Hogan's Secret Uncovered

Lately, I developed a putting style that became so scary because I was so accurate and deadly.  It goes like this (main points only):

1. I set up, move the putter back with the left shoulder (left hand carrying the weight of the putter) and letting the face open as the head goes back.
2. Then on the forward motion, the head and shoulders do not turn back while the right hand whips back closing the putter head back to the ball.

What happens?  The ball goes directly true to the target line.

Well, today I applied the 1-2 principle to the full golf swing.  I went like this:

1. (The mind thinks of the swinging the club around to the top only, until the left hand cocks) Set up with the alive grip, three left fingers in control and the two right middle fingers cradling the club like a fulcrum.  Push the club with the left shoulders around to the top and letting the club fully cock while letting the body twist as much as possible.
2. From the top, do a "violent" twist around without stopping for the ball - just around.  Let everything happen naturally.  This is a full momentum swing.  Viola! Discovery of the Swing - or Hogan's secret!
3. Remember Rory McElroy when executing this swing.  It is pure wind and unwind swing - deliberately forgetting the ball!
4. The execution of the alive grip is not only important but a necessity and an integral part of this method.  Specifically, what is essential is the right finger fulcrum.  Before starting the left shoulder (the one that starts the backswing) pushes towards the clubhead, the club must be in a state of "balance" or alive.  This ensures that the clubhead is automatically cocked (all full shots - short iron and up to the driver needs cocking). 17Apr2011.
5. Another technique which may not be essential as no. 4 above is as mentioned in number 1 is how to make the "push" of the club by the left shoulder "EASY".  Well, if one will align the club shaft and the left arm in a straight line (essentially putting the club shaft off-perfendicular and slightly pointed to the right) - pushing will then be pointed already going to the right (vs. the club perpenpedicular to the target line)

The golf unification secret - Left and then right!

(make sure you read the progression of changes (shown by dates) to the original thesis)

ACTUALLY, THE SECRET OF THE SWING IS THE LEFT WRIST FLICKING THE CLUB UP AND THE SHOULDERS FINISHING THE MOMENTUM THE FULL BACK SWING UP TO SLOT (COILED UPPER BODY IS NECESSARY) WITH THE LEFT ARM KEPT STIFF. THE SHOULDERS AGAIN UNCOILS DOWNWARD AND THE RIGHT HAND/ARM ASSISTING AT IMPACT. One can imagine this as the roped arms of Hogan but that mental picture may let one erroneously conclude that all the three - shoulders, left arm and right arm - are all important but they are not. Only the two, left arm and shoulders are important. IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE ALIVE GRIP IS PERFORMED (FOR EASE OF THE WRIST FLICK ALSO) - MEANING THE FULL COCKING IS NECESSARY. IN OTHER WORDS, THE L ADDRESS OR EARLY COCK IS ESSENTIAL FOR ME. ELSE I SHANK.

Now why is the the golf unification secret? It is because the shoulder turn, the stiff left arm and the right hand assist is the essence of every golf swing - putt, chip, pitch, half swing and full swing.

Let us talk about putting. Once the body has been set up, the only thing to do is perform the "mechanical" move. With a stiff left arm, the shoulders brings the putter back as low as possible. In putting the shoulders do not initiate the hit - it is all right hand bringing the putter face forward. However, it is still shoulders back and right hand hits. TO MAKE THE PUTT HOOK OR GO STRAIGHT (NOT PUSHED), THE BACKSWING SHOULD ALIGN TO THE SHAFT'S PLANE. 11/25/2010: Remember to incorporate the AJ technique (baseball club) - let the face open and right hand slap afterwards.

In chipping, it is exactly like putting. However the shoulders pulls the club forward and the right hand follows and assists.

All the others (pitch, half swing, full swing) is the same except the cocking is done early with the "alive" grip and the shoulders are turned until the upper body is coiled. This coiled feeling is the power behind the golf swing.

11/25/2010: Maximizing spin on chips and pitches? Keeping the club low at back swing and forward swing and apply the AJ technique (still has to proven).

