CATAPULT GOLF - HINGE and ROTATE BUT ANGLE FIRST AND FOREMOST

ALL BODY GOLF

Push the shoulders fully on the back swing and let the club face pronate to parallel of the target line. No wrist cocking.  In order to hit the ball squarely, supinate the club face by hitting with the right hips. That is it.  It is that simple.

It is really a simple twist (of the shoulders) and hit (with the right hip).

Use the extreme one-piece takeaway where even the wrists do not cock. The connected body parts "cocking" forces the left shoulder to go along with the arms - frozen together. The result makes the arms a passive part of the swing component, the lower body becoming the driver of the golf swing. It also makes the resulting shot more stable and predictable since less body parts are involved. Incidentally, use the left grip (as described in the previous article) as the directional guide for the swing path.

What is the ANGLE?

Some may call the "angle" synonymous with cocking - but that is not the complete story.  We will admit that cocking closes the angle between the arms and the club shaft to its' most physically minimum size. But that is not all.  It is the purpose of the angle that is significant.  The angle must be made parallel to the plane.  It has to be parallel so that one can pull the butt of the club towards the ball with ease and with self confidence.  The confidence is achieved when all the placement and angle of the club has been reached - and, therefore, felt by the golfer.  EVERY GOLF TECHNIQUE CAN BE INCORPORATED BUT THIS ANGLE AND RESULTING CONFIDENCE MUST ALWAYS BE ACHIEVED.

Hinge then Rotate

In another way of explaining the previous section, in the School of Golf Season 10 Episode 16 shown in Golf TV, the first section deals with the Hinge and Golf swing.

The Hinge was visually explained with the plastic hanger and the plastic flat plane.  The hanger was held perpendicular with the plane at address; the plane was pasted on the club shaft parallel to the plane at address.  The video shows how the hanger and the plane behaves on the backswing.  The hanger goes to parallel of the plane while the plane does the opposite, it flies vertically (perpendicular) the plane.

2020-10-06:  The hinge must be strong enough to create a "weight" that can be pulled. Also, the next paragraph says rotate not pull. The butt of the club is pulled and body automatically rotated (happens naturally if there is a weight being pulled).

The Rotate is the explanation of what happens on the downswing. The hips rotate from parallel to the target line at address,  is rotated by the Hinge to face backwards of target and on the forward swing, the waist is rotated around and through, finishing facing the target.

Some Insights

Left Shoulder Push

Pushing the left shoulder towards the ball on the start of the swing ensures a full shoulder turn and promotes a stronger hit.

Lower Body Hit

Using the lower body to hit the ball (in contrast with the arms) promotes an easier way for the clubhead to come back to the same place as in address.  This rotation of the body makes hitting the ball automatic.

Grip Ahead of the ball

Ensuring that the grip is ahead of the ball at address and at impact also promotes a full hit of the ball at impact.  This was mentioned in the School of Golf  episode above.  Specifically, it referred the technique to David Leadbetter.  2020-10-04: THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR SHORT IRONS SINCE I CAN NOT COCK FULLY MY SWING AND, THEREFORE, THE IMPACT IS EARLY AND THE CLUBFACE IS STILL OPEN LEADING TO YOU KNOW WHAT.  MAYBE, I SHOULD TRY JASON DAY "STIFF" ARMS CHIPPING TECHNIQUE AND INCORPORATE IT UP TO A FULL SWING? WOW, DID I MISS THE REAL MEANING OF WHAT I WROTE IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH? READ IT AGAIN - LOOKS LIKE A DESCRIPTION OF THE JASON DAY SWING. OK, IMPLEMENT THAT AND MAKE SURE NO COCKING! AND US THE SHOULDERS TO HIT, ESPECIALLY IN CHIPPING. 

Another thing to try is the billiards putting incorporated to the full swing?

I NOW OWN MY GOLF SWING

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Remember my posting about when I shot a 78 at Richter's Golf Course? I cannot figure out how I did it. The only thing I remember doing was just letting go of my swing and just rely on muscle memory. But every time I try to re-live it, I fail.  That was in 1998 and now 20 plus years later, I am almost positive that I discovered it - not re-discovered because I was not aware that a golf swing was even close to what I have discovered now.

