Aggressive Wrist Cock Serves As a Learning Aid

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 further. This in turn turns a switch in the brain to pull the club with the body 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 first and at the desired moment when it feels it has control of the club, let the hands do its work.

The technique is sound, however, considering my physique, it may be better to let the left wrist to act in concert with the right hand (middle two fingers holding the club) to accomplish this extreme twisting. Let the left wrist start the movement by flipping the club towards the left and around - the right hand taking over somewhere and cocking the club. The right arm movement bringing the club tightly to the top will force an upper body twist. At this point at the top, the upper body will automatically recoil and bring the club head towards the ball.

It is best to imagine and "see" the path of the club head through the ball so that the left hand can bring the club head back along the same path and the upper body can recoil back to the same path.

The delayed hit with the open and close technique

I have been wondering why an 11 year old kid can out-drive and out-score me in golf. The memorable thing is his picture taken at the tournament with his arms fully extended right after impact. It is not the muscles that is out driving me; it is the technique. My swing is still a hit from the top - as described by most of the books I read. But how do I do it? How do I develop a nice follow through like this kid has?

On a closer inspection of the techniques employed by the professionals, it is apparent that there is an open and closing of the hands at impact. In the driving range, in order for me to get the ball reasonably straight, I had to shift my weight first but purposely snap (open and close) at the ball with my hands. This, however, I concluded is difficult for me since it is an unnatural move for me. This is just not the way to go.

What I had to do is change my mental image of my swing. When I changed my mental image of the downswing to the left hand pulling the club to the ball, this created the natural open and close hit of Hogan. In order to accomplish this naturally, I had to change the swing techniques enumerated on the preceding posting. Instead of the right hand doing the flipping back of the club, it has to be my left shoulder pushing the left arm and club around and up while at the same time the left wrists flips or cocks the ball upwards to the top (in a very pronounced way). If the cocking of the club by the left wrist is strongly done, you can feel the club inertia actually pulling and tightening more the coiled upper body.

This movement brings the club up where it is ready to be pulled down towards the ball. As a matter of fact, you can feel when you are at the top that there is no other way to execute the "pulling" by the arms - except starting it with the shifting of the weight to the left and turning the body towards the ball and around to a C finish.

Let me repeat: The pulling of the hands is done by the transfer of the weight to the right. The result is an automatic weight shift, a delayed hit and a perfect finish.

Working the flight of the ball

Now that the television networks can now show the ball tracking while in flight, it is now apparent that professionals do not "shoot straight." They actually work the ball left or right, intentionally and in every shot.

So from now on I will work my ball also. Usually, the common teaching to work the ball is to open or close the club face when addressing the ball. In my case, it works better if I turn my grip instead - weak or strong depending on what I want the ball to do.

Let me see if I update my previous posting.

ESSENTIALLY, THIS BACK SWING TECHNIQUE COMPLETES THE ESSENTIALS OF THE GOLF SWING.

1. Set-up: see other postings for stance, right knee warning, etc.
2. Grip strong for a draw or weak for a fade.
   
3. Backswing: Turn the head to the right like Nicklaus, look at the back of the ball, and push club head out with the left shoulder.
   
4. Flick, as hard as possible, the club head along the ground and around towards the back as far as possible and feel the weight of the arms and club loading up the left shoulder.
   
5. At the top, FURTHER TIGHTEN THE COILING MUSCLES by twisting the left shoulder until the club is felt at the top and ready for the unwinding motion.
   
6. Downswing: Release the coiled body towards the ball and around to a great finish.
   
7. NO ARMS INVOLVED IN THE HIT - JUST GRAVITY AND INERTIA EMPLOYED.

The ball flight should go left or right as intended - based on the grip employed.

Tough Shit! Or the BASIC GOLF SWING!

I keep looking for that swing technique that I had found but lost - and I thought I found again. The reason it took a very hard time trying to remember what I did when I thought I had it - is because it is something that was unconsciously happening to my swing. Although I was trying to do something consciously, the result was excellent but it was not really what I was working on directly - that is why it was hard to remember - because it was something I was not really aware of that I was doing.

