1. My Lowered, Centered and Stationary Head positon;
2. My Anchored Knees and Feet (usually a bit heavier on the Left than
on the Right);
3. My Left and Right Wrist Alignments;
4. The Feel of the Pressure Points in my Hands, especially #1 in Hitting and #2 in Swinging and the always 'easy' Right Forefinger #3;
5. The #1 and #3 Pressure Points facing down the Angle of Approach, not toward the Target;
6. My Right Forearm (and Elbow) On Plane and pointing at the Plane Line on its own Angle of Approach;
7. My raised Left Shoulder and lowered Right Shoulder that gives me 'plenty of Bent Right Arm' to Drive through the Ball.
8. In a nutshell, my Head and my Anchors and the overall 'set'
of my Flying Wedges Assembly.
Writing this out, it seems like a lot. But it's not, really. Remember, I've worked on each of these things individually over a long period of time. So, it's not so much a matter of me doing something as it is a matter of the warning light flashing red if I don't do it!
I know this:
At Address, it is not unusual for me to have the distinct sensation -- particularly given the Pressures established in my Hands and the Feel of my On Plane Right Forearm -- that I have already hit the Ball!
Once my back is facing the target I think of turning my shoulders and upper torso and let the arms follow. I hit the ball sweet long and straight.
Heres my question is there any mention of this in TGM?
Not only is this move in The Book, ralphs007, it is considered the Master Power Accumulator (of four). Its basic function is explained in 6-B-4-0 and its Maximum Power and Maximum Trigger Delay are explained respectively in 6-B-4-A and -C.
It is the period of Shoulder Acceleration during the Start Down (8-7), i.e., the Pivot (7-12) transporting the Power Package (6-0) before any independent movement of the Arms occurs (6-K-0). The initial Thrust thus supplied, the Arms then Deliver the Loaded Power Package to the Release Point. This is the period of Hand Acceleration (8-8 ).
Then, the selected Release Trigger takes over -- Left Wrist (Swingers) or Right Arm (Hitters) -- and Delivers the entire Primary Lever Assembly (the Left Arm and Club) -- into Impact. This is the period of the lengthening Right Arm (6-A-1; 6-B-1-0; Active/Hitting or Passive/Swinging) and Clubhead Acceleration (8-9).
All of which leads to Impact...that most delicious period of Ball Acceleration (8-10).
This quotation suggests that one should begin the downstroke with the pivot and then begin swinging the arms as delivery of the power package. Is this to be understood as one pattern among many, or should this be a part of every pattern? The reason this interests me is that I have finally found consistency and power once I figured out how to accomplish the three imperatives by allowing my pivot to respond to the arm swing, rather than having my pivot drive my arm swing.
My friend and student, rprevost, is being very 'politically correct' here.
He visited me in The Swamp this past summer, and I taught him to 'keep the right shoulder back' (from the Top) and to 'swing the Arms' down and through the ball. He learned a true, Hand-Controlled Pivot and left striping shot-after-shot with many yards added to every drive. Now, here I am stating that the Pivot -- the Body's Rotation -- delivers the loaded Power Package from Start Down into Release. Is there an inconsistency here?
You bet!
And that inconsistency is between 'Feel' and 'Real'.
The BODY is Zone 1 -- PIVOT. It sets up the circular, centrifugal Motion of the Stroke.
The ARMS are Zone 2 -- POWER. Along with the Club, they supply the Force of the Stroke.
In the Start Down and Downstroke, the PIVOT leads and the Arms follow. Not the other way around. Otherwise, the Right Arm must begin its straightening immediately from the Top, and this can only result in Throwaway.
So...
The Pivot consists of the Feet, Knees, Hips and Shoulders. Lower Body and Upper Body. The Lower Body leads and the Upper Body lags.
Pivot Lag (6-C-0; 6-M-1).
When the Right Shoulder stays BACK -- ON PLANE -- as it should in Start Down (7-13), it feels as if it is doing NOTHING. But that is NOT the case! In fact, the Body is moving first -- from the Feet up -- and is actively transferring the Pivot Motion to the Arms and Hands. But that transference is not with a Right Shoulder returning to its Off Plane Address Position (and thus forcing the Hands to follow its ignorant lead). Instead, the Right Shoulder is Turning Down Plane and returning all Pivot and Power Package Components to their pre-selected Impact position. Thus, the Power Package is Delivered Down Plane to Release by the last and farthest moving Component of the Pivot, i.e., the Turning Right Shoulder.
The Arms and Hands feel as though it was their idea all the time.
