Fredrik Tuxen and Trackman

I was fortunate enough to be afforded the opportunity to speak to arguably the sharpest young mind in the International Golf community, Mr. Fredrik Tuxen--- Chief Technology Officer for Trackman. Fred is going to take us through Trackman and some of it's new features available this year.

It's filmed in Hi-Definition, so if you want to watch it in Hi-Def---double click on the video, change it from 240p to 720p or 1080p or go to the lower right hand corner and click "watch on youtube".



If you want to correlate this video with previous articles, go here:

Fredrik Tuxen on "The Secret of a Straight Shot" I

Fredrik Tuxen on "The Secret of a Straight Shot" II

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Young Guns, Rickie Fowler

Since I plan on posting an analysis of his swing this week, I'm going to re-post an article I wrote over a year ago. This was before Rickie got his card via Q-School.

"All that counts in Golf is to find the back of the ball squarely with the middle of the clubface. Any style or method will do, and if it enables a player to strike the ball hard, squarely, and consistently, then it is a good swing, no matter how it may depart from the Classical"
--Henry Cotton


Back in October 2009 I was watching the coverage of the Fry's Open and Brandel Chamblee described how Ricky Fowler simply works on fundamentals and Ball Flight, not positions. So by forgetting positions and focusing on motion he actually reaches the right positions. Say that five times fast, lol.

Fowler said he owes his unique philosophy to his upbringing in the game. He was raised in Murrieta, Calif., where his grandfather introduced him to golf when he was only 2 years old.

“He took me out to the driving range one time, and that was all I needed,” Fowler said. At that driving range, he met Barry McDonald, the man who still coaches him today. Fowler said McDonald doesn’t care for angles and video equipment; he teaches about feel and self-control.₁

Fowler credits his long time coach with teaching him the technique that is now a real strength in his game.

“I worked on a lot of short game, putting and chipping, with my coach Barry McDonald back home at the driving range I grew up at,” said Fowler. “I started working with him when I was seven years old, and then through middle school is when I really got the technique down. I maintained that technique and learned to hit different shots, but that was really what I worked on the most and it’s definitely helped out now.”₂

Here's an excerpt from PGA tour.com

Q. Rickie, is there any part of you that's kind of proud that you're not a silver spoon guy, that you sort of dug it out of the dirt? You've got a unique swing. You were schooled by an older driving range guy that not many people outside of your town have ever heard from, and kind of done it your own way?

RICKIE FOWLER: I know my coach at school, he definitely likes the upbringing that I had. I think there's quite a few other people out there that like it.

Some people think it's, you know, odd that I came out that way. You know, there's not many guys that are coming through that route anymore.

I definitely like that background, you know, the way I came up. I know my swing better than most people, I think know their own nowadays. Just a lot of guys I think get so reliant on coaches. So I like the way I came out, and I definitely think there's some people that think it's -- it's definitely unique, but they like it.

Here's an excerpt from an interview he did with Rich Lerner for Golf Digest

Barry McDonnell is the only golf instructor you've worked with, and he's in his 70s now.
We started working when I was 7. We'd go to the end of the range, he'd smoke his cigar, and I'd be hitting away. We never laid sticks on the ground for alignment, and we never used a video camera. I don't think he knows how to operate one. He just taught me my own swing and how to know where the clubface is. We worked more on ball flight and making sure the ball was starting where I wanted it to.

What advice from him sticks with you? Beat Old Man Par.

You were swinging your dad's driver when you were 3. How did that shape your swing?
As a little kid I used to start the backswing way to the outside, and then I had a big loop where I'd lay it off and drop it way under. Now you could talk to some of the guys I've played with through the years, like Colt Knost, and they'd say I go straight back and straight through compared to the way I used to swing. I take it back a little shut and a little out and get to the top fairly square, and then I have a little hitch layoff. It's definitely nontraditional. It's my own. I didn't really try to model it after anyone.

It's on the quicker side in terms of tempo. Definitely. There are times when my playing partner's on his backswing and I feel like I could make impact 10 times.

• So what does this tell us about Ricky, well for one he's got lag. Why because like Sergio Garcia, he learned how to play by trying to use his Dad's adult clubs as a toddler. He certainly didn't have the strength to over power the club, so he learned to harness the forces.

