Fred Couples Swing Analysis by Brian Manzella, PGA, G.S.E.D.

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Nice Throw

"seeks to achieve an inline condition with the right arm" "seeks" being the operative word. And yes you are correct this is clubhead throwaway—just deftly applied, see Jack Niclaus and Freddy Couples. Neither employs a heavy “wet mop” drag through impact but rather thrust into a free-wheeling inline seeking throwaway release

Paraphrasing Homer; the golf stroke is comprised of a dual system of Form III levers. A Form III lever has the Force—or Power—between the Weight and the Fulcrum. Consider the Left Arm and Clubshaft as the Primary Lever Assembly. The Left Shoulder is the Fulcrum the Clubshaft the Weight. The Club (alone) is both a section of the Primary Lever Assembly and the entire Secondary Lever Assembly with the Left Wrist as its Fulcrum and the Clubhead as the Weight.

No longer paraphrasing regarding the downstroke; once the “Weight” (Club shaft) of the Primary Lever Assembly reaches the point parallel to the base of the inclined plane Conservation of Angular Momentum (COAM) transfers the generated momentum forces from the Shaft (Weight) back toward the Left Shoulder (Fulcrum) of the Primary Lever Assembly. This transference of momentum travels through the Left Wrist (Fulcrum) of the Secondary Lever Assembly. In an effort to resist declaration the Magic right forearm exerts an overtaking thrust causing the right wrist to begin straightening thus causing the release of the second Flail (Secondary Lever Assembly). Throwaway has indeed been initiated at this point –in fact we have thrust into an automatic snap release. Most TGM literalists forbid throwaway in any form. Jack did it well enough to win 18 majors.

How? Well the arc of the downstroke is considerably different than that of the backstroke. As Homer correctly states: “Right Wrist Bend during Release immediately becomes Left Wrist Bend—Clubhead Throwaway. Which starts the Club swinging from the Wrists—in an “inside” and “upward” motion-the Clubface is rapidly Closing and the Clubshaft becomes “in-line” with the Right Forearm instead of with the Left Arm.” Jack and others employ a secondary axis tilt and a much more oblique downswing arc. Did Jack take big divots? Does Freddy? They do still hit down out and forward, but not as much as Lee Trevino as they have more Throwaway.
 

Guitar Hero

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Boom Boom uses the most powerful down swing move in golf. All long drivers of the ball on the tour use the right above left action. The right above left action can be used for different sweet spot balanced motion paths as well. You do not need to use the path Fred is using for this powerful action. I talk about this powerful move in my instruction.

Most of the golfing world is taught and uses the left above right action due to analysis of 2-D video and pictures. I have even witnessed instructors that use the right above left action and don’t know it and are teaching left above right to their students. When you add Lines with 2-D video and pictures it makes it even harder to see what is really going on. This left above right action when combined with an out of balance sweet spot on the down swing is the #1 reason for what most of the golf instruction world calls under plane, stuck and blocks.

Look at the club head in pictures 6-8 and you will see the correct sweet spot balanced motion which produces a pure path to the ball. Fred was and still is a long driver due to the right above left action. I only wonder if Nick Faldo would have used the right above left action how much longer he would have hit his driver? How many more major wins he would have? Nick was the best left under right player during his time on the tour and even with the lack of distance which the left above right produces he managed to win many majors.

Tiger has had problems with this left above right action creeping into his swing which I believe was from Hank Haney’s instruction and analysis of his concept of parallel planes. Tiger has always used the right above left action.
 
Nice analysis, Brian. As a big fan of NHA, I picked up some nice little nuances in your analysis. The frame 9 - 11 stuff is priceless...thanks.
 
Guitar Hero,
Would you explain what you mean by "right above left action." I would like to understand this.

Thanks
 
I'm gonna take a look as well. I'm also am working with NHA2.0 and I'm loving it. I finally figured out what swinging left really is.
 

Guitar Hero

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Guitar Hero,
Would you explain what you mean by "right above left action." I would like to understand this.

Thanks

There are rules on this forum that prevent further discussion about this. I wish I could go into it more but the post will be deleted. I will demo how I teach it at my booth at the PGA show as some of the forum members are stopping by. Maybe they will pass it on.
 
Guitar Hero,
Would you explain what you mean by "right above left action." I would like to understand this.

Thanks

Look at the down-the-line shot in photo 1 of Freddy. Notice that you see his right forearm and not his left...he keeps this right arm higher than the left and works the sweet-spot counterclockwise going back....Nicklaus did this really well.
 
Thanks BManz...well received and appreciated :)

Thank you for your nice little analysis Brian.

I think Couples could have easily hit draws with this swing by setting up a little less open and leaning a tiny tiny bit less left. Whereas something like the blue shirt Bartlett iron downswing was really a fade type procedure...to me anyway.

I think his flying right elbow wasn't actually as flying as it seems considering the pretty darn strong right hand grip he's got.

And I think Freddie used a bunch of right arm during release...but it's just not very obvious because he doesn't sustain the thrust after follow through (which would be around frame 10.5 if there was one).

0792-9944.jpg
 
That reminds me of a clinic I saw Fred do in Wichita several years ago. He was late arriving and warmed up hitting probably 20 balls. Almost every ball he hit was a draw during his warm up and the clinic. Someone asked him afterwards why he hit draws during the clinic knowing he normally fades the ball. His response was that his swing is just a little tighter during a tournament so it's easier to fade it.

I didn't know whether to believe him or not and thought it would be odd to practice a draw and play a fade.

Wolfdog
 
That reminds me of a clinic I saw Fred do in Wichita several years ago. He was late arriving and warmed up hitting probably 20 balls. Almost every ball he hit was a draw during his warm up and the clinic. Someone asked him afterwards why he hit draws during the clinic knowing he normally fades the ball. His response was that his swing is just a little tighter during a tournament so it's easier to fade it.

I didn't know whether to believe him or not and thought it would be odd to practice a draw and play a fade.

Wolfdog


Interesting, thanks for sharing.
 
Look at the down-the-line shot in photo 1 of Freddy. Notice that you see his right forearm and not his left...he keeps this right arm higher than the left and works the sweet-spot counterclockwise going back....Nicklaus did this really well.

tobell,

Thank you - I appreciate the insight.
 
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