O.B., I am finding that one of the main purposes is
to get the Right Shoulder on plane. If you do not keep
the hands and arms at the top during the shift, the
Right Shoulder does not get on plane.
If on the pivot point, the pivot/turn pulls the arms
down into the ball. Any driving of the pivot with the
feet/knees does not work unless your shift is completed
and weight stays on the left side.
The Downstroke Pivot is characterized by On Plane Right Shoulder Turn (toward the Ball) as led by the Hip Turn (motion) and Action (work). This Pivot puts the Right Elbow On Plane, and, therefore, the Right Forearm (and #3 Presssure Point) also On Plane (pointing at the Plane Line).
All this is prelude to Release. That is, the Left Arm overtaking the Right Shoulder Turn; the Right Elbow straightening; the Left Wrist Uncocking; and the Left Hand Rolling. In other words . . .
The Pivot Delivers the Loaded Power Package (including its bent Right Elbow) to Release. Then, the independent motion of the Arms, indeed, the entire Power Package, continues that Delivery from Release (via the straightening of the Right Elbow) to the end of the Follow-through.
Yes Jerry, the left hip slides parallel to the
target line while hips are still turned. This
sets the right shoulder on plane provided the
hands stay put.
Right you are, Donn.
In the Backstroke, the Right Shoulder Turns 'Flat Back' toward the Inclined Plane. At the Top (Hands Shoulder High), it joins the Hands On Plane. From there, even at the End (Hands beyond Right Shoulder High), it initates their On Plane Acceleration toward the Ball.
But . . .
The Shoulder is servant to the Hip Turn, and the Hands are servant to the Shoulder.
At Start-Down, the Right Hip must 'clear' -- left and inwards as the Shoulder stays back -- and thus pull the Lagging Shoulder Downplane. Only then can the Shoulder direct the Hands and their straight-line Lag Pressure Thrust towards the Ball.
This is the stumbling block few surmount. Almost always, the Right Shoulder turns off (above) the Plane, taking the Hands with it and condemning the golfer to a steep, 'above Plane' Impact and its stifling of the Right Arm drive. Hence the high handicaps that dominate amateur golf.
As always, Educated Hands (and their intent to direct Lag Pressure Thrust toward the Baseline and Ball) are the key.
Hip Action and the On Plane Right Shoulder
Originally Posted by Yoda
Originally Posted by O.B.Left
So the "clearing" of the Right Hip in Startdown is a Slide with a Delayed Turn, is that right Lynn? And at the same representing the Hips pull of the Shoulders in the Pivot Train? As opposed to a Hip Turn representing the Hips pulling the Shoulders?
The Hips pull the Shoulders Down Plane. The minimal Hip Slide -- just enough to get the Weight to the Left Foot -- allows the Right Shoulder to remain On Plane during the Start Down. Then, in full Strokes, the Hip Turn/Action thrusts the Shoulder Downplane toward the Ball, thus providing the initial Acceleration and Delivery of the Loaded Power Package to Release.
Power Loading
Originally Posted by Yoda
Originally Posted by O.B.Left
Yoda do you include the slide in your Startdown waggles or just start with your weight already left? I fall sometimes fall into the habit of Sliding and Waggling at the same time which cant be good.
My Weight moves strongly to the Left Side -- assuming its not there already, e.g., in the Short Strokes -- while my Right Hip remains in its Turned condition. This movement (the Hip Shift that is itself the Weight Shift) Loads the Lag Pressure Point, increases the Downstroke Shoulder Turn Lag (Maximum Trigger Delay of the #4 Accumulator) and initates the Pull of the Arms Downplane.
A sharp Backstroke Turn, a Downstroke Hip Slide only (before the Arm Motion begins) encourages "On Plane" Pivot alignments. So it's -- Turn, Slide, Swing.
History confirms that there was no shortage of skeptics at Kitty Hawk. And why not? After all, 'ol Orville and Wilbur down at the bike shop were trying to make one of their three-wheelers fly! When word of that nonsense got out, I'm sure the sound of laughter-howling skeptics hitting the ground was deafening.
The fact is that Laughing Skeptics and Innovation have always gone hand in hand. So it comes as no surprise that the innovation of The Golfing Machine is greeted with more of the same. But also with furrowed brow. Because that innovation does not promise Fool's Gold: a simple solution to a complex problem. Instead, it recognizes reality: Demanding that the Golf Stroke be made simple does not make it simple. Nor does demanding a teaching philosophy that "rejects detail" make that methodology simple. It merely makes it incomplete.