• He has had one coach and stuck with him through it all, placing his trust in him and developing a working relationship with him. For further reference see, Bobby Clampett and Sam Randolph, guys who could stripe it with their own swings and started listening to every snake oil salesman on the tee line.

• His coach didn't have a camera, in fact Ricky says he probably didn't even know how to use one. It reminds me of one time when I was working with Gregg and he spotted something with his bare eye, which I thought could not be detected without the use of high speed cameras. I was in awe.

• If his coach doesn't know how to use a camera, he probably isn't regurgitating Trackman numbers either.

• Ricky is comfortable enough in his own skin to accept his swing with it's own idiosyncrasies and realize it doesn't need fixing.

• Ricky has a pretty flat transition, at 5'-10" I wonder what his lie angles on his clubs are? I bet they're standard or pretty dam close.

• Remember this kid is just 20 years old, so most of the technology available to him today was available to him growing up.

If you are new to the Blog and would like to read Gregg Mchatton's analysis of Sergio Garcia's swing, go Here. It's what I would say about Ricky.

Ref 1: Back9ine.com
Ref 2: Titleist

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The Amazing Mexican Part II

I've been in Orlando at the PGA show this week, so we've been a little slow. Next week we will start providing you with our reports and interviews, in the meantime here's part2 of Trevino.

We will be providing an in depth analysis of Lee's swing in the future, it will conducted by Gregg McHatton. So, stay tuned.



For Part 1 you can go HERE

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Jhonattan Vegas an Analysis

Today we're going to have Dan take an in depth look at Jhonattan Vegas' golf swing.

Dan can be reached at: danwhittaker@btconnect.com


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Peter Ellebye

I believe Peter Ellebye is the rare case where too much lag is a bad thing. Peter is definitely struggling to manage and harness his lag. We have asked Gregg Mchatton to have a look and provide us with an in depth analysis.









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Jamie Lovemark an Analysis by Dan Whittaker

Today we're going to have Dan Whittaker's in depth review and analysis of Jamie Lovemark's swing. The footage used belongs to Terry Rowles at The San Francisco Golf Performance Center .

Dan can be reached at:danwhittaker@btconnect.com


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Chi Chi Rodriguez

In celebration of Jhonattan Vegas' victory, we're going to look at one of the great Latin-American humanitarians and ambassadors to the game, Chi Chi Rodriguez. I had the pleasure of meeting and playing with his brother Jesus ( a tour player in his own right) last season and we spoke about collaborating on a book about the Rodriguez family and their migration to NYC. Jesus had stories about all the old time hustlers including Charlie Owens and Lee Elder. Hopefully we'll be talking to the Rodriguez brothers soon.
I have a book on my shelf called "The Golf Courses of the PGA Tour" and I was surprised to see on how many of them Chi Chi held the course record. The man could "go low" and for such a small, frail looking guy could really bust it , unfortunately his putter didn't always cooperate. Anyway, here is some rare footage of Chi Chi during the 1964 Masters.

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Young Guns, Gary Woodland

With the only recorded ball speed above 200mph, Gary Woodland is definitely someone we want to watch. He doesn't seem to be really going after it but as of this writing he is tied for the lead at the Hope (with Jhonny Vegas)and is leading in driving distance despite a shoulder injury that supposedly has him swinging at 70%. His swing looks about as effortless as it gets.

Woodland, a 3 time All State basketball player enrolled at Div.II Washburn after High School. After one season at Washburn, he transferred to Kansas where he honed his Golf game. He currently works with Dallas based Coach Randy Smith.
Here's an excerpt from an article written by Ryan Herrington:

"I just haven't seen anybody physically hit the ball as far as he hits it with a regular golf swing," said noted instructor Randy Smith, who has worked with Woodland for almost two years. "[I've seen] a lot of jump-out-of-your-shoes, falling-down-break-your-back type of swings. But this is a real-life golf swing, beautifully paced."

Credit for Woodland's length goes to his athleticism -- the 195-pound workout fiend also played baseball in high school, has a solid core and strong legs providing balance for a backswing that just gets to parallel -- but his overall improvement comes from a well-defined work ethic.

