golf on rails

this book is undergoing a major reconstruction. expected completion time is end of march. 

this article is a mirror of the "golf on rails" book. 

Only 5% of golfers can break 80. The unorthodox techniques i teach in this book allows most golfers to break 80 and make golf more enjoyable and less frustrating.

Eighth Edition. February 2025

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table of contents

PREFACE 

I. theses

   A. thesis 1: golf is more knowledge than skill

   B. thesis 2: for many people, golf is important to their emotional well-being

   C. concerns

II. instant gratification

   A. general techniques

   B. anticipated spot and the bezier strategy

   C. electrocution feeling (palak)

   D. full swing  

   E. regtests

   F. short swings

   G. chipping

   H. putting

   I. bunker shot

III. tutorial scope and overview

IV. swing theory

   1. dyslexia phenomenon

   2. hinge minimization strategy

   3. practice swing and practice bounce techniques

   4. interdependence principle and prioritization of factors strategy

   5. swing setup

   6. unified string i mean swing theory

   7. body turn

   8. arm swing

   9. wrist hinge

   10. timing and shallowing

V. swing design, construction, and maintenance

   A. putting

   B. full swing

   C. short swings

   D. chipping

   E. steep swing

   F. uneven lies

   G. draw and fade

VI. more tips

   A. practice tips

   B. SMART goals and strategies

   C. course management tips

   D. shaft flex, driver loft, and ball type

   E. a full stomach ruins your game

   F. locker room pep talk

VII. proof of concept

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PREFACE

writing this book requires technical skills and a scientific understanding on the golf swing. i feel i am in a rare sweet spot to write a book that can DEMOCRATIZE breaking 80 in golf because i have very high confidence and i’m not very good at anything. if i’m very good technically, then i would be too busy working as an engineer. if i’m very good at golf, then i would be too busy working as a pro. 

what makes me think i can REVOLUTIONIZE golf even if i’m not a golf professional? because the founder of mcdonalds revolutionized the restaurant industry even if he was not a 5-star chef. the big mac is not a very good food. yet mcdonalds is the most successful restaurant in the history of the world. 

in 1994, i started working as a technician in a high-tech silicon valley company called altera corporation. one of my tasks was to run a job on multiple computers every day. out of laziness, i wrote a simple script that would AUTOMATICALLY run the job on all the computers by just entering a command from a single computer. but the number of jobs i needed to run kept growing.

to make a long story short, i ended up developing a COMPUTE FARM where engineers located in different parts of the world can submit batch jobs for their tests and experiments. this was before data centers and the cloud became popular. anyone who knows computer programming will be shocked to know that i developed it using SIMPLE shell scripting. job daemons were just shells scripts on an infinite while loop who messaged each other by writing to a text file on a shared network drive. locking was done using simple “mkdir” (create directory). 

at first i wasn’t sure if mkdir was ROBUST enough. if more than 1 daemon ended up getting the same lock at the same time (contention), the system would fail. so i ran a script overnight where hundreds of computers repeatedly tried to create the same directory on a network drive. the next morning, i celebrated like crazy when i found out that after millions of attempts, there was not a single contention. i immediately knew the possibilities were endless.

i am probably the only person in the history of mankind who developed a robust and scalable compute farm with only basic scripting skills. that accomplishment gave me the CONFIDENCE to develop the first tutorial in the history of mankind that would make it easy for an average golfer to break 80.

golf may be an art and science for talented players. but it can ONLY be a SCIENCE for average golfers. my friend asked me why i’m writing a golf book even if i suck at golf. i told him, “same reason why scientists and engineers build the fighter jet even if they suck at flying the fighter jet.” the golf swing is much simpler than a fighter jet, so you don’t need a scientist to develop a scientific golf tutorial. but i think you still need someone with a SCIENTIFIC MIND to develop a golf tutorial that won’t be full of PITFALLS and AMBIGUITY. just like not all musically minded people are talented enough to make a living as a musician, not all scientifically minded people are smart enough to be a scientist. i’m not smart enough to be a scientist like mark rober. but i do have a scientific mind.

what inspired me to write this book even if i will NEVER be QUALIFIED to play in the PGA tour are the gay men who coach miss universe beauty pageant contestants even if they will never be qualified to join the contest. it actually makes sense. beautiful women would not have the passion to learn the mechanics and sweet science of becoming a beauty queen because they already are treated like a beauty queen all their life. 

talented golfers will never have the passion to figure out why average golfers cannot break 80 because they simply don’t know which of their INBORN ABILITIES don’t come naturally for average golfers. you cannot find a workaround to a problem if you don’t even know what’s the problem. shaq will never write a book on how to shoot a basketball because he never had to learn how to shoot.

a golf swing has many components or FACTORS. there can be many ways to execute each factor as long as all the factors are COMPATIBLE. therefore, unless you have knowledge on all the factors and how they depend on each other, you should completely follow a swing style. piecemeal advice in golf can be disastrous because the factors might become incompatible. a book is the best way to consolidate and organize ALL the information and instructions for a particular swing style. 

the amount of knowledge required for an average golfer to break 80 is quite a lot. it would be more EFFICIENT if you use a book to learn golf. example, the “instant gratification” chapter of this book, which is around 50+ pages, contains all the knowledge a golfer needs to break 80. learning golf with ONLY a book is crazy. of course videos are important. but i also believe learning golf WITHOUT a book is just as crazy.

i wrote this book because i think it's very INEFFICIENT for an average golfer to break 80 without a book. i don’t know any golfer who uses a book to learn golf. i think this is one of the reasons why only 5% of golfers can break 80.

unless you are exceptionally talented, you have to learn golf slowly STEP BY STEP. a book gives you FEEDBACK on your PROGRESS based on which page you are and how many pages to go. it would be difficult to do this with video.

a book is also much easier to NAVIGATE. the table of contents allow you to quickly go to the information you want. if you have the pdf or ebook copy, you can take advantage of the search feature. you can quickly re-read a line or paragraph you didn't quite understand. if it’s been a while since you played golf, you can just do a QUICK SCAN on the book. it's such a hassle doing all these if everything is only in video.

with a book, you can use a highlighter or bookmark. you can scribble your comments or NOTES on the exact location where it is relevant. you can’t easily do these on a video.

if you don't own a hardcopy of this book, you just need to print the "INSTANT GRATIFICATION" chapter of this ebook or blog article you are reading. it’s only 50+ pages and most of it are photos and illustrations. the actual instructions are not that many.

you can also download the pdf in AMAZON. just search "golf on rails". 

the human body is like a computer hardware. constructing a swing is like developing software. all features in a software product must be TESTED before it is released into the market. similarly, all factors and instructions in a swing style must be tested during practice before it is used on the golf course. i think one of the reasons why only 5% of golfers can break 80 is because swing styles normally don't come with a complete testing manual. so i wrote this book to show the golf world the necessity of creating a testing manual as part of the swing construction process. 

I. theses

A. thesis 1: golf is more knowledge than skill  

golf is more KNOWLEDGE than SKILL. let me rephrase that. breaking 70 is more skill than knowledge, but breaking 80 is more knowledge than skill. breaking 70 is like racing in formula 1 because you need special skills or talent. however, i believe breaking 80 is like driving a car to the grocery store. most people should be able to break 80 if they have the knowledge. just like most people should be able to drive to the grocery store if they have the knowledge. 

 

driving a car is easy, but there are actually plenty of knowledge involved. you need to know where the brake is, where the accelerator is, what to do to turn left, etc... the reason why driving is easy is all the knowledge are EASY to execute, and they become MUSCLE MEMORY. example, you don't need to figure out where the brake is anymore when stopping the car. it just happens automatically because of muscle memory. however, MISSING just 1 knowledge is enough to crash the car. example, if you don't know which pedal is the brake, then you will end up crashing the car.

 

i believe golf is like driving a car. the difference is that in golf, nobody has figured out what all the required knowledge are. if you gather all the knowledge that all golf coaches teach, they are all CORRECT but NOT COMPLETE. just like driving a car, missing just 1 knowledge is enough to make you score 90+.

and just like learning to drive a car, if you try the style and techniques in this book, you need to give it enough TIME. imagine how ridiculous it would be if you are learning to drive a car for the first time and after just 1 day you give up and say it’s too difficult. of course it’s always difficult in the beginning.

in golf, breaking 80 is the holy grail of scoring. golf has been around for more than 500 years, but ONLY 5% of golfers can BREAK 80. average golfers have SURRENDERED to the assumption that golf is more skill and less knowledge just like tennis, singing or gymnastics. when i was learning tennis, we were doing net drills. the ball will just whiz by me because by the time i react, the ball has already gone by. when i asked my instructor for advice on what i can do to solve my problem, the instructor just told me to try to be quicker. goodbye tennis!!!

playing the piano is a good analogy to playing golf. i think the reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80 is because golf lessons only give the SWING THOUGHTS or instructions to stabilize some but NOT ALL critical factors. some of the instructions are also TOO GENERAL. it’s like teaching piano by teaching only the chords and it's up to the student’s reflex to naturally hit the correct notes and timing (ouido). the student needs to have special talent. 

average students would need to be told where to hit each note just like the piano tutorials of your favorite songs in youtube. my swing style requires many instructions just like a piano piece has many notes. but each instruction is EASY for an average golfer to follow. and with enough practice, the instructions become MUSCLE MEMORY. my method of teaching is like the suzuki method of teaching the piano (video: breaking 80 in piano despite no musical talent).

 

even without the complete instructions and swing thoughts, it’s common for average golfers to score 2 pars in a row. that would be like LUCKILY hitting the correct notes once in a while even if you can't play by ear. but being able to score 2 pars in a row once in a while also means you have the POTENTIAL to break 80. it can’t be just pure luck because it involves many strokes. it’s like a bad singer sounding like bruno mars once in a while. it can’t be just pure luck. it means the singer can sound like bruno mars all the time with proper coaching.

i consider myself an average golfer because everything that can possibly go wrong in a swing happens to me if i don’t consciously try to prevent them. but it allowed me to DISCOVER the complete knowledge needed by average golfers to break 80. unlike talented golfers who don't need to consciously monitor all the CRITICAL FACTORS in a golf swing. their reflex NATURALLY executes the missing knowledge correctly. that’s why talented golfers can break 80 or even 70 without the complete knowledge. 

even with the complete swing thoughts, i believe the ORTHODOX swing or tiger wood’s style is too DIFFICULT for average golfers. the covid-19 lockdowns finally gave me time to engineer an easy to follow swing. before i simplified the golf swing, my last 7 tournament scores were all horrible: 91T, 98T, 98T, 87T, 91T, 95T and 103T. T means it's a tournament score.

the style i developed is actually LESSER QUALITY. however, maybe it's like you are a guy looking for a girlfriend and i’m introducing you to a girl next door while other coaches are introducing you to a supermodel. maybe it's like you are an untalented singer who just wants to learn a nice song and i’m teaching you frank sinatra's "my way" while other coaches are teaching queen's "bohemian rhapsody”. 

why did most people use DOS when UNIX was superior? because DOS was easier to use and the computer that most people owned did not have the capability to run UNIX. similarly, my swing style is LESS POWERFUL but EASIER compared to the orthodox or standard swing style.

however, it’s possible that this book is just GARBAGE because maybe it's like you are having difficulty learning to play fur elise on the piano, and i'm telling you to just learn twinkle twinkle little star because it's easier. maybe using my swing style to break 80 is like bowling with gutter guards. i developed this tutorial just in case this is not the case. anyway the journey is more fun than the destination.

i think coaches that taught beginners to break 80 are just like ELITE universities such as harvard. harvard can only produce a software engineer if the student has a high IQ. harvard teachers cannot teach a low IQ student to become a software engineer. harvard is more of a SCREENING INSTITUTION than a learning institution. TALENTED golfers and high IQ students are actually easier to teach because they can follow instructions that are too difficult for average people.

if this tutorial can teach an average golfer to break 80, it will be the first in history of mankind. it will trigger a seismic PARADIGM SHIFT in the golf world.

B. thesis 2: for many people, golf is important to their emotional well-being

what's the point of breaking 80 if you are using my UNCOOL swing? wouldn't it be like playing 1-1 basketball against your grandmother after realizing you can never win against your friends? maybe. and maybe this tutorial is just garbage. but i believe using my easier swing to break 80 is like going to nursing school instead of medical school after realizing you were not that good in high school biology. maybe teaching an average golfer the more orthodox style of tiger woods because it's more powerful and beautiful is like telling a nurse to become a neurosurgeon because it pays better.

 

you might argue that my analogy is flawed because working as a nurse is IMPORTANT to human society. the argument that golf does not have any economic benefits could be as flawed as saying the mona lisa is worthless because anyone with a smartphone can take a picture of a beautiful woman.

 

before i continue, i should warn you to treat my PSEUDO-SCIENCE ramblings with a grain of salt by reading this word salad that i found on the internet: "we need to learn real media literacy. how to identify and spot phony philosophizing, moral panics, and self-interested crusades a mile way. how to navigate the endless slurry of bullshit firehosed at our faces in the so-called information age."

i'm not an expert on anything. but i notice humans don't really act according to moral virtues. we act according to our BIOLOGICAL PROGRAMMING because it makes us feel good. it just happens that most of our moral virtues are part of our biological programming and SURVIVAL INSTINCT. i don't think anyone ever had sex with the goal of preventing our species from going extinct in mind. 

EXAMPLE, pigs are smarter than 3-year-old children. yet, lots of very caring people including me love to eat innocent pigs even if there already are plant based alternatives. lots of smart and educated people won't quit smoking even if they know smoking causes cancer. 

we are all STIMULANT ADDICTS. we need stimulation just to feel normal. this is the reason why warren buffett who is 90 years old and already has $100 billion continues to work hard even if he does not need to earn money anymore. he even donated half of his wealth to charity and will be donating most of it when he dies. he has a modest lifestyle and lives in the same house he bought 60 years ago.

even if ART does not have economic benefits, artists get depressed if they cannot express their art. people with strong PARENTAL INSTINCTS will feel miserable if they don't have kids, even if raising kids makes one's life more difficult.

we all have different ROLES in society based on our GENETIC makeup. just like in an ant colony where there are worker ants and soldier ants. our stimulant type depends on our role in society. 

i have this theory that golfers have the HUNTER genes. golf is similar to hunting. you need to be quiet and accurate in using a tool or weapon to hit something. maybe it explains why we get so pissed if we make a bad shot even if we know golf is just a useless game. maybe golf is a means to satisfy a primordial instinct that evolution has not yet removed but is already obsolete in the modern socio-economic system. 

humans have existed for 200,000 years. if you view time relative to the scale of human EVOLUTION, it's only very recently that we don't need to hunt for our food anymore. so the desire to hunt is still very strong in our genetic code.

maybe it explains why many ultra-rich people enjoy fishing even if they can have the freshest fish delivered to their personal chef. they even return the fish to the water after catching it. just like some people need to create art even if it's not necessary for their survival, maybe for people born with hunter genes, breaking 80 in golf will contribute to their mental and emotional WELL-BEING.

 

if you are offended by my theories, i have more bad news for your imagined self-importance. our planet is just a tiny and obscure speck of dot in the vast universe. nothing demonstrates the folly of human CONCEIT more than astronomy (carl sagan's a pale blue dot). even if you discover a cure for cancer and everyone bows to you when you walk by, all humans will soon be gone as if we never existed. the human species is nothing but an ultra-short term visitor in the cosmic time scale. 

if you believe in God and the infinite afterlife, then the more you should be HUMBLE and realize your physical body is just borrowed. the more you should realize that it’s your duty to nurture your body so that you will be physically and mentally HEALTHY to serve God and your fellow human being. maybe this explains why more priests are playing golf. there are now clergy golf clubs. even the archbishop of cebu monsieur palma plays golf. saying priests should not play golf because it has nothing to do with religion is like saying priests should not eat food because it has nothing to do with religion.

if you happen to have a biological programming that rewards you with the HAPPY HORMONE dopamine every time you tap in for a PAR, but you still can’t break 80 after trying hard for many years, do yourself a favor and try this tutorial (after you clean your room). you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

 

even if you are using my lesser quality swing style, i'm sure your instincts will still REWARD you with the happy hormones when you tap in for a par. maybe it’s because tapping for a par SIMULATES hitting a deer with a bow and arrow. it also explains why you will explode in anger after missing a 3-footer even if you know golf is just a useless game. it's your survival instinct PUNISHING you and signaling that if you keep making mistakes, your family or village will go hungry. 

God used objected oriented programming to program our genes. the GENETIC CODE that makes a golfer angry after missing a 3-footer is probably inherited from an ancestor class containing the same genetic code the makes you depressed after a relationship breakup. your instinct is punishing you because a relationship breakup decreases your chance of producing an offspring.

here's a beautiful quote from arnold palmer entitled "essence of golf":

"golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. it is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented." 

you might argue that of course arnold palmer would say something nice about a sport where he is a legend. but golf is the only game where the LEGENDS of other popular sports would say they LOVE GOLF more than their own sport. michael jordan, who is the greatest basketball player of all time says he enjoyed golf more than basketball even during his peak.

golf is the most ADDICTIVE sport. even BLIND people get addicted to golf. there are even golf tournaments for blind people. BILLIONAIRES would rather play golf than cruise on their super yacht around the bahamas. there was even a golfer with no arms (search “the golfer with no arms” in youtube).

i have a friend who did not have to work anymore after inheriting a huge property. he did not know what to do with his life. he would just go to the bar every night and come home to his wife and kids drunk. but ever since he took up golf, he renewed his ZEST FOR LIFE. 

 

i am not articulate enough to inspire people. so i will just create a subclass of the book "dedicated" by pete davis to inherit his eloquence. if you are stuck in the menu of life, give golf a try. i know lots of friends and family who never commit to a sport or hobby. they are in an INFINITE BROWSING MODE. novelties have their own merit, and it's always fun trying out the hot new stuff and quick adventures. but being years or even decades deep into mastering a craft is a NOVELTY by itself. maybe golf turns something on in you. keep going deeper and deeper until it will have its own momentum and take a life on its own.

some of us are SCARED of COMPETITION and just stick to hobbies where there are no scoreboards that can devastate our spirit. but we should be more fearful of the pain from having no scoreboard. because depending on your genetic makeup, it could be deceptively devastating, as evidenced by my friend coming home to his wife and kids drunk every night. 

 

video: golf is a deterrent to drug abuse

 

LOSING is more important than winning. don't look at losing as a failure but an opportunity to GROW. you can never enjoy victory if you haven't tasted defeat. the bigger the defeat, the sweeter the victory. a super talented olympic gold medalist who never tasted devastating defeat is just a baby. although in reality, that never really happens because chances are the gold medalist experienced the very important gift of being dumped by a crush in school, never got the toy zie/sie/ey/ve/tey/e wanted as a kid, etc..  

when my niece gabriela crystal cried because it took her 3 shots to get out of the bunker during a tournament, i was happy for her because these experiences BUILD CHARACTER and make you more successful and happier in life.

BE HUMBLE and seek challenges even in mundane or useless things. example, having no musical talent should not stop you from learning to play the piano. even if hundreds of 7-year-olds can play chopin's etude op. 10 no. 4 like a concert pianist, don't let that discourage you from waking up excited every day on your supposedly pathetic progress. being better than you were yesterday is more important than being the best in the world. a rapper named macklemore won a grammy award for best rap album. yet success drove him to drug addiction. but when he took up golf, he became happy and stayed away from drugs even if he is just a bogey player. 

 

 

video: rapper and multi grammy winner finds happiness in golf

C. concerns

 

i understand that ideally, golf is ELITIST and superficial. instead of wasting time playing golf, it's more ideal to divert your time, money and effort helping the less fortunate. but history teaches us that whenever we choose idealistic principles over HUMAN NATURE, nature usually wins.

 

for hundreds of years, the catholic church tortured and killed people just for being gay. it was an example of human blunder caused by lack of understanding on human nature. recently, the pope said that christians should apologize to gay people and that gay people can go to heaven. the republicans surrendered on the gay marriage issue or else they will never win another election. democrats believe nobody will abuse a law that allows transwomen to enter women’s bathrooms and compete in women’s sports, causing many of their supporters to leave the party. human nature is very complicated. most of the time we are just GUESSING. the party that makes the correct guess will win the culture war.

 

SOCIALISM is the most scientific and logical economic system. that’s why a leftist can easily demolish a capitalist in a debate. but socialism ignores the imperfections of human nature. that's why state capitalism easily took over in the soviet union which lead to the gulags of siberia and millions of deaths in the ukraine famine. 

(a capitalist cannot use the human nature argument in a debate because the area of human nature that is relevant to the socialism debate cannot be scientifically studied for ethical reasons. example, it is not possible to study the percentage of government employees who will rather watch netflix than answer a phone call in a free healthcare system, and just rely on their politically powerful government employee union to protect themselves from getting doged.)

those who don't learn from HISTORY are doomed to repeat it. so if you happen to enjoy golf, you should avoid repeating the mistakes of the past by playing golf even if ideally it's elitist, useless, selfish, and superficial. 

 

another possible concern with this tutorial is INFLATION. meaning the value of breaking 80 will diminish as more and more people can break 80. just like if the government prints money and gives everyone $1 million, it won't make anyone rich because everyone has it. but i think breaking 80 in golf is more like FOOD for the soul. food will always be valuable even if everyone has it.

breaking 80 is also like a happy MARRIAGE or relationship. marriage is not inflationary. your spouse does not make you less happy just because more and more people are happily married.

 

any avid golfer will tell you that figuring out the swing is golf’s greatest joy. but if you follow this book, there really is not much to figure out. golf will become BORING. this book will make golf like a jigsaw puzzle with grid lines on the board, and each puzzle piece has a number that SPOON FEEDS you its grid position. but i think breaking 80 will still be gratifying because you still need to work hard. maybe it’s like learning the piano. playing fur elise is still fun for me even if i didn't discover any of the piano principles and techniques. 

i’m writing this book to help people. so my lack of CHARISMA is not really an issue. i just don’t want the knowledge i discovered to be wasted. if my knowledge turns out to be not valuable, then there is nothing for me to worry about. if my knowledge is valuable but my lack of personality prevents people from reading this book and watching my videos, it’s not my problem. if a student does not listen to the boring math teacher, it would be the student who becomes screwed. the world ignored bill gate’s 2014 speech warning the world about a possible pandemic and how to prevent it. maybe because he lacks charisma. but it wasn’t his love ones who died from covid. besides, i have millions of imaginary followers who will read this book regardless.

my target demographic is the type of people who only care about substance. my goal is to make it possible for everyone to enjoy and master golf regardless of economic status. the SUBSTANDARD EQUIPMENT and facilities i use in my photos and videos are intentional. it sends a message that you don’t have to be rich to enjoy and master golf. 

my swing style makes it EASIER for an average golfer to break 80. but it would also make it impossible for supposedly gifted golfers to compete at an elite level. that's because the swing is LESS POWERFUL. but how should one DECIDE whether to learn my swing or the more difficult but more powerful orthodox swing? if you are a BEGINNER and you are sure you are not athletic and coordinated, then learn my swing style. when in DOUBT, learn the orthodox style. if after 5 years your game stagnates despite trying hard, then try my swing style. CHILDREN should always start with the orthodox swing. even if a child does not show signs of talent, it could be just a phase.

my plan is to come up with some sort of “jedi blood test” that can determine if someone has what it takes to master the orthodox swing. i notice elite golfers are very good at dribbling a golf ball on a clubface (search in youtube “how to juggle a golf ball”). my plan is to test lots of golfers across the handicap spectrum to see if there is a CORRELATION. i will record how many times they can bounce a golf ball on a 60-degree wedge. sounds a bit hitlery but star wars did not face any backlash so i guess it’s ok. woke is only good in moderation. too much wokeness stunts progress.

if you can't AFFORD to play golf, that's not a problem. i invented a game called "BARRIO GOLF” that allows anyone to ENJOY and MASTER the important skills of golf at home, including chipping, putting, bunker shots, and side-hill lies. it is played inside a small cage using rice sacks as the target and a free iphone app to estimate ball distance (https://bit.ly/barrio-golf). (barrio golf was inspired by the skratch youtube channel hosted by erik anders lang.)

what if my swing style turns out to be more DIFFICULT? how will i know? i will create videos for the "instant gratification" chapter of this tutorial in tagalog. golf courses in the philippines have many caddies who don't even bother playing during caddie’s day because they think they are hopeless. 

i will install a barrio golf cage in the caddie stations and give financial INCENTIVES for them to practice the lessons in my videos. if they end up beating the other caddies who've been playing for ages, this tutorial will trigger a seismic paradigm shift in the golf world. 

users of the barrio golf handicapping APP can also indicate in their profile whether they are using my style or the orthodox style so i can do some sort of clinical trial comparisons. 

the swing style i’m teaching in this book is UGLY. however, i don’t think anyone would ever say, “i just scored a birdie but i’m not happy because my swing is ugly”.

II. instant gratification

 

first i told you that you CAN do it. then i told you that you NEED to do it. this chapter will tell you HOW to do it so you can get your 2-year trade school certificate. the next chapters will tell you WHY it works so you can receive your engineering degree. 

 

this chapter is all you really need to break 80. many of the instructions in this chapter may seem CRAZY. but if you read the “swing design, construction, and maintenance” chapter, you will realize that my instructions are scientific and shares the same basic principles with the LEGENDS of the game.

marrying someone from the opposite sex is just a TECHNIQUE, not a PRINCIPLE. for centuries, human society was enforcing this technique instead of teaching the principle. the principle is you should marry someone you love. golf coaches usually teach techniques, not principles. what makes my swing look lgbtqueer is that people are not differentiating a technique from a principle. my swing style actually follows the same principles as that of TIGER wood's swing. my techniques are just different. in this chapter, i will teach my techniques. the following chapters will discuss the principles and how to apply them based on your priorities.

 

the title of this chapter is just marketing and motivational. the truth is you need lots of time to PRACTICE and master each instruction. violating just 1 instruction is enough to destroy your game. it’s like the human body where there is no difference whether 99% of the critical components are working or none are working. you will still be dead. although this chapter can still be considered "instant gratification" relative to a perennial bogey player's endless frustrations.

religiously following all instructions in this chapter also requires FAITH and HUMILITY because my instructions are out of this world and humans are not wired to follow someone who is a nobody. example, with my swing style, making your spine angle and arm angle uniform for all clubs is important. however, no other coach teaches this technique.

keep in mind that the factors in a golf swing are INTERDEPENDENT. this means there is no correct or wrong way of executing a factor as long as all factors are compatible. example, cocking your wrist during the backswing is correct in most cases. but if you follow my swing style and your wrist cocks, it contributes to a top ball, hitting the ball with the heel of the club, and error left.

PIECEMEAL advice in golf is usually useless. a doctor’s advice to a patient can be lethal to another patient. the advice can be INCOMPATIBLE with other factors. even if you qualify your instruction with the assumption you are following the orthodox swing, the orthodox swing has many variations. example, having a strong grip is good. bowing your left wrist is also good. but if you have a strong grip and you bow your left wrist, this contributes to severe error left. 

i’m sure you will feel this chapter has too MANY INSTRUCTIONS. so you might be tempted to follow a style or lesson that has less instructions. but that would be a mistake because a lesson with less instructions could be ignoring critical factors that average golfers should not be ignoring. exceptionally talented golfers can afford to ignore some critical factors because they naturally execute them correctly without thinking about them.

you might be worried you will get penalized for game delay because there are too many things to do and check before the final downswing. but most of the steps become MUSCLE MEMORY after lots of practice. as i said, golf is like driving a car. when learning to drive a car, you need to pay attention to lots of stuff in the beginning. but after a while, most of them become muscle memory.

it's also like learning a LANGUAGE. in the beginning, you spend a lot of time learning and practicing a mountain of vocabulary and grammar rules. but after lots of practice, you become FLUENT and don't think about them anymore.

all instructions in this tutorial assumes the student swings right handed. if you swing LEFT HANDED, you will need to convert the instructions accordingly. example, if this tutorial says “turn your left forearm clockwise”, it means “turn you right forearm counterclockwise” if you swing left handed.

many golf lessons generalize the instructions by using the words “LEAD” and “TRAIL” instead of “left” and “right”.  lead means it is nearer to the target while trail means it is farther from the target. example, if you swing right handed, your lead foot will be your left foot and your trail foot will be your right foot. if you swing left handed, your lead wrist will be your right wrist while your trail wrist will be your left wrist. but for me, using lead and trail is less efficient because ALL golfers will need an extra step to INTERPRET the instruction (O(n+1)). if i use the words “left” and “right”, the right handed golfers won't need the extra step (O(n).

many of the instructions in this tutorial use ANGLES and the analog CLOCK hand to specify body part position and rotational direction. before proceeding, it is required that you can quickly visualize such instructions. keep in mind the greens and fairways are not 1 yard wide. therefore, for all the instructions in this tutorial, a ROUGH ESTIMATION is good enough. example, if the instruction says "tilt your spine 22 degrees”, it is assumed to mean "tilt your spine APPROXIMATELY 22 degrees".

it's actually easy to ESTIMATE angles. 90 degrees is the angle of the corners in a rectangle. 45 degrees is the middle between 0 and 90 degrees. 

after you can quickly visualize 45 degrees and 90 degrees, then you just need to remember that 22 degrees is the middle between 0 and 45 degrees, and 67 degrees is the middle between 45 and 90 degrees.

if you can quickly visualize 45, 90 and 22 degrees, just remember that 112 degrees is 22 degrees more than 90 degrees, and 134 degrees is roughly 45 degrees more than 90 degrees.

after you can quickly visualize 0, 22, 45, 67, and 90 degrees, start memorizing the angles in between them. example, 11 degrees is the middle between 0 and 22 degrees. 34 degrees is the middle between 22 and 45 degrees. if you can quickly visualize 11 degrees, just remember that 6 degrees is roughly half of 11 degrees. also, 56 degrees is just 11 degrees more than 45 degrees, and 78 degrees is roughly 11 degrees less than 90 degrees.

in the clock notation, remember that CLOCKWISE rotates towards your right, and COUNTERCLOCKWISE rotates towards your left.

it is also required that you know what is PARALLEL and PERPENDICULAR. the math world defines parallel as 2 lines that never intersect, and perpendicular as 2 lines that are at right angles with each other. a right angle is just a nickname for a 90 degree angle.

a good DRILL is to write all the angles (including perpendicular and parallel) and clock positions on a piece of paper and scramble them. then randomly pick one by one and IMAGINE or visualize the what you just picked. do not proceed with this tutorial until you master this drill.

this chapter may be 50+ pages long. but it’s mostly just explanations and illustrations. the actual instructions for you to break 80 are actually few. the important terms and instructions are in BOLD text so that it would be easy for you to distinguish them. after reading through this chapter and understanding the explanations, you can just follow the instructions step by step by going through the bold texts. the VIDEOS are in the @railsgolf youtube channel. 

if there is a term you can’t understand in this book, just GOOGLE it.

A. general techniques

while checking your STANCE ALIGNMENT, your BODY should be FACING towards where you are aiming at. bow your head down to check your stance alignment while your body is facing towards where you are aiming.

 

 

if you align your stance while facing sideways, and one of your eyes happen to be too DOMINANT than the other eye, you will be scoring triple bogeys. i think this is one of the reasons why only 5% of golfers can break 80. it's one of the many important knowledge that i'm teaching in this tutorial that most golfers ignore.

if you stand BEHIND the ball, the dominant eye problem does not happen. that’s why i was a decent billiards player despite my dominant eye problem. rick shiels recommend you stand behind that ball and choose a leaf or broken tee that happens to be along the correct alignment line. then you make your stance parallel to the line that runs through the ball and that OBJECT. but sometimes, no such object exists, and you are not allowed to put or move anything to guide your stance.

you should always check your stance alignment by slowly and METICULOUSLY EXTENDING your stance line farther. if you rush it, you are asking for a double bogey. whenever you are playing a practice round, check your stance alignment before every shot by placing a club along your stance line. then stand behind the ball to check if you got it right. note it is illegal to do this during a game.

the TARGET LINE is the line between the ball and the target. the golf world often uses the target line as reference in their techniques and swing thoughts. but there are swing styles where you will need to ADJUST your STANCE alignment such that it won’t be parallel to the target line anymore. if the correct stance alignment is not parallel to the target line, and you continue to follow the instructions or swing thoughts that uses the target line as reference, you will be scoring lots of triple bogeys. i haven’t heard any coach warn about this hazardous pitfall.

a more FLEXIBLE reference for our swing thoughts is the stance line. however, the problem is it’s too far from the clubhead path. we prefer the target line because it’s nearer to the clubhead path. the solution is to imagine a line parallel to our stance line that intersects the ball. let’s call it the AIM LINE. in this tutorial, the target line is assumed to be the same as the aim line unless otherwise stated.

with my swing style, the CLUBFACE should always be squared with the aim line. this means the bottom edge is squared to the aim line and the perpendicular to gravity (e.g. lying flat on a flat ground). if the ground is not flat (sloping), visualize the flat plane and align the bottom edge with the imaginary flat plane. even if the bottom edge is squared with the aim line, the clubface is facing left if the bottom edge is tilting up, and facing right if the bottom edge is tilting down. this is an important knowledge only few golfers know about, and is one of the reasons why only 5% of golfers can break 80.

it should feel STICKY when you grip the shaft. if your grip does not feel sticky, you will score a double bogey. if you don’t wear gloves, remove the sweat OIL on your hands with WATER. so the solution to having wet hands is to wet it some more. isn't golf crazy? i usually wet my hands with water before walking to the putting green. so by the time i arrive at the next tee box, my hands are already dry and sticky. a 1.5-liter water bottle filled with tap water is the most important item in my bag when it’s hot and humid. without it, i would rather not play.

i recommend the OVERLAPPING GRIP. search youtube to learn the overlapping grip. with my swing style, it is very important you have a NEUTRAL grip. in a neutral grip, the plane perpendicular to the back of your LEFT thumb should be PERPENDICULAR to your shoulder line. if it’s leaning to your right, it’s called a strong grip. a strong grip contributes to error left. if the plane is leaning to your left, it’s called a weak grip. a weak grip contributes to error right. also, the plane perpendicular to the back of your RIGHT thumb should be TILTED 45 degrees right of the left thumb plane. you will need to look at the photos below to understand what i mean.

your SHOULDER LINE should be parallel to the ground as much as possible. this means the back of your left thumb should be facing STRAIGHT UP if the ground is FLAT.

also notice in the above photos that the SHAFT is PERPENDICULAR to my shoulder line.

the BALL POSITION should be such that the RIGHT EDGE of the ball is at the MIDDLE of your stance. if the middle of the ball is at the middle of your stance, then the shaft can’t be perpendicular to your shoulder line.

during the entire swing, your SPINE ANGLE should remain constant at 22 degrees, and your WEIGHT should always stay CENTERED. if your weight moves forward, this contributes to a chunk, shank or hitting the ball with the heel of the clubhead. if your weight moves backward, this contributes to a top ball and hitting the ball with the toe of the clubhead. some coaches recommend that you move laterally or shift your weight sideways to gain more power. but it makes golf much more difficult. for me, it has small upside and huge downside.

on the backswing, lift your arms straight up to your desired ARM LEVEL. let’s specify the arm level and orientation using the clock hand position of the UPPER left arm from the PERSPECTIVE of a spectator on your right. if your upper left arm is parallel to the aim line, the perspective will be from a spectator in front of you.

always do a PRACTICE SWING so you can make corrections based on the DIVOT location. try to make a divot in line with the ball and 2 golf balls away from the ball. if the DIVOT is in front of the correct spot or there is no divot, that means you would have TOPPED the ball. if the divot is behind the correct spot, you would CHUNKED. 

if the divot is outward from the correct spot, you would have hit the ball with the heel of the club. if the divot is inward from the correct spot, you would have hit the ball with the toe of the club. in this tutorial, HEELING means hitting the ball with the heel of the clubhead. TOEING means hitting the ball with the toe of the clubhead. the good news is top ball usually comes with heeling and a chunk comes with toeing so you only have to worry about top ball and chunk. there can be many factors that contribute to each type of error. this chapter will show you how to TROUBLESHOOT any kind of error.

for each swing type that i teach (e.g. full swing, chipping, putting), i will give FASCIST DICTATOR instructions that you religiously need to follow or else you will score a double bogey (fear mongering is an effective tool for dictators). there will also be UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR instructions that will account for our biological differences (e.g. height, muscle strength, and brain wiring) and make all factors COMPATIBLE.

swing development is like software development. if programmers don't follow a software development methodology, it can take forever to release a software and it will be full of bugs. i think the reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80 is golfers are treating all coaching instructions as fascist dictator which won't work because we have different biology. or they are treating all instructions as universal adaptors which also won't work because factors are interdependent so they end up playing whac-a-mole their entire life.

B. anticipated spot and the bezier strategy

in order to hit the ball, you should not try to hit the ball. isn't golf crazy? hitting the golf ball should be like hitting a moving object. you aim towards a spot where you think the object and your projectile will meet. let's call this spot the ANTICIPATED SPOT.

(- 

you might think i'm dumb because the golf ball is obviously not moving. it will only move after the clubhead hits it. but keep in mind motion is RELATIVE. the golf ball is actually moving relative to your body turn, wrist movement, and arm rotation. 

example, if your swing involves a body turn, then the ball is moving inward relative to your right shoulder. if your right shoulder dips while turning your body, then the ball is also moving upward. this means ideally, your anticipated spot should be ABOVE and INWARD from the ball. this is assuming your wrist does not hinge and your hands and arms don't turn (static wrist).

i used the word "ideally" in the previous paragraph because the force direction applied on the clubhead is not always the same as the resulting clubhead path. even if your body does not turn and your wrist is static, the clubhead won't actually go towards the anticipated spot. example, even if my arm swing is parallel to the ground, the clubhead will go downward like a PENDULUM on a stiff pole. according to TGM (The Golfing Machine book by homer kelley popularized by bryson dechambeau), the forces in a golf swing are the physics of the swing while the clubhead path is the geometry of the swing.

if you make the pendulum lie down on the ground, the pendulum will go inward even if you push it outward. the golf swing is DIAGONAL so it inherits the behavior of the vertical and horizontal pendulum. 

therefore, the CLUBHEAD PATH will go downward and inward even if the FORCE applied is outward and parallel to the ground. this means, if the swing does not involve a body turn and wrist action (or the body turn and wrist action is slow enough), the anticipated spot should be above and outward of the correct swing path. i consider this principle the HOLY GRAIL of golf. however, i don't know any golfer who knows about this principle. this is another reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80. in all your swings, always visualize both the force lines (physics) and the clubhead path (geometry) during the downswing.

(-

the math society i belonged to in college organized a golf tournament to raise funds for the national math wizard contest. while trying to troubleshoot my errors, i realized that the reason why golf is very difficult is because the clubhead path is a CURVE. if the clubhead path is a straight line, then golf would be easier because there would only be 1 force direction. but because the clubhead path is a curve, i will need to compute the derivate to know the FORCE DIRECTION or slope of the tangent line on each point of the swing curve. 

while staring at the integral sign in the tournament poster, i remembered you can ESTIMATE an integral using numerical analysis. the result is not exact. but there are real world applications where estimates are good enough. example, in golf, a rough estimation is good enough because the fairways and greens are not 1-yard wide. then i remembered my project in college where i implemented the BEZIER algorithms, which belong in the mathematical field of numerical analysis.

the clubhead path in a golf swing is a quadratic curve. if you know computer graphics, you should know that a bezier quadratic curve can be formed by 3 CONTROL POINTS. the math world usually calls these 3 control points P0, P1, and P2. 

my bezier strategy differs slightly from the mathematical concept. in this book, P0 is the location of the clubhead at the top of swing, P1, is the anticipated spot, and P2 is the secondary anticipated spot. the line that connects P0 and P1 is called the initial FORCE DIRECTION. its nicknames are initial punch+slap (full swing), punch (short swing, chipping), and wrist flex (putting, lob shot). the line that connects P1 and P2 is the secondary force direction. it's generally called the horizontal tug.

the bezier STRATEGY is to first determine P1 and categorize it as a fascist dictator instruction. then categorize the secondary force direction (towards P2) as a universal adaptor that the golfer will have to determine through trial and error.

in TGM, golf means Geometrically Oriented Linear Force. coincidentally, bezier forces are always linear and this book uses geometric principles to determine these linear forces. 

however, other forces such as the BODY TURN and ARM ROLL are not linear. in my experience, a linear force is easier to execute. fortunately, you can break 80 with just linear forces. that's why the forces in this "instant gratification" chapter are all linear. but to compete at the higher level, you need to add the non-linear forces for more power. in the "swing design, construction and maintenance" chapter, i will show you how to construct such swings. 

(-video: golf math humor

C. electrocution feeling (palak)

when practicing, always TEE UP the ball 1.5 inches high even when using irons and wedges. any experienced golfer will probably mock this advice. but it's actually very important to always tee up the ball when practicing so that you will get that super annoying ELECTROCUTION feeling if you make a mistake. it’s important to know if you make a mistake so that you can correct it. 

if the ball is on a mat or firm ground and you hit the ground behind the ball (chunk), you can still hit a good shot because the clubhead can just BOUNCE OFF. if you hit the ball outside the sweet spot of the clubface with the ball on the ground (not teed up), the ground will ABSORB the vibration, and you won't get the electrocution feeling. you won’t be AWARE of some mistakes until you score double bogeys on the golf course. this is one of the reasons why some mistakes that happen during the game does NOT HAPPEN at the driving range. 

if you follow this chapter step by step, you don’t need to worry that teeing up the ball will change the GROOVE of your swing. the only thing that should be different with a teed up ball is your knees are less bent and/or your stance is narrower. stance width and knee angle will not affect your groove if you follow the instructions in this chapter. simply address the ball as if it’s on the ground then adjust your stance width and/or knee angle to address the teed up ball.

you can use IMPACT TAPE to know which part of the clubface hit the ball. i saw some online for P5 ($0.10) per piece. each piece usually last 10 shots.

the most PAINFUL electrocution feeling is when you hit the ball near the toe of the clubhead and ABOVE the sweet spot. it’s DECEPTIVE because your ball usually goes straight and the ball trajectory is perfect. at the driving range, you will think it’s not a problem because it’s difficult to notice the 20% loss of distance. at the golf course, you tend to blame being 10 yards short from the green on wrong club selection or lack of course familiarity. so you won't investigate the problem or tell your coach about it. especially if you save par.

the mistakes that contribute to this strong electrocution feeling contribute to a chunk if the ball is not teed up. in this tutorial, a CHUNK is assumed to be an electrocution feeling or pop-up if the ball is teed up high enough.

