A number of years ago Tim came in to see me about four times a year for 2 full days of lessons on the tee and playing on the course. In all my years of teaching, Tim is probably the most dedicated golfer I have ever worked with. He was a scratch player that was the ultimate student of the game. Tim always had a laundry list of questions on the swing when he showed up, which was always the first thing we addressed every session. Tim asked me about swing theory and what I felt and sensed in my muscles and movement during the swing. I can honestly say that I learned more about the swing and teaching it by answering his questions. For that, I owe him a big THANK YOU. He pushed me like no other student I have ever had and I really looked forward to his lessons and the challenges he always brought me.
Tim had his own camera and during lessons he would video tape my swing. When he went home and worked on his swing, which was just about every day after work, he would often video tape his swing and compare it to mine. Now, this was in the early 90's when there was no such thing as split screens, so Tim did the next best thing. He set up two TV/VCR systems and put his swing on one and mine on the other, and would slow motion them back and forth, analyzing and memorizing my swing to transform his like mine.
They say copying is the ultimate form of flattery. Tim paid me the ultimate compliment, because for me, watching Tim swing was like looking at myself swinging a club. He had me down pat. But there was one big problem for Tim. Despite being a carbon copy of me swinging a club, he just could not hit it as solid and straight as I did. And despite being a little taller and much stronger (he also worked out with weights diligently) and having 3 to 5 MPH more clubhead speed, Tim could not hit it longer than me and was in fact almost 1 club shorter with his irons and 10 or more yards shorter with his driver.
Tim's hitting it shorter than me also became my problem, as I was the one that had to figure out why a guy bigger and stronger than me, with more clubhead speed than me, and virtually had my swing, hit it shorter than me. This drove both of us crazy for over a year. Whatever we tried, I was always still longer.
We knew the clue or key had something to do with the fact that I basically hit it dead solid perfect (DSP) in the ninety plus percentile. Tim on the other hand almost never hit it DSP as his 90 percentile hits were out on the toe. Hitting it solid and straight is the best combo for hitting it longer as Tim was so aptly proving. He had a good swing that was faster than mine, yet his shots were shorter due to hitting it out on the toe.
Well after numerous video analyses of his swing, discussing his tempo, muscle tone, grip pressure, power level and whatever else came up I / we were out of answers. I was still hit it more solid and longer than Tim. Then I learned a valuable lesson that I think is one of the best and most effective tools of a teacher. When stumped or at a loss for an answer, go straight to the source. ASK THE STUDENT WHAT HE/SHE IS DOING OR TRYING TO DO. WHAT THEY SENSE AND FEEL THEY ARE DOING. Once they tell you, it is all out on the table. There is no more guessing or assuming they understand. You know for sure what is in their head and in the dark recesses of their brain and exactly what and how they comprehend it.
Since Tim was hitting it out on the toe there had to be a slight outside to in path. The videos even in super slow showed his path and plane to be good. I came to the conclusion the problem had to be just prior to impact, approaching the ball, where something was causing a slight move inward toward the body, pulling the club ever so little inside the aiming line causing the toe impacts. So, I asked the question that in one simple sentence turned on the light.
'Tim, in your forward swing, how much does your left hip or belt buckle slide laterally when you bump?' I asked. He answered, 'At least 4 inches after making a swing.' Bingo! A good PPGS lateral slide/bump weigh transfer will move the belt buckle laterally only 1 ' 2 inches.
To teach the bump I have a drill I call the Door Jam Drill. You stand in a door jam with your forward hip and foot (the left for right hand swingers) with your left foot around 1 inch from the wall. (Note; the foot and ankle are 1 inch away so the foot can roll over to the outside edge.) The drill is to put your right hand on your hip and push your hip so that you tap your left calf and hip into the wall. When done properly, where the left outside lateral calf and hip hit the wall, the upper torso will move slightly backwards thus behind the ball like it should be at impact. This is the lateral left shift/bump that starts the forward upswing in the proper sequence. If you hit the door jam with your shoulders you are out of sequence, staring the upper body, and likely coming over the top and swinging outside to in. Tim immediately told me that he misunderstood the Door Jam Drill in that he had his left foot 3 -4 inches away from the door jam and thus the cause of his over lateral shift/bump.
The ultimate point of the Door Jam Drill is, when done properly, the belt buckle moves only an inch or two. That's all'¦for a PPGS.
Oh yeah, Tim started hitting it more solid and straighter and from that time on I was always hitting first to the green. My days of longer than Tim were gone. Adding proof to the fact that solid and straight is great and longer!
The Surge!