Another old friend, sort of

In relation to a 'sort of' old friend, I'm referring to Paul Wilson's Swing Machine Golf approach or method, which partly explains why my blog's name contains 'effortless' in it. My own search for the effortless golf swing makes me think it's time to revisit some of his ideas and re-assess them taking into account where I've been for the past few years.

It was three years or so ago when I first came across the SMG concept and bought the books and dvds. It was also about the time I had some success on the course and all was well with my game - up to a point. But as is usual for me, and for many golfers, I was still not fully satisfied with my swing or results and set out to find that elusive final element - consistency.

Needless to say, this led me to continue my journey through many and varied swing theories, hundreds of tips and dozens of instruction concepts. Now while some of these theories had merit and the methods being espoused by some pretty good teachers were probably fine, because my handicap did drop a few levels,  I still haven't been really happy with my game: too many silly mistakes, no pattern to my shots, and no real confidence.

One thing I have learnt, however, is that because no two golfers are built exactly the same or have the same physical, mental, etc. prowess, there is no one theory or method that will - in it's entirety - work for all golfers. There are far too many ways to swing a club effectively or to skin a cat. Incidentally, I love cats and The Cats.

On the PW SMG front, I like his approach a lot, particularly the powerless arms, constant forward tilt and core generation of power concepts, however, I have a few minor issues.

It is not so much that I don't think his methods are effective, they are; it's the fact that some of his explanations, for example, around weight shift, are not quite complete enough for my liking. I'll try to explain.

PW does not like lateral hip shift ideas for initiating the downswing and talks about rotation instead. This is fine, many average golfers overdo lateral shift, particularly when they sway back trying to generate power on the backswing. However, people reject the rotation concept because they don't think this is a weight shift and they want there to be the weight shift they hear so much about and see in the great golfers on TV. Also, some instructors say if you rotate the hips, the shoulders will necessarily rotate causing the dreaded cast or over-the-top move on the downswing. These instructors have apparently not heard of what is usually called 'separation' - the independent movement of the hips and shoulders.

In fact, hip rotation does create a weight shift of the lower body because the slight weight shift back during the backswing is exceeded by the weight shift forward because the hips rotate about 45 or so degrees further on the downswing than they do on the backswing, moving the lower body weight forward. Part of the weight transfer is also inherent in the mass of the swinging club head. This swing of the club head shifts weight also, without any conscious need to shift weight.

This is all a bit complicated, but when understood, explains why rotation does achieve weight shift in the correct direction. I just don't think PW explains this in sufficient detail, although he is no doubt trying to simplify his message for the people he is teaching.

There are a few other SMG issues, mostly minor, so I'll mention just one that has bugged me in the past. Perhaps ironically, this is my hesitation in accepting the complexity in PW's system of distance control, which he advocates for pitching and chipping. I'm generally in favour of formulas and systems, but his rotational speed regulation ideas for the short game I think are too complicated for the average player.

My belief in relation to the short game is that the only really effective measure is a certain amount of careful and sensible decision making about club selection, including landing point selection, followed by the placing of some trust in one's brain to calculate how hard to swing - and therefore how much body action is needed to complement the swinging of the arms.

I suppose this is to argue that the short game is more of an art form, a creative process that must be learned (as often as not the hard way). For beginners, there is probably a case for some rules and guidelines (formulas), but I think this can go too far. I think that as players gain experience they need to trust more on touch and feel to get results, especially since the actual conditions (lies, slopes, grass types, green speeds, etc.) encountered on the course will vary considerably from hole to hole and day to day.

Anyway, that's enough on SMG and PW for now. I'm going out tomorrow to swing with powerless arms, loose wrists, while keeping a constant forward tilt. I'll be back with a report.

An old friend

An old friend of mine is the front-foot theory, which is a bit like one aspect of the stack and tilt method, but a less complicated and controversial concept which is much more universally accepted. It is the view that it essential to hit the ball off the front foot.

To clarify what I mean: it is essential that the weight gets at least 90 percent onto the front foot at impact. This condition or position is evident in nearly any video of the top golfers, yet how many average golfers achieve this in their swings - including me?

The problem with most average golfers is that the conscious or unconscious weight shift onto the back foot on the backswing means that they never get sufficiently back onto the front foot at impact.

The implications of this are as follows (as the S&T people will also tell us):

- it is harder to swing from the inside when the weight is back; there is a tendency to flip the club over from the outside if the weight stays back, the swing path is compromised;

- it is harder to make solid contact and compress the ball (ie. take the ball first and divot after) if the weight stays back, though this is less critical with driver, obviously, since hitting level or slightly up is the aim;

- there is a leakage of power if the weight stays back - do baseball pitchers throw off the back foot? - I don't think so.

Those are enough reasons to say that the weight must be on the front foot at impact. How the weight gets there is the question. Perhaps keeping more weight centred and slightly forward throughout the swing be the answer?

As an experiment, I intend to concentrate on two things in my next game:

1. I am going to set up with my weight 60/40 on the front foot for all shots and make sure, as far as possible, to get onto my front foot at impact.