In order to have a standard stroke as I have learned in putting (shoulders first then right hand hits), the right hand must hit also. This is necessary in all shots, chipping up to full shots. However, this is only can be done if the backswing is coiled at the top and the forward swing is initiated by pulling the body towards the ball and the L cock performed. The right hand only comes in just before impact and at the same time the weight is transferred to the left foot. REMEMBER, THE LEFT WRIST FLICK STARTS THE VOYAGE OF THE CLUB WHILE THE ROPED FEELING OF THE CHESTS BRINGS IT UP TO THE DESIRED SLOT. THE ROPED FEELING OF THE CHEST ALSO PULLS THE CLUB BACK AS HARD AS DESIRED TOWARDS THE CLUB AND BEYOND.

16Jun2010: Instead of the flick of the left wrist, use the alive grip to send the club to start the centrifugal force up. It makes is easier to get a full cocking which is needed for a longer ball.

17Jun2010: The secret of the flick is the alive grip alright but it works like this. The right forefinger cradles the club while the left hand pad pushes the club grip downward. At the same time the left shoulder pushes down and around to start the body centrifugal force upwards. I hope I remember the feeling because this explanation is not exact. The shoulders then twist as much as possible and the down stroke is automatic. The chip is in the pudding - the same technique should be followed.

22Jun2010: Alive grip is correct but the one move that is really necessary and needed is the cocking of the club done by pushing the pad and the pulling right hand middle fingers. It is not the grip but the resulting extreme cocked back swing.

23Jun2010: Important Point to learn: arms and hands do not actively work in this type of swing. WARNING: DO NOT USE THE RIGHT HAND TO GAIN DISTANCE. AT THE MOST, USE THE LEFT ARM AND WRIST ONLY. REMEMBER THAT HOGAN IS A NATURAL LEFTY AND HE MAY BE ADVOCATING THE RIGHT HAND USE BUT THAT IS BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIS RIGHT TO OVER POWER HIS LEFT (LEFT SIDE OR LEFT HAND).

1. How can I stay on my left side after the hit? Of course, uncoil the shoulders towards the ball, moving to the left at the same time.
2. How do can I consistently use my shoulders to uncoil to the ball? Use the shoulders "only" to bring back the club to the top. Start to push the club head with the left shoulder and keep on coiling up to the end.
3. What happens to the cocking of the hands? Using the alive grip at setup, once the left shoulder push starts, start also the left pad push and the right middle fingers pull.
4. Is there a different feeling with this swing? Yes, at the top you will feel coiled and also feel that there is nothing else to do but uncoil to hit the ball. The arms and hands are just pulled by the uncoiling shoulders.

2Jul2010: Tiger Swing

1. Forearms stiff but springy, directly dropping down.
2. Stiff springy wrists forming almost an L with the arms and club
3. Alive grip forming a solid grip - firmly holding the club above the ground. The last three left finger in command.
4. The feeling of the whole body and arms is tight but springy.
5. The left shoulder goes down toward the ball but immediately the focus changes to the left arm tightening the upper body twist along the plane.
6. Weight transfers to the left and the club is pulled along the path of the plane toward and past the ball.
7. Full left side finish.
8. Objective was to have a simple twist back and twist forward. No other mental thought is intended - just pure mechanical action. The body feels like a robot - firm and simple move.
9. If done correctly, the right arm muscles becomes like a wall that stops the club from cocking lamely. There is a strong tightness of the right side muscles which forces the turning of the shoulders more - but the effect on the downswing is brutal. 11/25/2010: Watch out - this may have caused my back pain. Do not try to force this move to stretch the muscle - bad thing to do. MAY EVEN END YOUR GOLFING DAYS!
10. One more thing, when the alive grip is taken, it is forgotten afterwards, only awareness of shoulder turning is left consciously in the mind - the "roped" feeling of the arms is put in automatic mode.
    
