Last Updated on Friday, 06 July 2012 11:45
Friday, 06 July 2012 09:03
A few years ago Tiger Woods' swing coach Hank Haney took on the onerous task of trying to fix the famously flawed swing of ex-NBA star and current basketball analyst Charles Barkley.
It was with that ideal in mind that your agent decided to embark on the ambitious undertaking of trying to realize improvement in a golf swing that has had the benefit of precisely one professional lesson - albeit from renowned local instructor Jack Westover of Vancouver some 40 years ago - to see if one really can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear (sorry Mr. Westover, probably should have taken more lessons).
Ed note: Just to make a slight correction in some of the terminology used in last week's post of the 3D Golf lesson outing.
I made reference a few times to the 'electronic' equipment I was hooked up to for intial evaluation and John's subsequent analysis.
That step is undertaken using the MAT (Motion Analysis Technology) Motion Capture Process. Here is link link to the 3D Golf website that does explain the Motion Capture process www.3dgolfperformance.ca/PlayerDevelopment.aspx
And here is the official proper description of just what is taking place when that happens.
Motion Capture
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Reflective markers are placed on the golfer, club head, and club shaft
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Six special high-speed cameras capture the movement of the markers in space
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The computer quantifies the data captured by the cameras to create a three dimensional animation of the subject's swing
Personal Swing Analysis
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The technical data is displayed in a graphical format to quantify the golfer's swing characteristics
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The PGA professional analyzes and discusses the data with the golfer
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Lesson Two - Getting From One To Two
Last week we presented the introduction and the elements that went into the start of this process with
3D Golf Performance instructor and owner, John Aasen.
Having taken that first step on the road to 'resurrection' we now move on to the second lesson, which of course involves more of the first - with a few more elements added on.
One we'd completed the initial evaluation of my swing and all its inherent components we (read: John) deduced that the best place to start the rehab process was with my grip.
Starting With Address Position. There Will Be No Snide Remarks About The Fellow I Am Being Compared With - That's Like Shooting Fish In A Barrel
It is from one's grip that a number of elements in the swing evolve and getting started incorrectly just leads to a whole bunch of other misfortunes along the way.
Once we established how I was to pick up the club "From now on - and no other way - ever...." John embarked on the first step of creating the all-important 'swing plane'.
Here Is The Getting From '1 To 2' Position - The Takeaway
We all have one, it is the path the golf club follows from address to takeaway to the top of the swing and back down to impact and finally to our follow-through and finish position.
Without getting too far ahead of ourselves....and it is very easy to do, as we've all been witness to if not actually involved in the in depth discussion with someone attempting to impart swing advice that basically fills your head with infinitley too much information.
Top Of The Backswing
More often than not, that 'information' is less than useful and when it's all combined in large cesspool from which we attempt to deliver messages to the muscles involved, well, there's a reason for the term 'cesspool'.
The old saying that every journey begins with a first step is also true in successfully getting a golf club from address position to backswing and into ball impact.
Position At Impact
Soooo.....now that I'm gripping the club properly, the next step is to get the club moving back on the correct swing plane. In doing that it's important to maintain the relationship established at address between club and hands, hands and arms, arms and torso, torso and shoulder angle as well as other elements.
But this is where things can get totally confusing, if you begin to allow yourself to think of each component on its individual merit it just becomes way too much information to process sequentially withouth some kind of short circuit.
Position At Finish Of Swing On Follow-Through
It is best to find a key thought or piece of information that encompasses the overall move you are making and do it in segments. As you get comfortable with each segment it becomes easier to 'connect the dots'.
Many of us have watched the PGA Tour's Kevin Na suffer untold angst as he tries to simply take the club away from the ball and swing it. It's one thing to go through that torment just standing on a practice tee, imagine being in a PGA Tour event and on televison being watched by millions and analyzed by Johnny Miller or Nick Faldo.
Meanwhile, now that I've received the simple instruction from John to take the club 'From 1 to 2' - and I know what that entails - it's a matter of repeating that move over and over. It then has to connect with the rest of the swing plane arc to arrive back at the ball, but here again - TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME.
I am quite aware of my own 'Type A' personality trait where I want everything to happen now. Patience is said to be a virtue, and I've vowed to my mentor, Mr. Aasen that I will devote myself fully to the process (there's that word again, but it is important so it gets used a lot) so I'm learning to appreciate when portions of my swing take on the look of a 'proper' golf swing and not focus too much on the pieces that cause one to turn away in horror.
One of the most helpful components of John's
3D Golf Performance operation is the video he produces of the 'swing in progress' or 'under construction' as it were, along with his audio commentary and 'telestrating' to help the student more readily understand what is taking place in their swing and how the instruction being received is taking hold - hopefully.
To that end I'm attaching links here so you can view (if you dare) how John is helping me create a new swing and the progress that is made - no self deprecating remarks here as that would be disrespectful to John.
Next week - How to 'Hook The Sweet Spot'.