CATAPULT GOLF

The swing, which I will name as an Explosion shot, is a shot where the hit to the golf shot is not consciously done but instead an automatic reaction like a sling effect or a catapult effect. Let me describe how to execute it in detail.

1. Get ready for a one-piece takeaway. Firm up the arms, left wrist supple. The left wrist will be the only one moving to fully COCK and in only one direction - UP, not right but just up.
2. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CHICKEN WING AND TOEING HIT, DO NOT USE THE HANDSHAKE GRIP. INSTEAD USE THE "ALREADY COCKED BACKWARDS GRIP" WITH THE STRAIGHT FROZEN LEFT ARM (2020-08-06). At address, make sure the arms and hands are falling directly perpendicular to the ground. This angle is essential in order to create the maximum catapult effect. Also, make sure the left hand and wrist are holding up the weight of the club - ready for cocking. Let the right thumb and forefinger wrap around the club grip to make it impossible for the club to straighten out to less than perpendicular. Very important. 2020-07-18 THIS WRAP AROUND TWO RIGHT FINGERS IS THE KEY TO "MY" SWING. IT FORCES THE COCKING... AND RESULTING LAG THAT PROMOTES THE FLUSH HIT EVERY TIME. NO MORE RUSSIAN ROULETTE HITS.
3. Not left hip start but left hand, ala Hogan upswing (2020-08-09). Using the LEFT HIP, start the swing by SLOWLY sliding and brushing (like oozing liquid) the club face back AND DELIBERATELY SLOWLY TO A FULL LEFT HAND COCK. The bounce on the left wrist is the signal to start the downswing. 
4. NO THINKING AT ALL ON THE BACK SWING. IT IS OBLIGATORY TO JUST LEAVE EVERYTHING AT THIS POINT TO MUSCLE MEMORY.
5. At that certain transition point - with the left wrist - cock the club fully (repeat, FULLY, AND IT MUST BE FELT) as much as the wrist can bend but not backwards as learned before. (There will be shots, sometimes when chipping, where cocking the wrist is not desired but this is not the standard)
6. The above points are pretty much standard textbook golf...(ALL IS REQUIRED - ALL!) but what follows is the difference - and works only with a fully cocked club.
7. WHEN THE WRIST FULL BEND IS FELT, the downswing starts and is initiated by the hips.  And at almost the bottom, two things can happen:
• the RIGHT HAND SMASHES or
• the LEFT ARM SMASHES 
• the ball leading to a picture perfect high finish. 
• The hit is 
• automatic - a sling effect like that from a catapult.

Very important thing to note is the LEFT HIP sets up the initial coiling and the desired forward swing is mostly the left side and arm. But important to know is what the RIGHT HAND can do. It is the RIGHT HAND SMASH HIT that consequently squares up the face of the club AND IT ENSURES THE SQUARED UP HIT WHEN THE BODY DOES NOT TURN AROUND BY ITSELF. You can even say that it is the GO-TO ACTION WHEN EVERYTHING FAILS. SO THE MOST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IN THIS TOPIC IS THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE MOVEMENT OF THE LEFT HIP AND RIGHT HAND (OR AUTOMATIC LEFT PULL) IS ESSENTIAL IN THE CORRECT GOLF SWING. (BUT SOMEHOW THE EXTREME COCKING SEEMS TO ALWAYS BECOME THE PREREQUISITE TO THE FLUSHED SWING - ANSWER IS YEEESSS)

2020-07-26: WHEN THE LEFT HIP STARTS AND PUSHES THE CLUB HEAD BACK, EVERYTHING ELSE AUTOMATICALLY FOLLOWS - EVEN IN CHIPPING.  MY GOD, IT CAN ALL BE LEFT HIP - UPSWING AND DOWNSWING!  Using the left hip forces and insures a pulling action which is a necessity for my new swing. NOW THE ENTIRE PARTS OF MY SWING IS GLUED TOGETHER JUST LIKE IN 1998 - BUT NOW I KNOW WHY.

How to Put Maximum Spin, i.e. force, on the Ball

It all depends on learning how to turn the clubface underneath the golf ball. It is learning to make the clubface enter the ball on its heel and leave the ball on its toe. It is learning how to cut the ball by slashing the ball. It is learning how to fan the clubface under the ball. It is the realization that the clubface can be made to turn under the ball.

