Great video. Same momentum style swing I’ve seen before. I’m just starting but there seems to be a bit more “bobbing” up and down through the swing than I’ve seen in more traditional chipping lessons. Is this by design, or just a training aide?
Completely by design of the human anatomy and it’s intimate relationship with Gravity! We were born to do this for every sport and every discipline! Chipping just miniaturises it but does not snuff it out!
hi Shawn, just joined premium after commenting on one of your recent videos! Trying to dial in backswing feel and was wondering where can I see more about the “levitation”?
I noticed your backswing allows for more elbow bend and hinge at the top. The left wrist doesn’t necessarily need to be straight or flexed? Logo facing the sky.
When you see “grip and arm motion”, you will notice this hinging action is the same for hammering, fishing, football throwing, tennis serving and much more! WE ARE BUILT TO MOVE LIKE THIS. You don’t find it weird that the teaching industry shows you a weak or neutral grip, then you slice, then you need to make the back of the hand go flat or bow to square the face? DO YOU DO ANY OF THAT IN BASEBALL HITTING? You would lose your wrists to the orthopaedic surgeon! 😝😝
Shawn – wow when I use the football drill or sword analogy to ensure room for the elbows I am crushing the ball with what feels like a half a swing. This was really what was holding me back setting up without room for my elbows so I couldn’t use my kinetic chain. Now I’ve just got to feel that elbow room and make sure it’s there with all clubs.
Still can’t quite maintain the elbow space consistently. 2 out of 3 swings. Do you think ensuring the clearance is primarily a posture and distance to ball issue? Is that would I would focus on those 2 to ensure the space for the trail elbow?
Ok, so consider that the 2 ennemies of your swing are EFFORT and MANIPULATION. Have you ruled those out? At address, you have already existing momentum taking you through your task into the flight plan?
I understand Shawn but if my set up doesn’t have room for my trail elbow the kinetic chain is broken from the start my target focus is good I now think it’s keeping my chest up and maintaining sandbagging tossing posture. Sometimes I just don’t bring the machine to the ball. I get in good posture but by the time I swing I’ve changed. Will keep at it. Wish I could feel good posture better. Any suggestions thanks
Hi Shawn – I’ve realized I’ve got a strange problem in my swing. I use my kinetic chain perfectly but I’m an old college tennis player so my shoulders and arms swing around hence the need for more room all the time. It’s like a mental block right as the club falls down towards the ball the right shoulder goes around not down. I tell myself swing to the target but the shoulders still move around. My body is rotating beautifully but the arms/shoulders are going around. If the ball was waist high it would be perfect but alas it’s on the ground. Any videos to try to get the sense that the arms go up and down. Thanks
See “alignment reload” as this is a side vision issue; then see “blur of club” and the “arc blur unstoppable momentum series”
DO NOT SWING STRAIGHT AT THE TARGET; swing through the arc blur to the right of the IP i to the direction you want to start the ball; which is not the end target.
Hi Shaun
I see you can take in too much information too quickly here. It started very well in that in the second week i shot a net 29 for 9 holes with a lot of ‘oh man, wow’ shots. That was just using the dont let it hit me and throw the club thoughts. Since then i have watched about 60 more videos and been thinking about the right elbow, left hand release, braced tilt etc. etc. I came to make the video to send you today and notice everything has reverted back to my old coached painful manufactured swing. Is there a correct sequence for progressing here or do you believe everyone is different and just choose what you want to work on?
Many thanks
Ian
Everyone is different for sure! You have an ace in the hole with “club throwing” so stick with that and apply the prediction process of “predict contact” and the “goldie locks series” and then all the release videos. So when you use a nice dose of momentum to throw the club into a nice snap in the direction you want to start the ball with the prediction that the ball is perfectly in the way of this throw, then you can stay on that task and enjoy it!
Hi Shawn, I have a problem with sometimes using too much effort or rushing which makes me push down on the club with my dominant hand (right-hand). This becomes even more problematic in high pressure situations when the adrenaline is higher. How can i fix this and be more consistent with not using so much effort?
This means you are out of position and getting ahead of the ball in the downswing; which means you are abandoning your focus. When this happens, it’s like the ball goes way back on the stance and you have to hurry up and hit the ball before you miss it! See “tilt mile markers” and “contact mile markers” to feel what its like to stay with your task!