11. 25Nov2010: In addition, as learned recently from my vacation at Orlando, incorportate the AJ technique to everything, putting, chipping, pitches and full shots - especially the drives. Take care that you do not over-do the pronation, shoulders must still be aligned with the target line. Try to remember how it is done with putting - a push of the shoulder that opens up the putter head slightly, then the slap of the putter by the right hand back to the ball.
12. AJ technique - let the club open and slap it back. This is the same as Hogan's pronation and supination teaching except Hogan did not emphasize it as AJ. For full shots, the shoulders push the clubhead away, allowing purposely to let the club face to open, and then coming back with the whole weight in the attemp to slap back the ball - AJ style (remember the AJ bat style club?).
13. The grip must be solid - not left hand or right hand domination. The last left three finger must be holding the club. The alive grip employed - left pad pushing down, right middle fingers pulling up.
14. The arms must be tight - forming a roped feeling - together with the L-forming solid alive grip.
15. VERY IMPORTANT - ESPECIALLY FOR 3 WOOD USE. Make sure that the club at the top (even waiting for it is good) is fully cocked by the right middle fingers. This ensures a solid descending hit on the three wood club - else, you top the ball most of the time. It seems that I tend to hit faster and not letting the full cocking happen at the top. Most clubs will allow this but the three wood would not. Further effects of the full cocking should be tested in the future and posted here.
16. Start cocking with the left hand and expect the best swing ever.

Deliberate swing with hips, firm grip and centrifugal force

When swinging by ROTATING the hips, it makes it possible to create a no nonsense swing. Every move by the body and the club is deliberate, nothing wasted that is not planned or anticipated. Basically, what I am trying to say here is the swinging of the club by centrifugal force, started by the ROTATING hips, create (eventually) a deliberate repetitive swing.

What we want to accomplish is the ROTATION done the same every time.

Remember when you set-up, firm grip, firm arms and use the ROTATION of the hips to create the centrifugal force to swing the club up. This swing has been tested in the driving range. 8 iron, 3 wood, driver - all going straight.

BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ROTATION OF THE HIPS - TURNING LIKE A CHAIR RIDE IN THE PARK - CREATES THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TO SWING THE CLUB AROUND AND UP THE SLOT. THE HIPS IS ROTATED AROUND IN A RHYTHMIC WAY WITH THE FULL INTENTION OF MAKING IT (THE HIPS NOT THE CLUB) BOUNCE BACK! THEN IT BOUNCES BACK ROTATING AGAIN AS FAR AS IT WILL GO WITHOUT REGARD TO WHERE THE BALL IS. IN THE PROCESS THE WEIGHT TRANSFERS BACK TO THE RIGHT FOOT AND BOUNCES FORWARD TO THE LEFT FOOT AND EVENTUALLY STAYS THERE WITH A NICE HIGH FINISH.

4-10-2010: In addition, it is very important that a firm solid grip is employed, with the left three last fingers in command, the left pad pushing the club down using the right two middle fingers as a fulcrum - MENTALLY, the club head is pushed upward by the left hip (as in the previous paragraph) into the slot - UNTIL A FULL COCKING IS ACHIEVED. The downswing is done by the hips but the main thing here is the club is fully held by the hands firmly downwards - in total control at all times. You can test this by going slow motion with the hit - should hit the ball straight. The reason why the hands must be solidly in command is that using the hips as the hitting mechanism, going around with the body should just bring the club head squarely to the ball if it is being held firmly in the same position. Finally, without really writing about it, we are assuming that the arms have that tied up feeling also. It logically must be there to be able to say that the grip is firm.

FEELING: When all is said and about to be done (the swing), it must not be forgotten that the main thing is we are launching the clubhead like a satellite into orbit. More specifically, the feeling must be like bringing up the clubhead like a yoyo up and away until it pulls the hips and can no longer turn. The downward feeling is the reverse, the hips pulling the yoyo down towards the ball and the SMACK - the STIFF left ARM and left THREE FINGER grip and BACKHAND is PULLED by the HIPS towards the ball. This is what is felt and done.

At the end, the main thing to concentrate on is having a full tightened hip turn BACK SWING. Forget the FORWARD swing. It happens AUTOMATICALLY without the need of thinking.

12May2010: In order to get a stronger swing, roll the left foot Clark. To accomplish this, make the stance with the two feet just below the shoulders, like Hogan said. In addition, make sure the weight is on the heels of the both feet - not the balls toward the toes.