Any way, enough of the prologue, let us now reveal what I discovered without realizing it. What I was doing before was I was flicking the right wrist, alright, to the right, using the plane formed by the shaft - along the plane formed from the tip of the shaft to the gripped hands. What I did not realize then was I was flicking (with a reverse scoop motion the club head) - and here it is - ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE BACK SWING! There was no stopping and executing the upswing with the shoulders - like I mentioned before in my previous postings. It was one single motion to the top. The club head is flicked around the apron all the way to the top of the swing. From that position, the body pulls the club towards the ball and the hit.

What is so different with this swing is because the club is flicked all the way back, when the body comes around, the hit is so delayed, that you can sense that the shoulders have turned all the way around without effort - at the end of the swing! Remember, I was trying to force turning the shoulders? Well, this does it automatically - plus the "inside to outside" path of the club head is automatic.

There are four self checks that must be felt to ensure that the desired effect is remembered:

1. This "inside to outside" effect should be a check to make sure the execution is correctly done.
   
2. Also with the short irons, when doing the practice swing, I can feel how Anthony executes his delayed turnaround after the hit - I should be able to feel it this also (another check)!
3. A third check (which is the needed effect) is the shoulders finishing completely turned around - pronouncedly more than just perpendicular to the target line.
   
4. Another effect of this technique (the fourth check) is the ease of the execution of the upswing. There is no extra effort to be done. It feels like the whole swing is one complete and rhythmic motion, all fluidly bonded into one collective motion.

ESSENTIALLY, THIS BACK SWING TECHNIQUE COMPLETES THE ESSENTIALS OF THE GOLF SWING.

1. Set-up: see other postings on grip, stance, right knee warning, etc.
2. Backswing: Flip, as hard as possible, the club head along the ground and around towards the back as far as possible
   
3. When the club head reaches the 5'oclock position, begin cocking the club up with the right hand.
4. At the top, FURTHER TIGHTEN THE COILING MUSCLES by twisting the shoulders until the right biceps is pushed back against the side of the body or until the body is fully coiled.
   
5. Downswing: Release the coiled body towards the ball and around to a great finish.

12/17/07: The preceding two paragraphs describe exactly my novel swing technique. However, to further assist in explaining the previous paragraphs and BUT ONLY IF THERE IS A CONFUSION ON THE EXPLANATION ABOVE, then read on. What is missing in the above paragraphs is the not-easily-noticed part of how the right hand (wrists) motion and the shoulder turn work together as one cohesive movement - each one doing its own independent job but both dependent on each other to accomplish the task of sending the ball on its way efficiently and accurately. In order to remember this technique, let us separately describe what each one is doing.

1. First, imagine that each one is a flexible wheel. The wrists' wheel is parallel to the ground while the shoulders' wheel is perpendicular to the ground. Imagine the wrist or grip as the hub and the club head as the perimeter. The shoulders' wheel has the neck as the hub and the club head also as the perimeter.
   
2. The wrists' wheel's ultimate goal is to turn the wheel (which is parallel to the ground) as much as possible clockwise to the right and, using its flexibility, to bounce back as hard as possible (towards the ball).
   
3. The shoulders' wheel's main goal is the same - clockwise movement (but upwards since it is perpendicular to the ground) and as far as possible and bouncing back as hard as possible.
4. Taken singly, it is difficult to execute (and awkward) but melding them together creates the effective golf swing, a movement, not up and down nor left to right and back, but along the golf plane and back as Hogan described.
   
5. Why is this golf technique accurate? Because the wrists only opens like a door and slams like a door - no other movement.
   
6. Why effective? You answer that. It is obvious once you have tried this technique.
   

Incidentally, while in Cancun (12/04/07) I experienced shanking with my short irons. If I had realized how to execute this technique then, I firmly believe now that it would not have happened.

CHIPPING basics

This is really the full swing technique but just to emphasize the importance of the right hand move I am classifying it as a chipping requirement. The reason is because it is very crucial to apply this instruction in chipping since it involves a mini swing and, therefore, errors are accentuated.

The right hand responsibility must only be to "apron-roll" the club head around and (clockwise in relation to the ground) towards the back - nothing else. It does not, it does not bring the club up. Bringing the club up is the responsibility of the torso (twisting upper body). The hit is also done by the unwinding torso.

Applying this technique to chipping results in creating the "slot" tantamount to the slot on the full swing. By the way, this also applies not only to the short game but to the full swing as well.