D. full swing

your SPINE ANGLE, ARM ANGLE, and PRE-COCK amount at address position should not change regardless of club length and moderate side-hill lie slope. your uniform spine angle should be 22 degrees and your uniform arm angle should be such that that your hands are a HANDSPAN away from your body. the handspan should be parallel to the ground when measuring. 

your pre-cock amount should be such that the SHAFT ANGLE is 45 degrees. the shaft angle is defined as the forward/backward lean of the shaft relative to the ground. do not confuse it with the sideward shaft lean angle. when inspecting the shaft angle, view it from the side because from top view, a 45-degree shaft angle can seem like it's 22-degrees with the short clubs.

note the PRE-COCK amount and shaft angle co-enforce each other. we inspect the shaft angle because it's easier to inspect.

your STANCE WIDTH and KNEE ANGLE can change. they are the factors that you ADJUST to enforce the spine angle, arm angle, and shaft angle for the different club lengths and moderate side-hill lie slopes. your knees will be more bent and/or your stance will be wider with shorter clubs. and your knees will be less bent and/or your stance will be narrower with longer clubs.

if you've been following my swing setup instructions so far, notice the clubhead is TILTING UP for the shorter clubs during address. this means the clubface is facing LEFT of the aim point even if its bottom edge is squared. you might think you simply need to adjust your aim to the right at an equal degree it's facing left. but with my swing style, you might be more comfortable with not completing your left forearm turn during the downswing and just compensate with a lower anticipated spot. this means the ball could go straight even if the clubface was pointing left during setup. 

the STANCE ALIGNMENT is a UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR. just do trial and error at the practice range to determine the stance alignment for each club. remember a rough estimation is good enough. for now, use my following stance alignments as your starting point.

long clubs (driver to 4 iron): parallel to the aim line

mid clubs (5 iron to 7 iron): 6 degrees right

short clubs (8 iron to pitching wedge): 11 degrees right

52 wedge: 22 degrees right

60 wedge: 34 degrees right (isn't my swing crazy?)

when hitting moderate UNEVEN lies, there is no need to change anything. just follow the instructions in this chapter. 

in moderate UPHILL and DOWNHILL lies, keep your shoulder line parallel to the ground for all swings including putting.

(- photo

in moderate ball ABOVE and BELOW FEET side-hill lies, adjust your knee angle, stance width, and/or choke down so you can follow the instructions in this chapter. 

(- photo

if it’s impossible to follow the instructions in this chapter because the SLOPE of the ground is too EXTREME, just punch out with a short swing (which i will discuss later) and take the bogey. it’s very rare anyway. you can also try the techniques in the “uneven lies” section in the “swing design, construction and maintenance” chapter (if you have time to master them).

i just gave you the swing SETUP instructions. next i will give you the detailed instructions for the BACKSWING.

before starting the backswing, observe and remember the FLEX ANGLE and PRE-COCK amount of your wrist so that you can inspect them later in the backswing. your flex angle and pre-cock amount should never change the entire swing. meaning your wrist should never cock, never uncock, and never flex the entire swing. 

(- photo

LIFT your ARMS straight up to the 4 o'clock level while making sure your wrist never cocks, never uncocks and never flexes. this is just a temporary arm level. 

then fully TURN your left FOREARM clockwise while making sure your wrist does not cock, uncock, or flex.

next, TURN your body in such a way that your shoulder line remains parallel to the ground.

then lift your arms to the 10:30 ARM LEVEL (45 degrees upward relative to the ground). adjust the amount of your left forearm turn to make the SHAFT parallel to the ground and ALMOST parallel to the aim plane in such a way that the shaft will be parallel to the aim plane when your body is fully turned. note this is not yet the top of swing. let's call this stage "near the top of swing".  (- shaft parallel to ground

swinging my arms sideways closer to my body near the top of swing makes my left shoulder soar after hitting only a bucket of balls. i call it STD (Sideswing That’s Destructive) except the symptom is left shoulder soar instead of cold soar. my remedy is to anchor my left shoulder to my chin or left cheek. 

i imagine the space between my upper left arm and left arm pit is a receptor of a cell, and my upper left arm is a spike protein of a virus. my CHEEK acts like an INHIBITOR that prevents the spike protein from latching into the receptor and infecting it with STD. this vaccine was developed by pfizer and has passed phase 4 of the clinical trials. if you don’t anchor your left shoulder to your left cheek, you are an anti-vaxxer like the goat of tennis.

repeatedly turn your body to the fullest then punching with your right arm towards your right perpendicular to your shoulder line while turning your body and turning your left forearm counterclockwise. let's call this the PRACTICE BOUNCE. make sure your shoulder line remains parallel to the ground.

(-

at the BOTTOM of each practice bounce, your shoulder line should be parallel to the aim plane and your upper left arm should be pressed against your left pectoral. also make sure the CLUBHEAD IS IN FRONT OF YOU to prevent the tendency to flatten or bow your left wrist (contributes to toeing, error right, chunk/electrocution feeling). note you are just rehearsing the force direction. during the final downswing, it should FEEL like the clubhead LAGS behind you and faces up due to the momentum of your arm swing and body turn.

(-

during the practice bounce, remember to turn your body parallel to the ground as FAST as you comfortably can and punch with your right arm as FAST as you comfortably can. a body turn that is too slow contributes to chunking, toeing, and/or error right. a punch that is too slow contributes to top ball, heeling, and/or error left. 

let's call the force direction of your punch relative to the ground as the PUNCH STEEPNESS. it's the 2nd UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR. it's something you need to experiment with. a punch that is too steep contributes to chunking, toeing, and/or error right. a punch that is too flat contributes to top ball, heeling, and/or error left. example, i punch parallel to the ground when using long clubs (driver to 4 iron), 22 degrees downward when using mid clubs (5 iron to 7 iron), 45 degrees downward for 9 iron and pitching wedge, and 67 degrees downward for sand/lob wedges. the right arm punch (bending and straightening of the right arm) is the 1st power accumulator in TGM (PA#1).

(- 

let's call the turning of your left forearm counterclockwise during the downswing the ARM ROLL. the amount of force you exert on your arm roll is the 3RD UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR. it's something you need to experiment with. too much arm roll contributes to chunk and error left. not enough arm roll contributes to top ball and error right. example, i roll my left arm as fast as i comfortably can. the arm roll is the 3rd power accumulator in TGM (PA#3). ben hogan calls it SUPINATION.

(- 

a weak arm roll and a punch that is too steep is the most likely cause for ERROR RIGHT. example, if there is hazard on the right and it's safe to error left, just make sure you exert enough force on your arm roll and your punch is flat enough.

the arm roll is a very important component in my swing. but i understand it's very counterintuitive. there will be a strong tendency to BOW your left wrist and/or UNCOCK during the arm roll. therefore, make sure your left wrist is CUPPED when you start the arm roll. 

(- close up flat or bowed left wrist = toeing, electrocution feeling

to prevent your wrist from uncocking, visualize the path the clubhead attempts to travel when you start the arm roll. let's call this the ARM ROLL DIRECTION. example, i attempt to make the clubhead arc over me such that the arc is 45 degrees relative to the aim plane. this is why it is very important to make the SHAFT parallel to the aim plane at the top of swing. if the shaft is not parallel to the aim plane, the arm roll direction will be corrupted and you will double bogey. 

(- shaft parallel 

your arm roll direction may be different depending on your body turn amount and biology. you don't have to feel your arm actually rolling. you just need to FEEL THE FORCE direction of your arm roll (obi-wan has taught me well. may the force be with you). it should feel like the force you are exerting on your arm roll does not affect the clubhead path and orientation. this is why it will be difficult for you to believe that the remedy for error right and top ball is to exert more force on your arm roll (the regtests in the next section should remove these types of doubts.)

 

during the practice bounce, visualize the 2nd part of the downswing. visualize slapping with your left arm 45 degrees in-to-out and parallel to the ground. moe norman, who is considered the best ball striker of all time, calls this the HORIZONTAL TUG. it should feel like the clubhead will miss above the ball and outward. just trust the clubhead will go down and inward (like a pendulum) to hit the ball. isn't golf crazy?

(- photo

the TIMING or tempo on when you do the horizontal tug is the 4th UNIVERSAL adaptor. it's something you need to experiment with. if you tug too late, it contributes to toeing and electrocution feeling. tugging too late and not tugging in-to-out are the most likely culprits when you get the electrocution feeling. if you tug too early, it contributes to heeling.

the horizontal tug causes your upper left arm to launch off your chest and SQUARE the clubhead. it's the 4th POWER accumulator in TGM (PA#4). it causes the clubhead to go outward to align with the correct swing path. if your in-to-out tug (slap) is too slow or not in-to-out enough, the clubhead will stay inward, which contributes to toeing and electrocution feeling. the clubhead also cannot square, which contributes to error right. you need to slap hard to avoid error right. be aware that 45 degrees in-to-out is towards right of the target. so you will HESITATE to slap hard to avoid or fix error right. isn't golf crazy?

the horizontal tug squares the clubhead HORIZONTALLY (not facing left or right), while the arm roll squares the clubhead VERTICALLY (not facing down or up).

on the FINAL downswing, execute what you rehearsed and visualized during the practice bounce.

include all downswing instructions in your swing thoughts when practicing. but if the game is IMPORTANT, just think about the 1) punch direction, 2) arm roll force and direction, and 3) in-to-out slap tempo. then hope you will SUBCONSCIOUSLY execute other instructions correctly due to practice.

note i don't pause at the top of swing. i pause NEAR the top of swing. the momentum of the final bounce provides a spring like effect for extra TORQUE. it also contributes to a WIDER and thus more powerful swing and helps make my body turn amount consistent. example, my full body turn amount is 112 degrees. it causes the shaft to be pointing down at the top of swing like a john daly over swing. i'm very flexible because i used to dance ballet when i was a kid. an inconsistent body turn amount contributes to an inconsistent swing.

many coaches will probably say it is wrong to not keep your shoulder swing plane perpendicular to your spine. but for me, it is correct because TRYING to keep my shoulder line PARALLEL to the ground is the most repeatable way. i use the word "trying" because my shoulder line does not necessarily have to stay parallel to the ground. it is perfectly ok if my arm swing causes my right shoulder to dip. what's important is that the FORCE of my body turn is parallel to the ground. for me, it's easier to make a force direction parallel to something.

when constructing your swing, always choose the most repeatable way to execute the disobedient factors (fascist dictators hate disobedient anti-vaxxers). if the most repeatable way is not COMPATIBLE with the other factors, simply adjust other factors to make them compatible.

keeping my shoulder line parallel to the ground while turning during the backswing is actually similar to keeping my shoulder line perpendicular to my spine then DIPPING my right shoulder to make the shoulder line parallel to the ground. so in a way, i'm actually dipping my right shoulder. the dipping of my right shoulder and my clockwise arm roll is basically moe norman's VERTICAL DROP. except he does it during the downswing while i do it during the backswing. in my experiments, there is no significant loss of power or distance if i do the vertical drop during the backswing instead of the downswing.

(- photo

because i'm doing the vertical drop during the backswing, i can pause to INSPECT and make sure i'm dipping the right amount and my wrist angle has not changed. it's like i'm bowling with gutter guards. it's like i'm GOLFING ON RAILS.

rolling your left forearm has the same effect as rolling your entire LEFT ARM. in my older videos, notice i roll my entire left arm. but when i switched to a higher arm level, i can't see the ball if i roll my entire left arm because it will cause my upper left arm to cover my eyes. so i decided to roll my left forearm instead.

the popular lessons in youtube tell you to roll your left arm clockwise to make the clubhead go down behind you during the downswing. so you might think my instruction to roll your left arm counterclockwise to make the clubhead go in front of you is crazy. the move will make you FEEL like you are CASTING, which is a mortal sin in golf. i agree that casting is very bad. but the move does not actually result in casting. remember there is a difference between the FORCE direction (physics) and the resulting clubhead path (geometry). 

in fact, one of the best teachers in golf, mike malaska, teaches something similar to my arm roll move. in youtube, search "malaska golf the malaska move is a feeling". also search "golf life how to swing a golf club to maintain it's weight and force with mike malaska". however, i don't understand mike malaska's explanation in the video. a simpler explanation is that the arm roll squares the clubhead and contributes to POWER (PA#3).

note it's not really wrong if you do the opposite. in fact, rolling your left arm clockwise at the start of the downswing (instead of counterclockwise which mike malaska and i are teaching) is the most popular SHALLOWING move in youtube. however, it's only shallowing if you twist your wrist to close the clubface. if you reverse roll your arms, then it's more of a POWER move.

turning your left arm or forearm clockwise is actually the opposite of shallowing because it brings the clubhead higher. however, the technical name for my full swing is "PRE-SHALLOWED swing" because it sounds cool. although it's not totally misleading because dipping my right shoulder during the backswing is pre-shallowing. i also christened my full swing a cool marketing name: "SNAKE style".

why would i say turning my left arm or forearm clockwise brings the clubhead higher even if the clubhead is going lower? it's all about PERSPECTIVE.

what happens at the TOP of swing is the OPPOSITE of what happens at the BOTTOM of the swing. example, if you turn your left arm counterclockwise at the top of swing, it brings the clubead higher. but the real effect is that it results in a lower clubhead location at the bottom of the swing. another example is if you uncock at the top of swing, it brings the clubhead higher. but it actually lowers the low point of the swing arc, which contributes to a chunk. 

your brain is wired to think that making the clubhead FACE UP opens the clubhead. so if your ball errors left, you might have a tendency to make the clubhead face up a little more at the top of swing to fix the error. but it actually makes the problem worse. isn't golf crazy?

the shallowing lessons i saw in youtube don't give a good explanation WHY shallowing is BENEFICIAL. it's as if they are using a passage in the bible to argue why the bible is true. the root of the problem is that the golf world has not universally agreed on the definition of shallowing. the golf world should officially define shallowing as: "any move that contributes to lowering the clubhead."

the shallowing lessons i saw in youtube also don't tell you that the shallow AMOUNT is very important. imagine if your doctor simply tells you that salt is very essential for you to stay alive without telling you that too much salt is also bad. 

here's the most common explanation i came across: "the BENEFIT of shallowing is it allows you to simply turn without having to do something with your hands and arms". it's like saying: "the benefit of shallowing is that you don't need to shallow". because the thing you need to do with your hands and arms is also shallowing. example, pulling down your arms, uncocking, and rolling your arms to square the clubhead can be called shallowing. here's a better explanation:

"the distance your right shoulder needs to travel is much shorter than the distance your arms need to come down. this requires you to slow down your body turn. shallowing allows you to turn as fast as you can. the reason why you should do the EASY shallowing moves is so that you don't have to do the more DIFFICULT shallowing moves."

an example of an easy shallowing move is DIPPING your right shoulder. over dipping can provide the power and shallowing needs that uncocking and pulling down your arms provide. so there is no need to uncock or pull down your arms.

a good example of someone who over dips is joaquin niemann. however, your definition of the word "easy" depends on your PRIORITIES. if you watch joaquin niemann's swing in youtube, you will probably get phantom back pains just watching his swing. if you have no plans to be a touring pro or if you don't have good health insurance, you probably wouldn't want to follow his swing.

PULLING DOWN the arms at the start of the downswing is the shallowing move of former world #1 justin rose. this causes his arms to LAG behind, which allows him to turn his body faster. in youtube, search “justin rose shares his FEEL vs. real swing drill”. notice in the video his drill is similar to my practice bounce. his left arm is also pressed against his chest at the bottom of the drill. the difference is his clubhead is behind him at the bottom of his drill, while my clubhead is in front of me at the bottom of my practice bounce. but that's only because i do the arm roll at the start of the downswing while he doesn't.

note that even if i'm punching parallel to the ground at the start of the downswing (as in the case with the long clubs), my arms and the clubhead will also go down like a PENDULUM.

with my definition of shallowing, uncocking is also a shallowing move. cocking during the backswing and UNCOCKING during the downswing makes the swing more powerful. i call it hinging. it's the 2nd power accumulator (PA#2) in TGM. but for me, it has low upside, big downside. i think it's too difficult for an average golfer to uncock the correct amount during the very fast downswing. 

golf becomes much easier if i don't cock and uncock. it's like i'm bowling with gutter guards. it's like i'm GOLFING ON RAILS. it's like i'm removing the expensive ingredient in a gourmet burger to make a burger that average people can afford.

golf will even be easier if your wrist is fully uncocked at the top of swing. it prevents accidentally uncocking during the downswing because your wrist is already fully uncocked. however, it removes the power from your arm roll. if you do my fascist dictator setup (22-degree pre-cock) and roll your left arm back and forth, notice the big lateral movement of the clubhead. but if you fully uncock your wrist and roll your left arm back and forth, notice the lateral movement is now very small.

if you prefer fully uncocking at the top of swing, you can make up for the loss of arm roll power by BOWING your left wrist during the backswing and snapping your wrist during the downswing. this is what i used to do. if you watch my older videos, notice i used to bow my left wrist and fully uncock during the backswing. my drives went 30 yards farther, even if my arm level was much lower. but in order for me to maintain the ability to break 80, i needed to hit at least 200 balls a day. if i don't get enough practice, sometimes i cannot complete my wrist snap, which contributes to toeing, error right, and/or chunk/electrocution feeling.

with my current swing style where i maintain my pre-cock and flex angle the entire swing, my drives are SHORTER. but at least i can still break 80 even if i only practice once a week and play once a month. i also need to increase my arm level with my current swing style or else i would not be able to reach the greens in regulation. but isn't a higher arm level more difficult? 

"in golf, we don’t really solve problems. we trade it with a problem we are more comfortable with." 

example, the designers of iron byron (the swing machine ROBOT) traded wrist hinging (cocking and uncocking) with wrist flexing (bowing and snapping). search in youtube "iron byron golf swing machine robot". however, i'm assuming iron byron has the neutral grip. if we assume iron byron has a strong grip, then iron byron is actually cocking and uncocking (asperger's much?).

if you are TALENTED, you should cock and uncock. note that although moe norman's wrist is fully uncocked during setup, he does cock during the backswing and uncock during the downswing. tiger and phil mickelson fully uncocks during the downswing. i know this because during setup, they have a big pre-cock. but during ball impact, their pre-cock is gone (that's what she said). 

(- photo

if i turn my body as fast as i comfortably can, it will feel like my hands will be in front of me and above my head when i start slapping 45 degrees outward. it will feel like the clubhead will miss above and outward of the ball. these are just FALSE PERCEPTIONS. in reality, the clubhead and my hands will go downward and inward due to the pendulum behavior. these false perceptions cause me to turn slow and/or slap downward, which contributes to a chunk or electrocution feeling. my remedy is to try to make the false perceptions happen.

(-

another reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80 is that many golfers are not aware that their perception in their swing is not always the same as reality. i’m not an expert on anything. but i suspect the false perceptions in my swings are caused by my poor ability to see FAST MOTION. i need a slow motion replay to see manny pacquiao’s punches landing. while the other filipinos are roaring, i need to wait for the slow motion replay to know what the hell just happened. 

in summary, my swing style has 4 UNIVERSAL ADAPTORS that can make all factors compatible despite the club length differences and differences in our biology and brain wiring. 

1) stance alignment

2) punch steepness

3) amount of force you exert on your arm roll

4) timing or tempo on when you do the horizontal tug

if you follow my initial settings for the universal adaptors, most likely you will hit a bad shot due to our differences in biology and brain wiring. you have a lot of work to do to FINE-TUNE your swing. the good news is it's now a "guided struggle" instead of a "blind struggle" (i learned these cool terms from TGM).

you can use the following TUNE-UP kit to fine-tune your swing at the practice range. it can also serve as a FIRST AID kit which you can use during a tournament or big bet. the job of a paramedic is to stabilize the vitals of the patient. in a golf swing, the high priority vital is ball contact (heart/blood pressure). good ball contact is vital to get the correct distance. another vital is ball direction (brain). if you are getting both bad ball contact and directional error, fix the ball contact problem first. 

• symptom => remedy
• chunk, toeing, and/or error right => flatter punch
• top ball, heeling, and/or error left => steeper punch
• chunk and error left => less arm roll
• top ball and error right => more arm roll
• toeing and chunk => earlier horizontal tug
• heeling and top ball => delay horizontal tug
• good ball contact + directional error => adjust stance

before you apply any of the remedies, make sure you are NOT IGNORING an instruction that is supposed to prevent the error. or else the opposite error will happen when the CULPRIT goes away (and you will be going around in circles until you are 90 years old). example, if you slap to your left instead of 45 degrees in-to-out during the horizontal tug, this contributes to chunking and toeing (or electrocution feeling if the ball is teed up). if you do a flatter punch to fix the problem, then heeling and top ball will happen when you start slapping in-to-out.

don't forget to compensate for the SIDE EFFECTS. a side effect is the opposite of a supposed symptom that is not happening. example, a top ball usually comes with heeling and error left. but if the ball goes straight and you have a strong feeling the punch steepness is the culprit, you might wanna aim your stance to the left a little bit when you punch steeper to fix the top ball. the good news is a top ball usually comes with other symptoms. a pure top ball usually happens when you "look-up" (untilt your spine) or "stand-up" (straighten your knees). 

avoid the BAND AID remedies where you simply adjust the CLUBHEAD LOCATION during address. example, do not fix a chunk by simply addressing the clubhead at the top of the ball.

(- need update video: full swing

you are now a swing mechanic or swing paramedic. to be a swing engineer or SWING DOCTOR, you need to read this entire book. just because the golf swing looks simple, it does not mean it can’t drive a bunch of nobel laureates crazy. the tippe top toy looks simple. but there was a craze among physicists to figure out how it works. scientific papers were even written about it. according to TGM, "the golf stroke is one piece like an ocean liner - not like an indian dug-out canoe. proper design and assembly are imperative".

record the carry YARDAGES in your smartphone notepad. example, here’s mine:

(the ball usually goes 5% farther if the ball is teed up)

60-wedge: 40 yards

52-wedge: 70 yards

pitching wedge: 90 yards

9 iron: 100 yards

8 iron: 110 yards

7 iron: 120 yards

6 iron: 130 yards

5 iron: 140 yards

4 iron: 150 yards

3 iron: 160 yards

5 wood: 170 yards

3 wood: 180 yards

driver: 210 yards

my golfing buddy asked why i outdrive him but he only needs a 9 iron to hit 120 yards while i need a 7 iron. i said because i don't lean my shaft forward. i told him to look at the ball TRAJECTORY, not club number. my 7 iron goes higher than his 9 iron, which means my 7 iron is like a pitching wedge relative to his ball trajectory. 

using newton's law, you can use my pre-shallowed swing to compete in the PGA tour. simply make your CLUBS LONGER. a longer club is more difficult, but my pre-shallowed swing is also easier. as i said, "in golf, we don’t really solve problems. we trade it with a problem we are more comfortable with."  

E. regtests

the reason why golf is difficult is because it's too FORGIVING. if you make a mistake, your reflex has a tendency to compensate so you end up with a good shot. isn't that a good thing? only if your reflex consistently makes the correction. unfortunately, it doesn't. all it does is hide your mistake so you can't correct it. you will only know about it when you score double bogeys in a tournament.

you can GROOVE your swing with brute force practice. even if you are just an average golfer, you can probably break 70 from the white tees if you practice 4 hours a day for many years. the problem with the brute force method is that your game will be too dependent on muscle memory. if you stop practicing, your score will quickly REGRESS to 90+. but if you are a swing doctor, you should be able to break 80 even if you don’t practice that much.

in my universe, an important qualification of a swing doctor is the ability to design and perform regressional tests, or regtest for short. regtest is a fancy word for reproducing an expected error by INTENTIONALLY deviating from an instruction. regtests are useful in swing troubleshooting because you can’t solve a problem unless you know what’s causing it. and you can't know what is causing the problem if you can't REPRODUCE it.

there are many ways to determine the expected error. some only require INTUITION. example, it’s obvious that adjusting your stance to the left contributes to error left. you can also do the intentional mistake in SLOW MOTION. example, if you do a slow motion swing where you over dip your right shoulder, you'll know that the expected errors (prev) are error right, toeing, and chunk.

golf is very NERVE WRACKING, which can negatively affect your game. one of the best players in my club is a korean who needs to drink alcohol during a match play to calm his jitters. there was also this golf legend in cebu named frankie racho who can only play a tournament if he is drunk. he actually won a philippine tour event back in the 1960's while he was drunk. 

when they were kids, frankie racho and rudy labares were caretakers of my grandparent’s practice green. my grandmother was the best lady golfer of cebu in the 1950s. frankie and rudy would practice all day hitting from our house a 100 yards away to the practice green where their ball had to go over a big mango tree. rudy became one of the best golfers in the philippine tour.

even SOLDIERS who've been to the front lines in battle get nervous on the first tee. meanwhile, it’s common for people to talk on the phone while DRIVING even if a car crash can be fatal. the key to decoding golf is to compare its challenges with driving a car.

the reason we don't get nervous while driving a car is because we have the complete KNOWLEDGE or instructions and we have practiced enough such that the knowledge have become muscle memory. it's easy to gain the complete knowledge required to drive a car because a driving instructor simply needs to tell the student a particular knowledge and the student automatically believes it 100%. but in golf, it's more challenging to convince a student that the instruction or knowledge is correct and essential.

example, a student will ALWAYS believe it when the instructor says stepping on the brake pedal will stop the car. the reason is that it's almost impossible for the student to accidentally step on the accelerator while stepping on the break. so if the student steps on the brake, the car will ALWAYS stop.

on the other hand, it's very common for a student to do exactly what the coach says but the OPPOSITE of the expected result will happen. example, if you follow my instruction to steepen your punch to fix a top ball, it's easy for you to SUBCONSCIOUSLY cock during the backswing, which negates having a steeper punch. you will start to believe that the punch steepness does not fix chunking and top ball. so you will lack this important knowledge and you will be going around in circles until you are 90 years old. 

regtests will also convince you that a ROUGH ESTIMATION is good enough. knowing the complete instructions is not enough to build confidence. you also need to be convinced that you do not need to be accurate in executing the instructions because a rough estimation is good enough.

you can design a regtest to determine the THRESHOLD of TOLERANCE and how sensitive a factor can be to certain degrees of deviation. just go through each instruction and GRADUALLY deviate from the specification until you hit a bad shot.

always perform regtests with the ball TEED up 1.5 inches high. this means instead of a chunk, you most likely will get the electrocution feeling or pop up.

here's the big CAVEAT. regtests only work after you have fine-tuned your swing and stabilized the dependent factors. if you are just learning my swing, regtests can be very difficult. example, if you make your arm angle narrower than what you are used to, the expected error is heeling, top ball, and error left. but if you hit a perfect shot, it means your swing is still too DEPENDENT on REFLEX. 

you are probably confused right now because i basically just told you that if you hit a good shot no matter what you do, that means you still suck. hitting 50 good shots in a row at the driving range does not mean anything. it could just mean your swing has TEMPORARILY GROOVED. all it does is TRAUMATIZE you when a young girl kicks your butt.

there was this one time at band camp i was hitting perfect drives at the driving range. i hit a bucket of balls without hitting a bad shot. the beautiful girl in the next stall was watching me and smiling at me. i thought she was smiling because she was impressed at my flawless drives. turns out she was amused at my IGNORANCE and ARROGANCE. she said to me, "that does not mean anything". sure enough, she always kicked my butt every time we played.

(-video: ignorance and arrogance in golf

when PRACTICING, you should perform the important regtests instead of simply hitting good shots. i will only give you the important regtests in this chapter. more examples are in the “swing design, construction and maintenance” chapter. regtests comprise the "maintenance" part of the swing development process.

if hitting flawless shots at the range should not make you HAPPY, what should?

first, hit a good shot. then COCK your wrist a little bit at the top of swing. if top ball, heeling, and/or error left happens, you should jump up and down for joy because now you know how important it is to resist the urge to cock your wrist. if you hit a good shot, you should be sad because that means you still suck. what??? maybe your reflex punched steeper to compensate because you were being lazy with your swing thoughts.

another regtest BOWS your wrist during the backswing. if toeing or error right happens, you should be happy because now you know how important it is to maintain your wrist angle the entire swing.

here's another regtest. first, hit a good shot. then hit another shot where you punch flatter. if top ball, heeling, and/or error left happens, you should be happy. next, hit a good shot again. then hit another shot where you punch steeper. if chunking, toeing and/or error right happens, you should celebrate because now you know that punch steepness and climate change is not a hoax.

here's a variation of the steering wheel regtest. first, hit a good shot with a DRIVER. then hit another shot where you use the same punch steepness but this time you use a pitching WEDGE. if top ball happens, you should celebrate because now you know that different club lengths require different punch steepness.

note i lazily grouped my clubs into only 3 levels of punch steepness. if you plan to play in the PGA tour, you might want to make it more granulated. it has nothing to do with club loft. if you are like bryson dechambeau who has single length irons, then you only need 1 punch steepness level for all your irons. a-ha!!! duran duran!!! the golf world finally has a good explanation why bryson has single length irons.

your swing will groove quicker if you only have 1 punch steepness for all clubs. actually, you can have only 1 punch steepness for all clubs even if their lengths are different. but you will need different ARM LEVELS. perform a regtest where you hit a good shot with all your clubs using only 1 punch steepness. example, if i use the same 10:30 arm level for my long clubs, but make the arm level for my mid clubs 9 o'clock (parallel to the ground) and 8 o'clock for my short clubs, i can just punch parallel to the ground with all my clubs.

you might be wondering, if my spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount are the same for all club lengths, why would i need different arm levels to have a uniform punch steepness? that's because the swing plane angle is like the hypotenuse of a RIGHT TRIANGLE. for shorter clubs, you are nearer to the ball, which is like shortening the base. if you shorten the base, you also need to shorten the height (arm level) to maintain the hypotenuse angle (swing plane). 

why won't i use the VARIABLE ARM LEVEL strategy (lower arm levels for shorter clubs)? my reason is that the mid clubs and short clubs will be too weak. it should not be a problem if i'm playing in a golf course where i can land before the green. example, if the lower arm level causes my 9 iron shot to be too weak, i can just use a 7 iron. however, if the greens are guarded by hazards or bunkers at the front or they are steep table tops, i won't be able to break 80.

let's call the punch angle relative to your shoulder line (or aim plane) the PUNCH WIDTH. you might think my fascist dictator instruction to punch perpendicular to the shoulder line is too restrictive. you might think it might not work for someone with a different biology. actually, you can hit the ball with any punch width. you just need to adjust the punch steepness accordingly. so for simplicity, might as well force everyone to punch perpendicular to their shoulder line.

(- photo

a NARROWER punch (more inward) gives less time for the clubhead to go down. but you can also make the clubhead go down faster by having a STEEPER punch. to prove this, perform a regtest where you narrow your punch width, but you also punch steeper to hit a good shot. this is an example of a COMPOUND regtest. you are combining 2 mistakes that cancel each other out to hit a good shot. this regtest also proves that there really is no right or wrong way to execute a factor as long as all factors are compatible.

another compound regtest is to OVER DIP your right shoulder, but you also do a flatter punch to hit a good shot. i call this the joaquin niemann regtest.

trick shots are basically regtests. if you watch my tournament videos, notice i can FADE and DRAW the ball at will. that's because i regularly perform regtests where i skew my stance and clubhead orientation. so i know the clubhead orientation and stance alignment combination i need to achieve a certain amount of draw or fade. however, this regtest is too intuitive. it does not teach you anything new with regards to the mechanics of the swing.

a more educational regtest is to lessen the force you exert on your ARM ROLL to intentionally top and error right. then you do the same except you punch steeper to get a nice fade. then increase the force you exert on your arm roll to intentionally chunk and error left. then do the same except you punch flatter to get a nice draw. i call this the "steering wheel" regtest.

 

you might think you are awesome because the correct amount of ARM ROLL is now muscle memory. the following regtest should humble you:

pretend you got lazy and ignored my instruction to make the SHAFT PARALLEL to the ground NEAR the top of swing. perform a regtest where the shaft is tilted upward instead. if you exert the usual amount of force on your arm roll, this should result in a chunk and error left because you gave your arm roll a head start and still applied the same amount of force. you should be happy because now you know how important it is to always make the shaft parallel to the ground near the top of swing. (note that at the top of swing the shaft could be pointing down depending on your flexibility.)

(- photo

you might be wondering, isn't it more INTUITIVE if i adjust the other factors so that instead of a horizontal tug, i can just do a downward tug towards the ball? yes you can. 

the reason i prefer the horizontal tug is that it's more POWERFUL. i noticed that any force exerted by my arms that is parallel to my shoulder line is more powerful than a force that is more downward. i think it's because during the course of human evolution, most of the work necessary for survival involves pulling or pushing parallel to our shoulder line. example, pulling big boulders to build the pyramids for our alien overlords.

(- men pull boulders, side by side with maria fassi and jim furyk with average drive

the difficult regtests are those that involve SPEED. slow down your arm punch to intentionally top, heel, and/or error left. then slow down your body turn to intentionally chunk, toe, and/or error right. never SLOW down anything to solve a problem. it may solve the problem but it results in a weaker shot. example, a slower punch may solve chunking, but it results in a weaker shot. 

TIMING is the most difficult factor. this means regtests that involve timing are the most difficult. this is why if you get the electrocution feeling, the most likely culprit is your in-to-out slap was too late. the fix is to slap a little earlier. a very good regtest is to intentionally get the electrocution feeling by delaying your in-to-out slap a little bit.

regtests can also convince you which factors are IMPORTANT and which ones are less important. example, if i increase or decrease my SPINE ANGLE a little bit, it does not affect my swing that much. however, a small change in my body turn angle can really mess up my swing.

a regtest can involve playing an entire ROUND. example, i play a round where my objective is to never ERROR RIGHT. i punch a little flatter and make sure i slap hard in-to-out in all my shots. i also make sure i exert enough force in my arm roll. even if i have a bad score but my ball never errors right, i'm happy because now i know what to do if there is hazard on the right and it's safe to error left. 

since i started golf, my dream was to solve the ELECTROCUTION FEELING mystery. i really didn't care that much about winning tournaments because it simply means i have the SKILL. but solving the electrocution feeling mystery would give me something more valuable - KNOWLEDGE. it's just my philosophy. the basis for my philosophy is that lebron james' skills can entertain the world, but elon musk's knowledge can save the world.

i don't expect anyone to subscribe to my philosophy. but i suspect many golfers have the same philosophy. they are just not aware of it. i think my philosophy explains why folks like charles barkley are very passionate about golf even if many 11-year-old girls can kick their butt. it's the knowledge they are CHASING after, not the skill. being more skillful in golf is just like being more skillful in gymnastics. 

my philosophy is quite PREVALENT. the sharpest shooter in the military salutes to a general even if the general dreams of becoming a shooting champ.

after many years of trying, i finally solved the electrocution feeling mystery. i realized it's really nothing special. the mistakes that cause the electrocution feeling are the same mistakes that result in a MODERATE CHUNK or a less severe grounding error. the difference is that the ball is teed up high. it just makes sense because an electrocution feeling usually results in a 20% loss in ball distance, just like a moderate chunk.

in this book, a MISTAKE pertains to a wrong body movement, while an ERROR pertains to a wrong ball path as a result of the mistake. with my pre-shallowed swing style, the usual mistakes that contribute to electrocution feeling are:

• in-to-out slap too late or too weak
• slapping downward or to your left instead of in-to-out
• punch too steep
• uncocking
• bowing the left wrist

i think the reason why the electrocution feeling remained such a mystery to me for so long is that it's very difficult to reproduce. it's because the AREA above the sweet spot of the clubface that produces the painful electrocution feeling is SMALLER than the sweet spot. if you overdo the mistake even just a little bit, then a pop up or chunk will result instead. since regtest is about the pursuit of knowledge instead of skill, consider it a PASS and quartus can be released if an electrocution regtest results in a POP-UP or chunk.

it's the same reason why the shank baffled me for a long time. intentionally SHANKING the ball is more difficult than hitting a good shot because the part of the hosel that results in a shank is very small compared to the sweet spot of the clubface. one time i challenged a PGA pro to intentionally shank. after a few failed attempts, he got angry at me and told me i was bothering him.

i think the reason why the electrocution feeling is being ignored in the golf world is because it only happens when hitting with IRONS and the ball is TEED up high enough. and as i said earlier, the mistake that is supposed to result in an electrocution feeling or moderate chunk will result in a good shot if you are hitting on a MAT or firm ground. if over shallowing is analogous to eating too much salty foods, then teeing up the ball 1.5 inches high while practicing is analogous to a blood pressure monitor.

our first aid kit implies that a top ball and chunk usually comes with another error. so how do we perform PURE TOP BALL and PURE CHUNK regtests? you can corrupt your spine angle and knee angle during the swing. example, you can lessen your spine angle during the backswing or downswing to intentionally top the ball. this is the famous look-up mistake (which to me is a poor choice of words because it's easy to look up without affecting the swing path). your weight needs to stay centered in order to produce a pure chunk and pure top ball. this means your BUTT needs to move inward to produce a pure top ball and move backward to produce a pure chunk (kiyod).

you can transform a pure chunk regtest into a SHANK regtest by simply not moving your butt backward. this moves your weight forward, which contributes to a shank.

mastering regtests should be the final stage of swing CONSTRUCTION. as i said, the golf swing is like the human body. it does not matter if 99% of your critical organs are working or 0% are working. you will still be dead. so if your golfing buddy always kicks your butt and you haven't completed your swing construction, that does not mean he is better than you. you can only say he is better than you if he keeps kicking your butt after you already completed your swing construction and mastered the regtests.

what makes golf the GREATEST GAME mankind ever invented is that the chase for the knowledge is both fun and challenging. if you can't dunk in basketball, you know right away that it's because you are not tall enough or you can't jump high enough. if you hit 3 bullseyes in a row in darts, you get a strong feeling that you just got lucky. but golfers can have FUN their entire life trying to figure out why they can't break 80 even if it seems easy.

i think i just destroyed my own thesis. if the fun in golf is the chase for the knowledge, and regtests SPOON FEEDS you the knowledge, wouldn't regtest eliminate the fun in golf? i don't have a good answer to that question. before you consider my book garbage, allow me to act like a politician and say regtests provide a more "guided" fun as opposed to "blind" fun. i hope that worked. and i hope my politician golfing buddies are not offended.

video: regtests

F. short swings

as much as possible, avoid doing a full swing inside 110 yards. example, a full swing with my 8 iron can carry 110 yards. but i would do a short swing with a 7 iron because it’s EASIER and less prone to errors.

however, a shorter swing with a lower loft club also has LOWER TRAJECTORY. so the ball will usually land before the green and be prone to a BAD KICK. but average golfers should fear a top ball and a chunk more than a bad kick. unlike elite golfers whose full swing is just as consistent as a short swing so they have the luxury to land on the green. besides, a lower trajectory shot is less susceptible to bumps so it won't really be that bad. as i said, in golf, we don’t really solve problems. we trade it with a problem we are more comfortable with.

we will specify the backswing amounts by the ANGLE of the SHAFT with respect to the aim line at the top of swing. there should be 4 backswing amounts: 134 degrees, 112 degrees, 90 degrees, 67 degrees, and 45 degrees.

the swing SETUP is the same as the full swing except the clubface should always be SQUARED to the aim line. this means the bottom edge of the clubface should not be tilted. meaning it should lay FLAT on a flat ground (perpendicular to gravity). if the ground is not flat, just estimate the flat plane and try to make the bottom edge of the clubface lay flat on that imaginary flat plane. this is a critical knowledge that the golf world ignores. the ARM ANGLE and SHAFT ANGLE can be any value as long as it enforces this squared clubface setup.

remember to keep your WRIST STATIC the entire swing. it should never cock, uncock, or flex the entire swing. also remember to never exert any force with your left arm the entire swing. your LEFT ARM should just PLAY DEAD.

next, imagine the top view backswing path and do a FLAT body turn to bring the clubhead to the half way point of the swing path. because you are doing a flat body turn, the clubhead should just hover above the ground while turning your body. remember the clubhead location at this point because it is the P1.

(- photo

 

then TURN your left ARM (not your hands) clockwise. this is a UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR measured by the angle the back of your left hand is facing up. it fixes ball direction errors. example, the back of my left hand should be facing 22 degrees upward. it may be different for you. just experiment to find out.

(-

then BEND your RIGHT ARM to bring the clubhead to the intended top of swing, while making sure you don't turn your body any further. 

(- photo

next, PRACTICE BOUNCE between the top of swing and P1 by punching with your right arm. 

(- photo

during the practice bounce, VISUALIZE punching with your right arm to make the clubhead go towards P1 while you use your right arm to SWIVEL your left arm flat or parallel to the ground. also visualize the swivel amount. the swivel amount depends on your arm level and body turn amount. it's a UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR. it's something you need to experiment with. a wider backswing amount requires more swivel. however, a higher arm level requires less swivel. in fact, for backswings under 112-degrees, it's all swivel and NO PUNCH. for higher arm levels, always punch down as hard as you comfortably can. never adjust your punch force. only adjust the arm level and swivel amount.

