COIL, the PRIME OBJECT

Trebuchet and Stroke of Genius (SOG)

Trebuchet (the physics behind the swing) and Stroke of Genius (SOG) must be the same thing and each one should be an explanation of the other.  In other words, the two must back up each other. When one part is not easily explainable in one, we can look up in the other for explanation and validation. 

One important but easily overlooked part is the initial move of the projectile above. It is dragged first before it is hurled same as in golf. So it is wrong to think one is slapping the ball but, rather, imagine it like a slingshot. IN ACTUAL APPLICATION, COILING IS THE PRIME AND ONLY OBJECTIVE OF THE GOLF SWING. HITTING IS NOT.

Master the Chipping to be the Master of the Golf Swing

In order to learn the Trebuchet golf swing, we will use the chip as the test platform for imparting the Trebuchet effect to the golf swing. Since trebuchet or SOG is used in every physical activity, then mastering chipping will eventually lead to mastering all the golf swing, from putting to full shots, in any kind of environment and surface. So why does raising the club parallel to the ground work?

As a personal objective in learning the golf swing, we will only try to learn one personal standard, the Trebuchet COIL Golf Swing.  We will not try to learn to manipulate the swing to impart different flight characteristics to the ball but instead just let the weather affect it.  This way, we will simplify the game, and let other things follow our way.

Very important discoveries 

2121-04-29:  Rythm and Tempo like the LPGA Pros with One Big 360º Shoulder Turn - At an advance level, the helicopter shoulders, ala Fred Couples, with the club head going back then forward 360º may be an excellent way to accomplish the individual rhythm and tempo to the swing. It is imperative that flicking - with the shoulders- the clubhead around to the top, strong enough to bring the left shoulder to touch the chin must be the initial objective. 

2121-05-10:  All these new "ways" do not really work.  Just stay with the normal proven natural and personal swing. Do not dream any longer in lengthening the distance. It is better to be short but able to enjoy the game ... and nature.

Trebuchet Putting 

Let the body big muscles do the moving. Let the hands and arms move like the sling part of the trebuchet. Move back the putter with the waist, freeze, and throw the ball forward in one frozen move.

The Parts of the Swing (LEFT WAIST UPSWING and RIGHT WAIST DOWNSWING) with COILING, as the PRIME OBJECTIVE

1. At setup, lower the right shoulder and then feel the TUCKED right elbow.
   
   
2. LOOK FOR THE PLANE - which is inclined low from the shoulders, not the eyes. When felt, proceed below. NOTE: IT IS EASIER TO USE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND TO TRACK THE PLANE.
   
   
3. TRANSFER THE WEIGHT FIRMLY ON THE RIGHT FOOT AND USE IT AS A PIVOT BY PUSHING WITH LEFT WAIST THE LEFT BACKHAND ALONG THE PLANE. THEN DO SEVERAL SLOW MINI UPSWINGS TO TEST THE SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE PLANE. 
   
   
4. WHEN SATISFIED, PUSH THE CLUB ON THE GRASS WITH THE LEFT HIP AND CONTINUE with a continuous flick of the left backhand following and ALONG THE PLANE (like the left hand throwing the cape over the shoulders) up to the extreme cock of the wrist which then pulls the LEFT shoulder down and around. Imagine the right arm - from shoulder to elbow - as the AXIS. Go around along the PLANE UNTIL THERE IS A PRONOUNCED TIGHTENING OF THE LEFT BODY MUSCLES - A FULL COIL and a FULLY COCKED GRIP.
5. TONY BOY'S TECHNIQUE: USE THE RIGHT HAND FOR TAKEAWAY AND COCKING WHICH AUTOMATICALLY SETS UP THE LEFT HAND ALONG THE PLANE. HIT WITH STIFF LEFT ARM TO SLING THE BALL.
   
   
6. Last, started by the BOUNCE AND TIGHTENED MUSCLES,  WEIGHT SHIFT TO THE LEFT AND FIRE THE RIGHT HIP TO SWEEP THE BUTT OF THE FULLY COCKED GRIP TO THE BALL TO PULL IT TO A PICTURE PERFECT FINISH. 
   
   
7. It is imperative that the downswing is started by the left waist weight shift that pulls the club towards the ball and continued by the right waist turn till the ball impact, thus, resulting in a picture perfect finish. REMEMBER, IT IS A SLINGSHOT.

MUSINGS

Putting and Chipping

Putting and chipping have identical techniques. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME except the actual implement used. So with this in mind, one can consider even the fringes of the green as actually part of the green. Anything where you can chip has to be considered like putting.  One can really shoot for the flag no matter where it is because all around it won't matter (except water).

This is Miyazaki MDX II MD-001 putter.  It changes the visualization of the putt - from dying into the hole - to passing on top of the hole.  Actually, the major difference between between the two concepts  is the width of the line. The former just a line going and dropping into the hole while the latter is the line imagined is as wide as the putter and it just passes over the hole.  This makes is so easy to target the hole because there is no need to be as detailed.

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

There is something beautiful in a stance like this: 

• Feet close to one another to facilitate automatic turning.
• Open the body approximately 45° to the target line with bending of the right arm is parallel to the target line.
• Amazingly, the putter shaft droops perpendicular to the T-line and so is my left arm (almost)! 
• It feels so good but looks kind of weird seeing both arms triangulate at the grip.

Remember, the visualization now is entirely different. The putt and chip now is like a train passing along the train tracks, yes, train tracks.

ALSO, IMAGINE ROLLING THE BALL FROM THE FRONT OF THE PUTTER GOING TO THE TARGET. This will help in accuracy since the setup is secondary.  It will also help in properly lagging the ball to the hole.

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

PITCHING

My technique requires that the club shaft, at back swing, reach PARALLEL TO THE GROUND in all instances. 

• First, COCK the club parallel to the ground. Very important to note that raising is done by the flick or COCKING (after the left waist) of the wrist along the plane, just like a full shot. Remember the body turn is necessary. ALSO, THE STRETCHED LEFT ARM AND BACKHAND FOCUS "MEASURES" THE CLUBHEAD BACK TO THE EXACT BALL POSITION THAT PREVENTS SKULLING. THE LEFT BACKHAND TAKES IT BACK, THE RIGHT HAND TAKES OVER BUT THE LEFT ARM GUIDES IT BACK TO THE BALL. THIS APPLIES TO CHIPS AND PUTTS,, TOO. Then...
• 
  
• The "body first" pull technique applies in chipping too and it might be a good way to experiment on the full swing.
• 
  
• BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER THE GOLF SWING IS NOT A HIT BUT A SWING / PULL.  
• 
  
• To make this easier, pull the centrifugal weight and sweep the ball with left shoulder turn, not the right hip.
• 
  
• SOG APPLICATION TO THE GOLF STROKE: The right hand and arm is the mover that brings back the club. The COCKED left arm remains STIFF and slings back the ball.

MENTAL CHANGE TO TEST

Imagine pulling the ball with the club face vs. Slapping the ball - like I do now. Remember the feeling I got when the driver face was close but I hit anyway? The ball felt like sticking on the club face. Also,  the ball did not hook but went straight! 2021-05-31: I actually learned this already but I gradually forgot again.  I changed this Post today to reflect this knowledge.

 

2021 SOG Golf Swing

 

Introduction

This posting will be a self-contained tutorial for all my golf related swing.  It will explain and relate in some way how I got to where I am currently. Although I started documenting my experiences way back in the 80's, my real golf quest started in 1999 where I accidentally shot a 78 at Richter Park with my late friend, Dan O'Rielly and another walk-in couple. How I played that day was a total abandon to my instincts which I did not understand then but I am realizing slowly now.  I am still not sure but I think it is the catapult effect brought about by an extremely cocked left wrist (with abandon) that was the key.  It is only through a lot of continuous self discoveries that I realized I was actually creating an SOG (see other posting related to this topic) swing.

Aggressive Wrist Cock

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 farther. This in turn turns a switch in the brain to pull the club with the body - hips turning - 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 (turn the hips).

When the club is raised along the plane by the left arm, the left wrist MUST ALSO cock the club fully until the whole weight of the left arm and club is felt wrapped around the shoulders.  Feel the left shoulder and then execute the turn-around where the hips bring all towards the target - and a picture perfect finish. What will be felt is like the way Hogan described it in his book - the club will just be hurling itself towards the target.

2015-02-16: The caddie, I only know him as Jun 13, found something missing in my swing.  He noticed that I do not finish my swing. He demonstrated to turn the right hip at the end of my swing and face the target. At first at the driving range this was hard for me to execute.  However, the next time I went to the driving range, I started concentrating on cocking the club.  Cocking the club actually automatically forced me to unwind so that it was easy to just turn around my hips and finish as he suggested.  It worked.  When I played at Tagaytay Midlands with Vic Fernandez, Bong Obligacion and Joey Solis - I immediately found that confidence and played well from tee to green.  Of course, I still have the around-the-green problem so I did not really scored well. If there is anything that I can call the secret to my swing, it should be the full cocking on every shot.  It actually twisted my shoulders automatically and at the same time summoned an automatic full hit.  When the downswing is automatically initiated, it is just a matter of twisting my right hips towards the target. I should remember that the right hips is really the game changer tip but I cannot execute it without the fully cocking left hand (and the ensuing shoulder twist).

