AboutJohn Brott Expertise PGA Golf Professional willing to discuss your problems and offer suggestions. Particularly those golfers experiencing pain either during or after a round. Prior Head Instructor: Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation Winner: 1996 Naional Senior Club Professional Championship
Experience PGA Member since 1982
Winner 1996 Senior Club Professional Championship
Former Head Instructor- Chi Chi Rodriguez Youth Foundation
Will compete in the PGA Seniors Championship and
the National Club Professional Championshi this
year.
Question QUESTION: I video taped myself and found that some good and bad. Hard to describe but you know Tigers move once back swing is complete is down and towards that ball. He does a great job of transfer his weight. I on the other hand do not. I do a good job of staying behind the ball but I'm hitting the ball thin, on the toe, and my divots are really shallow. My right shoulder is really down low at impact and I just don’t seem to be transfer my weight. I’m staying so far behind the ball that I can’t release the club. Thoughts on drills to help my first move at the top be forward with the hips?
ANSWER: Brian: Take another look at your video with special notice to your foot and leg work. Does your back foot roll to the outside? And does your back knee move to the outside of your right foot? My guess is that one or both of these are occurring. Once the weight moves to the rear of the back foot or to its heel, it must return to the inside before one can push off. In this split second that the weight is moving back to the starting position so it can be the basis for the drive forward, the upper body is well into the forward swing. Rather than drive through with the legs, the tendency is to stand or raise up because in essence, you are out of balance if you're rolling on your feet. As you see Brian, once the swing begins, about 95% of what occurs during the swing is controlled by your reflexes which are responding to what's going on.
Compare your foot & leg action to Tiger's and I think you'll see what I mean. You might also copy his profile which will put you in a position of optimal balance before the swing begins. Note how he bends from the hips to reach the ball, flexes his knees just to the point of unlocking them, plays the ball far enough from him to allow the arms to hang from his shoulders and has his weight on the balls of his feet. This position allows his reflexes to respond to hitting the ball instead of the struggle to keep his balance.
Good luck Brian; I'd be interested in being updated on your progress.
Fairways and Greens,
John
www.golfnutts.com
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QUESTION: Thanks John. I'm impressed. I found that I wa almost rolling my back right foot. Most of the weight was on the outside and edge of the foot and my knees are bent much more than how you explained Tigers. So my optimal knee flex should be to straight them and then just unlock them. Then bend at the hips to get to the ball?
Answer Hi again Brian and thanks for the complement. I don't know that that won't work as long as you end up on the balls of the feet to start the swing. I might suggest doing it by locking your knees straight, bending from the hips until your shoulders are about 2 inches in front of your toes, then with the knees still locked, lean towards the ball until you feel like you're going to tip over. Then as you just unlock the knees, you'll feel the weight settle on the balls of the feet. Doing it this way ensures a correct spine angle; one that allows a full shoulder turn with neither running into your chin.
Then in the backswing, your sternum should end up over your right foot with the majority of the weight that started on the right foot, still on the ball of that foot. From that position you'll be coiled and poised to start the forward swing with a slight lead by the lower body.
