Homer was a tennis player as well. Ive always thought his Right Arm Flying Wedge , his Frozen Right Wrist, the Bat Minor Basic Stroke etc reminded my of tennis, not that I know too much about tennis. Using the right side, freezing the right wrist was far from normal when he first published. Still is maybe even after all these years, despite the fact he had it right to my mind. In that way Id say TGM is a good fit for a tennis player taking up golf, be you a Hitter or a Swinger.
You have a lot of great stuff going on there. Forget about positions and stick with motion and alignments ............thats how those positions were achieved by the pro's in the first place. And dont worry about shallowing out your plane around here..........though some have a preference for the Elbow Plane there are options and to each his own.
If I may, Id suggest taking a look at "Extensor Action" . Also research how its possible , indeed ideal to cock the left wrist with Right Elbow bending and the right wrist held frozen in its impact fix degree of bend. So just the Left Wrist cocks, not the Right. It wont be easy but if you have the well trained Right Forearm Flying Wedge like I think you do, it'll seem familiar to you and it'll be something you will never give up once you get it down. The golf swing only appears to be rubber wristed, so dont entertain any actual rubber wristed techniques. Keep your right wrist tennis like frozen, your grip firm, you'll have longer lever that way. From Left Shoulder to Ball instead of Left Wrist to Ball. On film it'll look otherwise, but the ball will know the difference.
Once last little thing. Try little chips where you get a "Both ARms Straight" or "Follow Through" position when the club shaft is about 45 degrees to the ground or so. This will mean that the Left Arm is straight and the Right Arm bent at Impact. There is a little magic to be had compression wise when you get it right. This is the proper Orbit being completed. When you get both those arms straight, you'll start to feel like you're just nutting these little shots right on the sweetspot. Something you'll want to take to the rest of your shots. The left arm is like a piece of string but you have to stretch it taught with the Right side or/and Centrifugal Force. "Extensor Action", its weird but wonderful and it'll allow you to feel a lot of TGM things suddenly turn on, like the Left Wrist getting cocked by the Right Elbow for instance.
Lately I've been trying to use extensor action at address and during the takeaway as the tugging sensation helps me feel tight and stable during the backswing. I may lose this extensor action at the start of the downswing, not really sure though as I haven't thought about it during the downswing. I'll definitely try the chipping drill you recommended with the Both Arms Straight" or "Follow Through" position.
BerntR,
My ballstriking is fairly inconsistent as far as contact, but all of my misses are short/right with a slight fade or slice. This is probably an unfair judgment though because I actually haven't played a round of golf in like a year. Last week I took golf up again and practiced about 3 times on the range/pitching green. I pretty much quit with so much tennis and school going on, but was lured back after watching the Accenture on T.V. I also want to note that I read forums/literature on TGM and ABS and practice on the range/practice green way more than I actually play. That's bad, but I usually don't have the time to devote to a round, and don't really know anyone that plays golf at all.
So I figure you don't have a proper release and you haven't sorted out how to trap the ball in a manner that can produce a draw.
In that case I think you should focus on:
rope handling
sequenced release
dual horizontal hinging
These three combine very well. And you will find appropriate info about them her on LBG. You should practice the hinge action on short shots first to get a feel for it. And while you're at it you might as well try out the angled hinging and the vertical hinging as well. They have different rhythms and they all come in handy.
You may want to bring your club and your right elbow slightly closer to your body at address. This will give you some more lag to work with through the ball. Your pivot looks pretty good and ready for powerful ball striking.
I like the way your club moves dtl. But you got some issues with the way your hips work. Look at your head motion and you can kinda get a feel for it. Your head drop down ala Hogan and Tiger but you never get your hips forward and open and up like Eldrick and Hogan. See pic below. That deal with your right arm staying bent to me looks like a radius issue. Since your head has dropped you cant really stretch it out or you'll crash the ground behind the ball. Look at how far back your butt is compared to Hogan. your head ends up infront of your hips. So you got like reverse tilt. I'd like to see you a. load #2 (left wrist cock faster on the backstroke. b. get some standard knee action (see pics) c. Get the hips forward, open and up . . . . that will keep the face from flashing so much. Note how Snead's hands are more "crossed over" than Hogan and how much more forward and open Hogan is with his hips. You could try hitting some shots where you feel like you are looking underneath the ball through the shot. So your head stays back and your hips go forward and turn. Not how your right knee is so bent. That indicates that you are sliding the hips forward as the turn . . . . you're just turning. Note Snead's right knee compared to hogan . . . more bent . . . but he does have axis tilt more than you. You could put your head on a door frame and practice this. Also you could kinda stick a ball on a tee close to your right ankle . . . look at your foot work. It's like you are putting out a cigarette or squashing a roach. You kneed to feel like your right ankle is going to lay down on the ground via your hips going forward and streching out your right leg. Look at hogans foot work compared to your. . . that right leg tells a story of no forward and turning only. Note how hogan's right heel is LEADING . . . yours is popping up . . . due to how your lower half is working. All that being said . . . your club moves nice dtl. Arms work nice. Work on the pivot and you'll be nasty good. Should get that face to move more uniform and slow it down. Less variation in where your ball starts. Do you hit cuts when you miss it?