18May2010: SOMETHING NEW! The weight on the heels works. Remember this. Also, the extreme "alive" grip works with the heels very well. The two sets up nicely for a stance that becomes like my putting technique - meaning just worry about the heels, bring up the club with the left hip and the extreme "alive" grip (the left pad pushes down, the right middle two fingers pull up) and FINISH the back swing. BUT WAIT, SOMETHING HAPPENED WHILE DOING THIS. THE CLUB AT THE TOP BECAME SO COCKED THAT THE TIGHTENED BODY AND THE LEFT ARM CAN JUST PULL IT DOWN - with a bang TO THE BALL!

Yes, the swing is all done by the hips

Start with the hips and end with the hips? Yes I can.

The above statement was posted on Oct.1, 2009 and meant to be a memory aid on what I was working on before (which was very promising).

I believe if golf instructions can be sorted by how basic it is, I believe this will be most basic-est!


Here is what I am working on now and found to be working.

1. The grip is mostly the last three fingers of the left hand. Emphasis is placed on deactivating the left thumb from lifting the club; it is the pad of the palm that essentially supports the club. All the others are just going for the ride - you may say. TRUE.

2. The left waist bone is the total or all-encompassing inertia driver of the whole swing. It pushes the club to the slot at the top of the swing. Once the top is reached by feeling the armpit close then... the left waist bone pulls the club around to a reverse finish. No conscious hitting effort by any other muscle.
Again, every body part only goes for the ride to the top! MAYBE.

3. All other techniques are the same as taught by other golf gurus. NOT TRUE.

4. Found out in the Philippines and noted by the lady caddy that I was stopping my lower body rotation in an attempt to throw the club at the ball. This is wrong. The turning of the hips (waist) is continuous and is the hitting portion of the golf swing.

5. Because of no. 4, it resulted in the realization that the set-up of the club face and the rest (grip, hands, arms, club shaft angle) is done initially and forgotten at the start of the swing. After this set-up, the mind is totally just thinking of going around the ball - with the hips as the hitting source! The thinking is not hitting the ball but going around with the hips and through the ball.

The Cock and Fire Golf

Cock as in cock the gun. However the intent is really for golf.

The Cock and Fire Golf technique separates the back swing muscles to the forward swing muscles. It postulates the two-piece swing technique and that most golfers get the swing technique completely wrong.

Let us in a nutshell first give the description for each type of golf shot:

1. Putting - the shoulder brings back the putter and the hands hit the ball.
2. Chipping - on the fringe and almost like putting, use the putting technique above. Other chipping, back swing is done by the fingers, forward swing is done by the clasp hands.
3. Pitching - same as full shots.
4. Full Swing - the back swing is done by the shoulders, the forward swing is done by the hips (no hand action at all).

USE THE SHOULDERS INSTEAD FOR A REPEATING SWING UNDER PRESSURE

The common denominator for all good golf shot is the firm last three fingers grip.

Let us start with the putt. Keep the last three left fingers firmly holding the putter. Do the usual routine, the shoulders brings back the putter, the right hand hits the ball. Actually it is not the right hand but the "roped" arms that hits.

Let us go to the full swing. The last three fingers firmly hold and together with the firm wrist lift the club off the ground (ala Nicklaus) and joins the club to the "roped" arms (ala Hogan). The left three fingers are kept tight from start, the hit, and the finish. You can put a penny in between the club and the fingers and it will never fall off - if the action is executed correctly (ala Palmer).

And this resulted in the Abad golf swing used for all - putting to the full swing.

1. Hold the club firmly with the left last three fingers. Lift the club with the left wrist and keep it in balance before the ball.
2. Now feel the roped feeling of the arms. Feel how the left wrist connects it to the hovering club. Feel the dynamic connection between the two - a feeling like both are connected by a firm spring, ready to bend at the backswing and ready to hit bounce back to the ball.
3. With the left arm, bring the club head along the hitting path and up - to the bring the roped arms up. 9/15/2009: SORRY BUT NEED TO CHANGE THIS BECAUSE UNDER PRESSURE, IT DOES NOT REPEAT. USE THE SHOULDERS INSTEAD TO SWING THE ARMS AND CLUB - ALONG THE PLANE AS HOGAN SUGGESTED. (confirmed when BIPI championship match was won on 9/17/2009)
   
4. The roped arms will now pull the left side muscles.
5. The pulled left side muscles will now start the push to the left foot and the ensuing turn around of the body which also at the same time the roped arms are brought down automatically and the spring bounces back the club head to the ball - and around automatically.
6. Finish is automatic. 9/15/2009: THE LEFT LEG WILL PULL THE HIPS TO START THE DOWNSWING.
   

