Interview with John Dunigan

As promised here's my interview with John Dunigan. I got an echo the first few minutes but hang in there we fix later.



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The Match

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Tiger's Amateur Career

Here's a compilation of perhaps the best Amateur career since Bobby Jones:




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Peter Senior an analysis by John Erickson

I've always been a big fan of the Australiasian Tour and I've been watching and recording tournaments going back to the early 90's. One of the things that fascinated me was the wide variety of stroke patterns and all their idiosyncrasies. Everybody seemed to have their own individual style which worked for them. People like Rodger Davis, Lucas Parsons, Peter Senior and even Greg Norman. The one thing they all had in common was the fact that they were dynamic-effective motions.
In my interview with Brad Hughes, he pointed out that in those days there wasn't any proper tuition, therefore most of the Pros were self taught. The one swing we at Gotham Golf Blog are most fascinated with at the moment is Peter Senior. We've posted his swing in the past and got a wide variety of opinions as to what makes it tick. Today we've asked our friend John Erickson to provide us with his point of view. John has spent a great deal of time studying Peter's swing and has competed against him in Australia. This swing is a classic case of beauty being in the eyes of the beholder.

Here's John:



For more information about John and his philosophies please visit his site at:

www.advancedballstriking.com

Here's some recent footage of Mr. Senior:



Here's some more, this is from the 97 Australian Masters;



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Dr. Cary Middlecoff

Here's some great footage from our friend Fernando Cano, I believe this footage was filmed by his father Pepe Cano who was an avid golfer in Mexico. Fernando lives in Spain and has been kind enough to make this footage available to the rest of us for our enjoyment and analysis.
The swing below belongs to Dr. Cary Middlecoff, a Dentist who gave up his practice to become a Professional Golfer. Dr. Middlecoff went on to win 2 U.S. Opens and one Green Jacket.
We're in a day and age when people want to talk about restriction of movement and limiting planes. I say we should watch the "Oldtimers" and learn from them. Cary's pivot reminds me of Byron Nelson with the enormous leg drive and the use of ground forces to propel his swing (even on pitch shots). Byron described it as his "Rocking Chair" move,  many would classify this as a "caddy dip", but I say it's better than the upper body lunge we see at all the local golf courses.You know, the swing is started from the top and what happens next is anybody's guess.

Once again I'd like to thank Fernando Cano for his selflessness:





This one is hot off the presses from our good friend Bradley Hughes:



There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Byron Nelson had a huge influence over the development of Dr. Middlecoff's swing. Here's how Byron described it:




Here's a great story I never get tired of reading:


It was written in the early 70's, by Murray Olderman:

(Cary Middlecoff pictured right)

Ken Rogers doesn't blink an eye about Jack Nicklaus soaring to a quarter of a million dollars in golf earnings. Hell, Ken made almost that in one weekend when a dollar was worth 100 cents and not 22. In the histories of golf, you'll seldom find the name Ken Rogers, though in his really active days he held 23 course records. One reason is, he never turned pro. But Cary Middlecoff, the trained dentist who won the U.S. Open and remains prominent as a commentator, remembers Ken Rogers. They met in February, 1940. Ken was an Air Force officer stationed in Orlando, Florida. Rogers had been introduced to golf exactly a decade before when, through Walter Hagen, he met the immortal Bobby Jones. " You better have the right clubs," said Bobby, "if you're going to play." He immediately presented Ken with a set of his clubs. At 2:00 o'clock Saturday morning Rogers was awakened from his sleep by a friend calling from Memphis. "Come on up heah," said the friend. " There's a 20 year old kid just graduated from dental school, been beating everyone' around heah. You got to play him. See you in the mawnin'." Thanks to the Air Force, Ken arrived early Saturday and went out in a foursome playing a $100 Nassau, with Rogers matched for $500 against the young dentist. It was Cary Middlecoff. Rogers and his Partner won handily and Ken won his match. They played 9 more holes for $1500, and Cary's backers kept boosting the ante --$2000....---$3000--and Rogers kept winning. "Middlecoff", he remembers, "never won a nine." It went the same way Sunday morning until by noon, with Nassaus, presses and straight match money, Rogers and his partner totaled their take at $190,000. " There was a real 'norther' blowing by then," recalls Ken, " so I went inside and got a little drunk when a guy tells me that Middlecoff's mistake was having the wrong partner. He'd team with Cary and play us for $10,000. I looked outside and said 'I wouldn't walk out there for less than $25,000', He said, 'you're on'. "Off we go, with me half drunk. By the 15th. hole we were 3 down, and my partner had his ball in a shallow creek off the green. He wants to pick it up. I said , 'Go ahead and hit it.' A lefthander with a 16-handicap, he hacks at it, cuts the ball almost in two, and it goes in. Now we're two down with three to go. I say, 'Let's press 'em'. We come to the 18th. and we've got to win it to collect. Middlecoff hits one less than a foot from the hole. I pull my shot off the green. My partner says, 'Let's give it to 'em.' I shake my head. I chip and the ball goes in--they measured it at 68 feet. "Cary's putt is 11 inches. My partner wants to concede it. 'Naw' I insist, 'let him hit it.' No ones ever putted before in the history of golf for $25,000. He stood over the ball for 10 minutes. He bought the club back 6 inches, tapped , and the ball moved half an inch. With the press, we went away from there with $240,000 that weekend, all of it in nice green cash."

