My 20-year Lost Richter Swing

Richter Park 78

On August 29,1998, at Richter Park Golf Course, for the first time in my life I broke eighty and registered a score of 78.  In my foursome are Dan O’Reilly (Rest In Peace my friend), Denise and Bill.

What I remember that day is at hole number one, I just told myself that I will use my four wood because it seems that it is always has the perfect balance for me.  When I bring it back and hits with it, everything seems to be perfect.  So I did and I started the practice swings.  While doing so I just felt like just letting the feeling take over and just let go no matter where the ball goes.  I did this end everything just started coming together.  I remember using only the three wood on all my drives and just letting the feeling take over - everything even on chips.  I shot a 78 and even beat Bill who shot a 79.

WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE THEN WHEN I WROTE THE ABOVE IS WHEN I SWUNG WITH ABANDON, I ACTUALLY PULLED THE CLUB "THROUGH".  HOWEVER, a more important aspect is WHAT TO CONSCIOUSLY DO ON the upswing. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS MAKING SURE WHEN I BRING BACK THE CLUB THAT my "INTENTION OR THOUGHT" IS TO STOP ONLY WHEN I AM IN THE POSITION TO PULL THE CLUB ALONG THE TARGET LINE OR PLANE. THE IMPORTANT THING IN THE BACK SWING IS NOT HOW IT IS DONE BUT WHEN AND WHERE THE LEFT ARM SHOULD BE POSITIONED (ALONG TARGET LINE OR PLANE) AND ONLY THEN STOP. THE MAIN THOUGHT THEN IS NOT HOW FULLY MY BODY IS TWISTED BUT INSTEAD POSITION THE LEFT ARM WHERE I CAN INSTINCTIVELY PULL IT THROUGH THE BALL .

20SEP2016:  One of the nuance of a golf stroke is learning that a stroke in golf is not a stroke at all but actual a "pull through".  I will edit the the writings following to incorporate this fundamental and basic golf move.

WHAT CAN CHIPPING TELL US?

2018-10-11:  Chipping with only backswing of the wrist cocking and only forward swing made possible by the body turning (not right hand)  is the secret to ultimate chipping. THIS MUST BE THE SAME FOR THE FULL SWING... and anything in between. 

THE REALIZATION

2018-09-22:  I know now what I was doing when I shot the 78 at Richter in 1998. It is the "pull" swing with the automatic snap at the end - the snap that creates the divot.  2018-10-11: body turning forward  is the key.

Basic, very basic is the extreme tied up feeling (ala Hogan). USING the WRIST, cock the club early along the plane and follow through with the arms also moving along the plane..

2018-10-11: At the downswing, the whole body TURNING pulls the club down on the hit and, consequently, followed by an automatic follow through (creating the divot) - a SNAPPING action (delayed instinctive and automatic un-cocking action of the club head).

BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER ITS (backswing) END FUNCTION IS TO PUT ITSELF IN A POSITION TO PULL THE CLUB TOWARDS THE BALL... NOT TO MERELY TWIST. 

ADD THE EARLY COCKING THAT GIVES THE SWING THE SNAPPING ACTION AND TRUE DIVOT. This action maybe the important thing, maybe more important than the preceding because it makes everything instinctive.

CONCLUSION

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE UTILIZATION OF THE PLANE BECOMES AN INGREDIENT THAT IMPROVES AND COMPLETES THE SWING! AND IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO HIT THE BALL WITH THE "DUKOT" MOVE.  BUT THE DUKOT CAN ONLY BE CORRECTLY DONE WITH A FULL COCK AND FULLY TWISTED BODY. SO, FULL COCK EARLY, ROUNDHOUSE CAPE MOVE TO TWIST THE BODY, MOVE ALONG THE PLANE AND AUTO UNTWIST WITH THE DUKOT MOVE.  THAT IS THE NEW RICHTER SWING.

