This post will provide a slight variation on Hogan’s original ‘plane of glass’ concept – a variation that is a lot easier to visualize and execute. While the original credit goes to an instructor in India that I worked with, I did find reference to this variation in books written in the U.S.

The Swing Plane

Ben Hogan popularized the idea of a plane on which the arms swing – as the shoulder turns. This plane is  best visualized as a plane of glass resting on your shoulders (see first image below).  As per Hogan, the entire swing needs to stay BENEATH this plane – any ‘crossing’ of the plane (by hands, arms or shoulders) will shatter the glass.

A very cool visual, you will agree – and one that has helped tons of golfers – amateurs and pros alike. The concept makes sense  because the golf swing isn’t just purely rotational (like baseball) – and isn’t a pure up-down motion either. It is a combination of a rotational motion and an up-down motion – which can only happen on an inclined plane.

Hogan may not have been the first to realize this concept of a swing plane , but his visual was one of the most effective aids in popularizing it.

The DOUBLE PLANE of GLASS

While I came across this double-plane of glass idea while getting instruction in India, I found out that there was at least one reference to this idea, outside of my personal coaching knowledgebase. Sometime later, somewhere in my expansive golf library, I did discover that there was a book where Josh Zander, a professional golfer, had also mentioned something along the same lines.

Basically, in addition to the Hogan plane of glass resting on your shoulder, think of another plane of glass – this one passing through your mid-section (mid riff).

Now that you have these two planes of glass visualized, your entire swing (backswing and downswing) needs to stay ‘in between’ these planes.

Sounds simple? It is!  And the results are simply amazing! Swinging between the planes means that your clubface will make center-face contact with the ball – which is the true secret behind getting distance. Most amateurs lose distance because they rarely make contact with the sweet spot on the clubface.  Just striking the golf ball (an extremely LIGHT WEIGHT object) with the center of the clubface, will get it launched like a missile!

So – remember, backswing through (between) the two planes (see the image on the right) – and the downswing should automatically also stay between the same two planes. That’s all there is to it. If you can do this, you will hit it as far – and as straight – as the pros.

Hogan’s Plane of Glass	Double plane of glass

Setup – so that your double plane is ‘connected’

Instructors, in the olden days, would talk about ‘connectedness’. The left arm needs to ‘feel’ connected to the left upper body as the arm swings back. Amateurs, all too often, lose this connection, causing a loss of power, and a complete misalignment with the correct swing plane. For the ‘two planes of glass’ swing as well, this concept is as true – in order for your swing to stay IN BETWEEN the two planes of golf (image on the right), you HAVE to keep your left arm connected to the left chest. 

TAKEAWSY TIP – Point your left shoulder tip – and your left upper arm directly at the ball. The left upper arm should feel ‘connected’ to the left rib cage (which is where the second plane of glass rests). Practice a mini-takeaway – one where your left shoulder PULLS the left ribcage along with it. If you can do this successfully, all you need to do is continue this motion – along the midriff line.

Swing – Turn your sternum behind ball

The objective of the backswing is to get your weight transferred to your right side – while maintaining the plane of the golf swing. What is meant by weight transfer – and how exactly does one accomplish it?   The way you hit a strong tennis forehand (or backhand) is by turning your sternum behind the ball.  That turn provides you with the weight transfer to the back foot – and primes your upper body to unleash through the ball.

It is no different in golf. The main goal is to turn your sternum behind the ball.  While that may sound simple, in golf, it is important to not leave any other part or the golf club behind. That is – the arms should not be left behind as the sternum executes it’s turn.  Neither should the golf club. And as long as you keep your upper arm connected to your chest, you will be okay – your  arms will be forced to move along with the turning sternum. And the club will stay between the planes provided you don’t lose your grip pressure (as a matter of fact, your grip pressure should tighten slightly as you swing the club back. This is natural and encouraged). 

Once your sternum is actually turned behind the ball, you will feel a powerful upper body ready to uncoil. This is where the pros get their power from. This is not a forced, disconnected turn – this is a smooth, always connected turn. It actually looks effortless when the pros do it, but make no mistake, they are getting that powerful coil without exerting much effort (since they have perfected the technique).

From here, the downswing should feel automatic.  You need to try and keep it between the planes – but if your forearm has rotated correctly, your downswing will automatically stay between the two planes.

Eye on the ball

One of the things that can go wrong in the execution of the simple swing above, is that the head moves back. It is important to swing beneath a steady head. The best tip I received (again, from an instructor in India) was to keep my left eye glued to the ball. He was okay with my chin rotating back but my left eye needed to stay on the ball. Once I mastered this, I got rid of my occasional head-drift.

Summary

Swing planes revolutionized the teaching of golf – especially what is termed as the modern golf swing (or the athletic golf swing). They modern golf swing is centered around the concept of a ‘plane’ that the shoulders turn on – and that the arms need to stay UNDER. If the arms ever CROSS this imaginary plane, they will shatter the plane of glass that is gently resting on the shoulders.

What this post describes is not the Hogan plane of glass,  but an extension of that original, powerful concept. This extension is a technique that very few golf instructors (and believe me, I’ve tried over two dozen) speak of. Having once learned it from an instructor in India (and rediscovered in some US based books), I find it more powerful than Hogan’s original idea. It is a more powerful visualization to try and keep the swing BETWEEN two planes – than it is to keep it UNDER a single plane of glass. At least for me, it seems to work a lot better.

Try it for yourself and see if it helps your golf swing! Happy golfing – and keep it in the short grass!

Appendix – A side-note on One Plane Swing vs. Two Plane Swing

There are entire books written on whether the backswing and the downswing plane are the same (one plane swing) or they are different (two plane swing). I really find the one-plane swing theory flawed. 

If humans had JUST ONE leg about which to swing – it might have been possible to have a one-plane swing. With two legs, your backswing uses the right leg as an anchor (and the right shoulder line as the axis of rotation), whereas the downswing uses the left foot as the stabilizer and the left shoulder line as the axis of rotation. These (right shoulder and left shoulder) are two different AXES of rotation – hence, two different planes for the backswing and the downswing!

