My God, I Accidentally Found the Slot! (REVISED)

While I was trying to implement an article about how professional golfers ...

So I wrote the previous posting.  While I was trying to implement the pull and pull - or double pull technique, I found out about this slot.  Let me explain, I was hitting balls at the driving range and I was having a problem trying to bring back the club.  I remembered what I told Anthony about the proper takeaway before.  I think I even posted something about it.  I told him that the takeaway was just bending the right wrist backward.  So I started it, a little like the alive grip but more of the wrist bending. More and more, my backswing was getting smoother and then, bingo - it happened.  The backswing was perfect - so perfect that it matches what I was working on - which is the double pull technique

Well here is everything, not only the takeaway but the full swing.

The grip is a little bit the alive grip but the three right fingers are more holding the club.  They are the one that flicks the club head and launches it like a satellite.  Only the right wrists moves - until the momentum pulls the left shoulder in - then it (the left shoulder) joins the takeaway.  Somewhere along the backswing, the slot materializes and the corresponding "plane" or the target slot appears. I guess the hips are also pulled but the attention at the top of the swing is already on the target slot where the butt of the club will be pulled in.  That is the downswing - the butt of the club is pulled to the target slot and the body turns around to continue and power up the shot.

By the way, the action is a flick of the right wrist.  Another way of doing this using the left palm and pushing it downward while the right middle finger (alive grip) is used as a fulcrum. Use whatever works.

Do not forget to use this for all shots including the putter. The right wrist must start and all the rest follows when pulled by the club.

Here we are April 4th 2014 and finally found the missing link that binds all the moves illustrated here.  What is missing is SEEING THE BACK SWING PLANE WITH THE CLUB FACE BEING PANNED ALONG IT WITH THE "FLICK".  THE FLICK IS ACTUALLY JUST THE ALIVE GRIP WITH THE LEFT PALM PUSHING DOWN WHILE THE FULCRUM FINGER PULLS AND PANS THE CLUB UP ALONG THE PLANE. THE RIGHT HAND GRIP IS EXTREMELY WEAK LIKE THE EXPLANATION IN THE FOLLOWING POST. THE LEFT HAND MUST CONTROL THE CLUB ON THE FORWARD SWING UP TO THE PICTURE PERFECT FINISH.

IMPORTANT (April 9, 2015)

What was discovered here is the essence of the golf swing.  On chip and putts, the axis is the hands is while in a regular swing, the axis is the shoulder.  The pulling force is dependent on the individual.  The main point to remember is the golf swing is the fluid motion of bringing the club up pivoting along the axis with the body feeling the weight of the club.  When the desired moment is reached when the club has stopped its acceleration, the pull of the body is started and the club thrown towards the ball, letting the pulling force be as violent as desired towards the target and then the body closing up to the picture perfect finish.

We must remember that this is the whole objective in the Imperfect Golf Swing - to create this fluid motion of bringing the club up and feeling the weight of the club and pulling and throwing the club head along the ball towards the target and turning the body to the perfect finish at the top.  All the rest, the grip, the stance, etc. are dependent on the capability of the individual to execute this move.

This topic is copied in different postings to remind us of this fact.      

The Double Pull or the Essence of the Golf Swing

I finally got it all together.  In the process, I found out that some of the "truths" I have written before no longer are true while the other ones I have stitched together to embody the perfect golf swing.

Essentially, the perfect golf swing is indeed a pull motion but the pull is done by two body parts - one starting the swing and the other one accelerating it further.  What I mean is the upper body pulls the club towards the ball and the lower body then taking over and pulling it further to speed up the velocity.  It is a swing where the body feels the weight of the club being pulled towards the ball and at a given split second, transfers the pulling force to the lower body - until it goes around to the perfect finish at the top.  The swing is felt and the body reacts.

This reminds me of the billiard stroke.  In the process of learning it, one eventually forgets the cue and just executes the shot.  It is now possible to feel the golf shot and execute it without thinking.

So how should it be done?  Well right now, I have only practice the shot in my bedroom but it does not seem to be impossible to transfer to the real thing.  One thing I noticed is because I am trying to feel the club now, I felt that the upswing now has to be like a round-house kick motion where the weight of the club is thrown away like a launch of of satellite until it is felt to arrive at the top.  Then the pull action by the "mostly" upper body towards the ball starts - the weight of the club being felt all the time. Somewhere and sometime, the lower body and the hips turns around to launch the club head further along its way.  It is a two stage launch!

By the way, just to emphasize the technique - this is actually the implementation of the chip pulling spin action I have written about a couple of postings before.  But now that I have further made it a two pull action, that chip technique must now also be revised to ensure that the body now pulls the club - upper body first and the turning hips afterwards.  Of course, this is all done by feeling.

This new way must now find its way to all the shots - from putter to the driver.

