Ideas about The Release - a video by Brian Manzella (comments/reviews)

[Kevin Shields]

Like you said, hard to even know where to start. Pretty much what I would expect. Why does anyone even entertain the thoughts of this guy?

 

[magicmarker]

I first wanted to thank Brian and the whole team. This is a paradigm shift from most of what I have read about the golf swing and the way most golfers have been told to swing a club. I hope you guys get the credit you're due. You guys earned it.

This swing is gold. I find it entirely counter-intuitive and yet easier to perform and repeat. I grew up playing baseball as a kid. I was underplane and I had struggled to sync the lineup with the low point.

I even had to watch it twice and take notes the second time before I changed enough to get the feel of it. Things that were important that I missed the first time included; the grip, SLACK, direction of the out-toss, and WHEN it was time to pour it on.

This may or may not help others out there but I found it extremely beneficial to incorporate a lil Jack Nicklaus head turn away from the target before the takeaway. Right step, head turn, takeaway. Worked great for me, may work for others as well. Thanks again.

 

[Jared Willerson]

I just looked on youtube.com

All of the bombers have a little bit of slack.

I love how some take a comment or a suggestion and automatically think it is the very extreme of what was mentioned.

 

[rcw]

I am the CW in the swing video. I have hit it pretty damn good since that lesson with Brian. It's been easier to get shots started on line and easier to shape shots. I am definitely a former handle dragger. Over the last few years I have been working on lining up better for impact and getting rid of some arching and over leaning. That lesson and the video seem to be helping alot. I feel I am hitting it much better through the bag.
I am working on applying these concepts through out my game. I have had some good results so far, and look forward improving.
That was my first time applying the concepts Ill try to get and updated video soon.

 

[jbrunk]

From what I saw at my lesson speed won't be a problem.

In June, had a ball fitting.....99.8 mph driver with high of 101.2

Saturday after trying on a few white belts at Golf Galaxy, picked up an r11 and went into their simulator cold and hit 10 shots, 105.7 mph avg driver with a high of 107.1.....been doin the new release for 3 weeks.

 

[magicmarker]

If Luke Donald is short and crooked, which he isn't IMO what in Jeffy's world would he be without this sort of release? Oh yeah, another Sadlowski... the greatest most consistent golfer on the planet. Jeffy you keep on keeping it unreal, it makes the forum laugh...

RCW, you make an excellent point about Holmes and Cabrera, maybe those two, a few others and Donald can form a dinkers tour, I'm thinking like a 9-hole scramble on executive layouts.

 

[drewitgolf]

caveat emptor

 

[Bonesy]

Drew, I've taken a few lessons from you and you helped me. I admit I am a project. We worked on aiming point, a better swing plane, and better posture. It all worked. But.... for some, being a handle dragger is unsustainable. I worked at it hard for 5 years and had some really great (for me) rounds of ball striking but the rest of the time (the great majority) I was hitting the ball about 3" fat. UGLY. I've been working on the new release for a couple months, and while I still have some work to do, I can say that I've never hit it this good and I've never had so much fun playing golf.

I started trying the new release in late August and was fortunate to spend some time w/ MJ in late September. Both new videos (Brian's and Michael's) are the real deal in my eyes.

I woke up Sunday morning for a 9:50 tee time @ 9:30. I got dressed and hustled to the first tee. I proceeded to split the first fairway and hit the second shot to 25 feet. Hit maybe 2 fat shots all day. No warm up, no nothing. Just got out there swung the club. Old me would need to be on the range for about 30 mins just figuring out how much pivot I needed that day to get the club somewhere near the ball. New me just goes out and hits it.

I wish it wasn't late fall in Massachusetts.

Don't playa hate Drew!