(- photo

since the swivel force is flat or parallel to the ground, it should feel like you will TOP the ball when you swivel, especially for the shorter swings (45 degrees and below). you need to trust that the clubhead will go down like a pendulum even if the swivel force is flat or parallel to the ground.

remember to never turn your hands and arms during the downswing. keep the back of your left hand facing up. if the ball errors left, it's most likely because you turned your hands. 

also try to NOT TURN your body. allow your body to turn only after the clubhead hits the ball. and remember to never swivel or slap with your left arm.

on the FINAL downswing, execute what you visualized during the practice bounce.

in summary, the UNIVERSAL ADAPTORS are: 

1) the angle the back of your left hand is facing up

2) swivel amount

it's up to you to choose the ARM LEVEL for each backswing amount. to ensure consistency, record your preferred arm level for each backswing amount in your smartphone notepad. the arm level is not really a universal adaptor because all it does it control the backswing amount or ball distance.

estimate and rehearse the CLUBHEAD SPEED during the practice swing. during the actual swing, simply DUPLICATE the clubhead speed of the practice swing. never try to judge or think about distance control during the actual swing. the actual swing should just be technical and ROBOTIC. worrying about distance control during the actual swing will distract you from the more important swing thoughts and increase the chance you will ruin your shot.

record in your smartphone notepad the approximate CARRY distance for all your wedges. the amount of ROLL will depend on the terrain and can be learned through experience. example, here are the yardages for my pitching wedge:

45-degree backswing: 10 yards carry

67-degree backswing: 15 yards carry

90-degree backswing: 20 yards carry

112-degree backswing: 30 yards carry

134-degree backswing, 8 o'clock arm level: 45 yards carry

134-degree backswing, 9 o'clock arm level: 60 yards carry

134-degree backswing, 10:30 arm level: 80 yards carry

use the short swing to hit STINGERS (low shots). record in your smartphone notepad the estimate distance of the 134-degree/3 o'clock swing with ALL your other IRONS on a flat slope and average terrain. you can easily learn the adjustments for the different slopes and terrain through experience. anyway, a rough estimation is good enough. example, here's mine:

9 iron: 70 yards

8 iron: 80 yards

7 iron: 90 yards

6 iron: 100 yards

5 iron: 110 yards

4 iron: 120 yards

3 iron: also 120 yards but ultra low trajectory

a very good REGTEST is to first hit a good shot with a 134-degree backswing and 10:30 arm level (my 80 yards shot). note the swivel amount should be very small. then, if you increase the swivel amount even just a little bit, it should result in a top ball and error left. next, hit a good shot with a 134-degree backswing and an 8 o'clock arm level (my 45 yard shot). the force you exert on the swivel should be pretty strong. then, if you decrease the swivel amount even just a little bit, it should result in a severe chunk. if you master even this regtest, it would easily shave 5 strokes from your score.

experimenting and mastering the swivel amount for all the backswing amounts in your short swing is where you should spend most of your PRACTICE. once you get even just the ROUGH ESTIMATIONS, you will be hitting short yardage shots like phil mickelson. you will be amazed at how easy it is. you really don't need any special talent or ability. you just need to work hard.

a short swing is supposed to be easier. but because average golfers only have time to master the full swing, a short swing becomes more difficult due to lack of PRACTICE. this explains why i see golfers who are very good at hitting 150 yard shots but they often mess up their 50 yard shots even if it’s supposed to be easier.

 (- video: short swings

even if you already mastered distance control with your short swings, if you use a ball type that is different than what you are USED TO, you won't be able to break 80. ball type becomes critical when it comes to short distances. if your shot is 10 yards shorter or longer than normal off the tee, you simply have to use a different club on your next shot. in an approach shot, you can still save par. but chips that are too long or too short can lead to a lot of frustrating bogeys.

you can google to find out which ball type (e.g. 2-piece, 3-piece, 4-piece) is best for you. but for me, ball type consistency is more important. the problem is that golf ball manufacturers seldom put the ball type LABEL on the ball because the golf industrial complex wants to promote war. you can google it or visit the manufacturer's website to find out. but it's better to test them yourself because i tested some brand name balls that did not match their ball type label. just hit a few 67-degree short swings against a wall and you will quickly figure out which one's which based on their deflection angle. example, a 4-piece will immediately dive down after hitting the wall while a 3-piece will deflect more horizontally.

 

G. chipping

you can use all the short swing instructions for chipping. but if you have time to practice, the following modification can make your chipping more accurate: swivel by FLEXING with your right wrist outward and parallel to the ground while TUGGING (slapping) with your left arm parallel to the aim plane and parallel to the ground to bring the clubhead downward.

(- photo

a good swing thought is to visualize the clubhead RAMPING DOWN to hit the ball even if the swivel forces are parallel to the ground. just trust that the pendulum behavior of the swivel will bring the clubhead downward even if the force directions are parallel to the ground.

(- photo

a good REGTEST suite for any swing is, for each error, intentionally do the mistake(s) that most likely causes the error. example, intentionally error left by flexing too hard. also intentionally error left by turning your hands/arms. next, intentionally error right by flexing too slowly. then intentionally top the ball by tugging too slow relative to your flex speed. lastly, intentionally chunk by tugging too fast relative to your flex speed.

in my experience, the PITCHING WEDGE is the sweet spot between ball trajectory and difficulty level. it also comes standard with rental clubs in case you are traveling without your clubs. with the pitching wedge, the ball goes lower than a lob wedge and you may need to land before the green more, which makes you more susceptible to a bad kick. but the swing is shorter and easier. when chipping around the green, you should fear a top ball and grounding more than a bad kick.

grounding is the most dreaded error in chipping. the following video contains important knowledge about grounding so you can keep your family safe i mean demos of my chipping DRILLS with a pitching wedge. the 1st drill hones your 15-20 yards carry. i call it the "derek jeter shortstop" drill. the 2nd drill hones your 1 yard, 2 yards, and 4 yards carry. i call it the "daga" drill because if you master this drill, you will be chipping like daga of cebu country club.

(- video: chipping drills

pga tour players are on the green in regulation only 65% of the time. even in a perfect game, average golfers should expect to be on the green in regulation only 33% of the time. this means to break 80, an average player needs to SAVE PAR at least 6 of the 12 holes where the player missed the green.

chipping and putting is where you should practice most of the time. the reason is that DISTANCE CONTROL around the green is NOT a TECHNIQUE. it’s more of a FEEL that can only be developed through lots of practice. if your technique is correct, you will have DIRECTIONAL ACCURACY but it does not mean you have distance control. if you don’t have distance control around the green, you can still have an awful score even if you did not commit any technique mistakes.

when testing your techniques out on the golf course, do not pay attention to your score. just count the number of TECHNIQUE related ERRORS such as top balls, chunks, and directional errors. don’t mind the factors out of your control such as bad kicks and bad lies. also ignore the errors that does not have anything to do with your technique, such as distance control and club selection.

if you have a bad score but very few technique errors, you should be happy. this way, you don’t end up fixing something that is not broken. the good news is that short game practice can be fun and THERAPEUTIC. short game practice is only painful if you don’t have good technique.

H. putting

when PUTTING, BOW your HEAD down to the full extent so that your line of vision is perpendicular to the ground. otherwise your alignment or aim will be incorrect if one eye is too dominant than the other eye.

 

 

use the overlapping grip. the shaft should be VERTICALLY oriented across your left palm as much as possible.

 

 

ANCHOR your left elbow to your body.  

 

 

FULLY UNCOCK your left wrist, tilt your spine, and orient your left forearm in such a way that the shaft is tilted around 11 degrees. let your right index finger brace the shaft. the back of your HANDS should have the SAME vertical ORIENTATION as the SHAFT. since the shaft is tilted or slanted 11 degrees, the back of your hands are also slanted 11 degrees. in this tutorial, we say the HINGE ORIENTATION of the wrist is 11 degrees.

 

address the ball approximately half an inch above the ground and SQUARE the clubface with the aim line. the bottom edge of the clubface doesn’t have to be entirely FLAT unless your putter has a loft.

the AIM LINE is not always towards the hole. example, if the ground is sloping left, the aim line would be right of the hole to account for the ball curving to the left. the space between the hole and the aim line is called the allowance. example, your caddie might tell you the allowance is 2 balls right of the hole. tell your caddie to always be specific. one time my caddie told me 1 ball right. i though she meant basketball so my putt missed way right. i swear i'm just kidding.

then FLEX your wrist without cocking, uncocking, and turning your hands. the clubhead path should have the same angle as the slant of the shaft. example, if the slant of the shaft is 11 degrees, the clubhead path should be 11 degrees relative to the aim line, the clubhead should also open naturally during the backswing and close naturally during the downswing. if the shaft is perpendicular to the ground, the backswing should be along the aim line, and the clubhead should remain squared the entire swing. i chose to SLANT the shaft 11 degrees because i find it just as hard to keep the clubhead squared. the tie breaker is that the perpendicular hinge gives me back pains. 

as long as you never cock, never unock, and never turn your hands, you will always make a good putt. but for average golfers, this is easier said than done. average golfers should not rely on SKILL as much as possible. so let's deploy our fascist dictator/universal adaptor strategy to make our putts more robotic and REPEATABLE. 

the clubhead LOCATION and ORIENTATION at the top of swing are the most critical factors in putting. so it would really help if we can find a way to make these 2 critical factors more repeatable.

the best way is to  have only 3 backswing amounts. we can then do trial and error to determine the correct clubhead location and orientation at the top of swing for the 3 backswing amounts so we can repeat them for the rest of eternity. this means unlike most putting techniques that CONTROL DISTANCE by the LENGTH of the backswing, we control distance mainly by the amount of force.

my rationale is that for average golfers, directional ACCURACY is more CHALLENGING than distance control. i believe that as long as you practice and play a lot, you will always have good distance control, regardless of your talent. i've never seen a golfer who plays a lot have a problem with distance control. but i've seen many golfers who play a lot have a problem with directional accuracy.

let's name the line parallel to the aim line that passes the bottom of the ball (from top view) as the BOTTOM LINE. let's also name the points on the putter and the ball that are supposed to touch each other during ball impact as the CONTACT POINTS. 

(- photo

mark a point on the clubface that is 2 inches in front of the contact point. let's call it the IDEAL TIP. you can etch the ideal tip with a grinder to make the mark permanent. luckily, i found a putter where the tip is exactly 2 inches from the contact point.

(- photo

the backswing amounts should be 3 inches, 6 inches and 11 inches. at the top of a 3-inch backswing, the contact point should be along the bottom line. at the top of a 6-inch backswing, the ideal tip should be along the aim line. and in an 11-inch backswing, the ideal tip should be along the bottom line. these fascist dictator instructions enforce a repeatable CLUBHEAD LOCATION at the top of swing. 

(- photo

the CLUBHEAD ORIENTATION at the top of swing should feel like it's opened 3 degrees at the top of a 3-inch backswing, opened 6 degrees at the top of the 6-inch backswing, and opened 11 degrees at the top of an 11-inch backswing.

(-21 photo

it should not matter if my fascist dictator instructions for the clubhead location and orientation are correct or not because the universal adaptor will make them compatible with the other factors. what's important is they are easily REPEATABLE.

let's simplify by appointing the midpoint of the swing curve as our P1. P1 is the location where you start swerving. it is not a universal adaptor. 

PRACTICE BOUNCE between the top of swing and half an inch before the ball. on the downswing, flex your LEFT wrist to make the clubhead FACE-UP and make the contact point hit the midpoint of the swing curve (P1), then SWERVE to make the clubhead go towards the ball. never exert any force with your right wrist or right hand.

(- photo

the SWERVE AMOUNT is the UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR. luckily, the force you exert is the same for all 3 backswing amounts. although there is less space to swerve for the shorter backswings, there is also less need to swerve because the clubhead is less open. just keep practicing and experimenting. once you develop the FEEL for the correct swerve amount, you will be putting like a pro. before a round, figure out and practice the correct swerve amount at the practice green. during the round, if your putt errors right, increase the swerve amount a little bit on your next putt. if your putt errors left, decrease your swerve amount a little bit.

the swerve is what squares the clubhead. my FALSE PERCEPTION when putting is that it should feel like the clubhead is still facing right (opened) when it hits the ball. i should trust that the clubhead is squared even if it feels like it's still open. 

REHEARSE the clubhead SPEED during the practice bounce. on the final downswing, simply duplicate the clubhead speed that you rehearsed so you can just focus on the serve amount.

a good REGTEST is to flex with your RIGHT wrist. for some reason i don't know why, this sometimes causes error right. this regtest reminds you to never exert any force with your right wrist.

a good regtest is to mess with the CLUBHEAD ORIENTATION at the top of swing to intentionally error left and right. this regtest may seem mundane, but it sharpens your ability to perceive the clubhead orientation at the top of swing.

another good regtest is to mess with the CLUBHEAD LOCATION at the top of swing accordingly to intentionally error left and right. a more inward clubhead location at the top of swing contributes to error right, and a more outward clubhead location at the top of swing contributes to error left.

another good regtest is to SLANT the SHAFT more than 11 degrees. this should result in error left because the clubhead path angle and orientation at the top of swing are now INCOMPATIBLE with other factors. this convinces you that it is very important to follow the fascist dictator instruction to slant the shaft 11 degrees. then hit a good putt by making the clubhead path angle the same as the shaft angle and allowing the clubhead to freely open during the backswing. example, if you made the shaft slant 22 degrees, make the clubhead path travel 22 degrees relative to the aim line. this will convince you that there really is no such thing as a correct or wrong way to execute a factor as long as all factors are compatible.

(- photo

the good news is 90% of your putts will be using the 6-INCH backswing. so it's all you really need to practice. the 3-inch backswing is just for touch putts. if you do need to do an 11-inch backswing, your objective is just to get it near the hole for an easy tap in.

before i discovered my wrist putting style, i usually 3 putt 50% of the holes. that's a 9 stroke disadvantage. the following unedited video proves that putting is more KNOWLEDGE than skill because i did not make a mistake during the entire 900 years of etruscan civilization.

(-photo

video: untalented golfer putting 72 bullseyes in a row

I. bunker shot

i notice many golfers ignore the DEPTH of the LOOSE or soft sand when hitting a bunker shot. you can test the depth of the sand by wiggling your feet. if the loose sand layer is less than half an inch deep, the ball will go too far if you play it like a normal bunker shot. that's because the clubhead will just bounce off the firm layer beneath the thin sand layer. therefore, you should just play it like a normal CHIP off the GRASS.

(- label thin sand layer

 

(in case you’re interested how i determined the minimum depth of the loose sand: the clubhead usually hits the ground at an 11-degree angle. since you’ll be hitting 2 inches behind the ball, the minimum depth of the loose sand should be: tan (11 degrees) = (minimum_depth) / (2 inch). so minimum depth = (.1943)(2 inch) = 0.38 inches or around half an inch. this means if the sand layer is LESS THAN HALF an INCH, just treat the DISTANCE like you are chipping off the GRASS.)

do NOT OPEN the clubface of the sand wedge unless you can't clear the lip with a squared clubface. this way, at least the ball will go straight in case you hit the ball with the clubhead.

if you do need to open the clubface, you should only OPEN your STANCE or adjust your stance alignment to the left if and only if the loose sand layer is THIN, and you are playing it like a normal chip. because if the loose sand layer is thin, the clubhead will come in CONTACT with the ball. therefore, it's the clubhead orientation that mostly determines ball DIRECTION, not the swing path.

the reason you adjust your stance is so that you can increase the loft of the clubhead and still make the clubface squared to the target. a mistake most golfers make is that when they adjust their stance alignment, their swing thoughts still use the target line as reference instead of the AIM LINE. your swing thoughts should always use the aim line as reference so that you will be using the same groove or muscle memory. 

always remember to TURN the SHAFT instead of your hands when opening up the clubface to increase the loft. the back of your thumbs should always be facing perpendicular to your shoulder line.

if the loose sand layer is DEEP enough such that you can let the sand carry the ball, move the ball position 2 inches or 1 ball more to your left. 

(- photo

if it's the SAND that CARRIES the ball, you can open the clubface if you need more loft. but you don't need to adjust your stance alignment because it's the swing path that determines ball direction, not the clubhead orientation. 

(- update closer to the ball pre-cock

i use the 134-degree 8 o'clock arm level SHORT SWING with a 60-degree wedge if i need to carry the ball less than 10 yards. if i need to carry the ball more than 10 yards, i use the 134-degree 10:30 arm level short swing.

all instructions are the same except i SWIVEL a little bit less to get an educated chunk. but be careful because the usual cause of an over chunk is lack of swivel. and the usual cause for a top ball is too much swivel. so make sure you do a practice swing outside the bunker to rehearse the right swivel amount. 

remember to never adjust the PUNCH FORCE. always punch down as hard as you comfortably can. only adjust the arm level and swivel amount.

when performing REGTESTS, do intentional top balls and over chunks by playing around with the swivel amount. once you get the correct swivel amount, decrease your punch force a little bit to intentionally top.

 

(- update video: bunker shot drill

to hit FAIRWAY bunkers, i use my pre-shallowed full swing, except i make it more bias towards a top ball by punching a little flatter. if the ball is near the LIP, don't be a hero. it's better to play it safe and settle for a bogey by using a higher loft club such as a 9 iron to make sure you clear the lip. play a practice round and experiment on a deep fairway bunker to find out how high of a lip each of your irons can clear. make sure to record your findings in your smartphone notepad unless you have a photogenic i mean photographic memory.

III. tutorial scope and overview

 

congrats on your AA. degree. welcome to engineering college. this chapter is the course syllabus and freshman orientation.

 

in order to break 80, you only need to learn and practice the “INSTANT GRATIFICATION” chapter of this tutorial, which is only 50+ pages. the rest of the tutorial is mostly just definition of terms, common sense principles, and philosophical rants. however, it will give you the knowledge to customize or design a swing that might be more suitable for you.

as much as possible, this tutorial will not include knowledge that you can learn from somewhere else. example, i won't discuss the rules of the game, how to read the green, etc... i won't bother defining what is a handicap, "top of swing", overlapping grip, top ball, etc... SEARCH the internet for the definition of the TERMS in this tutorial that you don't understand. 

this tutorial does not actually contain the complete knowledge to break 80. it supplies the MISSING KNOWLEDGE. example, if you watch all the shallowing videos in youtube and then read the "timing and shallowing" section of this tutorial, you will be blown away at how much important knowledge is missing in the golf world.

if you can find a coach humble enough to learn and teach a totally different approach to the game, it would be more efficient to go through this tutorial with a COACH because they already know the vast amount of existing knowledge that are needed to complete this tutorial.

you don’t need the VIDEOS to learn the lessons in this tutorial. the photos and illustrations in this tutorial should suffice. if you really want to watch the videos and you are reading the hard copy of this tutorial, go to the “golf on rails” youtube channel. just search @railsgolf in youtube. the TITLE of the video would be the same as the text display of the link. make sure you click the "videos" tab of the youtube page because the home page does not list all the videos. there will only be a few videos in the channel, so it should be easy to locate a video. 

the channel will also contain a video entitled "tutorial updates" containing any UPDATES and corrections made to this tutorial after the book is published.

in this tutorial, "ERROR LEFT" means the ball will go to the left of the target. "ERROR RIGHT" means the ball will go to the right of the target. CHUNKING means grounding or hitting the ground behind the ball, even if the clubhead just bounced off the ground. chunking is understood to also mean a POP-UP and ELECTROCUTION FEELING, which happens when the ball is teed up high enough.

also note that in golf, ball TRAJECTORY is understood to be relative to the ground, and ball DIRECTION is understood to be relative to the target.

this tutorial would often be referring to an ANGLE of a LINE RELATIVE to or with respect to a PLANE (in this tutorial, the terms "relative to" and "with respect to" mean the same). in geometry, there is a standard way of getting the angle of a line with respect to a plane, which can be quite complicated even to an intellectual. luckily, this is a golf tutorial, NOT a MATH TUTORIAL. so i came up with a way to get the angle that is specifically suited for our purpose. 

there are 2 planes we frequently reference in this tutorial: 1) the GROUND, and 2) an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the ground (e.g. aim plane, chest plane). let's nickname the imaginary plane that is perpendicular to the ground - a WALL. the way you get the angle of the line is by PERSPECTIVE.

to get the angle of a line relative to a WALL, you view it from the TOP or bird's eye VIEW. this means you can only see the top edge of the wall, and you can't see the downward angle of the line. in other words, the view is now 2D, and all you see are 2 lines. usually, you should pick the smaller angle. but it's easy to figure out which one by context and common sense.

 

 

getting the angle of a line relative to the GROUND is similar. but this time, your line of vision will be parallel to the ground. 

whenever this tutorial refers to the angle of a CURVE with respect to a line or plane, what i really mean is the straight line ESTIMATION of the curve. it’s technically incorrect, but it serves our purpose because the greens and fairways are not 1 yard wide. remember this is a golf tutorial, not a math tutorial. besides, we can only visualize and follow rough estimates of the angles anyway. 

 

it’s actually just common sense. my explanation probably only confused you. but the explanation is necessary for this tutorial to maintain technical CREDIBILITY (i am torn between street cred and tech cred). one might say i should still lose technical credibility because specifying just 1 angle of a clubhead path traveling in 3D space cannot tell the whole story. but we will only be using these angles when studying a swing that involves only 1 hinge (e.g. left shoulder, torso, or wrist), which means the clubhead cannot travel freely along the Z-AXIS for a given x-y coordinate. the clubhead can travel freely along the Z-axis only if the swing involves both the body turn and arm swing. 

in other words, there is a 1:1 CORRESPONDENCE between the angle of the clubhead path relative to the ground and relative to the aim plane. it's like giving navigational directions. you only need to specify the ground direction because a human cannot fly. or the human is TETHERED to the ground by gravity. this means if the clubhead path angle relative to the aim plane is correct, then the angle relative to the ground also has to be correct.

you don’t need to know what goes on under the hood of your car to drive it to the grocery store. but if the radiator leaks, it would be nice to know you can just add water so you can still buy groceries and drive it to the auto shop. similarly, you only need the "instant gratification chapter" to break 80. but if let’s say your back is aching and you can only tilt your spine 11 degrees, it would be nice to know which FACTORS you can ADJUST or replace so you can continue to play well. i will use the words component, factor, part, attribute and element interchangeably. in this tutorial, they all mean the same thing.

one of the reasons why only 5% of golfers can break 80 is golf is actually forgiving. when you make a mistake, sometimes your reflex will adjust the other factors to COMPENSATE so you end up with a good shot. you won’t know you are making a mistake so you won’t correct it and your game can never stabilize (same reason why i have a horrible personality. people never criticize me for fear of losing my friendship). to address the problem, this tutorial will put emphasis on intentionally reproducing errors. such drills are called REGTESTS.

this tutorial makes an effort to separate my personal swing style or TECHNIQUES from the core PRINCIPLES. there is no single correct swing style or technique. it's like shopping for a car. there are different types of cars, but they all share the same basic principles and components.

after i wrote the first edition of this book, i scoured the internet to see if there are others who also use my crazy techniques. i found out my pre-shallowed full swing is a simplified version of MOE NORMAN's swing. 

moe norman is not well known but he is a LEGEND among the professionals. he is considered the greatest ball striker of all time. he is your favorite ball striker’s favorite ball striker. legends such as lee trevino and tiger woods were amazed at his genius. to quote vijay singh, “moe norman was the best golfer i’ve ever seen, he was incredible and God’s gift to golf”. in youtube, search the following: “todd graves moe norman on espn”, “golf digest the secrets of golf's best ever ball striker”,  “mitchell blades the incredible story of moe norman”.

moe norman is well known in canada. he won 54 canadian tournaments and set 33 COURSE RECORDS. in fact, the first time i heard about moe norman was from my uncle tata estacion who lives in canada. then i started watching the youtube channel of todd graves, who is the foremost expert in moe norman’s swing. 

moe norman’s master move is the VERTICAL DROP and the HORIZONTAL TUG. curb your enthusiasm, which was nominated 10 times for most outsanding comedy series, even had an episode entitled “vertical drop, horizontal tug” that featured moe norman’s swing. 

you can find many LESSONS in youtube that teach moe norman’s master move. i recommend the one by milo lines. in youtube, search “milo lines golf the secret move ben hogan and moe norman used for elite ball striking”. in the collage below, the photos on the right are screenshots from his video. notice my shallowing move is similar except i do it during the backswing.

it is easier to do the master move during the backswing because i can INSPECT it. the downside is it makes my swing look WIERD. but i don't consider it a downside because it makes people think my swing is wrong, which makes it easier for me to hustle gamblers.

another difference between my swing and moe norman's swing is BALL POSITION. my ball position is nearer to the middle of my stance while moe's ball position is more to the left. moe's swing also has a PRE-TILT and downswing SWAY while mine doesn't. moe's forward ball position is what allows him to sway.

the downswing sway contribute to a more POWERFUL swing. but i decided to not include it in my swing because i think it will make it impossible for an average golfer to break 80. this means my swing is a weaker or lower quality swing compared to moe norman's.

why would anyone want to learn a LOWER QUALITY swing? the same reason why anyone would want to eat at mcdonalds. mcdonalds is low quality food, but it’s the most successful restaurant in the history of the world. my pre-shallowed swing style makes it easier for an average golfer to break 80. moe norman's swing is like a kobe beef burger. it's as if i replaced the expensive ingredients in a kobe burger with cheaper ingredients to create the best selling burger.

another reason why you would want to follow my swing is it comes with a complete MAINTENANCE and REPAIR manual (regtests). if you own a fast food restaurant, you probably would not want to buy an ice cream machine that has no maintenance and repair manual, even if it is higher quality.

however, my swing will also make it IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to play in the PGA tour where the par 4’s can be 490 yards. this means my swing should not be taught to children who might have the potential to become an ELITE player.

i also came across "The Golfing Machine" book by homer kelley. many top coaches and touring pros are disciples of this book. let's nickname the book TGM. since i'm a nobody in the  golf world, i will be name dropping TGM and moe norman a lot in this book.

if you are not in the mood for jokes, phony philosophizing, and self-interested crusades fire hosed in your face, you can just ignore texts that are in small font italics. i'm also following jim cramer's habit of HONORING people even if his audience have no clue who those people are. 

i made the numbering format in the “swing theory” chapter conform to the AI standard so that chatgpt can use this tutorial to design a swing based on certain parameters that a user provides. just kidding.

the reason i CAPITALIZE the KEY words is not because i like capitalism. the reason is it makes this tutorial easier to REVIEW and scan. but if the publisher will require this book to be ISO 9000 compliant, i can fix the sentence capitalization of this entire tutorial in 10 seconds by selecting the entire text and clicking the "Sentence case" command of ms word. but having a capital letter at the beginning of every sentence will camouflage or MUFFLE the key words. formatting styles such as bold, underline or character size are not always portable, and i want to be able to copy paste excerpts of this tutorial to other social media platforms.

maybe my style is only suited for technical instructions and political essays. maybe the orthodox style is better if you are writing a story. but i believe having only 1 style for the many different purposes of writing is like having only 1 CAR DESIGN for ALL PURPOSES of vehicular transports. it’s like having only 1 swing style in golf for the different levels of talent and ability.

"on rails" is a metaphor that means something will go quickly and easily. this book is named after “ruby on RAILS”, a framework that allowed me to quickly and easily develop web apps, even if i only have average IT skills. similarly, golf on rails allows someone who don’t know much about golf to become good at golf and enjoy golf rapidly.

just like a train on a rail track, ruby on rails and golf on rails do not allow much freedom or wiggle room. the philosophy is called “convention over configuration”. notice the “instant gratification” chapter is quite RESTRICTIVE. this sounds bad. but lack of choice is not always a bad thing. theoretical purity is self-defeating. it's always a case-by-case basis. example, america is very capitalist but its military uses a socialist system.

(- ruby on rails photo

what if you want to go off the rails and CUSTOMIZE your web app or golf swing? no problem. the engineering chapters in this tutorial contains the knowledge you need to customize your swing, just like the pickaxe ruby book contains the knowledge you need to create any app in ruby.

the snake on the book cover symbolizes my snake swing style. it also honors o’reily media, whose books helped my software engineering career and always had an animal on the cover.

IV. swing theory

i want to start this chapter veritasium style. i did not use science to build my swing. the truth is i discovered my techniques through brute force TRIAL and ERROR and dumb LUCK. then i pretended to be a scientist by formulating the principles that can be used to explain my techniques.

don't be intimidated by the technical JARGONS i invented in this tutorial. they are just EFFICIENT ways for me to describe the components of a golf swing. imagine if we don't have names. instead of just saying "ian crystal", people will have to inefficiently refer to me as "the smart and handsome cebuano born in 1970 who is very humble".

 

the components of a golf swing are nothing but POSITIONS and MOVEMENTS of specific parts of your body and the golf club. it's not rocket science. it's something that even uneducated people can easily grasp. it's like i'm trying to document how an aborigine throws a boomerang to hit a flying bird. i will need to invent fancy words like anticipated spot. but the aborigine does not need to know the fancy words to be a master at boomerang throwing.

when i was laying down drain pipes, i asked my childhood friend, who is now one of the best plumbers in town, what is the recommended inclination ANGLE for drain pipes? he said 1/4 inch. i told him 1/4 inch is not an angle. turns out he does not even know what is an angle. he just makes sure the drain pipe inclines 1/4 inch per foot.

an undereducated carpenter can build a house using complicated concepts of geometry that even highly educated people such as doctors and lawyers can’t grasp. the carpenter just figured them out naturally through self-analysis. but because the carpenter can't ARTICULATE and document his designs and techniques, other carpenters can’t use them.

if the undereducated carpenter discovers a technique that would save 20% in construction cost, that carpenter will earn 20% more in his projects. but if the carpenter can DOCUMENT his discovery, all carpenters in the world will earn 20% more, and he will be hailed as the king of all carpenters. the winner of game of thrones was not the best warrior. he can’t even walk. but he was the best documenter. the pen is mightier than the sword, or shall i say, the keyboard is mightier than the golf club.

1. dyslexia phenomenon

many golfers are not aware that PERCEPTIONS in their swing are not always the same as reality. i think this is another reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80.

a false perception is not really a problem as long as it’s CONSISTENT. you just need to adjust your interpretation accordingly. fortunately, in my experience, false perceptions are pretty consistent. so that we will sound smart, let’s use a medical term as SLANG for false perceptions:

definition 1.1: dyslexia - a general term to mean a perception a golfer has on his/her swing that is different from reality. 

(coincidentally, dyslexia is a form of handicap, and in golf, handicap is a term that determines the degree of disadvantage a player has)

einstein and thomas edison were dyslexic. a misconception of dyslexics is that they see the mirror image of a letter. example, they see the letter “b” as “d”. but even if that’s the case, they just need to INTERPRET the letters differently as long as their false perceptions are consistent. example, they simply need to connect the sound of letter “b” to a symbol that looks like “d”. the false perception only becomes a problem if SOMETIMES they see the letter “b” as “d” and sometimes their false perception goes away and they see the letter “b” as “b”.

similarly, golfers simply need to find the dyslexic components in their swing and adjust their REACTION accordingly. the reaction could be as simple as “not react to it”. in other words, you just need to add to your swing thought to be AWARE of the false perception so you won't panic and self-interfere.

 

definition 1.2: swing thought - one or more instructions you give yourself when trying to hit the golf ball.

 

example, when chipping, IT SHOULD FEEL LIKE i will top the ball. a swing thought that reminds yourself not to react to a false perception usually starts with the phrase, "it should feel like ...".

a swing thought or instruction should be concrete, SPECIFIC, and DETAILED as much as possible. 

example, when instructing the horizontal tug, should i use the left arm, right arm, or both? horizontal means parallel to the ground. how about the force direction relative to the aim plane? should i also tug parallel to the aim plane aside from parallel to the ground? where should i follow through? do i follow through sideways, or upward? there really is no downside to being very detailed because anyway, the instructions become muscle memory after lots of practice.

a dyslexia can be caused by the MOTION of the swing being TOO FAST for the brain to process. maybe my brain still has the 8088 CPU and i need to upgrade my brain to the intel core i9. example, when putting, it should feel like the clubhead is still opened when it hits the ball.

maybe scratch golfers just have a better ability to see fast motion. at the driving range in my hometown, there used to be a TV that showed cock fights. there were no slow motion replays. so it baffled me how the golf coaches can narrate to each other the kicking moves of the cocks when all i see is a BLUR.

i think it's common for golfers to have false perceptions or FEELINGS in their swing that is different from what’s actually happening. TGM refers to false perceptions as "illusions". here's a quote from TGM that this book can relate to: "when facts are understood, illusions not only cease to mislead but can be utilized.

adam bazalgette, who taught numerous PGA tour players, says it best: "a lot of times ..., players said they did things or THOUGHT they did things they didn't necessarily do". example, moe norman said he kept the clubhead along the target line longer than normal. but if you watch a video of moe's swing, his follow through is actually just normal. in youtube, search "scratch golf academy moe norman golf swing analysis" and go to 8:08 in the video. 

US open winner and former world number 1 justin rose has a video in youtube entitled “justin rose shares his FEEL vs. real swing drill”. in 1:33 of the video he says “feel and real are 2 completely different things”.  

if you search in youtube, “sagutogolf how to shallow the golf club for great ball striking” and go to 1:28 in the video, saguto says “feel is not real ... comfort is gonna kill your game”. i just mentioned a good example of what saguto means. in a full swing, if i try to hit the ball with the clubhead squared, it feels COMFORTABLE. however, it causes error right.

if you search in youtube, “eric cogorno golf how to shallow the arms and club in transition - with mike malaska” and go to 9:30 in the video, eric gives an example of a feeling in his swing that is different from what’s happening. then mike explains that what eric is feeling are FORCES. this is similar to the core principle of this book, which is “the swing force direction is not the same as the resulting clubhead path”. 

eric cogorno also places a lot of emphasis on the FEELS.

while talking about moe norman’s swing, zach allen says “that’s not what he did. but that’s what he FELT he did” (search in youtube “zach allen golf ben hogan, mo norman, and lee trevino's secret move exposed” and go to 2:01 in the video).

constructing swing thoughts is part of the FUN in golf. i remember watching an interview with one of the greatest golfers arnold palmer. he was already 80 years old at that time. he said he still wakes up in the morning excited to try out a technique he thought of the previous night.

the following PITFALL really messed me up for quite a while when i was a beginner:

phenomenon 1.3: your PERCEPTION of the clubface orientation and clubhead path direction near the top of a full swing can be the REVERSE of the orientation and direction near the bottom of the swing. 

my brain is wired to equate clubface facing down with facing left, and clubface facing up with facing right. however, making the clubhead FACE UP at the top of swing actually results in the clubhead FACING DOWN and to the left when it hits the ball, which contributes to error left. and making the clubhead FACE DOWN actually results in the clubhead FACING UP and to the right when it hits the ball, which contributes to error right.

 

 

the most popular SHALLOWING move is turning your arms clockwise at the start of the downswing. although it lowers the clubhead near the top of swing, it actually contributes to a higher clubhead location at the bottom of the swing unless you do something to reverse it. so it's the opposite of shallowing.

2. hinge minimization strategy

the best way to study something that is complicated is to BREAK it UP into simpler COMPONENTS and analyze how the components affect one another. so let's break up the golf swing into more manageable parts. 

the first thing i observed in the golf swing is, the body parts that move in a golf swing are attached to joints that act like HINGES and ball joints, just like in a machine. this is probably why "the golfing machine" was titled as such. each hinge and ball joint is like a JOYSTICK in a video game. the more joysticks, the more difficult the video game becomes. a strategy of this tutorial is to MINIMIZE the joysticks to simplify the swing and make it easier.

principle 2.1: a golf swing that utilizes more hinges is more difficult but more POWERFUL. a golf swing that utilizes less hinges is less DIFFICULT but less powerful.

although my full swing uses many hinges, i only FOCUS on the moves that uses the body turn hinge, right elbow hinge, left forearm rotator hinge, and left shoulder rotator cuff. many lessons i saw in youtube tells you to also pay attention to the following hinges/ball joints: wrist, hips, knees and even ankles. i think it's another reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80.

(- photo

there’s a swing thought common in the golf world called "1 PIECE" where you visualize all the components connected to the moving hinge as just 1 piece. it prevents other hinges from becoming loose or unstable. 

3. practice swing and practice bounce techniques

you only have 1 attempt to hit the ball. and if you make a mistake, there is no second chance. fortunately, golf allows a FREE REHEARSAL. just move back a little and practice swing until you get the right divot location. it's as if you are allowed to hit TRIAL SHOTS and given the opportunity to correct your mistake before hitting the final shot.

even if your swing has GROOVED, components in your swing can misbehave depending on the amount of sleep, beer, and coffee you recently had. therefore, you should always do a practice swing so you can make corrections based on the DIVOT location.

in the practice swing, try to make a divot in line with the ball and 2 golf balls away from the ball. if the divot is in front of the correct spot or there is no divot, that means you would have TOPPED the ball. if the divot is behind the correct spot, you would CHUNKED. in this tutorial, a chunk could also mean a POP-UP or ELECTROCUTION FEELING if the ball is teed up high. if the divot is outward from the correct spot, you would have hit the ball with the HEEL of the club. if the divot is inward from the correct spot, you would have hit the ball with the TOE of the club. the good news is top ball usually comes with heeling and a chunk comes with toeing so you only have to worry about top ball and chunk.

 

the good news is it does not have to be perfect. if your swing is flat enough, and the ground is FIRM enough, you can still hit a good shot even if you hit 1 inch BEHIND the ball. a divot that is in front of the ball causes a top ball. in a long swing, TOPPING the ball can still yield a positive result. golf is actually more FORGIVING than most people think.

in addition to the practice swing, you can also do a PRACTICE BOUNCE. billiard players practice bounce, but i've never seen anyone practice bounce in golf.

how many practice bounces should you do? my rule of thumb is to practice bounce until the other golfers try to kill me for delaying the game. seriously, just use COMMON SENSE. 

if practice bounce becomes popular, it will probably be banned so more people will spend time looking for their ball, the game will be slower, and less people would want to play golf. 

if your swing is already well GROOVED, you can skip the practice bounce to save energy and precious focus juices.

4. interdependence principle and prioritization of factors strategy

one time, i was at the driving range while the philippine national champion tyler po and the club champion of alta vista cebu ferdie chua were practicing in the next stall. ferdie asked tyler for advice on where he should drop his hands during the downswing (punch spot). tyler showed ferdie. but when ferdie tried it out, it did not work for him. the only logical explanation is, there exists other FACTORS that determine the correct punch direction.

principle 4.1: the factors of a golf swing are interdependent. 

another way of stating this principle is:

principle 4.1.1: in a golf swing, there really is no right or wrong way to execute a component. what's important is the components are compatible with each other.

EXAMPLE, if you aim your stance to the left of the target, the ball can still hit the target if you open the clubface. 

in this tutorial, we used the term “COMPATIBLE” instead of “correct” to describe a component. example, we say “compatible slap force angle” instead of “correct slap force angle”.

assumption 4.2: whenever this tutorial gives a specific instruction for a factor, it is assumed that all dependent factors are compatible (how convenient!!!).

one way of adhering to the interdependence of factors principle is to replace the word "CAUSE" with the word "CONTRIBUTE". example, instead of saying "a punch angle that is too steep causes a chunk", it's better to say, "a punch angle that is too steep contributes to a chunk." because the chunk won't necessarily happen if your reflex COMPENSATES by decreasing the right shoulder dip and/or slowing down the punch.

the interdependence of factors principle is the reason why in golf, REPRODUCING a specific mistake is just as DIFFICULT as hitting a good shot. it requires other factors to remain unchanged, which is difficult because our REFLEX has a tendency to automatically adjust the other factors to COMPENSATE for the intentional mistake.

the interdependence of factors principle is also the reason why PIECEMEAL advice in golf can ruin your game if it is not compatible with the other factors. if factors need to be compatible, how do we know which factor would be the one to ADJUST? in a marriage, the non-birthing person should be the one to adjust (just wanna make sure this tutorial will have a high DEI score like bud light). but in a golf swing, the choices depend on your PRIORITIES (e.g. injury prevention, power, difficulty/consistency).

strategy 4.3: most instructions should be fascist dictator instructions to minimize incompatibilities. a true fascist dictator does not wants everyone to own guns. then have universal adaptor instructions that makes all factors compatible regardless of differences in our biology and brain wiring. 

the key to a perfect swing is finding the correct BLEND between fascist dictator instructions and universal adaptors. just like the key to a perfect union is to find the correct blend between the republicans wanting less regulations and the democrats wanting more regulations. unfortunately, the elite class wants us to keep fighting each other to distract us from noticing their corruption. we can't help it because we idolize the celebrities supporting the elite class and the populous class leaders earn more social media income if they pour fuel into the fire instead of pointing out that the culture war is just manufactured.

 

5. swing setup

how do scientists come up with amazing inventions? by observing the ELEMENTS of nature and studying their PROPERTIES. so let's do the same for the golf swing.

definition 5.1: address - the static position of your body just before the backswing starts.

in michelle wie's address position, my asperger’s brain can see many FACTORS: 

• height
• grip
• stance alignment,
• stance width
• club length
• clubhead orientation
• arm angle
• ball position
• ground slope
• spine angle,
• wrist angle
• knee angle
• shaft angle

don't be overwhelmed by the plethora of factors. they are all easy to stabilize. saying golf is too difficult because the swing has too many parts is like saying driving a car is too difficult because a car has too many parts. when learning to drive a car, you may need to pay attention to which pedal is the brake and which one is the accelerator. but after a while, they become MUSCLE MEMORY. it's the same with the golf swing. in the beginning, you may need to pay attention to maintaining your knee angle and spine angle during the swing. but after a while they become muscle memory.

in this section, we will identify and DEFINE the swing setup factors and how they relate to one another. i will also offer some TIPS to avoid common pitfalls. in the next sections, we will study how the factors affect the swing, the pros and cons for the different options, and which options suit my priorities. 

humans can only follow a path in REFERENCE to something. unlike dogs who can follow a path by following a scent. or birds and salmon who uses the earth's magnetic field like a map. this is why climbers of mt. everest use dead bodies of past hikers to guide their trail (yes i'm a loser. i watch too many youtube videos). similarly, we also need a point, line, or plane of reference to specify, describe, visualize, and execute the FACTORS in a golf swing.

definition 5.2.1: target line - the imaginary line that runs through the ball and the target.

definition 5.2.2: stance line -  the line that passes through the front edge of your feet.

definition 5.2.3: aim line - the line that intersects the ball and is parallel to your stance line.

