Shawn, I am a new member of your premium channel and have been following your instruction videos including the ones that use” tasks” like swinging an axe into a tree stump with emphasis on establishing lag in the swing with the hands leading the axe/club into impact. My question is should the swing in the sand bunker include this lag which would seem to expose the front edge of the wedge instead of being able to use the bounce along the surface sand?
Hey Dan! When performing the task of spraying sand onto the green, the kinetic chain is the very same one for all shots and the hands lead the club. And yes, the leading edge gets raised exposing the bounce in the process and what you are not quite getting is that they are both one in the same and have the same purpose. When you open the face, the angle of the sole of the club increases to stay and ride the sand’s surface and reduces the amount of sand that goes up the face of the club preventing a submarine dive chuck into the sand.
Hi Shawn – I find when I look at the grass between the ball and the club, I tend the release there, no matter how hard I try to keep my focus on the target. If I look at my intermediate point (about 1 foot in front of the ball), my release feels much better and I feel like I get through my shot. Is this acceptable, or should my eyes be looking closer to the ball? Loving all of your content!
The other option is the “throwing series” with the “goldie locks series” where you PREDICT that the stem will be cut if you throw the club into the direction you want to start the ball; understand the ball can only slow you down slightly but it can only stop you mentally.
Would the task of throwing the club down range toward a lower target (vs a higher target for a level lie shot) be a beneficial way of achieving a solid shot down the slope?
Very good Dan! Downhill shots feel like you are throwing down the hill and uphill shots feel like you are throwing up the hill. The goal is to feel that the throw allows the sole of the club to follow the slope past the ball for a few inches.
When the ball is above my feet, do I also need to pick an intermediate target spot and get the swing to flow over or a little to the right of that intermediate spot in addition to throwing the club out toward a down range target that is right of my intended shot direction?
Hey Dan! Remember, THERE IS NO COMPENSATION FOR DIRECTION WHEN YOU ARE DELIVERING INTO THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO START THE BALL WHILE IN SOLID BALANCE!!
So if you are doing a draw, aim where you want the ball to end, play the ball a hair back of centre and release into the direction you want to start the ball. Use the intermediate point to help you line up and deliver in that direction. Intermediate point do not have to be directly in line BTW! If the intermediate point is a bit too far right, aim left of it and release over it.
Shawn, I am struggling to accurately aim the putter so that I can start the ball on my intended line that I created when I visualize the ball rolling into the hole at the correct speed .I am aware with the help of your videos ,of the distortion that our binocular vision creates when addressing the ball from the side. I have tried using binocular vision to line up the logo or line on the ball from behind so that it is pointing toward my intended line but I find that unless the ball has 3 parallel lines on it (like Callaway) the direction that the ball is pointing seems distorted when viewed from address position if the logo is not sitting perfectly on top of the ball. I have had some aiming success by initially aiming the putter at an “Absolute Aiming point” that is .intentionally far left or right of my intended target line and then adusting my putter aim gradually from that initial Absolute Aiming point until I perceive that I am aimed properly. I also have had some aiming success by identifying a spot on the green as an intermediate target on my intended target line1 to 3 feet ahead of my ball however some greens don’t have any identifiable spots to use as an intermediate target.Can you suggest any aiming techniques other than the ones I noted that will help me to properly aim my putter so that using the momentum controlled putter stroke that I use is accurately aimed at my intended target starting line? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Think about the aim as aiming the momentum of the stroke and use the blur of the putter above the ball to perform a few perpetual motion strokes. If the logo of the ball can be lined up well from behind, match the blur of the putter with the logo when you get beside the ball and see that feet match this line. IT WILL NOT FEEL LIKE YOU ARE LINED UP PROPERLY BECAUSE SIDE VISION IS INVOLVED. But if you see the blur and it matches the line on the ball, roll a few on that line WITH NO INTERFERENCE and just the weight of the arms and putter in balance under your shoulders and see if the ball rolls on that line.
Hello, watch all the process vids and many others. I understand how to set up for draw and fade. And today went to hit balls. And I implemented the stuff. I never draw or hook , I would fade or slice. But today, strong draw, or hooking. I made adjustments, club face, squirt more to right and no luck. Kept hooking or strong draw.
I may be doing the smother hook you spoke of ….. But I don’t know what that really is. I concentrated on sternum notch and it did less but nothing to be excited about. I guess I need to video myself.
But do you have other vids and other drills to watch to remedy this
Hey Michael! Good stuff! You just took a step in the right direction! Now let’s sharpen this with the following videos in the order below:
-how to match backswing with ball direction
-blur of club
-arc blur unstoppable momentum series
-draw fine tuning
-fade fine tuning (yes, to balance the swing, you need to practice both)
let me know how you develop!!
