Contrasting theories

The great Bobby Jones wrote, "No one ever swung a golf club too slowly." The great Ben Hogan write, "You can't turn your hips too fast."

Both are, imho, correct. Jones was referring to a swing; Hogan was referring to a stroke. A swing is at one end of a continuum, a stroke at another.

A swing is one, continuous, flowing action; a stroke is a complex collection of individual movements. A swing resembles a waterfall; a stroke is more like an internal combustion engine.

Every golfer has to decide on a model action - swing or stroke. Each has its benefits and costs. 

If a golfer adopts the swing as a model, he must learn to direct his awareness outward, to the clubhead. The ONLY sensation he should be aware of is the path of the clubhead, path referring both to the space through which the clubhead travels and to the pace of that clubhead as it moves through space. The benefit is ease of repetition; the cost is power.

If he adopts the stroke as a model, he must learn to direct his awareness inward. He will have to keep all of his body movements in his awareness. Because the stroke is so complex, it needs continual adjustment, and will be difficult to repeat; but the benefit is power - a stroker will send the ball much further than a swinger. Just not as accurately.

But truth to tell, we all become strokers sooner or later. Why? Because we're humans and we have to find a way to think through the complex, or golf would be as boring as working on an assembly line.