myths in golf

That was my thought. Should I try to have a slightly open face at setup so it will swing through (like a bat) at impact? I really don't think I want to go there ..

LOL...I know it has been bugging the hell out of me too, but a better name would be the low swinger, wasn't a half swing, he made a full swing, 90 degree shoulder turn and all, just never got above his waist. Been looking on the net for the roster can't find it, bet if I could find an email for Jim McClean he would know the guys name, he studies the hell out of the golf swing, surely he has come accross the guy, any one know Jim or his email address.

As most of you know I feel the mental side is more important that the swing itself, once you have some basic fundimentals with set up and the likes the rest is down to confidence.

That said the difference between the pro and the good golfer is this picture..........!!!!!!!!


Ian.

Brian, reread what you originally wrote
you said

I would say there is ONLY ONE WAY of correctly hitting a golf ball, that is with solid contact on the sweetspot with the clubface pointing directly at the target through impact..

Did I ever say to think about what I wrote during the swing? Nope, Did not say that. I am just telling you what happens on the majority of good players swing. Clubface rotation through impact should not be thought about that much, but rather be allowed to happen. What you wrote, to keep the face at the target would actually impede natural clubface rotation and be harder to achieve on a consistent basis. So what should happen on the swing is you come from the inside to hit the ball, while the ball is on the face the face squares up and the path is now square to the target line, then the ball leaves, after that the club goes back to the inside. THinking about something during the swing and understanding what you are supposed to do so you can take care of that in set up are totally different. This thread is about myths if golf, your "only one way of correctly hitting a golf ball" is one of those myths. Sorry for correcting that myth, but that is the point of the thread

hey ian
which one is you

Shootin, maybe we can explode this myth:

The three requirements of a sound golf swing

The golf swing MUST ACHIEVE three vital conditions in order to be effective.


A GOOD SET-UP AND ADDRESS IS ESSENTIAL FOR THIS PURPOSE. 1. Line at impact



The clubhead must be travelling along the intended line of flight through the impact area. Only a correct left-hand and arm swing coupled with a correct body movement can achieve this line down into the ball.


There is no other way of doing it. Most golfers misuse the body in the swing, thus destroying club-line into the ball. If the club head is not swinging "on-line" you cannot hope to consistently hit straight shots.
2 Square impact The club-head must swing "on-line", but it must also be square to the intended line of flight through impact.... AND BEYOND!

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

Nice reply.. I'm glad you set the record straight and debunked that myth, BrianW... I couldn't make heads or tails out of shootin's statements anyhow but no offense meant to anyone...

BrianW, I can't help but notice Leslie King's 12 lessons.

These three requirements are all that truly matters in the golf swing. Whatever it takes, if you will. In other words, however I get to New York is fine with me as long as I get to New York.

It is important to note that even these three requirements are not always required for the shot to succeed. The draw, the cut, the flop shot, the punch, etc. Are all shots that are produced using different parameters than those described in Leslie King's lesson. For example, it is preferable to make contact with the ball on the toe for the flop shot.

Then again, if all you do is achieve these three requirements all the time, you don't need to draw or cut or flop or punch the ball. Ever.

As Vijay said once, what's wrong with straight?

I think ive exposed the biggest myth of all the perfect golf swing dosent exist !

I will find some scientific data that backs up my stance on the position when I get some time. But the ONLY way the club can go in a straight line down the target line is if if the swing is completely verticle. The information in that illustration is vague and somewhat correct, but in the golf swing we swing on an arc and therefore at no point are there straight lines unless manipulation has occured

Cmays, make a reasoned argument if you wish but please leave out the insults. It is unworthy of you and eliteist. Leslie King was one of the best students of the golf swing and his teachings should not be dismissed lightly.

Back to the subject:

It is quite possible to come to the ball on an inside arc, straighten out the path through impact for a short time then return to an arc. It is a good way for someone to think of their swing, Leadbetter uses this swing thought, King used it as do may other coaches. New players can get confused by over-complex descriptions and minute details, things need to be kept as simple as possible and understandable.