I see no way that a two footed human could have a ONE PLANE swing!

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Recently, the golf channel’s ‘School of Golf’ did an episode (Season 2017, Chapter 4 – Solid Contact) where Martin Hall discusses his number one way to get back to solid contact. It involves placing two tees on the ground – building a ‘gate’ through which one must try to swing the clubhead. Does this technique sound familiar?

It should, if you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time. I have been promoting this technique for the past 15 years – and have used it in my own instructional sessions as well. As far as I know, NO OTHER coach has discovered this method for the simple reason that it was discovered and forgotten over 90 years ago.

And as far as I know, I originally proposed  using two tees as a simplified version of the gate, instead of the elaborate device mentioned in the original text (by J. Douglas Edgar).

So definitely, when Martin Hall starts talking about creating a ‘gate’ by placing two tees on the ground, that rings of plagiarism. At the very least, the Golf Channel needed to acknowledge their source of information.

Okay – thanks for reading through my rant.  How do you get your swing back, in the shortest possible time?

As winter turns to Spring, the golfing itch starts to bother most golfers.  You are eager to go out and play a few holes  – but have been out of touch with your swing. Is there a way you can rapidly get your swing back?

What saves me time and time again is a simple technique that lets one focus on the main objective – solid impact – as opposed to the correct stance, posture, swing path and what not. These are all great things for the intermediate to advanced golfer to work on, but for an absolute beginner, talking about swing paths is a bit heavy.

Quick Swing Fix 1 – The Gate to Golf, Two tees in the ground

This technique was discussed in detail in several previous posts; but it deserves a recap. Close friends who ask me for a golf initiation lesson, get this simple technique taught in return.

The original gate device	My improvised ‘Tees in the ground’ gate

The innocuous looking device above, with the slightly angled placement of two tees,  is called a ‘gate’. The idea is to present your brain with the imagery to swing through the gate as well as to align your body to the gate prior to the swing.  This may sound very straightforward – and it is, but there are several things that automatically take care of themselves as you try to swing through the gate.

1. The club automatically approaches the ball from inside-out, which is the path that all pro-swings take.
2. Flat wrist on top – If you simply align your flat wrist with the gate (basically left shoulder-tip and left wrist are in a straight line – and both point to 7 O’ Clock). If you can maintain the flat wrist all the way to the top of your backswing, you will have  the perfect top-of-the-backswing position. Look at any pro – the wrist break is lateral – and the flatness of the wrist is maintained.
3. 
4. Your setup, distance from the ball, amount of hip bend etc. are all automatically calculated – as you align your left arm along the gate.  
5. Finally, the greatest advantage of this ‘angled tees on the ground gate’ is the psychological advantage you obtain on the course. On the course, when you do not have the luxury of taking along any training device, the gate can still be your friend.  All you need is the visual of the two angled tees around the ball – and construct a mental image of the gate that you need to swing through.  Lo and behold – all the regular distractions of the golf course – the lie of the ball, the hazards in your way – all just disappear – as you shift your focus to swinging through the gate. I guarantee you, even after a single day of practicing with this gate device, you will play a much more confident round of golf – provided you remember to surround each lie with an imaginary gate.

Quick Swing Fix 2– The Impact Snap

This device, a recent arrival on the golf market, can shorten the learning curve by addressing some of the larger issues that affect most amateurs.

1. Issue 1 – The wrist break – In a previous post, we discussed how all power is the result of a wrist break (and release of the wrists through the ball).  Unless your wrists break correctly, they will not release correctly through impact. This device provides a sound as feedback for the wrist break, which, IMO, is a sound technique to learn the proper wrist break.
2. Issue 2 – Extending the arms through impact. I am a big proponent of extending your arms through the ball – and I utilize that swing thought as often as I can. This device, through an innovative yellow ball, provides the correct hand and arm position at impact. With a little practice, your impact position can look like that of the pros.  If you google this ‘impact snap device videos’, there are some great instructional videos on the correct usage of this device – including a few by it’s inventor.

Once you get the hang of using this device, simply doing the movement for a few minutes before a round of golf, can work wonders.

Summary

Before I discovered these simple techniques,  I used to spend a fortune on lessons – just to get back to where I was a year ago! All of that changed when I discovered ‘The Gate to Golf’ and also, more recently, the ‘Impact Snap’ device. It seriously takes me a day, just a day – on the range with these devices – to get back to solid contact.

Happy Golfing – and do comment, share if you enjoyed this post.

Recommended Reading

This is a short, though highly recommended, read. The author is not your everyday golfer, he was the man to reckon with in his prime, having won multiple PGA tournaments. Tragically, he died young (killed by a jealous husband…., that itself, should pique your curiosity ).

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Synchronize your ARMS Swing and your Shoulder TURN

Too often, amateurs swing their arms faster than they initiate their shoulder turn. Or the reverse – they aggressively turn their shoulders with the arms lagging behind.  And almost without fail, most amateurs will overswing (arms) , under-turn (small shoulder turn) – or a combination of the two.

You will never see a pro do that – A pro starts turning her shoulders just as the left arm starts swinging the club back. Everything together!

Keep the left ELBOW down on the takeaway

Surprisingly, your LEFT elbow (and your right foot) have a lot to do with executing this ‘synchronized’ turn.

If your left elbow keeps pointing to target (as a lot of misleading instruction will suggest), your shoulders will turn on a flat plane. In order for your shoulders to turn on an inclined plane (around your spine), your left elbow NEEDS to point downwards (more accurately, at the target line). Not only will this turn the shoulders on the correct plane, the left elbow will help UNITE your shoulders and your arms. You should feel more connected as you turn back – which will help you synchronize the arms with the shoulders.

The club STAYS between the arms all the way to the top

At address, the club shaft rests between your arms (i.e. it is not outside either the left or the right arm, it is somewhere in between).