What is the Cause of Shanks and Mishits? Simple but hard to digest. It is the shoulders over-rotating and go off alignment with the plane. This is hard to detect. Usually the misalignment is cured by over-cocking the club and that is why the resulting late hit cures the misaligned shoulders. However,  when there is no cocking, the shoulders are late in correcting its alignment to the plane and the contact to the ball is met with an open clubface. Mishits or shanks occurs.

2020-06-15: STROKE OF GENIUS (SOG) APPLICATION IN THE GOLF SWING - The full cocking is the most important part of the upswing. It doesn't matter if the shoulders does not fully go up as long as the cocking is fully done. And it (COCKED wrist) is NOT subjectively released to take the divot. Yes, the delayed centrifugal release is caused by the SOG. The club/head is automatically released by centrifugal force which gives the extra power to the swing. 

2021-04-06:  IS EXTREME COCKING NECESSARY? Well, in my case it is. If not extremely cocked, my short irons go awry. Therefore, it must be incorporated in my swing at all times starting today. Change my upswing to instead of the left shoulder turning and pulling the body muscles taut, let the left extremely cocked hand do the work.

With the left fully cocked wrist pulling the body turn and creating the torque,  AN AUTOMATIC STRONG LEFT HAND HIT RESULTS. THIS MUST BE INCORPORATED IN MY SWING!

The V-angle Golf Principle

V-angle Golf is the belief that the very essence of the "correct" golf swing is the V-angle's inclusion in every swing.  Golfers may incorporate different ways and do other things but they all hit the ball the V-angle way. By the way, the V-angle is the use of the resulting angle in the golf swing where the vertex or the point of the V is pulled towards the ball. Then the clubhead is catapulted (reaction to the pull) to actually hit the ball and take the divot. That said, one can make a rule that states: every other part of the golf swing must complement the V-angle.  If not possible, do not even try it.

This is how the conversion to the left and pull technique versus the right and hammer golf can be achieved. It is a very difficult transition, even impossible to many.

THE V-ANGLE IS THE ANGLE CREATED BY THE SHOULDERS AND THE LEFT ARM ON THE TAKEAWAY WITH THE LEFT SHOULDER BECOMING THE VERTEX OF THE ANGLE.  The purpose of the angle is the one that is significant.  It creates the lag that professional golfers have.  And imagining the left shoulder as the vertex of the angle AND THE POWER MOVER OF THE GOLF SWING makes the average golfer ABLE TO EASILY execute the golf swing like a professional golfer. 

The angle must be made parallel to the plane.  It has to be parallel so that one can use the left shoulder to pull the club towards the ball with ease and with self confidence. THIS IS ONLY ACHIEVED BY A CORRECT TAKEAWAY HABIT.

The Parts of the Swing

LEFT HAND ONLY UPSWING with right hand actively guiding and SOG WAIST TURN DOWNSWING

• First, at address, LAY THE CLUB FACE FLAT ON THE GROUND. This may feel upright at the beginning but it is not. 
  
  
• Then lower the right shoulder and feel then feel the TUCKED right elbow. LOOK FOR THE PLANE - which is inclined low from the shoulders, not the eyes - and when mentally found proceed below. NOTE: OFTEN TIMES IT MAY BE EASIER TO USE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND TO TRACK THE PLANE with the right hand actively guiding the club along the plane and ultimately ensuring the extreme almost backhand cock.
  
  
• THEN DO SEVERAL SLOW MINI UPSWINGS TO TEST THE SYNCRONIZATION WITH THE PLANE.

• Third, WHEN SATISFIED, PUSH THE CLUB ON THE GRASS WITH THE LEFT HIP AND CONTINUE with a continuous flick of the clubhead following and ALONG THE PLANE (like the left hand throwing the cape over the shoulders and  the right hand actively guiding the club along the plane and ultimately ensuring the extreme almost backhand cock) up to the extreme cock of the wrist which then pulls the LEFT shoulder down and around - imagining, the right arm from shoulder to elbow - as the AXIS and going around along the PLANE UNTIL THERE IS A PRONOUNCED TIGHTENING OF THE LEFT BODY MUSCLES created by the EXTREME COCKING.

• NOTE: Pronate naturally and cock with the left hand the club WITH SOLE PURPOSE OF CREATING A CENTRIPETAL FORCE resulting to a BOUNCE (don't forget the idea is to achieve extreme cocking).

• Fourth and last, started by the BOUNCE AND TIGHTENED MUSCLES, continue to pull AND SWEEP the centrifugal weight with the left shoulder OR LOWER BODY - not the right hip - and AUTOMATICALLY supinating - WITH DELIBERATE RIGHT HAND FORCE OR JUST A NATURAL PULL- the clubhead THROUGH THE BALL AND TOWARDS THE target.  2021-04-09: CORRECTION - TURN THE HIPS TO THE TARGET TO POWER THE SWING AND EXECUTE IT USING SOG.
  
  
• Tip to Tip: a technique where the tip of the club, the clubhead, is the focus. The clubhead is brought up and down towards the ball to create the fastest velocity as possible,  i.e., tip to tip.

MUSINGS on My Current Game

Putting and Chipping

Putting and chipping have identical techniques. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME except the actual implement used. So with this in mind, one can consider even the fringes of the green as actually part of the green. Anything where you can chip has to be considered like putting.  With this in mind, one can really shoot for the flag no matter where it is because all around it won't matter (except water).

I am currently using this Miyazaki MDX II MD-001 putter.  It changed my visualization of the putt - from dying into the hole - to passing on top of the hole.  Actually, the major difference between  between the two is the width of the line.  Before it was just a line going and dropping into the hole but now the line is as wide as the putter and it just passes over the hole.  This makes is so easy to target the hole because there is no need to be as detailed.

By the way, do not forget to use the billiard arms (SHADE LEFT) in putting. It is essential in straightening the actual ball path and ensuring that the ball behaves as imagined and intended. However,  there is something beautiful in my stance now. I open my body approximately 45° to the line and my right arm is parallel to the target line but amazingly, the putter shaft droops perpendicular to the T-line and so is my left arm (almost)! It feels so good but looks kind of weird seeing both arms triangulate at the grip.

Remember, the visualization now is entirely different. The putt and chip now is like a train passing along the train tracks, yes, train tracks.

ALSO, IMAGINE ROLLING THE BALL FROM THE FRONT OF THE PUTTER GOING TO THE TARGET. This will help in accuracy since the setup is secondary.  It will also help in properly lagging the ball to the hole.

PITCHING

My technique requires that the club backswing reach PARALLEL TO THE GROUND in all instances. 
First, raise the club parallel to the ground. Very important to note that raising is done by the flick of the wrist along the plane, just like a full shot. Then...

The "body first" pull technique applies in chipping too and it might be a good way to experiment on the full swing. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER THE GOLF SWING IS NOT A HIT BUT A SWING. AND THE TAKEAWAY SHIFTS THE CENTRIFUGAL WEIGHT TO THE LEFT. 

To make this easier, pull the centrifugal weight and sweep the ball with left shoulder, not the right hip!

HOGAN'S PLANE

The plane is low and inclined from the ball towards the shoulders. It would have been easier to mentally incline it towards the eyes so it can be "seen" easily but in that position, the clubhead return to ball raises it a little high and invites topping or a necessary downward correction. KEEPING THE PLANE RESTING ON THE SHOULDERS PROMOTES A TRUE PLANE-TO-PLANE RETURN.

TRAIN TRACKS 

Imagining the golf swing as a train traveling towards the target rather than a slap on the ball - PROMOTES A TRUER BALL FLIGHT and very apparent in putting and chipping. 

GOLF UPRIGHT SWING

This is just a reminder for me why I am changing my flat plane to a more upright (relative to my usual flat plane with the club face pointing upwards) where the club face is correctly flat on the ground. 

During my last game (Tradition at Oak Lane, March 14, 2021 with Dean and Winston), I realized I must impart an active and strong swipe at the ball to get any decent distance. 

Well while practicing at home the next day, I also realized the value of the slow MINI big waggles AND SLOW UPSWING (Morikawa?) which makes the upswing-along-the-plane very easy to do. If this is easy, then I can go back to the more standard "upright" plane. When I experimented with this, to my surprise,  the club automatically cocked at the top WHICH RESULTS IN AN AUTOMATIC STRONG HIT AT THE BALL!  WOW, PROBLEM SOLVED.

THE LEFT BACK HAND UPSWING AND HIT - ACTIVE SUPINATION AND PRONATION

2121-03-17:  This is very important concept that is hard to put on paper right now. It involves the active use of the left hand backhand in the upswing. The downswing or hit is also the active left hand. Right it looks like it should be use in all shots that is why it may invalidate and replace all the teachings I have so far laid down in this section.

2121-03-21: DO NOT FORGET THE RICHTER 4-WOOD FLIP AND "FORGOTTEN AUTOMATIC" HIT. 

Go back to the V-angle to execute the Richter swing.

1) usual stance and plane visible 

2) Cock first (very early and when physically possible).