Why the baseball bat technique works

22Sep2007: THE FINAL TEST IS THE HEAVY TRAINER CLUB. If the trainer club can be pulled by the body with an inside-outside effect of the club face, then it is correct. The real key is ending the coiled upswing at the top with the feeling of the clasped hands in the relative same position at setup. Only with this position will the trainer club be able to come back to the hitting zone with an inside to outside effect. By the way, even the right hand use is not necessary to get this effect. At address, if you would just imagine the plane as the same as the shaft and if you flick the club head around like an apron going backwards (with the right hand, with the left hand, or with both clasped hands) along that plane, then the shoulders will instinctively turn to bring it up - ending into a fluid motion at the top. It "should" end at the CORRECT position where the body can pull it down - the club coming back with and inside to outside path. But remember, the trainer club has to agree.

The above is the answer, using it as written in the previous posting makes the club go from in to outside on the downswing. Of course, with short irons the effect is more of going deeper (to the ground) than with the driver where the inside to outside swing effect is preferred.

A Matter of Trust

All the previous postings talk about how to execute the ultimate swing. We have learned that reverse scooping is very important. In addition, we learned that the right hand V position must almost be a the 12:00 o'clock position to be able to correctly do the reverse scoop. Everything talk about being mentally in control about what is happening with the swing but is this really the way it should be? Can we keep mentally alert all the time in golf?

The answer is NO. But how does Tiger do it? The answer may be what he usually say to himself, "Trust your swing, Tiger." Yes, I think it is a matter of trust.

But the trust must be built over solid foundations and it should be nurtured because you lose it if you do not prepare for it correctly. What I mean is for this mechanical, no thinking approach to happen, constant active practicing with the mind actively thinking out the sequences of the swing and the muscles remembering the mechanical aspect must be done almost every time while practicing and before playing.

What do I really mean? The mechanics of the swing must be actively practiced and during practice, one leads to the points where you let go and just reduce the swing into two mechanical moves - that Tiger may be doing. The two moves basically is: first, the reverse scooping is done mechanically by just flipping the right hand - slowly, towards the right and proceeding to the upswing, and second, the body just mechanically uncorks like Tiger Woods. No thinking at all.

By the way, the practice must follow all the mechanics mentioned in the previous postings. It must culminate to the two mechanical moves. Do not stop until the results are acceptable, i.e, ball going straight.

Golf Swing's Three Distinct Parts (book title)

The differing techniques and teachings of the golf swing really agree when one nets the swing to it's three different and distinct parts:

1. Right hand side flip
2. Left shoulder twist
   
3. Upper Body turnaround

The Ultimate Full Body Swing II

This is an update of the posting with the same title. The purpose is to document the swing that was found and then lost – see the recent postings. By the way, if one will read through all the other postings (like I did before writing this), there seems to be similarities on golf techniques found, except they are described differently. For example, the right hand early cocking, the double plane, etc. are things that somehow is in line with what I am writing now.

Any way, I went to the driving range and found the technique that was lost (in the previous postings).

Here are some points to remember. These are all important and are part of the whole swing. It is not because of a particular technique but the totality of all the techniques that make this “ULTIMATE” swing.

First, during the stance, I must imaging I am like Tiger Woods, looking proud and erect.

Second, the arms must feel like the tied-up feeling of Hogan.

Third, the two hands forming the grip must be joined tightly together.

Fourth, before the start of the swing, the right hand muscle at the base of the thumb and forefinger must be “felt” because that is the direction where the club will be brought up. 09Oct2007: Note that this might not really be true since the club is not brought up by the right hand. Actually the right hand flicks the club along the "small" plane to the right (see scooping below).

Fifth, to start the swing, the club head is brought up (09Oct2007: not up but sideways - remember the baseball bat?) by the right hand sharply (early cocking) - - - and along the club shaft plane. This is very important. It does not matter if this is done slowly or in a jerky motion. What matters is the right hand starts the movement. This is the reverse scoop, opening like a door and moving through the club shaft plane - that will give you a feeling on the hit like you are reverse scooping the ball.

20Sep2007: The reverse scoop motion is mandatory. It is also advisable to make this move a "sideways" flick of the right hand and the harder the better. The shaft plane is really a flick from the point of the grasped hands to the tip of the shaft (before the club head). It does not mean that the plane is imagined as parallel to the ground. On the contrary, the flick is best angled a little on the up side so the club head descends on the ball on the way back - which results on a flushed hit (remember the solid thump sound heard at the driving range today?). 09Oct2007: To get the scooping motion correctly, move the V of the right hand grip closer to 12 o'clock.