IMPORTANT (April 9, 2015)

What was discovered here is the essence of the golf swing.  On chip and putts, the axis is the hands is while in a regular swing, the axis is the shoulder.  The pulling force is dependent on the individual.  The main point to remember is the golf swing is the fluid motion of bringing the club up pivoting along the axis with the body feeling the weight of the club.  When the desired moment is reached when the club has stopped its acceleration, the pull of the body is started and the club thrown towards the ball, letting the pulling force be as violent as desired towards the target and then the body closing up to the picture perfect finish.

We must remember that this is the whole objective in the Imperfect Golf Swing - to create this fluid motion of bringing the club up and feeling the weight of the club and pulling and throwing the club head along the ball towards the target and turning the body to the perfect finish at the top.  All the rest, the grip, the stance, etc. are dependent on the capability of the individual to execute this move.

This topic is copied in different postings to remind us of this fact.

Alive grip, important or essential?

Well let us go back first and explain what an alive grip is.  It is the grip where the right middle finger is used as a fulcrum to balance weight of the club as it is held during set-up.  It automatically also brings the club up at the time of the backswing.

In addition, let me relate what happened to me today at the driving range.  It is winter here and all my practice is done inside my bedroom.  I just found out how to impart a spin on my chips on my carpet which actually led to my thinking of how the golf swing really works.  What I found out is that the club is actually pulled to hit the ball - and in contrast - not hammering the ball.

To see if my bedroom discovery is correct I had to go to the driving range.  Although, I validated my pull discovery, I lost my way of bringing up the club.  I lost my skill to perform the takeaway - which I was doing in my bedroom just a couple of days ago.  Well, I let it go since I was not there for practice but just to prove my theory.

At home, I went back and read what I have been writing about recently and I found the topic on the alive grip.  I had forgotten - easy now since I am getting old - gripping my club at set-up with the alive grip.  I went in my bedroom and used the alive grip.  Well what a revelation!

Because of the pull technique of golf shot (with the alive grip), just turning the left shoulder in without starting the club with the right hand, is actually enough to make a complete turn automatically - the same every time! Could this be another Hogan secret?

Takeaway from this topic:  FROM NOW ON, ALWAYS USE THE ALIVE GRIP AT SET-UP! JUST TURN THE THE LEFT SHOULDER IN AT THE SAME TIME COCKING THE CLUB WITH THE RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER FOR THAT EVER REPEATING BACKSWING! Of course, do not forget the extreme grip that I wrote about in the previous recent postings.  It creates the divot.

IMPORTANT (April 9, 2015)

What was discovered here is the essence of the golf swing.  On chip and putts, the axis is the hands is while in a regular swing, the axis is the shoulder.  The pulling force is dependent on the individual.  The main point to remember is the golf swing is the fluid motion of bringing the club up pivoting along the axis with the body feeling the weight of the club.  When the desired moment is reached when the club has stopped its acceleration, the pull of the body is started and the club thrown towards the ball, letting the pulling force be as violent as desired towards the target and then the body closing up to the picture perfect finish.

We must remember that this is the whole objective in the Imperfect Golf Swing - to create this fluid motion of bringing the club up and feeling the weight of the club and pulling and throwing the club head along the ball towards the target and turning the body to the perfect finish at the top.  All the rest, the grip, the stance, etc. are dependent on the capability of the individual to execute this move.

This topic is copied in different postings to remind us of this fact.

How to Slide the Clubhead Under the Ball Effortlessly

The usual hit of the ball by the club makes the ball jump out. How does one slide the clubhead under the ball to impart maximum spin?

Let me just make this clear, when one is trying to hit the ball, which is 99% of the time, one is not trying to impart a spin on the ball intentionally.  However, there is the 1% of the time that one really wants to put extraordinary backspin on the ball to make it stop or reverse.

In order to do this, the club face must slide under the ball, with the club head entering beneath the ball from the left edge and sliding around the ball until it leaves contact on the right edge.  This movement cannot be done intentionally.  It can only be done by centrifugal force - meaning the club is pulled and the head allowed to slice through the ball by the reaction to the pull.

Let me demonstrate how to execute a short pitch with the intent of stopping the ball abruptly.

Take an open stance and hold the club with the extreme style grip explained in the previous chapter. Hold the club to the metal part (this is not essential). The clubface must be at least slightly open to facilitate the clean slicing entry under the ball.

Raise the club with the right hand in a roller coaster motion where it leaves the ball and arcs upwards until the shaft is at least almost parallel to the plane and the butt of the club almost pointing to the target.  When this position is reached, just pull the shaft towards the target until it passes through and around the ball.  A slow motion hit make one feel this slicing motion better.  This type of shot must be learned and experienced.  It feels like one is slicing the butter.

The rule to remember here is the club must be brought back up to the point where the shaft is parallel to the target line and the butt is pulled along that line.

