Kiawah Island Golf Resort National Pro Am / March 13-17, 2011
 

More often than I'd imagined, we here at Lynn Blake Golf experience a very pleasant surprise. That happened again this past week at the Kiawah Island Resort National Pro Am. http://www.kiawahresort.com/golf/tou...ampionship.php

I'll come back to the event in a moment, but first, a little background . . .

About a year after I established my 'world headquarters' at Cuscowilla, a new assistant, Wayne Watts, PGA, came on board. I remember meeting him briefly in the cart staging area, but over the next few months, we had little contact. (Lynn Blake Golf, LLC, is entrepreneurial and independent of Cuscowilla.) Then, late one summer evening as I was wrapping up, I saw his lone figure practicing at the far end of the range.

It wasn't pretty. :(

His swing was extremely flat, with the arms all bound together and held close into his body, under even the flattest of acceptable Planes. His talent was obvious, but no match for the flawed swing mechanics he had been taught. As a result, his shots were flying every whichaway, and his frustration was palpable.

When I went down and offered to help, he gave the green light.

I explained basic concepts and didn't pull any punches: some things simply had to change. He agreed, and we began The Journey. I left a half hour later -- dark-thirty -- knowing the seeds had been planted. I did not know then how earnestly Wayne would apply himself -- :shock: -- but I did know that the work was good and that we would be spending more time together.

That was eighteen months ago.

This past Thursday, in high winds on the famed Ocean Course, the unheralded Wayne Watts won the Pro Division of the Kiawah Island Resort National Pro Am -- by eight shots.

:smile:

Oh, almost forgot, his Cuscowilla team -- all his students and aficienodos of Alignment Golf -- won the tournament proper.

A good day.

:happy3:

Congrats, Wayne.

:salut:

In a relatively short period of time, you:

-- Mastered the principles of Alignment Golf;

-- Totally changed your approach to the game and your own swing; and

-- Earned the designation Lynn Blake Certified Instructor.

Last week, you took what you've learned and executed under the gun in a major four-day competition. You deserve the trophy (and the cash!).

We'll get photos up when they become available. For now, though, just know that 'ol Yoda is a mighty proud papa.

Yep, mighty proud indeed.

:mrgreen:

Great story Lynn thanks for sharing. Eight shots is pretty impressive.

"Arms all bound together and held closely into his body." ..... interesting.

Bump.

Can't let this weekend post fade into oblivion just yet. It's way too good a story!

:golfcart2:

What a wonderful story. Congratulations Wayne!!!

No Has Ben
 

Sounds like you De-Hoganized him.

Schedules
 

I am supposed to fly to Atlanta on April 17th. After this story, I've decided to start walking to Cuscowilla, TONIGHT! :)

Those I meet along the road will be treated to my version of many different LBG stories. Those who are interested can walk with me. :laughing9

Congratulations to all involved!


ICT

Thats one heck of a set up ........very Ed McMahon like. And I thought you just titles Drew! Shame on me.

Lynn this thread could last a long, long while if you want it to. How's your time this week?

3-w
 

I have never seen him play. But I know he is a swell guy. He heard I was interested in a 3 Wood. While I was practicing he drove and fetched two demo clubs from the proshop and gave me a good deal. I now am the proud owner of a Cobra 3 W. My set is full at last - free at last - Like a dream. (I hope it's the same Wayne we are talking about). :golfcart:

Liberty Bell
 

Air has opened the door for the "rest of the story".

Last week, Wayne asked me to take a look as he prepared for the Championship. He was 'almost there', but something wasn't quite clicking. He knew it, and the occasional push-cut joined in the chorus.

One swing told me all I needed to know: Arch Enemy #1 -- Steering -- was alive and well. I showed him what was going on, and we did a few drills to free his Golfer's Flail (Arm Swing and Wrist Action). The corrections in place, each new swing sent the ball soaring straighter and straighter and higher and higher and farther and farther.

In my best Martin Luther King, Jr., oratory, I began to preach, "Free at last! Free at last! Great God All Mighty . . . Free at last!"

Wayne picked up on my message and spent the rest of the lesson chanting before each swing, "Free the people! Free the people!"

That's the way I left him the weekend before the tournament. When he returned victorious on Friday, he told me (and a half dozen other well-wishers milled 'round), "I had only one swing thought the entire week."

And just what was that winning swing thought?

"Free the people. Free the people."

Worked for Wayne.

Works for me!

:cool:

Thanks Lynn

In G.O.L.F what is "the people" and what are they being freed from? The Arms swinging freely, independently from the Pivot...........as in the McDonald drills? The golfers flail specifically with Wayne?

Just a guess.

Let Freedom Ring
 

Yes, Wayne's issue was all about free Arm Swing (Zone #2 Power) and a total unleashing of the Centrifugally-Accelerating Flail (per Homer Kelley, the Left Arm and Clubshaft unit, a.k.a., the Primary Lever Assembly). He had been "holding on" (Steering). He needed to "Let it go!" (Release). I demonstrated, channeled Moses and said, "Let my people go!"

Wayne picked up on that phrase and ran with it: "Free the people". It was his own catch phrase that enabled him to "free wheel" (hats off to Bobby Jones) through the ball. Then came my Martin Luther King, Jr. oratory, "Free at last!"

Hey, I'm shameless and in this instance called'em all in:

Homer Kelley . . .

Martin Luther King, Jr. . . .

Moses . . .

Bobby Jones . . .

Whoever and whatever it takes!

A "W", after all, is a "W".

:mrgreen:

Thank you Yoda.

Congratulations Wayne !