Sixth, after the right hand starts the swing, the left shoulder takes over to complete the turn to the top. This transition can be a fluid motion or not – the fluidity is not important. What is important is that the left shoulder must perform to the top – not an incomplete turn.

Seventh and very important, the body hit must be executed. It is not the shoulders, it is the body. The body hit can be automatic like Padrig’s Harrington (see other posting) or it can be guiding although too much guiding might be a negative thing.

Eight and last, the feeling after the swing is like finishing like Tiger Woods. Maybe, setting up on the balls of the feet may help the balance like what he recently said when he won the Fedex cup.

Let me see if I can update the posting before:

1. Make sure the grip is firm with both hands acting as one. The tied up feeling from the previous chapter or posting must be utilized. The intent is to take out the hands in the equation.
2. Make sure to start the club with the right hand (two o'clock, remember? ) (15Sept2007 - extreme "EARLY" cocking of the right hand going to the 2 o'clock position.)- bringing the club head back along the same path I want it to follow when it hits the ball. Remember it is the reverse ice cream scoop! However, to make this a mechanical move - the club head should be brought back along the club shaft - as the plane (see paragraph below).
3. Then the shoulders take over twist as far as necessary for the swing at hand - full for a longer carry.
4. The body then springs back and makes the hit - all automatically and by muscle memory. However, the body hit must be felt like a hit by the heavy firm upper body - in particular, the main point is the sternum. It is not a plain lazy turn around; it is a deliberate hit by the firm upper body. If it like the hit of the forearms (tied up feeling of Hogan) but more felt by the chest.

The result of this simplified routine is an extremely accurate straight shot. When you really analyze what is happening and break down the movements, it is really simple to explain. First, the right hand moves back the club head - along the desired path / angle. Second, the shoulders take over and further twist the body (with the right hand still continuing to do its work). Third, while all this is happening and when the body is fully twisted, the body yanks everything back to where it started (the club head coming back to the ball) and plus more.

And going further, let me update the rest of the previous posting:

By the way, BRINGING THE CLUB BACK ALONG THE PATH, can this be really the little baseball bat as exemplified by AJ Bonar? If it is, then we can really make this swing powerful, repetitive, and mechanical. Let us pursue and study this matter for later reporting.

RESULT: Yes, this is it! (18Sep07: but not like the apron technique – it is merely a normal upswing started by the right hand) The club head must be brought back in the same plane as the shaft - in contract to the regular Hogan plane. Bringing the club like this makes the twisting effect on the body to be so natural - as proven on the golf course today. The driver is the biggest benefactor of this change. TONY, PLEASE REMEMBER THIS! It is important to remember the feeling. The full weight of the centrifugal force is felt at the top. The downswing is just a reaction to the weight of the club - an automatic uncoiling action. No other action is needed, just the body uncoiling the arms and club, then club head towards the ball - and up, up as far as it will go around the body.

13Sept2007: No, it is not the early cocking of the hands. It is the baseball bat effect of AJ. All the other techniques mentioned above, I have already tried before (and failed). Only the baseball bat technique is new enough to create that automatic body winded feeling which unwinds to a straight shot. On the driving range today, I tried just forgetting everything and seize on muscle memory - that did not work. Second, I tried the early cocking - that did not work. I went to the baseball bat technique - the hands opening the club head like an open door along the shaft plane lift an early cock - and then the shoulders taking over (as close as possible to two movements). The opening door can be visualize like an apron where the club head starts from 12 o'clock and tries to finish at 3 o'clock before the shoulders takes over. This is the move that re-created that feeling (and ball flight effect) that I had when I last played. (18Sep07: NOT REALLY - not like the apron technique – it is merely a normal upswing started by the right hand, executed along the club shaft.)

14Sep2007: This AJ move and Hogan's cupped hand is the same technique however it is just so difficult to find a common way to implement it. It might have been easier for Hogan to cup his left hand while I find it easier to do the "apron" way. The purpose of all these techniques, I believe, is delaying the hit that makes the hook impossible. Hogan said that when he can hit the ball as much as possible but cannot over do it. This also happened to me while I was playing - the one that started this topic.

