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Jason
When the head rotates in response to a toe-hit, the ball slides, then rolls, sideways across the face from the toe toward the center of the face. This causes the ball to leave the face with a hooking or draw sidespin. Conversely, when the head rotates the other direction in response a shot hit off the heel, the ball slides, then rolls, sideways across the face from the heel toward the center of the face, which causes the ball to leave the face with a slicing or fade sidespin.
The reason all woodheads are designed with a horizontal curvature across the face (called “bulge”) is because of the gear effect. If shots hit off the toe generate a hook or draw curvature, the face needs to be radiused (curved) horizontally so the toe shot will leave the face angled to the fade side of the target. Thus the bulge radius causes the ball to start off more to the right (for a right-handed golfer; or to the left one a toe shot by a left-handed golfer), after which the hook spin generated by the gear effect takes over to bring the shot back toward the center of the fairway.
For shots off the heel, the bulge radius across the face of the wood causes the ball to take off to the left (for a right-handed golfer; or to the right from a heel shot for a left-hander), after which the fade spin generated by the gear effect takes over to bring the shot back toward the center of the fairway.
The presenter was telling a story about a player who was swinging 4 degrees from the outside with a 6 degree shut club face and was hitting a PULL FADE! Doesnt make sense, right. Until you check the contact point. The player was hitting the ball extremely on the heel of the driver which made the ball curve to the right. (Gear Effect). I don’t give a driver lesson now without a piece of face tape so I can see where the ball is contacting the face. After studying some of the best drivers of the golf ball, I have noticed a couple of observations.
1. Many PGA Tour pros address their driver closer to the TOE of the club. A few notables include: Zach Johnson, Dustin Johnson, Kenny Perry, Trevor Immelman, Jason Sutton (hacking teaching pro, sorry) and many others. Now I know there are many that don’t but bear with me.
2. Set-up distance from the ball (hands to body distance) is larger. The hands tend to hang out from the body and under the eye-line. Where iron set-ups, the hands tend to hang below the shoulder sockets. Here is my theory on this……..
Guru’s Theory (inconclusive): since the physics of the driver swing is flatter by nature, the arms will tend to swing out and away from the body as they get back out in front of the body which throws the club a little farther away from the player than it started. I know in most golf swings, the hands rise up through impact as well. This leads us back to our distance from the ball.
The Punch Line: If the golfer is standing too close to the ball and assuming that they are swinging on a shallow plane/path (in to out)……They will hit the ball in the heel. Even if you are swinging out to the right, the ball will still fade which drives alot of golfers crazy. This is why it is important to check your contact point as well as your swing mechanics and adjust your distance from the ball accordingly. I gave a lesson to a guy the other day that had a very nice pattern, could hit his irons with a beautiful draw but struggled with his driver. I merely moved him 2 inches farther away from the ball and his fade turned into a draw……coincidence ( I don’t know). Just some food for thoughtbut these are the things that keep me up at night. I am just looking for the truth and I appreciate you for reading.
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Here is my latest column for Golf Illustrated that will come out in the Summer issue in June. I will also have a feature article titled “Hands and Arms University” so go get it when it comes out. I think that it is important that we understand the golf swing but as coaches we must create a feel for the student that is often very different than what is actually happening to make a long-lasting pattern change. For those who follow my writing and my videos, you know how important that I feel exaggerated rehearsal swings are to creating the proper feel for the student. For you students…..being able to rehearse your swing changes in slow motion is so valuable to your long-term change. Enjoy the article.
How Do you Start Your Downswing, It Depends On Your Pattern
One of the most difficult moves in the golf swing is “the transition” or what is best described as when the club changes direction from the backswing to the forward swing. What moves first? What should you feel? These are the questions that I am asked by my students on a daily basis. The problem is that every golfers swing patterns are different so we have to figure out what you need for your particular swing plane error. Most coaches would agree that the downswing plane needs to be near or parallel to the original shaft plane established by the club your are using. So that being the ultimate goal, you have to know where your club shaft is on the way down as it approaches the ball. If you are hitting it poorly, you will fall into one of two camps. You are above the plane too much (too steep) or you are underneath the plane too much (too shallow). Most of you will fall into the first camp but I will address both to be fair to those who might fall into the too shallow category. So let’s look at each area and talk about how to start your downswing to get you back on plane.
ABOVE PLANE (TOO STEEP)
If you are swinging the club too much from the outside or above the plane line on the downswing, you are starting the downswing with too much upper body rotation. The average golfer will often say, “I got quick.” This means that the upper body started before the lower body and throws the club outside and across the ball. I call these types of players “SPINNERS”. Typical ball flight for this pattern will be pulls and slices.
THE FIX (WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL)
To start your downswing, you should feel a small shift to the lead foot with your hips. It is very difficult for most players to separate there lower body and their upper body so if you try to rotate your hips too soon, your shoulders will be pulled out towards the ball and cause you to come over the top. The key feel here is to keep the hips and shoulders closed to the target as you shift your weight. This will give you time to pull or drop your hands and club down to the inside and into the slot. There will be plenty of time to rotate your body through the shot as your now have the opportunity to hit the inside of the golf ball. Just think SHIFT – DROP AND SWING OUT. No Spinning!
