Hi Shawn. This may be my problem. I hit shorter clubs more consistently and my driver is very inconsistent. I feel like I have to manipulate the driver during the swing to hit the ball. I definitely don’t feel that I am cramped to the ball but I generally use PMD at set up. Could I be doing the PMD wrong?
means you don’t have enough backswing gathered and you feel the need to help the shot; but it also starts with the what your final thought is before you begin the swing.
here is my routine written down and pay attention to #1 and to #9
Here is the Pre-shot routine’s non negotiable items
1-Best option for shot
2 rules: 1-Release into safe direction; never release towards trouble and draw or fade away from trouble; this puts unnecessary tension in the system with the “you better make sure you do this or that to not go there”
2-No strain required to execute your shot; understand that you have 2 general yardages per club; one for the flush shot and one for the good miss about 12 yards short of the flush shot. The good miss happens 82% of the time and the flush shot 18% of the time. This helps determine what club to use based on where the best place to miss will be.
2-Once the shot option is chosen, confirm the flight plan-what line do you want to start the ball and what line do you want to end? (include roll out)
3-Choose intermediate point; can be straight on or slightly off line, as long as it’s easy to see and well into your peripheral vision (6 to 12 inches in front of ball only)
4-Confirm alignment of momentum-get ready to see the blur of the path of the club and match it to the ball and intermediate point and prepare to make the ball a PRECISE INTERSECTION on the way through the IP into the flight plan! See the low point of this arc blur, which is about an inch in front of the ball with all clubs except the driver.
5-Confirm ball position matches the flight plan and the direction you want to start the ball.
6-Confirm distance to ball and see that when you let momentum ride through the blur through ball and IP that you don’t feel the need to reach out from being too far or hold on from being too close and you can let it ride
7-Confirm Grip club relation; see that you know it will curve the way you want to in the air once you allow the momentum to release you through the arc-blur into the flight plan through ball and IP
8-Confirm levels and low point with relaxed and engaged legs; legs are ready to heave the arms and club into the backswing that would match the direction of the flight plan; and feels like you are ready to allow that solid dose of momentum to ride through the arc-blur through the ball, the low point of the swing and IP into that flight plan
9-Ready?
When over the ball, See the arc-blur already moving through ball and intermediate point through this low point. You are feeling the arms and club already tracking the arc through the ball and intermediate point into a nice release snap and the body already gliding out of the way of these tracking arms. What does that feel like again? Oh yeah, about like this! This is the glue that holds EVERYTHING together is the letting the swing stay with the direction of flight and fully witness momentum taking care of that for you.
hey shawn:
i recently asked a question on a video that i don’t know the of.
anyway the question is when completing backswing i have habit of pulling down with arms( no good), so how do u train to not do that.i.e. letting ur arms drop down to waste high
thx, mark
Hey Mark! Man, I thought I answered that! Our specialty!
1-confirm you have enough backswing to use momentum; see “unstoppable momentum series”
2-what are you getting ready to do at address? Kill it? Of let momentum swing through with ease? See “pre motor cortex series”
3-we have another series coming on G forces; will be a doozie! We film this weekend!
Shawn
Hey Sean, I’ve been really enjoying your content on Wisdom in Golf, it’s made a big difference in how I think about the game.
At 3:36, you talked about maintaining the “ capital letter Y” in the putting stroke. When you mention that, does it imply that the shaft of most putters should NOT have a slight forward lean at address, rather be perfectly vertical?
Just wanted to make sure I’m understanding and applying that concept correctly. Thanks again for all the great insights!
does not have to be exact; simply feel the weight of the arm-putter unit hanging from the shoulder sockets as a solid unit. Both arms swing from the shoulder sockets or head of humerus. They are reunited by the sternal notch and feels like the momentum of this unit falls through the stroke into the picture of the ball rolling into the hole at the speed you want to see it roll in and the side it needs to roll into the hole. See more of the putting videos, the answers will come! Like flow state putting video…
Hi Shawn, I am playing the golf of my life at 70. Distances are fairly good specially when I am now playing from the “Senior” tee boxes. Like I mentioned in your latest video on youtube, I do not go up in my super slow super wide back swing. Maybe I do not feel the G forces also but in the down swing through to the target I am getting to feel the G forces as well as speed and finish quite nicely. You think I need to tweek anything to be able to throw further? Thanks.
Right on Mohanjit! A true veteran of Wisdom in Golf!
the latest video of this week is quite amazing for what you are looking for. Just like a race car coming through a deep turn, he is patient as the G forces grow without loosing grip and then is beautifully positioned for that sling shot effect down the straightaway.