The club needs to continue staying between the arms even on the backswing! Keeping the club between the arms will force you to synchronize your shoulder-turn and your arm-swing. If either one tries to overtake the other, the shaft will no longer be ‘in between the arms’. 

This is a key backswing thought, that in itself, will help straighten out your shots.  On the top of the backswing, your shaft should be almost bisecting the two arms (dead center of both arms).

See Jack Nicklaus demonstrate this below:

Practice Tip – Keep your right foot planted

It is difficult, if not impossible, to keep everything in sync if you are constantly losing your balance. Keeping your balance essentially means keeping your right foot planted, as your upper body executes its turn.

   Keeping the right foot planted on the backswing (and the first part of the downswing) – is something that every pro works on. This RIGHT foot planted is a little difficult to achieve for amateurs. I found a good tip on youtube – essentially, place an alignment rod on the ground – running perpendicular to the target line. Place your right foot on this rod – and swing back, keeping your right foot on the rod. If you can keep your foot from rolling off the rod, you will be a step closer to keeping it planted on the backswing and downswing. 

Pause on Top

Several of my coaches asked me to PAUSE on the top of the backswing. This momentary pause need not be an ACTUAL pause – it just needs to be a MENTAL pause. You just need to signal to your brain that the backswing is complete. As you develop a sense of coordinating the arms  (swing) with the shoulders (turn), you will find this ‘completion point’ to be an important aspect of the backswing. This ‘top of the backswing’,  will help you sense if the arms and the shoulders are actually completing the backswing in unison.

This ‘simultaneous completion’ is what you are aiming for – and what every pro executes perfectly on every swing. This is also what makes the backswing look effortless.

Summary

If you can co-ordinate your arm motion with your shoulder motion, you will find yourself making a simple and efficient backswing. You will notice that your arms stop swinging at the same time as the shoulders stop turning. This primes you perfectly at the top; from here the downswing should be automatic. However, a good swing thought is to start your downswing in ONE PIECE as well.

In my opinion, if you master the backswing, you will have mastered the entire golf swing. The downswing is mainly a reflex action to a well executed backswing.  Keeping the right foot planted on the backswing and the first part of the downswing – is a key that will help you accomplish this ‘turning in unison’. It is something that most pros work on – and not something that you will learn without getting an elaborate set of golf lessons!

Keep your right foot planted, turn everything back in unison – so your arms finish the backswing at the same time as the shoulders.

The post Backswing Secrets of the Pros appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.

The primary difference here is that there is NO WRIST BREAK (or a very minimal one, if at all).  With all shots, including bunker saves, the hinging of the wrists helps provide the power through impact (as the wrists unhinge through the ball).

In the Chip and Run, instead of a wrist break, all that is required is a gentle shoulder ‘rocking motion’, while keeping the wrists pretty much out of the action.

The Setup

The setup is so simple – that I was mad at myself for having missed it all these years. All this talk about ‘weight on the front foot’ etc..was all very misleading.

The basic idea is to Open your Hips – open to the target line. 

As you open your hips, your shoulders try to follow. However, you must keep/adjust your shoulders pointing parallel to target line.

This bears repeating – hips are open to target line, shoulders are square to target line. This is the key setup required to hit bump-and-run shots.

That’s all there is to it. The ball needs to be positioned directly opposite your RIGHT foot – not in the center as it would be for pitches or higher lobs. This ball position will ensure that a gentle shoulder sway will catch the ball on the downwards path of the club.

In addition, it helps to grip down on the club and close the clubface slightly – since you are standing much closer to the ball.  

Setup Recap

1. Grip down on the club. Close the clubface slightly.
2. Position the ball opposite your right foot.
3. Open your hips to the target line.
4. Square your shoulders to the target line.

With a little practice, this setup will become second nature to you. Once you master this setup, the actual swing is the simpler part of this shot.

The SWING

As mentioned above, all that one has to do is gently rock the shoulders – back and through – with minimal or no wrist break. Watch Rory illustrate this in the image below. Before you start your shoulder movement, it helps to visualize how far back you want to go (depending on how far the ball needs to travel). Once you have the ‘how far back’ figured out, all you have to do is make your forward stroke the same length. Same length back – same length through! That’s actually a good mantra for all short game shots-  including putting and half/partial wedge shots.

Same length back – same length through  – has saved me on the putting green as often as it has on this basic ‘bump and run’ shot. Especially on those really short, treacherous putts – the 3-6 footers that can run by the hole if you hit them too hard, this simple maxim can be a life saver.

Just remember – only go back far enough to get the ball to the hole – and then, ensure your ‘through stroke’ is the same length (see how Rory ‘holds the finish’ – if you rock your shoulders gently, you should have the same look on your follow-through) .

Getting out of divots and dry lies

An additional advantage of this simple shoulder-based chipping motion is that you can chip out of bad lies as easily as good ones. If your ball is in a divot (or on sandy ground or dry ground or even pine needles…), all you need to do is close the clubface some more. This will ensure that the ball makes solid contact with the center of the clubface – even if the clubface has to ‘dig down’ into the divot a little.

Summary

The basic ‘chip and run’ or bump and run shot in golf – is really just that – very basic. It is also one of the most useful shots – called into play by amateurs and pros alike.

The simplicity of the shot lies in realizing that it is no more than a gentle shoulder ‘rocking motion’ – without any wrist break. To enable solid contact with this shoulder motion, simply place the ball back in your stance and grip down on the club. Your hips need to be opened up to the target line – while keeping your shoulders square.

It works equally well out of crappy (e.g. divot) lies – as it does out of good lies.

Try it out and let me know how your chip and run shots work.

Some Questions and Clarifications

Based on a few questions on this post, here are a few clarifications. 

Q) Which club should I use?

A) Basically, for longer chips, use an 8 iron. For shorter chips, use a PW. For intermediate lengths, use the 9 iron. To get a good idea of how far (the range) that each club will  work for – you will need a little practice.

Q) How much should I grip down on the club?

