old timer

[pokerlife]

There's an older gentleman at the range who gives me advice all the time.

The main thing he is always preaching to me is that you have to wait on the club to load at the top.
He says its just like fly fishing in a way.

When i try what he is telling me its 50 50 on how i hit the ball. All in all though i don't think i have patience or enough rhythm to swing this way.

So just curious if the waiting for the club to load in the backswing is something you have to learn in order to get good at this game?
If so does anyone have any advice on how to feel what he is talking about.
Thanks

 

[Kevin Shields]

You can load it faster if that feels more natural. Depending on how fast and aggressively you transfer pressure onto that left foot and the sequence in which you started the swing.

 

[bax1865]

A Loaded Answer

So just curious if the waiting for the club to load in the backswing is something you have to learn in order to get good at this game?
If so does anyone have any advice on how to feel what he is talking about.

The loading of the club is essential to all strokes made, from putting to driving. In order to load and to feel the loading action, you must first have the proper amount of grip pressure. Too often the player strangles to clubshaft and because of that will not get the feedback the club is trying to send to their hands. A simple waggle of the club at address can give you the feel of when the clubhead is loading. Some players will load they club early and some late but any player worth a damn will load and then deliver.

 

[rogerdodger]

What feels like a pause is often float loading. If the pivot keeps moving, it is somewhat natural to feel the hands stop at the top and wait for the load. Not sure if this really happens, might be a good topic for the symposium to address, but the feel can be helpful. I try to imagine Payne Stewart's swing.

 

[birdie_man]

Man no way you have to do that.

I have had people bugging me about my rhythm/smoothness for years.

As far as I can tell, that kind of stuff IS for very patient people, for the most part.

Possible mechanical reason: needing to time a flip (too open clubface) or something else that you could benefit from correcting.

If you choose you need to--and also desire to be diplomatic--figure out a way to tell him you are trying and have tried his tip...that it isn't working for you so far...but you will keep him in mind. Or something like that.

Or point out to him the swings of Hogan, Trevino, Floyd, Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Moe Norman, Greg Norman, Anthony Kim, Tiger Woods, Phil Mick (sometimes), Padraig, Fowler, etc.

Not everyone swings or carries themself exactly like Els, Couples, Snead, Nelson, Toms, G Ogilvy, Faldo, Stricker, Crenshaw, Kuchar, Donald, Casey, L Roberts, McIlroy, Goosen, etc. etc. blah blah.

If he doesn't know this about golf, by his age he probably should have it figured out about PEOPLE.

 

[birdie_man]

Nicklaus:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ocMJecgW2w[/media]

The argument might as well be over after viewing the first swing...!!

 

[softconsult]

Consider this. Perhaps he is describing a cure using the wrong words.
I'm betting that he is simply trying to get you to stop applying force
too early at downswing initiation. You probably have some degree of
casting and losing your forearm to shaft angle early.

If you don't then just diplomatically tell him to stop advising you.

 

[jake2]

I've used it sometimes with some success. But as an example, recently I've found that I've been better off trying to find the right feel for my downswig pivot and through the ball and let transition take care of itself.

It's just a feel, like any other swing thought, that can work for some and/or sometimes. There are people that think that something that works for them and has worked for some others, works for all and all the time.

It might not be bad idea to try to find a feel of loading, but you'd need to figure out what needs to be felt and where and it does not mean that you need to try to pause or slow down to feel it. How much benefit you'd get from finding the feel - who knows?