Here's some footage I found on Youtube:






His prodigious length used to be unverified internet lore, but I'm now starting to hear it from my sources out on the tour. With the PGA tour putting a premium on length, he's probably going to be a force to be reckoned with this season.

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The Amazing Mexican part I

Young Guns, Jamie Lovemark

At the end of the 2009 season we were treated to one of the most dramatic playoffs in recent times. It occurred at the Frys.com Open. Most of the media and fans were focused on whether Ricky Fowler would gain his tour card for the 2010 season, while the "Stack and Tilt" camp had their eyes and emotions attached to their guy, Troy Matteson. Somewhere lost in the shuffle was Jamie Lovemark. Lovemark, a standout in the Junior ranks and a former Western Amateur Champion shot a 64 in the final round which was good enough to get him into the play off. On the first hole of playoff he pulled off one of those "Golf's Amazing Shots" when he hit his approach into what appeared to be the water hazard fronting the green. I won't bother to try to give you a full written description, but his ball apparently landed on an underwater rock and bounced back out on to dry land on the edge of the green. It's hard to imagine something like this happening, so here's a video of the playoff so that you can see for yourself.


Matteson eventually won the playoff but Lovemark etched his name into my mind after that shot. Jamie finally earned his tour card by finishing first on the Nationwide Money List last season. Here are his stats:

Born January 23, 1988 (1988-01-23) (age 22)
Rancho Santa Fe, California
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Nationality United States
College: USC
Amateur wins:

• 2004 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, Western Junior
• 2005 Western Amateur
• 2007 NCAA Championship

And He's got one Victory on the Nationwide Tour.

Here's what he looked like yesterday at The Bob Hope:



All I can say is that this kid looks like a Super Sized Hogan. We will be providing an in depth analysis of his swing next week, so I won't bog you down with my opinions on his mechanics. I will however make some predictions: He will probably win an event (he might beat Fowler to it) and have several top ten finishes.

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Pete Cowen.

Although unheralded here in the States, Pete Cowen is quietly making a name for himself as the best coach in the world.
Here's a brief bio I found on explanar.com

Peter Cowen Biography:
Peter Cowen is recognised as one of the world's elite band of teaching professionals. A former Tour champion, Peter established his reputation as a first class coach whilst Head Professional at the prestigious Lindrick Golf Club near Worksop. As his reputation grew, so did demand for his services - from Tour players, club professionals and aspiring amateurs. With his reputation assured, Peter left Lindrick in 1997 to become a full-time golf coach, spending much of his time travelling with his clients on the PGA European Tour. His reputation has been further enhanced by the recent successes of his Tour players and Peter is now duly acknowledged as one of the world's most successful golf coaches. Peter is also Senior Coach to both the English Golf Union and the Yorkshire Golf Union, coaching national and county teams at senior and youth level.

Mr. Cowen is Europe's #1 coach and has coached more winners than Harmon or Leadbetter. Pete's current stable includes 2 of last years Major Champions and the current World Number 1. At last years Open Championship he pulled off a rare trifecta, his players; Oosthuizen, Westwood and Stenson finished first, second and third respectively.

Here's a list of present pupils: Maarten Lafeber, Gary Lockerbie, Mikael Lundberg, Alejandro Canizares, Seve Benson, John Bickerton, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, Simon Dyson, Johan Edfors, Richard Finch, Oliver Fisher, Alastair Forsyth, Mark Foster, Sergio Garcia,Soren Kjeldsen, Pablo Martin, Graeme McDowell, Alex Noren, Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson, Graeme Storm, Steve Webster, Lee Westwood

Pete's Previous Players include: Ian Garbutt, James Kingston, Nick Ludwell,Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie, Wade Ormsby, Brett Rumford, Charl Schwartzel, Oliver Wilson

Here's a Pete Cowen home video, which is a compilation of Youtube user patrickdereus' videos.
There are a couple of things that Pete touches on which we have been preaching here on our blog:

1. No lift in the Backswing
2. No overacceleration
3. Learn to use the forces to your advantage
4. Don't use "Brute Force"
5. Drop the club and hit it with your pivot
   

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An analysis of Matteo Manaserro's Golf Swing

