TGM 'Snares' Part II

Here's a look at Part II of 'snares.' Mr. Kelley doesn't list 'snares' as Part I and Part II, but I'm trying to keep my posts to a reasonable length.

3-F-7-C BOBBING is raising and/or lowering the Head by faulty movement of the back or knees, and disrupts the Shoulder-to-ball radius.

For those who don't know exactly what radius is, here's a picture.

From the face on view, the golf swing moves in a circle and the radius is the clubshaft and the left shoulder. So if a golfer 'bobs' their head due to faulty back or knee movement it disrupts that straight line radius that is formed between the left shoulder and the clubshaft.

3-F-7-D. SWAYING is basically incorrect weight shifting due usually to a faulty Pivot. Swaying can be in either or both directions --- with the swing or in reverse. It produces abnormal trajectories, erratic timing and a teetering Balance. It is usually an attempt to replace the Pivot in working toward a Turn and a Weight Shift (7-12 and 7-14).

Simple enough. Most people understand what a sway is, but Mr. Kelley states that it's an attempt to replace the Pivot (a rotation of the body) with a weight shift. Furthermore, it results in abnormal ball flight trajectories, erratic timeing and teetering balance. Note that he says 'teetering' balance which means the golfer may be too tilted in their swing and fall off balance looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa instead of the balanced Eiffel Tower.

3-F-7-E. All these malfunctions are just different ways of disrupting the same geometrical alignment --- the downward and outward arc of the Clubface. The farther back toward the right foot that the ball is teed, the farther down to the right of the target must be the line of the Clubhead's Down-Plane angle of approach to Impact --- that is, the more pronounced must be the Clubface slide across the Line of Flight through Impact (2-J).

So the 'snares' disrupt the downward and outward motion of the clubface. The clubface may go downward and inward or upward and outward or upward and inward. If the ball is teed more towards the back foot, the clubface must go more out and to the right. Thusly, a ball teed up more forward requires the clubface to go more towards the left.

Off Plane execution can produce Shanked Shots.

So if a golfer is off plane in the downswing, it can produce shanks. I hear a lot of golfers say that a shank usually is due to coming too far from the inside on the downswing. That definitely can cause a shank. But more often than not, and it's not even close IMO, golfers who shank usually come way over the top.

The correct concept of an 'On Plane' procedure is driving the Club --- not 'a little downward and a little outward,' -- but 'Down Plane.' Down Plane to full extension, per 2-C-0 and 2-L#2. (Also study 2-F, 2-N and 2-P).

So you really need to extend that right arm on the downswing so you get that proper DOWNWARD and OUTWARD motion. Not just a little downward and outward, but really DOWNWARD and OUTWARD.

Aiming a Square-Square Plane Line to the right of the target is another effect of these disruptions. Stepping to the opposite side of the ball --- or reference line --- will prove it isn't faulty eyesight. It is habitually, but unwittingly, allowing for Pulled Shots result from, among others these three major misconceptions.

1. Clubface 'Square to the Target at Impact' for all shots (2-J-1)
2. Clubhead Path 'Down the Target Line' through Impact (2-J-2)
3. Flattening the Right Wrist through Release for Clubhead Velocity (4-D-1)

Homer Kelley is saying that there are 3 major misconceptions.

• Clubface Square At Target at Impact
• Clubhead Path Down the Target Line after Impact
• Flattening the Right Wrist through the Release for more Clubhead Speed

So the face shouldn't be square at the target at impact, it should be *slightly* open. Otherwise you will hit a pull.

The clubhead path should not be down the target line after impact, it should be slightly 'outward' after impact. Otherwise you will hit a pull.

All of which close the Clubface with a resulting Line of Flight to the Left, causing the Computer to silently align the entire Machine to the Right as a corrective move. It is not really an optical illusion at all: Only one 'cure' has surfaced --- hit, at first, Chip Shots TO THE RIGHT OF YOUR STANCE ALIGNMENT, AS YOU SEE IT. Finally, this will reprogram the Computer away from its fixation that all shots have the same relationship to the Stance Line and you can work it back to the geometrically correct alignments you only thought you were using. Check that the Grip is per Hinge Action (2-J-1) and that the toe of the Club is not raised at Impact.

So the three misconceptions Homer Kelley mentioned will close the clubface. This will cause your brain (or your 'computer') to subconsciously align your body to the right of the target as a way to correct your problems. This is not an optical illusion. So hit some chip shots with your 'normal alignment' and then hit them to the right of where you are aligned. This will reprogram your brain to not square the face to the target, not have the path going down the target line and not flatten the right wrist in the release.

Bobby Jones liked to talk about how the game is played between the ears. Homer Kelley just further expanded upon it.







3JACK