WHAT IS MY SWING NOW AND WHY?

March 25, 2020. Last year, 2019-02-05, I wrote: DON'T FUCKING FORGET THIS. IT IS HOW THE COCK IN SABONG GETS POIMOINTED.

1) AT ADDRESS, TRY FLICKING THE LEFT WRIST TO FIND THE PLANE. 

2) 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. )

3) 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. 

4) 2019-12-15: 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. 

5) 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. 

March 25, 2020. And here is the downswing, the method that imparts the most spin on the ball. Since the upswing now is being imagined as the plane as vertical - rather than horizontal - the downswing is a pull of the club by the waist towards the ball resulting in an automatic turning of the body to the finish position. That turn creates the "professional" back spin. Basically, the downswing is pushing the posterior towards the ball and the action of the turning of the body to the finish position creates a centrifugal right to left slashing motion of the clubhead to the ball. March 29, 2020. When executed right, the centrifugal force imparted by the pronation and subsequent supination of the clubface is maximized at the ball! That goes to say that one should be fully aware of the weight of the clubhead from start (upswing) to finish (downswing) of the swing. Also, the grip has to be super open (weak)  and almost entirely a finger grip - almost palming the grip. And may feel very awkward at first.

IMPORTANT FINDING

Apr. 04, 2020. Now that I know how to fling (12 o'clock supination upination point of the clubface) the club at any point, I now realize how the spin is imparted to the ball. It is making that fling point way before the ball. It not only gives the spin but also controls the flight of the ball. I will explain later.

April. 7, 2020. BACK TO THE BASIC HOGAN SWING because anything using the hands just makes it impossible to hit far and with force! Just remember what we have learned so with the swing and incorporate them with the Hogan pure body swing, not forgetting the following:

1. Use the one piece takeaway with the left shoulder doing the lifting. The shoulders should rotate on the plane. 

2. On the downswing, the body moves to the left causing the right shoulder to be lowered which in turn promotes an inside-out hit. Remember, this move is the move that creates maximum spin?

May 4, 2020. My upswing still needs the extreme cocking. And my downswing, the shoulders does not fully turn. Both faults devoid my golf swing of power. So to alleviate them:

     1) The upswing now must be started by the wrist cocking to the extreme fullest - ensuring a tightening that will create a bounce to auto start the downswing. Over time, it expected that the twisting will increase as my body adapts.

     2) The downswing must be started by the taut hips and turn like a helicopter rotor slashing along the plane with a deliberate ignorance of hitting the ball. The hit is not an afterthought.  Keep reading. 

    

     3)  2020-06-15: STROKE OF GENIUS (SOG) APPLICATION IN THE GOLF SWING - The full cocking is the most important part of the upswing. It doesn't matter if the shoulders does not fully go up as long as the cocking is fully done. And it (COCKED wrist) is NOT subjectively released to take the divot. Yes, the delayed centrifugal release is caused by the SOG. The club/head is automatically released by centrifugal force which gives the extra power to the swing. 

From my practice today I found that using Hogan's tied up feeling, with only the wrist cocking the club upwards to the fullest and intentionally letting the claspped hands bring down the butt of the club towards the ball... is the optimum move, even the right hand can be used as Hogan described in his book.

Stroke of Genius (SoG)

The Stroke of Genius (SoG) is embodied in every way where an outstanding "move" is required and made.  What is it? When something is left to the sub-conscious or to the muscle memory to perform, this is the stroke of genius.

In golf, this move is exemplified by the "delayed" hit. It is when the stroke is left to the automatic delayed hit of the ball.  The club is just pulled towards the ball and just "guided" through by the big muscles. The applies even to putting.

The Essence of SOG

What is really behind the Stroke of Genius (SOG)? What really makes it work? Is it muscle memory alone?

Yes it is muscle memory but there is something more than that to make it work. It is the fact that it is a PULLING FORCE, ALWAYS. SOG is the key to use the power of the ground, the power to project the gravity to anything, even the small golf ball! AND THE PULL POWER COMES FROM THE GROUND. Without the ground as a leverage, a pull cannot be executed at all.