17Sep2007: At the driving range I found that the apron technique is lacking. What really worked well is the extreme and early cocking (not up but backward cocking) of the right hand at the start of the back swing going to the 2 o'clock position - just like the wedge chipping technique of Tiger Woods! This was mentioned above - 11Sep2007 - but I said no. That is odd why I said that... (18Sep07: YES but it is merely a normal upswing started by the right hand and along the club shaft plane.)

22Sep2007: THE FINAL TEST IS THE HEAVY TRAINER CLUB. If the trainer club can be pulled by the body with an inside-outside effect of the club face, then it is correct. The real key is ending the coiled upswing at the top with the feeling of the clasped hands in the relative same position at setup. Only with this position will the trainer club be able to come back to the hitting zone with an inside to outside effect. By the way, even the right hand use is not necessary to get this effect. At address, if you would just imagine the plane as the same as the shaft and if you flick the club head around like an apron going backwards (with the right hand, with the left hand, or with both clasped hands) along that plane, then the shoulders will instinctively turn to bring it up - ending into a fluid motion at the top. It "should" end at the CORRECT position where the body can pull it down - the club coming back with and inside to outside path. But remember, the trainer club has to agree.

I remember But I Cannot Re-produce?

Yeah, I remember the feeling. I brought the club up and at the top you get the feeling that the body was pulled and twisted and the only thing you can do was to untwist to the ball and around. The feeling at the top is a self realization that a complete coiling has been achieved and the only move to take was to uncoil.

But how was this done? It is somewhere between the "reverse scooping", to the transition to the "baseball" effect of AJ and into the "shaft" plane. I think it has something to do with the wrist position at the top. This has to be tested. I believe that the reverse scoop locked the wrist at the top in a suppose to be wrong "reverse" way but it actually helped because it game me the feeling that I cannot fire the hands but forced to use the body to make the hit.

Let us see what happens at the driving range.

What I found out in the range is the baseball effect or starting the clubhead to the right is part of it. This indeed will force the body to turn and come back by turning also - not hitting with the hands. Also important is disengaging completely the pincer fingers of the right hand - the same way Michelle Wie's right hand grip should be used.

So in summary, the backswing must be started by the club head opening like a door to the right (baseball) and making a full turn afterwards. The right thumb snugly around the club - not sitting on top. The hit should feel automatic and the body just turning the club around towards the ball and pass the ball.

One key thing that is done is the right hand brings the club head around the body along shaft plane until it reaches the top. (The movement is unusual in such a way that it is like reverse scooping the club around your body). By the end of the swing, the right elbow must be fully tucked on the side with the centrifugal weight of the club fully felt. Somewhere either before the club completely reaches the top, the shoulder also makes the turn. This movement is what has to be remembered (see previous posting) because it is the one that sets up the full body turn around hit - where the hands are not used at all.

09Sep2007: This is another way than the previous paragraph and may be the real answer the one I was looking for. What am I looking for? When I last played I had this feeling that the swing, especially the driver, it seems to be easy to bring to the top and I can feel the tightness at the top. In addition when I bring it down, their is this feeling that I cannot fire my right hands (or both for that matter) and that the only way to hit the ball is bringing by body around. The result was there was no way for me to hook or slice - my body can just guide the club head square to the ball. No matter how hard I hit, I can only hit the ball straight.

I remember that before I played then, my main technique was reverse scooping (see posting on the body swing) and I said there that maybe I can may this mechanical by just doing the baseball technique. What I found while playing was it was better to visualize of the baseball technique if the the club head is swung on the same plane as the club shaft. I did not realize that the way my right hand is gripping and bringing back the club was important. Actually, it was because it actually was the reason I cannot fire the hands. (Note: I might have stumbled into Hogan's secret.) The V of my right hand was pointing to the right shoulder (Hogan's) and I was flipping the right hand (naturally 2'oclock) back along the shaft plane. At the top, the club cocks in such a way that the only way to bring it square is bring the body around. Any way the hands are used will change the squareness of the club to the ball (in my head) so I was forced to use the body!!!!

The right hand grip needs to be explained further so that it can be understood easily much later on when one will be reading this posting again.

• First, imagine the right and left hands gripping the club. Rest the V pointing to your chin or we can call this the 12 o'clock position (in relation to the shaft). The right hand palm is perpendicular to the ground.
  
