It’s nothing innovative, it’s in the spirit of, “Everyone thinks differently and so communicating the same thing in a slightly different way…”
There is a huge issue of maintaining spine angle and tush line among all golfers of all skill levels. Standing up or dipping the head in the backswing and goat humping on the downswing.
Recently, I have had success with a few people telling them to maintain a constant bend at the waist.
Just this little change in perception has helped them understand the concept better from a feel standpoint
I thought I would share that here and maybe a few of you would have a little “a-ha” if you hadn’t heard it put that way before.
A side benefit was focusing on that area of the body had them initiating the downswing there too and helped their weight shift.
Posted by Calvin on December 15, 2011 at 7:25 am
Such a simple thing and it could make all the difference.
Posted by Calvin on December 15, 2011 at 10:26 am
I’m curious. Besides yourself how many of the long drive competitors can really play the game? I mean scratch or plus handicap? Maybe Gorton?
Posted by yahoo on December 15, 2011 at 11:32 am
Maybe Sadlowski. He’s apparently making the effort.
Posted by Monte Scheinblum on December 15, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Many can play scratch level golf, but a very few can play Nationwide level golf. Gorton, Sadlowksi and Bobby Wilson. Oh yea, Joe Hajduch.
Posted by Eddie on December 15, 2011 at 11:07 am
I like that thought. For the constant spine angle – are you saying that it should remain unchanged throughout the entire swing? I understand it should remain steady at set-up, on the backswing, and then through impact. But what about in the final stages of the follow-through? Same spine angle or is it acceptable to straighten out the spine?
Posted by Monte Scheinblum on December 15, 2011 at 7:54 pm
After impact, you straighten out of it.
Posted by HoldTheLag on December 15, 2011 at 7:10 pm
So this is the great secret to golf instruction!
Have the correct thoughts you want to convey to the student.
Then, have at the ready at least 10 equivalent phrases for each thought.
I’m actually going to try this on my own!
Posted by Monte Scheinblum on December 15, 2011 at 7:51 pm
That is exactly what teaching is about.
Posted by bobs34 on December 16, 2011 at 9:47 am
This thought works for me chipping and pitching but not for the full swing. I think mostly because I can’t tell when I’ve stood up to soon or not (before or after inmpact) and if I think about maintaining a constant bend at the waiste, I get all locked up and stay bent over too long resulting in a terrible feeling and shot. Having said that, it’s very encouraging to know Monte realizes that it takes different ways of expressing something so it ‘clicks’ with the student. Most teachers, especially accomplished ones just think the student is an idiot and/or has no athleticism because they can’t do what the teacher tells them the first time…
Posted by Andrew from Addis on December 18, 2011 at 4:53 am
Very interesting – I tried this today because I have really been struggling with maintaining tilt in the last couple of weeks. Now if you think about maintaining the waist bend, it appears, for me at least, that the other plane of the spine is maintained pretty much automatically. With this thought I have been keeping my head behind the ball and swinging nicely through. Hope it lasts
Thanks as always Monte
Andrew from Addis