I've gotten some requests for video of my latest swing with the talk about the 'revelations' and the #1 Pressure Point 'palm heel strike into my base joint of my left thumb.' Anyway, here's seven 7-irons swings from yesterday.
I like this pic thru the impact zone.
I shot 68-74 the last 2 days (I plan on playing thru Saturday) and the 74 came on a course I have never played before. I've hit 29 of 36 greens and 23 of 27 fairways while gaining an extra 10 yards to my irons. I'm not exactly 'peppering' the flagstick, but I am basically playing with little fear with my driver and hitting greens with ease.
For me, I continue to find that keeping that right elbow close to my body is very important. Not only does it flatten out my backswing and keep me from coming over the top, but I can really sense that #1 Pressure Point when the right elbow is close by. When it gets away from me, then I start to lose that sense of the #1 Pressure Point.
Also, I notice that I have to S-L-O-W the startdown in order to keep that the #1 pressure point and to drive it into the ball and the earth. But again, that's just my swing feel that has worked for me. I suggest to use TGM type drills if possible and create your own feels.
Start with basic motion (2 feet back, 2 feet thru) and then move to acquired motion (right forearm parallel back and right forearm parallel thru). Then move to the full motion. When you can't make the transition, try to feel what the difference is between the motion you can execute and the motion you cannot execute properly. If you can't feel the difference, close your eyes and do it. That will help. And even do it in that super slo-motion like Hogan use to practice. Again....feel, feel, feel, FEEL your way around.
I like this pic thru the impact zone.
I shot 68-74 the last 2 days (I plan on playing thru Saturday) and the 74 came on a course I have never played before. I've hit 29 of 36 greens and 23 of 27 fairways while gaining an extra 10 yards to my irons. I'm not exactly 'peppering' the flagstick, but I am basically playing with little fear with my driver and hitting greens with ease.
For me, I continue to find that keeping that right elbow close to my body is very important. Not only does it flatten out my backswing and keep me from coming over the top, but I can really sense that #1 Pressure Point when the right elbow is close by. When it gets away from me, then I start to lose that sense of the #1 Pressure Point.
Also, I notice that I have to S-L-O-W the startdown in order to keep that the #1 pressure point and to drive it into the ball and the earth. But again, that's just my swing feel that has worked for me. I suggest to use TGM type drills if possible and create your own feels.
Start with basic motion (2 feet back, 2 feet thru) and then move to acquired motion (right forearm parallel back and right forearm parallel thru). Then move to the full motion. When you can't make the transition, try to feel what the difference is between the motion you can execute and the motion you cannot execute properly. If you can't feel the difference, close your eyes and do it. That will help. And even do it in that super slo-motion like Hogan use to practice. Again....feel, feel, feel, FEEL your way around.
3JACK
That's a nice swing Rich - I notice you start back very deliberately - is that because you've been working on your backswing and so you're still working on where to go at the start? I'd really like to see your swing in slow motion and DTL.
ReplyDeleteSo how long have you been working on Basic Motion, FLW, TGM principles etc to get to this level, and how much have you improved?
Sorry - loads of questions - I'm just starting out on a path where you've been for a long time.
Takeaway looks deliberate, but doesn't feel deliberate. I'm just 'fanning the right forearm' and that's about as fast as I can fan the forearm back. I actually got introduced to TGM about 11 years ago when I was playing college golf. But my knowledge basically consisted of a FLW at impact, not coming over the top and clubhead lag. I quit the game for the last 8 years and just got back into it in January. Come February I was playing to a 4 handicap. I got my first lesson with Ted Fort in late February and now my handicap is a 1. The lowest I had ever played to was a +2. But now I realize that back then I used to putt lights out and had a fantastic short game.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your golf blog, it has been very interesting to scan through it these last couple of days. To make a long story short I have always been a hitter but constantly made efforts to change into a "swing through" mentality but Im glad to see that "hitting" is not neccesarily a wrong approach to the golf swing. One thing I have noticed though is that when "swinging through" the ball and mentally beginning the swing from my hips and lower body I have to admit that when struck right I have aquired considerable distance gains in my irons and woods. Can you tell me, in "hitting", is there any power to be had from the lower body at all, a blend of both hands and lower body, or none at all.
ReplyDeleteKind regards and many thanks for your great blog.
Jon T.
I believe that the pivot is the lifeblood of the golf swing. Swinging or hitting, a golfer needs to have a proper and effective pivot to hit the ball effectively on a consistent basis. IIRC, a physicist named Dr. Aaron Zick has done studies and presented them to TGM Teaching Summits and said essentially there is no thing as a 'pure hitter' because 'pure hitting' can only generate 55% of a person's potential power. So if somebody says they are a 'pure hitter' and they hit it say 250 yards off the tee, then Zick is saying that they really are not a 'pure hitter' because there's no way that their potential driving distance is almost 500 yards. In essence, Zick is saying that that technically people use a little bit of swinging and hitting in their golf swing.
ReplyDeleteBut for more simplistic purposes, I like to still seperate golfers into 'swingers' and 'hitters' based on what they predominantly do in the golf swing.
So yes, the lower body still has to pivot in the 'hitter' swing pattern. But the key for the hitter is that they 'drive' or 'push' the club with their right arm on the downswing.
Thank your for your comments, you seem to know your theory well and your swing doesn´t look to shabbby to boot.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the pure hitter only generating about 55% possible power I found very interesting. The right arm is truly important and I will enjoy feeling my way forward in the swing as far as the importance of the lower body pivot and power generation.
Again, many thanks for your reply
Jon T.