• With the right hand, fan the club head (lying on the address position) to the right and back to the left - back and forth- keeping the hands pretty much on the same position, acting like the axis. If you imaging the ground as a clock, you will notice that you can bring the club head pretty much from the 2 o'clock to the 10 o'clock very easily.
• Now grip the club with the right hand at the extreme 3 o'clock position (in relation to the shaft and right palm parallel to the ground) and try to fan the club head on the ground. You will find that you can pretty much pass the 2 o'clock position but it is hard to go past the 12 o'clock position.
• The desired position of the right hand is somewhere closer to the 3 o'clock (the V pointing to the right shoulder) where it will be in a position to force you to use the body in hitting the ball but loose enough to not feel restricted.

This right hand positioning should be studied more since it's effect from handiness to no hands bring a lot of other uses in golf. This really opens up a lot of possibilities - including the short game.

Also, do not forget, the body hit must be felt like a hit by the heavy firm upper body - in particular, the main point is the sternum. It is not a plain lazy turn around, it is a deliberate hit by the firm upper body. If it like the hit of the forearms (tied up feeling of Hogan) but more felt by the chest.

11Sep2007: Is it possible that all this is really just the early cocking of the hands?

13Sept2007: No, it is not the early cocking of the hands. It is the baseball bat effect of AJ. All the other techniques mentioned above, I have already tried before (and failed). Only the baseball bat technique is new enough to create that automatic body winded feeling which unwinds to a straight shot. On the driving range today, I tried just forgetting everything and seize on muscle memory - that did not work. Second, I tried the early cocking - that did not work. I went to the baseball bat technique - the hands opening the club head like an open door along the shaft plane lift an early cock - and then the shoulders taking over (as close as possible to two movements). The opening door can be visualize like an apron where the club head starts from 12 o'clock and tries to finish at 3 o'clock before the shoulders takes over. This is the move that re-created that feeling (and ball flight effect) that I had when I last played.

14Sep2007: This AJ move and Hogan's cupped hand is the same technique however it is just so difficult to find a common way to implement it. It might have been easier for Hogan to cup his left hand while I find it easier to do the "apron" way. The purpose of all these techniques, I believe, is delaying the hit that makes the hook impossible. Hogan said that when he can hit the ball as much as possible but cannot over do it. This also happened to me while I was playing - the one that started this topic.

17Sep2007: At the driving range I found that the apron technique is lacking. What really worked well is the extreme and early cocking (not up but backward cocking) of the right hand at the start of the back swing going to the 2 o'clock position - just like the wedge chipping technique of Tiger Woods! This was mentioned above - 11Sep2007 - but I said no. That is odd why I said that...

The Ultimate Full Body Swing

Lately, to my surprise, I can now hit the ball like Tiger.

1. Make sure the grip is firm with both hands acting as one. The tied up feeling from the previous chapter or posting can be utilized but not necessary. The intent is to take out the hands in the equation.
   
2. Make sure to start the club with the right hand (two o'clock, remember? ) (15Sept2007 - extreme "EARLY" cocking of the right hand going to the 2 o'clock position.)- bringing the club head back along the same path I want it to follow when it hits the ball. Remember it is the reverse ice cream scoop! However, to make this a mechanical move - the club head should be brought back along the club shaft - as the plane (see paragraph below).
   
3. Then the shoulders takes over twist as far as necessary for the swing at hand - full for a longer carry.
4. The body then springs back and makes the hit - all automatically and by muscle memory. However, the body hit must be felt like a hit by the heavy firm upper body - in particular, the main point is the sternum. It is not a plain lazy turn around, it is a deliberate hit by the firm upper body. If it like the hit of the forearms (tied up feeling of Hogan) but more felt by the chest.
   

The result of this simplified routine is an extremely accurate straight shot. When you really analyze what is happening and break down the movements, it is really simple to explain. First, the right hand moves back the club head - along the desired path / angle. Second, the shoulders take over and further twist the body (with the right hand still continuing to do its work). Third, while all this is happening and when the body is fully twisted, the body yanks everything back to where it started (the club head coming back to the ball) and plus more.

By the way, BRINGING THE CLUB BACK ALONG THE PATH, can this be really the little baseball bat as exemplified by AJ Bonar? If it is, then we can really make this swing powerful, repetetive, and mechanical. Let us pursue and study this matter for later reporting.