Here's an in depth analysis of Matteo Manaserro conducted by Dan Whittaker

Dan Whittaker can be reached at: danwhittaker@btconnect.com

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Young Guns, Jhonattan Vegas

Today we'll take some time to learn about Jhonattan Vegas. Jhonattan is a PGA tour rookie this season who secured his spot by finishing 7th. on the Nationwide money list last season. His story is pretty much a "rags to riches" one. He learned to play the game with a broomstick and some rocks. He eventually began playing a 9 hole golf course built for Oil Camp employees and was coached by Franci Betancourt, a 3 time World Cup player for Venezuela.
Here's what an Austin newspaper, "The Statesman" wrote about Jhonattan's golf odyssey

When he moved to America, Jhonattan Vegas brought no English, no money and no firm sense of what might happen in a year, a month or even a day. He possessed little beyond a bag of inferior golf clubs and an atomic swing as raw as stripped metal. But he carried a wish.

Vegas left Venezuela when he was 17. He had traveled to the United States once before, to compete in the World Junior Golf Championships in San Diego, a city of so many people that his father forbade him by telephone from attending a Padres baseball game for fear his son would get trampled or lost. Vegas tied for sixth in that tournament at Torrey Pines. College coaches noticed. They saw something they wanted to have.

Here's a look at his swing. Jhonattan can flat out smoke it, he averaged 312.9 yds off the tee last season on the Nationwide Tour.

And here's a story put together by World News Australia:

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The Gotham Golf Fix 7 lesson 1

Here we have Justin's first lesson with Dan Whittaker.

Dan Whittaker can be reached at: danwhittaker@btconnect.com

If anybody remembers or has the issue (Golf or Golf Digest) where Tiger Woods' 8 iron shot at the 2009 Bridgestone was analyzed (I believe it was by golftec), shoot me an email.

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Graham Marsh vs Gary Player 1973

This is Match Play at it's best, all the strategies came into play including gamesmanship. It's a shame that we really don't pay much attention to the World Match Play at Wentworth anymore because this was once home to some of the most historic showdowns. One of the things that I find interesting in this match is that most of the approach shots required mid to long irons, which is something we rarely see these days. Another thing to note is the fact that some of the World's Best players never actually played the PGA tour. Here you have Graham Marsh, someone who most didn't learn about until he came and played the Senior Tour here.

What about Player's putt to go into extra holes? How about Marsh's ball striking and Players bunker play? It's a shame somebody had to lose.

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Interview with Ari Techner from Scratch Golf

Today we're going to have the pleasure of getting to know Mr. Ari Techner. Ari is the President and CEO of Scratch Golf, perhaps one of the hottest small companies in the Golf industry. Besides being the Head Guy at Scratch, Ari is also a good all around guy. The kind of guy you could have a beer with.

Here's my interview with Ari, enjoy:

About Scratch Golf
Scratch Golf Clubs is a premium golf equipment manufacturer based in Chattanooga, Tenn. that is dedicated to providing golfers with the best wedges and irons for their game. Scratch's proprietary fitting system provides golfers and retail sales professionals with three easy-to-identify swing types, which are determined by the golfer's angle of attack and divot tendencies. All Scratch wedges and irons are available in multiple sole grind selections, which ensure that golfers can find a club that properly matches their particular swing characteristics. Scratch Golf wedges are in play on every major professional tour worldwide.
For more information on Scratch Golf and their products, please visit their website at:

www.scratchgolf.com

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Duval signs with Scratch Golf

Former world No. 1 and 2001 British Open Champion David Duval has signed a deal with Scratch Golf to carry their clubs on the PGA TOUR. As part of the agreement, Duval will feature a Scratch Golf logo on his golf bag and hat.

“David Duval is one of the best players of his generation and we are excited that he has decided to become a part of our company,” said Ari Techner, president of Scratch Golf. “David has won championships all over the world and has an enormous following in the golf industry. We think he is a fantastic addition to our Tour staff.”

Duval has 13 victories in his PGA TOUR career and is a past recipient of the Vardon Trophy and the Byron Nelson Award. In addition to his major championship, he has won THE PLAYERS, THE TOUR Championship and been a member of two Ryder Cup and three Presidents Cup teams.

“I am extremely excited to join the Scratch Golf family,” said Duval. “I put their clubs in play last season and they really made a difference in my game. In addition to playing the clubs, I look forward to working with the team at Scratch to develop some new products and grow the brand in the coming years.”

