This one is for the smart people here at ABS. But is there any good reason why the golf swing just doesn’t setup at IDEAL impact position and the just start from there to simply return to it?
Anyone who has looked at golf photos can very easily notice that impact looks drastically different than what we all setup as.
I was doing “impact look” drills at range and basically lining myself up to what I perceived as ideal impact so I could feel it. Then just decided to rotate back and come right back down to where I was a split-second ago. I was hitting ball so good and consistent that after about half a bucket I thought to myself “why does this have to be a drill, why not just PLAY like this”? We contort and try to ingrain ourselves just to get to this position anyway, why not START from there?
In John Schlee’s book Maximum Golf this is one of the fundamental principles of the book. He claims Hogan told him start the swing from this “Impact Address” position. Schlee said to hold this position for just an instant, then begin the back turn. So, if it working for you, use it. It’s not a revolutionary concept.
As Admiral Ackbar so eloquently said, “It’s a trap!”
Making the golf swing more simple is a good thing, however…impact is more than just finding a position and returning to it. The inherant problem with “positional” golf or “impact look” drills is there are exertions and forces that put the golfer into those positions. Lag calls the positions vapor trails and I believe he is correct. Without the athleticism and proper intentions…positional golf is going to lack powerful precision or the ability to strike the ball in a masterful way.
Many of us have fallen into the above trap…myself included. I’d save you from that, but should you decide to work to a “positional” golf end - you’ll probably end up chasing your tail after a couple of weeks with little to show.
I intuiatively tend to agree with above. I have been thinking about this a lot past week and yesterday especially. All the thinking and experimenting by some darn bright golfing minds over past century and I have never seen this being used. I don’t understand why if one could take the essence of the swing (impact) and start from there to eliminate all the adjustments needed then why hasn’t it been done. Someone like another Moe for example. Goofy unorthodox swing that is simpler. So I have my doubts it can be effective.
But here is where it gets interesting…
I played a round yesterday with friends where beforehand I told myself I was only going to play from impact position for whole round. Literally line myself up how impact should look, rotate back and return. Simple efficiency. One looks as goofy lining oneself up to swing as moe normal. I just told my friends I was working on something. No loss of distance I could tell.
Well… I kid you not! My score dropped 15 strokes from my normal. I was shooting anywhere from 108-122 for a year now. Yesterday I shot 96, breaking 100 for first time. While doing a goofy looking setup/swing! The dramatic score drop came from straighter tee shots, less ob, and the most gir’s I’ve had to date.
Now there are a bunch off possibles here though. Maybe yesterday I was just in the zone and I would have shot that well for myself had I just played normal swing. I’ll never know but I did feel great I’ll admit so it is possible. Also maybe starting from impact just fixed a bunch of simple little stuff that high handicappers make. Like a simple alignment fix of seeing club face in impact position and a flat left wrist properly aligned to target, etc. little stuff that one easily fixes as one improves anyway but I just shortcutted yesterday? I honestly think it was a combo of both.
But if it helps high handicapper fix some little stuff couldn’t it also help pro golfers? Maybe a slight improvement of consistency could mean a tad higher Gir for them? Or one more fairway hit.
I know. I’m getting off track here for abs talking about unorthodox swing. But I just had to tell my experience yesterday.
Impact position is a snap shot of dynamic movement. You can’t feel impact from a stationary position. Not possible.
You might feel something… but it’s not impact… due to the pressures and opposing forces exerted upon the body.
You have to get turned and rotated with both the shoulders and forearms at the top… so set up if anything should be hinting at that.
I like what Moe did by setting the club up way behind the ball… essentially moving his set up into his backswing. His straight right leg pre turned his hips some so some of that was accomplished also.
A lot of ways to do it… and always remember… we don’t hit the ball on the backswing.
When I started on my golf quest last year I had the exact same thought.
I think the reason pre-set can work for high HC golfers is because your focusing on maintaining stiff wrists and arms it forces you to engage you body pivot.Which is a new sensation for most.
For most high handicappers all they have known is an arms only swing and all the issues caused by that.
I used a pre-set in drill only swinging from 9-3 when i first started which helped alot.but it only takes you so far.As you get stronger you’ll want to add on forearm rotation ect.
Congratulations on breaking 100. That is a milestone to be sure. No doubt confidence is huge in golf, however there is a certain rigidity (non-athleticism) in that mindset that puts a millstone around your neck. Again, I wish you the best but if I were you, Budman, I’d work on dynamic golf principles and use pre-impact fix stuff for getting yourself around when the course when all else fails. (Plan B as it were. Certainly better than breaking that tooth with the Cyanide in it. )
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