RESULT: Yes, this is it! The club head must be brought back in the same plane as the shaft - in contract to the regular Hogan plane. Bringing the club like this makes the twisting effect on the body to be so natural - as proven on the golf course today. The driver is the biggest benefactor of this change. TONY, PLEASE REMEMBER THIS! It is important to remember the feeling. The full weight of the centrifugal force is felt at the top. The downswing is just a reaction to the weight of the club - an automatic uncoiling action. No other action is needed, just the body uncoiling the arms and club, then club head towards the ball - and up, up as far as it will go around the body.

The Foreams - Hogan's Tied-up Feeling

Now I know why Hogan emphasized the tied-up feeling of the forearms. The firm forearms actually is used to "hit" the ball and ensures extreme accuracy of golf shots.

Slow and Delibarate Rhytm

Today I played golf and I noticed that I was inconsistent at the beginning and at times even forgetting how to swing the golf club. At first I noticed that I was not using the firm solid grip but the upswing most often feel odd - so are the results. Then I started slowing the upswing and setting-up ala Tiger Woods. When I started doing this, I noticed at the start of the swing, I also was pointing the club in a deliberate manner along the target line and then executing the shoulder twist. It became easier to reach the top fully coiled and the weight transfer to the left foot starts the downswing. Very controllable shots indeed.

Shoulders Plus or Making Sure of The Finish

Now is the time to move forward and get longer and better accuracy. How do we do it? Instead of purely relying on the shoulders, think target now. Use the rhythm as learned in putting - remember, backswing... and rebound or automatic forward swing? Same thing with the full swing, concentrate on the target, twist the shoulders but 'feel' the weight of the backswing and with a powerful move, full the club with the body - to the hole.

By working the swing with the full body, the shoulders will be able to complete the turn and the club will wrap around. Without this, the club tends to finish short. Remember how Padrig does it. Watch how most of the professional golfers pull their shots... to a wonderful finish.

Sand shots, pitches, chips and putts

While the long game needs the shoulders as the swing engine, the short game, however, needs the rock solid hands instead. And like the long game where the swing stops at the top and the mid-point feeling is felt (like a fly fisherman flicking his rod backwards), so is the short game. With a flick of the hands, a feeling is felt of fullness of the little swing - and then the solid hands starts the hit (not downswing since sometime, the hit is done sideways).

Back to square One or Making it simple

Now that we know we will use the shoulders to make the swing, it is not really necessary to use the hands or even focus at it. We can just imagine the golf swing as pure shoulders swing and at the same time simplify it all. Like the objective of the blog when we all started - we will use the big muscles and simplify the swing.

So the main thing now is when making the golf swing, just think with the shoulders. The hands or grip is just part of the mechanical set up but the actual swing is just he shoulders going back and twisting.

Ok, guys, this is it. This is when we break 80 - consistently.

Update to Aug. 31 Swing Points...

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Swing Check Points - In the beginning...

1. The flail, the flail.
   
2. Club set-up: The club shaft points to the left shoulder and aligned with the left arm. Purpose: This simulates the clubface allignment at the moment of impact
3. Grip: The thumb and foreginger pinches the shaft "actively" with the feeling that the club is to be taken initially by the RIGHT hand toward the two o'clock position WITHOUT REGARD TO the swing plane. Purpose: EARLY COCKING TO START THE SWING.
   
4. Plane: DISREGARD.
5. The left shoulder pushes the club AS MUCH AS PRACTICAL. Purpose: BASIC REQUIREMENT HAVE A COILED SWING. Upper Body is coiled to the maximum. Purpose: To make sure that shoulders are fully coiled and the power transferred to the upper body. This is the upswing of the flail technique so "feel" the flail with the left shoulder!
   
6. Flat foot stance: Ensure that both feet are planted on the ground securely. The left sole and heel only lifts up when pulled by the upper body, else it stays down. Purpose: To ensure that the club comes back correctly and to maximize coiling of the upper body - for power.
7. Stiff right knee: The relative position of the right knee stays at right angle to the target line at all times during the backswing. Purpose: The samE as no. 5 - accuracy and power.
8. Coiled upper body - Downswing: Once the hands and arms have coiled the upper body, an entwined power is felt, and that coiled feeling is the one that hits the ball. Purpose: Delayed hit. This is the flail hitting the ball so "feel" the failing done by the left shoulder.
   
9. Reverse C: The coiled feeling is imagined as going around and through the ball - which imparts more power. The right shoulder is way in front of the left shoulder at the finish position. Purpose: P-O-W-E-R.