A) Grip down till your arms feel straight and extended. Your arms should feel ‘like they are fully extended’ –  as your shoulders line up with the target line. The extended arms is what allows your shoulders to engage – and allows you to keep your wrists out of the swing.

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Golf is played between the feet

You may have heard that golf is played between the ears – illustrating just how mentally demanding this game is. However, it is also true that golf is played between the feet – a concept that used to be drilled into players of yore. Jack Nicklaus, Bobby  Hones, Ben Hogan – all time greats – all learned golf as a ‘rocking motion’ from the left to the right foot. This footwork

The Importance of planting the Right Foot, and keeping it planted

It sounds so simple – Keep your right foot planted on the backswing  – and as long as possible on the downswing. One of the key giveaways of an amateur golf swing is that they are  ‘in a hurry’ to hit the ball.

This hurry takes various forms (none of which are good).

One of the forms that this ‘hurried downswing’ takes is that of spinning your hips open too quickly.  In fact, the more athletic you are (tennis, running, baseball etc.), the more prone you will be to this rapid spinning open of hips.

Keep the right foot planted through impact; this will curtail the rapid opening of the hips that is the culprit in a lot of incorrect downswings.

Keep the chin back

A lot of people do not pay attention to their chin. In golf, the swing has to finish under your chin (your backswing finishes when your left shoulder is under your chin). So, chin clearance is important (in fact, this was an important aspect of Tiger’s setup routine – to ensure that the chin was UP before starting his backswing).  At the start of the backswing, the chin does swivel back a bit (in Jack Nicklaus’ case, he started with the chin already swiveled backwards). What this slight swivel does is effectively provide a ‘visual cue’ to your body that your weight needs to move to the right. All that is well and good – and most people can execute this part fairly easily. What happens next is what destroys their beautiful swivel.  In a rush to lunge at the ball, the head moves forward – and the chin loses its pristine position. What you need to remember (in fact, my ONLY downswing thought is this) – Keep the chin exactly where it is throughout your downswing.

This will also ensure that your right foot stays planted – for as long as possible. Try it – and let me know if it doesn’t work. In my case, the ONLY way I lose my planted right foot is if I don’t pay attention to what my head/chin is doing on the downswing. If I can keep my chin back, my right foot stays planted. I like to additionally imagine that my chin is ‘nudged’ gently against my right foot – that way, the chin and the right foot are ‘connected’. If one moves, so does the other.

Golf Pro – Chin Back		Rory – Chin Back

Pros that excel at keeping their right foot planted

Jason Dufner (who also utilizes the  right foot back concept ),  Kenny Perry (picture below), Angel Cabrera are all major winners who excel at keeping their right foot planted. The idea is to keep it planted as long as humanly possible – until the sheer momentum of your turning hips forces it to leave the ground.

Exercises and Training Aids?

Exercises – I highlighted the importance of the king of all exercises, the squat – for a golfer.  However, if squats aren’t your favorite thing, there are some less stressful alternatives. Yoga poses – especially those that involve one foot balancing (eagle, tree, airplane etc.) are very effective in strengthening your foot muscles. Once you are able to stand on one leg for extended periods of time, keeping the right foot planted should come more easily.

Tree Pose		Chair Pose

Training Aids

I cannot believe they discontinued this little gem, but it is ideal for training your foot to stay planted.  It used to be called Tour Foot – but I cannot find it easily online anymore. With spikes that dig in – and stay dug in – this training aid will make sure your foot doesn’t slip or slide.

Summary

I speak from experience – once I made the right foot (grounding of) the focus of my golf swing, it simplified my game a lot.  I always believe in taking no more than one swing thought to the course , whether playing a casual round or an actual competitive round of golf.  The simpler your single swing thought, the more success you will have on the course. For the longest time, the one swing thought that worked for me was ‘Complete your follow through’ (a lot of amateurs quit swinging the club right after impact….).  This served as a simple, yet effective swing thought  – that worked across the board (for chips as well as putts as well as all long shots).

Keeping the right foot planted is in this same genre of simple, yet highly effective, swing thoughts.

This thought leads to better balance on all your shots, less effort for the same (or greater) distance – and most importantly – ridiculously STRAIGHT shots! In my case, my definitive power hook (what my draw would turn into towards the last few holes, as I got tired), was a result of my right foot ‘eagerly’ leaving the ground. Once I controlled this over impulsive behavior of my right foot, not only did I maintain better balance, I got rid of my draw hook altogether. Dead straight or a nice little draw, has become my go to shot as long as my right foot co-operates.

Try it out this 4th of July weekend – let me know how it works out.  Happy Golfing! And remember to post questions, comments here…

The post Keep the right foot planted in the full golf swing appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.

Unplayable Ball – Take an Unplayable whenever you like

You find your ball in ‘gunk’ – which could be thick unplayable grass, fescue, a bad bunker lie – anything. Yes – you can call any lie unplayable – as long as you deem it unplayable. For example – a tough downhill bunker lie could be unplayable for you (even though it may be playable for another golfer)  – and you can invoke this rule.

You have THREE options with this rule.

1. You can take relief two club lengths from the ball – no closer to the hole – in ANY direction.
2. You can take relief ALONG the line joining the ball and the flag – as far back as you like – not just two club lengths.
3. You can go back to your original spot and replay the shot.

All three relief methods incur a one stroke penalty.  How many times have you wished you had just taken an unplayable – instead of the two or three difficult shots to get out of trouble?

As an extreme example, suppose you have a long, superfast downhill putt . You stroke the ball way too hard –  and watch it roll into the bunker at the edge of the green. You can, perfectly legitimately, declare your bunker lie unplayable. Taking a one stroke penalty – you get to re-putt from your original point.

NOTE: This rule can also be invoked if your ball comes to land near a boundary marker (stake, marker whatever). Unfortunately, these markers are NOT movable obstacles – and you have to either play it as it lies – or take an unplayable along with a 1  shot penalty.

