DVD & Web Video:The Soft Draw Pattern 1.0 -w/Reviews

[jjmule]

Depends upon your needs...

I'd say it depends upon what your needs are. Case in point...my pattern:

I had a soft draw lesson from Brian yesterday in N.O. (City Park) and I believe it's going to help a lot. Why? I had a chronic problem over rotating the left arm and laying the club off a pretty good bit. This caused several ball flight problems; aka loss of distance, thin shots, pulls (in my case). SDP will cure my lay off problem and the release will - eventually - probably mean better ball/turf contact. The draw will help with distance. By the way, it also seemed easier on my body as well. It's tough breaking 20-year bad habits but I believe I made the right choice and I think Brain agrees.

Botton Line:

Know/analyze your own pattern(s) and "favorite" faults and proceed accordingly. Take it from me...there are swing movements that are mutually exclusive to certain patterns... mixing and matching movements randomly - without an honest evaluation of your own tendencies - will not work.

 

[Bill Miracle]

I would definitely second getting it...

NSA did wonders for me...as well as my lessons with Brian. When I met Brian around 1.5 years ago, I was barely breaking 100. Now I am shooting mid-80's and dropping.

SD 1.0 put some things together for me that I wasn't getting from any other video.

I had to abandon NSA after awhile because I was going left too much. Brian worked with me on fixing that and I kind of got stuck going right today (all pushes) and left tomorrow. I tried incorporating some NHA again but I could tell I was getting stuck on taking it back.

I added the backswing of SD and I have seen a major difference. The video crystallized some things I really needed.

Like Jim said. It's a 10.00 experiment. A new driver is 300-500.00. New irons are more expensive.

 

[dbl]

Great Pattern! (and video)

Got down to an 8 last year, and then in the winter time period got a bug to alter my swing, and got serious about it about 2 months ago. That made me relook at what needs releasing and how. The last 4 weeks, the work-in-progess swing has been pretty sloppy as I keep making variations almost swing to swing.

So even though the SD video comes at a funny time for me, I got and immediately tried it. What a joy it is to hear Brian explain the various extremes that are around and outside this pattern, and then of course, the detail on this particular pattern.

And, it was quite easy to do! Perhaps it frees my mind up to just adopt "one set" of things, but in any case...immediate results. I think I may keep at this pattern for the next month or so and then revisit my experiment later.

As to particulars of the swing, I really appreciate the backswing and the right hand action. Both lead to excellent impact and ball flight.

An excellent $10 investment!

 

[Brian Manzella]

THE Soft Draw lesson.

The lesson that I gave "jjmule" lesson yesterday, was very eye opening.

I had worked with John once previously.He had bought "The Soft Draw Pattern 1.0" and thought that was the right pattern for him. From what I remembered from last year's lesson, it was questionable as to whether this was the case.

But, as it turned out, John could not have been more correct. He OVER ROTATED his left arm and club unit (left arm flying wedge) and had "pop out," a laid off top of the backswing, and all the other symptoms that this pattern was invented to correct. This includes the club pointing well left of the target at the last three parallels.


The lesson went very well, and John still has work to do, but the reason I brought it up is this:

There are MANY folks out there that could use this video & pattern to help theri swings and games.​

There is a multitude of less than ideal info out there that will create lots of the pieces that this video can correct.​

Thanks for alll the support of this project.

Bmanz

 

[trashpar]

I’ve had SD for over a week now and feel like I’ve made some progress with it. Several years back I was using Redman’s Essentials of the Golf Swing ideas, which are very similar to SD with some key differences I think were holding me back. The biggest one was the act of an active shifting of the weight (stepping on the right side) and getting that weight back to the left side. Redman is very much against an active weight shift, wanting the old Percy Boomer turn in the barrel deal. I could do it at times but really struggled with pulls.

Keeping the ball position similar to that method, and using the SD principles, I’ve been able to hit solid shots, get a bit better trajectory, and not have to deal with too many pulls. Just got back from Myrtle and had 4 rounds in the 70’s, so if you haven’t got it yet, I strongly suggest you give it a go, even if you’re working on a different pattern.

