Frozen Golf Swing (See the next topic - The TREBUCHET Swing)

The Golf Swing may, on the onset, appear to be simple and quite easy to learn but on the contrary it took a lifetime for me to figure them out and realize my mistakes. Essentially, my errors narrowed down to two - the mental aspect of hitting the ball and the upswing start sequence. 

The long mental journey was riddled with no road map and being highly intelligent, sought the intelligent way - the obvious one - that is, played it the right handed hammering way. Mentally, it was the obvious way. Actually it proved to be the reverse - the left hand must be dominant and the action must be a pull rather than a hit of the ball (hammer the ball).

As far as the start sequence, that has always eluded me from the start.  I just never figured out why I, most of the time, cannot feel comfortable bringing the club up. I think the answer is just setting up a few rules.

COIL, UNCOIL - THE PRIME DIRECTIVE

2021-09-23: Right now the perfect golf swing for me is this. 

1. 2022-05-06: STICKING THE CLUBHEAD TO THE SKY NEEDS A TOPIC OF IT'S OWN. (It takes out the mental emphasis from the left shoulder but rather to the clubhead being pushed upwards. Also a big big change is the visualization of the plane. It is no longer like a disc but just the circumference line of the plane.) IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE TAKEAWAY. IT GIVES THE LEFT ARM THE TOTAL CONTROL FOR THE WHOLE FORWARD SWING. Not only that, it gives the left side control of the backswing. It also promotes the use of the plane and, therefore,  accuracy. IT IS STARTED WITH THE EXTREME LEFT WRIST BREAK TAKEAWAY. 2022-05-09: Waggle is the left wrist breaking on top and supported by the right hand palm. Right arm is kept straight and frozen. Only the left arm waggles - in essence. And when this is done, the plane appears and that is when the left shoulder pushes the club to the sky to initiate the takeaway. 
2. 2021-12-08: Remember that a natural cock first (rather than Slapping technique) to start the swing should be experimented for the 2022 season. I think it will increase the distance. By the way, the new "old" irons encourages that fanning clubface start. All left hand cock backswing.
   
   2022-03-17: FANNING START and EXTREME L SET SETUP (GRIP DIRECTLY UNDER THE CHIN WHICH PREVENTS TOPPING THE BALL) ARE REQUIRED. The left wrist fans the clubhead while the shoulders brings the club up. 22-04-30:This worked during actual play. L-SETUP, EXTREME LEFT WRIST BREAK FOR TAKEAWAY AND IMMEDIATELY THE LEFT SHOULDER TAKES OVER TO THE TOP. AUTO DOWNSWING RESULTS. HOWEVER - NEVER, NEVER FORGET THE 1999 BREAKING 80 TAKEAWAY THAT STARTS EVERY GOOD GOLF SWING. THIS TAKEAWAY IS THE ESSENCE BEHIND ALL THE GOOD THING HAPPENING TO MY CURRENT SWING.
   
