Golf and martial arts

[Gibby]

I just thought I'd share this with everybody because it really made my day.

I've been playing golf for five years. The first year was a waste because I was in high school and didn't really devote much attention to improving. When I started training in Wing Chun (Sticky Hands) kung fu, my game really kicked into gear. It's been about four years since then and today I finally convinced my sifu to come play nine holes with me. After a brief (and very poor) explanation and demonstration of the basics by yours truly, Sifu picked up a seven iron and drilled the first 3 par. Lovely takeaway, smooth tempo, holds posture, solid balance, inside the feet, etc. I asked him how he did it and he explained that the top of my backswing looked like a position from 33 form tai chi, and my downswing looked like a traditional Chinese sword technique. He hit several other tight iron shots, but couldn't get the woods to work. I told him that even the sifu has to train his hands.

Any other martial artists out there?

 

[KOC]

What if Bruce Lee played golf?

[media]http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=txM0Zpz4WR4[/media]

 

[jenhaoyen]

my instructor always tells me, golf is like kong fu, gotta take your time and learn your kong fu.

 

[jenhaoyen]

i think bruce lee might be able to swing really fast with his snaps.

 

[starretj]

Gibby,
Very interesting subject to me, maybe not many others, but hopefully they will join in the discussion. My background is in Wado Ryu and the training has been nothing but helpful to my golf. I think any athletic playing, (training), is helpful for other sports because you learn to use your whole body to produce speed, power, etc. and most importantly you learn how to direct that speed and power to your target.
I found your sifu's comments about the downswing being just like a sword technique very interesting. I have used a similar technique to cure my hooks. It has to do with the manner in which I was trained to stop the sword during a slashing stroke. It seems to me very similar to several ideas that Hogan discussed and to Brian's "twistaway".

 

[Slowhand]

Golf vs. Martial Arts

I've been training in karate for 30 years. I wrote this a few years ago when I started getting serious about golf again.

Why Golf is like Karate

• I can still do an activity that the rest of the world thinks is a strange waste of time.
• I can still wear ridiculous clothes that would get me stared at in general public.
• I can still get to hit something.
• I can still participate in an activity that has a cult-like mystique with devoted, fanatical followers.
• I can still study with countless teachers, each with his/her own conflicting theory, each convinced all the other teachers are wrong.
• I can still pay lots of money to compete in tournaments for cheap plastic trophies.
• I can still participate in a mysterious art created in a foreign land, complete with its own arcane vocabulary and cultural baggage.
• I can still pretend to perfect my character through ritual, and professed courtesy and respect.
• I can still dream of traveling to a foreign land known as the birthplace of the “art” to train/play at the venerable “home” dojo/course (where, by the way, I’ll still be unable to understand the language).
• I can still struggle to achieve a prestigious rank/handicap that will impress only my fellow cult members.
• I can still buy a whole new bookshelf of “how-to” books written by all the experts, both past and present.
• I can still attempt to put my body in precise but unnatural positions in the hope of emulating the “masters.”
• I can still spend countless hours in mindless repetition, hoping to perfect my technique.
• I can still drink prodigious quantities of beer with friends afterwards.
• I can still get beat up and bloodied (by the course).
• I can still get to break things.
• I can still shout loudly while doing my techniques (only with golf the “kiai” sounds a lot like a swear word and it’s done after the technique is completed).
• I can still do it “for life.”
• I can acquire a whole new set of injuries.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Gibby,
Very interesting subject to me, maybe not many others, but hopefully they will join in the discussion. My background is in Wado Ryu and the training has been nothing but helpful to my golf. I think any athletic playing, (training), is helpful for other sports because you learn to use your whole body to produce speed, power, etc. and most importantly you learn how to direct that speed and power to your target.
I found your sifu's comments about the downswing being just like a sword technique very interesting. I have used a similar technique to cure my hooks. It has to do with the manner in which I was trained to stop the sword during a slashing stroke. It seems to me very similar to several ideas that Hogan discussed and to Brian's "twistaway".

Remind me not to post anything that might upset you

 

[ggsjpc]

makes sense

It seems clear to me that any activity that works the entire body with rotary movements is going to be good for golf. It also helps when the activity teaches the person how to learn what it feels like to make many moves in sequence while keeping your balance.

 

[cmartingolf]

I'm no swordsmith, but you can bet you would never "flip" a sword.

You would draw it across the target leading with your passive hands!

 

[addamsmith]

Hi Gibby
I am a Golf Pro and also a Teacher of Wing Chun,
Although I no longer Teach Kung Fu (except close Friends and Family)
I am a big believer that Martial Arts has given me a solid foundation for my own golf and for my Teaching of Golf.
Good luck
Addam

 

[Gibby]

Hi Gibby
I am a Golf Pro and also a Teacher of Wing Chun,
Although I no longer Teach Kung Fu (except close Friends and Family)
I am a big believer that Martial Arts has given me a solid foundation for my own golf and for my Teaching of Golf.
Good luck
Addam

Sweet! And thanks!

 

[starretj]

Remind me not to post anything that might upset you

No problem there Kevin, the way you swing a golf club, I don't want to be at the business end of anything you would swing.

Brian's "Shake the Sugar" is a very deadly move in golf and in two handed slashing-motion weapons. There is a small twist to this move that some people would do naturally and others wouldn't. It is very subtle and most would never think about it. I believe that it finishes the kinetic snapping while keeping the clubface from closing too much or too fast. It does such a good job of releasing so much of the energy from the swing to the ball, that you hardly ever make it to "end" of the follow thru.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Yes. Although some tour players in their day sometimes recoiled, "shake the sugar" will allow the swing to simply dump all the energy on the ball on then just run out of gas. No extra added nonsense after the hit, its all spent on the ball.

 

[jenhaoyen]

it just reminds me of how much bruce lee can "WALLOP" that ball

haha

 

[birdie_man]

I admire the mentality of Martial Arts. In my mind (possibly AKA "The way I see it") it has many parallels to golf really. Continuous learning. Moving towards some kind of "mastery." Inside and outside golf. It has always been my thing.

Ever since Bloodsport it has been my dream to compete in The Kumite.