 

[Erik_K]

My quick review...

When Brian came to Baltimore last year, I think he wanted me to learn this pattern, or one that is very similar. We retooled the takeaway and what he taught me last summer is indeed the takeaway you see in SD.

This is truly an exceptional video. There's much to learn and discuss. Brian continues to use very straightforward examples and terminology to get his points across. Instead of bombarding the student with complicated techno-language, clear concepts drive the point home.

Swinging the club back and forth with an emphasis on a good pivot is a nice departure from the norm that most 'instructors' cling to today. Most pop golf teachers love to illustrate static positions and compare the student to XYZ player on Tour. Brian is just the opposite (with this video anyway). He even discusses the FINISH - an area that is overlooked by 90% of the golfing community.

I downloaded the $10 web version, and this is the best $10 you will ever spend. Instead of some magazine, book, or training aid that will eventually collect dust you have a wonderful video to review and study. The video is very well organized. Practice the setup and takeaway and then the underhanded javelin toss and you are more than halfway there to learning a pattern that will lead to a lifetime of good golf. I believe Brian is 100% correct when he states that this pattern helps you get to the middle of the Manzella Matrix - which is, when you get right down to it - A VERY ORTHODOX PATTERN built on many, many years of careful study and timeless fundamentals that have been around for decades.

You'll notice the terms like 'neutral' (the recommended grip), arms hanging 'loosely' at the sockets to promote a relaxed, yet athletic setup. Instead of rehashing the latest in pop golf which always seems to get people to mimic swings that are very difficult to emulate, Brian gets you to develop a VERY repeatable pattern that fosters consistent ball striking.

Well done, Brian. You continue to impress me by delivering excellent products and advice.

Thanks for doing this!

Erik

 

[dbl]

Eric you might review the section on the grip, as he mentions what neutral is, but has a particular adjustment to that. So iow, the neutral grip is not recommended as you stated.

 

[braveheart]

I downloaded and have watched it three times. The sound and picture don't seem to be in sync on mine. Words seem ahead of the picture at times making it tough to follow. Any ideas how to remedy this?
I went out into my backyard and tried to apply some of the teaching. Impressions: I am confused about the 1 yd to the right setup. Hips, shoulders and feet aligned that much right of the flag with the clubhead aimed at the flag? When I did that I hit the soft draw? Seemed an extreme setup that I dont notice Brian or Adam doing so much. Where does the butt of the club aim to? On the downswing, do you aim the butt of club outside ball or down the line at the target? Unsure, cause both are mentioned.
NSA helped me get straighter and I am sure that SD will help me hit that elusive draw with a little bit of work. Thanks.

 

[lookingtolearn]

I downloaded and have watched it three times. The sound and picture don't seem to be in sync on mine. Words seem ahead of the picture at times making it tough to follow. Any ideas how to remedy this?
I went out into my backyard and tried to apply some of the teaching. Impressions: I am confused about the 1 yd to the right setup. Hips, shoulders and feet aligned that much right of the flag with the clubhead aimed at the flag? When I did that I hit the soft draw? Seemed an extreme setup that I dont notice Brian or Adam doing so much. Where does the butt of the club aim to? On the downswing, do you aim the butt of club outside ball or down the line at the target? Unsure, cause both are mentioned.
NSA helped me get straighter and I am sure that SD will help me hit that elusive draw with a little bit of work. Thanks.

I believe you are correct with your understanding of 1 yard right. It is not extreme (only 1-2 yards right of aiming for a "straight ball"), but will feel very extreme if you've been aiming too far left.

On the downswing, either the club or the butt of the club will point to that "1 yard right" spot at each position through the finish.