   2022-03-30: Incorporate the FROZEN ARMS takeaway - THE LONG SOUGHT AUTOMATIC TAKEAWAY TECHNIQUE.
3. DON'T FORGET THE QUICK COCK TECHNIQUE - can be the way to launch penetrating ball flights also.
4. 22-04-06: MERGE THE TWO TECHNIQUES INTO ONE. 2022-04-11: And, as third, the TREBUCHET shoulder hit?
5. 2022-04-18: MAKE THE LEFT SHOULDER THE INITIATOR and FREEZE BOTH THE L GRIP TOGETHER WITH THE UPPER BODY. A FROZEN UPPER BODY MUST BE FELT - FROZEN CHEST SIDE MUSCLES (Palikpik), FROZEN GRIP, FROZEN L-GRIP SUPPORTING THE FROZEN CLUB. BRING BACK THE FROZEN CLUB AHEAD WITH A THRUSTING BACKWARD MOTION, ALONG THE PLANE USING THE LEFT SHOULDER BUT IN REALITY, A FROZEN ONE-PIECE MOVE OF THE UPPER BODY. VISUALIZE THE CLUBHEAD ARCHING BACKWARDS WITH THE LEFT SHOULDER GOING AROUND THE PLANE AND TOUCHING THE CHIN AT THE TOP. SQUEEZE THE TOWEL. 2022-04-24: Initiate the hurling upswing by TIMING with the left hand waggle.
6. 2022-04-18: No doubt, the above is Rory's golf swing. Rigid body, rigid turn, rigid downswing. DON'T FORGET,  DON'T WAIVER!
7. 2022-04-01: The following list is a detailed expansion of this paragraph - in a way, my swing thoughts for the 2022 season:
1. At set-up and during the entire swing, the arms and wrists MUST BE FROZEN. The arms, wrists, hands, and club is now a passive part of the swing.  The UPPER BODY, with the driver seat on the center of the ribs, will now bring the club up and the body will be responsible to primarily hit the ball. This solves my long suffered takeaway insecurity.
2. Essential to the Frozen Technique above is incorporation of the EXTREAME L-SETUP. The L formed by the arms and club is so extreme that the clubhead is looking up rather than laying flat on the ground. This set-up does two things. It ensures that the club returns to the ball on the same spot at set-up.  In addition, it makes the the takeaway by the shoulders of the club intuitive and employs centrifugal force to bring the club up.
3. This is really a part of the above but deserves it's own paragraph is the grip. The left hand must be pushing down to support the weight of the club using the right hand as the fulcrum. The purpose is so that the right hand can further cock the club at the top - TO CREATE THE SOG WEIGHT .
4.  MENTAL THOUGHT - The upper body guides the frozen arms, wrists, club along the plane to a SOG bounce.
5. SOG DOWNSWING - On the bounce, the upper body guides the club along the plane to a perfect finish - ala Rory McIlroy.
8. 2021-10-05 copied from a previous post (At setup, lower the right shoulder and then feel the TUCKED right elbow.)
9. Visualize the plane. 
10. 2021-10-10: Get ready to execute the reverse divot utilizing the left shoulder. 2021-10-19: PIVOT THE LEFT SHOULDER ALONG THE PLANE USING THE RIGHT BICEP AS THE AXIS. Execute ala Rory McIlroy, i.e., Bounce and Freeze.
11. Maintain a LIMPED LEFT wrist with the right hand supporting the left hand.
12. Even if there is a feeling of disconnection, feel the one-piece takeaway and turn the left shoulder around the plane and COIL to the top. (Should be easier mental picture since the shoulders and arms are the only ones in the picture. The club and left hand are not since they are allowed to move automatically with the limped left wrist)
13. 2021-09-30: During actual play at Crestbrook, I can confirm that the visualization of the left shoulder going under and along the plane is a superior way vs. others. However, the visualization included the left hand actively raising the club leading the turn to the top.
14. 2021-10-08: THE BACKSWING MUST BE ONLY ACCOMPLISH BY THE LEFT SHOULDER GOING DOWN ALONG THE PLAIN - NO OTHER WAY AND NO EXCEPTIONS. 2021-10-12: Ala Nicklaus, with the left shoulder, supinate/fan the clubhead to the utmost top. Full turn, definitely. 2021-10-16: With full intent of cocking the club with the left hand at the top. 2022-05-01: During play yesterday,  big left wrist waggling on the flat of the right palm, culminating in a big left wrist cock against the V of the right hand and the left shoulder taking over immediately on the takeaway (pierce the sky with the the clubhead) - WORKED GREAT. As an afterthought, during the waggle, the right elbow rested against the tummy and this supported the arms and club tight and makes you feel like you are holding a wedge instead of the actual driver/woods.
    2021-10-09 PACI Timberlin Golf Club: Why does the left shoulder start works? And why it does not? It is actually the circular saw action that does the trick.  2021-10-10: Get ready to execute the reverse divot utilizing the left shoulder. 
    2021-10-16 Copied from Ben Hogan's book: on the backswing, the plane serves the golfer as sort of a three-dimensional road map. HIS SHOULDERS SHOULD ROTATE ON THIS PLANE, CONTINUOUSLY INCLINED AT THE SAME ANGLE. THE ARMS AND HANDS SHOULD ALSO FIND THIS SAME ANGLE OF INCLINATION AS THEY SWING BACK. (IMAGINE THE CLUB FACE OPENING UNTIL IT FINDS THE PLANE AND THERE IT JUST CONTINUES BACK UP - ALONG THE PLANE - TO THE TOP AND THE LEFT HAND IS COCKED)
15. Then unleash the power of the TREBUCHET on the ball position - making sure the LIMPED wrist stays LIMPED and cooperates in the process. 2021-10-05: ONE-PIECE DOWNSWING, STUPID!