 

[Marcus0418]

I've tried it out, and while it is totally counter intuitive to what I have been doing it feels great! It's a lot like what my swing felt like when I was younger. What is weird though is that while I am hitting it more solid (I can feel more compression with driver and woods) I don't feel as much compression with irons and I've had about a 10-15 yard distance loss across the board. My trajectory with my driver is lower and my irons are a bit higher. Is this just a result of attack angle and loft changing? I dig the way the swing feels but, not quite sure I'm willing to sacrifice that much distance

 

[Kevin Shields]

I've tried it out, and while it is totally counter intuitive to what I have been doing it feels great! It's a lot like what my swing felt like when I was younger. What is weird though is that while I am hitting it more solid (I can feel more compression with driver and woods) I don't feel as much compression with irons and I've had about a 10-15 yard distance loss across the board. My trajectory with my driver is lower and my irons are a bit higher. Is this just a result of attack angle and loft changing? I dig the way the swing feels but, not quite sure I'm willing to sacrifice that much distance

I'd say you're still tugging from the top trying to compress the irons and it's resulting in an early throw out of the club and getting a little floppy or "lofty" thru impact. Woods will help you stay back longer.

 

[spmurph]

Great video Brian. Quality information presented in a concise manner. Very professional looking. Seems like all that practice in front of the camera has paid off.

 

[Marcus0418]

Thanks Kevin. I'm guessing I can see my distance come back if I keep at this pattern and get more comfortable with it. Feeling solid compression with the woods is a beautiful thing. Anyone, how is this pattern when it comes to working the ball? I mean, a repeatable swing and ball flight are great things but, it's still golf and I still need to be able to hit it high/low draw/fade

 

[Kevin Shields]

Thanks Kevin. I'm guessing I can see my distance come back if I keep at this pattern and get more comfortable with it. Feeling solid compression with the woods is a beautiful thing. Anyone, how is this pattern when it comes to working the ball? I mean, a repeatable swing and ball flight are great things but, it's still golf and I still need to be able to hit it high/low draw/fade

It's a neutral swing pattern so you'll draw and fade it with a face adjustment, fully releasing your fades. High and low will not be so much ball placement but how much lean you deliver.

 

[Robbohank]

Nice work Brian. Having spent a few hours at English Turn with Brian 6 weeks ago and working on so much of this stuff since then, the video was a great summary. It provided validation, clarity, and was a great refresher. As with all things related to the golf swing, so much of what you have to do and feel is a function of where you're coming "from" regarding your swing. In my case I don't think I ever actually performed a free-wheeling swinging motion in my life but I'm getting closer by the day and the results have been very good.

Many thanks Brian.

 

[jeffy]

HOWEVER: wants to minimize body movement; he references 60 year old Tom Watson as a good example of full shoulder turn and stable body. Hmmm, a 60 year old? Makes sense, though: lateral movement is a speed killer.


The type of golfer we are addressing moves all over the place in the swing. I'll take Watson.

5 for 6.

Actually, we agree on this one, not sure why you think we didn't. 6 for 6.

At the top have SLACK in both arms. Sounds sketchy. All the bombers straighten the left arm as they reach the top. Dinkers like Mediate leave the arms bent.

"Feel like you have slack" in both arms. However 6dof3D PGA Tour data suggests ramrod straight—something many golfers think is desirable—is NOT being done.

5 of 7.

We talked about this during our call this afternoon. You agreed that "slack in both arms" is not for everyone. Also, "ramrod" straight is not what I said. I said "straighten": which is to go from bent to less bent. A "point" for you? I think not.

First move from the top is to move hands, club and CLUBHEAD away from the target, what he calls the "out toss": like using the right arm to toss a basketball into a hoop that is directly opposite from the target. David Glenz taught me this in the mid-‘90s and Jim Hardy advocates this for players with steep swing planes ("two planers). My concern, though, is it increases the moment of inertia and will slow rotation.

Golfers for the most part, trying to do it, don't do it, but set in motion other desirables.

5 of 8.

Your scientists don't agree that increasing the moment of inertia will slow rotation? That's physics, Brian, not an opinion. But, in any case, you are just saying that it "works" "for the most part". Fair enough. I assume that's why you, Glenz and Hardy recommend it. No biggie. But the physics says that those who take it too far will slow their speed. Hardly a "point" for you.

This early right arm extension will create a BETTER lag angle for most people at left arm horizontal. I remember Glenz saying the same thing. Since all the bombers fold in the arms from the top, I have to believe this will lead to higher moment of inertia and less rotational speed.

