Here's Mike Austin - swing sequence
- Thread starter Mathew
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Brian Manzella
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Thanks VERY much...
My first comment is how much the Top of the swing looks like Nicklaus at some points of his career.
My first comment is how much the Top of the swing looks like Nicklaus at some points of his career.
Matt Taylor
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That looks to me, especially in frames 10 and 11, like the guy on the tour logo, more than anybody else I've seen. Don't know if that's good or bad, but that's what it looks like to me.
Mike's hip action is a shift of the bottom of his spine.
If the target is 12:00 his spine moves toward 7:00 going back and
towards 1:00 on the downstroke.
He moves his spine out from underneath his shoulders.
The thought is your spine is an extension of your leg.
He says it's the only way to keep a steady head.
Note how solid his left leg is on the downstroke.
His ideas on balance and standing on one leg came from time he spent lifting women in ballet.
His legs were as hard as the trees you see in the background.
Doug (or other experts),
In the Austin compound pivot, is there a turn on the backswing or only a spine slide ie, is the sequence slide-turn(hips)-slide-turn or is it slide-slide-turn?
Also, in general, and particularly in the Austin swing, do you setup with your pelvis back or forward? That is, when you incline your spine towards the ground, does your pelvis maintain it's relationship with your spine, or with your legs?
Thanks again to Mathew for the sequence - that's a beatiful swing!
In the Austin compound pivot, is there a turn on the backswing or only a spine slide ie, is the sequence slide-turn(hips)-slide-turn or is it slide-slide-turn?
Also, in general, and particularly in the Austin swing, do you setup with your pelvis back or forward? That is, when you incline your spine towards the ground, does your pelvis maintain it's relationship with your spine, or with your legs?
Thanks again to Mathew for the sequence - that's a beatiful swing!
In the setup, Austin teaches the reverse K position, in order to place the rear hand on the club without reaching around and opening the shoulders excessively.
Austin's hip action is a direct result of his leg action, and thats how he teaches it. On the backswing, the rear straightens, the lead flexes, that causes the hips to tilt, which in turn pulls the lead shoulder down, then to get the rest of the shoulder turn, the shoulder blades move away from and closer to the spine.
The downswing is started by the lead leg straightening, the rear flexing, reversing the shoulder action, the rear shoulder moves down, its impossible to swing OTT with that action. Once the weight is on the lead leg/post, the rear knee is moving towards the ball, giving you the rotation to through the ball. The leg and hip action makes it possible to keep your head very steady, with little movement, and is something he stresses.
The hand action is where Austin can be considered to be different from most instructors, notice i said most. Brian's twist away is right on target. In fact, when i went to see Brian, he told me how i was using my rear hand wrong, and described how my rear hand should work to get the results i want, its exactly the same as Austin teaches, from address to impact, where its different is from impact to follow through and finish. In TGM lingo, its verticle hinging, and I'm sure many would say its scooping, I had my doubts and contentions about the hand action, and in fact i posted a few questions to you guys for your opinions, but i think only Brian answered them, and actually reinforced things Austin (when i say Austin, I am also meaning some of his instructors) explained.
The throw from the top is another place Austin seems to be different from standard teachings, Mike sees the golf swing more of a throwing action rather than a hitting. And from his results, who can say he is wrong? The rear wrist bends as Brian says, then the rear forarm rotates, this has the face of the club as close to perpendicular to the clubhead plane line/ target line as possible, the throw is simply the unwinding of the forarm to try to keep up with his dynamic pivot.
Austin's hip action is a direct result of his leg action, and thats how he teaches it. On the backswing, the rear straightens, the lead flexes, that causes the hips to tilt, which in turn pulls the lead shoulder down, then to get the rest of the shoulder turn, the shoulder blades move away from and closer to the spine.
The downswing is started by the lead leg straightening, the rear flexing, reversing the shoulder action, the rear shoulder moves down, its impossible to swing OTT with that action. Once the weight is on the lead leg/post, the rear knee is moving towards the ball, giving you the rotation to through the ball. The leg and hip action makes it possible to keep your head very steady, with little movement, and is something he stresses.
The hand action is where Austin can be considered to be different from most instructors, notice i said most. Brian's twist away is right on target. In fact, when i went to see Brian, he told me how i was using my rear hand wrong, and described how my rear hand should work to get the results i want, its exactly the same as Austin teaches, from address to impact, where its different is from impact to follow through and finish. In TGM lingo, its verticle hinging, and I'm sure many would say its scooping, I had my doubts and contentions about the hand action, and in fact i posted a few questions to you guys for your opinions, but i think only Brian answered them, and actually reinforced things Austin (when i say Austin, I am also meaning some of his instructors) explained.
The throw from the top is another place Austin seems to be different from standard teachings, Mike sees the golf swing more of a throwing action rather than a hitting. And from his results, who can say he is wrong? The rear wrist bends as Brian says, then the rear forarm rotates, this has the face of the club as close to perpendicular to the clubhead plane line/ target line as possible, the throw is simply the unwinding of the forarm to try to keep up with his dynamic pivot.
Looks like in frames 6 and 7, from end of backswing to beginning of downswing, both the lead leg and rear leg keep the same amount of flex. Only their positions change. The lead leg is bent at the end of the backswing, and at the beginning of the downswing, it is still bent. He goes into the straddle/sitdown position. His lead leg doesn't striaghten until impact.Maybe I am looking at the wrong frames, or need a different camera angle.
cdog-
could you explain:
" ... to get the rest of the shoulder turn, the shoulder blades move away from and closer to the spine."
this shoulder action more fully - exactly how are the shoulders/blades supposed to turn?
also, is it fair to say that the compound hip action is the alternating tilting of the pelvis by the straightening of first the right (trail) leg and then the left?
thanks.
could you explain:
" ... to get the rest of the shoulder turn, the shoulder blades move away from and closer to the spine."
this shoulder action more fully - exactly how are the shoulders/blades supposed to turn?
also, is it fair to say that the compound hip action is the alternating tilting of the pelvis by the straightening of first the right (trail) leg and then the left?
thanks.
I watched the Nicklaus "Golf My Way Tape" last night. Seems close to what Austin does/teaches. Nicklaus states "use the club head" and "release right from the top... you cannot release to early" I also noticed there is very little bend in his right wrist at contact. His swing is a full sweeping motion. No conscious effort to hold the right wrist bent, left wrist flat, lag the club etc. etc.
Several tidbits I had forgotten. Steady head. Stay on the inside of both feet. Get to the left side. Hold the club in the lifeline (not fingers) of the left hand and in the fingers of the right hand.
Several tidbits I had forgotten. Steady head. Stay on the inside of both feet. Get to the left side. Hold the club in the lifeline (not fingers) of the left hand and in the fingers of the right hand.
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