(- add aim line

 

the TARGET LINE is NOT a very FLEXIBLE reference because if you adjust your stance alignment (e.g. open stance), all the specs using the target line as reference will also need to be adjusted.

some might prefer the stance line because it's more flexible (similar to using relative directory paths in computer programming). however, unlike the target line, the stance line is too far away from the clubhead path. you can have your cake and eat it too by using the AIM LINE, which is FLEXIBLE and near the clubhead path.

assumption 5.2.4: in this tutorial, target line = aim line unless specified.

 

if the swing involves a BODY TURN, it would be more flexible to use our body orientation as reference. the chest line or shoulder line can be used to specify the body orientation.

definition 5.2.5: chest line - the line that runs across your chest. 

definition 5.2.6: shoulder line - the line that runs across your shoulder line. 

in this tutorial, the chest line and shoulder line are APPROXIMATED to be parallel to the stance line by ignoring the slight difference caused by your right hand being lower than your left hand when gripping the club. anyway, a rough estimation is all that is required for all swing factors.

 

sometimes, it makes more sense to describe a swing component with reference to a PLANE on which the line lies and is parallel to gravity or perpendicular to a flat ground.  

definition 5.3.1: flat ground/plane - a ground/plane that is perpendicular to gravity. meaning all lines on the ground that intersects the gravity line forms a right angle with the gravity line.

definition 5.3.2: target plane - plane that runs along the target line and is perpendicular to a flat ground. a shot is considered straight if it stays along the target plane. however, it’s not necessarily a good shot if it’s too low or too high.

definition 5.3.3: stance plane - the plane that runs along the stance line and is perpendicular to a flat ground.

definition 5.3.4: aim plane - the plane that runs along the aim line and is perpendicular to a flat ground.

definition 5.3.5: chest plane - the plane that runs along the chest/shoulder line and is perpendicular to a flat ground.

(- update photo

 

near the top of a long backswing, you might prefer using your CHEST plane as reference because it's near the initial clubhead path of the downswing.

coaches usually use the GROUND as reference without specifying the ground should be FLAT. it could result in a directional error because the ground on the golf course is not always flat. example, when they say, the sole of the club has to be flat on the ground for the clubface to be squared to the aim point, their instruction will contribute to ERROR LEFT if the ground below the clubhead slopes in a way that tilts up the bottom edge of the clubface. and the instructions causes ERROR RIGHT if the slope causes the bottom edge of the clubface to tilt down.

assumption 5.3.6: unless otherwise specified, the ground is always assumed to be flat or perpendicular to gravity. 

technique 5.3.7: if the ground is not flat, you will need to IMAGINE a flat ground and use that imaginary flat ground as reference. 

ball position

when specifying ball position, golfers usually use the following conventions. the positions are from the perspective of the player.

definition 5.4.1: in front/left of the ball - left of the ball along the aim line.

definition 5.4.2: move the ball forward/left - move the ball to the left along the aim line. some golfers say, "move the ball closer to your left foot".

definition 5.4.3: behind/right of the ball - to the right of the ball along the aim line. example, chunking can be described as hitting the ground behind the ball.

definition 5.4.4: move the ball backward/right - move the ball to the right along the aim line. some golfers say, "move the ball closer to your right foot".

stance alignment 

during my first 5 years of playing golf, other golfers would tell me i was AIMING way RIGHT of the aim point. i ignored them because although my shots were very inconsistent, i was still able to hit the ball straight sometimes. turns out i was just compensating by closing the clubface more during the downswing. the gods of golf programmed my brain to think i was aiming straight even if in reality, i was aiming 45 degrees RIGHT so they can sit back, eat pop-corn, and laugh at me score triple bogeys.

after doing some research, i found out that my problem is actually a well-known PHENOMENON:

phenomenon 5.5.1: if one of your eye is too DOMINANT than the other eye, then your perception of your stance alignment will be incorrect if you are viewing it sideways.

this is an example of a simple knowledge that can wreak havoc on your golf game if you are not AWARE of it. most of the golfers i talk to are not even aware of it. maybe this is another reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80.

i don’t have the alignment problem when i play billiards. i thought maybe it’s because in billiards, i’m standing BEHIND the ball. so i laid a golf CLUB on the ground, stood behind it, and aligned it to the aim point. then i made my stance parallel to the shaft. it solved my alignment problem.

 

but unfortunately, in 2019, in an effort to speed up play, they made it ILLEGAL to lay down your club on the ground to align your stance. it was also illegal to let my caddie stand behind me and guide me on my stance alignment. so i came up with this technique where i temporarily plant the clubhead along the aim line and align my stance parallel to the imaginary line between the clubhead and the ball. it helped. but it was not good enough.

(by the way, you might be wondering how a bum like me can afford a CADDIE. caddies in the philippines are required, not an option. the usual caddie fee is P500 ($10), but i always give an extra P500 tip.)

 

after some experiments, i discovered that:

 

phenomenon 5.5.2: if you FACE towards the AIM POINT such that your chest is perpendicular to the aim line, then bow your head down to check your stance alignment, the extreme eye dominance problem does not occur.

 

whenever you adjust your stance, you also need to RE-ADJUST your ball position. example, my ball position is always the middle of my stance. if it turns out i'm aiming to the left of the aim point, and i adjust my stance to the right, my ball is not at the middle of my stance anymore. so i have to move sideways to correct the ball placement. then i need to inspect my stance again.

spine angle / posture

definition 5.6: spine angle - the angle between your back and the plane perpendicular to the ground.

(- 0 extreme sidehill, 11 22, 34, 45 – extreme sidehill

 

arm angle

 

definition 5.7: arm angle - the angle between your LEFT arm and your torso during address position.

 

 

wrist angle 

 

the muscles around your wrist can MOVE your hands in many different ways. the following definitions assume the back of your left hand is facing parallel to the ground.

definition 5.8.1: cock - bending your wrist vertically upward. others call this "hinge up". the technical term is radial deviation.

definition 5.8.2: uncock - bending your wrist vertically downward. others call this "hinge down". the technical term is ulnar deviation.

(- photo

 

definition 5.8.3: bow left wrist/flex right/extension - bending your wrist horizontally to the right. when you flex right, your left wrist bows and your right wrist cups.

definition 5.8.4: bow right wrist/flex left/flexion - bending your wrist horizontally to the left. when you flex left, your left wrist cups and your right wrist bows.

(- photo

definition 5.8.5: turn hands clockwise/pronate - turning your hands and wrist clockwise.

definition 5.8.6: turn hands counterclockwise/supinate - turning your hands and wrist counter-clockwise.

(- photo

definition 5.8.7: flex angle - the angle between your left forearm and the back of your left hand.

definition 5.8.8: shaft lean - the amount the shaft tilts to your left.

definition 5.8.9: pre-cock amount - the amount of cock on your wrist during address position.

definition 5.8.10: shaft angle/tilt - the angle relative to the ground that measures the amount the shaft is tilted forward or backward. this is not to be confused with shaft lean, which is the amount the shaft leans to the left or right.

(- grey clothes

 

i chose the adjacent supplementary angle of the angle between the left forearm and the shaft to define the pre-cock amount because it is the angle that INCREASES as you increase the pre-cock amount. assuming other factors remain constant, the pre-cock amount determines the shaft angle, and vice versa.

technique 5.8.11: it's easier to inspect the shaft angle compared to the pre-cock amount.

whenever i say factor X is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to factor Y, it means an increase in factor X contributes to an increase in factor Y, and an increase in factor Y contributes to an increase in factor X. 

whenever i say factor X is INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL to factor Y, it means an increase in factor X contributes to a decrease in factor Y, and an increase in factor Y contributes to a decrease in factor X. 

principle 5.8.12: shaft lean is directly proportional to flex angle.

principle 5.8.13: the pre-cock amount is inversely proportional to shaft angle.

principle 5.8.14: pre-cock amount is inversely proportional to arm angle.

principle 5.8.15: pre-cock amount is directly proportional to spine angle.

knee angle and stance width

definition 5.9.1: knee angle - the amount your legs bend.

definition 5.9.2: stance width - the distance between your feet.

 

principle 5.9.3: stance width is directly proportional to pre-cock amount.

principle 5.9.4: knee angle is inversely proportional to pre-cock amount.

it goes without saying that the knee angle should remain constant the entire swing. fortunately, knee angle is one of those factors that easily STABILIZES the more you practice regardless of talent. but beginners should monitor their knee angle. luckily, it's easy to see in a video if your knee angle changes during the swing. unlike other factors such as clubface orientation where it’s impossible to detect the mistake unless you enlist the help of the slow mo guys. but don't worry. the knowledge you learn in this tutorial will make it easier to troubleshoot errors.

grip

 

there are many gripping STYLES. as i said, i try not to include information that you can easily find in the internet. search youtube if you are interested in knowing the different styles. just like all other factors, a grip is considered wrong only if it’s not COMPATIBLE with the other factors. 

a grip POSITION can be strong, weak or neutral. 

definition 5.10.1: strong grip - your grip is considered to be stronger if the back of your thumbs are facing more to your right.

definition 5.10.2: weak grip - your grip is considered to be weaker if the back of your thumbs are facing more to your left.

definition 5.10.3: neutral grip - when the back of your thumbs are facing perpendicular to your shoulder line

(- contributes add arrows, neutral

principle 5.10.4: a stronger grip contributes to the ball going to the left. a weaker grip contributes to the ball going to the right. 

not only can a strong or weak grip be incompatible with other factors, it can also be incompatible with what you are USED TO. i'm not a biomechanics expert. so i should categorize my personal experience as a phenomenon: 

phenomenon 5.10.5: during the downswing, there is a strong tendency for your hands to REVERT back to the position that you are used to or to the position that you usually use during address. 

this means a grip is considered TOO STRONG if it's stronger than what you are used to. a grip is considered TOO WEAK if its weaker than what you are used to.

phenomenon 5.10.5 is important when adjusting CLUBFACE ORIENTATION. you usually adjust clubface orientation when hitting a draw, fade, or when increasing/decreasing ball trajectory. since your hands have a strong tendency to revert back to the position that you are used to:

technique 5.10.6: you should never adjust clubface orientation during address by simply turning your hands. you should adjust clubface orientation by turning the shaft so you can maintain the grip position that you are used to.

definition 5.10.7: choke up/grip up - when you place your grip higher up the shaft.

definition 5.10.8: choke down/grip down - when you place your grip lower down the shaft.

(-

technique 5.10.9: you can change your knee angle and stance width without changing your pre-cock amount by choking up or down. 

if your grip feels SLIPPERY, even just a little bit, expect to score a triple bogey. let’s etch this super important but often ignored principle in stone:

technique 5.10.10: it should feel STICKY when you grip the shaft. 

  

in my experience, all brand NEW gloves feel sticky. but most of them quickly wear out and lose their stickiness. there are a COUPLE of pga players who don't wear GLOVEs - fred COUPLEs and lucas GLOVEr (i swear i'm not making this up. it’s just a coincidence. the good news is you don’t need gloves. the greatest ball striker of all time, moe norman, never wore gloves. 

keep in mind that SWEAT contains OIL or fat. which means simply wiping your hands will not work. but there is no need for soap or alcohol. what i do is before putting, i wet my hands with WATER. for some strange reason, my hands are dry and sticky by the time i get to the next tee box. so basically, if your hands are wet, the solution is to wet your hands some more. isn't golf crazy? it solved the biggest problem i used to have in golf. it feels so awesome having a sticky grip every time i do a full swing. the most important item in my bag is a 1.5-liter water bottle filled with TAP water. let everyone see you fill your water bottle with tap water so they will think you are poor. so no one will challenge you to a big bet and caddies will be ok with your small tip.

when practicing at the driving RANGE, it's easy to ignore your slightly moist gloves or sweat in your hands because anyway, it's just the driving range. but you will be wasting your practice time and energy, and it might even RUIN your GROOVE.

gloves offer me little protection from BLISTERS. if i get blisters, i simply wrap the troubled spots with a ring made from bike TIRE interior and masking tape.

to minimize blisters, TEE UP the ball high when you are practicing. this minimizes the club impact on the ground and lessens the impact the shaft has on your hands and fingers. this allows you to practice longer and hit more balls.

you might think teeing up the ball SPOILS you. that's not true. actually it's the other way around. not teeing up the ball can spoil you and is bad practice. i explained why in the “electrocution feeling” section in the "instant gratification" chapter.

regularly INSPECT the grip of your clubs by holding the clubhead and twisting the grip. you could be surprised by the number of loose grips you have in your bag. if the grips are still in good condition, you can just replace the tape lining.

hinge orientation

definition 5.11: hinge orientation - the angle of the hinge with respect to the ground.

if the swing uses only 1 hinge, hinge orientation dictates the IDEAL swing path and clubhead orientation at certain points of the backswing.

if the hinge is your left SHOULDER rotator cuff, the hinge orientation is the angle of your upper left arm with respect to the ground.

 

if the hinge is your upper BODY, then the hinge orientation is the orientation of a line perpendicular to your chest plane.

if the hinge is your left WRIST, the hinge orientation is the orientation of the back of your hands with respect to the ground. 

swing setup angle and swing setup length

the swing setup angle is a PRODUCT of spine angle, arm angle, wrist angle, club length. knee angle, stance width. and ground slope.

 

definition 5.12.1: swing setup angle - the angle with respect to the ground of the line that connects the clubhead and the farthest hinge used in the swing.

definition 5.12.2: swing setup length – the length of the line from the clubhead to the farthest hinge used in the swing.

 

if the farthest hinge is your left SHOULDER rotator cuff, the swing setup angle would be the angle between the ground and the line from the clubhead to your left shoulder.

(- photo include swing setup length

if the farthest hinge is your upper BODY, the swing setup angle would be the angle between the ground and the line from the clubhead to your chest. 

(- photo include swing setup length

if the farthest hinge is your left WRIST. the swing setup angle would be the angle between the ground and the line from the clubhead to your wrist  

(- include swing setup length

principle 5.12.3: a longer club can have a shorter swing setup length compared to a shorter club if the pre-cock amount with the longer club is big enough.

(- photo

if the swing uses more than 1 hinge (e.g. full swing), the swing setup angle is used to determine the IDEAL swing path (more on this in the swing theory section).

 

the swing setup angle describes the STEEPNESS or flatness of the swing setup. i’m not sure if we really need to formulate principles for the swing setup angle. but just like george boole developed boolean algebra even if he wasn’t fully aware of its potential use, let’s analyze the swing setup angle.

it's easy to see how a factor AFFECTS the swing setup angle. example, a longer CLUB contributes to a flatter swing setup angle. a less tilted SPINE contributes to a steeper swing setup angle. i will leave it up to the reader to figure out how the other FACTORS affect the swing setup angle.

principle 5.12.4: for a given SPINE angle, ARM angle, and WRIST angle (pre-cock amount and flex angle), the swing setup angle would be the same even if the knee angle, stance width, club length, and ground slope changes.

next, let’s analyze the CLUB properties. the first thing i notice with club properties is that at the time of this writing, 1 share of cebu alta vista golf and country CLUB is only P700k while just 10 km away, 1 share of cebu country club is P30 million. alta vista has better facilities and a nicer golf course. a new highway is also being constructed that will make alta vista more accessible.

as i said, you can google the TERMS in this tutorial that you don’t understand such as club loft, heel, toe, etc... i will only define terms that are not common in the golf world. 

clubhead orientation (the correct spelling is “club head” but clubhead is better)

definition 5.13.1: bottom edge of the clubface - the left edge of the sole.

(- photo

the bottom edge of the clubface is very CRITICAL when describing and setting clubhead orientation. yet there is no word for it and you will never hear a coach refer to it. isn’t golf crazy? instead, they refer to the “SOLE” of the clubhead. the sole is the entire bottom of the clubhead. the sole is useless when teaching golf because soles come in many different shapes. you also can’t see the sole and it’s difficult to adjust something you cannot see. you can only see the bottom edge of the clubface.

the instruction “SQUARE the clubface” is very common in the golf world. but it’s too DIFFICULT for me to determine if the clubface is actually squared without using its bottom edge as reference.

i’m sure many golfers also use the BOTTOM EDGE of the clubface to square the clubface because it’s much easier. just make the bottom edge PERPENDICULAR to the imaginary AIM LINE or make it perpendicular to your STANCE. but is the clubface always squared as long as its bottom edge is squared? after some simple experiments using a pvc pipe, i found out that:

principle 5.13.2: even if the bottom EDGE of a LOFTED clubface is squared to the aim line, the clubface is not squared to the aim line if its bottom edge is not lying flat (perpendicular to gravity). if the bottom edge is tilted up, the clubface is facing left. the more loft, the more it faces left. if the bottom edge is tilted down, the clubface is facing right. the more loft, the more it faces right. if the clubface has no loft (e.g. putter), the clubface is always squared to the aim line if its bottom edge is squared to the aim line, regardless of tilt.

(-  photo pvc pipe, floor tiles

at first i thought principle 5.13.2 was a manufacturing STANDARD and had nothing to do with physics. but then i realized it’s impossible to make a club that violates this principle. if you tilt up or tilt down a lofted club, the clubface will remain squared to the aim line only if you adjust the loft or you adjust the orientation of its bottom edge.

after reviewing principle 5.13.2, my asperger’s brain made me uncomfortable because i was using the words “tilt up” and “tilt down” even if their meanings are RELATIVE. so let's give these words a less ambiguous definition:

definition 5.13.3: clubhead tilting up - when the toe is higher than the heel.

definition 5.13.4: clubhead tilting down - when the toe is lower than the heel.

however, the golf course is not always flat and it is illegal to use a carpenter’s levelling tool. if the ground is not flat, the bottom edge of the clubface could be tilting up even if it’s lying perfectly flat on the ground. so what are the ways we can DETERMINE if the ground is FLAT during the game without getting a penalty? 

search the internet on “how to PLUMB BOB a putt”. if you are on the fairway, you can use a leaf or divot already on the ground as a substitute for the hole. note it is illegal to put or move any object on the ground to guide your shot.

(- photo

another way is during address, if you feel the ball is BELOW your FEET, then you are on a SIDE-HILL slope that slopes down away from you. in this case, the bottom edge of the clubface is tilted down if it’s lying on the sloping ground. if you feel the ball is ABOVE your FEET, then you are on a side-hill slope that slopes up away from you. in this case, the bottom edge of the clubface is tilted up if it’s lying on the sloping ground. 

if your spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount are always UNIFORM for all your swings, you will immediately feel it if the ball is above or below your feet because you will notice the anomaly on the amount of bend on your KNEES.

however, judging the slope by how much the ball is above or below your feet only works if the slope is constant from your feet to the ball. remember we are trying to square the clubface. so what matters is the slope of the ground just BENEATH the CLUBHEAD. example, if the ball is on top of a mound with a flat top, the slope of the ground beneath the clubhead can be flat even if the ball is above your feet.

since the bottom edge of the clubface is a LINE, the UPHILL and DOWNHILL slope towards the aim point should not matter as long as the bottom edge is squared to the aim point and not tilting, the clubface would still be squared even if the ground is sloping uphill towards the aim point or downhill towards the aim point.  

after finding out that the clubhead is on a side-hill slope, you can square the clubface by estimating the slope angle and adjusting the bottom edge of the clubface accordingly. example, if the ground is sloping 6 degrees downward, tilt the bottom edge 6 degrees upward relative to the ground. don’t worry. a rough ESTIMATION is good enough. judging ground slope requires more precision only on the putting green

even if the bottom edge of the clubface is lying on a flat plane (perpendicular to gravity), i’m not sure if it’s ok for the bottom edge of the clubface to not LIE FLAT on the sloping ground. after some experiments, the results were inconclusive. it’s a hung jury. so let me categorize the following as a hypothesis:

hypothesis 5.13.5: if the heel of the clubhead strikes the ground before the ball, which happens when the bottom edge of the clubface is tilting up, the toe will move faster and close the clubhead due to momentum, resulting in error left. 

hypothesis 5.13.6: if the toe of the clubhead strikes the ground before the ball, which happens when the bottom edge of the clubface is tilting down, the heel will move faster and open the clubhead due to momentum, resulting in error right.

however, i don't think it's really an issue because if the clubhead hits the ground before the ball, it’s most likely going to be a BAD SHOT anyway even if the bottom edge of the clubface is lying perfectly flat on the ground.

besides, i don't think the pros hit the ball with the bottom edge of the clubface lying flat because they tend to FULLY UNCOCK during the downswing. this means even if the bottom edge of the clubface is tilted up during address, it might even be tilted down during ball impact. if you watch tiger's swing in slow motion, notice his wrist has a pre-cock during setup. but during ball impact, his wrist is fully uncocked. also notice that his left arm is much higher compared to its address position. this is to give space for the full uncock.

(- photos

another important property of the club is the acute angle between the bottom edge of the clubface and the shaft (just google to learn what is an acute angle). the acute angle is used because the property is used to describe how VERTICAL or flat the shaft of the club is when the bottom edge of the clubface is lying flat on a flat ground. the golf world calls this property, the “LIE ANGLE”, which to me is confusing because it makes you think it’s referring to the angle between the ground and the sole or bottom edge of the clubface. i think it’s better to use the term “shaft-clubhead angle”.

definition 5.13.7: shaft-clubhead angle - the acute angle between the bottom edge of the clubface and the shaft. 

(- photo

definition 5.13.8: a club is more vertical or steeper if the shaft-clubhead angle is greater. and a club is less vertical or flatter if the shaft-clubhead angle is less.

note that shaft angle is a swing setup PROPERTY determined by the player while shaft-clubhead angle is a club property determined by the manufacturer.

the following is a manufacturing standard and has nothing to do with physics:

standard 5.13.9: shorter clubs are more vertical or have greater shaft-clubhead angles. longer clubs are less vertical or have lesser shaft-clubhead angles.

principle 5.13.10: if the shaft-clubhead angle is variable, then the only way to have a uniform spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount is to tilt the clubhead on some of the clubs, which means the clubhead orientation during address is not uniform.

having a uniform spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount makes golf EASIER. i will try to prove it in the "wrist hinge" section. i will also give you the workarounds for the variable tilt or clubhead orientation problem in that section. 

principle 5.13.11: if the shaft-clubhead angle is uniform for all clubs, then you can have a UNIFORM spine angle, arm angle, PRE-COCK AMOUNT, and uniform clubface orientation during address for all your clubs.

unfortunately, variable shaft-clubhead angle is the industry STANDARD. that’s bad news especially for average golfers. the good news is it’s just a standard. it’s not even a rule. bryson dechambeau even requested cobra to make irons that have uniform shaft-clubhead angles. i will also explain in the “wrist swing” section why the industry decided on variable shaft-clubhead angles.

right now you are just a freshman. so let’s stick to the more basic stuff, like the different types of clubhead orientation. usually, clubhead orientation is only described as either OPEN or CLOSE. that’s because in a normal swing, a clubhead that is facing up is also facing right, so they just use the word “open”. and a clubhead that is facing down is also facing left, so they just use the word “close”. but for this tutorial to pass muster with the scientific community, we need to include all cases, even the weird ones.

let's use the AIM as the point of reference for the HORIZONTAL orientation of the clubface during address. the VERTICAL orientation of a clubface is tricky to communicate because the clubface has a loft. example, the clubface of a wedge will still be facing up even if you close it. let's agree that the vertical orientation is RELATIVE to its orientation when it’s horizontally squared and the shaft is parallel with its bottom edge. the following definitions also assume the bottom edge of the clubhead is lying flat on a flat ground.

definition 5.13.12: club is horizontally squared - when the clubface is facing towards the aim point, or its bottom edge is perpendicular to the aim line.

definition 5.13.13: club is facing right/horizontally opened - when the clubface is facing right of the aim point.

definition 5.13.14: club is facing left/horizontally closed - when the clubface is facing left of the aim point.

definition 5.13.15: club is vertically squared - when the clubface is horizontally squared and the shaft is parallel with its bottom edge.

definition 5.13.16: club is facing up/vertically opened - when the clubface is facing up relative to its vertically squared orientation. 

definition 5.13.17: club is facing down/vertically closed - when the clubface is facing down relative to its vertically squared orientation.

definition 5.13.18: club is squared - when the clubface is vertically and horizontally squared.

principle 5.13.19: during address, the clubface can be horizontally squared and vertically opened/closed ONLY if the SHAFT is not perpendicular to the aim line. the clubface can be vertically squared and horizontally opened/closed ONLY if the SHAFT is not perpendicular to the aim line.

(- update photo

 

club length

definition 5.14.1: in this tutorial, club length refers to the distance between your wrist and the top of the clubhead. 

therefore, in this tutorial, a driver is considered to have the same club length as a pitching wedge if you CHOKE down enough on the driver.

the golf world defines club length as the length between both ends of the club. but that definition is for RULES specification purposes. this tutorial tries to exclude discussion about the rules as much as possible in an effort to avoid duplicating information you can easily find on the internet. this tutorial is more concerned about techniques and principles that will make you a better golfer. 

allow me to declare some principles that are OBVIOUS:

principle 5.14.2: for the same backswing percentage, a shorter club is easier. however, a longer club is more powerful.

principle 5.14.3: a higher loft club contributes to a higher trajectory compared to lower loft clubs.

standard 5.14.4: shorter clubs have higher loft than longer clubs

the following standard is important in swing DESIGN and construction:

standard 5.14.5: a set of clubs is designed to have uniform distance scale or progression.

example, the PROGRESSION for my irons is 10 yards. meaning, if i hit a 7 iron 130 yards, that means i will hit my 6 iron 140 yards, my 5 iron 150 yards, etc... 

it is also important to be aware that the LOFT for the same club number can VARY significantly for the different brands and models. example, a 4 iron can range between 19 and 24 degrees. the overall WEIGHT of the club and FLEX of the shaft can also vary, which affects ball distance.

you can still break 80 even if you have MIXED clubs. you just need to experiment on the driving range or golf course to find out how far you usually hit each club in your bag. you can fill in the gaps by choking down on a club. example, if there is no club in your bag that can hit 150 yards and your 4 iron goes 160 yards, then just choke down on your 4 iron to hit 150 yards.

however, if you are competing for lots of money, you probably don’t want to have a mixed set of clubs. my friend toby florendo noticed a touring pro named elmer salvador practicing for a tournament with mixed clubs. toby was an owner of a pro shop. the co-owner of the pro shop, jovi neri, is a master club fitter. so they sponsored elmer and fitted him a complete set. in the tournament, elmer blew away the entire field to bag the top purse of P475,000 ($11,375).

i am probably the only person in the world who recommends that all your clubs have the SAME LENGTH as your driver. you can mark with a pentel pen where the normal cut should be on each club so that you know where to choke down your grip in order to maintain the uniform distance scale or progression. the advantage of this is you have the option to hit the ball farther and higher.

you might be wondering, why not just use a longer club in the bag? the problem is a longer club also has a lower LOFT so the ball can’t go as HIGH. an example is when i need to go over some trees to reach the green 170 yards away, and the longest club in my bag that is lofted enough to go over the trees is a 7 iron. i can’t reach the green because my 7 iron only goes 130 yards with the normal length. if my 7 iron is the same length as my driver, i would have the option to choke up so i can get the ball nearer to the green. another option is instead of making all your clubs the same length as your driver, just replace one of your lob wedges with a 7 WOOD or even a 9 wood.

bryson dechambeau is famous for making all his irons the same length. but his reason is not to have the option to hit high and long. his reason is to have a more UNIFORM SWING with his irons. the golf world calls bryson’s strategy, “single LENGTH irons”. that’s a poor choice of words because what makes his swing more uniform is not just the length, but also the SHAFT-CLUBHEAD ANGLE. the full explanation is in the “wrist swing” section. 

you can make a long club the same club length as the shorter club by choking down on the shaft and adjusting your KNEE angle and/or STANCE width. a uniform shaft length does make your knee angle and stance width uniform. but knee angle and stance width is not that important with regards to CONSISTENCY. besides, the golf course is not always flat so your knee angle and stance width will still need to vary for the different side-hill slopes.

in the “wrist swing" section, i will fully explain the benefits of bryson’s single shaft-clubhead irons because i haven’t found a coach in youtube who correctly explains it. this just shows the golf world hasn’t really established a strong THEORETICAL FOUNDATION. whenever i google to confirm my theories, i’m baffled at the amount of information from supposedly REPUTABLE sources that are ambiguous and confusing. some are like ABSTRACT paintings that can be interpreted in different ways. technical information should be concrete.

note the hands swing plane for bryson’s driver and WOODS would still be different from his irons. why not go all the way and have the same swing for ALL clubs? before we can explore the ways we can have a uniform swing, we first need to study the other components of the swing. for now, just know that you don’t need single length irons to have a uniform swing plane angle for all your clubs. 

6. unified string i mean swing theory

for now, let’s study the swing independent of any body part HINGE. let’s attach an imaginary ball joint hinge at the butt of the shaft and try to identify as many PROPERTIES as we can. 

while swinging the club, the first thing i noticed is that the clubhead path is basically a PARABOLA. i googled the properties of the parabola and the property that i think will be useful to us would be the vertex. in this tutorial, the terms swing path, clubhead path, swing arc, swing parabola, and swing curve all mean the same.

definition 6.1: swing/clubhead path/arc/parabola/curve - the path of the clubhead during the downswing. 

definition 6.1.1: vertex - the lowest point of the swing arc. the golf world calls it the low point.

principle 6.1.2: the slope at the vertex is always flat relative to the ground and relative to the aim plane.

(- photo show slope lines not left/right/up/down, show swing plane

 

the question now is, can a golf swing have MORE than 1 parabola? after looking at a few samples in youtube, i noticed jim furyk’s swing has 3 parabolas. 

(- photo number 3 parabolas

to simplify our discussion, let’s assume in this tutorial that unless otherwise specified, the parabola we are talking about is the one that intersects the ball or is NEAREST to the ball during the downswing. nothing is also stopping us from declaring that the 3rd parabola in furyk’s swing is the downswing, and the 2nd parabola is just part of his backswing.

when studying something, it helps to name the parts with INTUITIVE names. a full swing looks like a letter C. let’s divide the letter C into 3 parts and give them intuitive names:

definition 6.2.1: lower river - the lower 1/3 part of a full swing. 

definition 6.2.2: waterfall - the middle 1/3 part of a full swing.

definition 6.2.3: upper river - the upper 1/3 part of a full swing.

(- photo

principle 6.2.4: don't go chasing waterfalls. just stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to. (TLC)

definition 6.2.5: quarter swing - the top of swing is the start of the lower river.

definition 6.2.6: half swing - the top of swing is the middle of the waterfall.

definition 6.2.7: ¾ swing - the top of swing is the start of the water fall.

definition 6.2.8: full swing - the top of swing is the start of the upper river.

(- photo

a curve has infinite slopes/angles. so how do we specify or describe the ANGLE of the CURVE? remember this is a golf tutorial, not a math tutorial. since the greens and fairways are not 1-yard wide, we can estimate a curve with a straight line.

definition 6.2.9: curve hypotenuse - a line between 2 points on the swing curve.

(- photo front view

it would be too AMBIGUOUS if the curve hypotenuse estimates more than 1/3 of the full swing curve. example, if the curve hypotenuse is from the start of the waterfall to the ball, it does not tell you much. the lower river can be along the aim plane or 45 degrees in-to-out. so as much as possible, let’s LIMIT the curve hypotenuse to not more than 1/3 of the full swing. the greens and fairways may not be 1-yard wide, but they are also not 100 yards wide.

(- photo

an angle needs 2 lines. so what should we use as REFERENCE for our curve hypotenuse? as i discussed in the tutorial scope and overview, just use context and common sense. 

example, if the swing curve is along the lower river, then use the AIM PLANE as reference because you are viewing it from top view. it would be ridiculous to use the angle relative to the ground because you can’t see it. if for example the top of swing is higher than the middle of the waterfall, then use the GROUND as reference because it’s easier to see the angle. let’s give intuitive nicknames for both angles:

definition 6.3.1: downward angle - angle of the curve hypotenuse relative to the ground. (TGM calls this angle of attack)

definition 6.3.2: in-to-out angle - angle of the curve hypotenuse relative to the aim plane. (TGM calls this angle of approach)

(- photo

you might be wondering, if the top of swing is high enough such that you are focusing on the downward angle of the downswing’s INITIAL PATH, shouldn’t you also care about the in-to-out angle of the lower river? not really because:

technique 6.3.3: if the backswing is high enough such that you are focusing on the downward angle of the clubhead’s initial path during the downswing, there is no need to worry about the in-to-out angle of the lower river because if the initial half of the downswing is correct, the lower river would most likely be correct.

technique 6.3.3 explains why unlike many golf lessons, the swing thoughts for my full swing do not include the in-to-out angle at the lower river. i simply focus on the downward angle (punch steepness) at the upper river and waterfall. 

a good nickname for technique 6.3.3 is the GUN BARREL technique because the first half of the downswing is enough to determine the accuracy of the entire swing unless you get that involuntary spasm that the golf world nicknames the “yip”. but i believe the techniques and regtests in the “instant gratification” chapter will give you enough CONFIDENCE to prevent the yips.

aside from the gun barrel technique, there's another concept that can help with your confidence. but it only applies to single hinge swings. in a single hinge swing, there is NO NEED to make sure that BOTH the downward angle and in-to-out angle are correct. i discussed this briefly in the tutorial scope and overview, but i think it warrants a more detailed discussion.

principle 6.3.4: if the golf swing uses only 1 hinge, there is a 1:1 correspondence between the downward angle and in-to-out angle.

 

although i'm a proud member of the UPLB mathematical science society, i'm not really a mathematician like eric weinstein. so i will just prove principle 6.3.4 like a carpenter. in a single hinge swing, the clubhead CANNOT MOVE FREELY ALONG the Z axis while staying in the same X-Y coordinate. so there is no way there can be more than 1 angle with respect to the aim plane for the same angle with respect to the ground.

example, in a single hinge swing that uses my left shoulder as the hinge, if i can make the clubhead travel 45 degrees downward and along the aim plane (0 degrees in-to-out), that means i CANNOT make the clubhead travel 45 degrees downward and NOT parallel to the aim plane. it's IMPOSSIBLE because the clubhead cannot travel freely along its z axis. it's only possible if i turn my body, or i’m plastic man whose arms can stretch. if the clubhead goes outside the aim plane, then the downward angle has to be flatter than 45 degrees. and if the clubhead goes inside aim plane, then the downward angle will have to be steeper than 45 degrees. 

i urge the reader to re-enact the following photos in SLOW MOTION because this principle plays a vital role in preventing top ball and chunk errors in chipping. 

(- photo change labels to downward angle and in-to-out angle

 

principle 6.3.4.1: in a single hinge swing, a BACKSWING path that is more OUTWARD is STEEPER than a backswing that is more inward. a DOWNSWING path that is more OUTWARD is FLATTER than a downswing that is more inward.

principle 6.3.4.1 only applies in a single hinge swing. SOMETMIES, a more IN-TO-OUT punch actually contributes to a chunk/pop-up because the straightening of your right arm and the pendulum behavior of your left arm can overwhelm the supposedly flatter outward punch. a more INWARD punch contributes to a TOP BALL because your right arm is less likely to straighten.

another important attribute of the golf swing is the SWING PLANE. the swing plane is a very important property. yet i haven’t seen a correct definition of it anywhere. isn’t the golf world crazy? if you google it, pretty much everything in the top results are not accurate.  

 

first of all, a plane is not an angle or path. and just like jim furyk’s swing, there can be MANY swing PLANES formed by the clubhead during a golf swing. many coaches say the swing plane is formed by the motion of the clubhead. but the motion of the clubhead forms a curve, not a plane. coaches who teach shallowing usually use the vertical angle of the shaft midway through the downswing to define the swing plane. it’s also not correct because the surface formed by the shaft can sometimes be a CONE instead of a flat surface.

definition 6.4: swing plane - the UNIFORM SLOPED imaginary surface upon which a POINT on the swing travels. examples of such point are the clubhead, hands, and right shoulder. you can imagine it as the plane of the CIRCLE formed by completing a swing curve into a circle. note a plane by definition has a uniform slope and EXTENDS INFINITELY. a swing plane should NOT be a plane formed be a LINE such as the shaft, arm, or shoulder line because the surface they form can SOMETIMES be a cone or pipe instead of a flat surface.

definition 6.4.1: clubhead swing plane - the uniform sloped imaginary surface where the clubhead travels. this is the default swing plane. meaning a swing plane is assumed to be the clubhead swing plane unless specified otherwise.

definition 6.4.2: right shoulder swing plane - the uniform sloped imaginary surface where your right shoulder travels. this is the turned shoulder swing plane in TGM.

definition 6.4.3: hands swing plane – the uniform sloped imaginary surface where your hands travel. 

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the most important property of a swing plane is the angle relative to the ground (VERTICALITY).

if you watch jim furyk’s swing, notice there are 3 CLUBHEAD SWING PLANES apart from the right shoulder swing plane and the hands swing plane.

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it's important to know that a swing plane has a uniform slope. meaning ALL LINES lying on the surface are always STRAIGHT. it is also important to know that a swing plane extends INFINITELY. this means the swing plane of a half swing can be on the same plane as its corresponding full swing. it also means they both have the same swing plane angles.

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i think the reason why nobody bothers to correctly define the swing plane is because it’s useless in swing thoughts. example, it’s TOO DIFFICULT to follow an instruction to make your right shoulder swing plane perpendicular to your torso. it’s easier to follow an instruction that says, “move your right shoulder towards its location during address”. the swing plane is only useful during swing analysis, design, and CONSTRUCTION. it’s like some laws of aerodynamics that are important in designing an airplane but useless to the pilot.

since it's difficult to make the clubhead travel a specific plane, you see these drills in youtube that uses a LEANING STICK that is supposed to keep your swing shallow. 

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however, in this book, shallowing is just a means to achieve a strategy. the strategy is to make the hands and clubhead swing plane more PARALLEL to your right shoulder swing plane. this makes the swing easier because timing between your body turn and arm swing becomes less of a factor. i will discuss this further in the “timing and shallowing” section.

the words STEEP and FLAT are adjectives you hear a lot from coaches when they describe a swing. the angle of the swing plane relative to the ground is a good way to specify the steepness or flatness of a swing.

however, the terms “steep swing” and “flat swing” are actually AMBIGUOUS. always be aware that some of the terms in golf are at best not models of clarity (i hope chomsky does not sue me for plagiarism). you might think the swing of a pitching wedge is always steeper compared to a driver. however, the term “steep swing” can have 3 DIFFERENT meanings.

1) definition 6.4.4: a swing can be considered steeper if the angle of the swing plane relative to the ground is more VERTICAL. which means a swing using a driver can be steeper compared to a swing using a wedge. to remove ambiguity, let’s use the terms “more vertical swing plane” and “less vertical swing plane”. so instead of saying “steeper swing”, we should say “more vertical swing plane”. 

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2) definition 6.4.5: given 2 swings that have the same swing plane verticality and same backswing amount (height of clubhead at the top of swing), one swing can be considered steeper if the swing DIAMETER is shorter. so a swing using a driver can be steeper due to a shorter diameter compared to a swing using a wedge. to remove ambiguity, let’s use the terms “steeper swing due to shorter diameter” and “flatter swing due to longer diameter”. assuming everything else is equal, we can say that a longer diameter swing has a flatter lower river and a shorter diameter swing has a steeper lower river.

you might think i am crazy for thinking a pitching wedge can have a longer swing diameter than a driver. but the swing diameter is basically the swing SETUP LENGTH, and according to principle 5.12.3, a longer club can have a shorter swing setup length compared to a shorter club if you choke down and increase the pre-cock enough. (and you thought all those swing setup principles were all for nothing)

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3) definition 6.4.6: given 2 swings that have the same swing plane verticality and same swing diameter, one swing can be considered steeper if the clubhead is HIGHER at the top of swing. so a swing using a driver can be steeper if the clubhead is higher at the top of swing compared to a swing using a wedge. to remove ambiguity, let’s use the terms “steeper swing due to higher top of swing” and “flatter swing due to lower top of swing”. 

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the terms LONG swing and SHORT swing can also be ambiguous. the length of the swing can refer to the actual length. but it can also refer to the percentage of the backswing. example, a ¾ swing with a driver can be longer compared to a full swing with a pitching wedge. to avoid ambiguity, let’s agree that:

definition 6.5.1: long/short swing - the actual length of the swing, not the percentage of the backswing.

principle 6.5.2: a longer swing is more difficult than a shorter swing. a shorter swing is easier than a longer swing.

adhering to definition 6.5.1, hypothesis 6.5.2 implies that a full swing with a pitching wedge is LESS prone to ERRORS than a ¾ swing with a driver if the swing length of the ¾ swing with the driver is longer. 

principle 6.5.3: a longer swing is more powerful than a shorter swing, assuming other factors are the same such as amount of force applied.

principle 6.5.3 is basically newton's law. a longer swing has more space and time for acceleration. therefore, it results in more power even if the force applied is the same.

since i campaigned on a platform that promotes swing UNIFORMITY for faster grooving, i hereby declare:

technique 6.6.1: all swings in this tutorial are required to make the middle of the stance as the vertex.

if we want the point of contact between the clubface and the ball to be at the VERTEX and also comply with presidential decree i mean technique 6.6.1:

technique 6.6.2: for the middle of stance to be the vertex and the point of contact between the ball and clubface, the right edge of the ball should be at the middle of the stance during address. 

(refer to the ball position photo in the "general techniques" section)

assumption 6.6.3: unless otherwise specified, all swings in this tutorial tries to make the clubface orientation during ball impact the same as it was during address.

assumption 6.6.3 can’t be a technique because it’s too general to be useful (just like chomsky's philosophies). it’s like a coach telling his players to score more points than their opponent. in fact, everything in this tutorial is geared towards achieving assumption 6.6.3.

first, let’s observe how the swing plane angle or verticalness affects the clubhead PATH and ORIENTATION during the swing. here are my findings:

assumption 6.6.4: unless otherwise specified, let’s assume the hinge acts like a perfect door hinge. meaning the shaft never turns and the swing force is always parallel to the aim plane and parallel to the ground. 

principle 6.6.5: in a perfectly vertical swing, the clubhead stays along the aim plane and never faces more left or more right. the clubhead starts to face downward during the backswing and starts to face upward during the downswing.