 

[braveheart]

Got out to play nine this morning and I applied as much as I could of the SD1.0 that I could without thinking too much. I did not get too much of a soft draw but I often hit straight with no bend to the right when usually I have a strong tendency to fade and slice. Setup with the 1 yd right of my feet was uncomfortable but anything new can feel that way. Did it with a slightly closed stance. I was tempted to go back to NSA pattern of twistaway but I resisted and stayed with the slightly stronger grip Brian recommends. I hit the ball well, my misses were straight pushes just to the right of greens but I noticed with the dramatic weight shift to the right side I caught a lot of balls a little heavy. I concentrated mainly on keeping butt end close to R hip on backswing and then I was a little unsure of myself of where to focus on downswing. Back inner quadrant (4-5 o'clock) of ball a la NSA? 1 yd right spot? Can you use things on the ground just ahead of ball to more closely approximate this?
Only one bad push/slice on the last hole with the driver as I got too quick and came out of posture (bad tendency of mine). But I was pleased and see where maybe I need to stay with a little twistaway and NSA pattern to handle clubface control but maybe in time can fully commit to SD1 pattern. Just a thought, can twistaway be added to SD1 and be effective? Or is it something to entirely wrong for this pattern? So alignment and hitting it heavy appear to be my main concerns. Appreciate any insights and answers.

 

[lookingtolearn]

A couple thoughts

Got out to play nine this morning and I applied as much as I could of the SD1.0 that I could without thinking too much. I did not get too much of a soft draw but I often hit straight with no bend to the right when usually I have a strong tendency to fade and slice. Setup with the 1 yd right of my feet was uncomfortable but anything new can feel that way. Did it with a slightly closed stance. I was tempted to go back to NSA pattern of twistaway but I resisted and stayed with the slightly stronger grip Brian recommends. I hit the ball well, my misses were straight pushes just to the right of greens but I noticed with the dramatic weight shift to the right side I caught a lot of balls a little heavy. I concentrated mainly on keeping butt end close to R hip on backswing and then I was a little unsure of myself of where to focus on downswing. Back inner quadrant (4-5 o'clock) of ball a la NSA? 1 yd right spot? Can you use things on the ground just ahead of ball to more closely approximate this?
Only one bad push/slice on the last hole with the driver as I got too quick and came out of posture (bad tendency of mine). But I was pleased and see where maybe I need to stay with a little twistaway and NSA pattern to handle clubface control but maybe in time can fully commit to SD1 pattern. Just a thought, can twistaway be added to SD1 and be effective? Or is it something to entirely wrong for this pattern? So alignment and hitting it heavy appear to be my main concerns. Appreciate any insights and answers.

Be sure that you don't sway off the ball when you "step on your right foot." I did this right away too. It helped me to just practice the pivot with the back and forth drill, and then not worry about it during the swing.

As for adding the twistaway, I wouldn't do it on the backswing (arching the left wrist tends to get people laid off, which is the killer of the SD pattern), but adding a "down twistaway" during the downswing may help you get the hands in the right spot at the javelin throw position.

Also, if you are struggling with pushes, make sure you are doing the backswing correctly. If I over rotate the left arm at any point during the backswing, I get under the sweetspot and hit a lot of pushes and push fades. To prevent this, I focus on getting my hands to go in as much as possible and my right elbow as high as I comfortably can.

Hope that helps.

 

[eddielaw]

Great Video especially for me!!

I was taught about 5 yrs ago to "pop" the grip out, by pointing the shaft to the plane line, to avoid a too inside?! backswing.
Now, last fall Brian spent two hours trying to keep my hands in on the backswing; I could of been a poster child for the laid off backswing look.

Point I'm trying to make is this: Each one of these videos is about ten bucks to download. They are the second best golfing bargain period. But the best bargain is a personal lesson from Brian. That way you will undoubtedly get the right pattern for your current swing. Most teachers, even if they understand the golf swing to a degree to help someone, teach only one pattern. It is not one custom designed for your body style, tendencies and current faults. Here you can get a custom pattern and plan for improvement. Thank you Brian!
Eddielaw.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

braveheart, it sounds like you still have clubface issues. Thats why you weren't seeing a draw, just went where it aimed because the face was as open as the path and you essentially had a push swing. Let's just say a 3* inside/out path and a 3* open face.

You need to learn to not have the clubface so open so that it can draw, has to be more like 1 or 2* open face.

 

[niblick1]

I was taught about 5 yrs ago to "pop" the grip out, by pointing the shaft to the plane line, to avoid a too inside?! backswing. Now, last fall Brian spent two hours trying to keep my hands in on the backswing; I could of been a poster child for the laid off backswing look.

