It has been a long time, 3 months after my elbow accident, I have not start a thread here.
During the "No Golf" period, I typed the whole TGM book into a file and that was a great experience to re-read the whole book and easy to find any "words" of the book and continue to find "my way" along with Bruce Lee's JKT concept and V.J. opinion on Hogan missing piece and the 5 lesson book.
In recent practice sessions, although my elbow was still a lil’ bit not feeling good, I finally felt that I got it through as I could "feel" any target and react to the target with a very high % of pure strokes. Pre-called stroke of 6-iron could successfully fly 190y+ (longer than before accident); 150y, 100y or 5y. That was really a surprise.
I would like to share a photo of a 50's golfer, Fred Gronauer illustrating a so-called "hula like pivot" which claimed to be in perfect balance and control during the swing. This golfer is also referenced in the book of V.J. Hogan Missing piece...a few who identified the missing piece.
Hogan said in his 5-lession..."The first really important change I effected was the action of my left knee. Mine used to shoot straight out when I took the club back. Ed Stewart's knee, I noticed, broke in nicely to the right. I practiced correcting my knee action on the lawn at home until there was no lawn left.... "
Homer also used the heading "Hula Hula" for 7-14 and 7-15…I think it’s time to hula hula and “be water” my friends!
__________________
If you cannot take the shoulder down the clubshaft plane, you must take along some other path and add compensations - now, instead of one motion to remember, you wind up with at least two!
I would like to share a photo of a 50's golfer, Fred Gronauer illustrating a so-called "hula like pivot" which claimed to be in perfect balance and control during the swing. This golfer is also referenced in the book of V.J. Hogan Missing piece...a few who identified the missing piece.
Hogan said in his 5-lession..."The first really important change I effected was the action of my left knee. Mine used to shoot straight out when I took the club back. Ed Stewart's knee, I noticed, broke in nicely to the right. I practiced correcting my knee action on the lawn at home until there was no lawn left.... "
Homer also used the heading "Hula Hula" for 7-14 and 7-15…I think it’s time to hula hula and “be water” my friends!
Thanks for this, KOC. Glad to hear you're back up and at'em!
From the waist down, very few 'average' golfers look like Gronauer (or, for that matter, Vardon or Jones or Hogan or Snead or Nelson or Palmer or Nicklaus or Trevino or Mickelson or Singh or any one of almost all the great players in history).
In other words, most golfers don't fully clear (turn) their right hip. Hence, their left knee is not pulled around so that it points behind the ball and their left heel is not pulled off the ground. Or is the other way around? Their left foot remains flat on the ground, their left knee points forward and their right hip doesn't turn. Either way, the Pivot fails to function as it should, the Hands cannot possibly take their required route, and performance remains 'average'.
There are at least three reasons for this malfunction:
1. They don't know they are supposed to do it, therefore they unconsciously are not doing it.
2. They are following some modern theory, e.g., "X Factor", and therefore they consciously are not doing it.
3. They have some form of disability that prevents them from doing it, even though they know they should and would if they could.
In my experience, the third reason is rarely the case, so most average golfers -- and even many above-average golfers who are not playing to their potential -- fall into camps one and two. If you're tired of being 'average', I suggest you print out the Gronauer photo, and tape it to a full length mirror. Then, practice your lower body move until you look like him from the waist down.
I asked Homer Kelley one time why most golfers were average (at best) and did not improve. He didn't hesitate a second: "They don't clear their right hip."
Now you know what to do, how to do it and have been encouraged to make the change.
Thanks Yoda and the quote "They don't clear their right hip." That's money!
__________________
If you cannot take the shoulder down the clubshaft plane, you must take along some other path and add compensations - now, instead of one motion to remember, you wind up with at least two!
Ohh thanks for this timely reminder. I was just writing down somethings that I learned at Cuscowilla and clearing the right hip was one of them. Pulling my left foot off the ground is something that is not in my swing and I really didn't think about it as I can swing to the top of the backswing without lifiting my left heel off the ground but it has been noted that I have trouble clearing my right hip properly.
Alex
Last edited by alex_chung : 12-06-2008 at 04:44 PM.
A good right hip clearing action allows a golfer to create a good reverse K alignment - like Hogan in the next photo.
Jeff.
Jeff . . . not sure you have accurately show how the spine is in this post . . . . I believe the spine is much more closer to vertical than that reverse k deal . . . maybe even close to leftward leaning.
Jeff . . . not sure you have accurately show how the spine is in this post . . . . I believe the spine is much more closer to vertical than that reverse k deal . . . maybe even close to leftward leaning.
Agreed, Bucket.
Please, somebody put in the appropriate 'spine line' here. Thanks!
The red line doesn't represent the spine angle. It represents a line drawn from a point just above the lower swing center (midpoint between the pelvis) and the center of the head, and it roughly represents the slant of the upper torso away from the target. I think that the spine is situated behind the red line, but very close to being parallel to that line.
Here is a view of Hogan from behind and one can clearly see his rightwards tilted spine, although his right thigh slants left-upwards -that gives him the reverse K position.
One can see where his lower lumbar vertebrae are, and roughly where the base of the neck is situated. A straight line drawn between the lowest lumbar vertebrae and the base of the neck has a rightwards tilt and therefore the spine must have an overall rightwards tilt. However, the upper thoracic spine is always verticalised in a golfer who has a big shoulder turn that torques the upper thoracic spine. That gives the spine a S-shaped (spiralised) appearance, which often leads to unresolved debate about where the spine is precisely located.
The red line doesn't represent the spine angle. It represents a line drawn from a point just above the lower swing center (midpoint between the pelvis) and the center of the head, and it roughly represents the slant of the upper torso away from the target. I think that the spine is situated behind he red line, but very close to being parallel to that line.
Here is a view of Hogan from behind and one can clearly see his rightwards tilted spine, although his right thigh slants left-upwards -that gives him the reverse K position.
One can see where his lower lumbar vertebrae are, and roughly where the base of the neck is situated. A straight line drawn between the lowest lumbar vertebrae and the base of the neck has a rightwards tilt and therefore the spine must have an overall rightwards tilt. However, the upper thoracic spine is always verticalised in a golfer who has a big shoulder turn that torques the upper thoracic spine. That gives the spine a S-shaped (spiralised) appearance, which often leads to unresolved debate about where the spine is precisely located.
Jeff,
Thanks for this Start Down rear view.
Homer Kelley defined 'balance' as keeping the Center of Gravity "Inside the Stance (Glossary). Please draw a line from the Pivot Center (Top / Turned Head or Point-Between-the-Shoulders) to 'Between the Feet' as you deem fit).
Linear Mode
