My visit to the SWAMP

[SwingNorthtoSouth]

Well I finally got to meet the Master himself. All sorts of surprises sprung from his car. You want hinge action explain, out comes the board and hinges. forearm take up, out comes the blue and red rackets. How do you trace the plane line, out comes the Dowels!!!!!, with no warpage either!!!!!.

I went their with the expectation that I would take home with me the tools to better practice with, and no doubt thats what I got........
Its not a hard sport, but what makes it hard is trying to undo all the misinformation and damage I have encounted over the years.........

Yoda is a great teacher and Yoda's Luke is no slouch either.

I need to quite my lower body a lot. Even when I was in the short area doing chips, my hips were moving and I thought they were still!!!!!.
So I need to open my stance a little and bend that right knee in, this should make it more stable.

Bending the elbow and using extensor action is an area I need work. I forgot to ask Yoda if the piston action in the putting stroke is what I need in the elbow for the full swing?????.

Once Yoda explained the swivel to me, bye bye golf ball

It was a great day in the Swamp. I only wish their was more time. It is so hard to fit everything in. Also I wish that more video was used at the begining. This way I could see for myself what I was feeling. Also because of the distance, it will be impossible to get a 2 hour lesson form Yoda, to see my progress and offer more suggestions .

Most important, and I should have mentioned this first, is that Yoda is a great person. He wants you to do well. What you see is what you get. If you get a chance go see him you will be glad you did...................

Oh, and one more thing. Yoda sang the Dowel song. The words came out in a direct line delivery path!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for everything YODA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JohnThomas1]

Yet another absolutely glowing report for Yoda, Homer, and TGM. Yoda does the Machine proud. Somewhere Homer is smiling, that is for certain


John

[Yoda]

Once Yoda explained the swivel to me, bye bye golf ball

It was a great day in the Swamp. I only wish their was more time. It is so hard to fit everything in.

Rich and I planned this session literally months in advance, and I know both of us really pointed toward this great day. He had a 3:15 a.m. wake-up call to catch his red-eye from New York, and he showed up in Atlanta ready-to-rumble in his "Yoda-Green" Masters hat. After exchanging the Hitter's Handshake -- Right Forearms stump-to-stump and pistoning -- we started with Yoda's traditional Cracker Barrel breakfast: Eggs, bacon and hash browns, pancakes and the Geometry of the Circle!

We began our on-site instruction with a technical demo of the infamous Hinge Action Concept. Quoting Rocky Balboa (to Clubber Lang): "Not so bad!" And then...The Power Package! Flying Wedge alignments, Extensor Action (stretch against #1!) and The Golfer's Flail. Still not a ball struck. To horse!

Rich had worked hard on his Pivot Motion. Too hard! His quickly spinning Backstroke Right Hip and Shoulder Turn pulled his Hands abruptly to the inside (and Under Plane). From there, his only recourse was an Over-The-Top Right Shoulder Spin-Out, a 'high' Right Forearm into Impact and the dreaded Chicken-Wing Follow-Through. The predictable results? Fore Left...or Right!

The Good News was that Rich had learned his Forum Lessons well. His Balance was excellent and he had great control of his Left Wrist. He drove his Right Arm hard and was able to really stress the Clubshaft. Our challenge was to direct that Motion correctly Down Plane -- with the Right Forearm driving Downward, Outward and Forward toward the Plane Line -- instead of the Flat Downstroke Right Shoulder Turn (10-13-B) coming 'Out and Over' and the Forearm covering the Line in the Downstroke.

Our Cure was to quieten his Lower Body's overzealous activity in the Backstroke and to train his Hip Slide to pull the Right Shoulder (and the Power Package) down On Plane in the Downstroke. Rich got this job done by learning the Start Down Waggle (3-F-5) and making it an integral part of his Pre-Shot Routine. As he ingrained this Motion, his Flat Downstroke Shoulder Turn began to disappear.

Still, something was missing, and that 'something' was the Finish Swivel (2-G, 12-3-12-#41 and 12-5-3-#3). This proved to be the missing link that allowed his Stroke to flow uninterrupted from his Top (Station Two) to his Finish (Station Three). When Rich integrated this move, it was 'Good-bye' Chicken Wing and 'Hello' Compression!

Sadly, all good things come to an end, and this day was no exception. With darkness falling and his 8:11 p.m. flight beckoning, we bid one another a fond farewell. This really is the toughest part for me...watching my students fly into the night...knowing that many weeks will likely pass before we meet again.

That's why I love this place...

See you in The Clubhouse Lounge, Rich!