Shoulders, the Engine of the Golf Swing (battery eam)

 

Preface

My golf quest was precipitated by an incident on August 29, 1998, at Richter Park Golf Course where I unbelievably scored a 78 while playing with my late friend, Dan O'Reilly, and another walk-in couple, Denise and Bill. How I played that day was a total abandonment of my instincts. Now I believe it was the trebuchet effect - not a golf technique - that made it happen. It was actually the total complete continuous golf swing, swung with abandon like a trebuchet, that made my perfect golf game that very memorable day.

I remember that day at Richter Park, the 2nd par 5 hole, my third shot, I am looking at the ball and inside me I was telling myself, just let go (like I had been doing from the first hole), just let go, don't think how to hit the ball, just hit it and let go. I did and the ball just disappeared and went, but I don't know what happened and how I did it! Now I know. I pulled the club grip towards the ball and unleashed my upper body to turn around to a picture-perfect finish.

Reminiscing

On Feb. 15, 2015, the caddie at Villamor CC, 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. This was the precursor to my "Picture-Perfect" finish. I will now make a rule for myself which, hopefully, I will not forget.  Always end the golf swing with the hips facing the target.

Shoulders Hips

The engine, and ONLY engine, of the swing is the shoulders hips. Everything else should be frozen. Applies to all: putting, chipping, pitching, full shots.  Although this is not exactly what I was consciously doing when I scored the 78, I have discovered that by consciously using the shoulders hips to swing the club, it simplifies the understanding and execution of the golf swing as a whole. With it, one can just coil and uncoil, so to speak. HOWEVER, WHEN EVERYTHING IS DONE RIGHT, THE HIPS TAKES OVER THE BURDEN OF MAKING SURE THE PICTURE-PERFECT FINISH IS ACHIEVED. 

Parts of the Golf Swing

Setup

ALWAYS start with the mental picture of the PLANE. Then a frozen one-piece upper body with the arms bound like Hogan. The mental video is the shoulders (like AJ) turning along the plane with the left wrist cocking the club like a spear. Why the mental picture of the plane is necessary? Because that is the only way my body can transition to the left side and to the picture-perfect pose.

Extreme L-Setup

Essential to the Frozen Technique above is the incorporation of the Extreme L-setup. The L formed by the arms and club is so extreme that the clubhead looks up rather than lie flat on the ground. This setup ensures that the club returns to the ball on the same spot at setup. Remember, the club is taken back like a spear while the shoulders travel along the plane.

Upswing

Objective - full coil with a slight Dukot. In order to end up automatically on the picture-perfect pose, the COIL must be employed so that the uncoiling is automatic. THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO CREATE A COUNTER WEIGHT FOR THE HIPS TO PULL AND THROW FORWARD.

1. Grip: left hand as taught by Hogan with shaft and arm aligned straight to the left shoulder. RIGHT hand almost facing skyward to facilitate a Dukot backswing. The whole weight of the club is carried by the solid firm grip.
2. Visualize the Teaneck plane.
3. Execute the Dukot with the turn like Hogan described, the grip, arms, body, vigorously thrust backward (hurl) like a spear along the plane.
4. Coil the shoulders along the plane (mental picture like Teaneck days). No active pronating is a must.
5. When the left arm touches the plane, cock the left wrist (pronated automatically at this point, the back hand touching the plane) to coil the club spear at its max.

Downswing

Objective: Facilitated by a dukot backswing and employing the shoulders hips, WAIT for the right moment and, and only then can you pull the club, hard enough to let the clubhead fling the coiled shoulders and UNWIND itself CONCIOUSLY to compress the ball and create the divot. (It is like pitching or chipping, you have to wait for the counter weight to develop before you pull the club's butt towards the ball.)

1. First move. Using the bounce, uncoil the butt of the club and the left arm along the TEANECK plane back towards the ball. Uncoiling should be automatic and you should see the clubhead coming back through the desired path and depth. 
2. Second move. Using the shoulders hips, lower body, make the divot, by additionally utilizing the centrifugal force created by the pull and subsequent follow-through facilitated by the weight shift to the left. In order to get the slinging effect, more coiling of the upper body is needed and the hit is done by the arms and upper body. REPEAT, UPPER BODY FINISHES THE HIT!
3. Continue the downswing to a picture-perfect finish with the HIPS FACING THE TARGET! 
4. Imagining the TEANECK PLANE is necessary
1. to be able to maintain balance,
2. for the clubhead to come to the same depth and place at address,
3. to be able to transition to a picture-perfect finish. 

Putting

Always remember, the shoulders hips do the moving. Also, do not forget to set the billiard arms in putting. It is essential in ensuring the actual ball path.

There is something beautiful in a stance like this:

1. Feet close to one another to facilitate automatic turning.
2. Open the body approximately 45° to the target line and the right forearm is kept parallel to the target line like a billiard stroke.
3. Amazingly, the putter shaft droops perpendicular to the T-line and so is my left arm (almost)! Since this line is perpendicular to the target line, use it to align the putter to the target.
4. It feels so good but looks kind of weird seeing both arms triangulate at the grip.
5. Remember, the visualization now is entirely different. The putt (chip) now is done by the billiard right forearm and the stroke is like a Cut.
6. Remember to always apply the smooth stroke with the smooth transition. Execute the billiard stroke - aiming to the left and not where the putter is pointed. The mental stroke is like a cut but it comes out straight. I don't know why.
7. ROLL the ball with the right hand. Of course, sometimes, the hit is almost un-discernable, but it is always there. 

Chipping

Use the same technique as putting. Guide with the left hand only. COIL and UNCOIL with the shoulders hips turning back and pulling the left arm with it.