INTEGRAL PARTS OF THE CORRECT GOLF SWING

1. Left Arm Only.
2. Left Grip is more like pointing the club to the ground making sure that the face of club is correctly flat on the ground. 
3. Plane Cognizant.
4. Stretch the back first? Where the chin and shoulder touch even on the downswing? No, the correct start is the left hand lifting the clubhead upwards along the plane. This can result with the chin touching the left shoulder but that is an effect rather than the objective. This action is like throwing your cape around your shoulder and letting the shoulder coil naturally. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OF BRINGING THE CLUB UP RESULTING IN A BODY TWIST AND "THIS" IS THE WAY!
5. Extreme cock (most of the time) to make the clubhead drop on and underneath the ball.
6. Pull by body turning (automatic and like a rubber band untwisting action)
7. Dukot (head left behind ball position)
8. Snap made by the body turning into C position and releasing the wrist cock.

WHEN COMING BACK TO RELEARN THE GOLF SWING, DO NOT FORGET THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CORRECT GOLF SWING, I.E., THE EARLY, VERY EARLY EXTREME COCK AND FLING OF THE CLUBHEAD LIKE FLINGING A CAPE ALONG THE PLANE BUT WITH MORE OF A ROUNDHOUSE FORCE TO ACHIEVE A RUBBER BAND BODY TWIST ( Note: Moe Norman stiff left arm and late cock or no cock can also work. I think it needs a dukot to properly hit the ball. And I think this has more promise. Just keep an open mind. ) RESULTING IN THE AUTOMATIC BODY TURN ON THE DOWNSWING. START FROM THERE AND THE REST FOLLOWS INSTINCTIVELY. 

2018-11-01:  THEREFORE, AN EFFECTIVE GOLF SWING MUST ALWAYS  HAVE THESE THREE CHARACTERISTICS:

1.  UTILIZATION OF THE PLANE

2.  A FULL COCK OF THE LEFT WRIST

3.  THE LEFT SHOULDER TOUCHING THE CHIN.

AND THEY CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WHEN THE CAPE TOSSING AND ROUNDHOUSE "KICK" IS EMPLOYED. 

IT IS ALL IN THE BACKSWING... THE RICHTER'S SECRET.

2018-11-04: LEARN THE CAMERON CHAMP'S DOWNSWING - SLING IT BY TURNING THE HIPS. THIS NEEDS AN EXTREMELY EARLY LEFT WRIST COCK EVEN  BEFORE LIFTING THE LEFT ARM UP. 2018-11-07: Forget the Moe Norman upswing. That will not work for the Cameron Champ sling shot. The SLOW deliberate cock and lift upswing ended by a balanced C finish is the technique to learn and utilize. NO PLANE. 2018-11-17: Realize that this Champ way goes hand in hand with Hogan's cupped left back hand hit.

2018-11-18: CORKSCREW PLANE FOR CHAMP - The upswing must be done this way. 

1) Right shoulder lowered.

2) Deliberate Slow Cocking and Upswing along the 7 to 2 o'clock corkscrew plane. 

3) Cocking first is preferable but not mandatory depending on the shot, e.g., high or low trajectory, running or checking chips, etc.

4) The tightness of the corkscrew (arm upswing) is also variable depending on the shot, i.e., chip, half shots, full, etc.

5) 2018-11-25: THE WHOLE INTENT OF THE BACKSWING IS TO CONNECT THE LEFT WRIST (figuratively)TO THE HIPS! So unless there is this real feeling, the backswing is done incorrectly. THIS IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE FORWARD SWING IS LIKE THE JAI-ALAI BACKSWING WHERE THE CESTA IS PULLED BY THE BODY TO DELIVER THE BALL.

6) THE BACKSWING IS INITIATED BY THE LEFT WRIST LIFTING THE CLUB HEAD TO A SMOOTH RHYTHMICAL FINISH TO THE TOP (CAPE MOVE. AND YES, THE PLANE CAN BE VISIALIZED/UTILIZED IF IT NATURALLY HAPPENS. 2018-12-06: And if the plane appears,  then "THRUST" the club shaft upwards - figuratively speaking, SHAFT IT!) AND CONNECTING THE ARM, WRIST, CLUB TO THE HIPS. THE DOWNSWING IS JUST THE CLUB BEING PULLED BY THE HIPS ALONG EXACTLY THE SAME ARC/PLANE (ON THE WAY UP, 2018-12-06: BUT WITH THE ACTIVE FEELING OF THE WRIST BEING PULLED BY THE TURNING HIPS.) TOWARDS THE BALL.

