After I watched George Knudson´s Shell Matches countless times, I realised that his favourite Iron is no. 6…
He was the master of 3/4ter and 2/3rd and half shots with every club to control spin and trajectory.
We don´t see this anymore… But what me strikes is his release - very unique:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnTdM125-Pw[/youtube]
This is his release from 1970 Shell´s match, 3/4ter Iron shot:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHkSYQt5oKw[/youtube]
Here his release from 1973 from pictures:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Qw0bozkxU[/youtube]
In the last video I can see clearly mod1 and mod2 work - but what I don´t get is
his left arm blasting from the left shoulder socket (like a true swinger) and early folding of his left elbow
and very early cupping of his left wrist.
It almost looks like a TGM right arm swinger who uses the right elbow as a fulcrum.
I never saw something comparable before - maybe someone has his thoughts about this
or I must still live with the believe that there has to be a inline condition of the left arm and shaft (straight line) bla bla bla… and foreward shaftlean… what he actually avoided…
Chris
One thing you have to remember is that George was swinging a very heavy driver. I have friends up in Canada that claim he used a driver that was up near 16 ounces. I know mine at 14 ounces produces a ton of CF pressure into my hands, and it becomes much more difficult to hold off those outward forces when the heavy driver is also traveling 105 or more mph.
One of the scientific guys calculated upward of 80 pounds of pressure. It’s not unrealistic for the right arm to get pulled straight to some degree if not a lot… even though the player may be doing their best to counter that with a pull against it.
While I am very diligent in my drilling… on the golf course I never have a swing thought in my head. I just hit shots and let my body do what it needs to do to shape the ball into a fairway or green.
Manipulating the orbit pull post impact is how I am able to play just a few times a month and have some idea where the ball is going.
I really see this in both Knudson’s and Hogan’s action, especially if I know what kind of shot they played.
Thank you Lag,
your thoughts are making so much sense…
How about the most relaxed left arm at start of the motion…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrpPgu2kIA8[/youtube]
We never know his intend, maybe left humerus external rotation…
Chris
If you’ll pardon my ignorance…
George was a bit before my time, and I haven’t heard too much about him other than on this site.
He obviously has the swing for a great long game. What kept him from winning more…putting, nerves, other?
Knudson’s pull the elbows in while setting up is not really a relaxed intention, but an intention to fight the orbit pull through impact. I see it as him establishing his spacial awareness feel of where he is going to be feeling the elbows as he works through the shot.
Most would condemn the intention to “chicken wing” the arms as a horrific golf swing fault. While this may be true for a weekend golfer who stalls the pivot post impact… but an accelerating pivot can very much implement a pull against CF and find very good results.
Here is Lanny Watkins… a truly great player in his prime who won the 1977 PGA Championship at Pebble. I was there as a kid, and watching him just flag shot after shot left a great impression on me. He played quick, very instinctive and you could tell he didn’t have a swing thought in his head. Tougher to win majors back then because the way the courses where set up and the gear that was used, it really separated the greats from the mediocre. You simply had to hit fairways and greens. No hybrids, or rescue clubs, no long putters. A high spinning balata that would sail two fairways over if you missed it badly. Watkins beat Littler in a playoff, finished a shot ahead of Nicklaus, with Pate, Geiberger, Watson all right there.
George was less than mediocre on the greens. Considered really below average which doesn’t cut it on tour. If you can’t putt you can’t win or have much success. Despite that fact, George won 5 or 6 times on the tour in a very difficult era where some of the greats of all time where in their primes. Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, Casper, etc.
A good putter can easily make 3 more putts a round than a mediocre one. I know, I played on tour and watched guys out putt me for years. Having to spot guys 12 shots per event before you tee off is frustrating to say the least… but if you hit it good enough, you can pick up quite a few shots against the competitors, and if you can just putt half decent, then sometimes you can find your way to the winners circle in spite of a lack of prowess on the greens.