Shawn, what a great video! I’ve always had problems with the weight shift. In using my kettle bell, I realized how this drill almost forces me to drop the weight down and to stay under my shoulders, which keeps my right shoulder in place instead of over the top. I notice that to ignite the kinetic chain, you appear to stay centered over the ball. Is this correct? Lastly, I am tall with long legs but very thin feet, which makes it harder to land on my left heel when the weight shifts. Any recommendation?
Hey Gene! You and your feet are not defective! 😝😝
you simply have not locked in on the feel yet; please see an all important series called the “kinetic chain facilitation series” and the “stick your finish despite the ball series”
Glad I found this video, I was getting caught up in hip rotation, trying to intentionally move hips first in the transition, resulting in very hit and miss shots. This video is great, humorous and brings me back to the natural process of letting the body work as intended. Thank you Shawn.
My take on this Shawn, after all the years and videos and lessons with you, is that my attempts at max effort and control are indeed swing disrupters. To counter this I have to manage my thoughts. Am i convinced that this club is cutting through the dandelion stem with a nice intact kinetic chain with a snap release “out there” , instinctively creating a head tilt and out of the way swing, or is the ball the target to be struck in a calculated semi rigid attack?
My aha moments come when this process is freed up , and not being perfect, the result will be what it will be. Mostly quite acceptable and fitting the task i have set.
Shawn, In all your videos your head position makes it look like your eyes are focused well behind the ball, but you say you’re looking at the ball. Can you help me better understand the head position and the eye direction?
Thanks!
Usually if i am stopping my backswing, my brain tends to try to know where are my arms positionned in my backswing. And then the swing results in loosing focus and poor contacts.
When I think of the tasks like cutting grass or hammer a nail, my brain will automatically try to know where my arms are positionned in the backswing and usually the result is no good. Whereas, when I don’t think of my backswing I increase my chance at least by 2 to have a better contacts. Point is I don’t really know how to keep my brain/mind busy during the backswing so that I don’t have to think of the position of my body parts. I’ve tried to mentally draw a static blade (the blade of the grass whip) just before the ball for exemple.
So Can you tell exactly what are you thinking during the swing, especially during the backswing?
You often hear me verbalise out loud what I am doing in the videos; that is exactly what I am doing and you notice how the chain of thought always comes back to TASK OUT THERE? So, it the task is throw the club with a solid dose of momentum with the prediction that the blades of grass in front of the ball will get swept over the intermediate point, I am already feeling this momentum leading me into the throw in that direction and I let my backswing REACT TO THIS. Let your brain take care of the backswing in response to this focus.
The time to focus on having enough backswing is in the practice swings where there you can make sure you get enough backswing to get a big dose of momentum to get a big whoosh through to the target with ease. The brain will then eventually get 2+2 and give you what you need in the shot itself when you focus on paragraph 1.
I can understand now that having good contacts is more brain exercices rather than technique. Based on your videos and answers, I think that the brain should focus on a combination of a feeling and image. I did this exercise lastly: doing chip shots with an intermediate point and try to see the sledge hammer hitting the intermediate point. Then I realize my backswing was starting in reference of that intermediate point, and also that my backswing needed less energy to be done. I had some quite good contacts (not the crisp contact that I am looking for yet but I think I have some progress). Some of the shots where taking divots before the ball, I don’t know really why. I am trying different position of the intermediate point. Is it right to hit the intermediate point (maybe the intermediate point is to far to be hitten)?
I remembered also some peace of advice on one video that Savy told to Mo: “you need to feel that you’re already in motion”. So I think It may faciltate my backswing and the dose of momentum.
Having my eyes near the ball and think about someting that is after the ball is quite difficult. So I also try to have my eyes like10cm before the ball.
Just 2 cm in front of the ball is fine; 10 is too much! Ball position is the issue with so many golfers when it comes to chipping; make sure you see the “chipping” video. It is very complete!
When i try sledge hammer task for chipping my wedge is laying on the tip at adress and the toe is in the air. Is this normal? In fact i am suppose to carry a very heavy object so my swing plane is very much vertical so is my arm club unit very vertical oriented.
Seb
Hello Shawn,
I have been very inconsistent in efforts to hit a consistent fade, with often times getting:
1-double cross and ball goes left (right handed golfer) with a slight draw…
2- or a straight ball to the left of target even after using a slightly “weaker” strong grip …
3- or an uncompressed weak over fade/weak slice with a too weak grip.