Martin has made a good point, I would reply by saying that we are discussing a standard golf swing here. I agree that there are times where you will need to shape the ball flight and these principles will not be used

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

I think we all agree, hitting a golf ball is a very complex thing. Rarely, if ever, does the average amateur player get it exactly right.

A margin for error allows not quite right efforts to still produce acceptable results.

Given that the clubhead travels on an arc path, at no point will it ever travel in a straight line.

Further adding complexity is the fact that the clubface rotates through 180 degrees as the clubhead travels from half way back to half way through. By this I mean, at half way down prior to impact the clubface is 90 degrees open to the target line. At half way through on throughswing after impact, clubface will be 90 degrees closed to the target line.

Impact is not "instantaneous" though it is all over in such a very very short period of time. And given the passage of time whilst the ball is in contact with the clubface, yes the face does rotate a degree or two during this time. The ball compresses against the clubface and ideally you want the clubface to be square to target line when the ball leaves the clubface. Not when it first contacts it.

It is just impossible to plan for this to happen and why all the teaching pros I have ever heard or read will tell you to forget about "impact" itself.

It is entirely possible to get bogged down in science...

Like anything, over analysis kills...

Paralysis by analysis I think the saying is.

Golf is a game to be enjoyed and should be enjoyed whilst you play it.

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Look at the Target, Look at the Ball, Swing... Dr Bob Rotella...

well I guess that we swing on an arc might be complicated for some people, But once again I go back to YOUR statement of there being ONLY ONE WAY. Your statement was wrong. I have not said in this post what golfers should or should not know, what golfers should or should not think. I have just stated that your statement is wrong, a myth, the purpose of this thread. You keep going off on a tangent of me trying to make things complex or complicated of what golgers think about during the swing. When in this thread I have not expressessed anything of the such.

Cmays, I get what your saying. In tgm terms you can control bal flight through three different hinge actions as well.

Here's a myth:

Game Improvement Club.

If it truly improved one's game, it would be used by professional players.

Here's another myth:

You must purchase the equipment based on your ability.

If that were true, I'd buy new equipment every time my ability changed.

Yet another myth:

You must take many lessons or go to a teacher or a coach before you become any good.

The number of lessons is irrelevant. I can learn anything I want without taking a single lesson, so can you, so can anybody. I can also not learn anything after having taken a thousand lessons, so can you, so can anybody. Some great athletes have never taken lessons or went to a teacher or coach.

And another myth:

Practice makes permanent.

If that were true, the professional players would never practice. If what they practiced were made permanent, why would they practice it more? It makes no sense. The correct saying is practice makes perfect, it's been true and will always remain true.

Another myth:

Sending the ball far is more important than sending the ball straight.

The game of golf isn't based on how far one sends a ball but instead it is based on how close one sends a ball. How close to the target. Here's a question to put it in perspective: How much farther than the target do you want to send the ball? The question doesn't make sense. I want to send the ball to the target, not after it, not before it, not besides it.

Ok we will go back to my picture in a minute.

Firstly I would just like to say that this thread is probably one of the best I have ever seen and the imput from everyone is fantastic and some really deep and thoughtful ideas and of course myths.

My picture although an old one, you may look at any and every pro with any type of body build to see this same position over and over again.............although most of you know this is lag or late hit,

No matter what the back swing because there have been some wild ones over the years, still this lag/late position is always achieved it never changes, this position comes pretty natural to most and a few can learn it.

Once you embark on learning this position you will note there is alot of uncontrollable club face rotation during impact due to the extra speed through the hitting area, what actually happens is the lower body rotates leaving the arms behind for a split second then like cracking a whip (FLIPS) the arms and hands through the hitting area while rotating them.

In my opinion only there is only one myth in golf: Pros have better swings than club players, there are thousands of club players with + h/capps who hit further play better and score better than tour pros, the difference is between the ears.

I can offer no advice as many players here need the simplist of tuition to help start the game, but at the other end of the scale we have lag/late hitting which seperate the good from the great.

Thanks

Ian.

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Once you learn the swing, your next step is mastering golf psychology................