Does anyone honestly believe that the best players -- Tiger Woods, for example-- pursue the Holy Grail of 'Simplicity at all Costs?' Of course not. They are looking for 1/4 of a Shot per Round and any edge they can get. And that edge is found in increasing the precision of the Samenesses (the Basics/ 1-J) and ultimately in the fine-tuning of the Differences (the Variations / 1-K).
The undeniable truth is that the Golf Stroke is a fantastically complex Motion performed by an even more fantastically complex mechanism; namely,the human being. We humans have countless moving parts that serve us well in our day-to-day activities. But they also can move in ways that are not appreciated by The Ball.
Hence, many of these parts demand a control, a consciously programmed Mechanic that can be reduced to an Identifiable subconscious Feel. But without the underlying Engineering System, the player's Feel Systemis saddled with an impossible task: Reproducing -- on demand, underpressure and with extreme precision -- an integrated Pattern of unknown Mechanics.
Is it any wonder there are so many poor players? Those defeated souls who notonly do not know what (Basics) they are doing -- much less how (Variations) they are doing it -- but who also embrace the Band-Aid of Simplicity as the solution to their ignorance?
The Golfing Machine offers the rational alternative. It provides a Basic Motion Curriculum (12-5-1/2/3) and two Basic Stroke Patterns (12-1-0 and 12-2-0) that enable the player to systematically gain mastery over the 24 Components of the Golf Stroke. Pursued in this manner, the player can enjoy continuous improvement and progress toward an attainable goal -- whether that goal is to break 90 or to break 70.Or...he can continue to forever chase the will o' the wisp of 'Swing the Clubhead.'
You mention, for example, Manuel De La Torre. Over my 41 years in Golf, I've heard nothing but good things about the man. And his famous one sentence 'method'is simplicity defined:
"The Golf Stroke is a 'to and fro' motion."
icon_eek.gif
Okey dokey. Simple enough. "To and fro." No 'detail' cluttering up that baby!
But let's dig a little deeper. 'To and fro' with what? Why, Silly Goose, the Clubhead, of course! Crediting that Patron Saint of Simplicity, Ernest Jones, we "Swing the Clubhead!" And we all know that the Clubhead must have a control. And Mr. De La Torre's concept of 'To and fro' -- pardon the detail, but we're talkin' Centrifugal Force here-- does just that.
But the Clubhead (and its Centrifugal Power) is only one Function of The Club! There are two more -- the Clubshaft and the Clubface -- and each of these demands a control as well. For example, suppose I suspended a Golf Club (using my thumb and forefinger to hold the very butt end) with its Shaft directly over the Target Line and with its Toe pointing directly at the Target. Then, further suppose that I started the Club Swinging 'To and fro' up and down that Line, just like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. Have I satisfied the simplistic definition of 'To and fro?'You bet! But are there any problems here? Absolutely!
First of all, the Clubhead -- and with it the Clubshaft -- is 'To-ing and fro-ing' in a Vertical Plane of Motion. Last time I looked, we golfers stand on one side of the Ball or the other with a Clubshaft that is Angled from the Clubhead, and that makes for an Inclined Plane of Motion. Secondly, the Clubface is hopelessly misaligned, and its Leading Edge needs to be Square to the Target Line at Separation. So, unless you've got a way to produce powerful and accurate Golf Shots by Swinging the Clubhead ('To and fro') in a Vertical Plane and striking the Ball with the Toe of the Club, your 'Simple' System just hit the Reality Wall.
And it was so unnecessary.
Because we who understand The Golfing Machine know that it culminates in the Ultimate Simplicity the Golf World has so long sought in vain. And that Simplicity is the Star System Triad:
The Left Hand (and its Hinge Action) controlling the Clubface;
The Right Hand (and its Right Forefinger Pressure Point Pressure) controlling the Clubhead; and
The Right Forefinger and Forearm 'Tracing' the Straight Plane Line and thus controlling the Clubshaft.
From the Address...to the Top...to the Finish.
What could be more simple and more complete?
Nothing.
Simply nothing.
P.S. You might want to re-think that "Just swing the clubhead down the target line and the ball will fly there. Duhhhh." stuff. You see, there is this thing called a circular Clubhead Orbit and a Low Point Plane Line that is located just below the Target Line but on the Face of the same Inclined Plane...Oh, never mind!
I think Yoda advises using PP1? My way of thinking at the moment is using PP1 to stretch the left arm taut and to keep this action thru the whole stroke. Am i close?