3) Wind up the backswing with the left shoulder,  i.e., v-angle swing. NOTE: THE LEFT SHOULDER MUST TURN BACK!

4) HIT hard with the left shoulder. 

2021-03-30:  IT IS THE SHOULDERS STUPID. And the trebuchet hurls the golf ball, not hit it.

2021-04-21: I discovered the art of coiling. Start with the left hand flip and follow right away with coiling the left shoulder and left WAIST until fully coiled. Execute the waist turn to hit the ball. The right hand actively (80%) facilitates the extreme cocking. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE PATH OF THE BACKSWING TO VISUALIZE. Do you want a Nicklaus upright backswing or a more circular one where the bottom will become the divot? BUT IT IS A MUST AND A FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE CLUB HEAD WEIGHT TO REACH THE EXTREME COCKING AS EVIDENCED BY A BOUNCE ON THE INVERTED WRIST! AND, REPEAT AND, YOU DON'T,  REPEAT, DON'T UNCOCK ON THE DOWNSWING. YOU JUST SWEEP THROUGH. NO PAUSE AT ALL FOR UNCOCKING NECESSARY. ESPECIALLY FOR CHIPPING! Emulate Jason Day's chipping and Rory McIlroy drive. NOTE 2121-04-11: THIS REVISES MY THEORY ON SOG BECAUSE IT POSTULATES A NO FORWARD DISCERNABLE REQUIRED MOVE OF THE SMALL MUSCLES. IT ACTUALLY PROMOTES A FROZEN SMALL MUSCLES MOVEMENT.  THE HANDS IN THE UPSWING AND "ALL WAIST TURN" IN THE DOWNSWING. 

MASTER CHIPPING TO MASTER GOLF

This section is primarily to learn the art of the stroke, for chipping and, therefore, golfing. Apply the power of the trebuchet at all times and in every instance. 

V-Angle = Richter Swing

Introduction

This posting will be a self-contained tutorial for all my golf related swing.  It will explain and relate in some way how I got to where I am currently. Although I started documenting my experiences way back in the 80's, my real golf quest started in 1999 where I accidentally shot a 78 at Richter Park with my late friend, Dan O'Rielly and another walk-in couple. How I played that day was a total abandon to my instincts which I did not understand then but I am realizing slowly now.  I am still not sure but I think it is the catapult effect brought about by a limp left wrist (with abandon) that was the key.  But that is jumping ahead.  First let us start the tutorial.

The V-angle Golf Principle

V-angle Golf is the belief that the very essence of the "correct" golf swing is the V-angle's inclusion in every swing.  Golfers may incorporate different ways and do other things but they all hit the ball the V-angle way. By the way, the V-angle is the use of the resulting angle in the golf swing where the vertex or the point of the V is pulled towards the ball. Then the clubhead is catapulted (reaction to the pull) to actually hit the ball and take the divot. That said, one can make a rule that states: every other part of the golf swing must complement the V-angle.  If not possible, do not even try it.

This is how the conversion to the left and pull technique versus the right and hammer golf can be achieved. It is a very difficult transition, even impossible to many.

So What is the V-angle?

THE V-ANGLE IS THE ANGLE CREATED BY THE SHOULDERS AND THE LEFT ARM ON THE TAKEAWAY WITH THE LEFT SHOULDER BECOMING THE VERTEX OF THE ANGLE.  The purpose of the angle is the one that is significant.  It creates the lag that professional golfers have.  And imagining the left shoulder as the vertex of the angle AND THE POWER MOVER OF THE GOLF SWING makes the average golfer ABLE TO EASILY execute the golf swing like a professional golfer. 

The angle must be made parallel to the plane.  It has to be parallel so that one can use the left shoulder to pull the club towards the ball with ease and with self confidence. THIS IS ONLY ACHIEVED BY A CORRECT TAKEAWAY HABIT.

The Parts of the Swing

LEFT HAND ONLY UPSWING (PRONATE AND SUPINATE)

• First, at address, LAY THE CLUB FACE FLAT ON THE GROUND. This may feel upright at the beginning but it is not. 
  
  
• Then lower the right shoulder and feel then feel the TUCKED right elbow. LOOK FOR THE PLANE - which is inclined low from the shoulders, not the eyes - and when mentally found proceed below. NOTE: OFTEN TIMES IT MAY BE EASIER TO USE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND TO TRACK THE PLANE.
  
  
• THEN DO SEVERAL SLOW MINI UPSWINGS TO TEST THE SYNCRONIZATION WITH THE PLANE.

• Third, WHEN SATISFIED, PUSH THE CLUB ON THE GRASS WITH THE LEFT HIP AND CONTINUE with a continuous flick of the clubhead following and ALONG THE PLANE (like the left hand throwing the cape over the shoulders) up to the extreme cock of the wrist which then pulls the LEFT shoulder down and around - imagining, the right arm from shoulder to elbow - as the AXIS and going around along the PLANE UNTIL THERE IS A PRONOUNCED TIGHTENING OF THE LEFT BODY MUSCLES.

• NOTE: Pronate naturally and cock with the left hand the club WITH SOLE PURPOSE OF CREATING A CENTRIPETAL FORCE resulting to a BOUNCE.

RIGHT ARM DOMINANT

• Fourth and last, started by the BOUNCE AND TIGHTENED MUSCLES, continue to pull AND SWEEP the centrifugal weight with the left shoulder OR LOWER BODY - not the right hip - and AUTOMATICALLY supinating - WITH DELIBERATE RIGHT HAND FORCE OR JUST A NATURAL PULL- the clubhead THROUGH THE BALL AND TOWARDS THE target.
  
  
• Tip to Tip: a technique where the tip of the club, the clubhead, is the focus. The clubhead is brought up and down towards the ball to create the fastest velocity as possible,  i.e., tip to tip.

MUSINGS on My Current Game

Putting and Chipping

Putting and chipping have identical techniques. EVERYTHING IS THE SAME except the actual implement used. So with this in mind, one can consider even the fringes of the green as actually part of the green. Anything where you can chip has to be considered like putting.  With this in mind, one can really shoot for the flag no matter where it is because all around it won't matter (except water).

I am currently using this Miyazaki MDX II MD-001 putter.  It changed my visualization of the putt - from dying into the hole - to passing on top of the hole.  Actually, the major difference between  between the two is the width of the line.  Before it was just a line going and dropping into the hole but now the line is as wide as the putter and it just passes over the hole.  This makes is so easy to target the hole because there is no need to be as detailed.

By the way, do not forget to use the billiard arms (SHADE LEFT) in putting. It is essential in straightening the actual ball path and ensuring that the ball behaves as imagined and intended. However,  there is something beautiful in my stance now. I open my body approximately 45° to the line and my right arm is parallel to the target line but amazingly, the putter shaft droops perpendicular to the T-line and so is my left arm (almost)! It feels so good but looks kind of weird seeing both arms triangulate at the grip.

Remember, the visualization now is entirely different. The putt and chip now is like a train passing along the train tracks, yes, train tracks.

PITCHING

My technique requires that the club backswing reach PARALLEL TO THE GROUND in all instances. 
First, raise the club parallel to the ground. Very important to note that raising is done by the flick of the wrist along the plane, just like a full shot. Then...

The "body first" pull technique applies in chipping too and it might be a good way to experiment on the full swing. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER THE GOLF SWING IS NOT A HIT BUT A SWING. AND THE TAKEAWAY SHIFTS THE CENTRIFUGAL WEIGHT TO THE LEFT. 

To make this easier, pull the centrifugal weight and sweep the ball with left shoulder, not the right hip!

HOGAN'S PLANE

The plane is low and inclined from the ball towards the shoulders. It would have been easier to mentally incline it towards the eyes so it can be "seen" easily but in that position, the clubhead return to ball raises it a little high and invites topping or a necessary downward correction. KEEPING THE PLANE RESTING ON THE SHOULDERS PROMOTES A TRUE PLANE-TO-PLANE RETURN.

TRAIN TRACKS 

Imagining the golf swing as a train traveling towards the target rather than a slap on the ball - PROMOTES A TRUER BALL FLIGHT and very apparent in putting and chipping. 

GOLF UPRIGHT SWING

This is just a reminder for me why I am changing my flat plane to a more upright (relative to my usual flat plane with the club face pointing upwards) where the club face is correctly flat on the ground. 

During my last game (Tradition at Oak Lane, March 14, 2021 with Dean and Winston), I realized I must impart an active and strong swipe at the ball to get any decent distance. 

Well while practicing at home the next day, I also realized the value of the slow MINI big waggles AND SLOW UPSWING (Morikawa?) which makes the upswing-along-the-plane very easy to do. If this is easy, then I can go back to the more standard "upright" plane. When I experimented with this, to my surprise,  the club automatically cocked at the top WHICH RESULTS IN AN AUTOMATIC STRONG HIT AT THE BALL!  WOW, PROBLEM SOLVED.

THE LEFT BACK HAND UPSWING AND HIT - ACTIVE SUPINATION AND PRONATION

2121-03-17:  This is very important concept that is hard to put on paper right now. It involves the active use of the left hand backhand in the upswing. The downswing or hit is also the active left hand. Right it looks like it should be use in all shots that is why it may invalidate and replace all the teachings I have so far laid down in this section.

