Getting threre slowly
 

Here's a recent video of my swing. Excited about the progress but more excited about what I think I can accomplish over the next couple of years as I continue to make it better and better.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery/files/MikeO.wmv

6 Iron - full out- 170-175yds

Nice, your foot movement, is that in part due to the surface you are on?

That be a big 6 iron.

Nice work!

What have you been working on? Other than you know like breaking stuff.

Can you tell people how you integrate changes? You are a freakin' genius on that stuff.
I noticed you didn't have your house-arrest ankle braclet on . . . Mikey we have TALKED ABOUT THIS.

Is there way to run the thingie in slo-mo?

Great tempo and a classic Start-Down, Mike.
Glad to see that you are back in action.

Swinger's Choice
 

Hi Mike,

Great Swing!

And I do mean...Swing (not Hit). The 'parallel to the ground' Clubshaft Position at the Top, the Drag Loading during the Start Down and the beautiful 'Full Roll' of Horizontal Hinging through the Ball are unmistakeable clues as to your Action.

And yet, I note that you employ the Hitter's Impact Address (Left Wrist Flat, Right Wrist Bent and Forward Leaning Clubshaft) instead of the Swinger's 'Classic' Standard Address (Left Wrist Bent, Right Wrist Flat and Clubshaft at right angles to the Plane Line).

Your TGM expertise is well-known, so this is obviously a deliberate choice. What factor(s) influenced your decision?

Footwork
 

Right foot movement - most likely due to the surface
Left foot movement- could plant and post better

Both are areas that I may observe and depending on the observations - determine to make changes- but that's down the road- as I need to finish off some larger changes first- I've made them but still "grooving them".

Depending on the day a 6 iron might go 160 or 180. Obviously, things change day to day, week to week. I only mentioned the club and the distance to give some perspective on what I was doing- really not that important how far- but where. That said, appreciate the comment.

Bracelet
 

I always work on what I consider my biggest problem- as long as I can attack that and still hit the ball to some degree. I like Martee's approach above- notice he goes right after a potential problem area- nice approach. I really don't care about the stuff I'm doing right- once I'm doing it! I'm always looking for what I'm doing wrong!

Slow motion? I hit the play button- then immediately pause it- then I click on the small arrow (s) to go frame by frame- easier to "tear it up" doing that!

The Swing
 

Coming from the man who HAS the swing- thanks for the compliment.

In regards to my address position, I've always had way too much movement- long backswing, etc. So over time, that was just one way that I felt for me - it was easier to limit, control, etc. the motion and the movement.

As you noted I do swing- and although it may look as if I carry the club back- in fact the independent motion of the secondary lever assembly (clubshaft) for swinging is there for me.

I absolutely agreed with everything you said and coulda/woulda made the same comment but upon a quick reflection- and I'm sure you'll agree- while I am using an impact looking address position- it really can't be labeled a Hitter's address, it's just one of the available address(es) to be used by either a Hitter or a Swinger. That's more a clarification for other members (cause I know you know it)- if we had to choose everything being equal- then the classic address certainly is convenient for dragging the shaft back and the impact address is convenient for carrying the entire primary lever assembly (left arm and clubshaft back).

For me, it's not an easy game- and nothing comes quickly - but that certainly makes it enjoyable when good things happen!:)

Address Position Options
 

Agreed, Mike.

Homer Kelley stated that "Strictly speaking, the Address Position is any position from which the player may elect to start the Backstroke." [7-9 / Italic emphasis added.] And he merely labeled Impact Address as "especially useful for Hitting" (10-9-B) and the Standard Address as "especially useful for Swinging" (10-9-A). He mandated neither.

As the title of my prior post suggested -- and despite the angst it has recently caused in a far-off land :) -- the Impact Address position is a legitimate Swinger's Choice.

Great to finally see a "Mike O swing." I've learned a lot from your writing Mike; it began with some pretty old forums!