Yes, John, this is the action, and it is mandatory that you integrate it into your Golf Stroke. Without a Club, use the following simple drill:
1. As a Preliminary Address, Grip your Left Thumb with the last two fingers of your Right Hand.
2. Pull on the Thumb to straighten your Left Arm.
3. Now proceed through the remaining eleven Sections of the Stroke, pausing in each for a few seconds and reaffirming the Stretch of the Left Arm by the Right. With the Right Wrist Bent, be very aware of the heel of the Right Hand pushing against the Left Hand Thumb. You can think of it as the 'stump' of the Right Forearm pushing against the Thumb.
4. After training solely with your Hands, go through the same routine with a dowel. Remember to Grip down on the dowel roughly the length of your Left Forearm. This promotes Left Wrist stability and the Feel of the Left Arm Flying Wedge alignments.
Personally, I think of the Twelve Sections as four subsets of three:
Three to get ready -- Preliminary Address, Impact Fix, Adjusted Address.
Three to get up -- Start Up, Backstroke, Top.
Three to get down -- Start Down, Downstroke, Release.
Three to get around -- Impact, Follow-Through, Finish.
As you pause in the Backstroke and Top Sections (Hands Chest high and Shoulder high), this 'Pushing Out against the Thumb" action should be unmistakeable. Keep your Head Stationary and stretch out all the 'wobble' in the Left Shoulder girdle. Turn your Head slightly and look LOOK LOOK to see the Stretch. I do most of my drill training in front of a full-length mirror and recommend you do, too.
At Start Down, leave your Hands and Right Shoulder at The Top -- they don't move! -- as your Hips move ever so slightly to the Left. Feel the Hip Action Lead as the Right Shoulder Lags and Extensor Action Stretches. This magnificent combination totally removes any left side 'slack.' If there is a Master Move in Golf, this is it.
While checking your Extensor Action visually, also note mentally every 'detectable, distinguishable Feel' the Action produces (3-B). Just as important, become aware of its contrasting Feel, i.e., Extensor Action OFF. In each Section, On...Off. On...Off.
Finally, remember that there are two ways you train Educated Hands: Eyes Open and Eyes Shut. So, complete the process with Closed Eyes.
Do this exercise -- and believe me, it can be a workout! -- for a few minutes every day. Give it your complete, concentrated attention, and you will soon note a new structure and consistency in your Golf Stroke. It will be Extensor Action Feel doing its job, operating invisibly to take your Game to the next level.
Per recommendation of "staying left" at Start Up through Top or using the feet, ankles, and knees as anchors, I have noticed that this also increases the "stretching the wobble out" feeling of extensor action. I have noticed that if I "drift" right as with shifting the weight advised in traditional instruction, the stretching Feel is not as pronounced.
Am I on the right track here?
Having been properly set at Impact Fix, the Head remains Stationary until at least the completion of the Follow-Through (Both Arms Straight). The Weight, however, does not remain fixed -- either for a Hitter who begins from Impact Address (Weight Left due to Hip Slide) or for a Swinger who begins from a Standard Address (Weight equally-balanced between the Feet).
Instead, assuming Full Strokes, the Weight shifts -- to the right on the Backstroke and to the left on the Downstroke. The source of these Weight Shifts are the respective Hip Slides, and it is our 'Hula Hula' flexibility (7-14) that allows these shifts to occur without disturbing the Stationary Head. And as long as the Head remains Stationary, Extensor Action will be unaffected -- in either direction.
It's amazing how much good stuff there is to be found. I'm just picking out things I need to know, but there is much more ..
I still believe Yoda could make a series of books that would really give TGM the breakthrough it deserves.
Air,
I appreciate your comments and work ethic in resurrecting these posts, all of which are just as fresh and accurate as they were the day they were written.
As you can see above, I've done a little formatting work on your last few posts and would ask that you do the same in the future. The formatting provides two things: first, the correct attribution of the post authors; and second, much greater clarity and organizational ease for the reader.
Bambam wrote an excellent post a while back describing exactly how to do this. Please employ its rules. If you have any problems doing it, PM Bambam or me and we'll lead you through it.
P.S. You can also click on 'edit' on one of your own posts and take a look at exactly how I've implemented the formatting. It's so simple! Then, click 'save' to restore the post.
I appreciate your comments and work ethic in resurrecting these posts, all of which are just as fresh and accurate as they were the day they were written.
As you can see above, I've done a little formatting work on your last few posts and would ask that you do the same in the future. The formatting provides two things: first, the correct attribution of the post authors; and second, much greater clarity and organizational ease for the reader.
Bambam wrote an excellent post a while back describing exactly how to do this. Please employ its rules. If you have any problems doing it, PM Bambam or me and we'll lead you through it.
P.S. You can also click on 'edit' on one of your own posts and take a look at exactly how I've implemented the formatting. It's so simple! Then, click 'save' to restore the post.
