I've been working on the same thing. I think for me, I needed understand right forearm takeaway and keep my right elbow nearby my right rib cage. For whatever reason, I can feel the #1 PP and the right forearm flying wedge when I have the right forearm takeaway with the right elbow near the rib cage. When the elbow gets away from the rib cage, I can't feel it anymore.
Last night I was hitting the ball on the range the best I've hit it since I was 18 years old. Basically I would feel and sense the #3 PP on the backswing and then 'drive' the #1 PP on the downswing.
I had heard of the hitters action being like a boxer throwing a punch. But when I would try that, the right wrist would flatten and I'd have a big flip through impact.
So I worked on that flying wedge drill and tried to 'feel' my way about it. I could get the basic and acquired motion right, but when I would get into the full motion, I'd lose the right forearm flying wedge every time.
So I thought about it more and more. And then I realized that in the basic and acquired motions, I had maintained the #1 pressure point. That's when I felt that the pushing motion is not really like a boxer's punch for me, but more of a martial artists 'Palm Heel Strike.' (
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Thus, I started to feel like I was using that #1 PP and thrusting it into the base joint of my left thumb all the way to the finish. And when I started to do that, I was hitting the ball better and better. And when I checked it up on the camera, the impact alignments looked better and better.
Come today I was really excited about getting on the course and I shot 68 (-3) on a 138 slope course. Hit 15 greens (hit the first 10 greens) and hit 11 of 14 fairways. However, I started to 'lose it' on the last 4 holes.
So back to the range and started to come up with a routine to feel what I needed to feel.
Basically I came down that for me I need to use the 'palm heel strike into the base joint of the left thumb' while keeping the right elbow close to the body (still a punch elbow, but not straying away from the right rib cage).
I then started to use a right forearm takeaway waggle before the shot. This helped me sense the #3 and the #1 Pressure point as well as the right elbow. And I was back to puring the ball again.
Mr Kelley referred to right arm extension with the right hand held bent as golfs "unique move". The reason people from other sports feel golf is so unnatural. Right wrist flattening is Throwaway. The degree to which the right hand is bent is established at impact fixed for the shot at hand. A machine adjustment that is maintained throughout the swing by the Hitter except for a brief period during the Finish Swivel. This "frozen right wrist" is the hitters main tool. Mr Kelley wants us to be able to get to both arms straight with a variety of degrees of right wrist bend and with various hinge actions. This is key when training in Basic and Acquired. You can hit a higher shot with vertical hinging as opposed to angled all things the same, but by moving it up in the stance vis a vis low point, you will increase the loft even more. But with throwaway harder to manage as you remove more and more "down and out" the closer you get to low point. The Angle of Approach changes as the impact point approaches low point. The degree of right wrist bend decreasing as the ball moves up, etc. Machine adjustments. The shot makers tools of the trade.
Kenny Perry on his 72nd hole at Augusta had a tricky little down grade flop shot to an raised green and looked like he played it back in his stance a little , ensuring better contact but making it harder to flight it high and soft. Or so it looked to me anyways. Vertical hinging with the ball near low point when the hands are shaky aint easy. Flubbed one today in my mid am qualifier trying a high lob over a trap to tight pin off of a very bare lie. Lost my right wrist bend I bet.
Mr Kelley referred to right arm extension with the right hand held bent as golfs "unique move". The reason people from other sports feel golf is so unnatural. Right wrist flattening is Throwaway. The degree to which the right hand is bent is established at impact fixed for the shot at hand. A machine adjustment that is maintained throughout the swing by the Hitter except for a brief period during the Finish Swivel. This "frozen right wrist" is the hitters main tool. Mr Kelley wants us to be able to get to both arms straight with a variety of degrees of right wrist bend and with various hinge actions. This is key when training in Basic and Acquired. You can hit a higher shot with vertical hinging as opposed to angled all things the same, but by moving it up in the stance vis a vis low point, you will increase the loft even more. But with throwaway harder to manage. The Angle of Approach changes as the impact point approaches low point. The degree of right wrist bend decreasing as the ball moves up, etc. Machine adjustments. The shot makers tools of the trade.
This is a very powerful post. It has been written with a deep understanding of the Golf Stroke and its underlying mission-critical alignments.