Uneven Tee Boxes

I live in hilly Austin, TX.  While the tee boxes offer scenic elevated views,  they are also subject to uneven surfaces due to the hilly terrain.  This can pose to be a bigger deal than you might imagine – hitting a driver off a level lie is all one ever practices. Change to an uphill (or downhill) lie – and suddenly, you find yourself swinging off plane.

Fear not, there is the two club length relief rule – you can tee your ball as far back as two driver lengths – and find yourself a level spot to hit from. You can even STAND outside the tee box – as long as your ball is within the tee box.

This will help you keep your tee shot on the fairway, saving you strokes.

Loose Impediments in Golf

You can pick up and remove any loose impediment (size immaterial) if it will obstruct your contact with the ball. This  DOES NOT allow you to move a low branch that is in the path of your swing – since the branch is not ‘loose’. It may be an impediment – but is not a loose impediment. On the other hand, even an entire log of wood may be removed – since it is considered a loose impediment.

You have to be delicate in moving the impediment – any movement of your ball – even a gentle rocking motion – will cost you a 1 stroke penalty (everywhere except the green). On the green, even if you accidentally move the ball whilst removing your impediment, you get to place it back without a penalty. 

Summary

These rules, if used with some  are not commonly used,

The post Using the rules to your advantage appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.

• a) On the Putting Green
• b) Off the tee (driver only)

The putting green is a little easier to explain. One doesn’t really need to worry about shaky balance (due to a quickened backswing) or generating a good shoulder turn etc.  In my experience, a key aspect of making more putts is to develop a sense of the speed with which the putt needs to be hit (most putts that are missed – are missed SHORT).

The driver swing changes are a little harder to explain. After all, the same swing SHOULD, theoretically, work with a driver. Especially, if it works with your 3 wood! A driver is just an inch (or two, at most) longer than a 3 wood. Why should the swing (or setup) change at all for such a minor change?

These are all valid questions. However, as it turns out, there is ONE thing about the driver that is SO unique – that it entails introducing a couple of ‘adjustments’ – both in your setup and your swing.

A driver tee-shot is the ONLY shot in golf – where you hit UP on the ball. Hitting a driver with a descending (or even a flat) blow is a self-defeating exercise. A driver was designed to connect with the ball on the UPSWING.

While it may seem innocuous, this little detail accounts for SEVERAL changes – in both the SETUP and the SWING with a driver.

SETUP Changes

The alignment of your forearms is crucial for your driver setup. This is because:

1. Forearms Assist with the driver weight – Both the forearms need to be aligned (if someone on your RIGHT looks at your arms, they should see just ONE blended forearm instead of two – see image below). The RIGHT forearm actually needs to be slightly ahead of the left (see image below). This will enable your right shoulder and forearm to assist in the takeaway – which would, otherwise, be too ‘heavy’ for the left arm by itself. This slight tweak also allows the left forearm to start rotating over the right forearm – as the club moves back.
2. Shoulders Pointed Left of Target Line – The right forearm being slightly AHEAD also means your right shoulder is SLIGHTLY ahead of the left. The SHOULDER line (a line passing from your right shoulder to your left) should point SLIGHTLY LEFT of the target line. This is again CONTRARY to all other shots – where your shoulders point PARALLEL to the target line. Carl Lohren, noted golf instructor, publicized this simple setup modification (which, is actually used by a lot of tour players today).
3. Head Back – The right ear should feel like it is over the right shoulder. Without the head being held back, there is no way (humanly possible) to hit UP on a ball (a ball positioned opposite your left armpit).

Right forearm SLIGHTLY ahead		Shoulder Line – LEFT of target line		Head stays back – as you hit UP on the ball.

While I learned these tweaks from a variety of coaches (both in the US and in India), there are several professional golfers and teachers (see Carl Lohren, noted golf instructor) who promote these modifications listed above.

With these small SETUP tweaks, you are ready to make a full driver swing – and hit the ball on the UPSWING.

SWING Changes (Driver Swing THOUGHTS)

Hitting a ball on the UPSWING takes a little getting used to.  Like we discussed earlier, there is no other shot in golf where such a clubhead trajectory (club travelling upwards) is needed to make solid contact with the ball. In fact, quite the opposite – all iron play requires a somewhat descending blow (you can even get away with a flat / slightly descending blow with fairway woods).

Some swing thoughts while hitting a driver are:

1. Your head must, must stay back. This was listed in the SETUP tweaks above –  however, it could equally well be listed as a driver swing thought. Watch Rory in the image above to get an idea of the importance of the head staying back. The head stays back – there is no other way humanly possibly to hit UP on a ball (that is positioned opposite your left armpit).
2. BOTH your forearms need to contribute equally at impact.  The driver is one of those clubs that is too heavy to be controlled by just one dominant arm. Most iron shots (and even the fairway woods) – you actually provide more power with your left side than your right. The right side (arm) engages only towards the end – and helps go through impact. With the driver, the right forearm is required to work in SYNC with the left – and they both contribute equally to the impact. They should go THROUGH the ball like butter through a knife.
3. Forget about HITTING at the ball – think more of SWINGING THROUGH the ball – with your forearms.

What about the wrist break?

In your regular golf swing, your wrists need to break in a way such that your left wrist is flat (or parallel to the clubface) – at the very top. This, though easily accomplished with most clubs, is again a challenge specific to the driver (due to its exceptional weight). If you try to think of your wrist at the top of the swing, chances are you will have trouble getting it flat.

An easier thought is to think of your FOREARM (left Forearm) at the top of the swing. The forearm needs to be FLAT – and parallel to the clubface.  With the forearms doing the rotating, the driver head feels somewhat lighter – and one can get to the desired position at the top of the swing. Of course, a flat FOREARM results in a FLAT wrist – but I have found it easier to think in terms of forearms when it comes to the driver.

I am not able to get a good shoulder turn

Getting a good coil is crucial to generating power.  Unless you get your backswing sequence (turn the triangle back) right, this is normally very difficult to do. For most amateurs, the whole idea of keeping a fixed triangle turning at a steady pace (one-piece takeaway) – requires a lot of practice. I struggled with that myself – and kept a lookout for a ‘shortcut’.