Duval is the second former world No. 1 to play Scratch products. Cristie Kerr, who ascended to the top ranking in the women’s game in 2010, has been playing Scratch wedges since 2009.

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The Gotham Golf Fix Episode 7

Today we have Dan Whittaker examining and analyzing Justin Tang's swing. Justin's swing had gotten away from him to the point where he gave up the game. Hopefully Dan will be able to set him on the right path.



Dan Whittaker can be reached at: danwhittaker@btconnect.com

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Bobby Clampett 1982 Open Championship

Here's Ben Doyle protege Bobby Clampett's "train wreck" hole at the 1982 British Open.
Tough to watch



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Bradley Hughes

Today we're going to have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bradley Hughes. Bradley is a former PGA Tour player and a member of the first President's Cup team. Besides being a World Class Player, Bradley is also a top notch person. Here are some highlights of Bradley's performance in the President's Cup.

And here's the interview ( I lost about 3 minutes of audio, but you can read Bradley's thoughts on his website www.bradleyhughesgolf.com):

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"Tiger's Swing Changes 2010" an analysis by Dan Whittaker

Today we have an in depth analysis of Tiger's new swing conducted by our friend Dan Whittaker.




For more information you can reach Dan at: danwhittaker@btconnect.com

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Ken Venturi

Here's Ken Venturi, one of the great sportsmen in all of Golf. Ken had the distinct privilege of being mentored by the two greatest golfers that ever lived (In my opinion), Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. Legend has it that Ken is the only person living that actually knows Ben Hogan's secret (If you believe there was one). Let's listen as Ken tells one of his great stories.

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Young Guns, Matteo Manaserro

Today we're going to start looking at some of the up and coming stars in the world of Professional Golf. Let's begin with Matteo Manaserro. At the age of 17 Matteo has accomplished more than most accomplish in 2 careers. He's got that funny Paula Creamer/Natalie Gulbis drop through impact, but who cares. The kid's got game and he's only going to get better.

As the commentator says,"Matty Bravisimo!"



The above videos is a compilation of others' Youtube videos, if your video was used and you would like credit for it, please email me. There were too many to list here.


Here's his bio from wikipedia:


Matteo Manassero (born 19 April 1993) is an Italian professional golfer. He is the youngest golfer to win a European Tour event.

Manassero was born in Negrar, in the Province of Verona.[1] In 2009, at the age of 16, he became the youngest ever winner of the British Amateur Championship, defeating England's Sam Hutsby in the final.[2] The win qualified him for the 2009 Open Championship, where, playing alongside Tom Watson and Sergio García in the first two rounds, he made the cut and won the silver medal as leading amateur. He eventually finished tied for 13th place.[3]

Manassero topped the World Amateur Golf Rankings on 30 December 2009[4] and remained number 1 for 18 weeks, until he was removed from the rankings upon turning professional.[5]

On 9 April 2010, Manassero beat Bobby Cole's record, which lasted since 1967, to become the youngest player ever to make the cut at the Masters Tournament, at 16 years and 11 months and 22 days. Manassero was nearly two years younger than Cole was when he made the cut at the 1967 Masters. Manassero announced that he would turn professional shortly after the Masters and about two weeks after his 17th birthday. He made his professional debut at the BMW Italian Open.[6] He officially turned pro on 3 May 2010.[7] His first win came on 24 October 2010 at the Castelló Masters Costa Azahar in Valencia, Spain, where he triumphed by four strokes over Ignacio Garrido. The victory made him the youngest ever winner on the European Tour, surpassing the record set by Danny Lee at the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic.[8] The victory also secured his full European Tour playing privileges for the next two seasons. Manassero posted another very strong result when he tied for second in the 2010 UBS Hong Kong Open, one stroke behind winner Ian Poulter. He won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year in 2010

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Ben Hogan at his best

Here some interesting footage of pre accident-post secret (if you believe there was a secret) Hogan, "Power Golf Hogan" as we like to call him around here.

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Review: Sean Foley's "The Next Generation" DVD

Today we have Justin Tang's Review of Sean Foley's new DVD, "The Next Generation".

