--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My golf swing is a bit like ironing a…" description: "\"My golf swing is a bit like ironing a shirt. You get one side smoothed out, turn it over and there is a big wrinkle on the other side. Then you iron th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/tom-watson-12148_bigs_my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-sh_272248.png" --- # My golf swing is a bit like ironing a shirt. You get one… ![“My golf swing is a bit like ironing a shirt. You get one side smoothed out, turn it over and there is a big wrinkle on the other side. Then you iron that one out, turn it over and there is yet another wrinkle.” quote by Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/tom-watson-12148_bigs_my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-sh_272248.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/tom-watson-12148_bigs_my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-sh_272248.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/tom-watson-12148_bigs_my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-sh_272248.png) > “My golf swing is a bit like ironing a shirt. You get one side smoothed out, turn it over and there is a big wrinkle on the other side. Then you iron that one out, turn it over and there is yet another wrinkle.” [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improving a skill often creates new problems; fixing one issue can reveal another. **In simple terms:** Fixing one flaw can cause another. Key Takeaway Address issues holistically. Themes golf skill development perfectionism Mood frustrated determined Type advice reflective When to use this quote - practice sessions - coaching - self‑analysis Key Concepts feedback loops continuous improvement Questions to Reflect On - How can you identify root causes rather than symptoms? - What balance between perfection and progress? A Different Perspective Fixing one flaw may not solve underlying technique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Golf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf/) [Golf swing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf-swing/) [Iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iron/) [Ironing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ironing/) [Like Ironing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-ironing-2297427/) [Shirts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shirts/) [Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sides/) [Swing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swing/) [Swings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swings/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Wrinkle Iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrinkle-iron-2659148/) [Wrinkles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrinkles/) ## Related quotes > [Screenwriting is like ironing. You move forward a little bit and go back and smooth things out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/screenwriting-is-like-ironing-you-move-forward-a-little-bit-and-go/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [The golf swing is a violent swing. You twist, and your spine is under continual stress when you're making a golf swing. Your neck,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/the-golf-swing-is-a-violent-swing-you-twist-and-your-spine-is-under/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [Forget the last shot. It takes so long to accept that you can't always replicate your swing. The only thing you can control is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mccumber/forget-the-last-shot-it-takes-so-long-to-accept-that-you-can-t-always/) [Mark McCumber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mccumber/) > [My swing is so bad I look like a caveman killing his lunch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-trevino/my-swing-is-so-bad-i-look-like-a-caveman-killing-his-lunch/) [Lee Trevino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-trevino/) > [I guess I've always been a fan of Dustin Johnson's golf swing, because I have a lot of similar things to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-hovland/i-guess-i-ve-always-been-a-fan-of-dustin-johnson-s-golf-swing-because/) [Viktor Hovland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-hovland/) > [My golf swing is probably the most horrendous you've ever seen. I look like I'm trying to attack the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/my-golf-swing-is-probably-the-most-horrendous-you-ve-ever-seen-i-look/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [In golf, you swing smooth and let the club do the work for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-janikowski/in-golf-you-swing-smooth-and-let-the-club-do-the-work-for-you/) [Sebastian Janikowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-janikowski/) > [The funny thing about the golf swing is that you try to alter it and end up with the same faults as you've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-corbett/the-funny-thing-about-the-golf-swing-is-that-you-try-to-alter-it-and/) [Ronnie Corbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-corbett/) > [I don't believe there is anything like a natural golf swing. A golf swing is an unnatural thing, and it has to be developed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-hogan/i-don-t-believe-there-is-anything-like-a-natural-golf-swing-a-golf/) [Ben Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-hogan/) > [When I golf, I swing hard. I've got to slow down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-janikowski/when-i-golf-i-swing-hard-i-ve-got-to-slow-down/) [Sebastian Janikowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-janikowski/) > [Tempo is the glue that sticks all elements of the golf swing together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-faldo/tempo-is-the-glue-that-sticks-all-elements-of-the-golf-swing-together/) [Nick Faldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-faldo/) > [I think the golf swing is all about rotation, all about trying to keep the club on plane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/i-think-the-golf-swing-is-all-about-rotation-all-about-trying-to-keep/) [Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/) > [A lot of times guys have the tendency to try to kick