So What is the Bottom Line

Now we know that SOG is essentially the pulling force or motion, then what is important in a golf swing is achieving a connection between the ground and the swing. And that means in the golf swing that it is essential to load up the swing, not the cocking or the shoulders, per se, but the point when the swing is connected to the ground. Of course, the left arm, the cocking and the shoulder motions facilitated the connection but those are not the purpose of the swing. They are just facilitators. As long as that connection is made, that is what it takes and required. Nothing more, nothing less. 

2020-06-15: STROKE OF GENIUS (SOG) APPLICATION IN THE GOLF SWING - The full cocking is the most important part of the upswing. It doesn't matter if the shoulders does not fully go up as long as the cocking is fully done. And it (COCKED wrist) is NOT subjectively released to take the divot. Yes, the delayed centrifugal release is caused by the SOG. The club/head is automatically released by centrifugal force which gives the extra power to the swing. 

From my practice today I found that using Hogan's tied up feeling, with only the wrist cocking the club upwards to the fullest and intentionally letting the claspped hands bring down the butt of the club towards the ball... is the optimum move, even the right hand can be used as Hogan described in his book.

2020-06-16: YES!!!

2020-06-25:  YES, FULL COCKING IS REQUIRED BUT SMOOTH TAKEAWAY UPWARDS TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER WORKS FOR ALL SHOTS INCLUDING THE 8 IRON!

2020-06-26: FORGET THE ABOVE. IT DOES NOT WORK IN THE COURSE.  TRY THE ONE FOLLOWING NEXT TIME.

Use natural motions using all left arm and hand for swinging the club. Waggle with the left wrist. This motion should find the plane naturally. With the wrist, flip the club up along the plane with full cocking in mind. With plane fully apparent mentally,  pull the club, butt first, along the plane towards the ball and let centrifugal force bring you to a picture perfect finish (DUKOT).

2020-06-29: THERE ARE TWO GOLF SWINGS, THE DUKOT AND THE EXPLOSION. I MUST CHOOSE WHICH IS TO BE MINE. I CHOOSE THE EXPLOSION! SWITCH TO THE EXPLOSION BLINDLY NOW OR DIE!

2020-07-03: Expand the crossbow golf here.

The Glue That Binds Everything TogetherTogetherl

There must be a common purpose to learn how to execute the correct golf swing. This is a diary of my latest quest. It should be noted that for at least a couple of years now I have made my left hand and arm the hitting side now. I pretty much have gone lefty.

March 7, 2020, I just realized that pulling my left side towards the ball (after the upswing), something I cannot do before, is now physically possible for me. This way, I was able to connect the "Stroke of Genius (SOG)" to the golf swing. There is a section devoted to it that one can read in order to understand the connection to this topic. Basically,  using the SOG, I was able to hit the ball indirectly by just letting the weight of the turn to fling the clubhead to the ball.

The next day, I  tried to implement it at the Tradition at Oak Lane Golf Course. It worked but not consistently. I still suffered the misfits and shanks.

The day after, March 10, 2020, here is what I wrote:

What is the cause? Simple but hard to digest. It is the shoulders over-rotating and go off alignment with the plane. This is hard to detect. Usually the misalignment is cured by over-cocking the club and that is why the resulting late hit cures the misaligned shoulders. However,  when there is no cocking, the shoulders are late in correcting its alignment to the plane and the contact to the ball is met with an open clubface. Mis-hits or shanks occur.

The cure? Make sure the left wrist cock the club first along the plane and turn the shoulders along that plane. Easy to say and easy to make a mistake thinking one rotated along the plane but actually did not. One can check by not cocking the club purposely and hitting with the SOG. If the clubhead hits square, the the shoulders stayed along the plane. Try chipping too. I guess the best way to make me remember is the term "dukot". It is a very restrictive feeling. Also, the move is like flicking your cape around your shoulders with your left hand.

Watershed Moment

March 12, 2020, I played nine holes at the Tradition at Oak Lane. 

1)  I  was able to confirm the golf swing is actually a pull motion. 

2)  Flicking the club like a cape is not that easy to do in real play after a while. It is easier to use and  turn the left shoulder instead. 

3) The cocking is a necessary part of the swing. It creates the centrifugally created flicking force that is essential to a perfect hit.