Golly I can hardly keep up copy and pasting everything to my Best of Lynn Blake file.
These post would make a good book. I see them cleaned up and then assembled in a paper back spiral bound book or punched like I do some of them and put them in a three ring book. I appreciate you doing the. The one thing I have noticed is how much is posted and written about basic motion. It is easy to dismiss practicing basic motion and also macdonalds. I would like to see more on acquired motion. In my search there seems to be a lot less. Moving from basic to acquired seems like a big jump. Thanks for finding this stuff. If all of this stuff were even indexed and available on line as an ebook. With all of the "pads" out there how great would it be to have a Lynn Blake File on your pad of these "pearls" I plan to put mine on the ipad 2 and take it to the range. Then I can pick a section and work on that. Ben Doyle talks about "driving thoughts, cooking thoughts, tennis thoughts etc. He pointed out that you had to be in golf thoughts. What better golf thoughts than these. Eve on the ball and mind in those educated hands. Educated with the proper pure golf thoughts.
1. Extend your Left Arm directly in front of your Left Shoulder and parallel to the ground (horizontal). Put your Left Hand into a Karate Chop position.
2. Keeping your Left Shoulder and Body stationary, move the Arm back and forth, just like a gate would swing on its hinges. This is a horizontal hinge action.
3. Once again assume the position in #1 above.
4. This time, do not swing your arm back and forth. Instead, keep it still, and twist the forearm. First palm down. Then, palm up. This is a Swivel Action.
To Twist Or Not To Twist -- That Is The Question
Originally Posted by Yoda
Originally Posted by MizunoJoe
Yoda,
I thought #4 was Turning and Rolling, and that Swivel was the gradual, minimal turning and rolling effected by the orbiting arms.
This is a point that confuses most students of The Golfing Machine, and it is important to get it right.
A Swivel Action is a true rotation of the Hands independent of the Body's natural Turn or Arms' natural rotation. A Horizontal Hinge Action may appear to Turn and Roll but there is no independent rotation.
For example...
Stand erect with your arms hanging normally at your sides. The dial of your wristwatch faces west. Leaving your arms at your sides, turn your body to the right. Note that the dial now faces north. Did you turn your hand? No. Is it in a turned condition? Yes. Why? Because that what happens when the arms and hands maintain their natural relationship to the turning body.
Now extend your left arm in front of your shoulder and parallel to the ground. Point your left forefinger straight ahead in a mock 'shooting a pistol' configuration. Now swing your arm horizontally to the right as if you were going to 'shoot' a target opposite your right shoulder. Lower your hand to waist high. Is it in a turned condition? Yes. Did you turn it? No. This is the natural action produced by the swinging arm.
In both cases, the 'turn' was gradual and not completed until the movement itself was completed. Per 2-G, neither was an actual 'turn' of the hand, nor would its reverse motion be a true 'roll.' The left arm and hand has simply swung like a gate from its hinges and remained vertical (perpendicular) to the ground. The identical motion on an inclined plane appears to turn and roll. In reality, it is merely the Hinge Action, that is, the left wrist staying perpendicular to the horizontal plane. In other words, the wrist turns...but it is not turned (independently of the turning body or swinging arms).
However, the Swivel Action is a true rotation independent of the natural motion of the body and arms. For example, in the above drill, instead of your left wrist remaining vertical (perpendicular) to the ground as it swings first to the right and then back to the left, it would immediately twist palm down to the ground. That is an independent swivel. The same is true on the return move wherein the hand remains palm down until the arm passes the line-of-sight and twists back to its beginning 'perpendicular to the ground' alignment.
It may help to think of an actual hinge: the blade simply moves in a circle around the pin and remains perpendicular to its plane of motion. The movement is a structured, mechanical rotation of the blade about its hinge pin axis. At no time, however, does the blade itself actually twist. Now, with a pair of pliers, you could physically take hold of the blade and twist it, but in so doing, you would bend it -- the blade would no longer be perpendicular to its plane of motion -- and perhaps even tear it from its pin. In either event, the hinge action will have been destroyed.
This is what happens when you twist your left wrist -- to the right or to the left. You have a Swivel Action. In G.O.L.F., it is the Swingers Standard Left Wrist Action (10-18-A) -- Start Up and Release Swivels -- to effect On Plane Clubhead Control on the Backstroke and to increase the Lag of the #3 Accumulator into Impact. The Finish Swivel is used by both Swingers and Hitters to complete the Stroke after the Follow-Through (Both Arms Straight position). At no time does either Swinger or Hitter use Swivel Action to control the Clubface Alignment during Impact.
Linear Mode