Next Generation Review…



With all the hype of Sean Foley being appointed as Tiger’s new messiah behind this DVD, the initial presentation certainly lived up to it. If one is into pure marketing, presentation and of course credibility, the first 2 minutes will hit the sweet spot so to speak.



The nuts and bolts begin with Sean opening by saying that the DVD is the product of 25 years of playing and 16 years of teaching. Sean is honest by giving credit where credit is due by thanking those whom he learnt from. He is also upfront in saying that he doesn’t pretend to know everything that is right, but he knows what is wrong. Very refreshing honesty compared to other DVDs or pros that I have reviewed or spoken to.



The lesson proper begins with an explanation of the ball flight laws, which happens to be almost in line with the new D-Plane laws – read Trackman.



Sean does really well in demonstrating his great looking swing and crisp impact very early on in the video. Most golf pros get into trouble by talking too much too early on without any concrete demonstrations leaving the viewer uninterested. Sean certainly baits the viewer and leaves them wanting more.



A golf pro who talks without being able to demonstrate is just that, a good talker. In golf instruction, if one cannot demonstrate, how does the viewer know that you really understand what you are saying. If you cannot demonstrate, it means you cant teach yourself. If you cant teach yourself, how can you teach others?



Lesson #1 is really simple. The ball starts perpendicular to where the clubface is at separation and then curves in relation to whatever path you are swinging.



Lesson #2 is titled the Reaction Position or where the body is. Sean correctly identifies that though players all look different in the setup due to different body design, fundamentally they are the same…ready to make a “ballistic movement”. Sean intersperses his description of a correct setup with the occasional “what it feels like” – certainly very helpful for the golfer following the DVD at home.



His first drill is the balance drill, which is easily done with a couple foam pads that one can cheaply procure from Walmart. This drill is very cleverly designed in that it incorporates learning psychology. A more advanced version of this drill is also introduced where one is told to stand on half a balance ball. No magic bullets here…just good old fashioned hard work till your body learns the correct feel of proper mechanics.



Lesson #3, The Takeaway. Sean acknowledges that the backswing is the signature of most players. Think about your four ball partner Fred as he hits on the adjacent fairway. I am sure you can recognize that backswing.



Here, Sean covers the sequence of the backswing and doesn’t complicate it with explanations of on-planeness. Instead there is a very simple feel he teaches, mainly that of a very light feeling clubhead on the takeaway. There is a drill here that reinforces this point. I would ignore his comments about the shaft being on plane here.



The next drill in the lesson is very standard MORAD, Stack and Tilt – towel under armpits to promote connection. Mac O’Grady teaches another variation with tees under the armpit. By the way, Vijay Singh hurt himself with a glove under his left armpit sometime back while hitting balls.



Lesson #4 – The Top. Sean advocates a stationary head and a steep shoulder turn. According to Sean, this allows maintenance of tilt and spine angle. It is here that the first graphics start appearing which gives the viewer a very clear sense of what to look for. He says that lateral motion occurs in the golf swing, just not the backswing. One cant help but feel a very strong S&T influence. Sean hits the nail on the head when he says golfers should try to minimize movements in the golf swing so that manipulations and compensations are kept to a minimum. The result should then be more consistently solid shots.



The Glove Drill for lesson 4 is de riguer for most of Sean’s guys. This is to further ingrain the connection between arms and body. Sean reminds the viewer to build up continuously from lesson 1.



Lesson #5 – The Downswing. Sean’s key here is to squash a tomato under your left foot as you start which promotes a linear and lateral shift. In my honest opinion, I think this oversimplifies the downswing. Most amateurs attempting this move will also allow their head to drift left towards the ball, promoting an over the top action.

This would be a death move for most amateurs, reason being that with the steep backswing Sean promotes, most players would have their weight ALREADY left. Kinda hard to squash tomatoes when they are already squashed. Definitely an advanced players move. Perhaps Sean would do better by offering another “feel tips” since feelings are SO subjective.


Sean also says that after squashing tomatoes, the arms automatically drop. For most amateurs, its anything but automatic. Again, this is an advanced player’s move / feel.

Most players instead of thinking squashing tomatoes, should be thinking of a gentle rotation of the left knee parallel to the base line of the swing.