The Essence of SOG

What is really behind the Stroke of Genius (SOG)? What really makes it work? Is it muscle memory alone?

Yes it is muscle memory but there is something more than that to make it work. It is the fact that it is a PULLING FORCE, ALWAYS. SOG is the key to use the power of the ground, the power to project the gravity to anything, even the small golf ball! AND THE PULL POWER COMES FROM THE GROUND. Without the ground as a leverage, a pull cannot be executed at all.

So What is the Bottom Line

Now we know that SOG is essentially the pulling force or motion, then what is important in a golf swing is achieving a connection between the ground and the swing. And that means in the golf swing that it is essential to load up the swing, not the cocking or the shoulders, per se, but the point when the swing is connected to the ground. Of course, the left arm, the cocking and the shoulder motions facilitated the connection but those are not the purpose of the swing. They are just facilitators. As long as that connection is made, that is it takes and required. Nothing more, nothing less. 

What to Work on Next 

March 16, 2020. Develop a swing that will use the turning right hips to hit the ball with a pure swinger stoke (vs. any combination of a hitter stroke). Three things must be done to make this happen.  The alive grip with left hand dominant, left shoulder turn to load up the right hip, then the right hip turn to make the hit. Repeat, the right hip imaginararily slaps the ball!

March 19, 3020. On the other hand, it may be better to leave the thinking out and just put the club behind the ball, use the left shoulder to bring the club up (no hand movement,  strict one piece takeaway) and hit! No mental needed, leave everything to muscle memory. 

March 22, 2020. In order to execute the preceding Mar. 19 entry, it may be better, if possible on the course, to mentally let the left shoulder (starting from extreme 90 degree alive grip) cock the club up along the plane with the right shoulder as a fulcrum. Note, in order to remember this, dip the right shoulder down (to see the plane) before the left shoulder turns.

WHAT IS MY SWING NOW AND WHY?

March 25, 2020. Last year, 2019-02-05, I wrote: 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. 

2) 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. )

3) 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. 

4) 2019-12-15: 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. 

5) 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. 

And here is the downswing, the method that imparts the most spin on the ball. Since the upswing now is being imagined as the plane as vertical - rather than horizontal - the downswing is a pull of the club by the waist towards the ball resulting in an automatic turning of the body to the finish position. That turn creates the "professional" back spin. Basically, the downswing is pushing the posterior towards the ball and the action of the turning of the body to the finish position creates a centrifugal right to left slashing motion of the clubhead to the ball.

Cause of Shanks and Mishits

What is the cause? Simple but hard to digest. It is the shoulders over-rotating and go off alignment with the plane. This is hard to detect. Usually the misalignment is cured by over-cocking the club and that is why the resulting late hit cures the misaligned shoulders. However,  when there is no cocking, the shoulders are late in correcting its alignment to the plane and the contact to the ball is met with an open clubface. Mis-hits or shanks occur.

The cure? Make sure the left wrist cock the club first along the plane and turn the shoulders along that plane. Easy to say and easy to make a mistake thinking one rotated along the plane but actually did not. One can check by not cocking the club purposely and hitting with the SOG. If the clubhead hits square, the the shoulders stayed along the plane. Try chipping too. I guess the best way to make me remember is the term "dukot". It is a very restrictive feeling.

The Essence of SOG

What is really behind the Stroke of Genius (SOG)? What really makes it work? Is it muscle memory alone?

Yes it is muscle memory but there is something more than that to make it work. It is the fact that it is a PULLING FORCE, ALWAYS. SOG is the key to use the power of the ground, the power to project the gravity to anything, even the small golf ball! AND THE PULL POWER COMES FROM THE GROUND. Without the ground as a leverage, a pull cannot be executed at all.

So What is the Bottom Line

Now we know that SOG is essentially the pulling force or motion, then what is important in a golf swing is achieving a connection between the ground and the swing. And that means in the golf swing that it is essential to load up the swing, not the cocking or the shoulders, per se, but the point when the swing is connected to the ground. Of course, the left arm, the cocking and the shoulder motions facilitated the connection but those are not the purpose of the swing. They are just facilitators. As long as that connection is made, that is what it takes and required. Nothing more, nothing less.