BELOW PLANE (TOO SHALLOW)
If you are dropping the club below the plane line in the downswing, your body is rotating too slowly and your spine is tilting away from the target too much. This pattern can cause you to hit the ball thin, fat and create pushes and hooks. You are the opposite of the spinners and are staying closed to the target too long which allow your hands and club to drop too much to the inside.
THE FIX (WHAT YOU SHOULD FEEL)
To start your downswing, you should feel as if you are rotating your upper body faster and more level to the ground. Good players often call this feel,” covering the ball with your back shoulder”. This will keep your spine angle more vertical and not allow the club to drop too much from the inside. When done properly it will feel as if you are swing more to the left (for a right handed player). A great image is to try to get your hands to swing close to your lead leg and exit low in the follow through.
The first thing to figure out is which camp that you fall in. Are you too steep or too shallow? You need to see your coach and get your swing analyzed so you know which feel to implement. Once you find your pattern, the key to making changes is to exaggerate the opposite feel. The more you try to overdo it the closer you will be to an on plane golf swing. I hope this helps and remember,” The only place to get off of the plane, is at the airport.” Good luck with your golf.
To work with the Guru or get more information about the Dana Rader Golf School….check out our website @danarader.com or call 704-542-7635
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
For many of you, the week of the Masters constitutes the start of your golfing season. Even if the weather isn’t great where you live, after you watch the tournament it makes you want to go play. As this is the 25 years after the greatest Masters Tournament, the 1986 Masters, it brings me back to a philosophy that many legendary coaches bring into the start of any season. Revisiting the basics. Every year, Jack Nicklaus would go to his coach, the legendary Jack Grout and say,”Let’s start over and review the basics.” Grip, Posture, Ball Location and alignment. The great UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden would start every season by showing his players how to properly put on their socks as to not create blisters early in the season and jeopardize valuable practice time. Coach Halas, the Green Bay Packers coach started every training camp by introducing his players to,”Guys, this is a football.” No one is too good for a spring brush up. My mini-tour players and advanced tournament players always start the season by asking me to check their grip and posture because they understand that without these things being in place, the rest of the swing is working on a faulty foundation. So this is a call to action for all of you golfers out there getting ready to start your season. Before you start to practice and in grain some bad habits, go to your coach and ask them to begin with the basics and work from there. You will be glad that you did. Here is a video that I did last year that will give you a head start to checking your grip and posture. Two of the most important basics that will help you put the ground floor on the house of your 2011 golf swing.
To schedule your lesson with the Guru and get your season started off right call 704-542-7635.
See you on the lesson tee,
Coach Guru
One of the most frequent questions that I get as an instructor is,”Guru, How do I get my swing back on track when things go wrong on the golf course.” If I could market that answer I would be a rich man. After studying the best players in the world and watching how they manage their swings while playing, this is the best answer that I could come up with. As you watch the Masters Tournament this week, look out for these Strange looking rehearsal swings and check back with me next week. Leave your Masters pick or any comments below.
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See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
In honor of his National award, Canadian Teacher of the Year, I thought I would re-air this Guru TV special. Now I can say that I knew him before he hit the big time. Congratulations my friend, you are the best. I can’t wait for the sequel. Also a rare appearance (on my lesson tee) from one of the most versitile training tools on the market, THE SWINKEY. Twitter building friendships at its best. If you are not on twitter, What are you waiting for?
Time to get busy! Start your season off the right way with some solid practice habits. Enjoy a blast from the past with this archive.
See you on the lesson tee (704-542-7635),
Jason
In this video, I show one of the ways that I help to develop a better impact position with my students. Pay attention to the young man who does the demonstration as he is going to be a good one. His name is Aaron Walker. Please share some drills or ways that you help your students with this all important area of the golf swing?
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To schedule a lesson with the Guru, please call 704-542-7635 or visit our website @www.danarader.com
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
Refer to a previous post on body pivot and head movement. I don’t believe there is only one way to pivot your body. The neutral pivot tends to work best with shallow swingers with good flexibility and range of motion. Others that have steepening movements might do better with more spine tilt away from the target. It is up to the coach to decide which is the best for the student and what is easier for them to repeat and get the club swinging in the right direction and into the impact zone properly.
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See you on the lesson tee: 704-542-7635 to schedule a lesson
Jason
danarader.com
As we all get cabin fever this winter, I am constantly getting questions of how you can work on your golf game indoors. There are several ways to be effective inside but few are as valuable as “mirror work”. Of course you can putt in the house (hopefully with the Kure) and chip balls into the sofa, just don’t skull it please……..but standing in front of a mirror and going through the positions that you are trying to change can be helpful. Slow motion swings require patience but can change you faster than banging balls at full tilt when it is difficult to actually feel everything that is going on. So before you start your mirror work here are a few rules:
1) Understand what you are working on and where the club and your body should be. Hopefully your instructor has made it clear to where the club should be or body positions etc. ( If not you could be doing more harm than good)
2) try a weighted club, a swing fan or an Orange whip trainer to your session for a bit of a fitness workout.
I will be shooting a few videos on this subject when I get the time but until then, enjoy a video archive on changing the club face in the mirror.
Follow me on twitter @ twitter.com/onplanegolf.com or friend me up on facebook @ facebook.com/jasonsuttongolf.com…….to work with me at the Dana Rader Golf School call 704-542-7635 to schedule some time.
See you on the lesson tee,
Jason
The Golf Guru Show 