Introduction
This posting will be a self-contained tutorial for all my golf related swing. It will explain and relate in some way how I got to where I am currently. Although I started documenting my experiences way back in the 80's, my real golf quest started in 1999 where I accidentally shot a 78 at Richter Park with my late friend, Dan O'Rielly and another walk-in couple. How I played that day was a total abandon to my instincts which I did not understand then but I am realizing slowly now. I am still not sure but I think it is the catapult effect brought about by an extremely cocked left wrist (with abandon) that was the key. It is only through a lot of continuous self discoveries that I realized I was actually creating an SOG (see other posting related to this topic) swing.
Aggressive Wrist Cock
For 99% of the golfers out there, taking a vigorous wrist cock may be the answer to understanding the correct golf swing. When the club is taken back and extremely cocked, the twisted body is pulled farther. This in turn turns a switch in the brain to pull the club with the body - hips turning - rather than starting the downswing with the hands. The feeling of the over cocked clubs leaves the mind hopelessly incapable of flipping the club back with the hands. It (the mind) orders the body to un-twist (turn the hips).
When the club is raised along the plane by the left arm, the left wrist MUST ALSO cock the club fully until the whole weight of the left arm and club is felt wrapped around the shoulders. Feel the left shoulder and then execute the turn-around where the hips bring all towards the target - and a picture perfect finish. What will be felt is like the way Hogan described it in his book - the club will just be hurling itself towards the target.
2015-02-16: The caddie, I only know him as Jun 13, found something missing in my swing. He noticed that I do not finish my swing. He demonstrated to turn the right hip at the end of my swing and face the target. At first at the driving range this was hard for me to execute. However, the next time I went to the driving range, I started concentrating on cocking the club. Cocking the club actually automatically forced me to unwind so that it was easy to just turn around my hips and finish as he suggested. It worked. When I played at Tagaytay Midlands with Vic Fernandez, Bong Obligacion and Joey Solis - I immediately found that confidence and played well from tee to green. Of course, I still have the around-the-green problem so I did not really scored well. If there is anything that I can call the secret to my swing, it should be the full cocking on every shot. It actually twisted my shoulders automatically and at the same time summoned an automatic full hit. When the downswing is automatically initiated, it is just a matter of twisting my right hips towards the target. I should remember that the right hips is really the game changer tip but I cannot execute it without the fully cocking left hand (and the ensuing shoulder twist).
What is the Cause of Shanks and Mishits? 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. Mishits or shanks occurs.
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.
2021-04-06: IS EXTREME COCKING NECESSARY? Well, in my case it is. If not extremely cocked, my short irons go awry. Therefore, it must be incorporated in my swing at all times starting today. Change my upswing to instead of the left shoulder turning and pulling the body muscles taut, let the left extremely cocked hand do the work.
With the left fully cocked wrist pulling the body turn and creating the torque, AN AUTOMATIC STRONG LEFT HAND HIT RESULTS. THIS MUST BE INCORPORATED IN MY SWING!
The V-angle Golf Principle
V-angle Golf is the belief that the very essence of the "correct" golf swing is the V-angle's inclusion in every swing. Golfers may incorporate different ways and do other things but they all hit the ball the V-angle way. By the way, the V-angle is the use of the resulting angle in the golf swing where the vertex or the point of the V is pulled towards the ball. Then the clubhead is catapulted (reaction to the pull) to actually hit the ball and take the divot. That said, one can make a rule that states: every other part of the golf swing must complement the V-angle. If not possible, do not even try it.
This is how the conversion to the left and pull technique versus the right and hammer golf can be achieved. It is a very difficult transition, even impossible to many.
THE V-ANGLE IS THE ANGLE CREATED BY THE SHOULDERS AND THE LEFT ARM ON THE TAKEAWAY WITH THE LEFT SHOULDER BECOMING THE VERTEX OF THE ANGLE. The purpose of the angle is the one that is significant. It creates the lag that professional golfers have. And imagining the left shoulder as the vertex of the angle AND THE POWER MOVER OF THE GOLF SWING makes the average golfer ABLE TO EASILY execute the golf swing like a professional golfer.
