[Yoda]

After incubating the yellow book for the last two nights i went downstairs to my workout station and checked my alignments with the dowels and a club..lo and behold i was off and had a major wobble in transition from startup to top once that was fixed held the positions for a while i took a swing and all is right with the world thanks YODA and HK and just think i thought i was having problems with my pivot but my hands knew what the problem was...my hands are getting smarter each day

Jay is right: Like the magic in Frosty the Snowman's 'old silk hat,' there is magic in 'them there dowels.' They're cheap and they don't look like much, but with literally just a couple of minutes a day, you can transform your golf stroke. I know...I did it myself and have seen many students do it, too.

A few common sense guidelines:

First, strictly limit yourself to very short sessions, no more than two or three minutes at a time. More than that will require a time commitment and just that thought will probably be enough to stop you. And if you only get one session in during the day, fine. That's enough.

Second, keep plenty of dowels around the house (and office, too, if you can get away with it). If they are out and visible, you'll take advantage of an idle moment (or perhaps even choose to multitask while, say, on the phone). If they're not immediately accessible, you probably won't get it done. I also keep a couple in my golf bag for use on the Practice Tee. If nothing else, they make for great Plane Line Tracing when placed on the Target Line both in front of and behind the Ball.

Third, focus on the fundamentals, especially from Release to the end of the Follow-Through and also at the Top. I almost always have one in each hand. Or one that I alternate between hands as I work on one arm at a time. And there is almost always one on the floor (or ground if I'm outside) to represent the Plane Line. It doesn't make a lot of difference what you choose to work on in a given session. You know what's important:

-- Left Arm Flying Wedge;

-- Right Forearm Flying Wedge;

-- Plane Line Tracing;

-- Flat Left Wrist and Bent Right Wrist;

-- On Line Uncocking and Rolling;

-- The Three Hinge Actions;

-- Swivel Action;

-- Impact Fix alignments (especially the On Plane Right Forearm).

After awhile all these alignments will become as familiar and comfortable as your best friends. And it's fun to say 'hello' to a best friend every day. Remember, it only takes a minute!

Fourth, use a mirror whenever possible and look, look, look to make sure you are getting it right.

Fifth, use an Impact Bag. Don't 'smash' it. Just use authoritative Strokes from Release to Follow-Through. First with one Arm, then with the other, then together. Left Arm Throwout Action. Right Arm Drive-Out Action. Swing. Hit. And always, bury that dowel in the bag with a forward-leaning shaft and, keeping the pressure on, leave it there.

These are simple ideas. But they are also powerful ideas. Use them every day this winter and emerge a different golfer in the spring.