Now for the record:

$240,000.00 in 1940 had about the same buying power as $3,701,982.86 in 2010.

Annual inflation over this period was about 3.99%.


Ken Rogers went on to found Shamrock Golf.
For Cary Middlecoff's Biography click Here


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The Paul Bertholy Moe Norman connection

We're going to continue our research into Moe Norman, today we'll look at the connection between Paul Bertholy and Moe.

(Moe Norman in bed studying Paul Bertholy's Manual)

I lost some audio near the end so forgive me.

Moe enjoying a round of Golf with Doug Ferreri

Moe pictured with Doug Ferreri and a Student

To purchase your own copy of Paul Bertholy's Manual please visit: (click on the link)

www.paulbertholy.com

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Tiger Woods vs Jerry Courville 1996 US Amateur

Here's Tiger Woods in his match against MGA Legend Jerry Courville. The days of the real Amateur are gone, I doubt you'll ever see a working man ever win the Amateur. Today it's another NCAA event.




A Brief Bio of Jerry Courville



Jerry grew up in a golf family and began playing at age 7. His home course, Shorehaven G.C., would host a lot of his early rounds learning the game. His talent and inspiration came from his father, Jerry Courville Sr., who was a dominant amateur player winning numerous tournaments including the Met Open, the IKE (6 times), the Met Amateur, and the Northeast Amateur. He would have the Metropolitan Golf Association's "Player of the Year" award named after him which his son would go on to win. Jerry Courville Jr. had a solid relationship with his father, his mentor and best friend, as well as the game of golf.

Jerry won his first tournament, the CT Junior, at age 16. This would be the start of a string of wins as an amateur, including the CT Amateur, 3 wins in the Met Amateur and IKE, and top finishes in the U.S. Amateur. Courville won the U.S. Mid Amateur in 1995 and made trips to the 1995 U.S. Open and The Masters in 1996. He is also a two time Walker Cup player, in 1995 as Tiger Woods' teammate and in 1997 with a record 4-2 finish. Jerry holds the USGA record for most match play wins in U.S. Mid Amateur history and consecutive years qualifying for match play in the U.S. Amateur along with two local course records.

Some of Jerry's Accomplishments

Winner of the 2009 CT Sr. Open, Shennecossett Golf Club, Groton, CT
28th Place, 2009 U.S. Senior Open, Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel, IN
Winner of the 2007 Western Mass. Open at Crumpin-Fox Club
2003 Connecticut Mid Amateur Champion
6 time IKE Team Champion for Shorehaven Golf Club
4 time Hochster Champion, Quaker Ridge CC, Scarsdale, NY
Won the Crump Cup at Pine Valley Golf Club
Former Connecticut Amateur Champion (stroke play and Match Play)
3 time winner of the Metropolitan Amateur Championship (1995, 1997, 1998)
3 time winner of the IKE stroke play championship (1990, 1991, 1997)

U.S. Amateur Events

1989 Semifinalist, 1995 Medalist
2000 and 2003 Quaterfinalist

U.S. Mid-Amateur Events

1995 Champion, 1996 Medalist, 1999 and 2002 Finalist, 1993 and 1997 Semifinalist
1992 and 2003 Quarterfinalist



Champions Tour Q-School, 2009 Finals, TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ
Champions Tour Q-School, 2008 Finals, TPC Eagle Trace, Coral Springs, FL
Champions Tour Q-School, Qualified for Finals 2008/2009 Metro West Golf GC, Orlando, FL
2003 New England Amateur Player Of The Year
Holds USGA record for most match play wins in U.S.Mid-Amateur history.
Qualified for 14 U.S. Mid-Amateurs
Qualified for 16 U.S. Amateurs, qualified for match play last 10 years (modern record)
Compiled 8 USGA metals, most by any active amateur
6 time Metropolitan Golf Association Player Of The Year
6 time Connecticut Player Of The Year
Course Records at Shorehaven G.C. (62) and Mill River G.C. (61)
1998 Metropolitan Golf Writers Family Of The Year
1996 U.S. World Amateur Team
Played in 1996 Masters, Augusta National G.C.
1995 and 1997 U.S. Walker Cup Team 2001 Alternate for U.S. Walker Cup Team
Qualified for 1995 U.S. Open - Shinnecock Hills G.C.