2121-03-21: DO NOT FORGET THE RICHTER 4-WOOD FLIP AND "FORGOTTEN AUTOMATIC" HIT. 

Go back to the V-angle to execute the Richter swing.

1) usual stance and plane visible 

2) Cock first (very early and when physically possible).

3) Wind up the backswing with the left shoulder,  i.e., v-angle swing. NOTE: THE LEFT SHOULDER MUST TURN BACK!

4) HIT hard with the left shoulder. 

2021-03-30:  IT IS THE SHOULDERS STUPID. And the trebuchet hurls the golf ball, not hit it.

IS EXTREME COCKING NECESSARY?

Well, in my case it is. If not extremely cocked, my short irons go awry. Therefore, it must be incorporated in my swing at all times starting today,  April 6, 2021. Change my upswing to instead of the left shoulder turning and pulling the body muscles taut, let the left extremely cocked hand do the work.

With the left fully cocked wrist pulling the body turn and creating the torque,  AN AUTOMATIC STRONG LEFT HAND HIT RESULTS. THIS MUST BE INCORPORATED IN THE SWING!

CATAPULT GOLF - HINGE and ROTATE BUT ANGLE FIRST AND FOREMOST

ALL BODY GOLF

Push the shoulders fully on the back swing and let the club face pronate to parallel of the target line. No wrist cocking.  In order to hit the ball squarely, supinate the club face by hitting with the right hips. That is it.  It is that simple.

It is really a simple twist (of the shoulders) and hit (with the right hip).

Use the extreme one-piece takeaway where even the wrists do not cock. The connected body parts "cocking" forces the left shoulder to go along with the arms - frozen together. The result makes the arms a passive part of the swing component, the lower body becoming the driver of the golf swing. It also makes the resulting shot more stable and predictable since less body parts are involved. Incidentally, use the left grip (as described in the previous article) as the directional guide for the swing path.

What is the ANGLE?

Some may call the "angle" synonymous with cocking - but that is not the complete story.  We will admit that cocking closes the angle between the arms and the club shaft to its' most physically minimum size. But that is not all.  It is the purpose of the angle that is significant.  The angle must be made parallel to the plane.  It has to be parallel so that one can pull the butt of the club towards the ball with ease and with self confidence.  The confidence is achieved when all the placement and angle of the club has been reached - and, therefore, felt by the golfer.  EVERY GOLF TECHNIQUE CAN BE INCORPORATED BUT THIS ANGLE AND RESULTING CONFIDENCE MUST ALWAYS BE ACHIEVED.

Hinge then Rotate

In another way of explaining the previous section, in the School of Golf Season 10 Episode 16 shown in Golf TV, the first section deals with the Hinge and Golf swing.

The Hinge was visually explained with the plastic hanger and the plastic flat plane.  The hanger was held perpendicular with the plane at address; the plane was pasted on the club shaft parallel to the plane at address.  The video shows how the hanger and the plane behaves on the backswing.  The hanger goes to parallel of the plane while the plane does the opposite, it flies vertically (perpendicular) the plane.

2020-10-06:  The hinge must be strong enough to create a "weight" that can be pulled. Also, the next paragraph says rotate not pull. The butt of the club is pulled and body automatically rotated (happens naturally if there is a weight being pulled).

The Rotate is the explanation of what happens on the downswing. The hips rotate from parallel to the target line at address,  is rotated by the Hinge to face backwards of target and on the forward swing, the waist is rotated around and through, finishing facing the target.

Some Insights

Left Shoulder Push

Pushing the left shoulder towards the ball on the start of the swing ensures a full shoulder turn and promotes a stronger hit.

Lower Body Hit

Using the lower body to hit the ball (in contrast with the arms) promotes an easier way for the clubhead to come back to the same place as in address.  This rotation of the body makes hitting the ball automatic.

Grip Ahead of the ball

Ensuring that the grip is ahead of the ball at address and at impact also promotes a full hit of the ball at impact.  This was mentioned in the School of Golf  episode above.  Specifically, it referred the technique to David Leadbetter.  2020-10-04: THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR SHORT IRONS SINCE I CAN NOT COCK FULLY MY SWING AND, THEREFORE, THE IMPACT IS EARLY AND THE CLUBFACE IS STILL OPEN LEADING TO YOU KNOW WHAT.  MAYBE, I SHOULD TRY JASON DAY "STIFF" ARMS CHIPPING TECHNIQUE AND INCORPORATE IT UP TO A FULL SWING? WOW, DID I MISS THE REAL MEANING OF WHAT I WROTE IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH? READ IT AGAIN - LOOKS LIKE A DESCRIPTION OF THE JASON DAY SWING. OK, IMPLEMENT THAT AND MAKE SURE NO COCKING! AND US THE SHOULDERS TO HIT, ESPECIALLY IN CHIPPING. 

Another thing to try is the billiards putting incorporated to the full swing?

I NOW OWN MY GOLF SWING

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Remember my posting about when I shot a 78 at Richter's Golf Course? I cannot figure out how I did it. The only thing I remember doing was just letting go of my swing and just rely on muscle memory. But every time I try to re-live it, I fail.  That was in 1998 and now 20 plus years later, I am almost positive that I discovered it - not re-discovered because I was not aware that a golf swing was even close to what I have discovered now.

CATAPULT GOLF

The swing, which I will name as an Explosion shot, is a shot where the hit to the golf shot is not consciously done but instead an automatic reaction like a sling effect or a catapult effect. Let me describe how to execute it in detail.

1. Get ready for a one-piece takeaway. Firm up the arms, left wrist supple. The left wrist will be the only one moving to fully COCK and in only one direction - UP, not right but just up.
2. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE CHICKEN WING AND TOEING HIT, DO NOT USE THE HANDSHAKE GRIP. INSTEAD USE THE "ALREADY COCKED BACKWARDS GRIP" WITH THE STRAIGHT FROZEN LEFT ARM (2020-08-06). At address, make sure the arms and hands are falling directly perpendicular to the ground. This angle is essential in order to create the maximum catapult effect. Also, make sure the left hand and wrist are holding up the weight of the club - ready for cocking. Let the right thumb and forefinger wrap around the club grip to make it impossible for the club to straighten out to less than perpendicular. Very important. 2020-07-18 THIS WRAP AROUND TWO RIGHT FINGERS IS THE KEY TO "MY" SWING. IT FORCES THE COCKING... AND RESULTING LAG THAT PROMOTES THE FLUSH HIT EVERY TIME. NO MORE RUSSIAN ROULETTE HITS.
3. Not left hip start but left hand, ala Hogan upswing (2020-08-09). Using the LEFT HIP, start the swing by SLOWLY sliding and brushing (like oozing liquid) the club face back AND DELIBERATELY SLOWLY TO A FULL LEFT HAND COCK. The bounce on the left wrist is the signal to start the downswing. 
4. NO THINKING AT ALL ON THE BACK SWING. IT IS OBLIGATORY TO JUST LEAVE EVERYTHING AT THIS POINT TO MUSCLE MEMORY.
5. At that certain transition point - with the left wrist - cock the club fully (repeat, FULLY, AND IT MUST BE FELT) as much as the wrist can bend but not backwards as learned before. (There will be shots, sometimes when chipping, where cocking the wrist is not desired but this is not the standard)
6. The above points are pretty much standard textbook golf...(ALL IS REQUIRED - ALL!) but what follows is the difference - and works only with a fully cocked club.
7. WHEN THE WRIST FULL BEND IS FELT, the downswing starts and is initiated by the hips.  And at almost the bottom, two things can happen:
• the RIGHT HAND SMASHES or
• the LEFT ARM SMASHES 
• the ball leading to a picture perfect high finish. 
• The hit is 
• automatic - a sling effect like that from a catapult.

Very important thing to note is the LEFT HIP sets up the initial coiling and the desired forward swing is mostly the left side and arm. But important to know is what the RIGHT HAND can do. It is the RIGHT HAND SMASH HIT that consequently squares up the face of the club AND IT ENSURES THE SQUARED UP HIT WHEN THE BODY DOES NOT TURN AROUND BY ITSELF. You can even say that it is the GO-TO ACTION WHEN EVERYTHING FAILS. SO THE MOST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IN THIS TOPIC IS THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE MOVEMENT OF THE LEFT HIP AND RIGHT HAND (OR AUTOMATIC LEFT PULL) IS ESSENTIAL IN THE CORRECT GOLF SWING. (BUT SOMEHOW THE EXTREME COCKING SEEMS TO ALWAYS BECOME THE PREREQUISITE TO THE FLUSHED SWING - ANSWER IS YEEESSS)

2020-07-26: WHEN THE LEFT HIP STARTS AND PUSHES THE CLUB HEAD BACK, EVERYTHING ELSE AUTOMATICALLY FOLLOWS - EVEN IN CHIPPING.  MY GOD, IT CAN ALL BE LEFT HIP - UPSWING AND DOWNSWING!  Using the left hip forces and insures a pulling action which is a necessity for my new swing. NOW THE ENTIRE PARTS OF MY SWING IS GLUED TOGETHER JUST LIKE IN 1998 - BUT NOW I KNOW WHY.

