I was watching Jon Rahm winning again for the 6th time since turning professional, and it was his ball striking stats that stood out at Tigers shindig in the Bahamas. In the final round, a tight battle was settled as he hit the first twelve of thirteen greens to exert maximum pressure on the field and it got me thinking how we box golfers into different compartments in terms of swing, but Rahm (he of the short backswing) is proof positive that there are many ways to swing a golf club.
Jon has been going to the Titleist Performance Institute for many years now, first attending with the Spanish Golf Federation. He has quite a short backswing and wouldn't be the most flexible golfer. He also displays quite a bowed left wrist, (ala Dustin Johnson), but about a two foot shorter backswing! The key to Jon's effectiveness is that his swing is built around his physical capabilities. He works hard with his trainer, Spencer Tatum, to amplify what he has in his swing. This video here from TPI gives a good insight into Jon's swing.
“TPI does not believe in one way to swing a club, rather in an infinite number of swing styles. But, we do believe there is one efficient way for every player to swing and it is based on what the player can physically do..”
Ok, got that! We are all different and have our own unique way of swinging the club. Next up, bear with me here, the short essay below will tell you what actually happens when you swing a golf club. Just a teensy bit different to what the YouTube version will tell you. It's grandly titled...
Don't panic, it will be short! After you read this, consign it to the "I vaguely remember someone, somewhere, saying something about that," folder on your cerebellum desktop. (It resides at the back of your brain, not the front part, that is wondering, as you read this, what is this guy chattering about?) So....
When you swing a golf club, the movements of the swing are known as, and can be tracked in, a branch of physics known as Kinematics, basically they describe how the body, club, etc. move in 3D space. Meanwhile, they are influenced by another branch of physics called Kinetics; these are the forces and torques that influence the movements of the swing. Wow, no wonder I'm finding this game difficult.
Nope, that's not the problem with learning the game, as my good friend, Luca Menci, a scientist, would say, "consider this," take a Rubik's cube and try and solve it in three planes and six degrees of motion?
Yes, it's a challenging game to learn, but not impossible, find a good teacher and give your self some time to learn it properly. You will thank yourself for it at a future date! By the way, on the off chance that you are interested in this type of nerdy golf stuff? Head over to a man I met at the Titleist Performance Institute, Dr. Phil Cheetam. What he doesn't know about the physics of the golf swing is probably not worth knowing!
So many new clients come into me with preconceived ideas about the golf swing. Why is the world full of make believe golf coaches and interior designers? What is it about these two professions that attract "experts" like they were swarming bees? Professional players will only take guidance from highly qualified and knowledgeable experts, yet amateurs will gladly take advice from Tommy, the insurance broker, Kate the vet and the best one yet, Joseph the undertaker. Why? Because they are good at golf, yes, playing it, not teaching it. The secret to being a top class coach is not what you know, it's what you do and don't tell the client, and in what order. Empathy is the cornerstone of coaching, that, and the most famous radio station in the world, Wii-FM.
If you are scratching your head here and wondering whether I have I lost all rhyme and reason, maybe that's why golf coaches in Ireland continue to struggle to attract customers. WiiFM stands for "what's in it for me?" It is a marketing gold nugget; the client only cares if you can improve him/her. Nothing else, nada, your dulcet tones? Nope, witty conversation? Nope. That's it, can you improve them and what are you prepared to do to achieve that goal?
To sum up
- Every golfer is unique and should be treated so. I regularly tell clients the complete opposite swing advice depending on their swing traits.
- The game is tough to master, try learning Grandmaster chess and you have the required benchmark, stop asking Joe for advice, if he was that talented he would be teaching you how to get the ball into a hole instead of putting you in a hole.
- Take your time and find a good teacher, plenty of them out there, give yourself time to learn, quick fixes are fleeting moments in time!
An hour to spare?
Podcast Corner!
I am a big fan of Podcasts, and I like to listen to them in the background while working on all things digital. There are some terrific ones around (if you know where to look) and I will try to guide you towards some of my favorites. This week it's our first visit to Golf WRX.com for their podcast with the always entertaining, Ryan Palmer. Click to listen here on Soundcloud. Enjoy!
Continuing our theme this week, take a look at this archive footage of two vastly different, aces.
Take a bow Fuzzy Zoeller and Scott McCarron!
Last Word
Last word this week goes to the Luca Menci, inventor of the Capto putting system.
I met Luca at a Capto teaching seminar and was impressed with his scientific knowledge of the golf swing. He has come up with a 3D system for putting that uses a theory I use a lot in teaching golf, called stacking. My version revolves around two lines in the body which I use daily, the sternum line and pelvis line. How they stack, on top of each other, throughout the swing is a crucial checkpoint for me when analyzing golf swings. While I like to see them travel together for most parts of the swing, they can, and do, move in different directions depending on swing speed and applied forces to the lead side at impact.
Luca has interestingly come up with somewhat the same theory. He uses two colored orbs inside the body, which he calls Kernels, one is blue, which represents the rotation of the body in relation to the club head of the putter, the other is green and represents the hands and shaft of the putter. How they stack (line up) throughout the putting stroke is of paramount importance to achieving a consistent stroke. The smaller the orb, the better the execution of the stroke. Poor movement creates a large orb that can also travel outside the body in extreme cases. I was astonished by how the seven handicapper came up with this unique theory for putting.
Further testing using the kernels with my Harrington Golf Academy co-founder, former European Tour Pro, Rebecca Codd, has produced excellent results in getting set up correctly at address, which solves one of the major problems I see when teaching putting. The client invariably puts the club in a different position in the stance, mostly depending on the slope of the green! To add icing to the cake, another feature of the Capto putting system, is the ability to be visually guided into the perfect set up in relation to lie, loft and shaft angle. Exciting times ahead in the putting world!
Finally, for those of you of a certain age or disposition who are wondering, "what the hell does Scooby Gucci actually mean? It means many things to many people, depending mostly on your age and experience in life. But it fits like a perfect glove here as there is no one way to get the job done. Kinetics, Kinematics and Isaac Newton rule the roost with an iron rod and depending on what body type you are, injuries, and physical limitations that life brings your way, that's your lot, my friend, when it comes to playing this great game of ours.
You see, it really is, all just Scooby Gucci!
Thank you for reading, it is much appreciated, if you are looking for a Christmas gift, this might interest you!
Enjoy your golf if you get out to play this week and talk Friday,
hopefully, the weather will behave!
Tadhg.
Tadhg Harrington is a full time, professional golf instructor, and owner of the Harrington Golf Academy, based in Dublin, Ireland. He is a graduate of the Titleist Performance Institute and Setanta College. He is the eldest brother of three-time time Major Champion, Padraig Harrington.
He succeeds, employing empathy, passion and exceptional customer service, teaching above the noise, the quick tips, and the latest fads and is truly unique in the Irish golf industry.
The Harrington Golf Academy provides long term coaching programs designed to bring sensory processing to motor learning skills. Tadhg teaches the long game at Drynam Park Golf Centre and short game at Roganstown GC. His business partner, Ex European Tour Player, Rebecca Codd, also teaches full time at Drynam Park Golf Centre.