The angle must be made parallel to the plane. It has to be parallel so that one can use the left shoulder to pull the club towards the ball with ease and with self confidence. THIS IS ONLY ACHIEVED BY A CORRECT TAKEAWAY HABIT.
The Parts of the Swing
LEFT HAND ONLY UPSWING with right hand actively guiding and SOG WAIST TURN DOWNSWING
- First, at address, LAY THE CLUB FACE FLAT ON THE GROUND. This may feel upright at the beginning but it is not.
- Then lower the right shoulder and feel then feel the TUCKED right elbow. LOOK FOR THE PLANE - which is inclined low from the shoulders, not the eyes - and when mentally found proceed below. NOTE: OFTEN TIMES IT MAY BE EASIER TO USE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND TO TRACK THE PLANE with the right hand actively guiding the club along the plane and ultimately ensuring the extreme almost backhand cock.
- THEN DO SEVERAL SLOW MINI UPSWINGS TO TEST THE SYNCRONIZATION WITH THE PLANE.
- Third, WHEN SATISFIED, PUSH THE CLUB ON THE GRASS WITH THE LEFT HIP AND CONTINUE with a continuous flick of the clubhead following and ALONG THE PLANE (like the left hand throwing the cape over the shoulders and the right hand actively guiding the club along the plane and ultimately ensuring the extreme almost backhand cock) up to the extreme cock of the wrist which then pulls the LEFT shoulder down and around - imagining, the right arm from shoulder to elbow - as the AXIS and going around along the PLANE UNTIL THERE IS A PRONOUNCED TIGHTENING OF THE LEFT BODY MUSCLES created by the EXTREME COCKING.
- NOTE: Pronate naturally and cock with the left hand the club WITH SOLE PURPOSE OF CREATING A CENTRIPETAL FORCE resulting to a BOUNCE (don't forget the idea is to achieve extreme cocking).
- Fourth and last, started by the BOUNCE AND TIGHTENED MUSCLES, continue to pull AND SWEEP the centrifugal weight with the left shoulder OR LOWER BODY - not the right hip - and AUTOMATICALLY supinating - WITH DELIBERATE RIGHT HAND FORCE OR JUST A NATURAL PULL- the clubhead THROUGH THE BALL AND TOWARDS THE target. 2021-04-09: CORRECTION - TURN THE HIPS TO THE TARGET TO POWER THE SWING AND EXECUTE IT USING SOG.
- Tip to Tip: a technique where the tip of the club, the clubhead, is the focus. The clubhead is brought up and down towards the ball to create the fastest velocity as possible, i.e., tip to tip.
MUSINGS on My Current Game
Putting and Chipping
Putting and chipping have identical techniques. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME except the actual implement used. So with this in mind, one can consider even the fringes of the green as actually part of the green. Anything where you can chip has to be considered like putting. With this in mind, one can really shoot for the flag no matter where it is because all around it won't matter (except water).
I am currently using this Miyazaki MDX II MD-001 putter. It changed my visualization of the putt - from dying into the hole - to passing on top of the hole. Actually, the major difference between between the two is the width of the line. Before it was just a line going and dropping into the hole but now the line is as wide as the putter and it just passes over the hole. This makes is so easy to target the hole because there is no need to be as detailed.
By the way, do not forget to use the billiard arms (SHADE LEFT) in putting. It is essential in straightening the actual ball path and ensuring that the ball behaves as imagined and intended. However, there is something beautiful in my stance now. I open my body approximately 45° to the line and my right arm is parallel to the target line but amazingly, the putter shaft droops perpendicular to the T-line and so is my left arm (almost)! It feels so good but looks kind of weird seeing both arms triangulate at the grip.
Remember, the visualization now is entirely different. The putt and chip now is like a train passing along the train tracks, yes, train tracks.
ALSO, IMAGINE ROLLING THE BALL FROM THE FRONT OF THE PUTTER GOING TO THE TARGET. This will help in accuracy since the setup is secondary. It will also help in properly lagging the ball to the hole.
PITCHING
My technique requires that the club backswing reach PARALLEL TO THE GROUND in all instances.
First, raise the club parallel to the ground. Very important to note that raising is done by the flick of the wrist along the plane, just like a full shot. Then...