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Gary Woodland

Here's some good footage from our friend in Hawaii, Kelvin Miyahira:






I love the downswing action as described by John Dochety HERE

Remember, Gary has the only recorded ball speed exceeding 200 MPH.

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Catching up with ABS's John Erickson

Here's a small chat I had with our friend John Erickson:



Here's John's swing, one thing I really admire is his passive hand attitude at the top and through his transition.



Here are Brandel's stats, I think I exaggerated slightly (click to enlarge)

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Payne Stewart's Classic Golf Swing

“It seems obvious to me that writing about the golf swing has become too technical and complicated, and even the most earnest teaching professional presents the game to his pupil as a far more difficult thing than it really is. It is equally obvious that what the game needs if it is to continue to grow in popularity is a simplification of teaching routines which will present a less formidable aspect to the beginner, and offer to the average player a rosier prospect of improvement.”

Bobby Jones - Golf is my game 1960

Payne Stewart has come to epitomize the word "Smooth" when it comes to the Golf Swing. His syrupy stroke encompassed the best ideals of Rhythm and Tempo. I consider him a modern day Sam Snead and his stroke has become a representation of what Bobby Jones described as "Freewheeling" through impact.
Here's a video I put together composed of some youtube clips and some highlights from the 1998 US Open at Olympic.




Here's what Gregg McHatton had to say about him:

We lost a great ambassador of golf in 1999. He was in many ways our most significant tie to the legendary swings of the past. I think we sometimes forget the very significant influence that Bobby Jones had on modern golf. Payne Stewart made the swing that might be seen as the bridge from the classic swing to the modern, swing. I am not so sure that the classic swing is not the swing that most golfers should use today.

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Pablo Larrazabal, young gun

I'm always fascinated by what appears to be unconventional yet yields the desired results. The first question you have to ask yourself is "Who defines conventional"?
There are people who become World Class Golfers by drowning out the Dogma and listening to that inner voice, the inner voice that tells them, "Watch the Target" and then asks them," what's the trajectory?...what's the curvature?...are you hitting it off the center of the clubface?" Those are the important questions that need to be answered.
Take the case of Pablo Larrazabal, a world class golfer with a funky looking action.
What's even more interesting is that given his golfing pedigree, his swing would wind up looking like this.
That being said, keep your eye on this kid:



Here's an analysis by TPI's Dave Phillips:



And yet another from Golf Performance Center Barcelona:



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Gettin er Done

I wonder if Ray Floyd spent more time working on his backswing plane or Depositing checks.






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Kevin Na on Puting Tempo

Here's something from one of the best putters on Tour:



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My time with "The Hat" in Valencia Part 4

Here's a funny one. First I convince Gregg that I lifted him with his arms (didn't you used to be down). Later on, Gotham Golfer Richard B. is so happy he's going to meet me that he tries to drive his golf cart across the creek in the back ground.




Here's a swing update (about a month ago).



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John Dunigan, "Ball Flight Lesson"

Here's John Dunigan with a Ball Flight Lesson.




We should be hearing from John shortly, so stand by.

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Dustin Garza by Dan Whittaker

Here's Dan analyzing his student, Nationwide Tour Player Dustin Garza.




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Interview with Andrew Rice

Today we're going to hear from somebody I consider a "Person to Watch". I have his book and I think it has some outstanding viewpoints when it comes to ballstriking and compression. His name is Andrew Rice. Here's the interview:
(there's a bit of an echo, so forgive me)



To learn more about Andrew and his Philosophies or to purchase his book, please visit:

www.andrewricegolf.com

or

www.itsallaboutimpact.com


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TPI, "How to spin your wedges"

Here are the guys from Titleist performance institute describing how to spin your wedges.







On another Note:

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there.And yet death is the destination we all share.No one has ever escaped it.And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.They somehow already know what you truly want to become.Everything else is secondary.

          .......Steve Jobs
 
Truer words have never been spoken. RIP Mr. Jobs, people like you come around once in a lifetime and I feel blessed to have experienced your contributions. You will be missed.





