The Delayed Hit or How I Found My Golf Swing

30JUL2012:  I have finally admitted that I have to end my quest and accept what I have learned so far.

1. The right hand grip - on the back swing.
1. The right hand breaks backwards from the wrist, Ala Norman.  The is the reverse of Hogan's cusp left hand. On the hardware side, it is akin to the offset club head design.
2. The right hand grip, the way it is positioned on the shaft (imagine a clock face with the shaft as the middle), it could be an upright swing or not (upright is meant to dig down). Upright is when the backhand is facing more upwards vs. parallel to the ground.
3. The right hand starts the backward swing. 22Aug2012:  The right hand does not flip the club any longer.  With Tiger swing, the right wrist merely starts the club moving at the desired plane. See other parts below.
4. 29Sep2012:  It is imperative that the weight of the club is deliberately felt from the start of the back swing until it reaches the top.  The objective is to make the shoulders feel the weight set so it will become instinctive for it to come down to the ball on the forward swing. 01Oct2012: This is when the "Alive" grip comes into play.  The alive grip ensures that the L position of the club in relation to the arms are maintained.  The L position prevents toe-shanks. At the same time, it ensures that the club swings easily around and away from the arms at the onset and creates that centrifugal-force weight that the shoulders "feel" when the shoulders, at the start of the back swing, pushes up the club.  This "Alive" grip is very essential for the short irons - if not mandatory. 03oct2012:  In addition, an extra twist by the shoulders at the top encourages and promotes an almost mechanical and automatic back swing.
5. 06Oct2012:  I firmly believe - although not yet proven - is the grip when it is solidly one fully molded grip is the key to an extreme repetitive swing where the ball land pretty much on the same place.
2. The left shoulder
1. At the top of the right hand swing, the left shoulder provides a further twist to the upper body. 22Aug2012:  The "deliberate" left shoulder controls all the parts of the swing.  The left wrists slowly starts the club to travel along the desired plane.  The left shoulder deliberately pushes it towards the plane and at the end (could be quarter, half, full) there is a deliberate twist to ready the swing for the downswing. 24Aug2012:  The shoulder twist is better imagined as a propeller (helicopter) twist since the Tiger forward swing is like a propeller in reverse.  Also, in a real game yesterday, it became obvious that I was twisting the shoulder superbly but having a problem doing the Tiger downswing.  This visualization should cure it as found out in Quest today.
2. Enough twist to start the forward swing. 20Aug2012:  Just enough twist is not enough.  Extreme twist is necessary to be able to execute Tiger's downswing and be able to "drop" the club to the ball. 22Aug2012:  Read no. 1 above.  03oct2012:  An extra twist by the shoulders at the top encourages and promotes an almost mechanical and automatic back swing. 
3. The weight finishes on the left side
1. Automatic forward motion created by the left shoulder twist.  21Aug2012: With the extreme twist, the frozen "top" of body and arms (arms are a passive passenger) can be twisted back and around.  If correctly executed, a feeling and realization of the arms and club are dropping towards the ball - and on a fleeting moment before the ball is hit, the hands can impart a fleeting "hit". 
2. The objective should be a picture-perfect finish. 11Sep2012:  Sometimes it is hard to imagine the propeller as the back swing and forward swing thought.  Just imagining myself as "confident first class" golfer where I finished on my left side - is much easier.
3. All weight on the left foot... at least for a moment at the finish of the swing.
4. 22Aug2012:  The left shoulder is solid with the arms and club.  There is a deliberate "oneness" feeling that the left shoulder carried the arms/club up, coiled tighter, and automatically turns around - without any conscious effort by the arms and hands.
4. The back-spin
1. Try learning the pitch and brake ball and one can say he knows how to execute the delayed hit. 30JUL2012:  Right now as I know it, it is the right hand bringing the club upward and the left shoulder twisting it backwards.  The shoulders afterward does the hitting.
2. 24JUL2012:  Just transfer the weight to the left foot on the start of the downswing.  It makes it easy after that.  30JUL2012:  Found out that this becomes automatic afterwards.  See no. 3 above. 
3. 20SEP2012:  Finally found the secret of stopping the ball, i.e., putting a lot of back spin on the golf ball.  It is the clasped fists that pulls the club like a nun chuck.  The wrists functions the same way as a full shot but braking pitches and chips are done this way.  
4. Also, combined with the full shot, this should put a back spin on the irons.  In addition, this actions should put extra distance to the ball.  This is what you can call double delayed shot!
5. The Flop Shot (started 17Oct2012)
1. The secret to the flop shot is the extreme high plane - brought about by the right hand cocked for the 1-o'clock position.
2. The hit is the usual delayed hit - or the hockey hit.  
6. The Hockey Stick Swipe  (started 17Oct2012)
1. This is the same delayed hit that I explained above but I will call it from now on as the Hockey stick swipe.
2. The right hand starts the backward swing. The right hand does not flip the club any longer but the turn of the shoulders makes the hit - like a hockey stick shot. 

