Stationary Head - To be or not to be

[birdie_man]

BTW efnef and Sonic_Doom eat boogers.

...

jk

[efnef]

Efnef - That's funny, I was being a bit of a sarcastic SOB (to Birdie) to begin with!

I wasn't sure. At first I assumed you were sarcastically mouthing an "Italian Scallionism," since the Bird Man has been bowing low at Spaghetti Boy's alter lately and I was chiming in my $.02. When Birdie responded to me, I went back and reread your post and thought, "well, gee, maybe this dude was being sincere."

Well, I thought better of it all and apologized for the sake of civility (and, BTW, Homer said it, too).

I will leave you with the following, though...
IMHO, "whatever works," no matter who says it smacks a bit of being a quick fix, or a bandaid to me, no matter who says it. When I started playing this game again in 2002, after about a 35 year lay off (played as a child/teen), I did everything wrong,naturally, and was a total hack. I wound up starting over from scratch with the help of a very competent LPGA instructor in Athens, GA, by the name of Jean Harris. I doubt that she knows anything about The Golfing Machine, but she didn't even want to see my old swing. We started with chipping, then pitching, then half swing, then full swing over a period of several months. She wouldn't let me go to the next stage until I had it down with no casting, proper grip, set up, alignment to the target, etc. I worked with her for about a year and a half. My final lesson was a playing lesson with her as my course manager. Before taking lessons from her, my best score was a 108. I played those 6 holes with her at 2 under par. Throughout my whole experience with her, she was patient, and we both stayed the course, sticking to fundamentals. No "whatever works" or quick fix bandaids. I can remember that she had a cupped wrist in her own backswing, but when I asked her if it needed to be flat at the top, she said she didn't give a damn as long as the hands led the club into ball, otherwise you'd be scooping the ball. As for the pivot, she thought the left side's job was to get out of the way, so the right side could power the swing.

Anyway, you get the picture. She stressed fundamentals and building the swing from the ground up. She didn't want to see me more than twice a month, and wanted me to get whatever aspect I was working on down pat before we went on to the next step. No quick fixes, tips, or gimmicks, just because I wasn't doing well on a given day. The only devices/training aids she used with me were golf shafts to correct my alignment to the target and to teach me how to hit a draw (I was a horrible slicer; now a slight draw is my normal ball flight), a swing plane (one of those big pvc rings you stand in and swing along the ring), and the old golf tee in front of the ball to learn how to hit the little ball first and the big ball second (she had some gizmos for putting practice, but that is another story. She saw me sink about 15 putts in a row, and pretty much left me alone on my putting style).

Well, I ramble... but anyway, what's optimum? A solid foundation, not "whatever works." It probably won't work tomorrow.

Anyway, I leave you now. I was gonna tell a booger joke, but Birdie beat me to it.

[glcoach]

The Italian guy helped me a lot with no band aids. I've got a flw, a straight plane line and LAG.

I did much like you efnef, I started with Ben Doyle's tire lesson from this site and did not move on until I could execute a chip, pitch and punch without flipping the tire over and without looking down the shaft. I was a decent player before I started with the TGM ideas, now I am a lot better. I'm sorry but I just don't see any bandaids in that. I don't see how anyone that thinks the 3 imperatives are the ticket could be a band-aider. It simply takes a lot of time and dedication to get those right.

[Sonic_Doom]

Well, I thought better of it all and apologized for the sake of civility (and, BTW, Homer said it, too).

Efnef: That's just one major difference between this site and Rocky's, civility. Goes a long way my friend. BTW Rocky is the fly in my signature

BTW efnef and Sonic_Doom eat boogers.

Birdie: tastes better than scallions!

[Sonic_Doom]

Need to analyze lots of different years, clubs, shots to get full picture I think.

Birdie: Thats been done already my friend, like the thread title asks:

Stationary Head - To Be Or Not To Be?

I like HKs analysis personally, who's do you like? Maybe you're gonna do said analysis?

[12 piece bucket]

Birdie: tastes better than scallions!

Debatable . . . Boogies definitely are a fav of low-carb types.

[efnef]

The Italian guy helped me a lot with no band aids. I've got a flw, a straight plane line and LAG.

I did much like you efnef, I started with Ben Doyle's tire lesson from this site and did not move on until I could execute a chip, pitch and punch without flipping the tire over and without looking down the shaft. I was a decent player before I started with the TGM ideas, now I am a lot better. I'm sorry but I just don't see any bandaids in that. I don't see how anyone that thinks the 3 imperatives are the ticket could be a band-aider. It simply takes a lot of time and dedication to get those right.

Ummm... once again, the shortcomings of attempting to participate in internet written communication... I guess I was not clear. My initial response was to the remark, "Whatever works." I did not say that the three imperatives were a band aid. I agree with you 100%. It takes time and dedication. Build the swing on a solid foundation. Quick fixes are here today, gone tomorrow.

I think I need a vacation from internet forums.

[glcoach]

You were very clear. I am glad your golf game improved.

[Mathew]

It seems to me, that this is the only thing that ever seems to get debated.

I notice in another place in cyberspace that there is pictures of Lynn with a tripod (from a 10-5-E variation for hitting and a handheld hence non-level camera that is not square on the plane line, playing in the middle of winter in a windy day and I think he said he had 5 layers of clothes on - I might add). Through my work in 3d - just a few degrees out and you can find that you can totally change the impression of things. I mean its laughable, this is the guy that said he needs some solid scientific proof and he then takes from a ghosty and double compressed video and makes some suspicious pictures. Do you recon these where good conditions from which to judge???

Lack of their knowledge never allows them to debate anything else...

Unfortunately for the naysayers, this does not detract from the principle. And for every person that you can find that sways, I can find one with a perfectly centered pivot. There is the ideal and like in every game you play, every deviation of it - you lose....

It is possible and it is correct...

[comdpa]

It seems to me, that this is the only thing that ever seems to get debated.

I notice in another place in cyberspace that there is pictures of Lynn with a tripod (from a 10-5-E variation for hitting and a handheld hence non-level camera that is not square on the plane line, playing in the middle of winter in a windy day and I think he said he had 5 layers of clothes on - I might add). Through my work in 3d - just a few degrees out and you can find that you can totally change the impression of things. I mean its laughable, this is the guy that said he needs some solid scientific proof and he then takes from a ghosty and double compressed video and makes some suspicious pictures. Do you recon these where good conditions from which to judge???

Lack of their knowledge never allows them to debate anything else...

Unfortunately for the naysayers, this does not detract from the principle. And for every person that you can find that sways, I can find one with a perfectly centered pivot. There is the ideal and like in every game you play, every deviation of it - you lose....

It is possible and it is correct...

The crux of the matter is this (and I don't think I can say it strongly enough)...

The Head is related to the Left Shoulder (by the simple fact that it rides on the plane of the shoulder girdle) which is the Low Point of the Swing.

If your Head moves to the Right or to the Left of the Center of the Stance, the Low Point moves thus, you have to either...

1) Move it back to Center at impact or,

2) Shift your aiming point forward (if your head shifts right of center and stays there through impact) or backward (if your head shifts left of center and stays there through impact) to allow your club to get into an in-line position and not hit the ground first or the top of the ball or,

3) Have a ball position that already FACTORS in the amount of 'sway'.

With all due respect, if you have to ask me, "What are you talking about; can you elaborate on these compensations?", then use a Stationary Head Center.

Again, if your answer to the question "Can you make these 'compensations' at the same time, all the time?" is less than an affirmative 'YES!', use the Stationary Head Center.