2018-12-09: I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CHAMP TECHNIQUE CAN BEST BE SERVED WITH A PROPER BACKSWING DONE THIS WAY - WITH THE PLANE AND A PROPER SHOULDER TURN:

2019-02-05 DON'T FUCKING FORGET THIS::: IT IS HOW THE COCK IN SABONG GETS POINTED::: 1) AT ADDRESS, TRY FLICKING THE LEFT WRIST TO FIND THE PLANE. 1218-12-14: KEEPING THE RIGHT SHOULDER LOWER AND THE GRIP WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL MAKES IT EASIER TO SEE THE PLANE AND HELPS LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD BACKWARDS AND UPWARDS ALONG THE PLANE (VS STANDING UPRIGHT ON THE PLANE AND LAUNCH IS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHICH MAKES THE BACK SWING QUITE NOT RIGHT. ALSO IT IS LIKE RIDING THE CIRCULAR PLANE LIKE A BIKE AND COCKING IS A DOWN AND UP MOTION VS COCKING SIDE TO SIDE MOTION ). 20-12-15: WHEN ADDRESSING THE BALL, IT MAY BE EASIER TO VISUALIZE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND PRONATING (WITH THE WRIST BREAKING EARLY) ALONG THE PLANE AT THE SAME TIME LAUNCHING THE CLUB HEAD UP. 2019-02-06: Bringing the right shoulder down physically puts the right shoulder BELOW the plane and essentially makes the BACK SWING a southwest to northeast vertical move rather than a west to east horizontal move... which is MENTALLY impossible for me. 

2) WHEN FOUND, PRONATINGLY LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD LIKE A SATELLITE GOING INTO ORBIT (REMEMBER CAPE OR STICK THE LEFT THUMB ALONG THE PLANE?) SLITHERING THE CLUB, WRIST,  ARM, SHOULDERS, BODY, LEGS TO THE GROUND (IN THAT ORDER). 

2018-12-13: WHY THE STRAIGHT STIFF LEFT ARM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE GOLF SWING? BECAUSE A LIMP LEFT ARM DISENGAGES THE PULLING POWER OF THE RIGHT HIP. 2018-12-14: BUT REMEMBER NO. 2 ABOVE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THE MEANING OF THE UPSWING. THE DESCRIPTION MAY NOT BE TO OBVIOUS AT A LATER READING BUT IT IS UNIQUELY NOVEL AND CANNOT BE FOUND IN ANY PART OF THIS BLOG.

2018-12-23: NEVER FORGET ABOUT THE DELIVERY THAT BOWLING AND GOLF SHARE, I.E., THE AUTOMATIC SNAP AT THE END OF THE DELIVERY. 2019-02-07: IN GOLF, THIS IS THE HOGAN CUPPED LEFT WRIST.

2019-01-26: JUST DON'T FORGET THAT THE FULL COCKING IS REQUIRED EVEN WHEN CHIPPING.

2019-02-12: IMAGINE THE WRISTS AS THE ONE HOLDING THE CLUB, NOT THE HANDS.  IT MAKES THE SWING LIKE A BOWLING BALL RELEASE.

2019-02-13: DUSTIN JOHNSON TAKEAWAY: JUST LET THE "L" SHAPE LEFT WRIST CARRYING THE CLUB ON THE UPSWING BRING UP THE CLUB.  BREAK THE LEFT WRIST FIRST (RIGHT AWAY - 2019-02-27: the pronation and thrust upwards of the club head must start and "complete" almost a few inches from the ball. The imagined "roller coaster" of the club head must start right away so that the correct upswing can be executed. Also, the left thumb must be the one that is thrust along the "roller coaster"... so is the club head. Therefore, the thumb and club head has a direct relationship (grip).) ON THE TAKEAWAY!!! THIS WILL MAKE IT EASY TO VISUALIZE THE "CLUB HEAD" TRAVELING UP ALONG THE PLANE....AND TO THE TOP OF THE SWING.  SIMPLE TAKEAWAY AND HIT ...  OF COURSE, THE PLANE IS IN PLAY HERE. WORKS GREAT WITH NO. 1 DON'T FUCKING... AND, PLEASE, PLEASE DO THIS WITH THE 110% PULL CHARACTERIZED BY THE VERY WEAK GRIP. THE GRIP SO WEAK THAT ONE IS ACTUALLY CRADLING THE GRIP BUTT ITSELF. AN EARLY TWIST OF THE WRIST WILL BRING THE CLUB UP ALONG THE PLANE; THEN A CONTINUOUS PULL WILL BE ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO BRING THE CLUB HEAD BACK TO THROUGH THE BALL. 2019-02-22: USE THE HIPS TO PULL THE CLUB, NOT THE SHOULDERS. 2019-02-24: IMPORTANT TO TURN THE HEAD TO THE RIGHT ALA NICKLAUS. THIS MOVE ENSURES THE FULL TWIST AND THE AUTOMATIC DUKOT MOVE.