Goldilocks the intensity through the backswing where too much momentum you feel the need to put the brakes on and the lower body no longer wants to turn and has to brace because it has to come back to the target and the other is too slow and you stall out. A nice FRICTIONLESS FLOW TO GET THROUGH THE CURVE and then let momentum get through the ball AND IP, which will engage the Kinetic chain with more momentum and the less friction you have, the more the speed will show up.
Coach,
I really liked the feel from the video with Sav and Mu on “Anchoring the Stretch Release” from the PMD driver series.
Does that feel of the lead leg throwing the head back apply to all shots? I’ve even found success with a mini version of it in chips and putts. I’m able to stay with my blur MUCH longer as opposed to seeing the blur just before the ball then losing it / and losing my IP because of my tendency to turn towards the target.
My head tends to drift forward on all shots, when you were discussing Moe’s quote of “watch my head go back” and it didn’t move, I am having the exact same experience.
This whole video is for me…. Turning with intention. I can feel and sometimes see action past the ball…. this is new for me and very exciting. Getting closer to through the ball.
Good stuff! We have a nice lesson this week on Youtube with a female PGA professional in Calgary from my week with the Alberta PGA! All about the THROUGH!
I asked this question on previous to this post on G Force. Maybe a better way of thinking about returning momentum as to getting thru the swing? So what’s the difference between G-Forces and Returning Momentum to get you thru the finish? Thanks
Shawn,
Just watched your keynote address yesterday. That was awesome! Really helped me put everything together. I had the longest most consistent day of driving the ball today. Several drives on my intended target line 300+ carry around 315yds into the wind! For years I only used the IP for initial alignment and did not use it to anchor the swing using the blur. I only used the blur for finding proper distance to ball etc. This new task (for me) of using the blur anchoring to IP has been a game changer for me lately especially with the driver. I have the tendency to fall back into old habits like defaulting to the ball when I don’t funnel everything through the IP now. With my driver I have been experimenting with where to best place my eyes. Using the “soft eyes” concept I have found for me that parking my eyes on a spot on the ground in the center of stance and witnessing the blur go through that spot and the edge of IP seeing the ball and IP in my periphery during the process so that the ball is truly an intersection and “in the way” has really helped me avoid defaulting or not staying anchored. In doing so I get so much more through the ball. If I park my eyes on the tip of the tee with the ball more forward in stance and on a higher tee I tend to have more default short circuits and pulled shots or snap hooks due to getting pulled forward. So in effect the spot on the ground in center of stance and IP are the “sights”, the blur is the “barrel” and the ball is the “bullet” which gets “hammered” by the clubface or “striking pin” and then shot out into the flight plan through the arc blur “barrel”. Just wanted to share this light bulb moment in case you have anyone who like me struggles with ball defaulting, likes shooting guns, and needs a clear visual to stay better anchored through the ball. As a side note this slight change of focus parking eyes at a centered spot has enabled me to stay way more balanced and to more cleanly stick the finish without falling back while I try to stay absolutely “frictionless” in backswing and release in responding to producing higher g forces. I’ve also trained myself to be lead arm dominant as a “backhander” which has really helped me gain more speed through better lead-side kinetic chain engagement in effect pulling through effortlessly vs pushing through with too much strain from trail side. Thanks again and can’t wait to see what this season brings as I continue to “witness” much more consistent strikes, fewer miss hits, much, much better misses and hopefully lower scores. Looking forward to watching more material on these concepts as you continue to release more of these little gems.
I had a similar epiphany on a recent golf trip just before watching this and hit 14-14-13 GIRs to break 80 in all 3 rounds on some tough courses (putting was meh). This confirmed my latest success was not a fluke!
Hey Sam! The jackknife drill is pretty cool!
we have always said that “Through the ball” is average longer than “at the ball” by 30 yards. If this gets you through and especially tests your grip like no other, then you will see some interesting numbers! Shawn
How about when you’re swinging and you’re getting lots of RPM like 4,000 to 5,000 range., with an occasional low 3000 rpm. I am trying not to overswing but I’m finding the ball to only go like 225 yd to 250 yd one. I know it can go much further. It feels absolutely effortless but just doesn’t go anywhere. 10 years ago you told me I swung over the top. I just finally figured out how to get my irons to go an extra 10 to 25 yd watching your last video making sure I’m using both pendulums. The driver is just a mystery at this point and somehow in the last decade I managed to hit a few shots in front of friends 300. Plus I’m pretty confident my swing speed. It’s somewhere between 105 and 115 so the power is there. I think my order of operations is a little confused. Thoughts on how to reduce the RPMs?