The 1st drill in this lesson is the Step Drill and does not resemble anything that is being taught in this lesson due to the amount of lateral slide in the drill. This drill simply is the non-running version of Happy Gilmore.



The 2nd drill is the left heel up drill – think Jack Nicklaus’ backswing. Unless you actually swing like this, the drill wont be of any use in your actual swing since you are not doing it – if you get my drift. This should be taught as an actual move rather than a drill.



Lesson 6 – Impact. Great explanation of why the ball flies like it does. Off the bat, Sean clarifies that to get the ball up, you gotta hit down. He explains what proper impact looks like and if one practices and memorizes the impact position, one might have a better chance of getting there on an actual swing.



The drill to improve impact is called the low point drill – no doubt familiar to Bobby Clampett followers and TGM devotees. Your low point is 3-4 inches of your ball position, so the idea is to “get” your clubhead into the ground at low point.



What self respecting pro teach impact without an impact bag, so the next drill is demonstrated with an impact bag. The emphasis here is to strike the bag with the hands forward of the clubhead. Certainly not new stuff.



Lesson 7 is sexily called Exit Strategy, which is more appropriate in investments rather than a golf follower through. The gist here is to turn through while getting taller, due to the squashing tomatoes move. Again, I am not so sure if amateurs actually need to get down first with the tomatoes and then get taller. However, the great camera angle as Sean stripes one shows a very “professional” trajectory that most amateurs would be hard pressed to ignore.



The knockdown drill is presented to teach the Exit Strategy. Sean talks about the need to allow the club to follow the arc. What would be useful is an illustration of what the arc is. Unless you hang around Gotham Golf blog or GolfWRX during your free time, you wont have a clue. Again, advanced players stuff.



The next drill in this segment is the Gary Player drill. Think of this as an extension of the step drill. Supposedly, this drill helps you get into a good impact position and off your right side. If Gary Player used to do this, who are we to say that its not effective?

But again, different strokes for different folks…one man’s meat is another’s poison – this drill can also easily ingrain excessive rotation early in the swing in an attempt to get over to the left side.



Sean gets generous next and gives a bonus drill called Cadence. Again, I think he tries to get a little too cute by deviating from standard golf jargon. Cadence means rhythm right? Sean says that he learnt the drill from Tiger when he warms up. The key is hitting shots beginning from 10% of your available speed upwards to 90%.



Bonus 2 is the lead foot drill adapted from Ernest Jones where you hit balls off the left foot. Sean says that standing on one leg improves tilt and balance, hence better ball striking. I would also add that standing on the left leg forces a pivot around the left hip which is the correct motion instead of a pivot around the right knee.



Bonus 3 is the left arm only drill. Shadow drills with only the left arm, which is supposed to teach you the pulling motion of the left arm.



Bonus 4 – ok this bonus thing is getting overused, its called overstaying your welcome. The trick in golf and life is always to keep em’wanting more, but that’s a topic for another time.



You guessed…after the left arm drill comes the right arm drill. Again shadow drill with just the right arm. This is one of the better drills in the DVD as it forces the pivot to keep going post impact which prevents pivot stall.



Bonus 5 – The Downhill drill. Here for me is where the DVD just goes downhill and I cant wait to switch it off. The average human attention span as I read on the internet is about 45 minutes. As the name suggests, you practice shadow swings on a downhill lie. Helps the hands stay low and long through impact…and probably a round house move too.



Yes, Bonus Drill 6…I mean, I paid for the DVD, so what bonus are we talking about? You mean this isn’t supposed to be there in the first place? I think golf will be better without all this marketing quackery.



In this drill, you are supposed to stop at the top for 2-3 seconds (make sure your buddy is there to count for you) then you start kinetically from the ground up…whatever that means.



Bonus Drill 7 is how to practice and in honest opinion should have been bonus #1. The standard verbiage most pros are apt to tell you so nothing earth shattering. If anything, its just a good reminder.



Bonus Drill 8 explains the difference between a driver and iron swing. Sean does really well here when he states up front that the different “look” in the two swings stem from the length of club and setup dictated by those specs. So really, what Sean is saying that there is only one swing, but that they look different due to optics.



