How to teach the magic move.

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vjsinger

vjsinger

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How do you teach the transition to someone that can square the face and understands how to square it up. I'm having trouble with these concepts.."closing the gap", "hip slide", "transition", etc. Discussion of feels and what to look for on video would be of tremendous help. Thanks.

-VJ
 
Erik_K

Erik_K

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Nearly every sport that involves a throwing or striking motion has a transition.

You can get video of someone making a throw to first base or a QB tossing a pass. At somepoint the weight shifts back and then shifts forward before the arm comes to rest and reverses course for the throw, toss, strike, etc.

This is arguably the most difficult thing to teach in the golf swing (in my opinion). The reason is because it is a rather small and subtle move and it's somewhat of a blend of two things happening at the same time.

I think you can follow the advice given in Brian's SD video - the slow back and forth swings (Ernest Jones Drill). The weight is swinging back and forth and it's movement is a response from the golfer shifting back and forth.

To smooth out the tempo and transition - I like VJ's "seventeen" drill. He completes his swing by saying "seventeen" - that is to say (and I am paraphrasing and may not be recalling all of the details) that he starts and ends the swing by seventeen and the pace is smooth and deliberate.

I like the feeling of being fully coiled, shifted to the left side (weight on the left instep) and only when that has happened do the arms swing down to the ball.

One needs a transition and a swing speed that is gradual. I love Brian's 'pushing the shopping cart' analogy. You are pushing with your legs but you feel the pressure in your hands. If you shove the cart with your arms forcefully even with lots of the leg speed, yeah there's an initial burst but the max acceleration is short lived. Rather, you are after gradual build up of speed - keep pushing the cart with the legs but don't shove the cart with your arms. Drive through the stack of boxes (or ball) with the cart (or club) via your legs (or pivot).
 
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vjsinger

vjsinger

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Erik_K said:
Nearly every sport that involves a throwing or striking motion has a transition.

You can get video of someone making a throw to first base or a QB tossing a pass. At somepoint the weight shifts back and then shifts forward before the arm comes to rest and reverses course for the throw, toss, strike, etc.

This is arguably the most difficult thing to teach in the golf swing (in my opinion). The reason is because it is a rather small and subtle move and it's somewhat of a blend of two things happening at the same time.

I think you can follow the advice given in Brian's SD video - the slow back and forth swings (Ernest Jones Drill). The weight is swinging back and forth and it's movement is a response from the golfer shifting back and forth.

To smooth out the tempo and transition - I like VJ's "seventeen" drill. He completes his swing by saying "seventeen" - that is to say (and I am paraphrasing and may not be recalling all of the details) that he starts and ends the swing by seventeen and the pace is smooth and deliberate.

I like the feeling of being fully and coiled, shifted to the left side (weight on the left instep) and only when that has happened do the arms swing down to the ball.

One needs a transition and a swing speed that is gradual. I love Brian's 'pushing the shopping cart' analogy. You are pushing with your legs but you feel the pressure in your hands. If you shove the cart with your arms forcefully even with lots of the leg speed, yeah there's an initial burst but the max acceleration is short lived. Rather, you are after gradual build up of speed - keep pushing the cart with the legs but don't shove the cart with your arms. Drive through the stack of boxes (or ball) with the cart (or club) via your legs (or pivot).
Click to expand...

Thanks Eric, a few questions as to what you may feel. When you say being fully coiled, where do you feel this coil and does the feeling intensify from the "top of the swing" in to your transition? Do you do a squat move to start transition to smooth it out? Where is the cart pushing analogy found? Thanks again for your patience and time.
 
vjsinger

vjsinger

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dolanski said:
Funny, I found this thread with the shopping cart discussion last night. Anyway, VJ, Brian's description is in here. Great topic, by the way, I'm also trying to figure out my feel to start the transition.



http://www.brianmanzella.com/forum/golfing-discussions/9678-pressure-points-pressure-point-primer-brian-manzella.html
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HAHAHA...I'm an idiot. Great explanation Brian, obviously I've never seen it and somewhere, somehow I thought the legs weren't used all that much, as I said I don't know why. I have used them all my life in all other sports, silly me. OK so, how about top drills you would do to teach transition if a knucklehead like myself wasn't getting it. Off the top of my head I'm thinking the towel drill off of the 10 things DVD. What else?
 