Summary of the above with emphasis on the importance of my fundamentals of Golf.  All must be executed for the swing to be effective.

1. The L-shape and leg flex at ball address. 
1. The arms are perpendicular to the ground
2. The L-position (almost) is employed where the club and the arms almost appear to be like the letter "L". 
3. The alive grip is employed.
4. This prevents toe-shanks.
5. Encourages as sweet-spot hit.
6. 18Nov2012:  Learn to straighten the legs at set-up so that:
1. one does not top the ball
2. create a deeper divot.
2. The correct Cock of the right hand and it's position at ball address
1. Hold the right hand palm perpendicular to the ground.
2. Bring back the hand by naturally breaking the wrist backward.
3. This is the motion on how to cock the club - not upward, but a natural backward break of the wrist.
3. The right hand grip position
1. Employ usual instructions found in most golf books.  In addition...
2. Visualize the grip as the face of the clock - with the butt of the club as the center of the clock.
3. The back of the right hand must be placed usually between 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock with approximately 1 o'clock creating the steepest plane and 3 o'clock as the shallowest (like Hogan) plane.
4. From that position you can initialized the swing with the Cocking method as described in no. 2.
5. Of course, the shoulders then follow to finish the back swing.
6. This is very important since this varies during the game, depending on the shot necessary.
1. flops require steep upward and downward moves necessitating a steep plane
2. High or low trajectory shots are controlled by this - you can control this by varying the right hand position of the grip at address.
4. The Hockey stick hit
1. Take the hammer method out.  Forget it.  Throw it out the window.
2. The right hand is not needed for the downswing.  Just rely on the automatic recoil produce by the muscles.
3. When the back swing (see no. 3 above) is executed and the club is at the top, the hit is performed like a hockey stick hit.  The shoulders swings around the hockey stick (golf club) and swipes the ball with the club head. That is it!
4. 05Nov2012:  One very important thing to remember is the Hockey stick hit is a transitional phase and not the final learning objective.  It is should last for a few months until the hit becomes part of muscle memory.  When this is achieved, the next to final phase must be learning to pull the club to the ball.  See the next item.
5. 05Nov2012:  After the hockey stick, then what? Learn to flail the golf club.
1. This is swing another technique that a golfer has to know.  It is like in billiards or pool, you need to learn how to execute a "follow" shot and at the same time know how to execute a "reverse" shot.
2. Instruction books have called this phase several symbolic comparisons, such as, nun-chuck, bull whip, or a flail.
3. Flail:  a hand threshing implement consisting of a wooden handle at the end of which a stouter and shorter stick is so hung as to swing freely.
4. How to flail:  to move, swing, or beat as if wielding a flail.
6. 05Nov2012:  Last phase - let the right should twist to the fullest.

Amen.  This is it. My lifelong quest finished. No more hunting for the elusive perfect swing.  It is time to rest and enjoy the game.