The "body first" pull technique applies in chipping too and it might be a good way to experiment on the full swing. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER THE GOLF SWING IS NOT A HIT BUT A SWING. AND THE TAKEAWAY SHIFTS THE CENTRIFUGAL WEIGHT TO THE LEFT.
To make this easier, pull the centrifugal weight and sweep the ball with left shoulder, not the right hip!
HOGAN'S PLANE
The plane is low and inclined from the ball towards the shoulders. It would have been easier to mentally incline it towards the eyes so it can be "seen" easily but in that position, the clubhead return to ball raises it a little high and invites topping or a necessary downward correction. KEEPING THE PLANE RESTING ON THE SHOULDERS PROMOTES A TRUE PLANE-TO-PLANE RETURN.
TRAIN TRACKS
Imagining the golf swing as a train traveling towards the target rather than a slap on the ball - PROMOTES A TRUER BALL FLIGHT and very apparent in putting and chipping.
GOLF UPRIGHT SWING
This is just a reminder for me why I am changing my flat plane to a more upright (relative to my usual flat plane with the club face pointing upwards) where the club face is correctly flat on the ground.
During my last game (Tradition at Oak Lane, March 14, 2021 with Dean and Winston), I realized I must impart an active and strong swipe at the ball to get any decent distance.
Well while practicing at home the next day, I also realized the value of the slow MINI big waggles AND SLOW UPSWING (Morikawa?) which makes the upswing-along-the-plane very easy to do. If this is easy, then I can go back to the more standard "upright" plane. When I experimented with this, to my surprise, the club automatically cocked at the top WHICH RESULTS IN AN AUTOMATIC STRONG HIT AT THE BALL! WOW, PROBLEM SOLVED.
THE LEFT BACK HAND UPSWING AND HIT - ACTIVE SUPINATION AND PRONATION
2121-03-17: This is very important concept that is hard to put on paper right now. It involves the active use of the left hand backhand in the upswing. The downswing or hit is also the active left hand. Right it looks like it should be use in all shots that is why it may invalidate and replace all the teachings I have so far laid down in this section.
2121-03-21: DO NOT FORGET THE RICHTER 4-WOOD FLIP AND "FORGOTTEN AUTOMATIC" HIT.
Go back to the V-angle to execute the Richter swing.
1) usual stance and plane visible
2) Cock first (very early and when physically possible).
3) Wind up the backswing with the left shoulder, i.e., v-angle swing. NOTE: THE LEFT SHOULDER MUST TURN BACK!
4) HIT hard with the left shoulder.
2021-03-30: IT IS THE SHOULDERS STUPID. And the trebuchet hurls the golf ball, not hit it.
2021-04-21: I discovered the art of coiling. Start with the left hand flip and follow right away with coiling the left shoulder and left WAIST until fully coiled. Execute the waist turn to hit the ball. The right hand actively (80%) facilitates the extreme cocking. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE PATH OF THE BACKSWING TO VISUALIZE. Do you want a Nicklaus upright backswing or a more circular one where the bottom will become the divot? BUT IT IS A MUST AND A FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE CLUB HEAD WEIGHT TO REACH THE EXTREME COCKING AS EVIDENCED BY A BOUNCE ON THE INVERTED WRIST! AND, REPEAT AND, YOU DON'T, REPEAT, DON'T UNCOCK ON THE DOWNSWING. YOU JUST SWEEP THROUGH. NO PAUSE AT ALL FOR UNCOCKING NECESSARY. ESPECIALLY FOR CHIPPING! Emulate Jason Day's chipping and Rory McIlroy drive. NOTE 2121-04-11: THIS REVISES MY THEORY ON SOG BECAUSE IT POSTULATES A NO FORWARD DISCERNABLE REQUIRED MOVE OF THE SMALL MUSCLES. IT ACTUALLY PROMOTES A FROZEN SMALL MUSCLES MOVEMENT. THE HANDS IN THE UPSWING AND "ALL WAIST TURN" IN THE DOWNSWING.
MASTER CHIPPING TO MASTER GOLF
This section is primarily to learn the art of the stroke, for chipping and, therefore, golfing. Apply the power of the trebuchet at all times and in every instance.
