The Loop

[kc8kir]

Watching a really good college player at the range yesterday got me thinking about something. This young man's swing was a copy of Raymond Floyd. Way inside, lift, toss through the ball. Hit a slinging draw. Very consistent. This got me really thinking about the loop direction.

I've always looped the club from inside, over, then down the plane. It works ok, but I've been curious about looping it the other way for a while.

Yesterday I really tried to get a groove going looping it the other way (a la Lee Trevino, Jim Furyk, Freddie Couples, Jimmy Bruen, etc). Woah... what a difference.

SMOOTH power instead of ABRUPT yank on the club. The feeling of that loop the other way is addicting. It worked with every club.

Now, I don't think I'm looping it as much as my mind says. In my mind, I'm making a giant loop. Watching in a mirror however, the loop isn't so exaggerated. Noticeable, but not exaggerated.

One of the coolest things about the new loop is the clubhead speed to effort ratio. I was producing more than my normal clubhead speed with what felt like half the effort. Amazing.

Questions here are:

1) Considering many top ball strikers have used the out to in looping action, why isn't it taught more?

2) Why the modern over-focus on straight up the plane, straight down the plane?

3) Regarding the other loop, inside to down the plane, my old loop... who used this successfully? Raymond Floyd? Ben Hogan?

4) What are the pros / cons of each loop path?

5) Is this a bad idea to be changing the loop of my swing?

Always looking to improve!

 

[softconsult]

I have heard of this looping out toward the wall, so to speak, motion. I thought that was always just called over the top.

The other loop you describe is what I always thought of as a loop.

 

[magic43]

IIRC, Bobby Jones had a bit of an inside to outside loop to his full swing also. It may have been more of a Manzella type of "carry" rather than an actual loop, but it is noticeable. He seemed to play fairly well with it.

 

[fronesis]

Watching a really good college player at the range yesterday got me thinking about something. This young man's swing was a copy of Raymond Floyd. Way inside, lift, toss through the ball. Hit a slinging draw. Very consistent. This got me really thinking about the loop direction.

I've always looped the club from inside, over, then down the plane. It works ok, but I've been curious about looping it the other way for a while.

Yesterday I really tried to get a groove going looping it the other way (a la Lee Trevino, Jim Furyk, Freddie Couples, Jimmy Bruen, etc). Woah... what a difference.

SMOOTH power instead of ABRUPT yank on the club. The feeling of that loop the other way is addicting. It worked with every club.

Now, I don't think I'm looping it as much as my mind says. In my mind, I'm making a giant loop. Watching in a mirror however, the loop isn't so exaggerated. Noticeable, but not exaggerated.

One of the coolest things about the new loop is the clubhead speed to effort ratio. I was producing more than my normal clubhead speed with what felt like half the effort. Amazing.

Questions here are:

1) Considering many top ball strikers have used the out to in looping action, why isn't it taught more?

2) Why the modern over-focus on straight up the plane, straight down the plane?

3) Regarding the other loop, inside to down the plane, my old loop... who used this successfully? Raymond Floyd? Ben Hogan?

4) What are the pros / cons of each loop path?

5) Is this a bad idea to be changing the loop of my swing?

Always looking to improve!

For me, float-loading a bit a the top by loading the right elbow and feeling the pressure on PP#3 right at the transition feels a bit like a loop (again, that's what it feels like to me). It also feels, as you describe above, like very smooth and easy power. For me the key is to only do a LITTLE bit of it, otherwise the swing gets sloppy, I sway off the ball, etc.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Watching a really good college player at the range yesterday got me thinking about something. This young man's swing was a copy of Raymond Floyd. Way inside, lift, toss through the ball. Hit a slinging draw. Very consistent. This got me really thinking about the loop direction.

I've always looped the club from inside, over, then down the plane. It works ok, but I've been curious about looping it the other way for a while.

Yesterday I really tried to get a groove going looping it the other way (a la Lee Trevino, Jim Furyk, Freddie Couples, Jimmy Bruen, etc). Woah... what a difference.

SMOOTH power instead of ABRUPT yank on the club. The feeling of that loop the other way is addicting. It worked with every club.

Now, I don't think I'm looping it as much as my mind says. In my mind, I'm making a giant loop. Watching in a mirror however, the loop isn't so exaggerated. Noticeable, but not exaggerated.

One of the coolest things about the new loop is the clubhead speed to effort ratio. I was producing more than my normal clubhead speed with what felt like half the effort. Amazing.

Questions here are:

1) Considering many top ball strikers have used the out to in looping action, why isn't it taught more?

2) Why the modern over-focus on straight up the plane, straight down the plane?

3) Regarding the other loop, inside to down the plane, my old loop... who used this successfully? Raymond Floyd? Ben Hogan?

4) What are the pros / cons of each loop path?

5) Is this a bad idea to be changing the loop of my swing?

Always looking to improve!

1) It's taught if its needed, otherwise the people who do it usually do it naturally
2) Because they dont have anything else to talk about
3) Young Tiger, Jimenez, Arnie, Bobby Jones,
4) Pros of the out to in loop would be the hands are brought closer to the body and can go down before out for more efficiency and speed for one. A con would be the danger of getting under it.
Pros of the in to out loop would be less of a chance of getting under but the hands could drift too much out and the shaft could steepen too much. You could miss the plane and be forced to back up to find it.
5) Hell, no. Not if its working.

 

[kc8kir]

Thanks Kevin. Good to know!

Again at the range today. The loop is AWESOME. Easy power and speed.

Only thing I had to watch was, like you said, not getting underneath and hooking or shanking it. Really this only happened when my grip got loose due to sweating. My wedge shots are really great using this new loop. Was really putting the wallop on the ball today. Still need to figure out that 3 wood though...

If I remember to take my camera with me tomorrow, I'll grab some shots.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Wedges are good because you are exposing the bounce with the inside loop. 3wood sucks because you are exposing the bounce, haha. It'll be tough not to shallow out too much with the 3wood. Good luck.