Thanks
 

Thanks Matt,
As a side note in regards to my swing- in the early 90's I needed to have rotary cuff surgery to prevent my left shoulder from recurrently dislocating. Worked great but created a condition where I can only rotate my left humerus about 10 degrees instead of 40-60 degrees for my right humerus. So if I'm going through the drive up at McDonald's I have to turn my whole body- can't just turn my left hand out with my arm to get the change. Hence, nearing the finish of my golf swing- I don't have a "normal" finish with the left arm.

But I just try to make that swing better and better - day by day- frustrating- you bet!, two steps forward- one step back- only wish it was that easy!

Great to see the Mike O swing. For some reason, I always had this image in my mind that you would look a bit like Homer Kelly...don't ask me why!

Few things that jumped out at me, but I'm not suggesting you should go and change it. You hover the clubhead before taking it back. Your shoulders are very closed at Address (espcially relative to the comparatively squared away position). Your right arm is very straight at Address. There's this slight jerk at the last part of the backstroke, where your hips and shoulders suddenly turn a bit more, and your pivot center sways a bit -- probably a flexibility issue combined with the fact that you are trying to get to the very End. The early Sweep Loading Action, which looks a bit "muscular" and rigid to me, might cause you to find it difficult sometimes to throw that sweetspot against your Lag Pressure Point for Drag Loading.

I thought the foot action looked pretty good.

Brothers in Arms
 

Ah! Here come my brothers in arms- not happy until every board is perfectly in place!:)

Hover the clubhead. Actually I never hover the clubhead- well almost never- I did it here. I recently worked on closing my shoulder line at address- since with my shoulder injury it's tough for me to take it on plane at startup unless I close that up. But I found it easier to close or get the feeling of closing that shoulder line at address by slouching, when I saw that I made an effort to maintain the closed shoulder line and have better posture at address. This is my first swing doing that and coincidentally I started with the clubhead off the ground- as you implied no biggie- but it's not more normal procedure.

The "slight jerk"- wow Bucket flashed before my eyes, I've gotta concentrate here! This idea could be a very helpful comment for me. I continue to try to shorten and simplify my swing. I'm not trying to get to the end, far from it,in this swing I am trying to just take my hands to hip high on the backswing- which produces what you see. (A side note here- you brought up a pet pieve of mine- if I understand the context of your comment properly- remember a swinger can go two feet back, 3 feet 6 inches back, to the TOP, to the END- doesn't matter- there is no reason to try to go to the END- nothing magical about END) That movement is feeling more and more normal for me- but your comment about "slight jerk" is an area that ties into - the area- that I am working on- and for me to dwelve into how long that has been there, why it is there, etc. are the areas that I will probably look at. It's my immediate guess that, that move has been in my game for 33 years now, since the beginning that's one way in which I was able to gain power when I was a kid starting out- extra stretch. It's probably tied into my transitional downswing move and many things that I'm not even aware of are associated with it. It's a WEB and it's not always easy changing one thing as the WEB has to change with it.

Finally, all in all- very good points. Something that was a major transition for me in my golf game- is I'm always working on my biggest problem. Early on in my golf game life if someone said Hey Mike! Did you know that your head was bobbing up and down 2 feet- I would immediately freak out and start working on that. Overtime, I've approached it differently. I know what I'm working on- and if I get some feedback- then I put that in the back of my mind (especially if I'm seriously working on something already) and make a mental note that at sometime in the future I might want to work or look at that once I'm done fixing (X) say sticking my tongue out on the downswing.

Not having that "slight jerk"- NOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE SCARY! Bring on the hosel rockets!! Fore Right!!:)

Compliment?
 

Is this a compliment? from the Bucket! Wo! What's up here Doc! Must have been a slip- you were thinking it and made the mistake of posting it:exclaim: But I would say you just agreed with me- looks pretty good- could be better- but in my mind I've got bigger fish to fry. Some changes will make other changes go away.

However, that said- knowing my swing and just my approach- Here is how my mind is thinking. The "slight jerk" and the right foot action rolling back on the mat- are probably tied together. The slight jerk is "the extra effort" not needed. So whenever possible if I can tie things together - sometimes it makes it more understandable to change, and you can change one "big issue" while really changing or being aware of more than one thing in your movement. Some might say- Hey, your probably jerking because you are trying to swing shorter, but that's not the case for me- I've had that essential move with the John Daly backswing- Oh Ya! I can do that no problem!!
1) make the back swing more solid, and the downswing more solid by keeping my backswing shorter (won't go into all of the issues for that right now- but certainly the how is so important), making it smoother by getting Bucket out of my swing (slight jerk), observing how the right foot roll back ties into this mess!