This is the move to be used for all shots if possible. On chips or putts, just roped arms will do the hitting.

Hogan's Modern Fundamentals of Golf Disected

Hogan said in his book, "I began to feel that I had the stuff to play creditable golf even when I was not at my best, my shot making started to take a new and more stable consistency. The basis for this progress, let me repeat, was my genuine conviction that all that is really required to play good golf is to execute properly a relatively small number of true fundamental movements."

Now we know that what I have been looking for is in Hogan's book, we can now assume that all the secrets of the golf swing written in the book are correct. I have now decided that my Search for the Perfect Golf Swing is over.

I will now continue to try to improve my golf game by reading his book, interpreting it and assimilating it with my own swing.

1. This method teaches that each action is the direct result of preceding actions in the chain-action sequence of the swing. The problem I noticed about this statement is how the parts are interconnected. I think this is where stiff body and arms (of Tiger) come into play and becomes the glue to hold the parts together. A good example is the roped arms of Hogan which is the glue that binds the grip and the club to the body. With the club held by the Hogan grip and stiffened up ala "alive" grip, Tiger just drops his arms towards the ball. The average golfer is entirely capable of building a repeating swing and breaking 80, if he learns to automatically intertwine a small number of correct movements and conversely, it follows, eliminates a lot of movement which tend to keep the swing from repeating.
2. The grip is very essential but not the way Hogan talks about it using where the V points. The grip is important and the V's created is not essential. What is essential is that the hands are positioned in a way that both hands are clasp to deliver an extreme backward cocking of both wrists. The right hand might even be used to be able to deliver an extreme cock. THIS IS THE SECRET THAT I HAVE MISSED ALL THOSE YEARS. BACKWARD WRISTS COCKING TO THE EXTREME IS NEEDED FOR MY GOLF SWING.
3. The elbows should be tucked in, not stuck out from the body. At address, the left elbow should point directly at the left hip bone and the right elbow should points directly at the right hip bone. Furthermore, there shoulb a sense of fixed jointness between the two forearms and the wrists, and it should be maintained throughout the swing. You will notice that the pocket of each elbow - the small depression on the inside of thejoint - will be facing towards the sky, not toward each other. When your arms are set right at address, it makes it immeasurably easier to get the proper function out of them. You will get the feeling that the arms and the club form one firm unit.
4. On the backswing the order of the movement goes like this: hands, arms, shoulders, hips. The hands start the clubhead back a split second before the arms start back. And the arms begin their movement a split second before the shoulders begin to turn. Just before the hands reach the hip level, the shoulders, as they turn automatically start pulling the hips around. As the hips begin to turn, the pull the left leg in to the right.
5. When you finish your backswing, your chin should be hitting against the top of your left shoulder. (This is my number ONE fault, not making a full turn. Therefore, for me this means EXTREME COCKING of the BOTH WRISTS BACKWARD. And extreme cocking means the wrists are cocked backwards - not at right angle - so that the resulting effect is a DELAYED HIT.) It is this increased tension that unwinds the upper part of the body. It unwinds the shoulders, the arms and the hands in that order, the correct order. It helps the swing so much it makes it almost automatic. Entrust your swing not to your hands but to your arms and body. THE RIGHT HAND AND WRIST CAN BE DOMINANT. It does not matter because the delayed hit self corrects my golf swing.
6. The hips initiate the downswing. As the shoulders turn the hips on the backswing, the muscle tension on the left body si increased. The greater the tension, the faster the hips can move back. They can't go too fast. Incidentally, the backward cock makes this move more automatic and natural.
7. To be continued.

It's the GRIP, stupid!

THE SECRET IS THE GRIP! WHAT A STUPID THING TO NEGLECT. It is a grip that will promote the backward cock of both wrists. The grip is an extreme interpretation of where the V's point of Hogan's instruction. The V's intersects and the left V points to the extreme left - or in golf parlance a very strong grip. The right V points to the extreme right - an extreme weak grip.

