Brian Manzella Summer 2008 Swing Sequence w/audio analysis

[Brian Manzella]

daSwings

...yes I corrected for the camera movement in the stills.

"Who ya think ya foolin' wit here? ...Chillren? —Stan Stopa​

 

[pecky987]

where you just trying to kill it?! lol obvious from the grunts

 

[benhogan55]

Great thread Brian...I can see you "store the fat...lose the fat."
Also a question...do you consciously do anything to close the gap and if so when? Any drills
to get this feeling?

 

[Bigwill]

It's interesting to see how much inside the club moves in the backswing, and how quickly it goes left after impact, especially because Nelson said he felt like it was going straight back and straight through.

 

[ColinMB]

It's interesting you say you feel the left shoulder working down in pic 2-3. On the down swing, do you conversely think -right shoulder down- ( at impact)?

I feel I had a similar body position to yours at impact. Even the way you end up on your left foot (it has destroyed many a good pair of shoes for myself - actually because of that, I've tried to stop rolling over a bit on my left foot like this.) At this position I have been told I am holding my body back too much at impact, but it seems to work just fine for you. (You probably just release your body a lot more than I do.)

I like how you look under the ball in your setup and maintain it. I do the same thing and it helps me keep everything behind the ball until impact.

Babbling a bit here, but I was just wondering about the right shoulder down? (I couldn't listen to the whole audio file yet... people bugging me at work. )

Lastly, thanks for posting this. I will be studying it more when I have a better chance. Can we possibly see driver from you?

 

[blehnhard]

Baltimore Lesson

Hi Brian and Damon,

First off, just want to thank you both for the time spent with me on the 21st.

In looking at the pictures, video posted here as well as listening to the audio, I feel this is something that I should be moving towards.

Main points:

1. Early turn of the right hip out of the way - weight going at about 45 degree away from the target line.

2. Let the arms and club go along with this move - feels very inside to me.

3. Keep some hip turn as I shift left, then once I have filled the "gap" - just go ahead and let the hips open up.

4. Set up a little "closed" (feels a lot closed to me) with the feet - keep the shoulders squarish.

Should I be concerned with my slightly "closed" clubface at the top?

Any comments, suggestions, or opinions appreciated.

Thanks again for your time and expertise.

Bruce

 

[jtf8751]

In your video there, do I see a hint of movement from the top first, but then you drop that right shoulder and come from the inside. Look at it in slow motion, I think I see the upper movement go forward first, then you start down. Just wondering, could be because you were trying to hit it so hard, but you still recovered well.And I don't see a whole lot of hip slide either, just turning? Just asking. Thanks.

 

[conkanen]

Wow...just listened to the analysis...sick, sick stuff!

FYI, I am definitely one of those people that "needs" that back swing.
I have never hit the ball better with it.

Thx again B

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

In your video there, do I see a hint of movement from the top first, but then you drop that right shoulder and come from the inside. Look at it in slow motion, I think I see the upper movement go forward first, then you start down. Just wondering, could be because you were trying to hit it so hard, but you still recovered well.And I don't see a whole lot of hip slide either, just turning? Just asking. Thanks.

Brian has that move because of inflexiblity, he'll always do it. There is hip slide, just not a huge amount. Just enough to hit the shot at hand.

 

[jtf8751]

Oh ok, thanks Jim. I have a little more hip slide it seems like but I put my weight securely on my front foot. Do you recommend just turning with very little hip slide like Brian does or not?

 

[pecky987]

are you using a neutral grip? looks it to me

 

[birdie_man]

Someone stole your Matrix idea already? No joke?

Why (i.e. But why...) do you try to "close the gap" in this latest swing? (left hip toward target) Do some people "close the gap" simply due to trying to trace more left?

 

[jeffgladchun]

Brian,

You think Peter Kostis would ever put his swing up here for people to dissect???

 

[conkanen]

I just loved the tip I saw this weekend for long Par 3's by a well known instructor that shall remain nameless.
"Use a hybrid, trust your swing, lemme demonstrate..."

*sigh*

But I digress...

 

[Chris Sturgess]

So the pattern to hit a soft draw you are doing here involves a closed stance, and inside takeaway, and then a slight over the top move relative to your stance but still slightly inside relative to the target line. That is interesting. The reverse of the figure 8 that Leadbetter would probably recommend.

 

[golfer24]

Would you class your release as a random sweep with a punch basic stroke Brian,

 

[Dariusz J.]

Often it is mentioned that it is the lower body initiating the down swing. Perhaps it is often tipsy topsy and it is actually a slight movement of the upper body towards the target which constitutes the transition move between back swing and down swing.

In Brian’s sequence from the 5th to the 6th image there is indeed a slight upper body motion towards the target. It is a nice to use this subtle motion as it leads to a smooth gravity counter fall onto the lead leg initiating the down swing.

Mandrin, it's interesting what you wrote. I often thought that, ideally, the upper part of the body (head & shoulders) should not move faster towards the target than the lower one (pelvis), i.e. the sidebend of the spine is well maintained until impact.

Cheers

 

[Dariusz J.]

Brian, if I may I would like to ask you about two things:

1. as per Mandrin's post above - FO view shows that your hips do not slide forward at all while your upper body & head moves laterally to the target at transition (CoG shift); is it done purposedly, and, if yes, what advantages are of such an action comparing to e.g. Hoganesque hip slide CoG shift ?

2. Your head moves up at the end of the downswing which appears as a compensation for a too bend initial posture (too big spine angle); are you doing it because of your body flexibility limitations and it is something that should not be copied and we should not pay any attention to it ?

I ask those two questions since I always believed that those two things should be rather avoided in a golf swing...

Cheers

 

[Brian Manzella]

Brian,

You think Peter Kostis would ever put his swing up here for people to dissect???

He ha had pics of his swing in many mags.

He is a stone flipper.

 

[Brian Manzella]

So the pattern to hit a soft draw you are doing here involves a closed stance, and inside takeaway, and then a slight over the top move relative to your stance but still slightly inside relative to the target line.

Just like Bobby Jones, and Sam Snead.

Anyhoo, this pattern is NOT the "exact" SD1 pattern. But is is close enough.

That is interesting. The reverse of the figure 8 that Leadbetter would probably recommend.

Last December I attending the 3rd TGM Summit. Three days, about 28 hours talking golf swing

A month laster I attended the PGA Show. Four days, about 20 hours talking golf swing/teaching business.

A month later I presented at and attended the MIT Summit, two days about 18 hours talking /teaching business.

A month after that I spoke at the very top-shelf Tri-State PGA Summit, one day, about 10 hours talking golf swing/teaching business.

Not one time—not a single solitary time—in those 10 days and over 76 hours of listen to and talking with some of golf's best and brightest, did the TERM or NAME Leadbetter get mentioned.

Think about that.

I've been preaching from the mountain top for years, but now, I look pretty smart, huh?

Leadbetter.....ha.