I found just such a shortcut (with a coach in India) – in the right foot back drill.  Once you get used to that drill, you will not need to worry about a one-piece takeaway – or struggle with obtaining a good coil. These things happen automatically – with your right foot pulled back slightly.

However, calling it a ‘drill’ is a bit misleading. This is something that you can take to the course – and use on the course. You would be in the company of Ben Hogan and Jason Dufner ( among other golf greats) – all of whom leverage this little known secret.

Hogan – Right foot pulled back slightly

Summary

Hitting UP (on a golf ball) is a very, very different type of shot – from all other shots in golf.  In order to accommodate this ‘driver specific’ requirement, one needs to alter one’s SETUP a little.

One needs to pay particular attention to the head – with the right ear staying atop the right shoulder throughout the swing (like Rory illustrates above).

The actual swing will entail the forearms BREAKING (similar to the WRISTS breaking) on the backswing – and rotating powerfully THROUGH the ball – on the downswing. This slightly modified swing will take a little practice, no doubt.

Keep in mind that the swing doesn’t violate any of the two fundamentals of golf – keeping your balance – and getting a good shoulder turn.

In fact, these slight modifications assist you in keeping your balance (head back) – and getting a good turn (using the forearms to carry the weight of the clubhead and pulling your right foot back).

I promise you – once you get the hang of RELEASING  BOTH your forearms through the ball, you will never consider hitting a driver any other way.  It feels like butter going through knife – and you actually do not FEEL the impact – it is that smooth.

The right forearm contributing at impact will give you distance (and straightness) that are ‘tour worthy’.

Questions? Comments?

The post Driver Swing Adjustments appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.

• The Karate Chop – The fine art of harnessing and coalescing all your body’s energy into one impactful moment ?
• The Baseball Home Run – Utilizing a technique known as ‘Torque Hitting’ – which relies on PLANTING the left leg firmly – and rotating the torso powerfully around it – maximizing torque ?
• The Powerful Tennis Forehand  – Stepping out (and across) with the left foot – and powerfully rotating the upper body against the planted foot ?

The key to generating power in all these sports is a PLANTED left side – allowing a free and unrestricted rotation of the UPPER BODY around this side.

The Pillar (Wall) that is the left side

Joe Dante, a professional golfer in the 1960s developed a fairly revolutionary golf instruction technique – which focused on FOUR key moves (nicknamed the FOUR MAGIC moves).

For e.g. – one of the magic moves – The Downswing is initiated by a LATERAL shifting of the hips (yes – Lateral – not rotational). Once the lateral shift is complete, the upper body UNCOILS against the weight on the left side. Which leads us to the most important aspect of the FOUR MAGIC moves – One MUST hit against a firm left side!

This post will discuss the importance of a FIRM left side – as well as the associated difficulties in doing so (difficulties peculiar to golf).

Why is it difficult (for golfers) to maintain A FIRM left side?

I would wager that most of us (amateur golfers) DO NOT hit against a firm left side. The reason is twofold:

1. The Left Knee often Buckles under the force of impact.
2. The Hips slide TOO QUICKLY and FAR TOO MUCH to the right.

The Buckling of the Left Knee: The downswing is such an impactful event, that our LEFT KNEE tends to BUCKLE under the pressure. With the left knee no longer providing support (full support),  our right knee assumes part of the responsibility – and we essentially SPIN (fall) backwards (towards the right knee) at impact.  How MUCH we fall backwards differs – but if we are not keeping that left side firm, chances are we are all doing it to some degree. If you tend to ‘top’ the ball often – or impact well behind the ball, chances are you are doing something along these lines.

Hips Slide (too much) to the Left: A slight lateral hip shift is good – and even recommended. However, a lot of us have ‘overactive’ hips. This is especially true if you are somewhat athletic!

Only in golf, can athleticism actually work AGAINST you!

Overactive hips CONTINUE to slide past the left knee – and towards the target. While this is not as bad as the KNEE BUCKLING problem, it does tend to cause a loss in power – and a NOTICEABLE loss of direction (you will tend to lose the ball to the right).

If your ball starts out to the right – and stays right – chances are your hips are outracing your arms – and sliding waaaay past where they need to  be.

Now that we understand why we have TROUBLE keeping the left side firm, we can discuss some of the benefits of executing this MAGIC move:

BENEFIT 1 (of a firm left side) – More POWER – due to COMPLETE weight transfer

A Firm Left Side promotes FULL Weight Transfer – which, in turn,  promotes a COMPLETE uncoiling of the upper body (see image below).  In fact, a really good swing thought is to forget about hitting the ball – and focus on hitting against a WALL  – a wall which is flush with your left hip. Not only will you hit the ball better, you should end up hitting it straighter.

Which leads us to the second benefit of hitting against a firm left side:

Second Benefit – A FIRM Left Side – straightens the hands at impact

Believe it or not, your hands already know how to square up at impact.  While playing a tennis shot, your hands and forearms automatically align during impact – to provide the most power. In golf too, the hands would rather square up than do anything else.

However, the reason this squaring up eludes most golfers is due to the sheer weight of the golf club. At half a kg – a golf club is TWICE as heavy as a tennis racquet – and FIVE times heavier than a table-tennis racquet. Unless the hands are strengthened (as discussed in this post), their attempt at squaring up is in vain.

Hitting against a firm left side DOES, in fact, ROTATE THE FOREARMS – just so that they square up at impact (see Jack in the impact position below).  And that leads us to the FINAL benefit of hitting against your left side:

Third Benefit – A FIRM Left Side – allows the ARMS To swing through UNOBSTRUCTED

The idea of OBSTRUCTING your own golf swing is not new – but is rarely discussed by teaching professionals.  I had to work with a few different pros before I understood that my own body was getting in the way of my swing!

