Yoda Swing Sequence
 

Great round of golf Yoda...you must have been using the full motion swing as sequenced below. This sequence was captured from an action clip on the soon to be released VJ-Yoda DVD. :)

Not Bad!
 

Decent move! :laughing9 I love the flat left foot at the finish...no over rotation. since learning the penny drill I have been looking at this particular component. Rarely does a good player splay the left foot in the follow through (exceptions excluded.) does this suggest more down and out? When I get the down right my left foot stays put. Tommy T did this particulary well. TGM does not deal in "tips" but this is a worthwhile suggestion for some.

What did Joe Norwood say about over rotation?

Pleasing to the eye and laden with precision, Yoda!

Yoda Setup
 

Yoda

There seems to be no questions regarding your sequence...so I will take the lead and begin with observations regarding your setup as shown in the 1st frame above. It appears that the head is centered relative to your stance and that the hips are a little in front of center with your right knee in a slightly kicked in forward position. Your hips appear slightly forward of center and the shoulders which is creating a bit of spine tilt. The hands appear to be slightly forward of center placing the shaft more in line with the left arm. Is this an accurate assessment of your setup alignments? :)

HG

One Man's Address Alignments
 

A very good assessment, hg. Thanks!

:salut:

With regards to the Right Knee, note that there has been no deliberate effort to 'kick' it in with independent Knee Action. The Knee simply has been pulled into this alignment by the slight Hip Slide:

"Weight Shift is strictly a HIP MOTION. Substituting a Head Motion and/or a Knee Motion will make Swaying inevitable."

-- Homer Kelley (7-14)

Also, as you have correctly noted, the slight Axis (spine) tilt is the result of the Hip Slide forward -- the base of the spine moves toward the Target while the Head (and the top of the spine) remains Centered and fixed -- and not the Head (and with it, the top of the spine) being dropped backward! This is an important point that is missed by so many, and while the 'Head back' location can (and must) be compensated, that positioning affects the Left Shoulder Location and thus disrupts the basic geometry of the entire Stroke.

That same Hip Slide is also responsible for the slightly forward Hand Location (note that they remain 'mid-Body'). The appearance is somewhat exaggerated by a centered Ball Location (I am hitting a 7-Iron and emphasizing the Downward strike).

By the way, I call this 'Standard Address with an attitude!' -- :) -- because of the 'set' left and the slight Forward Lean of the Clubshaft (instead of the classic right angled to the Line). Actually, this Address is probably closer to the Half-and-Half (10-9-C), i.e., Body in Impact Position and Hands in Address Condition (Bent Left Wrist). Compare the postions at Address (Frame 1) and Impact (Frames 12-14), and you be the judge!

But, please be gentle. Remember:

"Few . . . components will exactly fit any of the Catalog Variations but they can and should be adjusted to the nearest orthodox Variation most compatible with the rest of the proposed Basic Pattern."

-- Homer Kelley (12-0)

;-)

Hi Yoda and everyone !

I'm not sure if you mean by the "head and the top of the spine" (the green text), the neck and the head (the cervical curve),

or this section of the spine: somewhere in the thoracic curve, and from that point, to the head, this longer section of the spine remains fixed, motionless, having as an indicator: a fixed chest or shoulders, while the hips slide forward parallel to the plane line. At startdown.

Somebody find a sequence of Leadbetter's move or one of them other dingleberry top 100 cats . . . bet that lil' green freak's move will out shine them. . . .

The Fixed Pivot Center
 

Visualize the spine as the pendulum of a grandfather clock. It swings to and fro from a fixed center. That's the idea, and it is the way the golfer's Pivot operates (with respect to lateral motion). In accomplishing this objective, the Hips must move independently of the Head and Shoulders ('Hula Hula flexibility' per 7-14) in order for the Pivot to remain Centered.

Whether you choose to use the Head as the Pivot Center (Homer Kelley's recommendation as the First Essential / 2-0) or the point 'between the shoulders' (the alternative offered in The Glossary) is immaterial. Just keep something 'up top' stationary, and you will achieve your objective: Namely, a Centered Arc. It is no accident that the first two items in The Machine (1-L #1 and #2) deal with precisely this point.

By the way, stabilizing the lower part of the Pivot -- the Feet, Knees and Waist Bend -- goes a long way toward stabilizing the upper part. In fact, that is their major function (7-16).

:)

Have you seen Haney's driver swing lately? In a word, inspiring. As in, inspiring me to vomit uncontrollably.

Love to see the Green guy swing it.

Start Up (Back & In)
 

Yoda

How would you describe your start of the backswing...there doesn't appear to be any forward press to initiate the backswing. It appears to be more of a hands, arms and shoulder turn (maybe in that sequence) that begins and brings your arms back to parallel to ground at the half way point in your backswing. Although what is difficult to see is that it may actually start from the ground up. Am I close?:)

we can see constant extensor action in his backswing :thumright

Just Curious
 

I'd be curious to get your opinion. If this was the motion of one of your students, what would you like to see them improve on? Where would you have them add more precision? Looks very dynamic and balanced to me.........