I have a good intermediate point and my swing path is slightly to the left of it after watching the blur. If I am understanding this video correctly I should actually be predicting myself or feeling a slightly later full release….later than a draw.? I have not been doing that….
I have no problem drawing the ball, it is my fade that causes problems on left to right required shots…
The fade release is later as the ball position is farther forward and the alignment is left of target; so you will naturally release later and that is all it takes; stay with it! A great task for the fade is to let momentum saw the stem of the dandelion from heel to toe.
The other day; I have managed to feel the lag for chipping and contacts were good. Unfortunately I am unable to maintain that consistency and my poor contacts are welcome back again. My point is I really let my arms in front of me falling and feel the weight from my shoulders and I try to make the swing without controlling my arms but still it doesn’t work. I don’t know what to explore cause I have made thousands of tests :D. I know I have to feel a dynamic motion at adress. I don’t know wich position I have to take to feel that the low point is in front of the ball. I often feel at adress like my prediction will lead the club at the ball instead of front of the ball and also I have difficulties to feel the target in my back.
Seb; make it simple: place a door frame in front of you and practice letting the arm-club unit fall into the ball against the frame and the ball should pop up (use a LW or SW) nothing else.
Hey Shawn,
Thanks for your last message 🙂
I’ve been trying door frame task and had a really good suprise during the session. i was able to do lots of different kind of shots including lob shots and had good fun 🙂 Contacts are very decent.
I think I now understand where comes from the lag in the wisdom golf swing: coming and starting from the lead foot that is removing the body to let the arm club unit go. I feel like the club face is giving a slap to the ball during the door frame task.
I tried door frame also for long iron shots, it didn’t work as well as for chipping. I think this is because I have to find a way to get the feeling of heaviness in the downswing that leads the club automatically to the ball(do you have a specific exercise for this?). However this task is very helping my golf at this time.
Thanks 🙂
Seb
There are so many times I cannot express my gratitude to you (now you guys) for reinforcing the idea that we can play effortless, relaxed golf and continue to send the ball down the paddock way better than most of my friends!
How many Tubers have told me I need to put the ball forward in my stance, keep still, focus on the ball until they see WIG in motion and realise our swing is a dynamic movement not a series of bus stops getting in the way!
Yep I am biased – even when somebody says “Hey, I have a new swing thought” – for maybe 20 years now Shawn me too – Outa the way …
From James Chaney on Chipping
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Chipping
Go to commentFrom Jake Pisano on Backswing Series
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Backswing Series
Go to commentFrom James Chaney on Purpose of the Backswing
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Purpose of the Backswing
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Football Drill
Go to commentFrom Ian Eastwood on Wisdom in Golf 1.0 - Part 1
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Wisdom in Golf 1.0 - Part 1
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on IMPORTANT RELEASE UPDATE!
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on IMPORTANT RELEASE UPDATE!
Go to commentFrom Gene Czaplinsky on USING WEIGHT OF KETTLE BELL THROUGH DOOR
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on USING WEIGHT OF KETTLE BELL THROUGH DOOR
Go to commentFrom Leigh Hill on Arm Swing vs Body Turn
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Arm Swing vs Body Turn
Go to commentFrom Jeremy Moody on REMOVING OBSTACLES TO YOUR SWING - PART 1
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on REMOVING OBSTACLES TO YOUR SWING - PART 1
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on Driver
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Driver
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on Driver
Go to commentFrom Sébastien EBALARD on MATCH BACKSWING TO BALL DIRECTION
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on MATCH BACKSWING TO BALL DIRECTION
Go to commentFrom Sébastien EBALARD on MATCH BACKSWING TO BALL DIRECTION
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on MATCH BACKSWING TO BALL DIRECTION
Go to commentFrom Sébastien EBALARD on Chipping
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Chipping
Go to commentFrom James Keefe on IMPORTANT RELEASE UPDATE!
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on IMPORTANT RELEASE UPDATE!
Go to commentFrom Sébastien EBALARD on Chipping
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Chipping
Go to commentFrom Sébastien EBALARD on Chipping
Go to commentFrom Sébastien EBALARD on Chipping
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on Chipping
Go to commentFrom [email protected] on REMOVING OBSTACLES TO YOUR SWING - PART 1
Go to commentFrom Shawn Clement on REMOVING OBSTACLES TO YOUR SWING - PART 1
Go to comment