__________________
Aloha Mr. Hand
Behold my hands; reach hither thy hand
Last edited by 12 piece bucket : 03-06-2010 at 11:34 AM.
Slice 'O Day, you're probably noticing a slightly different take on things around here than you are maybe reading in those other places. Your still bent right arm, your flat shoulder turn in Finish, versus the accent on radius, extension, plane line. If those things are by design that is. That first picture of Hogan is great eh? Thats what I want be like when I grow up.
I see the inside move after impact that I think Bucket is referring to as well. Your club shaft not pointing down the plane line, your arms not extending.
Not saying this is you but here is a common set of unfortunate events that can befall the guys who bend their plane line to the left:
-given a square clubface at separation they get a cut.
-the cut begets a subconscious flip which closes down the clubface and produces a straight shot but to the left, a pull. And weak one.
-which is fixed consciously (with the plane line) or , more often, subconsciously, by aiming out to right field. Leaving the guy with a sometimes straight but always weak shot courtesy of a mess of compensations.
Think of it in terms of the balls flight being the product of different forms of Thrust with different associated directional Vectors. In the ideal theses vectors though different are more focused. That is the best we can hope for. Compensations however de focus the vectors with ball flight ramifications.
Every golfer is subject to compensations similar to the above in some manner or other. The solution is to recognize what is required geometrically , where you comply and where you dont and then set about fixing them. Its always a guided journey as you need a second set of educated eyes. Quite frankly we just dont see or feel some of the wacky stuff we are up to. It sounds like a difficult diagnostic to make but in this regard Homer would probably point out something like:
"Well, the Plane Line governs the ClubHEAD line of flight and the ClubFACE governs the balls line of flight".
So fix your plane line compliance (clubshaft), your HInge Action (clubface) and given proper Rhythm (clubhead) you'll be hitting bullets in no time. You'll notice that everything in brackets put together comprises the entire golf club. So total control of those three items will give you total control of the golf club. Total control of the golf club will give you total control of the golf ball.
Slice 'O Day, you're probably noticing a slightly different take on things around here than you are maybe reading in those other places. Your still bent right arm, your flat shoulder turn in Finish, versus the accent on radius, extension, plane line. If those things are by design that is. That first picture of Hogan is great eh? Thats what I want be like when I grow up.
I see the inside move after impact that I think Bucket is referring to as well. Your club shaft not pointing down the plane line, your arms not extending.
Not saying this is you but here is a common set of unfortunate events that can befall the guys who bend their plane line to the left:
-given a square clubface at separation they get a cut.
-the cut begets a subconscious flip which closes down the clubface and produces a straight shot but to the left, a pull. And weak one.
-which is fixed consciously (with the plane line) or , more often, subconsciously, by aiming out to right field. Leaving the guy with a sometimes straight but always weak shot courtesy of a mess of compensations.
Think of it in terms of the balls flight being the product of different forms of Thrust with different associated directional Vectors. In the ideal theses vectors though different are more focused. That is the best we can hope for. Compensations however de focus the vectors with ball flight ramifications.
Every golfer is subject to compensations similar to the above in some manner or other. The solution is to recognize what is required geometrically , where you comply and where you dont and then set about fixing them. Its always a guided journey as you need a second set of educated eyes. Quite frankly we just dont see or feel some of the wacky stuff we are up to. It sounds like a difficult diagnostic to make but in this regard Homer would probably point out something like:
"Well, the Plane Line governs the ClubHEAD line of flight and the ClubFACE governs the balls line of flight".
So fix your plane line compliance (clubshaft), your HInge Action (clubface) and given proper Rhythm (clubhead) you'll be hitting bullets in no time. You'll notice that everything in brackets put together comprises the entire golf club. So total control of those three items will give you total control of the golf club. Total control of the golf club will give you total control of the golf ball.
I use this youtubedownloader deal . . . y'all should check it out you can download stuff off youtube to your 'puter . . . I step framed his stuff. From DTL his club moves NICE in my opinion. I would think this cat could hit the ball pretty much where he's looking if the face doesn't flap around.
If you watch his video his head drops pretty significantly a startdown . . . eldrick does this but he gets away with it because he keeps sliding his hips forward and turning 'em. this cat don't so his arms "shrink up" so he doesn't hit it fat. That'd be my take anyhow.
like the Left Wrist getting cocked by the Right Elbow for instance.
O.b.
I have been struggling with this concept for a while now... When I try to cock the left wrist with the right elbow, the fleshy pad of my left thumb slides down approx an inch from the cup in my right hand. To maintain the snug fit of fleshy pad of left hand in the cup of my right hand without cocking the right wrist, I have to rotate both forearms slightly anti clockwise. Is that ok?