Plan of Work 2008
 

The first three things would be to lose 25 pounds; get stronger and more flexible; and play more. I recently have begun working on all three.

:confused1

Other than that . . .

I'd narrow the Stance (but not much) and move the ball up a fraction. I still fight a slight tendency to Sway (although the Head position looks pretty good here), and I think that would help. It would also aid the Pivot (clearing the Right Hip) and make getting back to my left side easier.

And I would continue to work on my Impact alignments, specifically Impact Hands Location and Wrist Conditions (Flat Left and Bent Right). I still tend to lose Lag Pressure through impact more than I'd like. As usual, the menace here is overacceleration from the Top, and I'm as guilty as the next guy.

Best Coconut in the business!
 

I've been working on keeping my head stationary. I have noticed that when I sway I tend to lose the lag. Can someone articulate how swaying and the loss of lag pressure are connected? Is swaying the initial sign of over accelaration? I am amazed that you (Yoda) are adding more precision with regards to your stationary head...you look like a tether ball pole!:salut:

Second question: Other than Stuart Appelby and Brian Gay what other top players are good examples of the tripod?

The more you sway, the further back the bottom of the circle moves.

The Uncentered Arc and Throwaway
 

When you Sway or Bob or both, it is much more difficult to achieve precision Impact alignments. If the Arc is not Centered, then you must throw the Club -- "apply a compensating vector force" (2-L) -- to hit the Ball. Without this compensation, you could actually miss the ball. In fact, if the Sway or Bob is bad enough, you can miss it anyway: Whiff!!!

There are many examples of the Centered Head on the PGA TOUR. The first that jumps to mind is Adam Scott. See my Posts #68 and #70 here http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...scott+ tripod. Also, the Larry Nelson photo in Post #52. For the necessary insight into how the spine really works in the Backstroke, see Mathew's Posts #50 and #51 here http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...ght=adam+scott. Finally, it should be no secret -- but apparently it still is -- that Tiger's Head is much more Centered now than in his amateur and "Hello world!" days.

Remember, the gyroscope is the perfect model for the Golf Stroke, and it doesn't wobble around. Neither should you.

Over a Barrel
 

Just sold my stock in Cracker Barrel.

Opening Bell
 

CBRL is down 3 at the open and the shorts are piling on!

:laughing9

Complete response...as usual!
 

I save my once a week binge (got to cycle them calories) for Cracker Barrel. I love their hashbrown casserole!

Thanks for the in depth answer Yoda. Thanks for being so good to us...bobbers and swayers! I thought my head was stationary...come to find out I sway AND bob! :sad2: Video don't lie! Amazingly I make reasonable contact most of the time...neccessary compensations devised over time.

Yoda

I love this. But to clarify, am I correct in thinking we need to be on our left side prior to start down. Is the gyroscope's axis of rotation directly over top of low point? That is to say, the head stays centered between the feet but the center of gravity moves overtop of low point prior to the spin of the gyroscope.

If this isnt correct then why the heck am I hitting it so much better? If Im wrong dont tell me. You seem to do it soooo nicely.

I noticed that little bump you did on the preview video when you took it back with only your right arm. Trained and ingrained? Wonder if you even think about it.

Geoff Ogilvy - just seems to pick it up and let it go.
http://www.pgatour.com/players/02/20/46/index.html

Yoda "stacks"?
 

Yoda,

I have seen you hit enough balls in person to know your motion is sweet. What I never picked up until looking at this sequence is how much weight is decidedly "left" throughout your entire motion.

I have been working on this a lot lately and it has quieted down everything in my swing.

- Trig

Left Arm Gap
 

Yoda
Can you describe what is happening here in this frame with the left arm...is there a fair amount of separation of the left arm from the body before the swivel up action....it appears that the left arm is no longer straight yet the left forearm has not swiveled up yet:)

Left knee flex
 

I've been watching Tomasello tapes, and he is not in favor of left knee flex on the down and through swing claiming that it can take you too far in front of the ball. What do you think Yoda? It obviously works for you.

where does this thread go from here - is it finished? :(

I guess so - there's nobody answering me! Guess I'll go hit some balls. :golf:

I'll play
 

How did you hit them? The tripod concept is HUGE! They say the name of the game is consistency...but what does that really mean? For me it has some to mean a predicatble low point, or the supremacy of a centered arc. The more tethered...the fewer the compensations...the more consistent you are. Watching the players that Yoda recommended as good examples of a centered and stationary head you can still see slight movement, but not much. I used to set up with a lot of axis tilt, supposedly as a result of the right arms being lower than the left, this moved low point back and resulted in great inconsistency. I now learn a great deal from my divots. Case in point: A few weeks back I played a round where I hit 2-3 medium irons shots slightly out to the right. My divots were a little deeper than ideal and starting a bit more up plane than they should. In the old days I would have started to fret over my ailing swing. This time I moved the ball 2 inches down plane and....voila...Stripe City! This is what Jack Nicklaus talked about when he emphasized the importance of being able to fix one's swing during the round, a fix not an overhaul mind you!