Appreciate it! I have watched them in the past, but it was great to watch them again.
But, I was able to go to the range today and implement the stuff. I have to say….. its pretty cool to purposely do a draw or a fade. Now I just need to fine tune it, to be able to put the ball close to where I want it. Just more practice.
But, the big thing I learned today, the more relaxed (let the arm club unit work) I was the better the shot. Plus, the battering ram method is a great thing for me to visualize.
Also – at the end of the session I did hit about 20 balls with my driver and that was NOT fun. I was still hooking hard, which I never did. I think I am not staying centered…. (again).
Also – knees are hurting….am I swaying? ….or some say – hip bump…. I don’t feel it….but does’t mean I am not doing it right?
Watch the strain level with the driver! See the “spinner series” we did recently and you will appreciate the loss of side spin that will occur with this task!
Shawn, I am a 76 year old golfer and new to your premium channel. I have been watching your senior series of instructional videos (as well as others) and paid special attention to your focus on throwing clubs down range with -0- manipulation. I went out to the back yard today and was able to successfully toss clubs on a medium trajectory and toward my target. I just returned from the range and wow I am impressed with the results. Crisp ball contact with compression and when I swing to the right of an intermediate target it gets me spot on the flag. Thank you. I can’t wait to get out on the course.
Shawn, on one of your videos (which I can’t remember the specific one) you made some suggestions about the best type of grind to have on the sand wedge and on best degrees of bounce for different sand conditions and for sand wedge usage off the fairway. Could you summarize your suggestions about best wedge bounce degrees and type of grind for specific types of sand conditions and for usage off the fairway. Thanks
Hi Shawn. I was able to go from averaging 85mph with a 7i to 95mph even after a long layoff as long as I can keep my elbow free and in front of my body. I love the speed gains, however, I’m still struggling with releasing the club too early. It seems that no matter how far right of my intermediate point that I swing, trackman still shows my club face as closed and obviously way closed relative to the path. I tried searching for “early release” to no avail. What video would you recommend?
Did you see the latest spinning video series? And next week’s series will really help as well. The key is to stay with the task DESPITE the ball; feeling that the weight of the ball will slow your task down a millisecond or 2 but will not stop your action physically. See the “throwing series” as well and the Goldie Locks series and predict contact videos; finally, the “target confirmation series” which the next series is the 2.0 of that one.
Ok, start with the level where you hover the club at the grass level, and jot ground level. Predict that when you throw the club gently into the direction you want the ball to start, that the sole of club will graze the grass and thus hit the ball thin. Don’t let the ball change your mind from throwing the club in that direction, just realize it will slow you down a bit; BUT IT CAN’T STOP YOU FROM THROWING THE CLUB THAT WAY. So you execute this task DESPITE the ball being there.
Thanks for the tip Sean it was great but I also noticed when I did my perpetual motion drill and didn’t stay still over the ball at a dress I had a little movement in my legs to give me some momentum that this absolutely positively helped so much I was getting ball first contact then he did it it was awesome I loved it
Hi Shawn. I told my golf coach that my grip was a problem but he always said it looked fine. However at impact the force of the club hitting the ball causes the club fly around in my hand or my trail hand index and thumb would fall right off the club. The place where I practice has launch monitors and impact cameras and I can see the club face fly violently open or closed at impact. He told me light pressure but you recommend more pressure. I’ve noticed that I start to get pain and muscle fatigue in my lead and trail hand after a few perpetual motion swings with more grip pressure. But I don’t have the issue with the grip moving in my hand anymore. I don’t feel this fatigue when I’m playing or at the range. Just when I’m doing perpetual motion with no break between swings.
On a separate note, the video about the supporting the club with the index solved a lot of problems for me. I’d get really painful calluses on my trail hand thumb before
Good stuff! If the contact with the club is off the toe of heel, the club will turn in your hands; secure grip-ready for compression against the target is key. And yes, everything you feel is good but check on the “release” videos to make sure you are not preventing a full release of the club which would cause this fatigue…
It’s crazy. What you teach is almost the exact opposite of what my coach has been teaching me for the past 2 years. However, with your approach I’m swinging the club so much faster and not getting injured like I was trying to swing the way my coach wanted. But I spent about $10K on lessons and have 10 or so left and I don’t want to go back!
I still really struggle with getting that trail elbow into position without my swing getting armsy. I can do the Sergio drill and football drill. But when I get two hands on the club, you’d think I never tried the drills at all. It all goes to crap
What is the task that has resonated most with you? The series starting next week goes deeper and will help you understand some key elements of how the ball gets in the way of the golf swing that is headed into the flight plan.
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