Thanks OB for your very valuable posts in this forum.
You shouldn't try to cock it with your right elbow. You should simply let it happen when it happens.
Think of where you want to have your hands at the top (or at the end) of the back stroke. Bring the hands there with a quiet (Yoda says frozen I think) right wrist. One that is level and bent. This motion - the pickup of the club with a quiet right wrist - will cock the left wrist as a "side effect". It is a geometrical necessity.
Keeping the right wrist quiet while during the back stroke is a winner as far as getting in a good position at the top because it promotes a good rhythm. In many ways it's the opposite of deliberately trying to cock the left wrist, something that can be a stroke wrecker.
I have been struggling with this concept for a while now... When I try to cock the left wrist with the right elbow, the fleshy pad of my left thumb slides down approx an inch from the cup in my right hand. To maintain the snug fit of fleshy pad of left hand in the cup of my right hand without cocking the right wrist, I have to rotate both forearms slightly anti clockwise. Is that ok?
Thanks OB for your very valuable posts in this forum.
Paul
Bernt is feeling it Id say. Love his last sentence there and think that is the tremendous simplicity and efficiency that a Hitter feels (assuming he starts from Fix). He just maintains those Impact Hands and takes them up and down a Plane without much thought to Left Wrist Cock or Right Hand bending. The Swinger who never goofs with Hitting will have a tough time discovering or understanding the tremendous advantage of the frozen right wrist (and getting to both arms straight but thats another story).
Swingers or Hitters who starts back from Adjusted Address, Mid Body Hands have to go from a Bent Left/Flat Right set of hands to Impact Hands dynamically. Which isnt easy to find. You only want the amount of Right Wrist Bend you prescribed at Fix , no more, no less. Each ball position will be different right. I found out the hard way that its not a "the more the better " thing with the bending Right Hand. An over Bending of the Right Hand at Top will often arch the Left! Grip type can really contribute to this predicament. Especially if you tend to an neutral Left , strong Right grip which I did, now Ive got my Right Hand on top a bit and no amount of over bending the Right Hand could by itself arch the Left Hand.
I believe one of Homers biggest obstacles was that a great golf swing often appears to be more rubber wristed than it actually is. Its hard to adopt structure (longer levers) for instance when you think Hogan had "loose wrists" or something. Mention something like that in front of Lynn and run for cover, baby. "There isnt anything LOOSE about it". "The universal joint may be free to move in certain ways but it is NOT LOOSE IN ANY WAY" etc etc. And he has one nice Snap Release and some serious #2 Angle on him, Lynn does. I made that mistake one time, Luke was there and he was just grinning from ear to ear at me as Lynn started to get all fired up. Structure was a tough sell for Homer a lot of times. I have a feeling there is a long lineage of students who get that lesson. From Homers first A.I.s all the way on down. Homer was very resolute about it to say the least. I can however honestly say that my bad spells can still be attributed to searching out #2 angle the wrong way. Dont tell LYnn please. That #2 Angle is just so dang beautiful, I cant help myself sometimes. Sort of like Ulysses and the Sirens.............yes two Homers each with their own Sirens. The original ones were beautiful and beguiling songstresses, Mr Kelley's were rubber wristed. Both of em will kill you.
Plgolfer, do you mean your Left Thumb extends as you cock the Left Wrist? There is a photo of Hogan at Top where his Left Thumb is shockingly long. Some say it has extended during the swing, some say his Left Thumb wasnt as short at Address as he maintained. So, its hard to say whats going on for you without seeing it. Maybe your Left Hand is trying to get a better place? A place it wants to be. Or maybe not? To see where it should be, where its strongest try hitting shots with just your left Hand on the club and see what grip you adopt automatically or try bending the shaft against a door frame or some immovable object. Your grip (and a bunch of other alignments) will morph into a good position. That left thumb wants to be on the aft at Impact! Mine does, but it also wants to be on top of the shaft at address for some reason. It still fears the left side of the fairway that thumb of mine, its conflicted, despite the fact I hit fades now.
The thing about the Magic of the Right Forearm, 7-3 for me was that in order for the bending right elbow to get all of that tremendous list of stuff done, bring all that simplification to the party, ...........I had to turn off all of my old ways. Those are hard switches to find let alone turn off. Itll take some work and each of us has a different list of old ways. For me, some went all the way back to my earliest golf years. My list included .......Left Side pushaway, hand rolling under plane with an arched left hand (that wont want to cock), "rocking the triangle".... two straight arms going back with the right elbow locked, lifting the arms with the arms etc etc the list is long and still being compiled. I had to remove these blockages, these actions, to avoid the conflict of actions, to simplify, to see glimpses of the Magic Homer refers to. Search out things that prevent your Right Elbow from Bending, "on its own" as Bernt said. That would be good first place to check.
Keep working on it. It'll make more sense as you get further into it.
Hybrid Mode