2021-10-03 PAINT THE BALL

To understand this, one one first understand how the TREBUCHET works in SPORTS and with the GOLF SWING in particular.  Turning the beam of the TREBUCHET creates the torque. Wait for the bounce, then paint the ball with the backhand (Ala Hogan). The Hogan backhand is not so important as the staying down motion - thus, painting the ball!

(2021-10-05 But always apply the smooth stroke with the smooth transition - the SOG below.)

PUTTING 2021-10-04 (copied from COIL, THE PRIME OBJECTIVE post)

By the way, do not forget to use the billiard arms in putting. It is essential in straightening the actual ball path and ensuring that the ball behaves as imagined and intended. 

There is something beautiful in a stance like this: 

• Feet close to one another to facilitate automatic turning.
• Open the body approximately 45° to the target line with bending of the right arm is parallel to the target line.
• 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.

Another (may be better) is a point and shoot technique. Set the putter down pointed to the target line. Bring the putter back with the left waist. Freeze and pull forward.

(2021-10-05 But always apply the smooth stroke with the smooth transition - the SOG below.)

2022-02-19

1. Optional: Practice the stroke to gauge the distance 

2.  Stand behind the ball and aim the putter to the ball while the left hand supports the putter.

3.  Go back to set-up while ensuring the putter stays on the same spot. Align the right arm with the putter direction. As a self-check, the VISUAL direction will ALWAYS point LEFT of target.  Re-start if not.

4.  Execute the billiard stroke - aiming to where the putter is pointed (a little left of target). 

CHIPPING

Use the same technique as putting. (2021-10-05 But always apply the smooth stroke with the smooth transition - the SOG below.)

PITCHING 

Use the same technique as full shots. Just be an expert on the distances using different clubs and grip positions.  Stay with the  center ball position at all time. (2021-10-05 But always apply the smooth stroke with the smooth transition - the SOG below.) 

1. Employ less force, use a lower number club.

2. Everything is on the center ball position 

3. Shallow swing, shallow divot - open clubface

4. Weight on the left foot at all times

5. Low finish

OH MY GOD, THE SOG IS THE BOUNCE (2021-10-05)

The STROKE OF GENIUS is actually the entire smooth transition from the back stroke to the forward stroke connected with a bounce. It is the stroke with rhythm. And now we know the complete story - we can now proceed to learn the details because we know now the  big picture.

So in golf, we know now how to execute the SOG. COIL with the left shoulder, wait for the bounce and then paint the ball! We just have to learn how much distance and ball action (flight and spin) we cover from each club, from varying trajectories (ball positioning).

Wow! So much to learn still.

2022-04-03: Yes, so much to learn - or rather, so much to DISCOVER.  The bounce that I previously referred to as the SOG is actually the FROZEN technique I mentioned in the early part of this article.  The golf swing is actually the whole body, frozen - bringing the club up along the plane and returning back to the ball with a resulting follow through - as if frozen in time, in slow motion (or fast), like a martial artist using the power of the ground to impart the blow.