George Knudson would Finish in perfect balance as in the photo above. Then, he would relax his arms and bring his hands down in front of him to waist high with the clubshaft vertical.
George called this last position the "best seat in the house", i.e., the ideal place from which to watch the ball streak toward that clubhouse flagpole at St. Charles. He wanted to see the ball coming straight down the flagpole -- neither drawing in from the right nor fading in from the left -- as it returned to earth.
I teach "Best Seat" as Phase II of a three-phase Finish. Phase I is the "Arrow through the Ears" (see above photo). In Phase III you relax the grip and allow the club to simply slide down through the hands. If you really like the shot and want to add a bit of flair, give the clubhead a little twirl as you release it.
I remember.
How was the rhythm again? Count to 3 (2?) thru the ears, one for the best seat and one on the slide down?
After a strong Finish, almost all professionals assume some variation of this balanced, rock-solid position. Most amateurs, on the other hand, finish in a teetering, off balance body position and soon have the club in only one hand (usually the right).
I strongly recommend that you practice swinging to the classic "Arrow through the Ears" Finish (see the Knudson video above at 0.05). Then, as you watch the ball streak toward fairway or flag, lower your arms into George's comfortable "Best Seat in the House".
I might have mentioned this a while back but George would get his students his hold this "best seat in the house"position for quite some time and then ask them what if anything was uncomfortable. From there he'd adjust the flare of your ideally flat left foot or the amount you dragged your right foot etc .......that dragging right foot can allow an old geezer to finish like a young whippersnapper with rubbery hip flexors.
I personally find the praying like position of the hands comes in very handy as well.
Good eye Yoda , never noticed that till you pointed it out.......but you've seen them both up close and in person many times I believe.
I loved to watch George each year at The Masters.
In my mind's eye I can still see him on the range to the right side of Magnolia Lane. No place on earth is more beautiful than Augusta National on a crisp, sunny spring morning, and George is preparing for his round. Nearby stands his golf bag, crafted in a rich, red leather with the word Spalding emblazoned in white script. He is rifling fairway wood shots, and with each swing, I hear the resounding "Crack!" as the turf flies and the ball hisses. His caddy stands in the distance, shag bag in hand, catching the incoming missiles on the first or second bounce. Even after all these years, that memory could not be more vivid.
The word "cool" is cliche, but I can think of no other that better describes George. No doubt influenced by his hero, Ben Hogan, he was a sharp dresser. Not 'sharp' as in loud or flamboyant, but elegant. Like Ben, he loved his whites, blues and grays. But, unlike Ben, he also loved his reds, especially in his sweaters.
George had a penchant for the buttoned alpaca cardigans, as did many of the guys in "those days". You don't see them much anymore; everybody now wears pullovers. But they were in style then, and George was style personified.
Sunglasses, on the other hand, were rare on the fairways of the PGA Tour. In fact, George was almost the only player who wore them. The remaining other was Miller Barber, who could not be recognized without his large aviators that earned him the nickname, Mr. X.
Ah, "Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end." But end they did, and in George's case, far too early. But while he was with us, he was the consummate professional: he worked hard, played hard, and did it all with his own inimitable flair. Set to music, his life's lyrics would be those of My Way.
In everyone's life there are many people one can remember.
Hybrid Mode
