So, I got curious about Jovan Rebula a while back. Wasn’t really following his pro career closely, but remembered his name from his big amateur win. You know how it is, sometimes you just go down a rabbit hole watching golf swings.
I was struggling with my tempo, rushing everything. Someone mentioned looking at players with smooth, maybe less flashy swings. Somehow, Rebula’s name popped up again. So, I decided, okay, let’s see what this guy’s swing looks like up close. Fired up the computer and started digging through whatever clips I could find. Mostly stuff from his college days and that Amateur Championship win.
Watching and Trying
Spent a good hour or two just watching. Really focused on how he started his downswing. Looked pretty smooth, not too violent. Seemed like something maybe, just maybe, an average Joe like me could try to feel.
Next day, I headed to the driving range. Full of hope, you know? Grabbed my trusty 7-iron. My plan was simple: try to replicate that smooth transition I saw in the videos.
- First few swings? Absolute disaster. Topped one, shanked another. Felt completely out of sync.
- Tried to slow down my thoughts, just focusing on that initial move down. Started feeling a tiny bit better.
- Hit maybe five decent shots out of a bucket of fifty. Felt smoother, yeah, but the ball didn’t exactly go miles further or straighter.
The Reality Check
It’s funny how easy pros make it look on video. You watch them, think “Oh, I see what he’s doing,” then you try it yourself and your body just says “Nope, not happening.” It’s like trying to copy a famous painter stroke for stroke. You can see it, but making your hand do it is a whole different game.
It wasn’t really about copying Rebula perfectly, I guess. It was more about using his swing as a reference point. Trying to feel something different than my usual jerky move. Did it fix my tempo overnight? Of course not. Golf is never that easy, is it?
But the process was interesting. It made me think more consciously about my transition, which is probably a good thing. Spent a few more range sessions trying to get that smoother feel. Sometimes it clicked, sometimes it felt forced.
In the end, I didn’t suddenly start swinging like Jovan Rebula. Shocker, I know. But the whole exercise of watching him, breaking down a part of his swing, and then actively trying to incorporate that feeling into my own practice was… well, it was practice. It was something concrete to work on, instead of just beating balls aimlessly. And sometimes, just having a focus like that is half the battle.