How to Put Maximum Spin, i.e. force, on the Ball

It all depends on learning how to turn the clubface underneath the golf ball. It is learning to make the clubface enter the ball on its heel and leave the ball on its toe. It is learning how to cut the ball by slashing the ball. It is learning how to fan the clubface under the ball. It is the realization that the clubface can be made to turn under the ball.

WHAT IS MY SWING NOW AND WHY?

March 25, 2020. Last year, 2019-02-05, I wrote: DON'T FUCKING FORGET THIS. IT IS HOW THE COCK IN SABONG GETS POIMOINTED.

1) AT ADDRESS, TRY FLICKING THE LEFT WRIST TO FIND THE PLANE. 

2) 1218-12-14: KEEPING THE RIGHT SHOULDER LOWER AND THE GRIP WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL MAKES IT EASIER TO SEE THE PLANE AND HELPS LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD BACKWARDS AND UPWARDS ALONG THE PLANE (VS STANDING UPRIGHT ON THE PLANE AND LAUNCH IS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHICH MAKES THE BACK SWING QUITE NOT RIGHT. )

3) ALSO IT IS LIKE RIDING THE CIRCULAR PLANE LIKE A BIKE AND COCKING IS A DOWN AND UP MOTION VS COCKING SIDE TO SIDE MOTION. 

4) 2019-12-15: WHEN ADDRESSING THE BALL, IT MAY BE EASIER TO VISUALIZE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND PRONATING (WITH THE WRIST BREAKING EARLY) ALONG THE PLANE AT THE SAME TIME LAUNCHING THE CLUB HEAD UP. 

5) 2019-02-06: Bringing the right shoulder down physically puts the right shoulder BELOW the plane and essentially makes the BACK SWING a southwest to northeast vertical move rather than a west to east horizontal move... which is MENTALLY impossible for me. 

March 25, 2020. And here is the downswing, the method that imparts the most spin on the ball. Since the upswing now is being imagined as the plane as vertical - rather than horizontal - the downswing is a pull of the club by the waist towards the ball resulting in an automatic turning of the body to the finish position. That turn creates the "professional" back spin. Basically, the downswing is pushing the posterior towards the ball and the action of the turning of the body to the finish position creates a centrifugal right to left slashing motion of the clubhead to the ball. March 29, 2020. When executed right, the centrifugal force imparted by the pronation and subsequent supination of the clubface is maximized at the ball! That goes to say that one should be fully aware of the weight of the clubhead from start (upswing) to finish (downswing) of the swing. Also, the grip has to be super open (weak)  and almost entirely a finger grip - almost palming the grip. And may feel very awkward at first.

IMPORTANT FINDING

Apr. 04, 2020. Now that I know how to fling (12 o'clock supination upination point of the clubface) the club at any point, I now realize how the spin is imparted to the ball. It is making that fling point way before the ball. It not only gives the spin but also controls the flight of the ball. I will explain later.

April. 7, 2020. BACK TO THE BASIC HOGAN SWING because anything using the hands just makes it impossible to hit far and with force! Just remember what we have learned so with the swing and incorporate them with the Hogan pure body swing, not forgetting the following:

1. Use the one piece takeaway with the left shoulder doing the lifting. The shoulders should rotate on the plane. 

2. On the downswing, the body moves to the left causing the right shoulder to be lowered which in turn promotes an inside-out hit. Remember, this move is the move that creates maximum spin?

May 4, 2020. My upswing still needs the extreme cocking. And my downswing, the shoulders does not fully turn. Both faults devoid my golf swing of power. So to alleviate them:

     1) The upswing now must be started by the wrist cocking to the extreme fullest - ensuring a tightening that will create a bounce to auto start the downswing. Over time, it expected that the twisting will increase as my body adapts.

     2) The downswing must be started by the taut hips and turn like a helicopter rotor slashing along the plane with a deliberate ignorance of hitting the ball. The hit is not an afterthought.  Keep reading. 

    

     3)  2020-06-15: STROKE OF GENIUS (SOG) APPLICATION IN THE GOLF SWING - The full cocking is the most important part of the upswing. It doesn't matter if the shoulders does not fully go up as long as the cocking is fully done. And it (COCKED wrist) is NOT subjectively released to take the divot. Yes, the delayed centrifugal release is caused by the SOG. The club/head is automatically released by centrifugal force which gives the extra power to the swing. 

From my practice today I found that using Hogan's tied up feeling, with only the wrist cocking the club upwards to the fullest and intentionally letting the claspped hands bring down the butt of the club towards the ball... is the optimum move, even the right hand can be used as Hogan described in his book.

Stroke of Genius (SoG)

The Stroke of Genius (SoG) is embodied in every way where an outstanding "move" is required and made.  What is it? When something is left to the sub-conscious or to the muscle memory to perform, this is the stroke of genius.

In golf, this move is exemplified by the "delayed" hit. It is when the stroke is left to the automatic delayed hit of the ball.  The club is just pulled towards the ball and just "guided" through by the big muscles. The applies even to putting.

The Essence of SOG

What is really behind the Stroke of Genius (SOG)? What really makes it work? Is it muscle memory alone?

Yes it is muscle memory but there is something more than that to make it work. It is the fact that it is a PULLING FORCE, ALWAYS. SOG is the key to use the power of the ground, the power to project the gravity to anything, even the small golf ball! AND THE PULL POWER COMES FROM THE GROUND. Without the ground as a leverage, a pull cannot be executed at all.

So What is the Bottom Line

Now we know that SOG is essentially the pulling force or motion, then what is important in a golf swing is achieving a connection between the ground and the swing. And that means in the golf swing that it is essential to load up the swing, not the cocking or the shoulders, per se, but the point when the swing is connected to the ground. Of course, the left arm, the cocking and the shoulder motions facilitated the connection but those are not the purpose of the swing. They are just facilitators. As long as that connection is made, that is what it takes and required. Nothing more, nothing less. 

2020-06-15: STROKE OF GENIUS (SOG) APPLICATION IN THE GOLF SWING - The full cocking is the most important part of the upswing. It doesn't matter if the shoulders does not fully go up as long as the cocking is fully done. And it (COCKED wrist) is NOT subjectively released to take the divot. Yes, the delayed centrifugal release is caused by the SOG. The club/head is automatically released by centrifugal force which gives the extra power to the swing. 

From my practice today I found that using Hogan's tied up feeling, with only the wrist cocking the club upwards to the fullest and intentionally letting the claspped hands bring down the butt of the club towards the ball... is the optimum move, even the right hand can be used as Hogan described in his book.

2020-06-16: YES!!!

2020-06-25:  YES, FULL COCKING IS REQUIRED BUT SMOOTH TAKEAWAY UPWARDS TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER WORKS FOR ALL SHOTS INCLUDING THE 8 IRON!

2020-06-26: FORGET THE ABOVE. IT DOES NOT WORK IN THE COURSE.  TRY THE ONE FOLLOWING NEXT TIME.

Use natural motions using all left arm and hand for swinging the club. Waggle with the left wrist. This motion should find the plane naturally. With the wrist, flip the club up along the plane with full cocking in mind. With plane fully apparent mentally,  pull the club, butt first, along the plane towards the ball and let centrifugal force bring you to a picture perfect finish (DUKOT).

2020-06-29: THERE ARE TWO GOLF SWINGS, THE DUKOT AND THE EXPLOSION. I MUST CHOOSE WHICH IS TO BE MINE. I CHOOSE THE EXPLOSION! SWITCH TO THE EXPLOSION BLINDLY NOW OR DIE!

2020-07-03: Expand the crossbow golf here.

The Glue That Binds Everything TogetherTogetherl

There must be a common purpose to learn how to execute the correct golf swing. This is a diary of my latest quest. It should be noted that for at least a couple of years now I have made my left hand and arm the hitting side now. I pretty much have gone lefty.

March 7, 2020, I just realized that pulling my left side towards the ball (after the upswing), something I cannot do before, is now physically possible for me. This way, I was able to connect the "Stroke of Genius (SOG)" to the golf swing. There is a section devoted to it that one can read in order to understand the connection to this topic. Basically,  using the SOG, I was able to hit the ball indirectly by just letting the weight of the turn to fling the clubhead to the ball.

The next day, I  tried to implement it at the Tradition at Oak Lane Golf Course. It worked but not consistently. I still suffered the misfits and shanks.

The day after, March 10, 2020, here is what I wrote:

What is the cause? Simple but hard to digest. It is the shoulders over-rotating and go off alignment with the plane. This is hard to detect. Usually the misalignment is cured by over-cocking the club and that is why the resulting late hit cures the misaligned shoulders. However,  when there is no cocking, the shoulders are late in correcting its alignment to the plane and the contact to the ball is met with an open clubface. Mis-hits or shanks occur.

The cure? Make sure the left wrist cock the club first along the plane and turn the shoulders along that plane. Easy to say and easy to make a mistake thinking one rotated along the plane but actually did not. One can check by not cocking the club purposely and hitting with the SOG. If the clubhead hits square, the the shoulders stayed along the plane. Try chipping too. I guess the best way to make me remember is the term "dukot". It is a very restrictive feeling. Also, the move is like flicking your cape around your shoulders with your left hand.