IMPORTANT (April 9, 2015)

What was discovered here is the essence of the golf swing.  On chip and putts, the axis is the hands is while in a regular swing, the axis is the shoulder.  The pulling force is dependent on the individual.  The main point to remember is the golf swing is the fluid motion of bringing the club up pivoting along the axis with the body feeling the weight of the club.  When the desired moment is reached when the club has stopped its acceleration, the pull of the body is started and the club thrown towards the ball, letting the pulling force be as violent as desired towards the target and then the body closing up to the picture perfect finish.

We must remember that this is the whole objective in the Imperfect Golf Swing - to create this fluid motion of bringing the club up and feeling the weight of the club and pulling and throwing the club head along the ball towards the target and turning the body to the perfect finish at the top.  All the rest, the grip, the stance, etc. are dependent on the capability of the individual to execute this move.

This topic is copied in different postings to remind us of this fact.

Divots - a better explanation

Wonder why I cannot make a divot?  It is because I cannot delay the hit to the point where my body position will be in front of the ball.  If my body is in front of the ball when I turn around, the lowest part of the arc of my swing should be able to dig in and create the divot.

Now how do I delay the hit? Use a solid sky looking grip - like the chip grip described in the previous posting.  This grip will promote a bigger turn of the shoulders.  Bigger turn, enough time for the body to clear the ball before the hit.

Actually the bigger turn is not the real answer.  It is hard to put into words.  With the bigger turn, my feeling is as if I need to pull my body back to the ball - not just a turning feeling - but a physical pull back toward the ball... and of course, the turning around after that.

Well, after musing this big turn late hit scenario, what really happens by this type of grip - it actually promote a steeper plane and, therefore, it creates a divot or sort of digs in more. But wait, do not forget that the alive grip is essential, if not important!

Putts, Chips and Pitches - Always a Pull

Now say this again and again.  The golf swing, even though they are putts, chips, or pitches, must always be a pull motion on the forward swing. It is always a pull, stupid!

The right hand can start it on the back swing but the for the forward swing, it is always the body pulling.  It might be a very slight movement as in putts but it is still the body pulling.

In putting the middle finger pulls the putter away from the target like a arrow being pulled from the bow. The visualization is not only for putts but for all shots... up to the driver.

Now let us concentrate on chips and pitches...

It seems that standardizing the setup is important.  From now on the grip is going to be important. The left hand must be almost flat with the backhand almost facing the sky.  The right hand sits snugly on the left hand with the backhand also almost facing the sky.  They form one solid sky facing grips - with the left hand really more pronounced. The left hand in this position promotes a cutting shot, if desired, thus sending the ball higher with a lot of spin. Of course, it can also drag the ball and not cut - when you want the chip to run.  To go further in standardization, hold the club short with the middle right finger resting almost on the metal part of the club.

Alive Grip Revisited

Cradling the club with the right middle finger at setup is sometimes forgotten but actually it is very essential to the whole swing. When the whole weight of the club is cradled by the middle finger:

1. It can be the reminder that the swing is started fully by the right hand.
2. That a line can be imagined to be parallel to the target line.
3. That in putting, the imagined line can be like an arrow being pulled with the bow.
4. That the right hand pulls - but the forward energy is like a bounce back.  It is bounce from the coiled energy created initially by the right hand and continued by the shoulders.  There is no deliberate forward motion at all.
5. On putts, this can just be as subtle as the rebound from the left stiffened forearm muscles!

So what is the message?  That the forward motion is never a forward motion at all but it is a bounced motion.  And this motion is really initiated by a pull motion.

REMEMBER THIS ON PUTTING - very subtle muscle motions but the same as a full swing. Stiffen the left forearms and let the forward motion be a RECOIL motion.

The Golf Swing and the Divot

This is a very important topic and essential to learning the Complete Golf Swing.  So far what I thought I had been learning is already the complete golf swing but now I realized that it has to be complemented by how the divot is executed.

The divot is really the end part of the golf swing which is essentially a chip or a pitch if considered by itself and not part of the full swing.  Let me say this, if a golfer does not know how to stop or put spin to his chips or pitches, he will never know how to make a divot perfectly.

So how do one correctly make a chip or pitch stop abruptly?  Well it is the realization, the the chip or pitch is essential a "pull" of the club-head towards the ball.  The hands are pulled past the ball and the club-head allowed to rebound back to the ball.

How the hands play with the rebound is essentially a different matter.  On chips and pitches, the hands can make the ball roll further, stop on its tracks.

On full shots it can create a divot. AND THE MOVE CREATING A DIVOT IS THE FINISH OF THE GOLF SWING! It is the replacement to my "face the target" move.  It is the delayed hit!  IT IS THE SECRET OF THE PROS! It creates the spin that pulls the ball back.  It is the part of the swing that adds the distance to the hit. It replaces my right hip move.