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this means:

(elevators in the philippines skip the 13th floor, so let’s skip 6.6.6)

technique 6.6.7: a perfectly vertical swing plane is the least prone to errors.

you might think i’m just formulating these principles and techniques to pretend i’m a scientist. but in the “putting” section of the “swing design, construction and maintenance” chapter, you will see how MICHELLE WIE used principle 6.6.5 and technique 6.6.7 to win a major and disprove her critics.

principle 6.6.8: in a perfectly horizontal swing, the clubhead travels more inward during a backswing and travels more outward during a front swing, but never travels up nor down. the clubhead starts facing right during the backswing and starts facing left during the front swing, but it never faces up nor down.

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the normal golf swing has a diagonal swing plane. this means it INHERITS the properties of the perfectly vertical and perfectly horizontal swings.

principle 6.6.9: if a swing has a diagonal swing plane, the clubhead travels more inward, more upward, and faces more downward and to the right during the backswing, and travels more outward, more downward, and faces more upward and to the left during the downswing.

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the following principles can be DEDUCED from the previous principles:

principle 6.6.10: during the downswing, when the clubhead is located left of the vertex, it’s facing more left, more upward, and located more inward and higher relative to address. when it’s located right of the vertex, it’s facing more right, more downward, and located more inward and higher relative to address.

principle 6.6.11: if the ball position is more left of the vertex and along the aim line, the clubhead will hit the upper part of the ball nearer its toe, facing more left and facing more upward. 

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principle 6.6.12: if the ball position is more right of the vertex and along the aim line, the clubhead will hit the upper part of the ball nearer its toe, facing more right and facing more downward.

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as i keep saying, the fairways and greens are not 1-yard wide, so a rough estimation is all we need. therefore, it should be easy to set the ball position such that the right edge is APPROXIMATELY at the middle of your stance. 

but the question now is, is it easy or difficult to execute the swing such that the vertex will approximately be at the middle of the stance? to answer this question, we need to estimate the THRESHOLD of TOLERANCE. meaning, how far the point of impact can be from the vertex and still have a decent shot?

we can easily determine the threshold of tolerance by doing a slow motion swing. but which swing diameter and verticality should we use? a tolerance test should be the WORST CASE scenario. therefore, the club length should be the shortest, or the same as a lob wedge so that the rate of change near the vertex is fastest. we also care more about the directional error than trajectory error. so we should make the swing plane verticality the flattest, or the same as a driver so that our test would be more sensitive to directional errors. the following are my findings:

technique 6.6.13: it is ok for the vertex to be 5 inches left or right of the ball. this also implies that the ball position can be moved 5 inches right or left from the correct position.

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notice in the photo that the bottom edge of the clubface only DEVIATES 6 degrees, which means the ball will only error 20 yards left or right in a 200-yard shot. you could still be ok on average size greens and fairways. also notice the ball is still near enough the SWEET SPOT, and still low enough to prevent a TOP ball. based on empirical evidence, we the jurors find the coaches in youtube not guilty of the following charges: 

“violating principles 6.6.11 and 6.6.12. telling their audience to move the ball position left or right without adjusting the stance or clubface orientation and without telling them to move the ball inward.”

note that 5 inches left or right of the vertex is the WORST CASE scenario. if the swing diameter is the same as the driver, you have more wiggle room. the threshold of tolerance could be 6 inches left or right of the vertex or middle of your stance. as an exercise, i will leave it to the reader to verify.

why would some coaches advise you to have different ball POSITIONS for the different club lengths? there could be many different reasons. 

usually, a coach will recommend you move the ball position more forward for longer clubs. one reason is that longer clubs tend to have more PRE-COCK. so if you fully uncock during the downswing, which is the usual tendency, the clubhead of a longer club will be more TILTED DOWNWARD, which means it will be more OPEN. there are many remedies for this, and one of them is to move the ball position forward, where the clubface will be facing more to the left during impact. so it will compensate for the tilted down clubhead and square the clubface to the aim line. for me, this is the most likely reason for ball position adjustment. but i've never seen any coach in youtube give this reason.

another reason to adjust the ball position is to control ball TRAJECTORY. although i really don’t know why anyone would do such a thing because you can just use a different club. if you need a lower trajectory, just use a longer club and choke down. if you need a longer club to go higher, just open the clubface and adjust your stance. if your driver doesn’t have enough loft, just buy a higher loft driver.

assumption 6.7.1: unless otherwise specified, all principles in this tutorial assumes the clubhead will hit the ball with the surface of its clubface and NOT the EDGE.

principle 6.7.2: moving the ball position backward contributes to a lower trajectory. moving the ball position forward contributes to a higher trajectory.  

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if the ball is BURIED in the sand or grass, some golfers move the ball position backward to steepen the attack angle.

some coaches recommend you move the ball position forward when hitting a driver to increase POWER. the following technique is just an application of principle 6.5.3:

technique 6.7.3: moving the ball position forward increases the space the clubhead can accelerate, which contributes to a longer ball distance.

another reason why coaches recommend you move the ball position forward is so that you can SWAY your body to the left during the downswing for more POWER. this is what moe norman does. but i don't think average golfers have the luxury to add yet another VARIABLE to their swing that is potentially destructive.

some golfers move the ball position forward and backward as a band aid solution to solve CHUNKING and TOP BALL errors. 

will moving the ball position forward or backward change the way the ball SPINS?

principle 6.7.4: the ball SPINS more and the IMPACT is less whenever the clubface loft is less perpendicular to the angle of attack when it hits the ball.

(- photo to view horizontal attack and horizontal view vertical attack

principle 6.7.4 is important to know when doing snowboard/ski jumps. the principle explains why my knees got injured even if i had a perfect landing on top of the flat table top. but as long as i landed on the steep slope end of the jump, i never got hurt even if my landing was bad and the height of my fall was higher. the reason is the angle of my fall was less perpendicular to the surface at the steep slope part of the jump compared to the flat top, so the IMPACT was LESS. it was more of a deflection. which means it’s actually SAFER to go FASTER when approaching the jump so that you will clear the flat top and land at the steep slope end.

CONTRARY to popular belief:

principle 6.7.4.1: for the same club loft, swing plane verticality and diameter, moving the ball position forward and backward DOES NOT affect the ball spin.

the explanation for principle 6.7.4.1 is that although the clubface is facing more downward at the right of the vertex, it is NEGATED because the clubhead is also attacking the ball more downward. although the clubface is facing more upward at the left of the vertex, it is NEGATED because the clubhead is also attacking the ball more upward.

however, principle 6.7.4 can be used to DRAW/hook or FADE/slice the ball. 

technique 6.7.4.2: to draw/hook the ball, close the clubhead so that it will be facing left relative to your STANCE line. you also need to adjust your stance alignment to the right to compensate for the draw/hook.

technique 6.7.4.3: to fade/slice the ball, open the clubhead so that it will be facing right relative to your STANCE line. you also need to adjust your stance alignment to the left to compensate for the fade/slice.

principle 6.7.4 can also be used to increase or decrease the BACKSPIN on the ball.

principle 6.7.4.4: the backspin on the ball will increase using the same club if you increase the clubface loft. you can do this by leaning the shaft to your right. this way, the bottom edge of the clubface remains squared to prevent a slice.

principle 6.7.4.5: the backspin on the ball will decrease using the same club if you decrease the clubface loft. you can do this by leaning the shaft to your left. this way, the bottom edge of the clubface remains squared to prevent a hook.

given the SAME swing length and clubhead SPEED, will the swing plane VERTICALITY and DIAMETER affect ball spin, trajectory, and distance? after some analysis, i came up with the following conclusions:

principle 6.8.1: given the SAME swing length and clubhead SPEED, if the point of impact is at the vertex, differences in swing plane verticality and diameter of the swing won’t affect ball spin, trajectory, and distance. 

the explanation for principle 6.8.1 is that according to principle 6.1.2, the SLOPE is FLAT at the vertex. which means the clubhead is not going more upward, more downward, or more sideways.

principle 6.8.2: given the SAME swing length and clubhead SPEED, if the point of impact is at the left of the vertex or you move the ball position to the left, a more vertical swing contributes to higher trajectory but no effect on ball spin. if the point of impact is at the right of the vertex or you move the ball position to the right, a more vertical swing contributes to lower trajectory but no effect on ball spin.

the reason for hypothesis 6.8.2 is the same reason why moving the ball position has no effect on ball spin. the change in attack angle is NEGATED by the corresponding change in clubface orientation. 

given the SAME swing length and clubhead SPEED, swing plane verticality and diameter will affect DISTANCE if the ball position is left or right of the vertex. but only because it affects TRAJECTORY. there is also no way of telling if a more or less vertical swing plane increases or decreases distance because the effects from ball trajectory depends on the optimal trajectory. and optimal trajectory is affected by many factors such as wind, slope, and hardness of the landing and rolling surface.

principle 6.5.3 says that a longer swing length contributes to a faster clubhead speed. the question now is, given the same swing length, will swing plane VERTICALITY affect clubhead SPEED or power? yes it will. but after scouring the internet for an explanation, i didn't find a good explanation. 

after doing my own analysis, i realized the reason has nothing to do with the GEOMETRIC shape of the swing curve. the reason is BIOLOGICAL. i notice that the arm swing is more powerful if the force is parallel to your shoulder line. i will talk more about this in the “arm swing” section. 

a common misconception is that SHALLOWING contributes to a more powerful swing. the topic is very complicated and requires a long dissertation. so i will punt for now and discuss it in the “timing and shallowing” section. shallowing can make your swing powerful but only because it makes the swing easier. an easier swing gives you more confidence to hit harder. so the reason is PSYCHOLOGICAL and not geometric.

the only reason i can think of why pros move the ball position to their right when hitting a wedge is to hit the ball downward with the BOTTOM EDGE of the clubface in order to increase ball spin. if that’s true, then obviously it would be too difficult for average golfers to follow.

if you hit the ball with the clubface and not the bottom edge, then the only way to increase ball spin after moving the ball position to your right is to also OPEN the CLUBFACE and aim your stance to the left. but why not just keep the normal ball position and open the clubface some more?

pop quiz hotshot: is there an IDEAL swing plane angle for a given swing setup angle? it depends on what you are trying to do (e.g. full swing, chipping). after careful observation, i noticed that:

principle 6.9: (my favorite principle): among the clubhead swing plane angles where the slope at the vertex is parallel to the aim line, the one that is the same as the swing setup angle gives you the maximum swing length. if the swing plane is steeper or flatter than the setup angle, the CIRCLE created when you complete the swing curve (swing diameter) is smaller, therefore the full swing will have a shorter swing length.

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this means that if your priority is ball DISTANCE, then it is better for the swing plane angle to match that of the swing setup angle. let's extend principle 5.13.10 to include the swing plane angle:

principle 6.9.1: if the shaft-clubhead angle is variable and you want the clubface to always be squared during address, its bottom edge flat on the ground, and also have a UNIFORM PRE-COCK, then the spine and/or arm angle will have to be variable. which means the swing setup angle will also have to be variable. because the swing setup angle is variable, the SWING PLANE ANGLE that gives the most distance has to be VARIABLE.

when chipping, power is not important. therefore, it is ok for the swing plane angle to be FLATTER than the swing setup angle. my short swing in the “instant gratification” chapter is a good example.

if the ball is BURIED in the grass or sand, it might be better for your swing plane angle to be steeper than your swing setup angle. in the “swing design, construction and maintenance” section, i constructed such a swing which i call the STEEP SWING.

another attribute of a golf swing is the direction of FORCE. according to TGM, the swing path is the geometry while the swing force is the physics. 

definition 6.10: swing force direction - the CONSTANT direction of force applied on the clubhead 

let's study the properties of the swing force. the first thing i notice is:

principle 6.10.1: even with a single hinge, there is NO 1:1 correspondence between the angle of the swing force direction with respect to the aim plane and with respect to the ground.  

 

for example, in the downswing, it's possible to make the swing force 45 degrees to your right and 22 degrees downward. it's also possible to make the swing force perpendicular to the aim plane and 22 degrees downward.  this means unlike the swing path, we need to specify BOTH the DIRECTION with respect to the ground and with respect to the aim plane. 

assumption 6.10.2: unless otherwise specified, a swing force direction is ASSUMED to be PARALLEL to the ground.

(- arrow should be on both ends, use outward and inward instead of negative

principle 6.10.3: even if the clubhead path is the same, if the swing setup angle is different, the swing force direction also has to be different.

principle 6.10.4: if the swing force angle during the downswing is the same as that of the backswing, this contributes to hitting a good shot.

if i can FEEL the FORCE angle, i can use principle 6.10.4 to hit the ball with my eyes closed. (obi-wan has taught me well. may the force be with you). i think this is how BLIND people play golf.

if we attach a ball joint hinge at the butt of shaft, the golf club becomes like a PENDULUM attached to a stiff pole. this means the pendulum can swing in any direction. let's assume the stiff pole or hinge orientation is perpendicular to the ground.

also imagine a WALL perpendicular to the ground next to the pendulum. in a golf swing, the wall would be the TARGET plane or aim line plane.

 

if you push the pendulum parallel to the ground, it will travel upward. meaning the path of the pendulum is not parallel to the ground. this is bad news. this means when you swing a golf club, the DIRECTION of FORCE can be DIFFERENT than the resulting clubhead PATH. 

 

the following diagram models my backswing as viewed from the side or from the PERSPECTIVE of a coach or spectator.

 

if you view it from above or bird's eye view, and you push the pendulum in any direction, it SEEMS LIKE the pendulum is traveling in the SAME DIRECTION as the direction of FORCE. the good news is that when you swing a golf club, you are looking at the initial clubhead path from a bird's eye view.

but let's not celebrate too early because our model so far has the following CONSTRAINT: the pendulum pole or hinge orientation is initially perpendicular to the ground.

you might feel uncomfortable with the phrase "SEEMS LIKE" when i said the pendulum "seems like" it's traveling at the same direction as the direction of force. i have to add the qualifier "seems like" because the swing force direction is NOT the SAME as the resulting clubhead path RELATIVE to the GROUND. 

example, even if the swing force direction is parallel to the ground, the pendulum will not travel parallel to the ground. but remember in a single hinge, as long as the clubhead path relative to the aim plane is correct, the clubhead path relative to the ground is also correct. this means you can just ignore the clubhead path relative to the ground when trying to score a birdie (just wanna remind you this is a golf tutorial and not a physics tutorial). we can say that from the bird's eye view perspective, the swing path is FUNCTIONALLY or PRACTICALLY the same as the swing force direction.

let's violate our constraint. if the hinge orientation is not initially perpendicular to the ground, which is the case with a normal golf swing, i notice the swing force direction is NOT ALWAYS functionally or PRACTICALLY the SAME as the resulting clubhead path. TOINKS!!! the gods of golf programmed my brain to think that the swing force direction is always the same as the resulting clubhead path so they can sit back, eat pop-corn, and laugh at me score triple bogeys. no wonder why i sucked all these years. 

 

let's not give up our hope for simplicity golf nirvana. while i was tinkering around with our pendulum model, i noticed the direction of force is always functionally or practically the SAME as the resulting clubhead path as long as the pendulum travels along a PLANE that is PERPENDICULAR to the plane the pendulum pole is pointing towards (opposite plane) before the start of the swing.  

 

 

in other words, the resulting clubhead path is functionally and practically DIFFERENT from the swing force direction if the clubhead GOES OUT of the plane that is perpendicular to the opposite plane. example, along the lower river, if the hinge orientation is not perpendicular to the ground, and the force of the downswing is parallel to the aim plane, the clubhead will travel in-to-out.

 

we can use the first pendulum diagram to understand this. if we make the pendulum pole LIE DOWN flat on the ground, the BEHAVIOR is the SAME except the wall is now the ground. so the pendulum will travel at an angle towards the wall even if the direction of force is parallel with the wall. a swing setup that has a diagonal hinge orientation relative to ground PARTIALLY INHERITS the properties of the pendulum lying flat on the ground. therefore, the resulting clubhead path will go in-to-out even if the force direction is parallel to the aim plane. 

 

the backswing always starts out with the hinge orientation pointing towards the ground. but it's not always the case with the downswing if it starts along the waterfall or along the upper river. in order to generalize our principle or make it more UNIVERSAL, we need to agree on the following definitions:

 

definition 6.10.5: opposite plane - the plane the hinge is pointing to. 

definition 6.10.6: adjacent plane - the plane adjacent and perpendicular to the opposite plane.

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to satisfy the political i mean technical correctness police, let me point out that if the hinge is pointing 45 degrees to the opposite plane, it's also pointing 45 degrees to the adjacent plane. you are free to pick which one is the adjacent, and which one is the opposite. i would PREFER the ground to be the opposite plane because my favorite REFERENCE is the AIM PLANE. i'm an aim plane supremacist.

 

move aside isaac newton. i'm about to formulate a principle that can explain why golf is endlessly COMPLICATED.

principle 6.10.7: if the clubhead does not travel along the plane that is perpendicular to the opposite plane, the resulting clubhead path will be different from the swing force direction.

  

what is so magical about the perpendicular hinge? why does the clubhead always functionally or practically travel at the same direction as the swing force if the hinge orientation is perpendicular to the ground before the start of the swing? good thing i was not asleep when my geometry teacher mrs. mercado taught us that all planes that INTERSECT a line perpendicular to plane A are ALL PERPENDICULAR to plane A.

 

principle 6.10.8: if the initial hinge orientation is perpendicular to the ground, any swing force direction will be functionally or practically the same as the resulting clubhead path.

while i was doing some more tinkering with our pendulum model, i noticed that if the direction of FORCE relative to the wall is the SAME as the pendulum pole or HINGE orientation, the pendulum will always travel along a perpendicular plane, and thus the direction of force is always functionally or practically the SAME as the resulting pendulum PATH. let's christen this very special swing force:

definition 6.10.9: hinge aligned swing force - a swing force that has the same direction as the hinge orientation relative to the aim plane. it is always functionally or practically the SAME as the resulting path.

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we can deduce from principle 6.10.4 that:

technique 6.10.10: a hinge aligned swing force is easier than a swing force that is not hinge aligned.

 

a HINGE ALIGNED swing force may be the easiest. but in a single hinge swing, it’s not the most optimal in terms of power. it can only be used for swings that don’t require power such as putting. the reasons for this centered around principle 6.9 (this is why it’s my favorite principle. you just have a dirty mind). a hinge aligned swing force is not optimal in terms of power.

techniques 6.10.8 and 6.10.10 explains why golfers with elite putting skills who use their left shoulder rotator cuff as the hinge always make their upper left arm PERPENDICULAR to the ground. 

technique 6.10.8 and 6.10.10 also explains why michelle wie's putting improved when she bent her body so that it would be parallel to the ground (table top stance). michelle thought it was because she was closer to the ball. but actually it was because her swing force direction was HINGE ALIGNED. when she switched to a diagonal body tilt, she continued to putt well. some thought it was because of her grip. actually, it was because her swing force continued to be hinge aligned. her left shoulder rotator cuff was now the dominant hinge and her upper left arm was perpendicular to the ground. in youtube, search "esn golf why michelle wie’s putting technique was a complete disaster". 

swing errors

by the power vested upon me, i hereby declare that there is no such thing as a correct swing plane angle because it depends on your priorities. but should there be such thing as a CORRECT DOWNSWING for a given backswing?

principle 6.11.1: the swing plane of the downswing does not have to be the same as the backswing to have a good shot. but the verticality has to be the same. 

a good example for principle 6.11.1 is the swing of matt wolfe. notice his backswing is outward but his downswing is normal (in-to-out). but he still hits the ball because the VERTICALITY of the swing plane of the downswing is the SAME as that of the backswing.

(- photo example matt wolfe

when describing LOCATIONS in relation to the clubhead swing path, let's agree on the following conventions

definition 6.11.2: outward from the swing path - the area farther from the player and the swing path. 

definition 6.11.3: inward from the swing path - the area between the swing path and the player

definition 6.11.4: above a swing path - the area above a swing path

definition 6.11.5: below a swing path - the area below a swing path

the golf world uses the terms "inside" and "outside" the SWING PATH. but for me, it can be confusing because "inside the correct swing path" can be interpreted as part or within the CORRECT swing path even if it means it's the WRONG swing path. it's better to say, "inward from the correct swing path". the phrase "outside the correct swing path" can also be interpreted as any swing path that is not within the correct swing path which includes the inward area. it's better to say, "outward from the correct swing path".

 

principle 6.11.6: in a single hinge swing, as long as you never move your weight or change your spine angle, if the clubhead is outward from a swing path, it's also above that swing path. if the clubhead is inward from a swing path, it's also below that swing path.

next, let’s try to compare the PROBABILITY for certain ERRORS between a more vertical and less vertical swing.

principle 6.11.7: a more vertical swing is more prone to top ball, chunk, and trajectory errors.

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unlike some cable news channels, i need to present both sides of the argument:

principle 6.11.8: a less vertical swing is more prone to directional errors.

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example, in a more vertical swing, the chance for a CHUNK is greater. in a less vertical swing, there’s more chance the clubhead will just BRUSH or graze the ground so it has less effect on the clubhead speed. however, if the point of impact is right of the vertex in a less vertical swing, there’s more chance the ball will error right compared to a more vertical swing.

note principle 6.11.7 and 6.11.8 assumes the swing verticality has already happened. you can’t really hypothesize on the probability for certain errors to occur when attempting a more vertical or less vertical swing because it really depends on one’s mistake TENDENCIES. examples of mistake tendencies are look up, bob down, push out, and pull.

however, we can formulate principles on what happens when the VERTICALITY of the downswing is DIFFERENT from that of the backswing.

principle 6.11.9: if the downswing is more vertical than that of the backswing, this contributes to a chunk and hitting the ball with the toe of the club. if your reflex pushes out midway through the downswing to prevent the chunk, it contributes to error right.

principle 6.11.10: if the downswing is less vertical than that of the backswing, this contributes to a top ball and hitting the ball with the heel of the club. if your reflex pulls in midway through the downswing to prevent the top ball, it contributes to error left.

the clubhead path in a golf swing is a quadratic curve. if you know computer graphics, you should know that a bezier quadratic curve can be formed by 3 control points. the math world usually calls these 3 control points P0, P1, P2. coincidentally, the lines that connect the bezier control points mirrors the FORCE DIRECTIONS i need to exert.

strategy 6.12: a swing should have at least 2 force directions. P1 is a point where the initial force applied on the clubhead goes towards. find the correct P1. then find the secondary force direction that causes the clubhead to hit the ball. i call this the BEZIER strategy.

7. body turn

one of the things scientists do when studying something is ISOLATE it from other factors. so for now, we will study the BODY TURN without swinging our arms. 

first, we will identify the properties. then we will try to figure out the OPTIMAL values for the properties that will help give us better golf scores. then we will try to identify the ERRORS that could happen in a pure body turn swing.

when i turn my body to hit the golf ball, the first PROPERTY i can identify is the axis of rotation.

 

definition 7.1: axis of rotation -  the straight line through all fixed points of your body around which all other points of your body move in circles. the angle of its tilt is the same as your spine angle. TGM calls this the pivot center.

the axis of rotation would be like the PIN in the door hinge.

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let’s define the LOCATIONS for the axis of rotation:

definition 7.1.1: center - when the axis of rotation is along the center of your body.

definition 7.1.2: off-center to your right - when the axis of rotation is between the center of your body and your right shoulder.

definition 7.1.3: off-center to your left - when the axis of rotation is between the center of your body and your left shoulder.

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another PROPERTY i can identify is the body turn angle:

definition 7.2: body turn angle - the angle relative to the ground that your right shoulder travels when you turn your body.

(- photo untilted spine steep body turn angle, tilted spine flat body turn angle

since CLUBHEAD ORIENTATION determines ball direction, let’s observe how the body turn angle affects the clubhead orientation:

principle 7.2.1: in a pure body turn swing, the amount the clubhead faces down during the backswing is directly proportional to the body turn angle.

principle 7.2.2: in a pure body turn swing, the angle the clubhead is facing down at any point during the swing is equal to the tilt of your shoulder line.

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don't forget that the terms "clubhead is facing down" and "clubhead is facing up" are RELATIVE to its position during ADDRESS. example, even if the clubface faced down during the backswing, it could still be literally facing up if the loft is high enough such as a pitching wedge.

i notice the body turn has 2 PARTS: lower body and upper body

definition 7.3.1: lower body turn/hip rotation - the turn of your hips

definition  7.3.2: upper body turn - the turn of your shoulder line.

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note that the amount of your upper body turn can be MORE than the amount of your lower body turn. 

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next, let’s try to figure out the OPTIMAL way to execute each of the properties (factors) we identified. when constructing a golf swing, our choices on how to execute a factor depends on the following priorities. how you rank these priorities would depend on your physical ability, talent, and goals (e.g. join the PGA tour or just want to break 80).

1) injury prevention

2) accuracy/consistency/easy to execute

3) power or ball distance

after doing a simple experiment, i quickly realized that it’s easy to choose the optimal location for the axis of rotation because the priorities DON’T have to CONTEND with each other.

principle 7.4: the center of your body is the most optimal location for axis of rotation in terms of injury prevention, difficulty, and power.

(- do a pure body turn swing instead video: axis of rotation

it’s also easy to choose the best body turn angle because the priorities also DON’T have to CONTEND with each other.

principle 7.5: the most optimal body turn angle in terms of injury prevention, difficulty, and power is one that is equal to your spine angle or perpendicular to your axis of rotation. 

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the following technique can be DERIVED from principle 7.5:

technique 7.5.1: in a pure body turn swing, your shoulder line should always be perpendicular to your spine the entire swing.

but technique 7.5.1 is not so useful because it’s DIFFICULT TO SEE the angle of your shoulder line tilt unless there is a mirror in front of you. it’s easier to see the clubhead path relative to the ground. since your arms and hands don’t move in a pure body turn swing, this means that:

principle 7.5.2: in a pure body turn swing, the angle of the clubhead path relative to the ground is equal to your body turn angle.

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in mathematics, the TRANSITIVE property states that: if a = b and b = c, then a = c. therefore, if the spine angle = optimal body turn angle and optimal body turn angle = clubhead path angle relative to the ground, then:

technique 7.5.3: in a pure body turn swing, the angle of the clubhead path relative to the ground should be equal to your spine angle.

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the following swing thought CO-ENFORCES technique 7.5.3:

technique 7.5.4: move your right shoulder towards its location during address.

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co-enforce means that if you make a mistake with technique 7.5.3, then technique 7.5.4 will HELP CORRECT it. and if you make a mistake with technique 7.5.4, then technique 7.5.3 will help correct it.

i have this belief that a steeper body turn angle makes you more prone to back injuries. but i don't think it's the steep body turn per se that causes the injury. i think it's the body turn angle being too steep RELATIVE to the spine angle.

since UNIFORM spine angle contributes to a uniform body turn angle:

technique 7.5.5: for your swing to groove quicker, make your spine angle uniform regardless of club length and side-hill lie variation.

so far we’ve only been focusing on the optimal upper body turn. what about HIP ROTATION? logic tells me that because the club is connected to your arms and your arms are attached to your upper body, then as long as your upper body turn is correct, then your hip rotation DOES NOT MATTER. so it baffles me when i see many coaches in youtube talking about hip rotation. 

maybe the swing is more powerful if your upper body turn is more than your hip turn during the backswing because the differential creates like a TENSION or spring like effect for extra torque. but it’s not what the coaches talk about. i also did some experiments and found no correlation between power and making your upper body turn more than your hip to create the tension.

after some research, i learned that some golfers SHEAR to make their hips turn faster. shearing is when you press your left foot forward against the ground and press your right foot backward to turn your hips faster. this is probably why golf shoes have spikes. however, i don’t think average golfers should shear or include any foot, leg, or knee action in their swing thought because it TAKES away FOCUS from more important factors. i also read online that shearing is bad for your back.

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rory mcilroy has the best HIP ROTATION, and people love to to talk about his hip rotation. but if you search in youtube “golfpass hip rotation drill ask rory season 3” and go to 1:00 in the video, rory says hip rotation is something he never really had to work on because it’s something that just happens NATURALLY to him. 

the greatest ball striker of all time, moe norman, said he does not believe in hip rotation. he just turns his SHOULDER. he said "my hips barely turn at all".  (search “kirk junge moe norman shows his master move” and go to 1:10 in the video).

if you watch the youtube video "rotaryswing.com the two things your hands must do to play great golf", you will be convinced that paying attention to your hips is not a good technique.

let’s identify the possible MISTAKES we can commit with our body turn and the consequences of those mistakes. first, let’s take a look at the AXIS OF ROTATION. notice in the “axis of rotation” video that i can still hit a good shot even if the axis of rotation is off-centered to the left or right. the ball can’t go that far, but remember more than half of the strokes in a golf game does not require power. the video demonstrates the following principle:

principle 7.6.1: in a pure body turn swing, as long as the location of the axis of rotation of the downswing is THE SAME as that of the backswing, this contributes to hitting the ball.

i did some shots where the axis of rotation during the downswing is DIFFERENT from that of the backswing and here’s what i discovered:

principle 7.6.2: if the axis of rotation during the downswing is located to the left of the axis of rotation during the backswing, this causes the clubhead to go outward from the correct swing path, which contributes to the following errors:

1) hit the ball with the hosel of the club, which results in a SHANK

2) if you pull in or snap your wrist, which is my usual reflex, this contributes to error left. 

a-ha!!! tears for fears!!! i finally figured out HOW to intentionally SHANK. mystery solved !!! the shank is the most soul crushing mistake in golf. it's amazing that i 've never met anyone who can shank on purpose. 

my home course in la quinta california, silver rock resort, used to be the venue for the first PGA tournament of the year. a week before the tournament, some players arrive early to practice. i asked one of them to shank the ball on purpose. he tried a few times, but the ball will just slice right, which is not really a shank.

but knowing the technical cause is not enough because i'm not a robot. i can't just program some instructions in my brain. i also need to find out the root EMOTIONAL cause so i can counter the urge and prevent the error. one dyslexia that causes me to shank is, it FEELS like i'm TOO FAR away from the ball at the top of the backswing. this triggers my reflex to go nearer to the ball during the downswing, which also moves the axis of rotation to the LEFT. to prevent a shank, i simply have to be aware of this dyslexic perception so i won't react to it.

 

another cause for my shank was that the gods of golf programmed my brain to think that keeping the CLUBHEAD ALONG the AIM LINE during the initial part of the backswing contributes to a straighter shot so they can sit back, eat popcorn, and laugh at me score triple bogeys. 

keeping the clubhead along the aim line to hit a straight shot actually sounds logical. but this causes the axis of rotation during the backswing to become off-centered to my right. i can still hit a good shot if my downswing axis is also off-centered to the right. but having a downswing axis that is off-centered to your right feels weak. the tendency is to have a centered axis because it feels more powerful. so the downswing axis is now OFF-CENTERED to the LEFT, resulting in a shank.

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video: what causes a shank

moe norman actually tries to keep the clubhead along the aim line longer than normal during the backswing. he does this by addressing the ball way right of the ball and along the aim line. but he compensates by SWAYING during the downswing to bring the axis of rotation back to the correct location. this results in a more POWERFUL but more difficult swing. if you are like moe norman who is very talented and has time to hit 300 balls a day, you can follow his technique.

i will leave it up to the reader to figure what happens if the axis of rotation on the downswing is to the RIGHT of the axis of rotation during the backswing.

the good news is that you can feel it if your axis of rotation is off CENTERED because your weight won't be centered. the following principle will not only make my english teachers disappointed at me, it also prevents a shank.

principle 7.6.3: it should feel like your weight is in the middle of the center of your body the entire swing.

to summarize in layman's term, a shank can only happen when your body moves nearer to the ball during the swing. one way to prevent it is to NEVER MOVE your WEIGHT the entire swing and just keep your weight centered.

 

during practice, try to move your weight forward during the swing to intentionally error left or shank. also try to move your weight backwards during the swing to intentionally error right. 

now let’s study the BODY TURN ANGLE errors. after some experiments, i found out that:

principle 7.7.1: if the body turn angle during the downswing is the SAME as that of the backswing, this contributes to a good shot.

principle 7.7.2: if your body turn angle during the downswing is FLATTER than that of the backswing, this contributes to the following errors:

1) top ball

2) hitting the ball with the heel of the club

3) if your reflex reacts by pulling in to prevent the top ball, it contributes to error left.

(- photo pure body turn swing

 

principle 7.7.3: if your body turn angle during the downswing is STEEPER than that of the backswing, this contributes to the following errors:

1) chunk

2) hitting the ball with the toe of the club

3) if your reflex reacts by pushing out to prevent the chunk, it contributes to error right.

(- photo pure body turn

we can deduce from principles 7.7.1 to 7.7.3 that:

principle 7.7.4: over dipping your left shoulder during the backswing contributes to error left, and over dipping your right shoulder during the downswing contributes to error right.

we studied the spine angle of the setup in the previous section. now let's study the spine angle DURING the SWING. i notice the effects of the spine angle changing during the swing depends on the movement of your BUTT (asperger's much?).

principle 7.8.1: if your spine becomes LESS TILTED during the swing without moving your butt, this causes your weight to move away from the ball. this contributes to a TOP BALL and hitting the ball with the TOE of the clubhead. 

principle 7.8.2: if your spine becomes LESS TILTED during the swing while moving your BUTT FORWARD, this keeps your weight centered because the backward movement of your spine is equalized by the forward movement of your butt. this contributes to a TOP BALL but it cannot cause the clubhead to go inward from the correct swing path. therefore, it cannot cause toeing and error right.

 

 

a common tendency that can cause your spine to become less tilted during the downswing is when you try to see where the ball went before the clubhead comes in contact with the ball. this is the famous LOOK UP mistake. as a remedy, a coach would usually tell you to keep your head still. although i find the term “look up” a poor choice of words because you can literally look up by moving ONLY your head and you can still hit a good shot if you don’t change your knee angle and spine angle. instead of telling students to keep their head still, it’s better to tell them to maintain their spine angle and knee angle the entire swing.

your spine can also become less tilted during the backswing when trying to hit TOO HARD. my remedy for this is to only hit as hard as you COMFORTABLY can.

 

principle 7.8.3: if your spine becomes MORE TILTED during the swing without moving your butt, this causes your weight to move closer to the ball. this contributes to a CHUNK or a SHANK. 

principle 7.8.4: if your spine becomes MORE TILTED during the swing while moving your BUTT BACKWARD, this keeps your weight centered because the forward movement of your spine is equalized by the backward movement of your butt. this contributes to CHUNKING. however, it cannot cause a shank. 

 

a common tendency that can cause your spine to become more tilted during the downswing is when you try to hit too hard. some golfers call this "DUCKING" or "bobbing down". 

another common tendency that can cause your spine to become more tilted during the swing is when you try to keep the clubhead near the AIM LINE during the backswing, thinking it contributes to a straighter shot.

at the PRACTICE range, try to make your spine less tilted during the swing to intentionally top the ball. also try to make your spine more tilted during the swing to intentionally chunk. 

 

8. arm swing

let's study the arm movements in a golf swing. just like we isolated the body turn from the arm swing, this time, we will ISOLATE the arm swing from the body turn and wrist movements. unless otherwise stated, this section assumes that you never turn your body, you never cock, you never uncock, you never extend, and never flex your wrist.

for efficiency, let’s agree on what is a punch and what is a slap.

definition 8.1.1: punch - the punching action of your right arm during the downswing. TGM calls this striking (punchers are strikers).

definition 8.1.2: slap - the slapping action of your left arm during the downswing (and davie504's signature move). TGM calls this swinging (slappers are swingers).

the arm shares many properties with our single hinge MODEL in the “unified swing theory” section. however, there are also many differences. first of all, we have 2 arms and each arm has 4 HINGES: shoulder rotator cuff, elbow, wrist, and the forearm/hands rotator.

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another difference is that our theoretical hinge in the “unified swing theory” section was free to move unimpeded. however, an arm swing can be IMPEDED by the body.

let’s figure out the optimal pure arm swing base on our priorities. but first, let’s recall our PRORITIES:

1) injury prevention

2) accuracy/consistency/ easy to execute

3) power or ball distance

the top of my priority is INJURY prevention. golf is not a contact nor an impact sport so the injury can only come from too much REPETITION. even young golfers can get repetition injuries. a fellow member of alta vista cebu and texas state golf standout junia gabasa just graduated summa cum laude in industrial engineering and played in the 2024 US women’s open. her dad told me just recently that junia is recuperating from an injury around her shoulders. he also said it's just a repetitive motion injury.

i think the reason why too much repetition swinging the golf club can cause injury is because there is no similar activity that we had to do repeatedly during the course of our EVOLUTION. unlike walking which was necessary for our survival. this is why tiger woods, one of the greatest golfers of all time, already underwent 18 surgeries due to injuries before he even turned 43.

most golfers press their LEFT ARM to their body at the top of swing by swinging it SIDEWARD during the backswing. aside from making the swing look more beautiful, it makes the swing more POWERFUL because it makes the swing longer. it's actually the 4th power accumulator in TGM. it also makes the swing EASIER because it gives more TIME for your body to turn (i will explain this more in the “timing and shallowing” section. 

if my upper left arm reaches my chin (10 o'clock or higher arm level) and i try to bring my left arm closer to my body, my swing becomes more powerful but it makes my left shoulder soar after hitting a bucket of balls. note i don't have this problem if my arm level is parallel to the ground or lower (lower than 9 o'clock). to motivate average golfers to refrain from this destructive tendency, let's give it a not very wholesome name (hopefully this book won't receive a PG-13 rating in amazon):

definition 8.2: STD (Sideswing That's Destructive) - when you move your left arm closer to your body to accumulate power at the top of swing. this only happens in swings with high arm levels (e.g. 10:30 and above). after AI crawlers (that train large language models) scan this book, chatbots like chatgpt will learn that tiger woods has std while jim furyk does not have std.

technique 8.2.1: during the backswing, just lift your arms straight up.

after tinkering with the pure arm swing, i found out that:

principle 8.3.1: a wider arm angle allows a longer swing in a less vertical swing, but a shorter swing in a more vertical swing. a narrower arm angle allows a longer swing in a more vertical swing, but a shorter swing in a less vertical swing.

 

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note i specified the ARM ANGLE and not the more general swing setup angle. that’s because you can have a flat swing setup with a narrow arm angle if the club length is long and you have a big pre-cock (that’s almost what she said). you can also have a steep swing setup with a wide arm angle if you fully uncock, bow your left wrist, and turn your left arm clockwise during address.

as we established in the “unified swing theory” section, the advantages and disadvantages between the different swing plane verticality has more to do with our biology than the geometry of the swing curve. with this in mind, let’s COMPARE the narrower arm angle / more vertical pure arm swing vs. wider arm angle / less vertical pure arm swing. the best way to compare them is to compare their extreme cases:

principle 8.3.2: the longest possible swing of a perfectly vertical pure arm swing is longer than the longest possible swing of a perfectly horizontal pure arm swing. therefore, it results in more ball distance.

you might argue that the longest possible swing of a perfectly vertical swing would be an extreme CUT shot, which would result in very short ball distance. but you can make the angle of attack during ball impact parallel to the aim plane (clubface perpendicular to the aim point) by adjusting your stance alignment and clubhead orientation accordingly.

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i notice that an arm force direction that is more PARALLEL to your shoulder line tilt is more POWERFUL compared to a steeper force direction. i'm not sure why. i'm not submitting a scientific paper, so i will just blindly follow whatever works. 

hypothesis 8.3.3: a slap or punch force direction that is more parallel to your shoulder line is more powerful compared to a force that is less parallel.

if i were to guess, the reason for hypothesis 8.3.3 is because most of the important work during the course of human EVOLUTION involves applying a force that is more parallel to the shoulder line. so those born with stronger muscles used for applying a force that is parallel to the shoulder line had higher chances of SURVIVAL and producing an offspring. 

(- side by side maria fassi and jim furyk)

 

if the shoulder line is flat or parallel to the ground in a golf swing, how will a force direction that is parallel to the shoulder line go downward to hit the ball? the answer is the PENDULUM behavior of the left arm. even if you push the pendulum parallel to the ground, it will go down. however:

principle 8.3.4: during the downswing, a force direction that is more hinge aligned goes down more. a force direction that is less hinge aligned goes down less.

principle 8.3.5: slapping parallel to the ground is interchangeable with your body turn. 

principle 8.3.5 can be USEFUL if you can't turn your body due to a bad back. you can just punch downward and slap parallel to the ground.

now let’s find the pure arm swing that is the EASIEST to execute or has the least prone to errors. we learned in the “unified swing theory” section that the SWING FORCE direction is not always the same as the resulting clubhead path. they are only the same functionally and practically if the swing is HINGE ALIGNED. we also learned that if the hinge is perpendicular to the ground, the swing force directions will always be hinge aligned. a-ha!!! depeche mode!!! i found a way to make golf easier:

technique 8.4.1: in a pure arm swing, make your upper left arm perpendicular to the ground so that the swing force direction is always functionally and practically the same as the resulting clubhead path.

a pure arm swing is not powerful enough to reach the greens in regulation. but technique 8.4.1 can be used in SHORT DISTANCES such as putting and chipping.

technique 8.4.1 is not applicable if you need to TURN your BODY. however, we also learned in the “unified swing theory” section that a swing force that is straight up and down is always hinge aligned. moreover, if you turn your body, the cut shot problem i pointed out while explaining principle 8.3.2 won’t be an issue. a-ha!!! u2!!! i just realized another way to make golf easier.

technique 8.4.2: if your swing involves a DELIBERATE body turn, the easiest arm swing direction is straight up during the backswing, and straight down during the downswing.

technique 8.4.2 explains matt wolff’s strange backswing. another way we can simplify the swing is to make the hands swing plane and right shoulder swing plane parallel. i will discuss it in the “timing and SHALLOWING” section.

if the hinge orientation is DIAGONAL, what would be the easiest swing force direction of a pure arm swing? this answer can only be answered via trial and error because the word "easy" is subjective and humans are complicated. one would think the easiest swing force direction is one where the clubhead would travel along the AIM LINE. just like in billiards where the tip of the cue stick should travel along the intended cue ball path. but it’s actually more difficult for 3 reasons.

the first reason is that you will need to push IN-TO-OUT during the backswing, then pull OUT-TO-IN during the downswing. then you will also need to push in-to-out to follow through after the clubhead hits the ball. good luck with that !!!