2019-03-02: Experiment with the grip behind the ball. This seems to visually make the club - especially woods - almost ready to pounce back along the rail on the back swing. This is probably why Hogan has only one same ball position for all clubs.

2019-03-04: On the downswing, shift the hips to the left first as far as it will go and let the centrifugal force commence the turning of the hips and almost at the same time the hitting of the ball by the left hand ... turning around and automatically finishing in the C position. 2019-03-16: THE DOWNSWING IS AUTOMATIC - NO THINKING ALLOWED. 

2019-03-16: THE BACKSWING IS INITIATED FIRST BY COCKING EVERY CLUB,  ESPECIALLY THE DRIVER, WITH THE LEFT WRIST BREAK RIGHT ON THE GET GO. IF IN DOUBT,  READ THE THE RULE AGAIN. SO COMPLETELY BREAK THE LEFT WRIST FIRST BEFORE BRINGING THE CLUBHEAD UP. THIS MOVE WILL DELAY THE HIT ENOUGH SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE CLUB BRUSH THE GROUND EVEN WITH THE DRIVER. ACTUALLY, THIS RULE IS MAINLY FOR THE LONG CLUBS BECAUSE COCKING IS NOTORIOUSLY DELAYED WITH THESE CLUBS. DOING THIS " SOMEHOW RESULTS IN MORE SOLID CONTACT. BRING THE SHAFT PARALLEL TO THE GROUND FIRST BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO LIFTING IT TO THE TOP OR ANOTHER TECHNIQUE MAYBE IS TO IMAGINE THE WHOLE COMPLETE RING WHERE THE CLUBHEAD WILL TRAVEL AND COCK THE CLUBHEAD ALONG IT LIKE A SATELLITE. 

2019-03-27: All references in this article to the "CLUBHEAD" should mean mentally just the tip of the shaft alone "and" the physical feeling of the "WEIGHT" of the clubhead. The weight feeling is very important because it connects the clubhead to the body by centrifugal force and pulling that "weight" back to the ball is the PERFECT forward swing method to learn and remember!

2019-03-30: I REPEAT AGAIN, COCKING OR BREAKING THE WRIST IS "MUST", NOT AN OPTION.  ELSE, SHANKS CAN RESULT.

2019-03-31: Because I am so good now in hitting with the left side, it is better right after cocking to hit the ball with the left hand - not anymore thinking of moving left with the body.  I do that automatically now.  This should prevent those occasional shanks plus longer distances, I think. (After a few hours and another set of practice - I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS NOW. Also, it is against the Stoke of Genius principle)

2019-04-01:  There is an inherent gem in the following statements I copied from above.  In it is the secret to an easy back swing.  It makes the back swing so easy for all clubs.  Try to read it again and somehow remember and retain the feeling.  It is so fucking good to be able to bring the club up so easy.  The secret uncovered here is the change of alignment of the shoulders to the target line or bottom of the plane. When the right shoulder is lowered, the shoulders - that is initially parallel to the plane - slightly opens up (turns a little clockwise - let us call that "Flat X Factor" due to the flat X formed by the shoulders and the target line) and makes the action of bringing up the club head along the plane mentally easier.  IN ADDITION, TURN THE LEFT SHOULDER AROUND WITH THE RIGHT SHOULDER AS THE FULCRUM.  Here is the copy again:

2019-02-05 DON'T FUCKING FORGET THIS. IT IS HOW THE COCK IN SABONG GETS POINTED.1) AT ADDRESS, TRY FLICKING THE LEFT WRIST TO FIND THE PLANE. 1218-12-14: KEEPING THE RIGHT SHOULDER LOWER AND THE GRIP WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL MAKES IT EASIER TO SEE THE PLANE AND HELPS LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD BACKWARDS AND UPWARDS ALONG THE PLANE (VS STANDING UPRIGHT ON THE PLANE AND LAUNCH IS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHICH MAKES THE BACK SWING QUITE NOT RIGHT. ALSO IT IS LIKE RIDING THE CIRCULAR PLANE LIKE A BIKE AND COCKING IS A DOWN AND UP MOTION VS COCKING SIDE TO SIDE MOTION ). 20-12-15: WHEN ADDRESSING THE BALL, IT MAY BE EASIER TO VISUALIZE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND PRONATING (WITH THE WRIST BREAKING EARLY) ALONG THE PLANE AT THE SAME TIME LAUNCHING THE CLUB HEAD UP. 2019-02-06: Bringing the right shoulder down physically puts the right shoulder BELOW the plane and essentially makes the BACK SWING a southwest to northeast vertical move rather than a west to east horizontal move... which is MENTALLY impossible for me. 2) WHEN FOUND, PRONATINGLY LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD LIKE A SATELLITE GOING INTO ORBIT (REMEMBER CAPE OR STICK THE LEFT THUMB ALONG THE PLANE?) SLITHERING THE CLUB, WRIST,  ARM, SHOULDERS, BODY, LEGS TO THE GROUND (IN THAT ORDER).  

2019-04-02: REVELATION 101.  The right shoulder as a fulcrum reveals why the left side only can be used to hit. It is because the right shoulder becomes the center of the swing and the left shoulder and left side is the one that can only pull the club around the fulcrum (right shoulder). The right shoulder must be the pivot point only. It is easier now to teach golf if the right shoulder is mentally imagined as the fulcrum. It becomes natural to use the left side as the moving force. And since the left shoulder moves laterally, the DIVOT becomes MENTALLY imaginable easily. In addition, it is also easier now to imagine the shoulders which is parallel to the plane as just pivoting along the plane using right shoulder center point of turn. Remember before when you just turn the shoulders like a helicopter? Now we know more specifically where the pivot point is, the right shoulder - not the neck.

2019-04-04:  During actual play, the upswing method immediately above needs some tweaking since the way it is now promotes a hammer swing rather than a pull swing. AT ADDRESS, COCK THE CLUB (NOT CLUB HEAD ALONE BUT THE WHOLE CLUB WITH THE SHAFT) AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY PUSH THE CLUB WITH THE LEFT SHOULDER UP MAKING SURE THE PIVOT POINT IS THE RIGHT SHOULDER.  WITH THIS AS THE MENTAL (LEFT SHOULDER DOMINANT) PICTURE, IT SHOULD BE NATURAL TO PULL THE CLUB TOWARDS THE BALL.  IT WILL ALSO BE EASIER TO CONTROL THE DEPTH OF THE DIVOT. 2019-04-06: ALSO, THE START OF THE DOWNSWING MUST RIGHT AFTER THE LEFT SHOULDER BOUNCES OFF THE CHIN. Apparently, the bouncing off the chin ensures the correct depth of the return of the club head to the ball, makes it dig in and creates the divot.

2019-04-11: AFTER TWO WEEKS OF TWO 18-HOLE PLAYS AND AFTER INTALLING MY DRIVIVG NET AND HITTING PRACTICE,  I MUST SAY THAT MY SWING NEEDS A FULL COCK AND A CLOSE, "NATURAL" CLUBFACE (NO PANNING). IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL: THE LEFT HAND MUST UNCOCK TO THE DIVOT JUST AFTER THE BALL (EXCEPT THE DRIVER). IN OTHER WORDS,  PROJECT THE UNCOCKING ENERGY TO MAKE A DIVOT.

2019-04-12: THE SECRET IS THE SHOULDERS TAKING CONTROL OF THE SWING  ALONG THE PLANE AND COCKING (MOST OF THE TIME BUT NOT A NECESSITY). USING THE SHOULDERS AND PLANE MAKE ALL KINDS OF TERRAIN SHOTS  EASY - FOR ALL SHOTS FROM PUTTER TO DRIVER. 2019-04-14: Imagine the left shoulder doing the back swing and down swing - to hit the ball.