What is not so apparent here and hard to explain is how the early cocking of the right hand starts and culminates to the shoulders taking over in one complete motion.

A swing within a swing

Even with the preceding chapter, the Hogan Swing 3.0, it is still hard to bring up the club, especially the driver. There must be a way to create a swing that is automatic, the same way I putt now - after aiming, it is a mechanical movement of the shoulder doing the backswing of the putter and the hands moving forward for the hit, without even thinking of the target. Today, I went to the driving range and only brought the driver. I told myself that I will just keep on hitting it until I find that mechanical swing.

After a lot of balls hit, I found that I can bring the driver back with my right hand (see the previous posting for instructions) and just like the short irons, be aware of the face when bringing it back. And without even thinking of the plane, just bring the driver to the top where the right arm will be tightly haulted by the body. The hit is, of course, the left hand but naturally done to maximize the AJ force.

The preceding turned out to be useless when employed during play. What held up is the visualization of the plane. Also, by making the early cock swing, the visualization of the plane may become easier. This EARLY COCKING routine must be further studied.

The early cocking is like the making a abbreviated pitch within the swing. The early pitch visualizes how the club face is going away from the ball. The shoulders takes over afterwards. The hit is done by the shoulders and the "little pitch" hitting the ball is automatic.

The Hogan Swing 3.0

We can call it the Hogan 3.0 Swing. It entails the required grip, the cupped left hand and the body turn.

First let us talk about the set-up. It should be the standard Hogan set-up with the hands falling straight down while holding the club - with the L formed by the arms and club very apparent. The grip is a solid grip with the left thumb snugly fitted along the right palm line. The V of the right hand prominently pointing to the right shoulder. The right palm is not exactly in the shake-hand position, more pointed to the 2 o'clock position. The left hand is much closer to the shake-hand position. The palms are not really parallel - the left palm is more or less perpendicular to the ground at 12:00 o'clock.

Why is the right hand positioned like this? Because this is the position where the right hand can naturally flick with the wrist the club along the plane - even in a slow-mo way.

At address, the plane is visualized cutting throught the equator of the ball. At that moment when the equator of the ball along the plane is visualized, the right wrist flips the club deliberately along the plane. Somewhere at hip level, when the club shaft merges with the plane, the left arm takes over and continues the upswing - the right palm merely cradling the club like a waiter with his tray on the right hand. At the top, the left shoulder gives that extra twist.

At the same time, the twisted shoulders releases back towards the ball - and the weight fully going to the left. As the arms passes the ball, the left cupped back hand "paints" the ball. Then, after passing the ball, the body jerks to face the ball - imparting that "baseball bat hit" of the club head. All throughout the downswing, the left hand is in control - the right hand merely tags along (it is needed only in the backswing).

Putting / Chipping Version 2.0

The technique no longer follows the intent - use the big muscles for consistent accuracy. That one did not work for me, mainly because of misalignment errors introduced by it - as revealed by the theory of the "Isosceles Triangle" and corrected by the "Separation of Church and State".

The putting is MECHANICAL and the procedure now should be:

• While keeping the ball in front (perpendicular to the putting path) and looking at the hole ahead, do several practice putts to get the feel for the length of the putt and to feel the RHYTHM needed. Remember to think the ball rolling there to the target spot.
• Come back to the set-up spot with both feet together. Lay down the club with the "LEFT" hand square to the target (Ronald's tip).
• Read the putt, decide on the target spot on the green or the hole. Commit to the target by aligning the shoulders to the target line and opening the two feet.
  
• Bring the putter back with the SHOULDERS - "without" thinking about the target spot - execute the same rhythm felt and ...
  
• Without missing a beat, let the ARMS come back pendulum style to and through the ball - but the SHOULDERS MUST CONSCIOUSLY STAY where it was at the finish of the takeaway.

This technique makes my putt go straight to the aimed target spot. Here is how it works. My putts before always goes to the right of the target line. Using the theory of the Isosceles Triangle, what must be causing this is my lower body opens up before my upper body gets to the ball. Remember? When the lower body is ahead than the upper body, the hands cannot reach the point where they are equal at the points of impact. In order to correct my fault, I have to make a conscious effort to keep my upper body (the arms) hit earlier than my lower body - thus creating a straight putt (or a pull when compared to my previous technique).

This is the same technique for chipping.