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Rixter

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dolanski said:
Funny, I found this thread with the shopping cart discussion last night. Anyway, VJ, Brian's description is in here. Great topic, by the way, I'm also trying to figure out my feel to start the transition.



http://www.brianmanzella.com/forum/golfing-discussions/9678-pressure-points-pressure-point-primer-brian-manzella.html
Click to expand...

Guys surely topics like this link should be a "sticky" thread? I would bump it to first page, but I don't want to get flamed :p

Brilliant information, a must read for all of us in search of the Holy Grail. Another Youtube instructor called it "giving it the juice" which baffled me for ages. He was referring to loading the power package and ONLY then using the pivot & power accumulators to knock that little ball into orbit. Point being no upper body aggression until you reach this position.

I'm a newb in terms of playing, but I think I have a lot of the pieces of the puzzle & I would just love it if someone corrected or elaborated more:

1. Get to the top of the backswing (enuf said).
2. Upper body passive, begin with lower body ankles, knees, hips.
Ankles should feel like they are rolling left, keep right heel to ground initially.
Knees going left from ankle roll should feel pressure and (for me) like they are travelling slightly down and left - this is the squatting sensation where the hips naturally getting dragged down. Feel weight going onto left heel for balance.
Hips actively moving laterally toward outside of left foot, they spin to square naturally.
3. The above should naturally draw the left arm down the chest (Another great analogy from this forum is sweeping crumbs off your shirt with left arm). PA #4 loaded (left arm remains across chest). PA #1 still loaded (right angle between right forearm & upper arm). PA #3 (left arm still 90o rotated) and #2 (left wrist fully cocked) - VIP to note that all should be NATURALLY maintained if steps 1 & 2 done correctly.
4. When club shaft is parallel to the ground (left hand opposite right thigh)... kaazam... Power Package fully loaded. Then and only then should you pivot as hard as possible while actively releasing the accumulators. That's another debate - Swingers actively use sequence 4,2,3 where Hitters are 1,2,3. Point being old school say 1 and 4 are not combined, but I think Brian may educate us on this ;)

Lots of gaps in there, but this is a question more than stating facts so be gentle people!!!!! I've read loads, and I'm posting this with hope that it may help or at least have someone take the time to explain through experience :cool:

Rixter
 
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vjsinger

vjsinger

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I need lots of work on this. Just went to the range and took some pictures with the casio..will post later tonight. Conclusions..I'm fat and can't move my big arse, even with Brian's help. I still need more feel thoughts on staying loaded in transition and how to deliver the knock out blow. I have no core strength, I can't move my fat booty and I need to do something about it.
 
Erik_K

Erik_K

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vjsinger said:
Thanks Eric, a few questions as to what you may feel. When you say being fully coiled, where do you feel this coil and does the feeling intensify from the "top of the swing" in to your transition? Do you do a squat move to start transition to smooth it out? Where is the cart pushing analogy found? Thanks again for your patience and time.
Click to expand...

These are good questions. I can feel a slight stretching of left side (torso) and when I feel like I have about 1-2" of shoulder turn left, I shift to the left. I think you lose a lot of dynamics when anything 'stops' in the swing. If you want to dynamically load the shaft, it's akin to casting with a fishing rod. You don't swing back, pause, and then cast. Almost without thinking it's a loose, smooth back and forth motion.

Now I say this...and I have a huge sweep release. At times I load the shaft with the change of direction, but not always.

Erik
 
ggsjpc

ggsjpc

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I think most people have difficulty with this part of the swing because they can't feel the weight of the head. Just my opinion. When you hold it in a way that allows you to feel where and when the head is you can get a feel for transition more easily. I usually describe it in an anlaogy to swinging on a playground swing. The feeling you may be searching for is similar to the sensation you get as you change direction on the playground swing. The clubhead should have that feeling. Brian talks about float loading and his vids talking about the club head still going back as the person is going forward is another way of explaining the same thing.
 
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magic43

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vj,
How about a medicine ball used in a two handed pass? I use one that is about the size of a soccer ball(football for the Euro's here) to work on my weight shift and transition. Works real well if you have a companion to do the drill with you. Good for strengthening the core muscle also.
 
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magic43

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vj,
If you want to see a perfect example of a great transition, take a look at the Mickey Wright video in Riche's "Best Female Swing Ever" thread. Simply at great pivot and transition.
 
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