2. I am going to set up with a good neutral grip, align properly, as best I can, and then ignore my backswing, wrist position, and all the other technical/mechanical stuff that I've been working on, while concentrating on maintaining a smooth rhythm.

I don't think I need to think about the other S&T elements (front shoulder down, straight back leg, hip upthrust, etc.), this is a level of technicality that I don't think I need, and that very few people need. Perhaps the players that adopted S&T simply got worn out trying to incorporate the multiple elements of the theory when all they needed to do was make sure they got their weight forward (without swaying and over-hitting, my other keys) during their swings?

As the rebellious golf teacher, Darrell Klassen, says: golf is an easy game. Now while I don't fully accept that, I would say that it should be an easier game than the golf teaching industry makes out. His scathing criticism of much golf teaching is, in my view, well and truly justified. Not that all teachers are bad or over technical, just some of the more prominent ones.

But this is an issue for another time. In the meantime, I'm hopeful that by simplifying my own thought processes on the course, I will hit the ball a bit better in my next few games. All I have to do then is fix my short game, which has deserted me while I've foolishly chased 'the perfect swing'.

Losing my grip

I tested my latest weak right-hand grip theory on the weekend and the results were not too encouraging.

The theory emerged from my attempts to find a cure for duck hooking (which emerged after I adopted a flat rather than cupped left wrist in my backswing) and the suggestion that a significantly weaker right-hand grip is a good safeguard in this regard.

The problem with the theory is not that it doesn't help prevent the excessive closing of the club face that causes duck hooks, but that it makes the top of the backswing position feel really weak and awkward. This feeling, I found, actually caused other problems nearly as annoying as duck hooks, i.e. tops and pushes and the feeling that my swing lacked any power.

My view is therefore that the solution to the duck hook problem has to be a combination of adjustments to my swing that include the following:

1. A neutral grip (two knuckles), being careful not to strengthen my right-hand grip during the swing;

2. Making sure I align in a 'neutral' way, i.e. square to the target line, and not too closed.

3. Making sure I release with sufficient body rotation to neutralise the amount of arm and hand action.

I'm not sure if this will solve the problem, but I can't abandon my flat left wrist theory at this stage. It has taken me too long to eliminate slices from my game. Excessive hook action might just have to be an 'occupational hazard' for the time being until I can synchronise my body and arm/hand action (as per 3. above) and get my alignment and grip sorted.

This exercise has been very interesting to me, by highlighting how crucial the grip and hand/wrist issues are in the golf swing, though I suspect most weekend golfers know or care little about them and spend their golfing lives wondering why they can't control their slice or play with greater consistency.

Doubts rush in

I began to doubt my newly adopted flat left wrist theory (for right-handers) when I recently started to hit duck hooks - probably one of the most destructive shots in the game next to sh…s and duffs. So, as usual, I hit the internet seeking some advice.

The simplest and best suggestion I found related to a grip change, as I will explain. It was suggested in a very thoughtful article that one of the main causes for duck hooks is a right hand (for right-handers) that creeps too far under the shaft (into a super strong position) during the swing. This causes the club face to close excessively and creates a shot that starts straight but dives left.

Various other causes for duck hooks were suggested, mainly around alignment and posture and attempts to steer the ball, but I don't think these issues are nearly as important in my case. As mentioned, I try to keep my left wrist flat throughout the swing, which keeps the club face in a relatively closed position throughout the swing - but slightly less closed at impact due to body rotation with the hope of promoting a slight draw. So, I think hands and wrists are the critical factors in my case.

By the way, research has shown that the club face must be approximately 7 degrees closed at impact with a driver for the ball to fly straight. This relates to my comment above.

Anyway, the duck hook solution for me, which I've tried with qualified success so far, has been to rotate my right hand counter-clockwise (to a weaker position) on the grip prior to playing all shots. This, theoretically and partially successfully so far, helps to prevent the right hand under position that has been promoting my somewhat too frequent duck hooks. Note that the left hand stays in a neutral two knuckle position.

The feeling of this new grip is slightly awkward, it seems to restrict the backswing slightly and also seems to encourage the odd push shot (not slice) especially with driver. This, I hope, is just an adjustment phase, while I get used to the slight weakening of my grip and restriction of the backswing. It has, however, virtually eliminated the possibility of hitting the type of duck hooks I was hitting all too regularly.

Tomorrow is another day of testing. I hope the new grip starts to feel more comfortable. I hope I will be able to go back to a freer release of the club so I can eliminate those push shots that have crept into my game with my 'anti-duck hook' grip. I feel fairly confident that I am on the right track. But of course, if I'm wrong, further doubts will creep in and I might need to re-visit the new grip.

A postscript: slicers who think they can fix a slice by swinging in to out, aiming differently, releasing more aggressively, taking a stronger grip, closing the club face at address, etc. etc. are generally doomed to failure. I stand by the need for all golfers to develop club face awareness and, so far, only flat left wrist theory has provided me with any hope of doing that.