If I had a hammer....
 

....'I'd hammer out compression....I'd hammer out w -e-d-g-e-s....I'd hammer out par between my brothers and sisters...all over this land"!

with apologies to Peter, Paul and Mary...

ICT

De-Hoganized is correct!!! Thats when I realized the instruction from some top 100 teachers is nothing compared to what i've learned from Lynn and for that now I know more than them and Im a better teacher.

Really all "Free the People" meant for me was a free arm swing and 2-K The flail. I let the Hands do it all and then the body just supported the intentions of the hands!!!

Zone Control
 

Okay, guys, here's your chance.

Almost all of you are STEERING like crazy. Here's a talented guy who learned to free his powerful Arm Swing from his correct Pivot and won a national pro-am championship by eight shots.

Trust me . . . on a relative level, he fought the same battles you do.

Ask Wayne.

Ask him here.

He'll tell you the battles he fought.

And won.

:salut:

Ok, Wayne - we are all ears.. :angel:

Q & A Demands A Q
 

Air,

So happy you've arrived back safe and sound in Norway (22 hours one-way).

:shock:

And, with a new three-wood. (Hard to call it 'new' because you've never had one before!).

We had such a great time together. Much more to come -- with video!

:smile:

Now, as for Wayne's Journey . . .

You've got to ask a question!

:salut:

Thanks,
I thought you already did it, indirectly.

Wayne: Explain to us how you got rid of your steering etc problems. What were the steps taken in what order over how long time?
PS Thanks for your help with the 3W.

Air, Just started trusting the machine. Letting the release happen and trusting it. Once you got it you just have to learn to trust it!! Let the arms swing independently just like they do when you walk. Not long to get over it. About 1500 balls.

That's about the number of shots I made during my stay...:hello:

I also would swing a weighted club or the orange whip trainer and just let the cetrifugal force of the clubhead release and pull me into my finish position.

Yes, I'm swinging a yellow whip trainer as often as possible. That was the first club I put in my bag before the 3W. :golfing_banana:

Thanks for coming on board and offering to talk about all this Wayne.

Im not sure what your former pattern was , doesnt really matter, but I believe I might have had a similar lesson from Yoda at one point. Did it by any chance involve anything like:

-some Bob McDonald marching exercises to separate the motion of the arms and pivot, followed by some Wild Bill Melhourne drills.

-a change in address posture to a more comfortable, upright (Hogan like) stance with the Alignment Golf "Arm Set", the Flying Wedges, Right Forearm on Plane from DTL. (Also Hogan like).

-Clear the right hip. The Pivot is the basic gyroscopic motion, a basic basic.

-Right Shoulder Flat Back , Hand go Up via the Right Forearm Fanning and Bending . Extensor Action turned on. Independent Arm motion and Pivot Motion, so no need to try to align the shoulder turn to the plane angle or left arm or anything like that.

-Hip Slide with a Delayed Turn which tilts the axis.

-A TSP angle at Top. Standard Shoulder Turn. With the On Plane move of the Right Shoulder loading the #4 Accumulator (squishing the left arm against the chest).

-Downstroke.

-Release Trigger. Possibly a Left Wrist Throw. An Non Automatic uncocking of the #2 Angle but on On Plane with the palm of the Right Hand laying flat against the underside of the plane. Followed by or slightly blended with a roll of the #3. Horizontal Hinging . The golfers flail , with a definite left Arm Blast off in Release. Swinging.


Probably missed a few things, like the Release Swivel. But is this the sort of pattern you worked on component wise? A lot of it only possible if the Arms are able to swing independently from the Pivot (with the exception of Startdown maybe where they are pinned together and the Right Shoulder is diving right at the Plane Line).

Did you feel like in the process of "de Hoganizing" you actually became more like him? I see him blasting his arms off his chest in longer shots, drives for instance. When he wanted to, in other words.

My apologies if Im way off here. Im out on a limb I know and dont wish to seem presumptive, but for the purposes of discussion I thought it would expedite things............Or maybe this is just a longer way of asking:

"Eight shots! Man, what the heck did you change?"


Regards
Ob

Well I am fortunate that I get to watch Lynn teach all the time so I had most of it down. I just feel like I swing the club now like I did when I was 17 years old before I was put into position golf. I let centrifugal force due most of the work for me. He helped me realize the more lag I was trying to create the worse I was getting. I do feel more like Hogan now.

Also we just freed up the release 4-D-0 and 2-K. I was steering for a few weeks when we changed my grip to make it a little stronger. Trust the machine!!
I dont think about RPB. I just let my educated hands do all the work and my body will do what the hands tell it to do.

The club throwing drill helped out a bunch on my release.

Now we are going to find a solution to my putting. Averaging 32 putts around wont win often.

De-Hoganizing
 

Thank you all

I guess it also has to do with how high procentage your GIR is. If the GIR could be almost 100%, then 32 putts wouldn't be too bad? But if there are a lot of chips, short pitches and bunker shots as well, then 32 putts is probably at least 4 too many in your case.

I would take 32 putts any day. 38-40 is about my average, I fear. :dontknow:

Thanks for sharing Wayne.

All the best.

Trust
 

Congratulations again, Wayne. it must be a very satisfying personal achievement.

Can you say what mental checklist or image you used to keep your upper body quiet or more quiet so that your Flail (my new favorite word) would deal destruction to the course like Godzilla on Tokyo.

Ummm, in light of the poor people in Japan, I think I will drop this colorful phrase from my vocab! :(

Sorry guys, Red Cross donation on the way.

Peace out!

ICT