I think many people sway in an attempt to create width in their arc. This is why in my opinion the tripod concept and extensor action are important to understand in concert with one another.

Yoda. I love your pivot seen here. Your hip motion, hip action, axis tilt, cleared right hip, early bump , centered head etc.

What component variations are we seeing here in TGM terms?

Thanks

O.B. Left

May I please bump for OB's question. Beautiful motion. I think it may even have a touch of VJ Trolio's secret going on. I would LOVE to learn more about what you think about your swing Yoda! A list of components would go a long way in assisting me...

Thank You,
Kevin

hitter/swinger
 

Yoda, if you also answer questions from an ignorant beginner (with regards to TGM) may I ask: What we here see, is it a hitter or a swinger? (How do we see that?).

Is it a good idea for a hitter to address the ball from an impact fix position?

Hi Air. You are unaware, I'm sure, that Yoda is conducting...
 

...4 days of lessons and massive amounts of kibitzing which will hopefully lead to massive amounts of other business etc., etc., etc.

Yoda does answer questions for all sorts of people but he might not do it today. :) Most of our brain trust is with Yoda, too, at this event so double phooey.

I could tell you what I know, but we both know that is limited. You have several really good options, however. 1) Go to our PM option (personal mail) and open a buddy list. 2) Look up KevCarter, JerryG, Daryl, O.B.Left and EDZ. 3) Send them your questions. They are fabulous people as far as I can tell. They will answer your questions, effectively. 4) Your other option while waiting for their responses, is to use our "search" function and look up "Impact Fix," "Startup," "Downswing," and any other term that interests you.

I have an impact bag in my basement and a higher ceiling :). I also have 3 little dogs (and one does look like Toto), who always need to go out. I get a concept, take the dogs out, whack the bag using my new-found insights for 20 minutes and my wife thinks I'm a genius. The dogs like me and I even think of questions I can harass Daryl, with, which is very fun. :laughing9 :laughing9

Is it still very light at night in your location? When does golfing stop there? Do you have indoor golf ranges?

Onward!

Patrick

You are very helpfull and give good advice.
Yes, we have an indoor range (opens in Oktober)

If I remember correctly the swing sequence in question was part of video in which Yoda described a hammer like action of the left wrist and arm, a hammering down. This would be consistent with a (left) Wrist Throw 10-20-E, a Swingers thing. A non Automatic firing of the #2 angle , the left wrist cock a deliberate hammering down action that actively uncocks the left wrist.

I thought to remind you of something else, Air.
 

If you can, "The Address Routine" shows how Ted Fort, "Yoda's Luke" I think on our site, hits the ball. It is a very good video, imho. Well worth the price, and you download it online!

The "Alignment I" DVD's are great, really, also. I gave them to my dad for his birthday, and now must order a second set.

Pat

I have done exactly what you have recommended. This should get me started. But the book is "terrible".

I need this forum to decode the book!
 

Air, I have a systematic theologian's mind. I learn systems by learning their exceptions. TGM is a logical system TROUGHOUT!!!!

Do you have biology in high school in Norway? We have it here. TGM is a numerical classification of a biological system. The system being classified is the human skeletal bio-mechanical system. If you picture TGM as a medical text, it will become simple.

Draw a picture of the human skeleton, and assign sections of the book to the appropriate parts of the skeleton. That is what I'm doing for my First Tee curriculum. It will help me justify the extra-curricular activity with a science/biology component for school funding. It happens to be true, too. :)

Hope that helps!

Pat

I wrote "terrible", not terrible. I don't have a mathematical or biological mind. But I'm not giving up. It was only the lazy side of me talking. After a year or two I'll maybe get the hang of it.

A very subtle film with tons of important info.
 

Here is a film, Air, that I used to stare at daily, for the first month on this site: http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/index.p...5&video_id=153

Things like "elbow plane," "turned shoulder plane," (TSP) are mentioned a lot around here as are other things.

Patrick

Thx
This is pretty understandable.
One down and 50+ to go...

Pat
 

I think I learn better by watching videos than reading.
Do you (or anybody else) have other good TGM instructional videos available to watch?

Have you ordered the "Alignment I" videos?
 

This website has a lot of good videos free or otherwise, Air. YouTube.com has lots of free videos under TGM including Ben Doyle, "Dirters" w/Steve Elkington. I feel the need for video as it gives me a roadmap. Use the search function here. Send us some videos from a cell phone!


Pat