Watershed Moment

March 12, 2020, I played nine holes at the Tradition at Oak Lane. 

1)  I  was able to confirm the golf swing is actually a pull motion. 

2)  Flicking the club like a cape is not that easy to do in real play after a while. It is easier to use and  turn the left shoulder instead. 

3) The cocking is a necessary part of the swing. It creates the centrifugally created flicking force that is essential to a perfect hit.

The Essence of SOG

What is really behind the Stroke of Genius (SOG)? What really makes it work? Is it muscle memory alone?

Yes it is muscle memory but there is something more than that to make it work. It is the fact that it is a PULLING FORCE, ALWAYS. SOG is the key to use the power of the ground, the power to project the gravity to anything, even the small golf ball! AND THE PULL POWER COMES FROM THE GROUND. Without the ground as a leverage, a pull cannot be executed at all.

So What is the Bottom Line

Now we know that SOG is essentially the pulling force or motion, then what is important in a golf swing is achieving a connection between the ground and the swing. And that means in the golf swing that it is essential to load up the swing, not the cocking or the shoulders, per se, but the point when the swing is connected to the ground. Of course, the left arm, the cocking and the shoulder motions facilitated the connection but those are not the purpose of the swing. They are just facilitators. As long as that connection is made, that is it takes and required. Nothing more, nothing less. 

What to Work on Next 

March 16, 2020. Develop a swing that will use the turning right hips to hit the ball with a pure swinger stoke (vs. any combination of a hitter stroke). Three things must be done to make this happen.  The alive grip with left hand dominant, left shoulder turn to load up the right hip, then the right hip turn to make the hit. Repeat, the right hip imaginararily slaps the ball!

March 19, 3020. On the other hand, it may be better to leave the thinking out and just put the club behind the ball, use the left shoulder to bring the club up (no hand movement,  strict one piece takeaway) and hit! No mental needed, leave everything to muscle memory. 

March 22, 2020. In order to execute the preceding Mar. 19 entry, it may be better, if possible on the course, to mentally let the left shoulder (starting from extreme 90 degree alive grip) cock the club up along the plane with the right shoulder as a fulcrum. Note, in order to remember this, dip the right shoulder down (to see the plane) before the left shoulder turns.

WHAT IS MY SWING NOW AND WHY?

March 25, 2020. Last year, 2019-02-05, I wrote: DON'T FUCKING FORGET THIS. IT IS HOW THE COCK IN SABONG GETS POINTED.

1) AT ADDRESS, TRY FLICKING THE LEFT WRIST TO FIND THE PLANE. 

2) 1218-12-14: KEEPING THE RIGHT SHOULDER LOWER AND THE GRIP WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL MAKES IT EASIER TO SEE THE PLANE AND HELPS LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD BACKWARDS AND UPWARDS ALONG THE PLANE (VS STANDING UPRIGHT ON THE PLANE AND LAUNCH IS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHICH MAKES THE BACK SWING QUITE NOT RIGHT. )

3) ALSO IT IS LIKE RIDING THE CIRCULAR PLANE LIKE A BIKE AND COCKING IS A DOWN AND UP MOTION VS COCKING SIDE TO SIDE MOTION. 

4) 2019-12-15: WHEN ADDRESSING THE BALL, IT MAY BE EASIER TO VISUALIZE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND PRONATING (WITH THE WRIST BREAKING EARLY) ALONG THE PLANE AT THE SAME TIME LAUNCHING THE CLUB HEAD UP. 

5) 2019-02-06: Bringing the right shoulder down physically puts the right shoulder BELOW the plane and essentially makes the BACK SWING a southwest to northeast vertical move rather than a west to east horizontal move... which is MENTALLY impossible for me. 

And here is the downswing, the method that imparts the most spin on the ball. Since the upswing now is being imagined as the plane as vertical - rather than horizontal - the downswing is a pull of the club by the waist towards the ball resulting in an automatic turning of the body to the finish position. That turn creates the "professional" back spin. Basically, the downswing is pushing the posterior towards the ball and the action of the turning of the body to the finish position creates a centrifugal right to left slashing motion of the clubhead to the ball.

Cause of Shanks and Mishits

What is the cause? Simple but hard to digest. It is the shoulders over-rotating and go off alignment with the plane. This is hard to detect. Usually the misalignment is cured by over-cocking the club and that is why the resulting late hit cures the misaligned shoulders. However,  when there is no cocking, the shoulders are late in correcting its alignment to the plane and the contact to the ball is met with an open clubface. Mis-hits or shanks occur.

The cure? Make sure the left wrist cock the club first along the plane and turn the shoulders along that plane. Easy to say and easy to make a mistake thinking one rotated along the plane but actually did not. One can check by not cocking the club purposely and hitting with the SOG. If the clubhead hits square, the the shoulders stayed along the plane. Try chipping too. I guess the best way to make me remember is the term "dukot". It is a very restrictive feeling.

The Essence of SOG

What is really behind the Stroke of Genius (SOG)? What really makes it work? Is it muscle memory alone?

Yes it is muscle memory but there is something more than that to make it work. It is the fact that it is a PULLING FORCE, ALWAYS. SOG is the key to use the power of the ground, the power to project the gravity to anything, even the small golf ball! AND THE PULL POWER COMES FROM THE GROUND. Without the ground as a leverage, a pull cannot be executed at all.

So What is the Bottom Line

Now we know that SOG is essentially the pulling force or motion, then what is important in a golf swing is achieving a connection between the ground and the swing. And that means in the golf swing that it is essential to load up the swing, not the cocking or the shoulders, per se, but the point when the swing is connected to the ground. Of course, the left arm, the cocking and the shoulder motions facilitated the connection but those are not the purpose of the swing. They are just facilitators. As long as that connection is made, that is what it takes and required. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Hogan Swing Simplified

First think about you want the ball to react. Then lift the club by COCKING the left hand along the plane until you feel it is enough BACKSWING to do what in intended the ball do. Then hit the ball the way you felt it should be hit to accomplish what you want the ball to do. Usually, the end of the BACKSWING is when the hip muscles constructs and felt.

Remember the Hogan driver video. His turn is just a one/two count. Up/down, turn/unturn, swish/swash. Count one is the upswing, two is the downswing. So we can say it is a one-two swing.

My 20-year Lost Richter Swing

Richter Park 78

On August 29,1998, at Richter Park Golf Course, for the first time in my life I broke eighty and registered a score of 78.  In my foursome are Dan O’Reilly (Rest In Peace my friend), Denise and Bill.

What I remember that day is at hole number one, I just told myself that I will use my four wood because it seems that it is always has the perfect balance for me.  When I bring it back and hits with it, everything seems to be perfect.  So I did and I started the practice swings.  While doing so I just felt like just letting the feeling take over and just let go no matter where the ball goes.  I did this end everything just started coming together.  I remember using only the three wood on all my drives and just letting the feeling take over - everything even on chips.  I shot a 78 and even beat Bill who shot a 79.

WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE THEN WHEN I WROTE THE ABOVE IS WHEN I SWUNG WITH ABANDON, I ACTUALLY PULLED THE CLUB "THROUGH".  HOWEVER, a more important aspect is WHAT TO CONSCIOUSLY DO ON the upswing. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS MAKING SURE WHEN I BRING BACK THE CLUB THAT my "INTENTION OR THOUGHT" IS TO STOP ONLY WHEN I AM IN THE POSITION TO PULL THE CLUB ALONG THE TARGET LINE OR PLANE. THE IMPORTANT THING IN THE BACK SWING IS NOT HOW IT IS DONE BUT WHEN AND WHERE THE LEFT ARM SHOULD BE POSITIONED (ALONG TARGET LINE OR PLANE) AND ONLY THEN STOP. THE MAIN THOUGHT THEN IS NOT HOW FULLY MY BODY IS TWISTED BUT INSTEAD POSITION THE LEFT ARM WHERE I CAN INSTINCTIVELY PULL IT THROUGH THE BALL .

20SEP2016:  One of the nuance of a golf stroke is learning that a stroke in golf is not a stroke at all but actual a "pull through".  I will edit the the writings following to incorporate this fundamental and basic golf move.

WHAT CAN CHIPPING TELL US?

2018-10-11:  Chipping with only backswing of the wrist cocking and only forward swing made possible by the body turning (not right hand)  is the secret to ultimate chipping. THIS MUST BE THE SAME FOR THE FULL SWING... and anything in between. 

THE REALIZATION

2018-09-22:  I know now what I was doing when I shot the 78 at Richter in 1998. It is the "pull" swing with the automatic snap at the end - the snap that creates the divot.  2018-10-11: body turning forward  is the key.

Basic, very basic is the extreme tied up feeling (ala Hogan). USING the WRIST, cock the club early along the plane and follow through with the arms also moving along the plane..

2018-10-11: At the downswing, the whole body TURNING pulls the club down on the hit and, consequently, followed by an automatic follow through (creating the divot) - a SNAPPING action (delayed instinctive and automatic un-cocking action of the club head).

BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER ITS (backswing) END FUNCTION IS TO PUT ITSELF IN A POSITION TO PULL THE CLUB TOWARDS THE BALL... NOT TO MERELY TWIST. 

ADD THE EARLY COCKING THAT GIVES THE SWING THE SNAPPING ACTION AND TRUE DIVOT. This action maybe the important thing, maybe more important than the preceding because it makes everything instinctive.

CONCLUSION

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE UTILIZATION OF THE PLANE BECOMES AN INGREDIENT THAT IMPROVES AND COMPLETES THE SWING! AND IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO HIT THE BALL WITH THE "DUKOT" MOVE.  BUT THE DUKOT CAN ONLY BE CORRECTLY DONE WITH A FULL COCK AND FULLY TWISTED BODY. SO, FULL COCK EARLY, ROUNDHOUSE CAPE MOVE TO TWIST THE BODY, MOVE ALONG THE PLANE AND AUTO UNTWIST WITH THE DUKOT MOVE.  THAT IS THE NEW RICHTER SWING.

INTEGRAL PARTS OF THE CORRECT GOLF SWING

1. Left Arm Only.
2. Left Grip is more like pointing the club to the ground making sure that the face of club is correctly flat on the ground. 
3. Plane Cognizant.
4. Stretch the back first? Where the chin and shoulder touch even on the downswing? No, the correct start is the left hand lifting the clubhead upwards along the plane. This can result with the chin touching the left shoulder but that is an effect rather than the objective. This action is like throwing your cape around your shoulder and letting the shoulder coil naturally. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY OF BRINGING THE CLUB UP RESULTING IN A BODY TWIST AND "THIS" IS THE WAY!
5. Extreme cock (most of the time) to make the clubhead drop on and underneath the ball.
6. Pull by body turning (automatic and like a rubber band untwisting action)
7. Dukot (head left behind ball position)
8. Snap made by the body turning into C position and releasing the wrist cock.

WHEN COMING BACK TO RELEARN THE GOLF SWING, DO NOT FORGET THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CORRECT GOLF SWING, I.E., THE EARLY, VERY EARLY EXTREME COCK AND FLING OF THE CLUBHEAD LIKE FLINGING A CAPE ALONG THE PLANE BUT WITH MORE OF A ROUNDHOUSE FORCE TO ACHIEVE A RUBBER BAND BODY TWIST ( Note: Moe Norman stiff left arm and late cock or no cock can also work. I think it needs a dukot to properly hit the ball. And I think this has more promise. Just keep an open mind. ) RESULTING IN THE AUTOMATIC BODY TURN ON THE DOWNSWING. START FROM THERE AND THE REST FOLLOWS INSTINCTIVELY. 

2018-11-01:  THEREFORE, AN EFFECTIVE GOLF SWING MUST ALWAYS  HAVE THESE THREE CHARACTERISTICS:

1.  UTILIZATION OF THE PLANE

2.  A FULL COCK OF THE LEFT WRIST

3.  THE LEFT SHOULDER TOUCHING THE CHIN.

AND THEY CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WHEN THE CAPE TOSSING AND ROUNDHOUSE "KICK" IS EMPLOYED. 

IT IS ALL IN THE BACKSWING... THE RICHTER'S SECRET.

2018-11-04: LEARN THE CAMERON CHAMP'S DOWNSWING - SLING IT BY TURNING THE HIPS. THIS NEEDS AN EXTREMELY EARLY LEFT WRIST COCK EVEN  BEFORE LIFTING THE LEFT ARM UP. 2018-11-07: Forget the Moe Norman upswing. That will not work for the Cameron Champ sling shot. The SLOW deliberate cock and lift upswing ended by a balanced C finish is the technique to learn and utilize. NO PLANE. 2018-11-17: Realize that this Champ way goes hand in hand with Hogan's cupped left back hand hit.

2018-11-18: CORKSCREW PLANE FOR CHAMP - The upswing must be done this way. 

1) Right shoulder lowered.

2) Deliberate Slow Cocking and Upswing along the 7 to 2 o'clock corkscrew plane. 

3) Cocking first is preferable but not mandatory depending on the shot, e.g., high or low trajectory, running or checking chips, etc.

4) The tightness of the corkscrew (arm upswing) is also variable depending on the shot, i.e., chip, half shots, full, etc.

5) 2018-11-25: THE WHOLE INTENT OF THE BACKSWING IS TO CONNECT THE LEFT WRIST (figuratively)TO THE HIPS! So unless there is this real feeling, the backswing is done incorrectly. THIS IS NECESSARY BECAUSE THE FORWARD SWING IS LIKE THE JAI-ALAI BACKSWING WHERE THE CESTA IS PULLED BY THE BODY TO DELIVER THE BALL.

6) THE BACKSWING IS INITIATED BY THE LEFT WRIST LIFTING THE CLUB HEAD TO A SMOOTH RHYTHMICAL FINISH TO THE TOP (CAPE MOVE. AND YES, THE PLANE CAN BE VISIALIZED/UTILIZED IF IT NATURALLY HAPPENS. 2018-12-06: And if the plane appears,  then "THRUST" the club shaft upwards - figuratively speaking, SHAFT IT!) AND CONNECTING THE ARM, WRIST, CLUB TO THE HIPS. THE DOWNSWING IS JUST THE CLUB BEING PULLED BY THE HIPS ALONG EXACTLY THE SAME ARC/PLANE (ON THE WAY UP, 2018-12-06: BUT WITH THE ACTIVE FEELING OF THE WRIST BEING PULLED BY THE TURNING HIPS.) TOWARDS THE BALL.

2018-12-09: I HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CHAMP TECHNIQUE CAN BEST BE SERVED WITH A PROPER BACKSWING DONE THIS WAY - WITH THE PLANE AND A PROPER SHOULDER TURN:

2019-02-05 DON'T FUCKING FORGET THIS::: IT IS HOW THE COCK IN SABONG GETS POINTED::: 1) AT ADDRESS, TRY FLICKING THE LEFT WRIST TO FIND THE PLANE. 1218-12-14: KEEPING THE RIGHT SHOULDER LOWER AND THE GRIP WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL MAKES IT EASIER TO SEE THE PLANE AND HELPS LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD BACKWARDS AND UPWARDS ALONG THE PLANE (VS STANDING UPRIGHT ON THE PLANE AND LAUNCH IS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHICH MAKES THE BACK SWING QUITE NOT RIGHT. ALSO IT IS LIKE RIDING THE CIRCULAR PLANE LIKE A BIKE AND COCKING IS A DOWN AND UP MOTION VS COCKING SIDE TO SIDE MOTION ). 20-12-15: WHEN ADDRESSING THE BALL, IT MAY BE EASIER TO VISUALIZE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND PRONATING (WITH THE WRIST BREAKING EARLY) ALONG THE PLANE AT THE SAME TIME LAUNCHING THE CLUB HEAD UP. 2019-02-06: Bringing the right shoulder down physically puts the right shoulder BELOW the plane and essentially makes the BACK SWING a southwest to northeast vertical move rather than a west to east horizontal move... which is MENTALLY impossible for me. 

2) WHEN FOUND, PRONATINGLY LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD LIKE A SATELLITE GOING INTO ORBIT (REMEMBER CAPE OR STICK THE LEFT THUMB ALONG THE PLANE?) SLITHERING THE CLUB, WRIST,  ARM, SHOULDERS, BODY, LEGS TO THE GROUND (IN THAT ORDER). 

2018-12-13: WHY THE STRAIGHT STIFF LEFT ARM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE GOLF SWING? BECAUSE A LIMP LEFT ARM DISENGAGES THE PULLING POWER OF THE RIGHT HIP. 2018-12-14: BUT REMEMBER NO. 2 ABOVE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THE MEANING OF THE UPSWING. THE DESCRIPTION MAY NOT BE TO OBVIOUS AT A LATER READING BUT IT IS UNIQUELY NOVEL AND CANNOT BE FOUND IN ANY PART OF THIS BLOG.

2018-12-23: NEVER FORGET ABOUT THE DELIVERY THAT BOWLING AND GOLF SHARE, I.E., THE AUTOMATIC SNAP AT THE END OF THE DELIVERY. 2019-02-07: IN GOLF, THIS IS THE HOGAN CUPPED LEFT WRIST.

2019-01-26: JUST DON'T FORGET THAT THE FULL COCKING IS REQUIRED EVEN WHEN CHIPPING.

2019-02-12: IMAGINE THE WRISTS AS THE ONE HOLDING THE CLUB, NOT THE HANDS.  IT MAKES THE SWING LIKE A BOWLING BALL RELEASE.