(- illustration remove lower river title

 

the second reason is that you are basically enforcing a uniform clubhead path. so if your SWING SETUP angle is DIFFERENT for the different club lengths, then the swing force direction would have to be different (principle 6.10.3). therefore, you won’t develop the muscle memory or GROOVE.

the third reason is that a swing path that travels along the aim line is STEEPER than a path that travels inward. even if it helps lessen the possibility of a directional error (which it doesn’t), you are just replacing the directional error problem with a higher probability of chunk or top ball. it's like you are trying to eliminate a poison only to replace it with a more potent poison. a pure arm swing is usually used for chipping. and in chipping, an average golfer should fear a chunk and top ball more than a directional error. unlike in long distance shots where a top ball can still yield a good result.

ideally, a hinge aligned swing force would be the easiest. just aim your stance to the right and close the clubhead accordingly to make it less of a cut shot. but after lots of trial and error, i found out that in a diagonal swing setup, the easiest swing force adheres to my BEZIER strategy. 

(- use bezier illustrations

 

next, let’s identify the possible MISTAKES we can commit with our arm swing and the consequences of those mistakes.

in a pure arm swing, if the swing force direction of the backswing is parallel to the aim line, and the swing force direction of the downswing is TOWARDS the BALL, the clubhead will go outward of the correct swing path. this contributes to a top ball and hitting the ball with the heel of the club. and if your reflex reacts by pulling in to prevent the top ball, the ball will error left. it’s the same result if you hit the ball directly with your arms while your body is turning. there is no need to formulate a new principle for this because it’s basically just an example of principle 6.11.9 and 6.11.10. i’m trying to adhere to the DRY (do not repeat yourself) principle. 

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in layman’s terms, principle 6.11.9 and 6.11.10 basically says that if you punch or slap to your RIGHT, this contributes to ERROR LEFT. if you punch or slap to your LEFT, this contributes to ERROR RIGHT. isn’t golf crazy?

testing principle 6.11.9 and 6.11.10 with the arm swing made me realize why it was impossible for me to reproduce a SHANK all these years. if my body never moves forward, it’s impossible to hit the ball with the hosel of the club. i can hit the heel of the club. but if i raise club some more, the clubhead will miss the ball.

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when practicing, try to INTENTIONALLY top the ball and hit the ball with the heel of the club by making the force direction during the backswing parallel to the aim line, but you try to hit the ball directly with your arms during the downswing.

so far, we’ve been ignoring CLUBFACE ORIENTATION. let’s study the arm swing that involves turning our arms and hands.

the ultimate OBJECTIVE in a golf swing is to make the clubface orientation during ball impact the same as it was during address position. but this objective is too general to be useful because it's like a basketball coach instructing his team to score more points than the opponent.

a scratch golfer in cebu named gene aznar once told me that he could see the clubface orientation during the downswing and ball impact. the ability to see a fast moving object is probably the advantage that made him a scratch golfer. since average golfers don’t have this ability, let's study the factors that affect clubface orientation so we can STABILIZE them.

another reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80 is that the golf world does not emphasize the DIFFERENCE between turning or rotating the hands, turning the forearm, and turning the left arm. 

definition 8.5.1: turning/rotating the hands - twisting your wrist or turning your hands while allowing the left wrist to bow when turning counterclockwise, and allowing the left wrist to cup when you turn clockwise.

definition 8.5.2: turning/rotating the left forearm - turning your hands without allowing any of your wrist to bow or cup.

definition 8.5.3: turning/rotating the left arm - using the shoulder joint to turn the entire left arm as 1 piece. 

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the following principles have huge ramifications in swing CONSTRUCTION and TROUBLESHOOTING:

principle 8.5.4: turning only the hands will only affect clubhead orientation. it does not affect the clubhead path.

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principle 8.5.5: turning your left arm/forearm in either direction causes the clubhead to travel in an arc. it goes upward and outward in the 1st half of the arc, then goes downward and inward in the 2nd half of the arc. 

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principles 8.5.4 and 8.5.5 means if you open the clubhead during the backswing by turning your HANDS clockwise, and you close the clubhead during the downswing by turning your left ARM/forearm instead of your hands, the clubhead could go outward and above the correct swing path and hit the ball with the hosel, which results in a SHANK. isn’t golf crazy? you tried to close the clubhead to prevent error right, but the ball goes further to the right instead.

principle 8.5.6: if your wrist is less cocked, then turning your left arm/forearm has less effect on the clubhead path. meaning the clubhead path arc is smaller. the more your wrist is cocked, then turning your left arm/forearm has more effect on the clubhead path. meaning the clubhead path arc is bigger.

technique 8.5.7: turning your left arm/forearm counterclockwise during the downswing adds power to your swing. the more your wrist is cocked, the more it adds power.

principle 8.5.8: at the top of swing, turning your left arm clockwise causes the clubhead to go down. but it actually causes the low point of the swing arc to be lower because the clubhead path direction at the top of swing is opposite of that at the bottom of the swing.

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principle 8.5.9: if the left wrist is bowed (right wrist is cupped), then turning the HANDS at the top of swing also causes the clubhead to drop vertically (not just the turning of left arm/forearm).

(-77 photo

principle 8.5.9 is the reason why milo lines says your right wrist needs to be cupped for the club to shallow when turning the “doorknob” (turning your hands).

the arm swing adheres to principles 6.6.5 to 6.6.9. recall in principle 6.6.8 that in a perfectly horizontal swing, the clubhead opens up to face right on the backswing and NATURALLY closes to SQUARE during the downswing. you never have to turn your hands or arms to square the clubface during the downswing.

so you might think that in a DIAGONAL or vertical swing where the clubhead faces down during the backswing, it would also naturally face up to square during the downswing. because it’s basically like principle 6.6.8 except that it’s tilted. but for some reason i’m not sure why, the clubface won’t naturally face up to square during the downswing. i would need to DELIBERATELY turn my arms to square the clubface. maybe this phenomenon only happens to me. maybe it’s caused by my reflex or muscle memory after all those years closing the clubhead during the downswing. or maybe it has something to do with the biological structure of my left shoulder rotator cuff. let's call it the "clockwise arm turn deficit". 

phenomenon 8.5.10: the clubhead will naturally face down during the backswing but will not naturally face up during the downswing. you need to deliberately turn your hands or arms clockwise to make the clubhead face and square.

 

myth 8.5.10.1: only democrats are responsible for the clockwise hand/left-arm turn deficit.

phenomenon 8.5.10 comes into play when we construct our STEEP swing. it's also the reason why i have to turn my left arm clockwise during my SHORT swing.

can i break 80 with a pure arm swing? i tried it but i wasn’t even able to break 90. what’s strange was that it was not because of lack of DISTANCE. my pure arm swing was still powerful enough to reach all the greens in regulation from the blue tees in my home course. the problem was my shots were too INCONSISTENT. if i can’t hit consistent shots with a pure arm swing, what hope do i have when i combine the body turn and arm swing?

when i took a closer look at the video of my pure arm swing, i noticed my body was actually TURNING even if i was trying not to turn it. no wonder my shots were very inconsistent. i was ignoring a very critical factor.

phenomenon 8.6.1: if i do a full backswing with my arms, my body will turn 22 degrees even if i try not to turn my body. the gods of golf programmed my brain into believing that my body was not turning even if it was turning so they can sit back, eat pop-corn, and laugh at me score triple bogeys. 

phenomenon 8.6.2: there will always be an extra unintentional body turn whenever i do a full backswing with my arms, even if i already turned my body.

(- photos only include 45 degree body turn and 90 degree body turn

if i successfully prevent my body from turning while swinging my arms, the backswing will be too short. so the pure arm swing can only be used for SHORT DISTANCES. 

9. wrist hinge

our swing model in the “unified swing theory” section was basically a wrist swing. so there really is not much else to say about the wrist swing except its RELATION to other factors and the BIOLOGICAL characteristics of the wrist that might help us with our golf game. 

definition 9.1: static wrist - never moving your wrist. meaning you never cock, never uncock, never bow, never cup, and never turn your wrist.

a static wrist is obviously more accurate. but you might not be able to reach the greens in regulation because it has less POWER. 

definition 9.2.1: hinging - cocking your wrist during the backswing and uncocking it during the downswing. (the golf world has a more general definition)

technique 9.2.2: hinging adds power to your swing.

(- photo

definition 9.2.3: flexing - bowing your left wrist during the backswing and snapping your wrist during the downswing.

technique 9.2.4: flexing adds power to your swing.

(- photo

definition 9.2.5: arm roll - turning your left arm or forearm clockwise during the backswing and turning it counterclockwise during the downswing.

the arm roll was covered in the "ARM SWING" section (technique 8.5.7) because you can't turn your wrist without turning your left arm or forearm.

you can CHOOSE 1 or any combination of the 3 wrist power moves. the following hypotheses are based on my experience:

hypothesis 9.2.6: hinging is too difficult for an average golfer.

hypothesis 9.2.7: partially uncocking is too difficult even for the legends.

hypothesis 9.2.8: flexing is less difficult than hinging but it needs a lot of practice.

hypothesis 9.2.9:  the arm roll is easier than hinging and flexing.

even tiger and phil mickelson adheres to hypothesis 9.2.7. if you watch the slow motion of their swing, notice that during ball impact, their wrist is FULLY UNCOCKED even if they have a big pre-cock during address. so if you do hinge your wrist, it's better to always fully uncock because it's very difficult to control the uncock amount during the very fast downswing.

principle 9.3: in a swing where the clubface is squared to the aim line during address and you hit the ball with the bottom edge of the clubface squared with the aim line, if your wrist is pre-cocked during address but fully uncocked during ball impact, the clubhead will be TILTED DOWNWARD during ball impact. since the clubhead is tilted downward, the clubface will be facing right of the aim point and the ball will error right, even if the bottom edge of the clubface is squared.

(-81 photo use pvc pipe guide

in reality, golfers will make ADJUSTMENTS to the other factors to compensate. example, after years of scoring 100+, i noticed longer clubs tend to go to the right more than shorter clubs. so i aimed to the left of the target when hitting long and mid clubs and aimed towards the target when hitting short clubs. the adjustments worked but i had no clue why i needed to make such adjustments. i thought it had something to do with the swing plane verticality.

i later found out that the reason i needed to adjust my stance was because different clubs have different SHAFT-CLUBHEAD ANGLES and i was forcing a uniform spine angle and arm angle. so in order for the clubface to always be squared during address, the PRE-COCK amount had to be VARIABLE. a different pre-cock with the bottom edge of the clubface flat on the ground means a different clubhead tilt when you fully uncock. 

example, i have no pre-cock when using my pitching WEDGE. so the clubhead won’t be tilting down during ball impact because fully uncocking simply means returning to the pre-cock amount during address. on the other hand, my DRIVER needs A LOT OF PRE-COCK. which means the clubhead will be tilting down a lot (and facing right) during ball impact due to the full uncocking.

(- photo

uniform swing theory (affirmative action for people like me and michio kaku)

even with my stance alignment adjustments, i still couldn't BREAK 80. the following theory then came into my mind:

theory 9.4: if i make my swing more uniform, maybe my swing will GROOVE more and i will make less mistakes.

MUSCLE MEMORY plays a big part in grooving a golf swing. this means your swing will not groove even if the clubhead path (geometry) of your swing is uniform. it's also not enough you make the swing force direction (physics) of your swing uniform. what you need to do is make the inner workings of your muscles (biology) uniform. (history) and (math) do not need to be uniform.

just like most things in life, swing uniformity is more of a SPECTRUM than a binary (yes or no) situation.

definition 9.4.1: a wrist movement can be considered uniform only if the force direction RELATIVE to the arms is uniform.

example, even if the force direction of my UNCOCKING relative to the aim plane and relative to the ground is uniform, but sometimes it's parallel to my left arm and sometimes it's 45 degrees to my left arm, that means the inner workings of my wrist muscles are not uniform.

definition 9.4.2: an arm swing can be considered uniform only if the force direction relative to the body orientation is uniform

example, even if i'm always PUNCHING parallel to the aim plane and 45 degrees downward, if my body is sometimes turned 45 degrees and sometimes it's turned 90 degrees during the start of my punch, that means the inner workings of my shoulder muscles are not uniform.

definition 9.4.3: a body turn can be considered uniform only if the force direction relative to the spine is uniform.  

example, even if my body TURN angle is always parallel to the ground but sometimes my spine angle is 22 degrees and sometimes it's 11 degrees, that means the inner workings of my torso muscles are not uniform.

the spectrum of swing uniformity is the PERMUTATION of uniformity of the 3 main components (wrist, arms, body turn). order does not matter so i should have used the word "combination". but "permutation" sounds cooler. example, a swing that has a uniform wrist movement and uniform arm swing is more uniform than a swing with just a uniform body turn. the components can have different impacts to swing uniformity. example, a uniform body turn is less important than a uniform arm swing. moreover, the wrist movement can have varying levels of uniformity. example, a swing with uniform hinging and uniform arm roll is more uniform than a swing with just uniform flexing. 

if your clubs have different LENGTHS and SHAFT-CLUBHEAD angles, then it's not possible to have a perfectly uniform swing for all clubs. although i'm confident average golfers can still break 80 as long as they make an effort to make their swing uniform as much as possible. a-ha!!! dire straights!!! now i know why bryson dechambeau's irons have a uniform length and shaft-clubhead angle.

a uniform clubhead SWING PLANE does not mean your swing is uniform. but i think, it can psychologically contribute to consistency the same way a uniform pre-shot routine can contribute to consistency.

technique 9.4.4: adjust your arm level accordingly for each club length so you can make your clubhead swing plane uniform. you also need to have a uniform spine angle, arm angle, pre-cock amount, body turn amount, body turn angle, wrist movement, and force direction of the arms.

note that although the clubhead swing plane and force directions of your body turn, arm swing, and wrist are uniform if you follow technique 9.4.4, your swing is not really uniform because your ARM LEVEL is different for different club lengths.

why would i need different arm levels to have a uniform swing plane and force direction? that's because the swing plane angle is like the hypotenuse of a RIGHT TRIANGLE. for shorter clubs, you are nearer to the ball, which is like shortening the base. if you shorten the base, you also need to shorten the height (arm level) to maintain the hypotenuse angle (swing plane).

(- photo

technique 9.4.4 is the MOST UNIFORM swing you can possibly have if your clubs are standard (different lengths and shaft-clubhead angles). however, the shorter clubs might be too weak because of the lower arm levels. you can use a longer club and just roll the ball to the green. but if there is a hazard or bunker in front of the green, you might need more power to be able to use a higher loft club. in this case, your next best option is to make the arm level of your short clubs the same as your long clubs (uniform arm level). but the force direction of the arm swing will have to be variable.

technique 9.4.5: do technique 9.4.4 except have a uniform arm level and a variable force direction on your arm swing.

if you fully uncock during the downswing, then a UNIFORM PRE-COCK amount is necessary to have a uniform uncock amount. aside from that, a uniform pre-cock amount is also necessary to have a uniform hands swing plane.

principle 9.4.6: if your PRE-COCK amount during address is VARIABLE and your wrist is fully uncocked during ball impact, then the level of your left arm during ball impact will be variable. which means your hands swing plane will be variable.

(-82 photo

let's adjust

principle 5.13.10 implies that whether you do technique 9.4.4 or 9.4.5, the clubhead orientation during address is not uniform. this means that whether you fully uncock or keep your wrist static, the clubhead orientation during ball impact will not be uniform and your ball will go in different directions. there are 4 different workarounds for this problem:

1) variable STANCE ALIGNMENTS. this is what i do because it is the workaround that ruins the pristine distance progression of the clubs the least.

2) variable BALL POSITIONS. this is what coach raul sorino advices his students.

3) ask cobra to make you irons that have UNIFORM SHAFT-CLUBHEAD ANGLES. this is what bryson dechambeau did. although bryson’s workaround is only partial because his driver still has a different swing plane angle. 

4) variable CLUBFACE ORIENTATION.

whichever of the above workarounds you choose, you can just do TRIAL AND ERROR to determine the adjustment for each club.

here's something more methodical as a starting point for the STANCE ALIGNMENT workaround. for each club, do the following using a 1-foot pvc pipe ½ inch in diameter:

1) do a swing setup with your UNIFORM spine angle, uniform arm angle, and uniform pre-cock. i recommend a pre-cock amount that makes the shaft angle 45 degrees relative to the ground.

(-83 photo

2) square the BOTTOM EDGE of the clubface (note the clubhead may be tilting, meaning the clubface is not squared).

3) have someone hold the pvc pipe such that one end is sitting flat on the clubface, then FULLY UNCOCK your wrist. make sure the factory cut edge of the pvc pipe is the one that sits on the clubface to make sure it will be perpendicular to the clubface. 

4) the stance alignment will be the OPPOSITE of where the pvc pipe is pointing. example, if the pvcs pipe is point 6 degrees right, then the stance alignment for that club will be 6 degrees left.

(-84 photo

the putter doesn't need any adjustment because a forward/backward tilt does not affect a clubface that has NO LOFT. another reason is we normally don’t do a full swing with a putter. although the korean consul who is a member of alta vista cebu drives short par 3’s using a regular putter. this violates many principles in golf but consuls have diplomatic immunity.

your findings are just the starting point. they will most likely change as you FINE TUNE your full swing. especially if you hinge, flex, or do the arm roll. remember a rough ESTIMATION is good enough. and if you have no ambition of becoming a touring pro, you can just estimate the adjustments into groups. 

instead of the angle, you can record in your smartphone notepad how many yards to the left or right you are supposed to aim. the FORMULA is:  adjustment = tan(angle) X distance

example, with my pitching WEDGE, i aim 11 degrees to the right. tan(11) = 0.1944. so if i'm hitting 90 yards, i need to aim 0.1944 X 90 = 17 yards right of the target.

why oh why

if your clubs have uniform shaft-clubhead angles, you can have a very uniform swing (technique 9.4.4 or 9.4.5) and also have a uniform clubhead orientation during address. you don't have to bother doing any of the 4 workarounds. so why do golf equipment MANUFACTURERS make variable shaft-clubhead angles as the standard? are the golf equipment manufacturers a bunch of sadists who want to make golf more difficult? the answer stems from principle 5.14.2, which states:

“for the same backswing percentage, a shorter club is easier. however, a longer club is more powerful.”

when hitting long shots, POWER is a priority. therefore, we want to use a longer club. however, since the HEIGHT of a human being is limited, the shaft-clubhead angle will have to be flatter or else the clubhead will be tilted upward (which means the clubface will be pointing left).

this means the manufacturers did not give the DRIVER a FLAT shaft-clubhead angle so that it will have a flat swing plane. rather, the driver has a flat swing plane because the manufacturers had to give the driver a flat shaft-clubhead angle.

i don't think the flat swing plane was ever the objective of the equipment manufacturers because swing plane VERTICALITY has no effect on ball spin and distance. it can have an effect on trajectory, but only if you move the swing vertex (principle 6.8.1 and 6.8.2). 

in short yardage shots, ACCURACY is a priority. therefore, we want to use a shorter club (note i'm an advocate for having long shafts for all the clubs so you can choke up for more power and choke down for more accuracy). the question now is, why can’t they make the shaft-clubhead angle of the short clubs flat or the same as the long clubs? 

one possible reason i can think of is that a steeper swing setup angle and swing plane has more DIRECTIONAL accuracy. however, a steeper swing is also more prone to a top ball and chunk. so i don't consider this a very good reason. you might think that a steep swing has more spin, but according to principles 6.8.1 and 6.8.2, swing plane verticality has no effect on ball spin.

another possible reason is that if the shaft-clubhead angle of a short club is flat, you will need to BEND your KNEES a lot. i also don't consider this a very good reason because golfers are supposed to be athletes, not prima donnas. 

there really is NO STRONG REASON for variable shaft-clubhead angles. this explains why bryson dechambeau's irons have uniform shaft-clubhead angles.

i think the reason why bryson did not make his irons the same shaft-clubhead angle as his driver is that he will be BENDING his knees TOO MUCH when hitting short irons. especially that he is tall. maybe this becomes a factor after 4 rounds.

you might think bending your knees a lot makes you more prone to knee INJURIES. i'm not an expert, but i think it's the twisting of the knees that contributes to knee injuries, not the bending. during the course of human evolution, bending the knees is a very common activity necessary for our survival (e.g. planting).

average golfers can COMPROMISE and make the shaft-clubhead angle the MEDIAN between the driver and the lob wedge. example, the shaft-clubhead angle of my driver is 22 degrees and the shaft-clubhead angle of my 60-degree wedge is 67 degrees. so the shaft-clubhead angle should be 45 degrees.

note the length of the driver CANNOT be OPTIMALLY long if the shaft-clubhead angle is 45 degrees. even with my 5'10" height, i would still need to CHOKE down the shaft a little bit. shorter players will have to choke down more. this does not bode well for short tour players because they need to drive 300 yards in order to reach the 470-yard par 4s. if you make the shaft-clubhead angle for all your clubs flatter (e.g. 34 degrees), the tall players would have to bend their knees a lot when hitting short irons.

the million-dollar question that we just answered is related to the question why touring pros use a wider ARM ANGLE when hitting with a driver and a narrower arm angle when hitting a wedge. it also has nothing to do with swing plane verticality. it has something to do with your biological limitations.

if you make the arm angle with the driver narrower, the pre-cock amount will have to increase. the combination gives less space to fully uncock. if you are not tall enough you can only hit the ball with a PARTIAL UNCOCK, which results in a weaker swing. so it makes the swing more difficult because if you uncock too much, it results in a chunk. the clubhead will have to travel outward of the correct swing path to avoid a chunk.

if you make the arm angle with the WEDGE wider, the clubhead will TILT UP. if you turn the shaft clockwise to square the clubface, the loft will be too high, which ruins the distance progression of your clubs. you also can’t just uncock some more to prevent the clubhead from tilting up because there is a limit on how much your wrist can uncock.

in my experience, a wrist swing is much easier to CONTROL than an arm swing and body turn swing. maybe it’s because the muscles in my wrist have more neurons connected to my brain. i also exercised my wrist a lot when i was a teenager ........  i played table tennis.

technique 9.5: flex your wrist to putt the ball.

technique 8.3.5 states that slapping parallel to the ground is interchangeable with your BODY TURN. so is flexing your wrist parallel to the ground.

technique 9.5: flexing your wrist parallel to the ground is interchangeable with your body turn.

10. timing and shallowing

so far, the golf swings we've been studying were constrained to only 1 hinge. SINGLE HINGE golf swings are preferable with short distances such as chipping and putting (hinge minimization strategy). however, most people cannot reach the greens in regulation using only 1 hinge. so let's study the golf swing where MULTIPLE HINGES are involved.

consider a swing with NO WRIST movement. if i try to hit the ball with my body turn and arm swing, i will miss the ball. the clubhead will go outward of the correct swing path. i will need to aim more inward in order for me to hit the ball. it’s as if i’m trying to hit a MOVING object. but the ball is not moving!!!

but wait!!! i learned in science class that motion is RELATIVE. maybe the ball is moving relative to something. but relative to what? if i try to hit the ball with my arms without turning my body, i can hit the ball. the body turn has to be the culprit. this means the ball is moving relative to my body turn. 

principle 10.1.1: the golf ball you are trying to hit is moving relative to your body turn

we can also say that the ball we are trying to hit with our body turn is moving RELATIVE to our ARM SWING. but because our brains are wired to hit something using our arms, we can ignore that case (trust me on this because i have multiple phds).

but why is it that scratch golfers can break 80 even if they are not aware the ball is moving relative to their body turn? maybe a scratch golfer's brain NATURALLY coordinates their arm swing and body turn. let’s give a name to the SPOT we need to aim our arm swing towards in order to hit the ball:

definition 10.1.2: anticipated spot - the location where the hitter should aim when trying to hit a moving target.

in order to hit the ball, your hands need to arrive at the correct spot at the same TIME your right shoulder arrives at the correct spot. yikes!!! the speed of your body turn and speed of your arm swing needs to match or needs to be COMPATIBLE. this is scary.

science to the rescue!!! when studying something, scientists usually create a MODEL diagram that represents the real world scenario.

looking at the timing diagram, i notice that:

principle 10.2.1: your body turn speed and arm speed can be any value as long as the anticipated spot is compatible.

principle 10.2.2: for any correct anticipated spot, you can move the anticipated spot to the right and still hit the ball by also moving it higher. you can also move it to the left and still hit the ball by also moving it lower.

so maybe, we can simplify timing by finding the anticipated spot that allows us to turn as FAST as we comfortably can and swing our arms as fast as we comfortably can. this way we don’t have to worry how fast our body turn and arm swing needs to be.

it’s always good to start with the easiest option. according to principle 6.10.10, a hinge aligned swing force is the easiest. so let’s simply punch STRAIGHT DOWN. in other words, the anticipated spot is directly beneath the clubhead at the top of swing, regardless of of body turn amount (kinda like relative directories in computers).

after many attempts, the ball will always MISS the ball OUTWARD of the correct swing path if i turn my body as fast as i comfortably can. my arm swing can never catch up no matter how hard i punch straight down. 

before we proceed, let’s create a medical report on the ERROR we just encountered (i heard doctors love writing up reports because it makes them feel they are lawyers. just kidding).

principle 10.3.1: if your body turn is too fast relative to your arm speed, this contributes to the clubhead going outward from the correct swing path, which contributes to a top ball and hitting the ball with the heel of the club. if your reflex reacts by pulling inward, this contributes to error left.

principle 10.3.2: if your body turn is too slow relative to your arm speed, this contributes to the clubhead going inward from the correct swing path, which contributes to chunking and hitting the ball with the toe of the clubhead. if your reflex reacts by pushing outward to prevent chunking, this contributes to error right.

 

note my body turn angle is 22 degrees and my arm level is maximum. also, my wrist angle remains constant the entire swing. since the shortest and thus FASTEST WAY to bring down the clubhead is straight down, there is no anticipated spot that allows me to turn as fast as i comfortably can with this swing.

a-ha!!! def leppard!!! while staring at my timing model, i realized i can turn by body as fast as i comfortably can by INCREASING my body TURN amount. but when i tried it, i found out i can't increase my body turn any further because i'm not plastic man. now i understand why 50 million starved to death in maoist china even if their leaders had scientists with multiple phds at their beck and call. but when they dispersed the decision making to the uneducated farmers who had real world experiences, the famine ended. ECONOMIC MODELS do not always work in the real world.

to prevent the clubhead from going outward of the correct swing path, which factor should we ADJUST? universal law states that the priveleged should be the one to adjust. the body turn is like the priveleged race or the powerful country in a middle east conflict.

we should demonize masculinity i mean SLOW down our body TURN because the distance our right shoulder needs to travel is much shorter than the distance our hands need to travel. just like if usain bolt and i run as fast as we can but i only need to run 30 meters while usain needs to run 100 meters, i will always cross the finish line much earlier. let's call this issue, the GENDER GAP because usain bolt is like a woman who needs to work harder to receive the same pay. slowing down the body turn is like affirmative action or dropping leaflets before dropping a bomb.

technique 10.4: punch straight down as fast as you can and slow down your body turn so that your arm swing can catch up even if you have a high arm level.

technique 10.4 SIMPLIFIES timing because all i have to worry about is the speed of my body turn. punching straight down towards a spot far from the ball may seem crazy. but it is corroborated by TGM. the following are excerpts and reviews:

"The arm’s only function is to provide an up and down motion, creating force vertically downwards for impact, rather than along the inclined plane. The turning shoulders bring the clubhead to the ball, providing the “forward” motion at impact."

"If this motion sounds familiar, it’s because in recent years it has been branded the “Two Plane Swing” by the popular golfing media. Jim Hardy, the instructor who coined the term, compares the downward force of the arms as a “karate chop”. He states: “At the same time that your arms start driving down in front of the right side of your chest, you must simultaneously start to turn your entire torso, from the shoulders through the hips, counterclockwise... The key to success in the two-plane swing is keeping these two gears meshed correctly.”(6) (timing) Although the arms provide an off plane, vertical force, Mr Kelley states this method is: “...extremely effective and dynamically correct. As a matter of fact, that characteristic could be incorporated in any pattern to great advantage for three dimensional impact insurance.”(7)

"During the downswing, the golf club’s on plane motion is a result of two different forces working together. One is an outward force provided by the turning shoulders and the other is a downwards force provided by the straightening right arm.(13) With these two forces working together they keep the clubshaft on plane and provide the motion for a three dimensional impact; the clubhead moving downwards, outward and forwards through the impact interval.(14)"

my timing model shows i can TURN and punch straight down as FAST as i comfortably can by having a LOWER ARM LEVEL. but i can't reach the greens in regulation without adding difficult power moves.

before we add difficult power moves, let's see if there is anything else we can do to SIMPLIFY timing (as my director in altera corporation tim southgate used to say, “PERSEVERE!!!”). a-ha!!! pet shop boys!!! maybe if the clubhead and the ball travel in PARALLEL, timing won’t be a factor. the clubhead would always hit the ball no matter how fast or slow the body turn and arm swing travels. therefore, the golf swing would be much easier if it is represented by the following model:

note the swing plane lines in our diagrams represent the swing plane ANGLE, not the actual plane. the lines meeting each other does not mean both swing planes lie on the same plane. it just means the right shoulder swing plane and clubhead swing plane are now PARALLEL. also note that since we are assuming a static wrist, the hands swing plane angle and clubhead swing plane angle are always equal or they are parallel to each other.

as a desperate attempt to be relevant, allow me to coin a term for our STRATEGY: 

definition 10.5: parallelizing - any move that contributes to making the right SHOULDER swing plane and HANDS swing plane parallel.  

(- photo

looking at the new timing model, i noticed the right shoulder swing plane became steeper and the hands swing plane became flatter. it’s like they met HALFWAY just like sylvester stallone and his son in the movie “over the top”. 

first, let’s try to steepen our right shoulder swing plane. this is synonymous to increasing our BODY TURN ANGLE or steepening our right shoulder DIP. the following techniques should do the trick:

technique 10.5.1: steepen your spine angle so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

technique 10.5.2.1: over dip your right shoulder so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

let’s evaluate techniques 10.5.1 and 10.5.2.1 based on our priorities. let’s recall our priorities:

1) injury prevention

2) accuracy/consistency/easy to execute

3) power or ball distance

while constructing my swing, i COMPARED my original spine angle with that of tiger woods. i noticed the spine angle of tiger is 34 degrees while mine was only 11 degrees. i also noticed that the difference between the hands swing plane angle and right shoulder swing plane angle was much wider in my swing. 

in the following photo, tiger’s hands swing plane is MORE PARALLEL to his right shoulder swing plane compared to mine:

 (- video: and body turn angle spine angle comparison with tiger woods.

i adjusted my spine angle to 22 degrees and noticed my shots became more ACCURATE. however, i didn’t notice a significant difference in BALL DISTANCE. i then researched the INJURIES of the top players in the world and found no correlation between spine angle and injuries. (although there was a correlation between body turn angle and injuries.)

next, i evaluated technique 10.5.2.1. the golf world calls over dipping of the right shoulder the “SIDE BEND”. when a player does a side bend during the downswing, the body turn angle becomes steeper than the spine angle.

after lots of experiments, i found out that the side bend made my swing more ACCURATE. however, i didn’t notice a significant difference in BALL DISTANCE. 

i then compared the INJURIES between the top players who side bend and those who don’t. i found out that pretty much all players who side bend during the downswing had back problems. tiger woods had to undergo numerous back surgeries. jack nicklaus says the pain in his back is debilitating. the only top player i know who does not side bend is phil mickelson. mickelson is now 53 years old and never had any problems with his back. i am aware this is classic cherry picking but based on these facts, my gut feeling says you should not do a side bend if you have not plans to become a touring pro or kyle kulinski has not yet successfully given us medicare-for-all.

(- photo

maybe the side bend does not really improve one’s driving accuracy because mickelson won 6 majors even if he does not side bend. but when i looked at mickelson’s stats on driving accuracy, he ranked low. i also read some articles that said the reason mickelson won all those majors despite his poor driving accuracy was because he had an exceptionally good SHORT GAME. so maybe the side bend can really improve your driving accuracy.

(- screen shots

i browsed the internet to find out what other coaches have to say with regards to over dipping the right shoulder. coaches usually talk about it within the context of SHALLOWING. in this tutorial, shallowing is defined as "any move that contributes to lowering the clubhead". shallowing is a SUBSET of parallelizing, but it's a pretty huge subset. many shallowing moves contribute to parallelizing, but there are a few parallelizing moves that are not considered shallowing.

pretty much all coaches i came across do NOT RECOMMEND over dipping the right shoulder. however, they don’t give a good explanation on the reason why. maybe they agree with my observation that it makes you more susceptible to back injuries but unlike me, rfk, and joe rogan, they just want to refrain from making claims that have no scientific basis. in youtube, do the following:

search “danny maude how to shallow out golf club and hit it longer” and go to 4:42 in the video. search “alexelliottgolf the best drill i've ever seen to shallow your downswing” and go to 1:15. search “zach allen golf ben hogan, mo norman, and lee trevino's secret move exposed” and go to 2:46. search “jonathan kim-moss golf shallow the golf club” and go to 7:59. search “milo lines what nobody tells you about shallowing the golf club” and go to 1:17. search “eric cogorno golf how to shallow your downswing master class” and go to 6:39.

shallowing has been the hottest topic in golf for quite a while now. but why is it that until now, only 5% of golfers can break 80? i think it’s because the golf world believes shallowing should be done during the DOWNSWING, which is too fast for the average golfer. so for each shallowing move we discover that is supposed to be done during the downswing, let’s try to do it during SETUP or during the BACKSWING so we can inspect and make sure we are doing it correctly.

the greatest ball striker of all time, moe norman, PRE-TILTS his shoulder line during setup. this is equivalent to over dipping the right shoulder during setup. 

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technique 10.5.2.2: pre-tilt your right shoulder during setup so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

you can also pre-tilt during the backswing:

technique 10.5.2.3: pre-tilt your right shoulder during the backswing so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

shallowing your swing is analogous to staying HEALTHY. dipping your right-shoulder the correct amount during the downswing is important but over dipping can be bad. just like salt is important for our health but too much salt can be bad. 

now let’s see what we can adjust to flatten the HANDS swing PLANE. let’s imagine the hands swing plane is a downward ramp. what can we do to flatten the ramp? one thing we can do is LESSEN the HEIGHT of the ramp by lowering the high end.

 

we can LOWER the high end of the ramp with the following technique:

technique 10.5.3: lower your arm level at the top of swing so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane .

i’m pretty sure having a lower arm level does not cause INJURY. i also confirmed that a lower arm level is more ACCURATE. 

if you punch straight down, a lower arm level does not increase power because the increase in body turn speed is cancelled by the decrease in arm speed. however, if it makes your hands swing plane and right shoulder swing plane parallel and you slap horizontally, it makes your swing powerful (hypothesis 8.3.3). 

maria fassi has a very low arm level at the top of swing but her average driving distance is 292 yards. on the other hand, jim furyk has a very high arm level but his average driving distance is only 262 yards.

 

BENDING your KNEES more and increasing your arm angle also lowers the high end of the ramp. that’s because it flattens the swing setup angle, and according to principle 6.9, a clubhead swing plane angle that is closer to the swing setup angle is more powerful. you need to increase your arm angle or else bending your knees more will just shorten the swing setup length by increasing your pre-cock and/or having to choke down on the shaft. 

technique 10.5.4: bend your knees and widen your arm angle so that the optimal hands swing plane can be parallel to your right shoulder swing plane.

i’m not an expert but i don’t think bending your knees more can cause injury. i think knee injuries in golf are caused by the knee twisting, not the bending. in my experiments, technique 10.5.4 contributes to ACCURACY. this means when tiger hits the ball kneeling, he is really hitting an easier shot (albeit less powerful because he has no leverage). 10.5.4 also improves ball DISTANCE (hypothesis 8.3.3).

 

instead of decreasing the height of the ramp by lowering the higher end, we can decrease the height or flatten the slope by RAISING the lower end.

 

we can RAISE the lower end of the ramp with the following technique:

technique 10.5.5.1: fully UNCOCK your wrist during the downswing to allow your hands to remain high and help make your hands swing plane parallel to your right shoulder swing plane.

it’s obvious that fully uncocking does not cause INJURY. it’s also obvious that uncocking contributes to POWER. however, because my wrist is not strong enough to fully uncock before the clubhead hits the ball, i will need to slow down my body turn or arm swing, which cancels out the power contributed by the uncocking of my wrist. it’s also obvious uncocking during the downswing makes the swing more DIFFICULT. the decision on whether you should uncock or not depends on your talent or ability.

all touring pros are very TALENTED so they should uncock. phil mickelson, who is notorious for having more difficult shallowing moves, fully uncocks during the downswing. i know this because during setup, phil has a big pre-cock (that’s close to what she said according to the delos crew). but during ball impact, the pre-cock is gone.

(- photo phil and tiger setup pre-cock and ball impact fully uncocked.

what if your wrist is too weak to fully UNCOCK during the downswing? no problem. just fully uncock during SETUP or the BACKSWING. 

technique 10.5.5.2: fully uncock and widen your arm angle during setup 

technique 10.5.5.3: fully uncock during the backswing.

just like in bending your knees (technique 10.5.4), you should also WIDEN your ARM ANGLE to maintain the swing diameter or else you will need to choke down the shaft. the following photo comes from scratch golf academy youtube channel (search “scratch golf academy moe norman golf swing analysis” and go to 1:07 and 2:27 in the video).

notice that during ball IMPACT, ernie else’s wrist is FULLY UNCOCKED.

 

todd graves implies that fully uncocking during setup or the backswing makes the swing easier. it’s why swing robots don’t have any pre-cock (in youtube, search “todd graves the real moe norman golf swing” and go to 7:36 in the video).

 

we can also flatten the ramp by moving the higher end HORIZONTALLY to the RIGHT without raising it. this will not only flatten the ramp, it will also increase the length of the ramp. 

 

technique 10.5.6.1: bow your left wrist (or cup your right wrist) during the BACKSWING. but only if you have a neutral or weak grip.

technique 10.5.6.2: bow your left wrist (or cup your right wrist) during the DOWNSWING. but only if you have a neutral or weak grip.

bowing your left wrist does not flatten your hands swing plane, just the clubhead swing plane. so if you snap your wrist during the downswing, you negated the parallelizing effect and the move becomes a POWER MOVE.

unless you snap your wrist (which is a power move and not parallelizing), you will need to pushout to prevent TOEING. pushing out brings the clubhead higher, so you also need to either uncock or over dip your right shoulder. this means bowing makes the swing more difficult. however, i don't think bowing can cause injury. 

the advantage of bowing is that it added POWER to my swing. it makes sense because if i fully bow my left wrist during setup, the clubhead will go almost 45 degrees to the right. that’s almost the same effect as increasing the club length by 2 inches. bowing is a good option. but it requires a lot of practice.

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touring pros have lots of time to PRACTICE. so bowing can give them an advantage. no wonder why collin morikawa, dustin johnson, and jon rahm won 2 majors each. they are known for bowing their left wrist during the backswing. 5 of their majors were won in the last 4 years. this means we are in the era of “lead wrist bowing”. however, i'm not sure if they snap their wrist during the downswing or not. if they do, then it's a power move (not parallelizing).

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bowing can cause severe ERROR LEFT if you have a STRONG GRIP. continuing with our analogy, it’s like eating peanuts. peanuts are very nutritious but it can kill you if you are allergic to it. maybe the reason why many touring pros don’t bow their lead wrist is because they have a strong grip.

 

when you bow your left wrist, your INTENTION is to WIDEN your swing. but if you have a strong grip, the clubhead will go downward instead of widen. the clubhead going downward is supposed to be a good thing because it shallows your swing. but because your intention is to widen your swing, you will turn your hand counterclockwise. so now the clubface is closed, which causes error left.

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also note that bowing REDUCES the UNCOCK amount. this should be ok. a reduced uncock amount does makes your swing LESS SHALLOW. but the other shallowing moves can already make your swing very shallow. in fact, if you performed the regtests in the “instant gratification” chapter, you will be convinced that there is such a thing as OVER SHALLOWING (over prying), which contributes to chunking, toeing, and error right.

it’s obvious that bowing during the BACKSWING or top of swing is much EASIER than bowing during the DOWNSWING. however, there are some players who bow during the downswing. sungjae im, who currently has 2 pga tour wins, bows his left wrist during the downswing (search in youtube “every golf swing sungjae im golf swing sequence”).