It is not the V's position that is important - it is the capability to get the two wrist to bend backwards for an extreme cocking lead by the right hand. THE SWING IS STARTED BY THE LEFT SHOULDER PUSHING TOWARDS THE BALL AND AT THE SAME TIME THE LEFT WRIST WILL CONSCIOUSLY START LIFTING THE CLUB UPWARDS. This left wrist lift is essential (especially the longer the shaft is - like the driver) and integral part of this secret.

The left shoulder pushes out in a lifting motion to an extreme coiled finish while the left hand cocks the club to an extreme cocked wrist with the feeling that the club is already pointing past parallel and pointing towards the front rather than the along the plane. In reality, it is along the plane and pointed to the target when viewed by somebody else. There must be a feeling of symmetry and harmonious balance in this move. THIS MOVE AND THE EXTREME COCKED LEFT WRIST ARE NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL BUT INTEGRAL TO THIS SECTION. THEY ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS IN THIS POSTING. With it, it makes the long clubs (like the driver) feel like short irons. However, this move I found out is not easy to do. The most expedient way to do this for me is to just push the left shoulder the club head while the left wrist cocks it all the way to the "slot" until the right palikpik muscles ache. This move however needs the conventional grip of Hogan. Since it uses the conventional grip and the result is the same - extreme cocking - then this must be the better way!

This extreme cocking makes it possible for the right hand to dominate but the setting (V's) of the left hand prevents the right hand to over-power the left. THIS EXTREME COCKING CAN ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE LEFT SHOULDER PUSH AND LEFT WRIST LIFT. When properly executed, the long clubs like the driver, will feel - at point of impact - as if a short iron was hit. It delays the hit to the point the ball is hit when the hips have already cleared - like a sideways hit already.

PUTTING SECRET

THE BOTTOM HALF FROM THE WAIST DOWN IS IMMOBILIZED. FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE A MANANANGGAL AND JUST USED THE BOTTOM LIKE A SOLID BASED OF A STATUE. STICK THE BUTT OUT, TURN OFF THE RIGIDNESS OF THE WAIST MUSCLES AND PUTT WITH THE UPPER BODY.

REMEMBER TO USE THE CROSSED GRIP AND KEEP THE ARMS FEELING THE SIDE OF THE BODY.

ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE EXTREME CLOCKWISE LEFT HAND GRIP IS THE ONE THAT MAKES THE BALL GO STRAIGHT (A LITTLE HOOK) WHEN PUTTING.

Golf's Missing Link Found

If we can say that my quest for the "Perfect Golf Swing" is like the search for the proverbial Ponce de Leon's quest for "Fountain of Youth" or the search for evolution's "Missing Link." I, however, can honestly say it has been found. Unfortunately, all the time I spent on the search was actually, sort of, useless in a sense since it actually brought me to where I started.

My first golf instruction was taken from Ben Hogan's book, "The Modern Fundamentals of Golf." In the previous postings, I alluded to what I found. Here, I can tell you that what I found that really completed my golf swing is the fact that I had to learn to finish my back swing, make my shoulder hit my chin at the top of the swing. I remembered Ben Hogan mentioning this in his book so I re-read it again. Then I realized that if I had paid attention to what he said, I could have known about it a long, long time ago and could be a "pro" by now.

Here is what he said about it:

• When you finish your backswing, you chin should be hitting against the top of your left shoulder.
• The arms is like roped and pointing upwards.
• Well, in my own way, trying to make the chin hit the shoulders forced me to do an extreme cocking.
• Extreme cocking led me to experiment with a former taboo - cocking by breaking the wrists backwards.
• To get the wrists to cock backwards naturally, I experimented with the grip.
• The change in grip, led me to cock backwards with both my wrists (yes the right hand).
• Now that type of bacward movement really made be able to hit everything! Now I automatically get a delayed hit - without thinking on what hand to use.
• I can even do the chipping without thinking.
• Sand shots are now easy - done with the hands alone but the backward cock is utilized (also chipping).