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The MP 33 project by Chopshop Golf

I have always been a Blades Player, mostly Mizuno and the occasional Wilson Staff (Never been a Hogan fan) and I'm also an avid "Range Rat", so I hit a lot of balls. Anybody who has and plays soft forgings like Mizunos, knows what the clubs start to look like after a while. This was the case with my MP33s, they became worn on the faces, the chrome started to peel and there were some dents on them from hitting into rocks. I came across the guys from "Chopshopgolf" and was amazed by the quality of their work. These guys do everything from Drivers to Irons to Putters and wedges. I reached out to them and we were able to work something out. When I got my irons back, all I could say was WOW!!!

Here's the Process:

1. The irons heads are removed from the shafts.
2. The chrome plating is chemically removed.
3. The heads are sanded, buffed and polished.
4. The scoring area of each head is media blasted.
5. The heads are cleaned and degreased.
6. The heads are then treated to a dip in the "Hot Process" Black Oxide tanks.
7. Custom Paint fill is applied (you choose colors).
8. Clubheads are re-installed.

DURABILITY OF FINISH:

Black Oxide Finish

As far as the durability on all of my finishes, they are all equally the same and in time they will wear. How much they will wear can depend on many factors such as how you play, do you take a large divots or small divots, if the course is heavily fertilized, and if you wipe down the clubs after use and apply oil on them. Raw carbon steel heads are susceptible to rusting and should never be left damp.

The main thing to realize with our finishes is that there is a little maintenance involved. By going to one of our finishes the advantage is that the club will feel softer and that will allow you to play with a harder ball if you want to and still keep the original feel. It also allows for better control around the greens, mainly because of the increased feel a raw carbon steel club brings.

CARE OF FINISH:

Carbon Steel is susceptible to oxidization if they are left damp. To help preserve the finish of your club, I suggest that you follow these simple steps:

After use, wipe your clubs with a silicone cloth. If you don’t have a silicone cloth you can simply apply baby oil to a clean dry cloth and wipe it down.
If playing in an overly fertilized course it is recommended to wipe down your clubs after each hole. And of course at the end of the round use the silicone cloth.
It is also recommended to never leave your clubs in damp conditions
Following these easy steps will help preserve and maintain your investment.

Below is a link to their facebook page, I suggest you give it a click and check out some of their other work, I would highly recommend them.

Chopshopgolf

Moe Norman Chat with Mark Evershed

We at Gotham Golf Blog are interested in studying and learning from the Great Ballstrikers, putters and short game magicians throughout the history of the game. We would fail in our duties if we were to overlook one of the greatest never to prosper on the PGA tour. He has been described as  Bedouin, a savant, autistic, retarded, a genius and a maniac. Regardless of what the popular opinion was as to his behavior, the overwhelming consensus is that he was probably the Straightest Hitter that ever lived..... That man is Moe Norman.
We've once again called on our good friend Mark Evershed to share some insight into some of the inner workings of Moe. Mark knew Moe since he was 10 years old and many consider him to be the person who has spent the most amount of time with Mr. Norman.

For those not familiar with Moe's anecdotes here's a brief video from the guys at Drambuie with some background.



Here is our discussion:




I borrowed some youtube footage from Jango00 and Hogansquest

Here's a home video shot by our friend Martin Chuck, where Mark chimes in on Moe's technique:




For more information on Mark and his Philosophies please visit his website:
www.lagandload.com


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Jordan Spieth an analysis by Dan Whittaker

Here's Dan with some thoughts on Amateur Phenom Jordan Spieth's Golf Swing.



And here's his bio from Wikipedia:

Jordan Spieth (born July 27, 1993) is an American amateur golfer, and the only golfer other than Tiger Woods to have won the U.S. Junior Amateur multiple times.[1] Before turning 18 in July 2011, Spieth was number one in the Polo Golf Rankings, which determines the best junior golfers in the United States.[2] Spieth, the 2009 and 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, finished third in the 2009 Junior PGA Championship.[3] As a result of his efforts that year, the American Junior Golf Association named him the Rolex Junior Player of the Year in 2009.[4]

Spieth accepted an exemption to play in the PGA Tour's 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship. It was the event's first amateur exemption since 1995.[5] The tournament's previous exemptions had included Trip Kuehne in 1995, and Justin Leonard and Tiger Woods in 1993.[5] Spieth made the cut, becoming the sixth-youngest player to make the cut at a PGA Tour event.[6] Spieth was tied for 7th place after the third round, and finished the tournament in a tie for 16th place.[7] He was offered another exemption into the tournament in 2011, when he again made the cut and finished in a tie for 32nd.[8]

Spieth attended Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, Texas.[5] He has committed to play college golf at the University of Texas at Austin.[9] He was an integral member of the 2011 Walker Cup team. He played in three of the four rounds, halving his foursomes match and winning both singles matches.[10]

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