Give me your numbers? Angle of attack, side spin, backspin, launch angle, smash factor or efficiency factor, and club speed. Also, your driver specs, shaft weight, flex, club head brand and model, loft, and ball used.
Thank you Shawn. Swing Data is attached. I hope it has all the data and is legible. My driver is a TaylorMade M3 with 2 weights set to Low (i.e. both forward in the low position) and set to 1 notch to the right of “Lower”. The Shaft is a Tensei CK Series 60 Flex-S White. …also I tried to use what I learned from the following videos which seems to help a bit during this swing session…. an uncomfortably closed grip (from “Backswing Series videos) & from the position in the backswing from the “Special Backswing Drill to Help Turn and Width” video to help stay balance and then a great wrist hinge on the swing follow through.
That is a big help! You can see that your path to the left is causing a lot of curve to the right and this will increase the backspin significantly. Notice the more curve to the right the more backspin you get?
So work on your grip and your release; with the “important grip update” and the “important release update” videos, as well as the “alignment reset series” to deliver through the arc blur. Distance to ball is key with Driver so see “the goldilocks series” in the “distance to ball” video as well as the “throwing series” driver video.
those videos were awesome… the grips update was “gold”!!! and it felt like standing up more and really whipping the snot out of the ball was soo fun!! now to try to get that 300 – 330 effortless drive like you is the goal. i found that trying to hit a draw just went straight.. maybe adjust the head on the shaft or work on the swing and not over swinging?
Sorry, still mastering the Trackman app. This data is in proper measurements. I’ll stay the course & add the super wide turn & 20-40-60 exercises (’cause they look just incredibly helpful). …Is there an ideal setting with this driver head/shaft set-up for deep bombs like you hit or just focus on the form and then goldilocks each of the different setting to see which works best ? Thanks for the contagious positive vibes in all your videos over all the years!!
These numbers are very good; you are close! Crank the driver to the lowest setting in loft, tee it up with the highest tee and practice clipping the tip of the tee into forward summersaults with the full release(feels like you are wrapping the outside of the tip of the tee with the bottom of the face of the club like a soccer kick curving left for a right handed golfer. Feels like a ball on a string tracking on a rail out into a nice snap! That feel in the direction of the intermediate point with momentum. As you keep staying the course, things will start to take shape and the magic will start!
Hi Walter!
The original focus prior to starting the swing is really key for successful execution. See the “Pre motor cortex” series which will be very cool for you! I have had many conversations with some very high ranking sports psychologists on this and they were very surprised at how good my findings were! 💪😀
then you want to work on your routine to lead into that with all the bases covered:
Here is the Pre-shot routine’s non negotiable items
1-Best option for shot
2 rules: 1-Release into safe direction; never release towards trouble and draw or fade away from trouble; this puts unnecessary tension in the system with the “you better make sure you do this or that to not go there”
2-No strain required to execute your shot; understand that you have 2 general yardages per club; one for the flush shot and one for the good miss about 12 yards short of the flush shot. The good miss happens 82% of the time and the flush shot 18% of the time. This helps determine what club to use based on where the best place to miss will be.
2-Once the shot option is chosen, confirm the flight plan-what line do you want to start the ball and what line do you want to end? (include roll out)
3-Choose intermediate point; can be straight on or slightly off line, as long as it’s easy to see and well into your peripheral vision (6 to 12 inches in front of ball only)
4-Confirm alignment of momentum-get ready to see the blur of the path of the club and match it to the ball and intermediate point and prepare to make the ball a PRECISE INTERSECTION on the way through the IP into the flight plan! See the low point of this arc blur, which is about an inch in front of the ball with all clubs except the driver.
5-Confirm ball position matches the flight plan and the direction you want to start the ball.
6-Confirm distance to ball and see that when you let momentum ride through the blur through ball and IP that you don’t feel the need to reach out from being too far or hold on from being too close and you can let it ride
7-Confirm Grip club relation; see that you know it will curve the way you want to in the air once you allow the momentum to release you through the arc-blur into the flight plan through ball and IP
8-Confirm levels and low point with relaxed and engaged legs; legs are ready to heave the arms and club into the backswing that would match the direction of the flight plan; and feels like you are ready to allow that solid dose of momentum to ride through the arc-blur through the ball, the low point of the swing and IP into that flight plan
9-Ready?
When over the ball, See the arc-blur already moving through ball and intermediate point through this low point. You are feeling the arms and club already tracking the arc through the ball and intermediate point into a nice release snap and the body already gliding out of the way of these tracking arms. What does that feel like again? Oh yeah, about like this! This is the glue that holds EVERYTHING together is the letting the swing stay with the direction of flight and fully witness momentum taking care of that for you.
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