6dof3D PGA Tour data suggests that the right arm is straightening from the top faster than almost anyone thinks.

5 of 9.

Maybe so, but that's besides the point: the physics are the physics and a higher moment of inertia will slow rotation. Don't see how you "take" this point either.

Retain shoulder turn as much as possible. NO tug with the shoulders: very important. This must be for timing the arm swing, will definitely kill rotational speed.

Most folks unwind too quickly from the top and pull their hands inside the desired downswing hand path. If you are going to be an arm dragger, you have to start somewhere.

5 of 10.

OK, works for handle-draggers. Everyone else ignore it. Fair enough. Don't see why you "take" that point, though. Judge seems a little biased...

Avoid turning the body too much toward the target at this phase of downswing. Don’t understand this “anti-rotation” emphasis. Disagree: not what the bombers do.

If you are an "arm dragger" or a "handle dragger" you better have some arm release.

6 of 11.

OK, assumes audience is all handle-draggers. I'm not. Do I get my money back?

At this point there IS hip rotation toward the target. FINALLY!

Obviously, it will happen well before this.....geez....

7 of 12.

How can you take that point???? Not fair!

Through impact, the right wrist will fully straighten and left wrist will quickly begin to bend back (Glenz taught me this also; still teaches it). Uses short and crooked Luke Donald as an example. Palm of left hand will be as if placed on a wall between player and target and left arm won't rotate much. References Ralph Mann/Fred Griffin model and TaylorMade model that both show left wrist bent in follow-through. Just now noticing that "all the great players" have a bend in the left wrist post impact, not a heavily rolled left forearm like he taught for 20 years.

A lot of thinly veil shots at me and MJ in the last two comments.

I don't see any "veil" at all! But at least you've admitted that you were wrong. I admire that.

Seems to me this is a nice "old fart" pattern, which may be effective for the majority of students he's gonna see now that he is high-priced. It also reverses the negative effects of the blocking hand action that he taught to achieve a "flat left wrist". But, doesn't going wide at the top INCREASE the player's moment of inertia of the upper body, arms and club, slowing rotation? Sadlowski doesn't do this. And all the bombers rotate the body early. This new pattern is more along the lines of Rocco Mediate, one of the shortest hitters on tour.

Gee, I don't know where to start....

You told me on the call that this wasn't intended as an "optimal" pattern for the high-end golfer, but one designed to address the needs of your core audience. You can start there.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Weird

 

[dschultz6072]

In June, had a ball fitting.....99.8 mph driver with high of 101.2

Saturday after trying on a few white belts at Golf Galaxy, picked up an r11 and went into their simulator cold and hit 10 shots, 105.7 mph avg driver with a high of 107.1.....been doin the new release for 3 weeks.

Right on brother. But it may have been the white belts.

 

[Richard the Nerd]

Brian....enjoyed the video.....a couple of questions/observations

Could you expand on why you want the "big" shoulder turn? I agree with it....but I would like to know the rationale.

You talk about the club's COG or balance point or whatever being on the "wrong side of the hands"...I assume that means "behind the hands too long"?

If you had a situation where the club was more laid off....would you "throw over" more?

In regards to the top of backswing .... I have a few questions .... are high hands required? If so why? If you had someone who just went "flatter" what would you adjust as far as movement/sequence?

If a cat has the club shooting across the line too much would that result in momentum in the wrong direction that would need to be overcome?

Also, if you have a player that has his left arm on or below the line of his shoulders at the top, does that mean the back should stay to the target longer or the duration of that move be less?

Downswing....what about vision?....should you try to see the ball as you hit it? or not see it?

Sorry about all the questions....interesting stuff....nice work.

 

[tbone1065]

I will pre-purchase the Anti Summit video just to see Jeffy get schooled by the panel.
One thing is for sure though, no matter how convincingly the panel makes its point, Jeffy will be certain that he is right and they are wrong.

 

[jdswets]

Great video, Brian! I think having soft or 'slack" arms is one of the keys to this whole idea. Also, amazing how much better the body functions when your arms are soft and clubhead speed goes way up as well.