly which combinations produce draws, fades, and straight shots. More importantly, they'll learn how to diagnose their own mismatches and build compatible patterns.

For those in the Scottsdale area, I demonstrate these concepts daily at EJS Golf. Using our full technology suite—TrackMan, force plates, 3D motion capture—we can show you exactly which pieces of your swing match up and which are fighting each other. It's eye-opening for every golfer who experiences it.

The bottom line is this: Stop chasing positions. Start understanding relationships. Stop mixing and matching from different instructors. Start building a matched set that works together. This is how you create a consistent, repeatable swing that holds up under pressure.

Join The Science of Better Golf community at tsbgolf.com while membership spots remain available. Learn which matchups work for your swing. Understand why certain combinations produce certain results. Most importantly, build a swing where every piece supports every other piece.

Book a lesson at EJS Golf to see your matchups analyzed with tour-level technology. Or join our online coaching program to start understanding these concepts from anywhere in the world.

The future of golf instruction isn't about perfect positions—it's about perfect matchups. Once you understand this, improvement isn't just possible. It's inevitable. Because when all the pieces finally fit together, the golf swing stops being a mystery and starts being a science.

Coach Erik Schjolberg

The Science of Better Golf

EJS Golf

Scottsdale Golf Lessons

Online Golf Lessons

(480) 861-9370