it too hard or over-kick it. Just like a golf swing, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-gostkowski/a-lot-of-times-guys-have-the-tendency-to-try-to-kick-it-too-hard-or/) [Stephen Gostkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-gostkowski/) > [I practice my golf swing naked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-practice-my-golf-swing-naked/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [The golf swing is among the most stressful and unnatural acts in sports, short of cheering for the Yankees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-faxon/the-golf-swing-is-among-the-most-stressful-and-unnatural-acts-in/) [Brad Faxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-faxon/) ## More by Tom Watson > [Ballybunion is the course on which many golf architects should live and play on before they build golf courses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/ballybunion-is-the-course-on-which-many-golf-architects-should-live/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I hope that I've been able to treat people with the respect they've shown me. That's basically the tenet you try to live by.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-hope-that-i-ve-been-able-to-treat-people-with-the-respect-they-ve/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I guess I have never been much of a complainer. You just take what is given you, and don't complain about what you can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-guess-i-have-never-been-much-of-a-complainer-you-just-take-what-is/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I love the competition, and if I can continue to compete and give myself a chance to win tournaments, I'll still play out here.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-love-the-competition-and-if-i-can-continue-to-compete-and-give/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I learned how to win by losing and not liking it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-learned-how-to-win-by-losing-and-not-liking-it/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [Golfers who play a lot of courses often encounter short ledges or retaining walls, and I always had fun hopping down from them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/golfers-who-play-a-lot-of-courses-often-encounter-short-ledges-or/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [When you come off that last hole and you've just finished a good round of golf, life is good. When you come off that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/when-you-come-off-that-last-hole-and-you-ve-just-finished-a-good/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [From the time I won the Kansas City Match Play championship at age 14, I never wanted to be anything but a golfer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/from-the-time-i-won-the-kansas-city-match-play-championship-at-age-14/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/all-the-problems-of-the-world-could-be-settled-easily-if-men-were-2/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I love the way the game of golf is lived and played in Scotland. I always have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-love-the-way-the-game-of-golf-is-lived-and-played-in-scotland-i/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [Sometimes you have to lose major championships before you can win them. It's the price you pay for maturing. The more times you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/sometimes-you-have-to-lose-major-championships-before-you-can-win/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I've said many times, 'You learn to win through not liking to lose.' And that's what I mean by learning how to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-ve-said-many-times-you-learn-to-win-through-not-liking-to-lose-and/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [My career was one of just taking it step by step. I didn't know how I was gonna fare on the professional circuit when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/my-career-was-one-of-just-taking-it-step-by-step-i-didn-t-know-how-i/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [I have a special feeling for Blue Hills CC, where I won perhaps the most important tournament of my life when I was 14…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/i-have-a-special-feeling-for-blue-hills-cc-where-i-won-perhaps-the/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [Any time you play in a USGA Championship, if you don't drive the ball on the fairway, you're dead. You're done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/any-time-you-play-in-a-usga-championship-if-you-don-t-drive-the-ball/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) [Explore all 54 Tom Watson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) [Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My golf swing is a bit like ironing a shirt. You get one side smoothed out, turn it over and there is a big wrinkle on the other side. Then you iron that one out, turn it over and there is yet another wrinkle.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Watson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-shirt-you-get-one-side-smoothed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-shirt-you-get-one-side-smoothed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/tom-watson-12148_bigs_my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-sh_272248.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/tom-watson-12148_bigs_my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-sh_272248.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/696/tom-watson-12148_bigs_my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-sh_272248.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My golf swing is a bit like ironing a shirt. You get one side smoothed out, turn it over and there is a big…” — Tom Watson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Watson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My golf swing is a bit...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-shirt-you-get-one-side-smoothed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/my-golf-swing-is-a-bit-like-ironing-a-shirt-you-get-one-side-smoothed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```