Very nice motion Mike - thanks for posting it.

Have you tried right anchor? I suspect that would help you solidify the backswing quite a bit and let you not worry about how far back you take the club. Not sure if that is just from the foot slipping, or you really were trying for right anchor here?

Given your shoulder issue, you might try opening up that left foot a bit rather than squaring it off, which would help you get to a square stance and not inhibit the pivot coming through. This would likely allow for more square feet/hips/shoulder lines.

Are your misses generally pulls?

Love the tempo - great stuff ;)

misses
 

Don't have a lot of misses- but YES if I'm going to miss an iron into the green- it will be a pull.

I think it is a Wedge from here.
 

Mike,

Maybe it is the camara angle, but as Tong mentioned your right arm appears very straight. Do you ever work on establishing your Right Forearm Flying Wedge at Address?

Why yes that was a compliment! You can breath again.

I'm not sure if I can contain myself much longer if y'all keep talking about jerking.

I thought the motion looked good! As for the outfit . . . didn't your mama teach you not to match the Tigers with the Moo Cows? I smell a makeover . . .and a bath needed in your near future.

Mike, I think something that's very important and you should work on is to know where everything is in your swing, relative to your body and to the ball. In other words, if you think you're taking it hip high, but it's actually right shoulder high, then you must reprogram your machine/computer so that you know exactly what it is you are doing whether what you are doing is ideal or not. I wouldn't say this is a "problem" as such, but something to keep in mind whatever you're working on.

Perspective
 

Bucket,
You've got to understand who's posting on this thread- all the pyschotic perfectionists- hey wait a minute- you and I are posting on this thread also- Ah! wait! I'm taking that back- that can't be right!!!! Let me put it another way for ya! - If you put Bucket, Mike O., Tongzilla, Matt, EDZ, drewitgolf, Yoda, in a room for 24 hours - can't leave- someone's going to die! Although you and I know it ain't going to be us!

Now, go whine on Delaware Dave's thread but no whining here:boohoo: Otherwise I'm going to ride your ......:turkey: You sorry looking ....&B

Thanks Bagger!!


P.S. Since I've received all this feedback and want so desperately to get better- all future mail should be forwarded to Room 37- Psych Ward- New York Hospital- under the care of Dr. Richard Crews.

Mikey! Mikey! Calm down! Take a DEEEEEP breath . . . Sloooooowly look down . . .

Are your wrists bleeding again? Remember we HURT. . . OTHER PEOPLE . . . not ourselves.

NOW BACK IN THE STINK HOLE!!!! It puts the lotion on it's skin . . . OR ELSE IT GETS THE HOSE AGAIN!!!!!!

Mike O,

That flattening of the shaft as you start the downswing is a beautiful move, how did you put that move into your pattern or was it always there?

Matt

?
 

Just there. Anotherwords, not something that I recall working on- although i think everyone at one time or another might work on not coming over the top.

P.S. careful with the adjectives like "beautiful" on this thread- you're going to start another tear down beat up session by Tongzilla, EDZ and Martee on me!:crybaby:

Seriously, sometimes for any number of reasons "we" don't ask or want feedback on our golf swings- but when you get it - sometimes it can be very helpful. And like i said earlier- the critics are probably the ones that help you the most- I'll SHOW THOSE GUYS- I'LL BE BACK!:3gears:

Mikey-Straight-Jacket . . . You were once over-the-top? Dude you have ALWAYS been over-the-top . . . . seriously . . . How did YOU fix the over move?

Swing Sequences
 

Here are some swing sequences from the videos:

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery/files/mikeOdl/

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery/files/mikeOfo/

Camera Position
 

Mike,

Tell us about the camera position. Where did you place it and why?

Thanks,

?
 

