So today we attended with many other golf professionals the stack and tilt seminar at the Belfry. Presented by Andy Plummer and Mike Bennett.
So what it all about?? The swing model has certainly come in for some stick over the last couple of years from pundits and coaches in the US so everyone was intrigued to hear what Andy and Mike had to say especially as some of their pupil on Tour have shown improvement and success.
The session started with the address position where using photographic evidence of successful golf professional over the years it was pointed out that there are very few common grips, alignment, aim and postures. So what do the tour pro’s have in common?
(1) Being able to hit the ground in exactly the same place.
(2) Ability to generate enough power to hit the ball far enough to play and control the flight.
Andy pointed out that everything else was pretty much variable, there was evidence that some combinations of certain parts of the setup and swing work well together. But the two things above is something that all top players all have in common.
The weight distribution for a right handed player starts more to the left approx. 60% with the right at 40%. As you move towards the top of the backswing the weight stays the same keeping the slight spine lean slightly right at around 5 – 10 degrees. (no reverse spine tilt there). Sounds like the way I coach pitching.
The next point in the backswing the hand working in an arc in the takeaway which makes sense as the torso is rotating getting the club to point at the target line (plane) and through the right elbow area. Sound enough there in my view.
Left leg straightening creating a larger hip turn. That’s certainly different from what is the populist methods of creating more lower body resistance by keeping the right knee more flexed, but perhaps what is lost in stretch is gained a larger rotation and swing.
So let,s just stop there and think of some of Ben Hogan’s swings, Johnny Miller, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson. There is evidence that these type of methods we employed by these players at their height so is coaching moving full circle back towards what was the norm in that era.
So at this stage not too controversial and certainly their ideas have been misrepresented in the media and TV.
More to come on the Stack and Tilt seminar in my next post.
Will Louis Oosthuizen hang onto his lead going into the last round of the Open Championship or will Paul Casey or other catch him?
Looking at his swing in slow motion I have to say it looks fairly sound and as long as the pressure of the last round does not get to him and he start steadily you have to say he should hang on easily.
Coached by Pete Cowen, who has helped many a player to success over the years. I like the look of the club at the top of his swing slightly pointing left due a slightly shorter action. It’s hard to see what could go wrong from there. Another thing that has impressed me with his swing to that he maintains his upper body stability so well. Even though we should see slight head motion in any good swing Oosthuizen really keeps not only his height well but the upper body hardly moves back at impact.
Casey on the other hand did get out in 5 under yesterday and a repeat performance on the outward 9 holes would certainly increase the pressure on Oosthuizen.
Cristie Kerr moved to the top of the LPGA Tour rankings with a demolition of the field at the LPGA Championship by 12 shots. That’s right 12 shots an incredible accomplishment. Below is Cristie working hard on her game? There are a couple of interesting movements in her swing with the club getting across the line at the top of the backswing and a limited wrist hinge. But one thing for sure she was consistent all through the week and a 6 under pay final round was certainly a round she will remember for the rest of her life.
So may be the shut club face at the top of Dustin Johnson’s backswing was too unmanageable in the last round at the US Open at Pebble Beach. Congratulations to Grahame McDowell on his one shot victory. He managed his round perfectly to make sure he ended the 40 year drought for European Winners of the US Open let’s hope it’s not another 40 years to the next victor.
We take a quick look at Grahame’s swing from down the line showing how he manages to deliver the club perfectly on swing plane in the downswing even though he is slightly out of position at the top of his swing.
I have to admit Dustin Johnson certainly gets results. It’s interesting in the below analysis of his own swing he mentions nothing about the bowed left wrist and shut face at the top of his backswing as well as the untra late release to compensate for that closed face. It’s rare that you see any golfer with a right elbow below the left arm in his downswing. Just goes to show though in his comments how he views a good club shaft plane in the downswing and for that matter the backswing something every golfer should strive for.
An amazing end to the St.Jude Classic this week on the PGA tour, Robert Garrigus only needed a double bogey to win and lipped out for a treble.I must admit he gave a good post interview to David Feherty after the disastrous end to his round.Then the drama continued into the playoff where no one seems to want to win. Finally Lee Westwood went onto win in extra time.
Robert Karlsson, regaining his form at the St. Jude Classic this week though,interestingly his longest holed put was 16 feet in the 72 holes, he must have struck the ball well to get round on -10 to get into a playoff with Lee Westwood.
He has returned to his coach Mark Blackburn from Alabama starting at Dubai this year and it seems to have paid dividends.After a great season in 2008 finishing high up in all 4 majors and topping the European Tour Order of Merit, 2009 however was not the best of years primarily through illness. Mark originally from London has setup a number of Golf Academies in the US and not only coaches Robert Karlsson but Heath Slocum and a number of talented NCAA students.
Let’s take a look at Robert Karlsson’s swing in High speed.
Another European GASP lab studio is the Aegean Golf Academy at the Crete Golf Club where they boast a GASP lab Multi camera Video Studio and Sam Puttlab. A great place to work on your game and catch some sun and this great golf complex.
The developers of the K-vest have just released the K-trainer which offer coaches, trainers, physiotherapist and other medical professionals another dimension to their equipment and service.
The K-trainer allows your customers to use the K –Trainer technology just like a personal trainer.Coaches can set drills for students including reps and programs which will utilise the auditory and biomechanical feedback that the K-trainer offers.Each session can be customised to suit individual needs.
Please contact for availability and pricing and for more information go to http://www.k-trainer.com
For those golfers with a DIY gene, take advantage of the do it yourself install and Tim Nijenhuis a Golf professional in Lochem in the Netherlands is one such Golf Professional.After purchasing his studio equipment for us he implemented the install on his own.To find out more about Tim’s Golf School Go to his website.http://www.nijenhuisgolf.nl
Zach Johnson wins again at the Colonial shooting 64 – 64 over the weekend to break the tour record at Hogan’s alley to beat Englishman Brian Davis. His record breaking 21 under par had two amazing stats apart from the score of course, He only had 3 bogeys over the whole weekend and he hit 85% of greens in regulation. You have to say well done Zach but hard luck Brian who was chasing his first US tour win.
Zach’s swing is an interesting action seldom seen on the PGA or European Tour these days. His swing plane is flatter than most also in the Hogan style if anything. In the video below taken of Zach and his coach Mike Bender taking about the swing plane (sorry about the quality) The interesting point in my view is that regardless of flatter, neutral or steep action the club always points at the target line.