This is a very powerful post. It has been written with a deep understanding of the Golf Stroke and its underlying mission-critical alignments.
Thanks, O.B.!
Well its you that I should thank, Yoda
I played my first tournament round of the season today, a mid am qualifier. I was struggling off the tee a little bit mid round but did a couple of McDonald drills and was able to get all the way back to the clubhouse with out leaking any more oil. Finished tied for 7th and qualified for the tournament proper. There were many, many shots I hit today that I learned right here, thanks to you and TGM. The hands and the pressure points seem to be able to stand up to the added tension of tournament golf.
I played my first tournament round of the season today, a mid am qualifier. I was struggling off the tee a little bit mid round but did a couple of McDonald drills and was able to get all the way back to the clubhouse with out leaking any more oil. Finished tied for 7th and qualified for the tournament proper. There were many, many shots I hit today that I learned right here, thanks to you and TGM. The hands and the pressure points seem to be able to stand up to the added tension of tournament golf.
Regards
OB
You just got lucky. Good Job. Good luck in the Tournament.
I played my first tournament round of the season today, a mid am qualifier. I was struggling off the tee a little bit mid round but did a couple of McDonald drills and was able to get all the way back to the clubhouse with out leaking any more oil. Finished tied for 7th and qualified for the tournament proper. There were many, many shots I hit today that I learned right here, thanks to you and TGM. The hands and the pressure points seem to be able to stand up to the added tension of tournament golf.
Regards
OB
O.B.,
I remember well our first time together at Orange County National in Orlando. You already had a wonderful Motion, and you have since added the precision alignments of TGM.
Whatever you achieve competively from here will be your just due.
"Basically I came down that for me I need to use the 'palm heel strike into the base joint of the left thumb' while keeping the right elbow close to the body (still a punch elbow, but not straying away from the right rib cage).
I then started to use a right forearm takeaway waggle before the shot. This helped me sense the #3 and the #1 Pressure point as well as the right elbow. And I was back to puring the ball again.
Can't wait to play again tomorrow."
3Jack,
Good stuff. I appreciate two things above, your description of the palm heel strike into the base of the left thumb [safer imo in trying to maintain lag pressure than over-focus on the PP3] and the practice right forearm takeway waggle. I'm trying to learn TGM while still maintaining my enjoyment of on-course playing. Like you, when I get the right forearm onto plane correctly and maintain lag pressure correctly, resulting shots are often so astonishingly pure that I absolutely grin my way around the course. Thanks for sharing. -- JC
Good stuff. I appreciate two things above, your description of the palm heel strike into the base of the left thumb [safer imo in trying to maintain lag pressure than over-focus on the PP3] and the practice right forearm takeway waggle. I'm trying to learn TGM while still maintaining my enjoyment of on-course playing. Like you, when I get the right forearm onto plane correctly and maintain lag pressure correctly, resulting shots are often so astonishingly pure that I absolutely grin my way around the course. Thanks for sharing. -- JC
I still have some clubhead throwaway, but the left wrist is now pretty much flat at impact. The hinge and swivel action need a ton of work as well. But the results are so much better. I've just hit 29 of the last 36 greens I've played, shooting 68-74 and the 74 came on a course I just played for the first time.
But, I've noticed a legit 10 more yards on my irons and that every elusive 'effortless power' vs. 'powerful effort.'
The key to me is to do the TGM drills and feel, feel, FEEL your way around. Get basic motion down, then move to acquired. If you can't transition to acquired, FEEL your way around. What feels different from the motion you can execute from the motion you cannot execute? Close your eyes and feel if you have to. Swing in Bizhub slo-mo action (like Hogan would practice) and feel. The feels are so subjective that while the 'palm heel strike' seems to work for me, it may not work for others.
Reading your last post, I was sitting here thinking that I wished I knew when I still had some clubhead throwaway. But actually, the results are self-evident. My worst hits at present feel like the ball is sliding up the clubface compared to my better hits. In addition to better maintenance of acceleration against PP3, I'm thinking I need to maintain focus on compressing the ball rather than hitting for distance. When compression is optimal, the distance takes care of itself. -- JC
Good Job. Good luck in the Tournament. 
Hybrid Mode