In fact, unless we take specific steps NOT TO  – chances are we will obstruct our swing – either on the way back or the way through.

Two techniques that can help you overcome this obstruction:

1. Correct Body Alignment – See this tip on a quick and effective alignment aid in golf
2. Setup like Rory McIlroy – In an earlier post, we discussed the concept of BODY CLEARANCE – getting your body out of your own way.   This takes a bit of practice – and is more related to your setup (stance and posture).  If you can try and emulate Rory McIlroy’s posture at setup (plenty of youtube videos to help you out), you should be closer to attaining the clearance for your arms to swing freely at impact.

If you are having difficulty with achieving this body clearance, fear not. The beauty of the FIRM LEFT side is that it promotes this ‘arms swinging freely through’ impact. As you keep your left side firm, your hips automatically CLEAR out of the way – to let your arms swing through freely.

Now that we understand a few of the benefits of hitting against a FIRM left side, how do we  get there?

How does one LEARN to HIT AGAINST a FIRM left side ?

1. Start Small – Start with half-swings with an 8 iron – against a PLANTED Left Foot
2. Build the LOWER BODY muscles – required to ‘CATCH’ your body weight

Start Small : Start with a few HALF SWINGS with your 8 iron – with just one thought in mind. Hit against a planted left leg. You should be able to do this fairly easily – since the momentum of a half swing with a short iron – is not huge.

Now, slowly build up from here. Move onto a 3/4 swing – and finally a FULL swing with just the same 8 iron. Once you have this mastered, move on to longer clubs.  

Build Lower Body Muscles :  For those of us NOT BLESSED with a naturally strong lower body, our first step should be to BUILD LOWER BODY STRENGTH.   An earlier post discussed a few exercises for developing lower body strength.  ( Muscles of the core and the lower body are perhaps the most important muscles in the golf swing ).

If all you have time for is ONE exercise, let it be the KING of lower body exercises – the humble SQUAT.

Summary

We are all searching for more power in our golf swing.

In the pursuit of this power, we procure new drivers, new shafts, new and improved balls – and what not. However, the secret to power may be much simpler – and may be right under our eye (under our left eye anyway).

The secret to power in golf is no different from the secret in baseball or karate or tennis.

If you really want to UNLEASH your upper body, you MUST unleash it against a firm left side.

The difficulty in doing this successfully in the golf downswing, is the sheer momentum of the upper body + golf club – as they go through impact. The momentum is enough to dislodge our left knee and send us ‘spinning out’ of the perfect impact position.

With a little practice, we can learn to STEADY our left side – starting with SHORTER swings against a PLANTED left leg – and building up slowly to the FULL SWING. Once we are able to ‘CATCH’ the upper body on a full downswing, we should see a significant gain in both DISTANCE and STRAIGHTNESS (Accuracy).

Thoughts? Comments?

The post Hitting against a firm left side, The Secret to generating power in the golf swing appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.

If you have ever played golf competitively – not the weekend scramble variety – but the individual, all shots count variety, you will be able to relate to the aphorism by the great Bobby Jones.

In no other sport is the sheer effect of nerves so utterly disabling – as it is in golf.

The recent spectacle of Jordan Spieth – sending two consecutive shots into the water – on a fairly routine approach shot – should convey the gravity of this phenomenon. A top ranked golfer – who could easily hit that shot 10 times out 10  (with his eyes closed) –  somehow fell victim to tournament-golf-nerves.

Of course, to those of us watching, it was not a totally inexplicable phenomenon.  It was simply golf – more accurately, tournament golf – doing it’s thing.

What demons invade the head of a competitive golfer  – are known only to the golfer.  How and why they appear when they do – is still a mystery.  Jordan had been working on this particular ball flight just prior to his golf round. Perhaps that workout weighed on him – as it opened the door for doubt to creep in. And doubt is the number one enemy during a competitive round of golf.

It is better to be too sure of yourself – almost overconfident – than to be timid. The timid approach will quickly turn your nerves to Jello – to where you might  be unable to sink a 3 foot putt.

Which leads me to my first rule of playing tournament golf:

Rule # 1: Play Aggressively

A tournament is not the time or place to try out new swing thoughts. Take your most reliable swing thought to the course – and let that be the ONLY thought you take.

In my case, my go-to thought is ‘finishing my follow through’. One of the first signs of a leaking golf swing is an incomplete completion. If you can get to completing your follow through , you will have fought off this demon.

Next rule:

Rule # 2 : Don’t let ANYTHING upset you (Stay in control)

This seems like an innocuous rule – but requires a lot of practice. In reality, getting into this mindset begins at home – well before the start of your round of golf. From the time you wake up to the time you walk out to your car – to driving to the course, just don’t let anything get to you.

If you are running late for your tee time, don’t rush – don’t get upset. If you nick yourself while shaving in the morning , let it slide.

Getting into this frame of mind from the very start of the day is a great way to ensure that you maintain this mindset on the golf course.

The worst – absolute worst thing you can do – is lose your cool on the course. Not only will you lose your tournament, you will also lose any credibility or respect that you would otherwise garner.

A good way to practice this mindset is to go out and play with lots of different people. I had one guy at my club who would drive me (and everyone else) up a wall – he took an average of 3-4 minutes to setup – per shot! However, I tried to not let it affect my game – it was good practice for building my ‘stay calm’ mindset.

Rule # 3 : Remember, it’s just a game

I was reminded of a famous story from the comic genius – P.G. Wodehouse. His story Ordeal By Golf  pictures a scene with a young, hot headed golfer (Mitchell), his fiancé (Millicent) and a wisely old figure simply called The Oldest Member. The hot headed golfer (Mitchell) is up for a promotion – and everything depends on his keeping his calm for an entire round of golf.

As the three of them are discussing this situation, Millicent (Mitchell’s fiancé) suggests:

Millicent : Couldn’t you learn to just control yourself on the links, Mitchell, darling? After all, golf is only a game !