Doesn't really matter how I did it- even if I remembered. There are a million ways to fix any movement problem such as over the top and most the time it's never easy- and you go down 52 deadends before you finally are able to do it on the 53rd try after 3 years of battling- of course it's really about 80 trys because you went back to 26 of them a second time- then drifted off to something else before coming back again- anyway something like that on any movement correction for ME.

Oh Ya- current handicap- 27- important thing is does it look good!:happy3:

lines
 

HG,
Do I thank you or add you to my list of skull collections&D:

Pro
 

The teaching pro at the range video tapes me- all I know is he places a camera behind me and then on a separate swing places one facing me- he may have a system but can't really help you here - not my area of expertise.

How long will he make it I wonder?

It was a team effort...for the betterment of all:)

Hi Mike O,

Just out of interest, what do you play off?

Have you improved much since discovering TGM?

Cheers,

Danny

Danny
 

Danny,
I think my handicap/index is a 1.5 right now. Although with the progress I'm making on my full swing- and some work on my horrid short game- I'm confident that I'll be a plus 1 or 2 in the next year or two- that might sound a little too cocky or Ya- sure! Dream on! But I'm pretty conservative when it comes to predictions- I see alot of things that make me believe that it's certainly within my ability.

Regarding your second question- i get that question from time to time. It's kind of like a validation question- Does this Golf Machine information work?

Did I read the Golfing Machine and understand the concepts and then apply them and immediately notice a great improvement in my game? NO

Here's my experience and approach- If you don't have the natural ability to hit a golf ball like GOD- then you've gotta figure it out. So you are always looking for better and better information- the more you know the better you are going to be in the long run. I found that the Golfing Machine was a true "Diamond in the Rough"- full of great information- all sorts of tools to help you solve problems. Here's the problem - I don't think it's written in a very good manner for application purposes- it's there but not self evident. The only good thing about that is that it's fertile ground for the necessity of AI's.

My experience with it's application is as follows:
1) I tried to do it strictly by the book- whatever that meant for me- and didn't produce much.
2) However, the overall principles helped me and guided me - i needed lag- that was a good practical guide for me. What does on plane mean and how do you determine it?- That was helpful. You basically want to hit down on the ball- good to know and know why it is important.
3) As far as practical applications like in item number one above- I found more often than not that I would run into something and realize I need to take it more inside or more outside or keep my left arm straight or whatever- and then realize Oh Ya!- That's what he was talking about! Or I'll add a little extensor action- hey that really helps in adding structure and keeping my left arm straight- Again tools to help you along the way!
That's the best I can do in answering your question- in regards to how it worked for me.

Mike O,

With regards to my second question. I didn't really ask it as a validation. I'm sold on TGM and have felt the benefits. Problem is while my good shots are better my bad shots are far worst. Just because i understand the swing so much better these days doesn't make implementing the changes easy. I used to flip it 'for England' when i was younger, but because i played so much i could do it relatively consistantly. I guess i just need to get practicing more and perhaps get some AI guidance...

Anyway thanks for the very comprehensive answer, i'll look forward to your next update when your off +1 or better :happy3: .

Problem- or Perfect?
 

Danny,
Not saying you don't already know this but here is my emphasis on your post:



That's not a problem- That's how it works! Now, it just takes time for the bad ones to go away but the good ones give you the emotional/psychological fuel to continue on. Contrarily, If one is under the impression of making a change and having immediate perfection- then their not understanding the complexity and context of the "system"- that is everything is inter-related- make a change - other things need to adapt. In my opinion understanding this is huge!

Mike O
 

Excellent posts Mike. Now get off the mats and start hitting off the turf...........:eyes:

Turf
 

Well said- Whenever possible definitely search for turf! But if you're addicted- then you'll hit off of anything- I'd hit a 9 iron off of Bucket's forehead if that was the only thing available.

Denny

can you please expand on this....what it means and what you see that shows this?

Digging in deeper
 

Denny,
Some good areas to dig in a little deeper. To start off- help me clarify a couple of items.
1) When you say the right wrist has flattened- do you mean a little, alot, completely?
2) Do you have a link in regards to Gregg Mchatton demonstrating proper rhythm, so we can compare the difference?