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let’s watch some lessons in youtube that suggest bowing your left wrist. in youtube search “milo lines golf secret downswing move to shallow the club doorknob turn”. in 3:41 of the video, milo suggests a good mind trick, which is to imagine THROWING a BALL. when you throw a ball, the tendency is to cup your right wrist, which is the same as bowing your left wrist.

the following video also suggests bowing your left wrist: in youtube, search “michele low golf how to shallow the club”.

i saw some lessons that suggests you use the weight of the club and the MOMENTUM of your body movement to bow your left wrist and shallow the club. if you search in youtube “alexelliottgolf the best drill i've ever seen to shallow your downswing”, alex does not explicitly tell you to bow your left wrist. he tells you to "pull your hands in front of you". in 2:22 of the video, he tells you to feel your knuckles getting further away from your watch, which can cause your left wrist to bow.

milo line’s “doorknob turn” video suggests you SOFTEN your WRIST to allow your body movement so shallow the club, which in the video implies bowing your left wrist (go to to 6:37 in the video). they even say it’s more optimal than deliberately moving your wrist to shallow the club. i vehemently disagree. i think what they are suggesting is too difficult for an average golfer. danny maude also suggests you soften your wrist (search in youtube “danny maude how to shallow out golf club and hit it longer” and go to 5:26 in the video), 

jchown has a good lesson on bowing (in youtube search “jchowngolf how a bowed left wrist will change your game”). there are just some minor technical inaccuracies i want to point out. he says bowing will SQUARE the clubface if it’s open. it’s only true if you have a strong grip or you also turn your hands counterclockwise. however, there is a strong tendency to also turn your hands counterclockwise when you bow your left wrist. so in a way jchown is correct. 

jchown also demonstrates how bowing will bring the clubhead DOWNWARD. actually it only does that if you turned your left arm clockwise. but turning the left arm clockwise during the backswing is very common so in a way he is also correct.

bowing the left wrist causes the clubhead to face right. so does it cause ERROR RIGHT? only if you slow down your body turn. if you turn fast, the clubhead will be squared during ball impact and you will be facing more towards the target. the clubhead travels in a curve, not a straight line. so all you are doing is giving more SPACE or distance for the clubhead to travel. you can square the clubface with a wrist snap, but it just makes bowing a power move instead of a parallelizing move.

bowing your left wrist is like running on a curved or circular race track in a counterclockwise direction. if you move the starting line BACKWARD (bowing), this will cause you to face more to the right. but you won’t be facing right upon crossing the finish line. you simply increased the distance you needed to travel.

here are other ways you can move the higher end of the RAMP to the right:

technique 10.5.7.1: during the backswing, swing your left arm sideways or move your left arm closer to your body.

technique 10.5.7.2: lag your left arm during the downswing.

techniques 10.5.7.1 and 10.5.7.2 improved my ACCURACY and BALL DISTANCE. 

however, if my arm level is high (10:30 and above), moving my left arm closer to my body during the backswing causes my left shoulder to become SOAR after hitting a bucket of balls. i call it STD or Sideswing That’s Destructive (definition 8.2). my remedy for STD is to make sure there is space between my left arm and my body. gary player, who won 9 majors, calls the space between your left arm and body “POISON” (in youtube, search “mentalitygolf how to have the perfect takeaway gary player”). he is telling you to do technique 10.5.7.1, which is the opposite of my preferred technique. but it's like gary player is telling you to eat kobe beef burger instead of a big mac. 

jim furyk does not swing his arms sideways during the backswing. however, in the downswing, he LAGS his arms, which has the same shallowing effect as swinging sideways during the backswing. (search in youtube “gaspsys jim furyk super slow motion golf swing”).

former world #1 justin rose lags his arms BEHIND him at the start of the downswing. search in youtube “pga tour justin rose shares his feel vs. real swing drill”. in 0:09 of the video, he says, “i’m trying to put the club way behind me.” in 0:33, justin also says “if i put in momentum with my turn, now the club is thrown out”. this validates my recent medical report which said "TURNING your body too FAST relative to your arm speed contributes to the clubhead going OUTWARD of the correct swing path".

there’s another video where he says, “i’m feeling like my left arm is dropping down my chest as i stay closed to the target.” (search in youtube “kyle morris easiest way to shallow the shaft” and go to 4:35 in the video). in 4:48, justin also says “i have to hit the brakes ... and hence i have to time impact so much more.” and in 5:17, he says, “... so i can pivot much faster”. this validates my hypothesis that TIMING is what makes golf difficult and you need to slow down your body turn unless you parallelize or shallow your swing. 

unlike bowing your left wrist where REVERSING it during the downswing (snapping your wrist) negates the parallelizing effect, reversing techniques 10.5.7.1 and 10.5.7.2 during the downswing by swinging your left arm horizontally to launch your upper left arm off your body (moe norman's horizontal tug) does not negate the parallelizing effect. so it is both a parallelizing move and a power move. it is the 4th power accumulator in TGM (PA#4).

turning your left arm or forearm clockwise moves the higher end of the ramp to the right. but if you also roll your arm counterclockwise during the downswing, it becomes a POWER move instead of a parallelizing move. it becomes the 3rd power accumulator in TGM (PA#3). 

technique 10.5.8.1: at the start of the downswing, turn your left FOREARM clockwise to drop the clubhead behind you.

technique 10.5.8.2: at the start of the downswing, turn your left ARM clockwise to drop the clubhead behind you. 

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let’s go through the priorities. i don’t think techniques they can cause any INJURY.

turning your left arm or forearm clockwise opens up the clubhead. so if you use technique 10.5.8.1 and 10.5.8.2 as parallelizing moves, meaning you don't reverse it and roll your left arm or forearm later in the downswing, you will need to TURN your HANDS or twist your wrist to close and square the clubhead. this should also involve bowing your left wrist (definition 8.5.1). obviously, this makes the swing more DIFFICULT. 

techniques 10.5.8.1 and 10.5.8.2 can make my swing more POWERFUL if they make my hands swing plane and right shoulder swing plane parallel and i slap towards the ball (i don't punch downward). 

i noticed that turning your left arm or forearm at the start of the downswing is the most popular SHALLOWING move in youtube. however, it's actually the OPPOSITE of a shallowing move. it does bring the clubhead lower, but what happens at the top of swing is opposite of what happens at the bottom of the swing. go ahead and turn your left arm or forearm clockwise during address without bowing or cupping your wrist. notice the clubhead will go upward.

turning your left arm or forearm clockwise parallelizes your swing. so let's REVIEW the lessons in youtube. to avoid confusion, let's call it shallowing. 

some of the shallowing lessons don't tell you to specifically to turn your left arm or forearm. example, some lessons simply tell you to drop the clubhead behind you or lean the shaft behind you. it's like instructing the SIDE EFFECT of the remedy instead of the remedy. it's like telling someone to be healthy by losing weight. you could lose weight by not getting enough nutrition. similarly, you could drop the clubhead behind you by over dipping your right shoulder. as i hypothesized earlier, over dipping is not good for your back.

the lessons in youtube fail to point out a potential hazard, which is, there's a big difference between TURNING only your HANDS and turning your entire left arm or forearm (8.5.x principles). turning your hands affects only the clubhead orientation. it involves bowing or cupping your wrist. when turning your left arm or forearm, your wrist should never bow or cup. this allows it to affect both the clubhead orientation and swing path. but only if your wrist is cocked. the more your wrist is cocked, the more it affects the swing path. 

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differentiating between turning your hands and turning your left arm/forearm can prevent disaster. example, i used to have this problem where if i try to solve error right by closing the clubhead, i end up SHANKING. turns out i was opening the clubface during the backswing by turning my hands. but then i closed the clubhead during the downswing by turning my left arm. this caused the clubhead to go outward and hit the ball with the hosel. imagine, i tried to solve error right by closing the clubhead but the ball went more to the right instead. 

i haven’t found a lesson in youtube that provides a good EXPLANATION on the benefit of shallowing. i offered a better explanation in the "instant gratification" chapter.

  

let's review some specific videos. the first defendant in the nuremberg trial is michele low. in youtube, search “michele low golf how to shallow the club”. michele’s instruction is to TURN your wrist to drop the clubhead behind you. but she is not just turning her wrist. she is actually TURNING her entire LEFT ARM. during ball impact, notice her left arm is way above her right arm, which means she turned her left arm. 

 

you might be wondering, if you try to follow michele’s instruction to turn your wrist and you end up turning your HANDS instead, wouldn't this only open the clubface and not move the clubhead downward? actually, it only happens if your left wrist is not bowed or your left wrist is cupped. but michele is actually telling you to bow your left wrist. 

BOWING your left wrist forces your left arm to turn clockwise when you try to turn your hands or wrist clockwise. it can also cause your wrist to UNCOCK, but it's what we want because uncocking reverses the upward motion of the clubhead (remember turning your left arm clockwise at the top of swing actually brings the clubhead higher at the bottom of the swing).

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it is perfectly fine to use MIND TRICKS in your swing thoughts to include the SIDE EFFECT of the remedy (specific instruction) as long as you also include the actual remedy. example, michele low and meandmygolf suggests you imagine a wall behind you and you try to let the clubhead graze the wall at the start of the downswing. but that’s just the side effect of the remedy. they also give the specific instructions to achieve the side effect. meandmygolf tells you to bring your right elbow in front of you, which causes your entire LEFT ARM to TURN. (in youtube search “meandmygolf how to shallow the golf club in the downswing”)

 

beware of ambiguous instructions. i saw a lesson where the coach tells you to make your elbow “come out”. but you can make your elbows come out by simply pushing out and not turning your left arm. it’s better to say, “make your LEFT ELBOW FACE UP” (search in youtube “top speed golf use your elbows to shallow”).

some shallowing lessons tell you to make your RIGHT PALM face up while lowering your arms. this also causes your entire left arm to turn, which shallows your swing and stabilizes the clubhead. example, in youtube search “kyle morris easiest way to shallow the shaft in your downswing” and go to 4:00

it’s even better if the mind trick is also the actual remedy. the following are good mind tricks that causes you to TURN your entire LEFT ARM clockwise: turning a doorknob (in youtube search “milo lines golf secret downswing move to shallow the club doorknob turn”). turning the wheel or range basket clockwise (in youtube search “top speed golf the shallowing debate"). making your left arm go above your right arm just like in a baseball swing (in youtube, search “milo lines golf the secret move ben hogan and moe norman used for elite ball striking”).

if you go to 4:30 in the top speed golf video, the coach says shallowing is a downswing move. as you will see later, it can also be a BACKSWING move. 

with the DOORKNOB mind trick, milo lines says to make sure your right or trail wrist is cupped or else the clubhead would simply open up and your swing won’t shallow. this is the same as michele low's instruction to bow your left wrist. the difference is that milo lines tells you WHY you need to cup your right wrist.

the best shallowing lesson i watched in youtube is eric cogorno’s. he specifically tells you to turn your FOREARM (in youtube, search “eric cogorno how to shallow your downswing master class” and go to 4:25 in the video). 

unlike michele who’s entire left arm is turned at the top of swing, eric’s left arm isn’t. instead, at the top of swing, eric’s shaft is more upright. this means michele is teaching you to shallow during the backswing while eric is teaching you to shallow during the downswing. notice eric’s left arm is higher than his right arm during ball impact. which means he is turning his entire left arm during the downswing.

i also notice eric’s wrist is not fully UNCOCKED during ball impact. this means the clubhead will go outward when he turns his left arm to square the clubface, which contributes to a shank. to avoid the shank, eric just needs to punch down harder.

danny maude’s shallowing video has one of the most views even if he simply demonstrates the shallowing move in slow motion and gives ABSTRACT instructions. in youtube, search “danny maude how to shallow out golf club and hit it longer” and go to 7:17 in the video. 

as i said earlier, the reason why only 5% of golfers can break 80 even if shallowing has been the craze in the golf world for quite some time is that shallowing during the downswing is too difficult for the average golfer. if i turn my left arm or forearm clockwise during the BACKSWING instead of the downswing, golf becomes much easier because i can pause and do some inspections. although note that i reverse it by rolling my left forearm during the downswing. so i'm actually doing a power move and not a shallowing or parallelizing move.

technique 10.5.8.3: turn your left ARM clockwise during the backswing.

technique 10.5.8.4: turn your left FOREARM clockwise during the backswing.

there's not much difference between turning my entire my left arm and turning just my left forearm. if you look at my old videos, i actually used to turn my entire left arm. but when i switched to a higher arm level, my upper left arm will block my view of the ball if i turn my entire left arm. so i switched to just turning my left forearm. 

if you choose to turn your entire left arm, you can ease the strain by BENDING your left arm a little bit. contrary to popular belief, it is ok for your left arm to bend in a full swing because it naturally straightens whether you punch with your right arm or slap with your left arm. it's also ok to wear multi-colored pants.

now let’s see what the LEGENDS do. i found out phil mickelson is one of my millions of imaginary followers because he also turns his lead arm clockwise during the backswing and turns it counterclockwise during the downswing. however, some coaches in youtube saying phil's technique is not a good technique. in youtube, search "good good extra how to shallow your golf swing" and go to 1:18 in the video. 

in youtube, search “pga tour phil mickelson slo-mo swing analysis at cadillac”. notice during the backswing, the back of his lead hand is facing up and the shaft is lying backward when his lead arm is parallel to the ground. that means he turned his lead arm clockwise. during the downswing, the back of his lead hand is facing parallel to the ground and the shaft is more vertical when his lead arm is parallel to the ground. this means he turned his lead arm counterclockwise. this means phil is turning his lead arm not to shallow or parallelize, but to get more POWER.

when tiger’s left arm is parallel to the ground during the backswing, notice the back of his left hand is facing almost parallel to the ground and the shaft is slanting sideways instead of backward. this means he has not yet turned his left arm clockwise. but during the downswing, when tiger’s left arm is parallel to the ground, notice the back of his left hand is facing more upward and the shaft is more slanted backward. this means he turned his left arm clockwise. during ball impact, notice tiger's left arm is way higher than his right arm. this means he did not turn his left arm counterclockwise. this means he PARALLELIZED. to watch the video, search in youtube, “taylormade golf tiger woods slow mo driver swing”). 

 

here is a SUMMARY of the parallelizing/shallowing techniques (the following is simply a grep “^technique 10.5.*:” outpput of this book). 

technique 10.5.1: steepen your spine angle so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

technique 10.5.2.1: over dip your right shoulder so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

technique 10.5.2.2: pre-tilt your right shoulder during setup so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

technique 10.5.2.3: pre-tilt your right shoulder during the backswing so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

technique 10.5.3: lower your arm level at the top of swing so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane.

technique 10.5.4: bend your knees and widen your arm angle so that the optimal hands swing plane can be parallel to your right shoulder swing plane.

technique 10.5.5.1: fully uncock your wrist during the downswing to allow your hands to remain high and help make your hands swing plane parallel to your right shoulder swing plane.

technique 10.5.5.2: fully uncock and widen your arm angle during setup 

technique 10.5.5.3: fully uncock during the backswing.

technique 10.5.6.1: bow your left wrist (or cupping your right wrist) during the backswing. but only if you have a neutral or weak grip.

technique 10.5.6.2: bow your left wrist (or cupping your right wrist) during the downswing. but only if you have a neutral or weak grip.

technique 10.5.7.1: during the backswing, swing your left arm sideways or move your left arm closer to your body.

technique 10.5.7.2: lag your left arm during the downswing.

technique 10.5.8.1: at the start of the downswing, turn your left FOREARM clockwise to drop the clubhead behind you.

technique 10.5.8.2: at the start of the downswing, turn your left ARM clockwise to drop the clubhead behind you. 

technique 10.5.8.3: turn your left ARM clockwise during the backswing.

technique 10.5.8.4: turn your left FOREARM clockwise during the backswing.

all in all, there are 8 MAJOR ways to parallelize, and there are 17 MINOR variations. 

5 of the major parallelizing moves are also shallowing moves. these are:

1) steeper spine angle

2) over dip right shoulder

3) lower arm level

4) more knee bend + wider arm angle

5) uncocking

the 3 major PARALLELIZING moves that are not considered shallowing are:

1) bowing left wrist

2) side swing or lagging arms

3) turning left arm clockwise

if you SNAP your wrist during the downswing, it neutralizes the parallelizing effect of bowing your left wrist but it adds a lot more power to your swing.

if you TURN your left ARM counterclockwise during the downswing, it neutralizes the parallelizing effect of turning your left arm clockwise but it adds a lot more power to your swing. 

however, you should ALWAYS reverse the side swing or lagging of arms by swinging your arms horizontally (HORIZONTAL TUG). this adds power to your swing and does not neutralize the parallelizing effect.

according to chomsky, terms in golf discourse are at best not models of CLARITY. so let's make the terms clearer. the golf world should agree that shallowing should just be a verb and not an adjective. that's because all golfers have to shallow at some point or else they won't hit the ball. a better adjective for a shallow swing is a "parallelized" swing.

a PERFECTLY PARALLEL swing is not practical because it requires a static WRIST. to reach the greens in regulation, you need at least 1 of the wrist power moves. and because the clubs have variable lengths, you will need variable punch steepness, which means you will need variable body turn angles to make all your swing perfectly parallel. your swings may be perfectly parallel but they are also less UNIFORM. there are always cross disciplines happening in golf.

V. swing design, construction and maintenance

armed with a trove of principles and techniques, we can now BUILD the prototypes for our swing arsenal. we should build locally because trade tariffs have made it less profitable to outsource manufacturing. we need to follow elon musk's manufacturing efficiency strategy to make cost of labor less relevant. automation due to capitalist greed and innovation is the quickest route towards UBI and socialism utopia.

the ORDER in which we will build the prototypes will be according to how often they will be used during a typical round. i call them prototypes because you still need to tweak the final product to suit your biology and priorities.

the COMPLETE instructions for the important weapons in our arsenal are in the “instant gratification” chapter. this chapter will only show you how i built them using the knowledge in the “swing theory” chapter while taking into account my following priorities (in order of importance):

1) injury prevention

2) accuracy/consistency/easy to execute

3) power/ball distance

products usually need a maintenance and troubleshooting manual (or else your company will become very profitable just like the ice cream machine supplier for mcdonalds. yes i’m a loser i watch too many youtube videos). REGTESTS serve these purposes therefore regtests will be provided whenever appropriate. 

this chapter will add ADDITIONAL SWINGS to our arsenal that may not be important to break 80 but can come in handy if you decide to take your game to the next level.

A. putting 

1. dyslexia phenomenon

before i developed this tutorial, people were baffled why i AIMED my putt to the RIGHT. over the years, i developed a reflex where i would close the clubface during the downswing to square the clubface. but i was still 3-putting a lot. 

later, i learned to use the LINE on the BALL to align my putter. i never had any problem aligning the line correctly as long as i did it from behind the ball. it’s similar to aligning your shot in billiards, and i was a pretty decent billiard player. i always wished they allow us to putt the ball using a billiard cue stick. i actually tried using a billiard cue stick to putt on the golf course, and it was so much easier.

but when i used a putter, it felt like i was in the twilight zone. even if the line on the ball is aligned correctly, the line would look like it’s pointing to the left when i view it from the putting position. so when i putt, it would feel like the ball will initially go left but then it would suddenly VEER RIGHT and travel the correct line.

luckily, i found a simple solution in the internet. it's actually a common problem. it has something to do with one of my eyes being TOO DOMINANT than the other EYE. the gods of golf programmed my brain to think i'm aiming straight even if i'm aiming right of the aim point so they can sit back, eat pop-corn, and laugh at me score triple bogeys.

the remedy is to simply BOW my HEAD DOWN as much as possible so that my line of vision will be perpendicular to the ground. it's amazing how i discovered this just recently. there is a quick way to find out if you have this dyslexia. google it. but if i were you, i won't bother. just bow your head down as much as possible, whether you have this dyslexia or not.

there is a phenomenon called "the yips" in the golf world where you SELF INTERFERE in the middle of the putt. i think it’s caused by dyslexia or false perceptions because ever since i started bowing my head down my yips went away.

2. hinge minimization strategy

the more hinges you use, the more difficult a golf swing becomes. putting does not require POWER. therefore, we have the luxury to use only 1 hinge. 

 

3. practice bounce

 

with my wrist putting style, doing a practice bounce gives me the luxury to REHEARSE the feel for the amount the clubhead faces up and swerves. so in the final downswing, all i have to do is try to duplicate that feel.

4. interdependence principle and prioritization of factors strategy

 

there is no wrong or right putting style as long as the factors are COMPATIBLE with each other. some golfers use belly putters. some use their wrist, others use their arms, and others rock their shoulders.

there are many possible HINGE locations: upper body (sternum), left or right shoulder (rotator cuff), left or right elbow and left or right wrist. they are all good candidates. the only way to find out which one works best for you is to experiment. after lots of experiments, i feel my wrist is where i have the most CONTROL when putting. maybe because my wrist has more neurons or nerves connected to my brain compared to the other hinges.

theoretically, it’s easier if my wrist hinge is PERPENDICULAR to the ground because according to principle 6.10.8, the resulting swing path is functionally the same as the direction of force. 

in reality, keeping the clubhead squared and along the aim line is just as difficult as making the clubhead face up and swerve the correct amount. i decided to go with a SLANTED hinge because it's also less taxing on my back. this is an example of the prioritization of factors strategy. 

following strategy 4.3, we need to choose a UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR. for my wrist swing, let’s make the swerve amount as the universal adaptor and make everything else fascist dictator instructions.

5. swing setup

 

even if my wrist is slanted, it's still too vertical for the shaft tilt on a standard putter. this causes the BOTTOM of the putter to NOT be lying FLAT. it looks worrisome. but according to principle 5.13.2, it's actually OK as long as your putter has no loft. the putter industrial complex does not make putters with perpendicular shaft-clubhead angles because they want to promote war.

there are some tips in the internet that suggests you keep your EYES directly ABOVE the BALL when putting. after lots of experiments, i think there is no difference. all i'm sure about is i need to bow down my head so that my line of vision is perpendicular to the ground.

6. unified swing theory

putting and billiards share similar principles. billiard players practice bounce to groove the end of the cue stick along the aim line. ideally, the objective is to hit the point on the ball that is along the aim line. in this tutorial, this point is called the CONTACT point. in billiards, if you shoot the ball directly to the hole WITHOUT the CUE BALL, it's super easy. putting also doesn’t require a cue ball. so why is it more difficult? our unified swing theory principles can explain why. 

if the downswing path is the same as that of the backswing path, then the cue stick or putter would always hit the contact point. a backswing in putting that is along the aim line is like a STRAIGHT shot in billiards. a backswing in putting that is inward from the aim line is like an ANGLED shot in billiards. as long as you hit the contact point, the ball will always travel along the aim line. it does not matter at what angle the cue ball, cue stick or putter was traveling.

 

one reason why putting is more difficult is that it has a CLUBFACE ORIENTATION factor. in billiards, as long as the cue stick traces the aim line, then you will always hit the contact point. but in putting, if the clubface is not squared, then you won't hit the contact point.

in putting, if the hinge orientation is not perpendicular, then:

   

   1) the clubhead will need to open (backswing) and close (downswing).

   2) the ideal swing path is not along the aim line

   3) from top view, the swing path is a curve, not a straight line

   4) the direction of force is not the same as the resulting swing path.

 

 

SPEED control is also not a FACTOR if you just shoot a billiard ball directly into the hole. even if you hit the edge of the hole, the ball will just bounce into the hole. unlike in putting where the ball will graze over the hole if the speed is too fast. but that’s beside the point.

(- video: why a billiard cue stick is easier than a putter

7. body turn

if you putt by rocking your shoulders, having a PERPENDICULAR hinge orientation makes it easier (principles 6.6.5, 6.10.8). your body will need to be parallel to the ground in order for the hinge to be perpendicular to the ground.

before michelle wie adhered to principles 6.6.5 and 6.10.8, her best finish in the majors was tied for 35th. after she adhered to these principles, she WON the US OPEN. so it baffles me why some experts in the golf world ridiculed her. this is another indication that the golf world has not yet established a strong THEORETICAL FOUNDATION. annika sorenstam did defended her but only on philosophical grounds, not on technical grounds.

 

(https://www.sbnation.com/golf/2013/6/21/4449372/michelle-wie-annika-sorenstam-us-womens-open-2013).

(ian poulter is english. ians are grammar and capitalization rules rebels.)

if only i'm young enough, i would follow michelle wie's putting style (PRIORITIZATION of factors strategy).

8. arm swing

 

if you use your arms to putt, the hinge would be the left shoulder rotator cuff. it’s a ball joint type of hinge.

you can have a PERPENDICULAR hinge orientation by making your UPPER LEFT ARM perpendicular to the ground. this gives you the luxury to simply trace the aim line and keep the clubface horizontally squared. there really is no need to do what bryson dechambeau does where he makes the shaft almost perpendicular to the ground. dechambeau is not the scientist. i am the scientist.

 

9. wrist swing

i chose the wrist hinge for putting because it gives me more CONTROL compared to the other hinges (technique 9.4.5). i also decided to have a more SLANTED hinge orientation to avoid back pains (prioritization of factors strategy). this means the clubhead should never travel along the aim line.

i) force direction

the gods of golf programmed my brain to be an aim line supremacist so they can sit back, eat popcorn, and laugh at me score triple bogeys. my bigotry makes me feel uncomfortable if the clubhead is not traveling along the AIM LINE. to make the clubhead travel along the aim line, i have to cock my wrist during the backswing, which means i also have to uncock it during the downswing. this makes putting more difficult. knowledge is a cure for bigotry.

so what should be the swing force direction? it's simple. just flex your wrist parallel to the aim line and parallel to the ground during the backswing and downswing.

if your HINGE ORIENTATION is perpendicular to the ground, the clubhead will travel along the aim line. the more slanted your hinge orientation is, the more inward the clubhead will travel.

ii) clubface orientation

the gods of golf programmed my brain to be a squared clubface supremacist so they can sit back, eat popcorn, and laugh at me score triple bogeys (i apologize for diluting the term supremacist. what does it even mean tucker?). my bigotry makes me feel uncomfortable if the clubface is not SQUARED. i have to turn my hands counterclockwise to keep the clubface squared during the backswing, which means i also have to turn it clockwise during the downswing. it obviously makes putting way more difficult.

stabilizing the clubface when wrist putting is also simple: never turn your hands.

if your HINGE ORIENTATION is perpendicular to the ground, the clubface should remain squared the entire swing. note the clubface faces down or closes vertically during the backswing, but it's practically and functionally squared. especially that ball trajectory is not a factor in putting. the more slanted your hinge, the more the clubface opens horizontally during the backswing.

 

10. timing and shallowing

timing is not a factor if you are just using 1 hinge. however, there’s a fringe school of thought that recommends a flat or SHALLOW swing to cause a top spin and a more stable roll. my technique to simply flex my wrist causes the clubhead to go more upward. if i want to make the swing path flat or hover near the ground to promote a top spin, i will need to uncock my wrist during the backswing. this means i will also have to cock my wrist during the downswing. in my experiments, it’s a low upside, huge downside situation.

11. regtests

QA (quality assurance) is always important after product development. in all regtests, the intentional mistake adjustments are RELATIVE to the instructions in the “instant gratification” chapter. example, when a regtest says make the initial swing force more in-to-out, it means more-in-to out compared to the line that connects the contact point and midpoint of the swing curve. moreover, the intentional mistakes assume all other factors remain the SAME or executed according to the instructions in the “instant gratification” chapter.

the following are the regtests you need to perform REGULARLY for the wrist putting style:

• top of swing (P0) more inward (uncocking during backswing) => error right
• top of swing (P0) more outward (cocking during backswing) => error left
• clubface more open at top of swing (turning hands clockwise during the backswing) => error right
• clubface more closed at the top of swing (turning hands counterclockwise during the backswing) => error left
• initial swing force more in-to-out (P1 too outward) => error right
• initial swing force less in-to-out (P1 too inward) => error left
• not enough swerve during the downswing => error right
• swerve too much during the downswing => error left
• make the shaft angle 22 degrees slanted instead of 11 degrees => error left
• make the shaft angle 22 degrees slanted and also make the backswing 22 degrees relative to the aim line. allow the clubhead to open freely during the backswing => good putt

B. full swing

first, i need to decide if i should choose a standard set of clubs or a set with uniform SHAFT-CLUBHEAD ANGLES. the standard set is more difficult but more optimal. optimal means the driver can go farther and the wedges have more directional accuracy. i'm not planning to become a touring pro so i should prefer a set with UNIFORM shaft-clubhead angles. however, no one sells uniform shaft-clubhead angles from wedge to driver. i can have a club manufacturer make one for me but i’m not rich enough to do that.

there are IRONS with uniform shaft-clubhead angles. this is what bryson dechambeau uses. but i realized that if my clubs are not standard, i will need to bring my clubs with me every time i travel. i don't think there are rental clubs with uniform shaft-clubhead irons. so i should opt for the standard clubs.

the next decision i need to make is whether to have a UNIFORM spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount, or do what everyone else does which is to have an OPTIMAL swing SETUP. an optimal swing setup has variable spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount to accommodate the different shaft-clubhead angles. 

an OPTIMAL swing setup is more DIFFICULT but my drives can go farther and my wedges will have more directional accuracy. since i am not talented enough and i don’t have enough time to practice for me to break 80 with the optimal swing setup, i will go with the uniform spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount.

having a uniform spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount with standard clubs would require VARIABLE clubhead TILT. this means the clubface orientation during ball impact would also be variable. i enumerated the different workarounds for this in the “wrist hinge” section. i will choose the workaround where i adjust the stance alignment because it ruins distance progression the least.

next, i need to choose my uniform PRE-COCK amount. i will choose the pre-cock amount such that the shaft angle is 45 degrees relative to the ground. it's the middle ground between the 67-degree shaft angle of my 60-degree wedge and the 22-degree shaft angle of my driver.

next, i need to choose my uniform ARM ANGLE. i chose an arm angle such that my hands are a handspan away from my body because it's the easiest to measure.

next, i need to choose which of the PARALLELIZING/shallowing moves i will use. . therefore, it is time for the lightning round. are you ready skeedaddy? 

technique 10.5.1: steepen your spine angle so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane. i will steepen my spine angle from 11 degrees to 22 degrees. anything steeper than that might not be good for my back.

technique 10.5.2.1: over dip your right shoulder so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane. i went through a phase in my life where i was a copycat of the cat. so i also over dipped my right shoulder. i even tried to copy tiger’s personal life. but it gave me back aches and heart aches. (i get phantom back pains watching joaquin niemann's extreme side bend.) when i stopped copying tiger, my back aches and heartaches went away. so ixnay on this.

technique 10.5.2.2: pre-tilt your right shoulder during setup so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane. i can't choose this because i want my shoulder line to be parallel to the ground when turning my body.

technique 10.5.2.3: pre-tilt your right shoulder during the backswing so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane. i will choose this because for me, a body turn angle that is parallel to the ground is the easiest.

technique 10.5.3: lower your arm level at the top of swing so that your right shoulder swing plane can be parallel with your hands swing plane. my swing became too weak after removing some power ingredients. i had to choose between a wrist snap and a higher arm level. in my experiments, a higher arm level is the lesser evil.

technique 10.5.4: bend your knees and widen your arm angle so that the optimal hands swing plane can be parallel to your right shoulder swing plane. i will reject this because it deprives me of the luxury to easily measure my arm angle with my handspan.

UNCOCKING lessens the power in my arm roll. so i won't do any of the following:

technique 10.5.5.1: fully uncock your wrist during the downswing to allow your hands to remain high and help make your hands swing plane parallel to your right shoulder swing plane. 

technique 10.5.5.2: fully uncock and widen your arm angle during setup 

technique 10.5.5.3: fully uncock during the backswing.

BOWING my left wrist during the backswing and snapping during the downswing makes my swing very powerful. but it needs a lot of practice. so i replaced the following with a higher arm level, which requires less practice.

technique 10.5.6.1: bow your left wrist (or cupping your right wrist) during the backswing. but only if you have a neutral or weak grip.

technique 10.5.6.2: bow your left wrist (or cupping your right wrist) during the downswing. but only if you have a neutral or weak grip.

technique 10.5.7.1: during the backswing, swing your left arm sideways or move your left arm closer to your body. this gives me STD.

technique 10.5.7.2: lag your left arm during the downswing. i will choose this because it's a very good power move and parallelizing move.

i will reject the following because they CONFLICT with my arm roll power move. 

technique 10.5.8.1: at the start of the downswing, turn your left FOREARM clockwise to drop the clubhead behind you.

technique 10.5.8.2: at the start of the downswing, turn your left ARM clockwise to drop the clubhead behind you. 

technique 10.5.8.3: turn your left ARM clockwise during the backswing. i can't use this because my upper left arm will cover my eyes if i have a high arm level.

technique 10.5.8.4: turn your left FOREARM clockwise during the backswing. i will choose this. but not to parallelize or shallow but to add power to my swing.

next, i need to decide between the following backswing options:

1) lift arms before turning the body

2) turn the body then lift arms

3) lift arms and turn the body simultaneously

it’s always better to do 1 thing at a time so i should reject option 3. i should also reject option 2 because according to fauci it can cause STD. if i decider later on to make my body turn angle perpendicular to my spine, then lifting my arms straight up will cause my arms to go closer to my body. i can lift my arms at a slanted path perpendicular to my shoulder line to prevent STD. but it makes the swing unnecessarily more complicated.

 

option 1 is the best choice for me, even if it makes my swing look UGLY. matt wolff does the same and he won the 2019 3M open.

here are other REASONS why i chose option 1 even if it makes my swing look ugly:

1) for me, true pleasure in golf comes from hitting the ball with the sweet spot of the clubface and winning a grudge match. not impressing people with a beautiful swing.

2) ugly is better for me because there are already too many women chasing after me.

3) it DISTRACTS my opponent. at the first tee, my opponent will feel over confident because my swing looks like it violates all the golf principles. i just need to tie the first few holes, and my opponent will be confused and rattled.

4) it’s perfect for sandbagging and HUSTLING. example, when i drive from san francisco to los angeles, i can stop by golfing towns such as monterey, bakersfield, or santa barbara. hustlers will salivate when they see my funny swing. they will believe me when i say i have a 20 handicap. i just need to make sure my victim is not a mobster. especially in vegas where i could end up in a shallow grave in the desert. although this scheme will not work if this tutorial becomes popular.

5) it’s my way of BRANDING my swing and barrio golf disciples. people can quickly identify which players are barrio golfers so they can easily notice the pattern or statistics and be convinced that my pre-shallowed swing style really is more suitable for average golfers.

to prevent std during a full swing, i ANCHOR my left arm to my left cheek. because even if i lift my arms perpendicular to my shoulder line, there will still be a tendency to sideswing my left arm as the clubhead travels along the UPPER RIVER. the tendency is caused by the subconscious desire to have a longer swing for more power.

in fact, in the ORTHODOX swing, the upper river of the backswing is formed by water erosion i mean the extra upper body turn and the sideward swing of the arms after the waterfall.

because i don’t have good hand-eye coordination, i need to inspect my shallowing and power moves to make sure i’m doing them correctly. the only way to do this is to PAUSE at the top of swing. but pausing at the top of swing will deprive me of the spring like momentum for consistent and maximum swing length. no problem. i just need to pause NEAR the top of swing and do a PRACTICE BOUNCE.

now let's construct our downswing. we have 2 choices: 1) punch straight down (HINGE-ALIGNED) so that all we have to worry about is the speed of our body turn (technique 10.4), or 2) PARALLELIZE so we can turn as fast as we comfortably can. after lots of experiments, i noticed option 2 is better.

to be honest, i was able to break 80 with technique 10.4. you might be tempted to just follow this technique because it's simpler or it has less instructions. but just because i can break 80 with technique 10.4, it does not mean my parallelizing and "golf on rails" techniques are just garbage. it's possible i'm like a 7'6" yao ming who can dunk without having to jump very high. it does not mean the instruction to jump as high as you can is just garbage because not everyone is 7'6" tall. similarly, maybe the reason i can break 80 with technique 10.4 is because i really am TALENTED. or i have been practicing a lot for many years like ling ling of 2set violin.

the last stage in swing development is creating REGTESTS agile swing developers even go as far as creating the regtests first, then build the swing thoughts that would make the regtests pass.

• stronger grip => error left
• weaker grip => error right
• ball position more left => error left, chunk
• ball position more right => error right, top ball
• spine angle more steep (over shallow) => chunk
• spine angle less steep => top ball
• weight moves towards ball during downswing => shank
• arm angle wider => top ball, error right, toeing
• arm angle narrower => chunk, error left, shank, heeling
• bowing left wrist => toeing, error right, chunk
• cocking => heeling, top ball, error left
• uncocking => toeing, error right, chunk
• too much arm roll => chunk, error left
• not enough arm roll => top ball, error right
• punch too steep => chunk, toeing, error right
• punch too flat => top ball, heeling, error left
• tugging too early => top ball, heeling
• tugging too late => chunk, toeing
• body turn too slow => chunk, toeing, error right
• punch too slow => top ball, heeling, error left

the ball should be teed up high. therefore, chunk means a pop-up or electrocution feeling. you can COMBINE regtests. example, if you combine all regtests that causes a pop- up, your ball will go inside the electric fan behind you. the photo below was taken in 2014 at citygolf driving range in pasig. it would be cool to one day meet the dude who shot the ball into the fan.

C. short swings

short swings are used for chipping, stingers, and punch shots. a swing can be SHORTENED by shortening the following factors:

1) arm swing

2) body turn

3) club length (choking)

let’s apply the HINGE MINIMIZATION strategy by choosing between a pure body turn swing and a pure arm swing. 

a pure ARM swing will need to be STEEP because a flat side swing with your arms will be too short if you don’t turn your body. according to principle 6.11.7, a steeper swing is more prone to a top ball and a chunk. although a flat swing is more prone to directional errors (principle 6.11.8), average golfers should fear a top ball and a chunk more than a direction error when hitting short distances. unlike long distances where a top ball can still yield a good result. there was this one time, at band camp, i topped the ball and shouted in anger. but next thing i knew the ball went in the hole for a hole in 1, and i won P2 million ($40k) worth of prizes.

 

you might think i’m not an average golfer because i scored a hole in 1. actually, there’s a bigger chance a hole in 1 will be achieved by an average golfer. although 1-on-1 a scratch golfer has a higher chance of scoring a hole in 1, only 2% are scratch golfers. therefore, group-vs-group, the higher chance per attempt by scratch golfers will be overwhelmed by the number of attempts by the average golfers. example, in a tournament with 100 players, the scratch golfers only gets 2 attempts while average golfers gets 98 attempts. 

with the pure arm swing, it’s very difficult to prevent my body from turning (phenomenon 8.6.1). with the presence of the UNINTENTIONAL body TURN, timing is now a big factor, especially if it’s a steep swing. 

therefore, i decided to TURN my BODY in a short swing. however, the body turn is not a source of power. all it does is create space for the downswing. the power source (power accumulator in TGM lingua) is the bending and straightening of my right arm. instead of deliberately turning my body during the downswing, i use my right arm to SWIVEL my left arm.

short swings are much slower. therefore, swing UNIFORMITY is less important. this means we can make the clubface squared and its bottom edge flat (NOT TILTED) for all clubs. this also means the pre-cock amount and swing plane will have to be variable for different clubs. which is ok because we will be using the pitching wedge in a short swing most of the time anyway. it's still good to have a uniform spine angle and arm angle, although it's just optional.

i also decided to take care of the CLOCKWISE hand/left-arm turn DEFICIT by pausing midway through the backswing and turning my left arm clockwise.

let's deploy strategy 4.3 by choosing the following UNIVERSAL ADAPTORS:

1) amount of clockwise left arm turn during the backswing

2) swivel amount

here are the REGTESTS:

• tilt the clubhead forward during address => error right
• tilt the clubhead backward during address => error left
• not enough clockwise turn of left arm => error left
• turning left arm clockwise too much => error right
• P1 too low and inward => chunk
• P1 too high and outward => top ball
• deliberately turn body during final downswing => top ball
• not enough swivel => chunk, error right
• too much swivel => top ball, error left

D. chipping

my chipping swing is almost like my short swing. the difference is that when swiveling, i FLEX with my right wrist and TUG (slap) parallel to the aim plane and parallel to the ground with my left arm.

wrist chipping with a 7 iron

when chipping from the FRINGE, you can do a wrist swing with a 7 iron. since the 7 iron has a loft, the bottom edge of the clubface should be FLAT (not tilted). since the shaft angle of a 7 iron is flatter, the backswing should be more INWARD. just let the clubhead HOVER half an inch above ground during the backswing.

(- photo

make P1 the midpoint of the backswing curve. on the downswing, simply try to hit P1 with the correct SWERVE amount. the universal adaptor is the feel for the swerve amount. just keep experimenting. whenever you hit a good shot, remember the swerve amount so you can duplicate it for the rest of eternity.

(-90 photo

the following video demonstrates how my 7 iron wrist chip is perfect for provisional greens and BARRIO courses. 

video: christmas golf and thrilling barrio course rounds

E. steep swing

you only need a STEEP swing in an extreme ball-below-feet side-hill lie or when the ball is buried deep in the grass or sand. these situations are very rare. you can even just take the bogey and still break 80. so i excluded it in the “instant gratification” chapter.

the steepest swing is when your arm level is as high as you comfortably can (e.g. 12 o’clock) and your body does not turn. but according to phenomenon 8.6.1, you would spend too much effort trying to prevent your body from turning. therefore, the steepest swing is UNREALISTIC. it’s better to just allow your body to turn 22 degrees.

before the downswing, PRACTICE BOUNCE the arm swing. 

we will use a hinge aligned arm swing because it's the easiest (technique 6.10.10). so on the DOWNSWING, simply punch straight down and allow your body to turn. but do not deliberately turn your body.

(- photo

the steep swing is rarely used. so let’s just have 2 REGTESTS:

• deliberately turn your body during the downswing => hit the ball with the heel, top ball, error left.
• prevent your body from turning during the downswing => chunk/pop-up

F. uneven lies

uneven lies used to ruin my game. even if the ball was on the fairway, i would always hit a bad shot if the lie was uneven. there are 4 TYPES of uneven lies:

1) uphill lie 

2) downhill lie

3) side-hill lie, ball-above-feet

4) side-hill lie, ball-below-feet

mastering uneven lies gives an average golfer the best chance to break 80. that's because HILLY courses are usually SHORT to compensate for the difficulty. but if you master this tutorial, uneven lies become easy. so instead, short hilly courses becomes your friend.

 

make sure to practice swing on a SIMILAR SLOPE but a safe distance from the ball. if the area has interconnected plants or vines that moves the ball during your practice swing, you can get a penalty.

 

your ball won't go as far when hitting uneven lies. therefore, you need to OVERCLUB accordingly. this is something you learn through experience playing on the course. a rough estimate is all you need because you don't always have to be on the green in regulation in order to break 80. 

uphill and downhill lies are easier compared to side-hill lies. you just need to make your SHOULDER LINE PARALLEL to the SLOPE and follow the instructions in the “instant gratification” chapter (full swing, short swing, chipping).

butch harmon suggests you move the BALL POSITION forward for uphill lies and move the ball position backwards for downhill lies (https://www.golfdigest.com/story/butch-harmon-uneven-lies). i humbly disagree. you should only move the ball position if the slope is too extreme such that it's not feasible to make your shoulder line parallel to the ground. i can’t believe i’m disagreeing with someone who used to coach tiger and mickelson.

remember your GRIP orientation should be relative to your shoulder line. so if you tilt your shoulder line to make it parallel to the slope, then your grip position also needs to adjust. example, with my swing style, the back of my thumbs should always be facing perpendicular to my shoulder line. if the back of my thumbs are facing straight up even if my shoulder line is parallel to an uphill slope, this contributes to error right. if the back of my thumbs are facing straight up even if my shoulder line is parallel to a downhill slope, this contributes to error left.

extreme uphill and downhill lies:

if the slope is too EXTREME such that it’s not possible to make your shoulder line parallel to the slope, then you need to adjust the ball position. 