Bonus Drill 9…chipping setup. Again chronologically, I thought this would have been at the start of the DVD. The key to a decent golf swing is progression from the shortest swing to the longest swing. Simply said, if you can’t run a mile, you wont be able to run a marathon.



Bonus Drill 10…left hand only drill for chipping. I don’t even want to comment here. I am sure you can guess. In my honest opinion, the rational for one armed drills is to build strength in your arms. When your arms are stronger, the club will feel like a feather when both hands are being used. This will result in more control and a better swing.



Bonus Drill 11…wedge distance control. Nothing alarmingly new. Its basically an expansion of what Dave Pelz teaches with new names for the positions.



Bonus Drill 12…Flop shot. Standard instruction.



Bonus Drill13. Utility chip. Basically a chip with a hybrid.



Bonus Drill 14. Path drill. Putting Drill. Ditto with Bonus 15. I think one would be better off getting Stan Utley’s material on putting. These drills seem to be included as an afterthought.



Just when you thought the bonus drills wont end…the count stops at 15.



The next segment of the DVD shows clips of Sean’s players being interviewed and sessions of Sean coaching the players. Interesting footage for those keen in the life of a PGA Tour pro on the range. First up is Hunter Mahan, then Sean O’Hair and the Trinidadian Stephen Ames.





The underlying theme of the feature is that the players have “no questions” with Sean’s teaching. This would stem from Sean’s style of analysing before prescription. Also the fact that he is able to explain why and what the new changes would do is testament to his understanding of how the swing (and the human body) works.



The key here is when looking for a coach, make sure he is able to explain logically what your lesson will achieve and why. Caveat emptor. The more savvy golfers are, the less shysters will be able to continue fleecing.



The verdict: As highlighted earlier, this DVD is definitely not for a beginner or even an advanced player without a proper understanding of physics and golf instructional jargon.



The video seems to have been hastily put together on the back of Tiger appointing Sean as coach – I could be wrong on this, this is just my opinion.



If anything, I view this DVD as not an instructional, but rather it is an inside look into the mind of a very successful golf coach with tour credentials. Oops did I contradict myself when I said this video is for advanced players and then by saying this is not an instructional? Nope…just like Sean is described as a thinker by his players, this DVD will help you start thinking about the state of your swing and hopefully put you on a path of self discovery.

The Gotham Golf Fix Episode 6

Today we're going to reach out to a golfer from the U.K. named James. James is struggling with his swing at the moment and would like some feedback on where he's gone awry.




For information or to contact Dan Whittaker you can email him at: danwhittaker@btconnect.com

Hit em Straight

Tiger Woods 2008 US Open

Here's a shot by shot of Tiger's 2008 US Open Final round. There are a couple of things to note here.
First, Tiger won this major on one leg. So, despite all the Method and Guru Punditry the bottom line is this; "Golfers win golf tournaments not golf swings". This phrase was coined by Billy Mckinney on his blog. Good players know how to win with their C games. It's all about tenacity and grind. If Tiger putts like Tiger, he we will win majors and it won't matter if he hits it in the parking lot.
The reason Hogan was so good was because he had an ability to focus on the task at hand and was not distracted by anything else going on (including his own physical ailments). When Tiger was at his best he exemplified this trait and when he had all the drama going on, it showed. Heart, mental toughness and the sheer will to win will mask many mechanical flaws. If you look back on some of my posts you'll find Charlie Owens, who won twice on tour while swinging cross-handed with a severe case of the yips. Charlie was a Stone Cold Hustler who played out of Marine Park in Brooklyn.

The second thing to note is the third shot on 18. Watch how the ball reacts as it hits the green.That ball was hit out of the primary rough which leads me to believe that there is no such thing as a flier anymore. I think that was the shot that put him in a position to win the U.S. Open

Hit em Straight

Winter Drills

Our friend and follower Jim M. has contributed a winter drill video, which may be useful to those who are snowbound like I am. Here's the introduction:

The rest of the video may be found HERE

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John Erickson part 2

Here's part 2 of my chat with John "Lagpressure" Erickson:



For more information on John and his techniques, please visit:

www.advancedballstriking.com

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John Erickson

I recently had the chance to catch up with our friend John "Lagpressure" Erickson of www.advancedballstriking.com and it led to an interesting conversation.
Enjoy:

Part II tomorrow
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