…consists of a backswing and transition. Once you have begun the transition, the golf ball is gone, your impact position is determined and nothing your conscious mind does has any affect on where the ball goes. Only how spastic and uncoordinated your post impact and finish look.
Things like hold the lag, roll the wrists at impact and finish your swing, do nothing more than affect your transition…in often very negative ways.
For those who rebut that Tiger stops in mid downswing…
That decision was made in the backswing when it didn’t feel right…or very likely calculated in an effort to make himself look awesome…and I am not kidding.
Neither the backswing, nor the transition have to be perfect. All they need to do is combine to produce the path, AoA and face to path relationship that create the shot you want…and there are infinite correct ways to do that.
You just have to find one that suits you.
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I really like the post and I completely agree except I don’t know what AoA is.
Angle of Attack – Typically used when talking about how steep or shallow the clubhead comes into the ball.
I think this is true: “Once you have begun the transition, the golf ball is gone, your impact position is determined and nothing your CONSCIOUS mind does has any affect on where the ball goes.”
However, that might be misinterpreted to mean that all you have to do is start the transition to the downswing, and you’re finished with the “kinetic sequence.”
You still need to follow through with your intent, even though it isn’t something that will steer the ball.
FWIW: I really like the idea of a teacher explaining the golf swing as “thoughts” you can use to PRE PROGRAM yourself. As an example, In order to change my ball flight, I think about how I want to finish, hands lower, higher, more in front, or more around, those are pre swing thoughts and I’m able to execute them during the swing without really thinking about how to do it before the swing and what I’m doing during the swing, it just happens…
Interesting article. I do agree that once the transition begins the ball is gone. And that the conscious mind has no effect on where the ball goes. Good points!.
Monte, your post prompted me to make a change that brought me out of a prolonged slump. I always really liked Carl Lohren and his “One Move” makes total sense to me but it’s a backswing move and he pretty much refused to get into the downswing. I just had a brain fart: Why not combine Lohren’s one move with your bump and turn? Bang, I’m playing good golf (for me) again. It made me realize that my mind was in my was in my shoulders going back and stayed there in the downswing when I had tried Lohren before. The bump and turn keeps me from being over-active with the shoulders and I get good shots. Keeping my brain out of hands arms and shoulders coming down works for me. I find I can even pre-determine cuts and draws. Amazing. What a strange game.
Didn’t Monte just say that the backswing does not have to be perfect?
From Lohren’s web site: “Carl Lohren Explains the One Move to Better Golf: I view Ben Hogan and Lee Trevino as perhaps the best ball strikers ever. They both had maximum delay of the right side or “lag,” …..
I stopped reading there.
I didn’t know Lohren had a website. I read his book. His one move is not about perfect it’s just a simple shoulder movement that gets you started. I didn’t know he even had an opinion on the downswing. Interesting.
“The bump and turn”
I think it’s interesting that Bob Toski described this as “Slide and Twist,” in his book “Touch System for Better Golf.” I think both ways of saying it can be deceptive–but either might work for some people.
A problem might be putting too much separation between these elements–one stopping and then the other starting. Actually, the first part gets the second part rolling.
So, when Hogan’s Five Lessons said, “The goal is one smooth overall movement,” it was correct. But, it’s a smooth compound movement that provides acceleration into the ball, not deceleration.
I like that Woody. That’s how it feels when I do it well: One move blended. You find the sweet spot with your left buttock and pull through. 🙂