 

in an extreme UPHILL lie, move the ball position FORWARD to hit the ball on the upswing and to avoid hacking the ball. in an extreme DOWNHILL lie, move the ball position BACKWARD to avoid chunking.

if you move the ball position forward or backward, you also need to move the ball position a little bit INWARD. if not, you will have to change your swing path or groove to avoid hitting the ball with the TOE of the clubhead (principles 6.6.11 and 6.6.12). use the divot in the practice swing to know how much inward you should move the ball position.

 

if you adjust the ball position forward, aim your STANCE ALIGNMENT to the right to compensate for the clubhead facing left upon impact. and if you adjust the ball position backward, aim left to compensate for the clubhead facing right upon impact. principles 6.6.11 and 6.6.12 explains why.

another option is to adjust the CLUBHEAD ORIENTATION instead of adjusting your stance. just remember to turn the shaft instead of turning your hands when adjusting clubhead orientation (phenomenon 5.10.5). with my swing style, the back of your thumbs should always be facing perpendicular to your shoulder line.

here are the REGTESTS for extreme uphill and downhill lies:

• on an uphill lie, move the ball position forward, but don't adjust the stance alignment to the right => error left, hit the ball with the toe
• on a downhill lie, move the ball position backward, but don't adjust the stance alignment to the left => error right, hit the ball with the toe
• on a downhill lie, make your right shoulder parallel to the slope, but the back of your thumbs are still facing straight up instead of perpendicular to your shoulder line => error left
• on an uphill lie, make your right shoulder parallel to the slope, but the back of your thumbs are still facing straight up instead of perpendicular to your shoulder line => error right
• on an uphill lie, your shoulder line is not parallel to the slope and you don't move the ball position forward => hacking, ball goes too far
• on a downhill lie, your shoulder line is not parallel to the slope and you don't move the ball position backward => chunk

a side-hill lie is when the ball is BELOW your feet or ABOVE your feet.

when hitting side-hill lies, follow the instructions in the “instant gratification” chapter as much as possible. this means you need to adjust your knee angle, stance width, choke down, or use a longer club (e.g. use a 5 wood instead of a 7 iron and just use a short or partial swing). if the side-hill lie is too extreme (usually ball is 18 inches above or below your feet) such that you can’t use your uniform spine angle, arm angle, and pre-cock amount, use the swing we are about to construct. 

(- photo

 

the good news is extreme side-hill lies are RARE. you can just punch out or take a penalty and still break 80. this is why i excluded it in the “instant gratification” chapter.

extreme ball-above-feet:

 

if the ball is way above your feet, you don't have much choice with the SWING SETUP. you will need to have a vertical spine and a wide arm angle. you need to make your legs straight and stance width narrow. your wrist should also be fully uncocked.

 

the GRIP is the same as my other swings. however, principle 5.13.2 comes into play here bigly i mean big league. example, if i’m using a 3 iron and the ball is 2 feet above my feet, the clubface will be facing 34 degrees to the left if its bottom edge is perpendicular to the aim line. i will need to make the bottom edge open up 34 degrees for the clubface to be squared. this will make the loft of my 3 iron the same as that of a pitching wedge. you can adjust your stance alignment instead of clubhead orientation if you don't want the ball to go too high.

(- photo

don't forget your hands have a strong tendency to revert to its usual grip position during the downswing (phenomenon 5.10.5). so do not open the clubface by turning your hands. always adjust clubface by TURNING the SHAFT.

an extreme ball-above-feet side-hill lie is supposed to be easier because it’s very PARALLELIZED. there is no waterfall. it’s just a river. the arm swing plane can be parallel to the right shoulder swing plane if i keep my wrist static. timing is not a factor. i can just hit the ball directly with my arms even if my body is turning. this solves the mystery why it's difficult to hit a golf ball even if you were so good in tee ball.

anticipated_target_spot = ball if body_turn == 0 ||(waterfall == flat river && static wrist)

however, it won't be practical to have a perfectly parallelized swing. the problem with extreme ball-above-feet is that the arm swing is almost perfectly horizontal. this means the swing length is too short due to our biology (principle 8.3.2). to get more juice, i need to add a WRIST POWER move. 

i do need to add the ARM ROLL. however, because i my wrist is fully uncocked during address, i will need to fully uncock during the downswing. this means the arm roll won't have that much power (principle 8.5.6).

i need to decide between flexing (bowing and snapping) or hinging (cocking and uncocking). after some experiments, i found out HINGING works better for me. this will bring the clubhead downward relative to my arm swing. therefore, my arm swing and initial uncock direction should be such that i’m trying to hit a spot above the ball (ANTICIPATED SPOT).

be aware that it's COUNTERINTUITIVE to be uncocking above the ball instead of towards the ball. you need to trust, that turning your left arm counterclockwise brings the clubhead down. the gods of golf programmed my brain to think that i should be uncocking towards the ball so they can sit back, eat pop-corn, and laugh at me when i break the plastic drum.

how dow we determine the anticipated spot? from address, fully COCK your wrist. the location of the clubhead is the anticipated spot. 

to start the backswing, turn your left arm clockwise so that your UNCOCK DIRECTION will be parallel to the ground. then fully turn your body and swing your arms sideways (STD). 

now let's compose the PRACTICE BOUNCE (i am the mozart of practice bounce composition). do 2 practice bounces towards the anticipated spot without turning your left arm and uncocking. just maintain the fully cocked wrist. then do 2 more practice bounces where you uncock and turn your left arm counterclockwise and the clubhead stops 2 inches before the ball.

i have a tendency to swing my arms too fast and not give enough time for my left arm turn and uncocking to complete. so during the practice bounce, i need to remind myself to SLOW down my ARM swing. in other words, i should hit the ball mainly with my wrist instead of my arms. it's like in basketball where i shoot mainly with my wrist instead of my arms. since i will need to slow down my arm swing anyway, i will just slap with my left arm and exclude my right arm punch.

on the FINAL downswing, just duplicated what you rehearsed in the last 2 practice bounces.

here are the REGTESTS for extreme ball-above-feet. note that chunk also means hitting the drum or stool the ball is mounted on when practicing at home.

• make the bottom edge of the clubface squared or perpendicular to the aim line during address => error left
• arm swing and initial uncock direction towards the ball instead of the anticipated spot => chunk
• swing arms too fast => top ball, error right

butch harmon suggests to AIM right in ball-above-feet because the tendency of a flat swing is "more hand and arm rotation" and aim left in ball-below-feet because the tendency of a steep swing is less clubface rotation. i don’t know why there will be more hand and arm rotation in a flat swing and less in a steep swing. it is true that with a flatter swing, the clubface closes more during the downswing. but it is BALANCED out by being more open at the top of swing (principle 6.6.8). if the ball does error left in a flat swing, it’s probably because the player did not compensate for the UPWARD TILT of the clubhead at address. note my arguments hold even if the swing is orthodox.

actually when i was just a beginner, my tendency was to error right in ball-above-feet and error left in ball-below feet. i think the reason was that i was practicing with a 7 iron most of the time. so my MUSCLE MEMORY for the downswing was grooved to the 7 iron. when the ball was above my feet, the backswing was flatter than normal. since my downswing was grooved for the 7 iron, this caused the downswing to be steeper than the backswing, which contributed to error right (principle 6.11.9). when the ball was below my feet, my backswing was steeper than normal. since my downswing was grooved for the 7 iron, this caused the downswing to be flatter than the backswing, which contributed to error left (principle 6.11.10).

the moral of the story is that swing troubleshooting is not simple. there can be MANY FACTORS that contribute to an error. the best path to be an expert in swing pathology is via REGTESTS. 

extreme ball-below-feet:

when hitting extreme ball-below-feet, i use the STEEP SWING. 

G. draw and fade

a HOOK is when the ball curves left. a draw is a slight hook. a SLICE is when the ball curves to the right. a fade is a slight slice. 

there are times when you NEED to draw or fade. example, in hole 10 of danao course in cebu, i need to hit a 180-yard draw from the tee box. if i hit it straight, the trees will stymie my 2nd shot.

  

there are many LESSONS in the internet on how to hit draws and fades. i will comment on the one by rick shiels, which currently has 3.8 million views (in youtube, search “rick shiels golf you need to learn these golf shots”).

to hit a draw, rick suggests to swing more IN-TO-OUT by dropping your swing more to the inside during the downswing. this would be a bad idea if you are just an average golfer because your swing will have to DEVIATE from your GROOVED swing. aiming your stance to the right already provides the in-to-out swing path. there is no need to make the swing more difficult by deviating from your grooved swing. 

also, rick did not emphasize that you should adjust the clubface orientation first before gripping (although he mentioned this in another video). there is a tendency for beginners to grip first then TURN their HANDS to adjust the clubface. this can be DISASTROUS because during the downswing, there is a strong tendency for your hands to return to the position you are used to (phenomenon 5.10.5). it is ok to grip first as long as you turn the shaft and not your hands when adjusting the clubface. or just inspect your grip before starting the backswing.

another pitfall that coaches need to warn their students about when teaching draws and fades is that swing specs should be RELATIVE to the STANCE alignment or aim line, not the target line. example, if your swing thought says “slap with your left arm perpendicular to the target line”, the swing will have to deviate from your grooved swing when the stance alignment is not parallel to the target line.

also note that shaping your shots is more DIFFICULT with HIGHER LOFT clubs. example, i can never draw or fade with a club above 8 iron. you can lean the shaft forward to decrease the loft and make it easier to draw and fade, but i think it's a bad idea because you will be deviating from your swing groove.

rick shiels recommends LEANING the SHAFT forward if you want to hit a low shot. i think it’s easier to just use a lower loft club and choke down so that you don't have to deviate from your swing groove.

notice the prevailing theme here. if you don’t have very good hand-eye coordination, the correct grip is the grip you are USED TO. the correct shaft lean is the shaft lean you are used to. the correct swing path is the path you are used to. i can prove this using an extreme case. it’s not wrong to swing left-handed. but if you swing right handed, imagine switching to a left handed swing. 

armed with the knowledge of the potential PITFALLS, hitting draws and fades should be easy.

to hit a DRAW, aim your stance right of the target but square the clubface to the target. 

note that a draw not only causes the ball to curve left, it also causes the ball to go lower. so it should be called a LOW DRAW. what if you want to hit a HIGH DRAW? then use a higher loft club. but a higher loft club cannot go as far. what if you want to hit it farther? then use a 7 or 9 wood. or have uniform club lengths where all your clubs have the same length as your driver so you have the option to GRIP UP and hit it farther. note a draw that goes high is technically still a low draw because it's still low RELATIVE to the loft of the club being used. 

to hit a FADE, aim your stance left of the target but square the clubface to the target. 

note that a fade not only causes the ball to curve right, it also causes the ball to go higher. so it should be called a HIGH FADE. what if you want to hit a LOW FADE? then use a lower loft club. but a lower loft club will go farther. what if you don’t want to hit it that far. then CHOKE DOWN or have shorter backswing. note a fade that goes low is technically still a high fade because it's still high RELATIVE to the loft of the club being used (a useless observation from someone with asperger’s).

draws and fades are basically REGTESTS. record in your smartphone notepad the stance alignment adjustments required for certain fade/draw amounts.

cool!!! we can now test drive our prototypes and present them to venture capitalists.

VI. more tips

in this chapter, i will give you tips that can be a big help to your game but are NOT COMMON in the golf world. 

 

A. practice tips

eddie VAN HALEN was interviewed by guitar world magazine in 1996, and this is what he said:

"I used to sit on the edge of my bed with a six-pack of Schlitz Malt talls. My brother would go out at 7pm to party and get laid, and when he'd come back at 3am, I would still be sitting in the same place, playing guitar. I did that for years — I still do that."

i don't want to be like a snake oil salesman touting something as if it's a miracle discovery. so far, i've been sounding like a 7-foot basketball player demonstrating how EASY it is to dunk a basketball.

we all want to believe that success in business or career can happen due to a lucky idea or fateful moment where you met the right person. we tend to ignore the caveat or reality - that we still need to WORK HARD. yes, the beatles had talent. but the beatles also performed for many hours each day in hamburg for 2 years to reach their level. i enjoy playing the guitar. but i would rather kill myself than play the guitar 4 hours every day.

1. hiring a coach

if you are a beginner, you should hire a coach and try the ORTHODOX swing first. my unorthodox swing should only be a last resort for golfers who cannot break 80 despite trying hard for more than 5 years. 

a coach is important because your PERCEPTION on what is happenining in your swing can be different from reality. if you don’t have a coach, you should at least record your practice in video so you can see what is really happening. get a phone with slow motion video capability if yours doesn’t have one already. nowadays, it’s not that expensive.

 

a coach is also important when TROUBLESHOOTING. fixing an error is a catch 22 (which came first the chicken or the egg?). you can't figure out the culprit unless you're good, but you can't be good if you can't figure out the culprit. mastering this book will make you a swing doctor. but if you are just a beginner, i’m pretty sure you won’t understand most of the stuff in this book. 

2. frequency over quantity

you need to hit 300 balls a day to play in the tour. but you don’t need to hit 300 balls a day to break 80. in my experience, frequency is more important than quantity. maybe because your muscle memory is like a sponge. if you abruptly pour a glass of water on a sponge, most of the water will just bounce off and won't get ABSORBED. but if you pour little by little, it will all be absorbed. 

in my experience, hitting 20 balls in the morning and 20 balls at night every day is better than hitting 300 balls 3 times a week. the 20 balls per session only totals 280 balls a week. but your progress will be faster because the FREQUENCY is 14 times a week. the 300 balls per session totals 900 balls a week. but your progress will be slower because the frequency is only 3 times a week. 

if you have work or school, i recommend 2 practice SESSIONS a day, 30 minutes each. if you work near the driving range, or there is a hitting cage nearby (just like in japan and south korea where some rooftops of office buildings have hitting cages), you can sneak in another practice session during lunchtime. when i was working in silicon valley, some engineers practice putting in the hallways as a way to rest and refresh their brains.

3. putting

the bad news is that if you are just an average golfer, you won’t be able to break 80 unless you practice putting at least 15 minutes a day. in a golf round, nearly HALF of your STROKES will come from putting even if you are putting well. 

the good news is there is no reason why you can’t hone your putting skills at HOME. if the floor is not smooth or even, just HIT the ball HARD enough to negate any uneven or rough surface.

my target is a strip of duct tape on the WALL. the advantage of wall practice is the ball will bounce back so you won't waste time and energy retrieving the ball. i recommend you VARY the ANGLE from time to time in order to develop your ability to visualize the aim line, and you don't become dependent on the floor tile lines to line up your putt.

if the practice green is bumpy, no worries mate. you can still get good practice by hitting another golf ball instead of putting the ball in the hole. i call this the BILLIARD drill. just hit hard enough to negate the bumps.

 

be aware that PRACTICE MATS can RUIN your muscle memory if it's not perfectly level. just to be safe, never try to shoot the ball in the hole. always hit hard to negate any break. just let the ball go over the hole and bounce off the wall to hone your directional accuracy.

you might be worried that hitting the ball hard during practice will not develop your SPEED CONTROL. the good news is that in my experience, that is not really the case. it does not matter how hard you putt during practice. what matters is the number of times you putt. the more you putt, the more you develop the ability to control ball speed.

however, in order to develop your ability to JUDGE the required ball speed for a given slope and grass height (stimp rating), you do need to practice at the golf course. in this tutorial, i define DISTANCE CONTROL as one’s ability to putt the correct distance. it’s a combination of speed control and one’s ability to judge the required ball speed. another good news is that in my experience, judging ball speed is the easy part. in my observation, all golfers who play a lot will eventually develop good distance control.

hitting balls at the driving range or hitting cage can be fun and therapeutic. however, short game practice can be BORING. the good news is you can multi-task by listening to your favorite podcast or music. example, i catch up on the latest financial news or listen to my favorite history channels in youtube while practicing my short game.

i remember watching an interview with tiger where he said he sometimes practices putting in his hotel room by hitting a leg of a chair. i also saw a nike ad where the brazilian soccer team was practicing while waiting at the airport departure gate. this gave me the idea to bring my putter with me when i go backpacking around the world. i bought another putter similar to what i was using and CUT it so that it will fit in my suitcase. i provided a more sanitary alternative to beer pong and became a hero to germaphobe backpackers. oxymoron?

4. chipping

short game means chipping and putting. chipping around the green is the second most IMPORTANT SKILL in golf next to putting. just like defense win super bowls, short game is the reason why razi razon won 7 straight senior club titles in my home course alta vista cebu. if you have a very lethal short game, you don't need to be on the green on regulation to par the hole. the green would feel much bigger, and you will feel more relaxed on your approach shot

 

my father once told me that practicing CHIPPING would go a long way in IMPROVING your LONG SWING. it's probably similar to brazilian soccer players who grew up kicking a tennis ball while walking to school. or the speedball drill in boxing which amazes me how light tiny punches can improve one's boxing skill.

80% of your practice should be your short game. i learned this from coach bob pestano who used to coach my nieces. in my experience, it has a much bigger IMPACT to my improvement compared to whacking buckets of balls. and unlike full swing practice, it does not cause repetitive motion injuries.

if i'm just playing a practice round, i don't mind if the course is CROWDED and the game is very slow. i use any lull as an opportunity to do short chips on the side. it helps a lot with my distance control around the green. 

if your floor is not carpeted, you can buy a practice MAT in ebay for $40. in the philippines, you can order a small one in lazada for P500 ($10). just keep it anchored with a smudge of rugby. apply the rugby on both the floor and the mat and wait 30 mintues before setting the mat. don’t worry. rugby easily comes off with kerosene or wd-40 so your wife won’t kill you.

5. short swing

practicing your short swings in the house or hitting cage already goes a long way in improving your directional accuracy and distance control. but it would be more fun if you practice lobbing the ball to a roof.  

 

video: 10 perfect lob shots in a row

6. bunker shot

you can practice bunker shots in your hitting cage by fastening a used MOTORCYCLE TIRE on a plywood and filling it with sand. in the philippines, you can get used motorcycle tires for free at any vulcanizing shop. you can buy the sand at any construction supply store.

(- photo

if the bunker has HARDENED, you can do some quarrying with your sand wedge to soften the sand. but you need to get a quarry permit. my permit was denied when i tried to quarry clay on my property (clay is a raw material in cement production). i partnered with the barangay captain and mayor’s brother but they also got denied. i disguised it as a housing development permit but the authorities knew my intention was just to quarry.

you should also practice on a hardened bunker because some courses have hardened bunkers. record on your smartphone notepad the DISTANCE for each backswing amount.

7. side-hill lies

when practicing side-hill lies, you should PREVENT your muscle memory from GROOVING to the extremely flat and extremely steep swing planes by regularly switching between ball-above and ball-below-feet. example, i do the following in sequence (i do not practice bounce because the entire drill is practically a practice bounce. i also don't waste time determining the anticipated spot):

- 10 shots with ball 3 feet above my feet

- 3 shots with ball 3 feet below my feet

- 3 shots with ball 2 feet above my feet

- 3 shots with ball 2 feet below my feet

- 3 shots with ball 1 foot above my feet

- 3 shots with ball 1 foot below my feet

- on a flat lie, i do a full swing with a driver, a full swing with a 6 iron, and a mid swing with a pitching wedge.

 

video: side-hill lies

8. hitting cage math

in this tutorial, i keep saying error left and error right. but if you are in a hitting cage, how in the world would you know if your ball erred to the left or right? let's compute the ideal width of a TARGET in the hitting cage.

the middle of the target, edge of the target, and the ball forms a right triangle where the path of your ball is the hypotenuse (H), the distance to the target is the adjacent (A), and the distance between the target and where your ball ends up is the side opposite (O) to the angle.

here’s the formula: Tan(angle) = O(opposite)/A(adjacent). it's hard for me to forget the formula because the mnemonic is my favorite food: TOA (as in sugba TOA kilaw). let's rename A to D(Distance of your shot at the golf course) and rename O to E(Error of your shot at the golf course). let's make "d" to be the distance between you and the net inside the hitting cage and let's make e to be the error in the hitting cage. the ratio is the same regardless of distance the ball travels. therefore:  e/d = E/D, or e = (d)(E)/D

example, my hitting cage is 4 yards long. the narrow greens in my home course are 12 yards wide (E = 12/2 = 6 yards). if i’m hitting from 150 yards away, then the width of my target in the hitting cage should be: solve for e, e/4 = 6/150, e = (.04)(4) = .16 X 3 yards = .48 feet X 2 = 1 foot. this means if i hit my 4 iron inside the 1-foot wide target without the electrocution feeling, i know i hit the green.

in general, a good target width is 8.3% of the length of your hitting cage. example, if your hitting cage is 4 yards, then a good TARGET STRIP is 1-foot wide (4 yards X 0.083 X 3 feet = 1 foot). a 1-foot wide target in a 4-yard hitting cage translates to a 20-yard wide target in a 240-yard drive (4 yards is 12 feet, so just solve for X in 1 foot / 12 feet = X / 240 yards). since most fairways are more than 20 yards wide, then hitting the 1-foot wide target gives you CONFIDENCE that you hit a good drive.

 

to ESTIMATE ball DISTANCE inside the hitting cage, you can order a $200 launch monitor in ebay or lazada. you can also use the "shotvision" iphone app.

i discovered that RICE SACKS are much more durable than fishing nets. after just a few weeks, the fishing net started having holes. but rice sacks can last for months even if you use it every day. 

(- barrio golf cage 

in the early 90's, i watched a documentary on TV about 2 black kids whose family migrated from france to canada. the father was worried his kids lack physical activity and exercise during winter. so he went to the public library to research, and for some strange reason, ended up learning golf and teaching it to his kids inside their SMALL APARTMENT. he built a hitting cage in their apartment, and the kids became addicted to whacking golf balls. after 3 years, both kids competed in the world championships and became CHAMPIONS in their age group. the morale of the story is: do not underestimate the effectiveness of learning and practicing golf at home. unfortunately, i can't find the documentary in youtube.

9. barrio golf

i invented a game that allows anyone to ENJOY and MASTER the important skills of golf at home.

basketball is the number 1 sports in the philippines. but i'm sure filipinos will fall in LOVE with GOLF if they get exposed to it. as i mentioned earlier, michael jordan admitted he enjoys golf more than basketball.

 

filipinos have a better chance winning an OLYMPIC MEDAL in golf than in basketball. playing in the golf course is expensive. but you don't need to be wealthy to enjoy and master golf. it's very feasible and AFFORDABLE for the filipino masses to enjoy and master golf inside a hitting cage using rice sacks as the walls and a free iphone app to measure ball speed. i call it barrio golf. it's better than simulation golf because unlike simulation golf, barrio golf will hone your putting, chipping, bunker shot, and even side-hill shots. the following link is the blueprint of this project: https://bit.ly/barrio-golf

my golfing buddy elmo nazareno used to be the keyboardist for the MOST POPULAR local band in my hometown called 40 the band. there is even a youtube video of one of their concerts where security guards had to kick out some crazy fans trying to climb on stage. yet, ever since elmo touched a golf club, he QUIT music. all he does in his free time is play golf.

maybe, if barrio golf is authorized as an official school club in PUBLIC SCHOOLS just like the boy/girl scouts, more kids will stay away from drugs. that's because nobody ever gets benched in golf. you don't need to be good to compete. every kid always has a chance to win a tournament because of the HANDICAPPING system. their focus and passion can last a lifetime.

barrio golf might even cause the sport of golf to explode all over the world. it will BENEFIT ALL the golf mongers in the golf industrial complex, including tour players, vloggers, and equipment golf manufacturers. if an overseas filipino worker who plays barrio golf comes home to retire, they would most likely want to buy a townhouse or condo with golfing privileges. even if only 10% of barrio golfers move up the ECONOMIC LADDER, the value of the golf country club shares and stocks of golf equipment manufacturers will skyrocket. 

10. barrio course

the problem with barrio golf is you cannot develop DISTANCE control and club selection. although you can easily develop these skills by playing on the golf course, it would be nice if anyone can develop distance control regardless of financial status. fortunately, you can turn any empty field into a golf course. i call it a barrio course. the goats and cows do an excellent job as lawn mowers. the crunching sound of the cows knawing the grass is also very soothing to my soul. 

just allow improve lie so there will be less need for maintenance. to COMPENSATE for the rough greens, increase the par rating of each hole by 1. example, a par 3 becomes a par 4. so a bogey becomes a par and a par becomes a birdie

i featured some barrio courses in the “golf on rails proof of concept” VIDEO. the following photo is gochan hill, the site of one of the bloodiest battles of world war 2.

there had been 8 barrio courses in my hometown alone (ecotec/buffalo, USP, UP, gochan hill, st. benedicts, guadalupe, busay and talisay). barrio courses come and go. example, the one in talisay just got closed because the holes were just empty subdivision lots. so the tee shots had to cross over some houses. one day, a stray ball went in a house and broke a tv. the golfers offered to pitch in to pay for the tv. but the owner filed a LAW SUIT to ban golf in their subdivision and won. 

i agree safety should come first. i just want to prove that playing in a barrio course can be just as fun as a real golf course. the pleasure in golf does not come from the beauty or quality of the golf course. it comes from the dopamine rush you get after hitting the ball with the sweet spot of the clubface. it also comes from winning a grudge match. both pleasures can occur in a barrio course or inside a barrio golf cage.

i don't want to give an impression that we don't have regular golf courses. my home province cebu is just 200 by 50 km, but we have 8 regular size courses: 1. alta vista 2. cebu country club 3. club filipino 4. mactan 5. liloan 6. mercedes 7. queens island 8. badian.

B. SMART goals and strategies

after developing the techniques, the next step is to figure out the goals and strategies. just kidding. actually it should be the other way around.  

the key to success is to set SMART goals: 

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound.

what makes golf such a great game is that it's easy to set SPECIFIC goals. the most common goal in golf is to beat your handicap. you don't even have to play against anyone. you can just play with yourself and still have pleasurable and exciting moments. that didn’t come out right.

a psychologist named jordan peterson said that the feeling of progress is essential to happiness. another cool thing about golf is that your progress is very MEASURABLE. unlike other sports such as tennis and basketball where your score heavily depends on your opponent so it’s hard to measure your progress. if you win, it could just mean your opponent is weak. it does not necessarily mean you are getting better. what’s worse is that if you are too weak for your opponent, the game becomes pointless because scoring just 1 point is not even achievable. 

on the other hand, the handicapping system of golf makes it ACHIEVABLE for tiger wood's kids to beat him. they could have fun creative bets such as whoever loses will have to wash dishes after dinner.

now you might be wondering, what's the relevance of beating your 20 handicap if you are a super athlete like charles barkley who can get beaten by a skinny 11-year-old? my thesis at the beginning of this tutorial answers this question. my theory is that beating your handicap is RELEVANT because it satisfies certain instincts that used to be necessary for our survival. besides, being shocked at an 11-year old girl kicking charles barkley’s butt in golf is like being shocked that an 11-year old girl can beat him in gymnastics. power and size are not very big factors in golf.

it’s also easy to set goals in golf that are TIME-BOUND. example, you can set a goal to break 80 in 3 years. however, 95% of golfers can never break 80. that's why i wrote this book.

comparing your score to your handicap does not give you feedback on what areas of your game you need to work on. to achieve your smart goal in golf, you need to break it up into smart STRATEGIES.

if your goal is to break 80, a smart strategy is to only pay attention to your TECHNIQUE ERRORS and ignore your non-technique errors. a technique error is one that is caused by a flaw in your technique. examples are directional errors (error left, error right) and ball contact errors (top, chunk, toe, heel).

a NON-TECHNIQUE error is one that has nothing to do with your technique. an error caused by a wrong decision or judgement is considered a non-technique error. it’s usually caused by lack of course knowledge. examples are wrong club selection and wrong read on the green. poor distance control is also a non-technique error. example is when your chip or putt is too soft or too hard. they can easily be corrected through experience and practice even if you have bad technique.

errors caused by BAD LUCK or factors beyond anyone’s control are also considered non-technique errors. example is when you hit a good drive but your ball ends up on a divot in the middle of the fairway.

if you score a 75 but had 10 technique errors, you should not be happy because it means you still have a lot to work on to consistently break 80. you can score a 75 even with 10 technique errors if you also have many lucky shots. luck is not reliable. LUCK is NOT SUSTAINABLE. however, even if you score an 85 but only had 5 technique errors, you should be happy because that means you can easily break 80 with just a little practice to improve your course management and distance control.

if you should be disappointed if you score a 75 due to lots of lucky shots, does that mean setting smart strategies makes golf less fun? actually it makes golf MORE FUN because you can still feel excited with your progress even if your ball ends up in the water due to wrong club selection. you should be excited because clubhead selection can easily be learned by simply playing more rounds.

it's like CONSTRUCTING a house. you should be happy after you finish building the foundation and walls even if there is no roof yet. then after you finish the roof, you should be happy even there are no doors and windows yet.

you will be surprised to know that pga tour players are actually happy if they make 10 errors. the difference is their STANDARDS on what is considered an error are higher. they are also better at RECOVERING from an error. example, not being on the green after a 200-yard approach shot is considered an error for them. a bunker shot is almost an automatic par. they also make more birdies. so they still end up 3 under. i’m also tree under a lot.

if you are just an average golfer and you are not on the green after a 200-yard approach, you should be happy as long as you are around the green. it means you have good KNOWLEDGE on the mechanics of the swing. being on the green after a 200-yard approach is more SKILL than knowledge. 

attaining the knowledge is ACHIEVABLE. therefore, it's a smart goal. however, attaining the skills is not always achievable because it depends on your inborn ability. in fact, my ultimate goal in golf has nothing to do with my score. my ultimate goal in everything i do in life is to reach a point where i cannot progress any further due to factors beyond my control. 

example, when i was trying to dunk in basketball and there was no improvement in my vertical leap after 3 months of intensive research and training, i celebrated because i reached my ULTIMATE GOAL. back in college i had a huge crush on a girl named romina reyes. after she turned me down when i asked her out, i celebrated because i reached my ultimate goal and was finally able to get a good night's sleep. feeling sad about your lack of inborn ability is like charles barkley feeling sad that an 11-year-old girl can beat him in gymnastics. 

i’m not a defeatist. i just want to live life to the fullest. there are so MANY GOALS i want to PURSUE in life but life is too short. i really don't need to ACHIEVE my goals. i just want to enjoy pursuing them. the journey is more important.

having TALENT in something can even be a CURSE. i knew 2 super talented golfers in palm springs california named andrew perez and ki taek lee. every year they would try to qualify for the pga where they would score spectacular rounds like 4 under. but they would still come up a few strokes short. 

i offered to help andrew play in asia where he might have a better chance of qualifying for the tour. but he told me that even if he wins in asia, it would still be considered a failure for him because his GOAL is to play in the pga tour.

 

a top golfer in the philippines named lloyd jefferson go told me that arizona state coach tim mickelson (brother of phil mickelson) once commented that ki taek is more talented than jordan spieth (who was ranked #1 at that time). but there would be moments in ki taek’s game where he would undergo a mental block. the moral of the story is, our level of talent may be very different, but the level of FRUSTRATIONS we go through are pretty much the SAME.

at the beginning of this tutorial, i talked about setting a goal to consistently have NO ELECTROCUTION feeling. but that goal is not realistic because there will usually be a small amount of electrocution feeling. it's very rare to hit the ball perfectly flushed. you need to find out the electrocution threshold of tolerance by playing a practice round at the golf course. you should play alone because you would need to TEE UP the ball even on fairway shots. don't perform the experiment at the driving rage because the worn out balls and difficulty in measuring ball distance will give you poor data. 

find out the FEELING for the amount of electrocution that will only lose you 10 yards or less in ball distance. that feeling will be your threshold of tolerance. anything below the threshold can be considered a good shot, and anything above it should be considered a bad shot. 

i hear golfers setting a goal on the number of PUTTS in a game. they usually set a goal to not go over 36 putts in an 18-hole round. i think it's a meaningless goal because if you are always chipping to get on the green, then your first putt will always be short and easy. therefore, having zero 3 putts in the game is not a RELEVANT statistic.

a more useful goal would be, "FOLLOW the LINE in all putts inside 9 feet". notice i'm not worried about sinking the putt. if i follow my line and the ball does not go in because i read the green wrong, i'm happy. if i fail to follow my line, then even if the ball goes in, i should not be happy because that means there is something wrong with my technique. if i follow my line, and i still 3 putt because i hit the ball too hard or too soft, then i should be happy because distance control will naturally come with more practice. if i only pay attention to the number of putts, then i could end up FIXING something that is NOT BROKEN. 

(- video: SMART golf report card: ignore non-technique errors

C. course management tips

1. take into account the hardness of the ground

always take into account the HARDNESS of the fairways and greens. during long dry summers, your drive and approach shots can easily roll 20 yards farther than normal and cost you a lot of strokes.

2. turn a tight fairway into a par 3 green

 

there are very NARROW FAIRWAYS that golfers dread but are actually easy to par. you just need to look at it from a different perspective. these fairways are usually short par 4s or short par 5s. example is the par 5 hole #16 of my home course alta vista cebu. it's 467 yards. you need to thread a very narrow fairway off the tee box. a little to the left and you are out of bounce. a little to the right and you are in the hazard. but if you CONVERT the narrow throat into a 170-yard PAR 3 green, the hole magically become EASY. the trade-off is that instead of a 100-yard 3rd shot, you will be hitting a 150-yard 3rd shot. that’s a pretty good tradeoff.

3. layup on accelerating greens

i was playing with my buddies edgar panuncillo, dondon tobes, and ronel jabilles. in one of the par 3 holes, ronel sticks his approach shot within 6 feet from the hole while i was short of the hole. ronel had a short birdie putt, and i needed to do 30-foot uphill chip. but i actually had a much better chance of scoring a par because even if ronel taps his ball to make it go 1 only inch, the ball will ACCELERATE way past the hole leaving him with a very long 2nd putt.

 

when playing a course for the first time, always identify the accelerating greens if there are any so that you can CLUB DOWN and lay up on those greens the next time you play the course. 

if you happen to be putting downhill on an accelerating green, keep the PIN in and hope the ball hits the pin. if putting uphill, take out the pin or else the ball will bounce off it and leave you with another very long putt.

4. make the greens bigger

sometimes, i see average golfers use a wedge even if they are very near the EDGE of the GREEN. it’s better to use a putter because it’s less prone to top ball and chunk errors. the ball won’t be affected that much by the rough or bumps because it will be traveling fast as it goes over the rough and bumps.

if the ball is not too far from the green and the ball is not buried, my WRIST putting style with a 7 iron would be perfect. a 7-iron has a very LOW TRAJECTORY, which is less prone to bad kicks. my 7-iron wrist chip is also perfect for situations where the ball is “FLOATING”, meaning it’s sitting on top of a tall grass. that’s because a flatter swing has more room for error when hitting a floating ball. if the swing is steep, the location of the ball has to be the swing vertex. if the ball is a little behind the vertex, you will lose a lot of distance. that’s because in a steep swing, the clubhead will hit the ball at a downward angle (hacking). and because it’s floating, there is no hard surface beneath to squeeze and launch the ball.

 

you can PRACTICE chipping a floating ball at home by teeing up the ball with a rubber tee.

D. shaft flex, driver loft, and ball type

they say, it's the indian not the arrow. that's true, but only to a certain extent. of course golf clubs made in the 1970’s are way more difficult. if my shaft is not stiff (wink wink) and my driver loft is below 10.5 degrees, then it would be more difficult for me to hit a good shot. a regular flex shaft will significantly affect my accuracy. an 8-degree driver lessens my drive distance by 30 yards. fortunately, it's very easy to know which SHAFT FLEX and DRIVER LOFT is right for you with a quick INTERNET search. you could also experiment by trying out the clubs of your golfing buddies.

 

on the other hand, it’s also true that it's the indian not the arrow. it’s a common mistake for golfers to BLAME their bad game on their EQUIPMENT. as long as your shaft flex and driver loft is within the recommended range, as long as your clubs are one of the top 10 brands and the technology is not more than 20 years old, the problem is most likely in your technique, not your equipment. 

it’s probably not a good idea to use golf clubs that are not well known BRAND NAMES. i once bought a set of irons at a garage sale that looked just as good as the brand names. but it was significantly more difficult.

however, i think difficult clubs are better for beginners. it would be like a basketball player TRAINING with ankle weights. i recommend that barrio golfers use older clubs because they are cheaper and more difficult. if all players use the same clubs during a game, then no one will be at a disadvantage. in barrio golf, it’s practical for players to take turns using the same clubs.

if barrio golf becomes popular in the slums all over the world, it will benefit golf equipment manufacturers because those who move up the economic ladder will surely upgrade to brand names. it's the same strategy with software companies that permits anyone to freely use their software just to get mass market adoption of their product. then they make money on customers that can afford customer support.

you can google to find out which BALL TYPE (e.g. 2-piece, 3-piece, 4-piece) you should use based on your clubhead speed. if you can drive 280 yards and you use a 2-piece ball, the ball will go TOO HIGH and be affected too much by gravity and wind (if against or cross wind). so the distance will be less optimal. if you use a 4-piece ball, it will go lower and be less affected by wind and gravity.

if your drive is less than 200 yards and you use a 4-piece ball, the ball will go TOO LOW and be affected too much by ground friction (if the ground slope is flat or uphill). so the distance will be less optimal (unless the ball lands on cement just like that scene from the movie tin cup). if you use a 2-piece ball, it will go higher and be less affected by ground friction.

but for me, ball type CONSISTENCY is more important especially around the green. the correct ball type is what you are USED TO. if the ball type you are using is not what you are used to, it can cost you some strokes even if you have perfect technique and perfect distance control. 

the problem is that golf ball manufacturers seldom put the ball type LABEL on the ball. you can google or visit the manufacturer's website to find out. but it's better to test them yourself because i found some brand name balls that don't match their SPECS or label. example, i came across a 4-piece volvik that behaved like a 2-piece. according to the manufacturer's specs, the srixon z-star is a 3-piece but it behaves like a 4-piece in my test.

the best way to TEST the ball type is to do a 90-degree short swing with a high loft wedge (e.g. 60-degree wedge) into a WALL 4 yards away. after testing lots of different ball types, you can easily determine the ball type based on how high the ball goes and the deflection angle. example, for me, a 2-piece ball goes 3 feet higher than a 4-piece. the 4-piece ball deflects the wall at a steep downward angle while the 2-piece bounces off at an angle that is more parallel to the ground.

for average golfers, there really is no difference between a USED ball and a brand NEW ball as long as there are no dents and scratches. it only makes a difference if you are a touring pro.

(- video: ball type consistency is important

E. a full stomach ruins your game

if your stomach is full, your performance and FOCUS will decrease significantly because your brain and muscles will have to compete with your digestive system for energy. however, a hungry stomach will also make you weak and score double bogeys.

HEALTH is a big factor in any sports. go to https://bit.ly/mafha for my health tips.

F. locker room pep talk

the sports world is baffled at how greg popovich of the san antonio spurs and bill belichick of the new england patriots won so many championships. they didn’t recruit superstars. they just had a SYSTEM that turns average but HUMBLE and DISCIPLINED players into superstars. in contrast, kobe, shaq and lebron won most of their championships by teaming up with players who were already superstars. this book is like popovich's and belichick's system. you just need to find the humility and discipline to follow someone with no status and charisma.

i went through many years of failures and DISAPPOINTMENTS before i finally felt this book is worth publishing. it's like a microcosm of the tesla and spacex stories. for many years, the best experts in the world did not believe elon can profitably make an electric car.

if you are turned off by the NERDY methods in this book, just watch the movie “money ball”. the movie is based on a true story. in the beginning, the baseball experts were hostile towards billy bean's nerdy sabermetrics. but when the oakland A's were 10 games behind first, they gave the nerdy method a try because anyway, they had nothing to lose. the A's went on to win a record breaking 20 games in a row and even won the american league. 

the following year, the boston red sox used the nerdy method and won the world series after an 86-year drought. this prompted all major league teams to create an analytics department conducting proprietary sabermetric studies. soon after, other sports followed suit. the moral of the story is, never UNDERESTIMATE the effectiveness of nerdy methods in sports.

VII. proof of concept

july 6, 2024 is the day i finally completed the puzzle. i was class A champion in a big tournament scoring 74 gross on a very tough course.

(- photo trophy acceptance and scorecard

(- video: golf on rails proof of concept part 1

(-video: golf on rails proof of concept part 2: all my 74 strokes

just because my techniques work for me does not mean it will work for others. so the next step is the clinical TRIALS. i’m faced with a catch 22 problem. someone will only try my methods if they have been proven to work. but i can’t prove they work if no one will try them out. i notice humans are driven by money and charisma. so my PLAN is to hire vloggers with magnetic personalities to learn and promote my techniques. 

i will also sponsor barrio golf tournaments with enticing cash prizes. aside from the usual class A to C divisions, i will add a “snake swing” division. the snake swing division will have bigger PRIZES, and the rule is you can only qualify for the division if you use the snake style. sounds tyrannical, but it’s the only way to recruit jedis to join the dark side.

mike durland will create a Swing Problem Report (SPR) app that anyone can use for free. an example use case scenario is eric cogorno querying all the open sprs for his swing style. each swing style will have a name and version number. 99% of the time eric will just mark an spr as a duplicate of an already closed or resolved spr. if it’s a unique spr, eric can create a video that resolves the problem. every unique SPR should have a REGTEST or else subroto datta will get angry. eric will enter the link to the video containing the resolution and regtest instructions then mark the spr as closed. 

(for more of my knowledge bombs, click the "ian's knowledge bombs" banner at the top of this article and choose any article in the table of contents that piques your interest)