Technical explanation of what is happening:

• When the V's of the fingers get crossed, it prevents the movement of the wrists to go left (important for right handers) and the right.  It only allows the picking of of the club - an upward movement.
• On full shots, when the extreme, yes EXTREME,  cocking is accomplished, the body feels that it must initiate the swing because it knows that the hands are locked up on top.  The only way, naturally, is for the body to pull the arms down.
• On not full shots where the arms and hands are the one utlized - like pitches, sand shots, chips, putts - the wrists are locked in one motion - up/down - nothing can be done even if one uses the right hand, but execute the shot correctly.

Hogan's secret a secret even to him

Finally, we can say that I have found the mother of all mother - Ben Hogan's secret. You can find his secret in my previous post.

In Hogan's book, he wrote,"WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR BACKSWING, YOUR CHIN SHOULD BE HITTING AGAINST THE TOP OF YOUR LEFT SHOULDER." What he didn't realize is the left shoulder is the key to chips and putts. Had he known, he would have been a better putter like Tiger Woods. Therefore, we can extend the argument that Tiger is really better than Ben.

The problem with this secret, although I have named it Ben Hogan's secret, is Ben Hogan was not really aware of it. If he knew it he would have been a great putter, not merely one with a great golf swing. We all know that he was not so, ergo, he himself did not know why his published golf fundamentals works for him and only a few others.

This secret will catapult the golf skills of anybody. It is a game changer. Now, armed with it's knowledge, golfers can aim to make putts (of course), chips, pitches, and even full swings - not merely trying to put it near the hole.

Shoulder-centric and Extreme Cock Technique

We have been looking for the "Perfect Golf Swing" for a long time now and it is time now to admit if we already have found it or not. After all these years, I am inclined to say that this is a personal decision for each golfer since the skill level that can be reached is really "personal" in a sense that not everybody can employ a particular set of beliefs on the "Perfect" Golf Swing.

In a recent golf magazine article I read about Nick Price, he said his game went south (he lost his game) when he tried to make changes to lengthen his drives. He has now realized that lengthening his drives is not for him because he is much better again (and won in the Champion's tour) now that he has returned to his old golf swing.

Following Nick Price's revelation, I am going to stop my quest for the perfect golf swing. I will now stick with what I started as my goal - to use only the big muscles and simplify. This is what I will do starting now - and, hopefully stick to it over my lifetime:

1. Use Tiger Wood's (my interpretation) tight upper body swing as the engine of upswing, my downswing and follow through. The upper body does everything. This is the coiled-roped feeling of Hogan. The feeling is like the forearm muscles are bulgingly tight and all, the forearms, the left wrist and the solid grip are frozen together.
2. Overlap grip is employed with an almost extreme weak right hand grip placement.
3. The swing is shoulder-centric and extreme left hand cock is employed. The left shoulder feels the weight of the clubhead and pushes it out, like a satellite being launched into orbit, until fully coiled to an extreme finish. There must be a feeling of symmetry and harmonious balance in this move. THIS MOVE IS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE WITHOUT IT THE THUMB MAY GET HURT IF LIFTING MOTION IS USED. SO WHEN THE THUMB HURTS, YOU ARE MAKING A WRONG MOVE. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT IN THIS POSTING. With it, it makes the long clubs (like the driver) feel like short irons. WARNING - IT MAY MAKE YOU DRAW THE BALL BUT WITH THE PROPER TIMING IT SHOULD WORK OK.
   
4. The finish of the backswing is characterize by the left shoulder hitting the chin, ala Hogan. If there is no shoulder n chin, you do not have a finish! REMEMBER, THE SHOULDER MUST PUSH THE CHIN - NO IFS AND BUTS!
5. The left shoulder starts the turn towards the resulting downward blast.

Cupped hand, cock, Norman wrist trainer, hip turn, delayed hit

What does this all have in common? What can a wrist cock, Hogan's cupped left hand, Greg Norman's plastic wrist cock trainer, delayed hit and a right hip turn have in common? The main thing is they are all describing the same golf move in different ways and in different perspectives.