2019-02-13: DUSTIN JOHNSON TAKEAWAY: JUST LET THE "L" SHAPE LEFT WRIST CARRYING THE CLUB ON THE UPSWING BRING UP THE CLUB.  BREAK THE LEFT WRIST FIRST (RIGHT AWAY - 2019-02-27: the pronation and thrust upwards of the club head must start and "complete" almost a few inches from the ball. The imagined "roller coaster" of the club head must start right away so that the correct upswing can be executed. Also, the left thumb must be the one that is thrust along the "roller coaster"... so is the club head. Therefore, the thumb and club head has a direct relationship (grip).) ON THE TAKEAWAY!!! THIS WILL MAKE IT EASY TO VISUALIZE THE "CLUB HEAD" TRAVELING UP ALONG THE PLANE....AND TO THE TOP OF THE SWING.  SIMPLE TAKEAWAY AND HIT ...  OF COURSE, THE PLANE IS IN PLAY HERE. WORKS GREAT WITH NO. 1 DON'T FUCKING... AND, PLEASE, PLEASE DO THIS WITH THE 110% PULL CHARACTERIZED BY THE VERY WEAK GRIP. THE GRIP SO WEAK THAT ONE IS ACTUALLY CRADLING THE GRIP BUTT ITSELF. AN EARLY TWIST OF THE WRIST WILL BRING THE CLUB UP ALONG THE PLANE; THEN A CONTINUOUS PULL WILL BE ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO BRING THE CLUB HEAD BACK TO THROUGH THE BALL. 2019-02-22: USE THE HIPS TO PULL THE CLUB, NOT THE SHOULDERS. 2019-02-24: IMPORTANT TO TURN THE HEAD TO THE RIGHT ALA NICKLAUS. THIS MOVE ENSURES THE FULL TWIST AND THE AUTOMATIC DUKOT MOVE.

2019-03-02: Experiment with the grip behind the ball. This seems to visually make the club - especially woods - almost ready to pounce back along the rail on the back swing. This is probably why Hogan has only one same ball position for all clubs.

2019-03-04: On the downswing, shift the hips to the left first as far as it will go and let the centrifugal force commence the turning of the hips and almost at the same time the hitting of the ball by the left hand ... turning around and automatically finishing in the C position. 2019-03-16: THE DOWNSWING IS AUTOMATIC - NO THINKING ALLOWED. 

2019-03-16: THE BACKSWING IS INITIATED FIRST BY COCKING EVERY CLUB,  ESPECIALLY THE DRIVER, WITH THE LEFT WRIST BREAK RIGHT ON THE GET GO. IF IN DOUBT,  READ THE THE RULE AGAIN. SO COMPLETELY BREAK THE LEFT WRIST FIRST BEFORE BRINGING THE CLUBHEAD UP. THIS MOVE WILL DELAY THE HIT ENOUGH SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE CLUB BRUSH THE GROUND EVEN WITH THE DRIVER. ACTUALLY, THIS RULE IS MAINLY FOR THE LONG CLUBS BECAUSE COCKING IS NOTORIOUSLY DELAYED WITH THESE CLUBS. DOING THIS " SOMEHOW RESULTS IN MORE SOLID CONTACT. BRING THE SHAFT PARALLEL TO THE GROUND FIRST BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO LIFTING IT TO THE TOP OR ANOTHER TECHNIQUE MAYBE IS TO IMAGINE THE WHOLE COMPLETE RING WHERE THE CLUBHEAD WILL TRAVEL AND COCK THE CLUBHEAD ALONG IT LIKE A SATELLITE. 

2019-03-27: All references in this article to the "CLUBHEAD" should mean mentally just the tip of the shaft alone "and" the physical feeling of the "WEIGHT" of the clubhead. The weight feeling is very important because it connects the clubhead to the body by centrifugal force and pulling that "weight" back to the ball is the PERFECT forward swing method to learn and remember!

2019-03-30: I REPEAT AGAIN, COCKING OR BREAKING THE WRIST IS "MUST", NOT AN OPTION.  ELSE, SHANKS CAN RESULT.

2019-03-31: Because I am so good now in hitting with the left side, it is better right after cocking to hit the ball with the left hand - not anymore thinking of moving left with the body.  I do that automatically now.  This should prevent those occasional shanks plus longer distances, I think. (After a few hours and another set of practice - I DO NOT RECOMMEND DOING THIS NOW. Also, it is against the Stoke of Genius principle)

2019-04-01:  There is an inherent gem in the following statements I copied from above.  In it is the secret to an easy back swing.  It makes the back swing so easy for all clubs.  Try to read it again and somehow remember and retain the feeling.  It is so fucking good to be able to bring the club up so easy.  The secret uncovered here is the change of alignment of the shoulders to the target line or bottom of the plane. When the right shoulder is lowered, the shoulders - that is initially parallel to the plane - slightly opens up (turns a little clockwise - let us call that "Flat X Factor" due to the flat X formed by the shoulders and the target line) and makes the action of bringing up the club head along the plane mentally easier.  IN ADDITION, TURN THE LEFT SHOULDER AROUND WITH THE RIGHT SHOULDER AS THE FULCRUM.  Here is the copy again:

2019-02-05 DON'T FUCKING FORGET THIS. IT IS HOW THE COCK IN SABONG GETS POINTED.1) AT ADDRESS, TRY FLICKING THE LEFT WRIST TO FIND THE PLANE. 1218-12-14: KEEPING THE RIGHT SHOULDER LOWER AND THE GRIP WAY AHEAD OF THE BALL MAKES IT EASIER TO SEE THE PLANE AND HELPS LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD BACKWARDS AND UPWARDS ALONG THE PLANE (VS STANDING UPRIGHT ON THE PLANE AND LAUNCH IS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHICH MAKES THE BACK SWING QUITE NOT RIGHT. ALSO IT IS LIKE RIDING THE CIRCULAR PLANE LIKE A BIKE AND COCKING IS A DOWN AND UP MOTION VS COCKING SIDE TO SIDE MOTION ). 20-12-15: WHEN ADDRESSING THE BALL, IT MAY BE EASIER TO VISUALIZE THE BACK OF THE LEFT HAND PRONATING (WITH THE WRIST BREAKING EARLY) ALONG THE PLANE AT THE SAME TIME LAUNCHING THE CLUB HEAD UP. 2019-02-06: Bringing the right shoulder down physically puts the right shoulder BELOW the plane and essentially makes the BACK SWING a southwest to northeast vertical move rather than a west to east horizontal move... which is MENTALLY impossible for me. 2) WHEN FOUND, PRONATINGLY LAUNCH THE CLUB HEAD LIKE A SATELLITE GOING INTO ORBIT (REMEMBER CAPE OR STICK THE LEFT THUMB ALONG THE PLANE?) SLITHERING THE CLUB, WRIST,  ARM, SHOULDERS, BODY, LEGS TO THE GROUND (IN THAT ORDER).  

2019-04-02: REVELATION 101.  The right shoulder as a fulcrum reveals why the left side only can be used to hit. It is because the right shoulder becomes the center of the swing and the left shoulder and left side is the one that can only pull the club around the fulcrum (right shoulder). The right shoulder must be the pivot point only. It is easier now to teach golf if the right shoulder is mentally imagined as the fulcrum. It becomes natural to use the left side as the moving force. And since the left shoulder moves laterally, the DIVOT becomes MENTALLY imaginable easily. In addition, it is also easier now to imagine the shoulders which is parallel to the plane as just pivoting along the plane using right shoulder center point of turn. Remember before when you just turn the shoulders like a helicopter? Now we know more specifically where the pivot point is, the right shoulder - not the neck.

2019-04-04:  During actual play, the upswing method immediately above needs some tweaking since the way it is now promotes a hammer swing rather than a pull swing. AT ADDRESS, COCK THE CLUB (NOT CLUB HEAD ALONE BUT THE WHOLE CLUB WITH THE SHAFT) AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY PUSH THE CLUB WITH THE LEFT SHOULDER UP MAKING SURE THE PIVOT POINT IS THE RIGHT SHOULDER.  WITH THIS AS THE MENTAL (LEFT SHOULDER DOMINANT) PICTURE, IT SHOULD BE NATURAL TO PULL THE CLUB TOWARDS THE BALL.  IT WILL ALSO BE EASIER TO CONTROL THE DEPTH OF THE DIVOT. 2019-04-06: ALSO, THE START OF THE DOWNSWING MUST RIGHT AFTER THE LEFT SHOULDER BOUNCES OFF THE CHIN. Apparently, the bouncing off the chin ensures the correct depth of the return of the club head to the ball, makes it dig in and creates the divot.

2019-04-11: AFTER TWO WEEKS OF TWO 18-HOLE PLAYS AND AFTER INTALLING MY DRIVIVG NET AND HITTING PRACTICE,  I MUST SAY THAT MY SWING NEEDS A FULL COCK AND A CLOSE, "NATURAL" CLUBFACE (NO PANNING). IMPORTANT AND ESSENTIAL: THE LEFT HAND MUST UNCOCK TO THE DIVOT JUST AFTER THE BALL (EXCEPT THE DRIVER). IN OTHER WORDS,  PROJECT THE UNCOCKING ENERGY TO MAKE A DIVOT.

2019-04-12: THE SECRET IS THE SHOULDERS TAKING CONTROL OF THE SWING  ALONG THE PLANE AND COCKING (MOST OF THE TIME BUT NOT A NECESSITY). USING THE SHOULDERS AND PLANE MAKE ALL KINDS OF TERRAIN SHOTS  EASY - FOR ALL SHOTS FROM PUTTER TO DRIVER. 2019-04-14: Imagine the left shoulder doing the back swing and down swing - to hit the ball.