Simplify, simplify, simplify

1. Fulcrum lift
2. Twist
3. Un-twist

Fulcrum lift

Fulcrum lift refers to the way the club is brought up during the back swing.  This is really the execution side of the alive grip.  From the alive position of the hands, the right middle finger pulls the club while the left hand pad pushes down.  This action will send the club up.  At the top of the swing, the body twist below is started.

Twist

Twist refers to the body twisting at the conclusion of the back swing. There is actually more to this than just twisting the body until the muscles are constricted - and eventually the hips or waist muscles.  It actually culminates when the right hand (in the fulcrum lift above) reaches the maximum cock at the top.  It can be thought of as the point where the right hand gives control to the left arm and wrist.  At this point, the left arm and wrist are stiff and forming an "L" at the top.  The mental awareness transfers from right hand to left hand at this point and then the waist/left hip muscles.  The un-twisting action below follows.

Un-twist

Un-twist is the process of the waist or left hip pulling the body and the arms recoiling to bring the club around and hitting the ball forward.  It can be as simple as this.  However, the stiff left arm and L shaped wrist can be actively guided to hit the ball if desire. This left arm action though is not a requirement.

The un-twist motion is initiated by the waist with the body and arms following but as an automatic recoil.

Is Slo-Mo Shoulder Assist the Secret of the Short Game?

Putting:

1. Read previous instructions on this.
2. Make sure the putter head is laid down on the ground before the back swing.
3. Use the shoulder to "rock open" the putter blade.
4. Make sure this is slowly done backwards.
5. With the shoulders, slowly hit the ball.  When everything is feeling good, the right hand might even be the one left to hit the ball.
6. Make doubly sure that the forward swing is slow, slow enough to be able to know the putter head is coming back the desired way.
7. If not sure of the way the putter will make the "hit", the slow-motion way should ensure that the putting motion can be stopped!
8. Read the instructions previously written about putting and make sure you incorporate these ideas:
1. the putter face opens
2. the shoulders swing is stopped at the point just before the putter face swings around
3. aiming is the golfers responsibility.

Chipping:

1. Employ the "alive" grip.  This part is obligatory.  And the right hand does the needed cocking.
2. Imagine what kind of shot you are going to make and leave the club head open to the desired extent.
3. Make sure the club head is laid down on the ground before the back swing.
4. The right hand starts the fanning of the club and continues to cock - the severity of cocking depending on the height or flight needed by the ball.
5. At the same time, the  shoulder "rocks open" the club head slowly but fully backwards.
6. Again, make sure this is slowly done backwards.
7. Depending on the type of shot needed, the club head can come up high or stay low on the ground.
8. The shoulders slowly rocks back to hit the ball. 
9. Make doubly sure that the forward swing is slow, slow enough to be able to know the club head is coming back the desired way.
10. The right hand initiates the cocking and the shoulder react and then takes over the forward swing to bring the desired shot.
1. the right hand can flip sharp forward to keep the ball low but stop abruptly
2. or, it can stay open to get better height of the flight of the ball.

Pitching:

1. The chipping technique above can be modified for the pitch.
2. Some technique to gauge the distance should be developed.

Important Swing Thoughts or What to Forget When Hitting the Ball

In order of importance:

1. SETUP:
1. The usual stance, etc. - mostly from Hogan.
2. Last, make sure the alive grip is employed.
2. FORGET: 
1. All the rest, like Hogan mentioned as fundamentals of golf are plain mechanics but forgotten during the golf swing execution. 
2. Empty your mind except the following: 
3. TWIST: 
1. Employ the helicopter technique while rotating the shoulders
2. The back swing must be fully executed up to the full cock of the right hand fingers
3. The twisting is fully felt by body muscles. There is a definite muscle "bounce" at the top before the:
4. UNTWIST:  
1. It is the reverse motion of the helicopter rotors
2. After the bounce at the top, shoulders are untwisted back
3. Reminder: The arms and everything else is just part of the mechanics but dropped from consciousness when the downswing is started.
4. There is a deliberate effort to not think of hitting the ball at all - this should not be a part of the downswing.