Let me go directly on how to describe this to myself so I can remember this move. After developing the body turn hit as described in previous postings, I noticed that one thing missing in my technique is power. Since I have heard from a few golfers and books about the right hip providing the added power to the golf swing, I tried searching for how to execute - of course, as an enhancement to my upper body turn technique. I could not figure it out. I tried and could not figure how to do it.

Last Saturday, November 1st, 2008, Rene Jose came and played golf with me. After the game, he showed me the Greg Norman contraption that is supposed to teach the correct swing, the one that forces the hip turn. When I wore it on my right hand, I was amazed for two reasons.

First, it mimicked and felt like an acquired way of me gripping the club lately. It is the right hand pressing on the handle and acting like a slight dip forward - more like a forward press but done as part of the gripping of the club. I noticed that whenever I do this, my hits become solid but I did not want to encourage myself to using it because it logically seems that I am weakening my grip too much. However, it does help the swing so I use it when I feel like it.

Second, when I wore the Norman grip trainer, I realized that not only does it resemble this grip but it actually forces you to bend the right hand much farther backwards, yes backwards but wrist-breaking backwards! Rene said that this will force you to hit with the right hip because that is the only way the club will square itself to the target - by turning the hip. He said try it first with chips because this is where it is very apparent - whatever that is.

Let us digress for a moment on what happened when I tried chipping in my bedroom. Because of the necessary hip turn, it opened my eyes to how the club comes in more on the heel and while the hips is turning, it also turns the club face around - all in the same golf action. This realization now made it possible for me to do what Anthony was trying to teach me - the Norman chip. The Norman chip is the club is left open to the extent that one may look like he is trying to heel the ball with the club. But because of the hip turn, like Anthony's explanation, the ball really rolls from the heel to the toe of the the club. Realizing and learning this technique, it made it so easy for me to know how the professionals lob chips the ball as what I had seen them do at the Connecticut tournament.

Going back to the previous topic, I went to the driving range to figure out how to apply this to my swing. As usual, I started with my body twist. After a few trials, I figured that to implement this together with my body swing, I had to grip the club the same way as before (like the forward press) but I had to to go from light to heavy cocking while the club is being brought up - on the upswing. THE LEFT HAND IS ACTIVELY PART OF THE SWING. It steadies the club from upswing to downswing - even sort of pulls the club on the downswing. The result is a more powerful swing. But it is more than that. It just like what Hogan said, you cannot over do it - it is possible to give it all you got and still it will be correct.

It is noteworthy to say that the swing is still my body turn swing, not done by the hips. However, there is a pronounced late hit where the body is forced to turn - because the mind knows that the club has been brought back and the face of the club has to be brought back to square. What I am trying to say is the technique is still the body turn (hit) but mentally, I am forced to finish. No more finishing of my right foot!

The left hand is an active part of my body swing. I meant to document this before but I had not done so. I'll document it here. Because I was not keeping the left hand active, my body turn swing caused an injury to my right shoulder. It pulled the shoulder muscle joint. I guess this is like the tennis elbow - this time a "golf shoulder." In order to prevent injury, the left hand and arm must take full control of the swing.

The left hand and left arm must be the dominant holder of the club - like Anthony Kim. And like Anthony Kim, the left hand grip must be low so that there is a feeling of the left arm in total control of the club. At impact, the left hand drops the club head to the ball.

Golf Techniques Unification Theory

Why would there be so many teachings and different techniques espoused by so many professional golfers? Is there a golf teaching or golf technique that will unify all? Maybe...

Let us make this posting as the graduation event of all my postings.

If we can take the previous posting and say, take those instructions and then forget them. Just make a golf swing using the shoulders - by feeling - and hitting as hard as possible, what may happen? Well,

• if we kept the grip as Hogan instructed, the club resting on the two middle right hand fingers
• made the left arm a little stiff (tied up feeling)
• and turned with the shoulders as far as the upper body can be twisted.

What would happen is this:

• the double wheel theory of mine would be in play
• the AJ instruction of opening and closing the hands would be in play
• the nun chuck or the two-piece stick grass cutter would be in play
• maybe this is how Hogan, Tiger and Nicklaus - hitting as strong as possible with the shoulders and the hands just a reaction to it.

Hmmm....

August 12, 2008 - YES, YES, YES!

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.