Mitchell’s eyes met the Oldest Member’s – they had the same look of horror as his. (The Oldest Member seemed to say) Women say these things without thinking. It does not mean there is a kink in their character, they simply don’t realize what they are saying.

Hush ! said Mitchell, patting her hand and overcoming his emotion with a strong effort. Hush dearest !

We tend to take golf a little too seriously.  We are hard on ourselves when we play badly.  Some people go into serious depression – others give up the sport altogether.

The seriousness, IMO, is misplaced. After all, it is not like you got maimed our injured or lost a limb.  In fact, you have a sound body, mind and are able to take out time to enjoy the great outdoors for a few hours.

That already puts you ahead of most of the world’s population.  Count your blessings and save the seriousness for real life events – not a round of golf!

For the SERIOUS tournament player – Playing a 4 day tournament

The mental approach that golf requires is a peculiar and complicated mixture of abiding confidence and patient resignation, of intense concentration and total relaxation. Arnold Palmer

Swing a Weighted Club

Just like an athlete trains with WEIGHTS tied around her legs before a big race – so can golfers train with WEIGHTED clubs. My favorites are the Momentus Weighted Driver and Iron.

I discovered that if I can swing a weighted driver prior to (2 days prior to) the tournament, I know that my actual driver will feel super-light on the day of the tournament.

This is a good feeling – since my first shot is probably going to require a driver.

Summary

If your game has evolved to where you have a fairly high degree of confidence in the direction and distance your ball will go, you are no longer a beginner.

You are making consistent contact – you are able to chip it, putt it and also hit those long irons and fairway woods. You are ready to play competitively – against other players at your handicap level.

Remember, you do not have to compete with the scratch player in your club – you only need to compete with the X handicapper – with people who share your handicap.

Try and treat your competitive round as a game. Try and not let any errant shot (or hole) upset you –  your competitors are bound to have bad holes as well.
You may just find yourself enjoying the round. You may also, just win!

How about a round of golf while taking tech?

Recommended Reading for tournament golfers (Non Fiction)

1. Fearless Golf (Dr. Valiente) helped me overcome a few psychological barriers – especially on the first tee.
2. Arnold Palmer’s Classic (My Game and Yours) – is a MUST read for anyone interested in the unique temperament required for Tournament Golf.

(Fiction) Recommended Reading for obsessed (with the mystery of the game)  golfers

The post Playing your first golf tournament appeared first on Anuj Varma, Hands-On Technology Architect, Clean Air Activist.

Replanting that left foot triggered my downswing – and I found it to be a natural way to transition into the downswing.  All my coaches asked me to transfer my weight to the right to initiate the downswing – and replanting my  left foot accomplished exactly that.

These were all GOOD habits – and resulted in consistent ball striking. At some point though, every coach I worked with, tried to lead me away from this ‘left heel leaving the ground’ habit.

They instructed me to keep my left foot planted – no matter what!

Fortunately, there was one coach (an ex-India open champion back in India) who was slightly old school. He was perfectly okay with my left foot (heel) coming off the ground – provided my KNEE also rolled inwards (and provided I kept my balance).

This post describes the effectiveness of lifting your left heel on your backswing – and how it might address two common problems for the golfing amateur.

Some famous ‘lifters of the left foot’

Before we discuss all the benefits of lifting the left foot, let us review some historical greats who lifted their left foot on the completion of their backswing. These include the likes of Nicklaus and Bobby Jones :

Jack Nicklaus	Bobby Jones

The RAISING and REPLANTING the left heel – the minutiae

As with everything in golf, the devil is in the details. How much should one lift the left foot, what happens to the left knee etc….?

1. The HEEL – never the TOE – Firstly, it is the HEEL and the heel only that comes off the ground. At not point should your toe leave the ground.
2. Stay Balanced – Secondly, as long as you keep your balance going back, there is no limit to how high your left heel can rise. Let us review the two fundamental goals of a golf swing – Balance (staying balanced) and shoulder turn (turning your shoulder behind the ball).  As long as you are staying balanced, a rising left heel can only assist in the shoulder turn. To read about another revolutionary concept to get a better shoulder turn, read this post on the right foot.
3. Re-Planting the left foot – The beauty of the left foot rising is that  (along with providing a better shoulder turn), it acts as a key to ingrain timing into the golf swing. In fact, the timing is so mechanical, that you do not need to think about it. Simply REPLANTING the foot causes the hips to shift to the left – pulling your upper body along.  Each of these things is actually very difficult to accomplish INTENTIONALLY (if you try to intentionally keep your upper body fixed while the hips initiate the downswing, you will find that it takes a lot of practice). However, the replanting of the left foot starts off the correct chain of events – without requiring any intentional focus on a particular step.

The Left KNEE’s action

While we are at the left foot, it may be a good time to discuss the correct motion of the left knee.

1. The left knee has to roll INWARDS. Most amateurs find their left knee kicking OUTWARDS (towards the ball). This is incorrect – as it restricts the upper body wind up.
2. The roll (rolling in) is a CONSEQUENCE (of the upward body pulling the hips along – pulling the lower body along). It is not something you try to intentionally accomplish.
3. The more your left heel comes off the ground, the more the left knee will roll inwards. This results in a greater upper body coil – which is an important key to generating power.

Summary

Contrary to popular golf instruction, the left heel does not need to stay planted during your backswing. In fact, a key to generating more power is to let the heel lift, while allowing the left knee to kick in – resulting in a larger shoulder turn. 

In addition to providing power, the rising left heel addresses one of the toughest problems in golf – that of timing. Unlike tennis or baseball, where the key to timing is provided by the movement of the ball, in golf, there is no such simplistic key. Everyone uses their own technique to time their shots – and every poor shot is a result of poor timing.

Imagine being able to address the timing problem once and for all ! Replanting the left foot does exactly that.

If you are new to golf and find your left heel coming off the ground, fear not – you are in good (even GREAT) company. Legends such as Nicklaus used this to generate more power-  and legends like Jones used it as a secret move to developing extraordinary timing.

Questions? Comments ?

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