I paid quite a bit of money to learn an extreme pop-out swing to match up with a PGA pro swing on a teacher's computer....oh well.

Point I'm trying to make is this: Each one of these videos is about ten bucks to download. They are the second best golfing bargain period. But the best bargain is a personal lesson from Brian. That way you will undoubtedly get the right pattern for your current swing. Most teachers, even if they understand the golf swing to a degree to help someone, teach only one pattern. It is not one custom designed for your body style, tendencies and current faults. Here you can get a custom pattern and plan for improvement. Thank you Brian!

Amen.

And even if you don't necessarily need the Soft Draw pattern there is a ton of useful info and things to mull over as you adjust your own swing to fit your best pattern or to use to try to analyze the swings of other golfers you watch. I still experiment from time-to-time with things I learned from Never Slice Again, and I've never been a slicer. All for the price of a couple Golf Digests....

 

[braveheart]

lookingtolearn : I may have to experiment a little more with SD1. I like your thought about twistaway helping getting the underhand javelin toss going on the downswing.

Jim: Perhaps, NSA is the more optimal pattern due to its emphasis on clubface control.

Thanks for your insightful replies. Yes, I would love to get a personal lesson someday from Brian. Would certainly be diagnosed more easily and get the correct and effective pattern to my own swing. For now its experimentation. I will say that my improvement this year can be attributed to implementing big parts of NSA. The draw is still an elusive goal.

 

[Bill Miracle]

nother success story...

3rd week since committing to the SD pattern. My scores this weekend were down 10 strokes average. I've never stepped up to the ball with so much confidence, knowing EXACTLY what I want to do with my ENTIRE swing....and being able to execute it. This video really put a lot of things I've been working on together.

My shots are almost dead on my target...and pretty to watch

I've got a few folks I play with asking me what I changed. Think I ought to tell them or be selfish and beat up on 'em awhile???

 

[Brian Manzella]

3rd week since committing to the SD pattern. My scores this weekend were down 10 strokes average. I've never stepped up to the ball with so much confidence, knowing EXACTLY what I want to do with my ENTIRE swing....and being able to execute it. This video really put a lot of things I've been working on together.

My shots are almost dead on my target...and pretty to watch

I've got a few folks I play with asking me what I changed. Think I ought to tell them or be selfish and beat up on 'em awhile???

Beat 'em up for a while.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

I had a student who wouldn't tell their friends what they were doing at all, cost me money LOL. But they made up for it with more lessons.

 

[monkey]

SD 1.0

Watched soft draw last night...great video Brian. After seeing Brian for a lesson, I have other issues to work on first (my pivot sucks and I have club face issues).

A few things...

Brian mentions soft shoulders and arms...should your arms feel like noodles or is that too soft?

How bout grip pressure for SD and grip pressure for other types of swings?

Soft draw would seem to work for folks that bring the club too far inside (no popout) anyway...they'll obviously need to make some adjustments.

 

[jimmyt]

Brian first let me say that SD1 is well done and more importantly takes you through it step by step.

SD is the perfect pattern for me......I have been working on this pattern for about 2 weeks had some success, but something was missing. Then the key for me finally hit me and the key for me was the right elbow position at the top of the backswing. I have always been one that kept my right elbow close to my side and pointed down, then it hit me that you said doing that caused the swing to be flat and not for this pattern. When I finally started getting the width between elbows that you refer to at the top of the backswing I started hitting the ball square in the a**, and the ball would draw softly just like the title.

During a round yesterday I hit 6 drives in a row that were all in the middle of the fairway and long 300+. All balls had the same trajectory and soft draw. I have never hit 6 drives in row like this before.

It certainly will improve my game because I feel at this moment I can take the right side of the golf course out of play.

Thanks again finally found a pattern that I am going to stick with.


Question: If I modify the grip a little bit can I use the same pattern and hit straight shots and fades. Meaning in SD1 you suggest about a 10 degree closed clubface. If I squared it up would the shots fly staright and if I weakend it 10 degrees and aimed 1 yard left would I hit a fade, all using the same pattern?

Thanks