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 (rest in peace, Dan) and another walk-in couple. How I played that day was a total abandon to my instincts and even up to now, I am not convinced that I have discovered what I was doing then. However now I believe it was the sling shot action - not a golf technique that made it happen then. Thus it was difficult to discover the golf technique that did it - because it was never the technique in the first place.
The Richter Rhythm
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.
I remember that day. At the first tee, I used a no. 4 wood club because it seems to be always the right weight, always gives me the feeling of an easy swing, easy takeaway that puts me in the position where it seems easy to hit the ball.
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 (2022-05-24: but only if enough weight has been created by the backswing). 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.
2022-05-16: It is the one piece takeaway with the sole purpose of cranking up the backswing to promote an all explosive PULL of the body of the clubhead to the ball. The left shoulder moves the clubhead along the outer edge (circumference) of the visualized Hogan (disc) plane. Extreme "ALIVE" L wrist necessary.
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 magically appears and that is when the left shoulder pushes the club to the sky to initiate the takeaway. 2022-05-19: In addition, an active Hogan waggle is also necessary in order to be able to make the plane appear in the mind. IF YOU DON'T WAGGLE, DON'T PLAY. THAT IS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR ME. THAT DIFFERENTIATES ME FROM THE PROS. ALSO A BIG WAGGLE IS NEEDED TO SEE THE PLANE, OR BETTER, IT MAKES THE PLANE APPEAR.
2022-05-25: THE PURE TREBUCHET GOLF SWING
1) Normal Hogan setup. But accentuate the lower right shoulder, the hands more forward than the ball position, and the HEAD behind the ball - thus the clubhead is felt being pulled backwards rather than sideward to the right - on the takeaway. This will in effect will make it natural to pull the club with the left hand and ensure that the clubhead will be thrown outwards to the right and upwards, thus, resulting to a full RELEASE of the club. Something to pursue further is maybe executing the FROZEN ONE-PIECE TAKEAWAY (Jason Day Scooping Chip) this set-up.
2) Extreme L left hand grip. Club weight supported by the left arm. (ball comes back to the same spot with extreme L grip)
3) Hogan waggle the clubhead to make the plane visually appear.
4) In sync with the backswing waggle, (2022-06-01) THE RIGHT RIBS WITH THE RIGHT ELBOW TOUCHING IT, pushes the clubhead up and around until it (left shoulder) touches the chin but the weight must be felt to start the downswing. 2022-06-06: PLUS THE TURNING OF THE HIPS HURLS THE UPPER BODY INCLUDING THE CLUBHEAD TOWARDS THE BALL AND AROUND.
5) (2022-06-01: THE BODY SHIFTS TO THE LEFT WHILE THE UPSWING IS IN MOTION TO THE TOP, ALMOST RIGHT AFTER THE RIGHT RIB TAKEAWAY 2022-06-10: THERE IS NO UPSWING OR DOWNSWING, IT IS ONE CONTINUOUS GOLF SWING) Execute the downswing while feeling the chin and shoulder frozen together. This is a LEFT SHOULDER aware swing. 2022-05-24: THE OBJECT IS TO CREATE A TREBUCHET AIDED SWING BY LETTING THE SHOULDERS SWING AROUND THE BODY ON THE UPSWING AND ONLY COMING DOWN WHEN THERE IS ENOUGH TWIST TO BE ABLE TO PULL WITH THE SHOULDERS THE CLUB - SO THE THE EFFECT IS LIKE SCOOPING OR DRAGGING THE BALL TO THE TARGET. THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF THE FROZEN ONE-PIECE TAKEAWAY OF JASON DAY. THE ARMS ARE NOT AT ALL PART OF THE DOWNSWING - IT IS ALL THE UPPER BODY PULL AND SHOULDER TURN. 2022-05-25: It important to note that the automatic snap of the club together with right hip closing and the created divot are the natural results of the correct execution of the downswing, otherwise, the clubface will close early with the tendency to end up with a duck hook and/or chicken wing follow through. Mental? Left shoulder control passed to right shoulder impact. STIFF TRIANGLE, GRIP, CLUB - ONE-PIECE SETUP NECESSARY. STIFF MEANS STIFF, ONLY THE UPPER BODY IN CONTROL (NOT SHOULDERS). 2022-05-28: The power on the downswing is the turning/closing hips (right foot?). The rest are just hurled for the ride.
2022-05-28: To make the clubhead go from inside to outside to prevent the duck hook, make the takeaway plane lower - at least equal or lower than the shoulders.
Reason Why These Are Done
Behind the Ball Setup (BBS)
Accentuate lowering the right shoulder. The hands are more forward than the ball position. And the head is behind the ball. This BBS promotes the STOP takeaway below, thus the clubhead is felt being pulled backwards rather than sideward to the right - on its way up.
Stiff Triangle One-Piece (STOP) Takeaway
The Two Must be Together
The "Behind the Ball Setup (BBS)" and the "Stiff Triangle One-Piece (STOP) Takeaway " must be used together for one important but not so apparent reason. The BBS promotes a thrusting motion of the clubhead on the takeaway which results in a very efficient (less movement) STOP takeaway. Not only is it an efficient takeaway but it feels like a natural move to make with a frozen upper body of the STOP takeaway.
A late addition to the two above is the FLAT plane and right FOOT push, both intended to correct the duck hook.
2022-05-30: On actual play at Grassy Hill, extreme STOP takeaway where the thrusting of the ball is almost facing backwards and the pull is like a DUKOT, seemed to have hold out better under pressure. The ALIVE grip may also force the left arm to straigthen and avoid the chicken wing fault. ACTUALLY WHAT IS AGAIN MISSING IS THE EXTREME COCKING THAT I ALWAYS NEEDED TO DELAY THE HIT. SO MY PROBLEM AGAIN IS THE EARLY HIT DUE TO PRESSURE.
