De-activate The Right Thumb

Dear Seth,

The No B.S. Golf Newsletter

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Golf Potpourri

by

Mac Stevenson

There's Nothing so Permanent as Change

Golf equipment and fundamentals of the swing are in a state
of continual evolution. The start of a new 2008 season is
a perfect time to think about your individual game and what
parts you think could be improved.

There's a fundamental innovation of the golf swing that is
relatively new; that's the concept of keeping the lower
body (from the waist down) almost perfectly still
throughout the swing. Don't become obsessive about staying
firm--it isn't possible to swing a golf club without some
weight shift. But this is a good idea for mature players
who no longer have the coordination and balance of their
younger days.

One of the most important and least emphasized fundamentals
of the golf swing is solid balance. Keeping a steady
balance throughout the swing is much easier to talk about,
than it is to achieve.

The proper stance and set up before you start your
backswing is vital; you should have your knees flexed
slightly and bend at the waist. And make sure your weight
is evenly distributed on both feet and keep your behind in
a position like you're about to sit down. If your weight
is too far forward--on your toes--when you begin your
backswing, you'll never recover the balance that you need
to hit solid shots.

During warm up before you tee off, swing the club slowly
and concentrate on maintaining the best balance that you
can. Then, as you gradually increase the tempo, focus on
keeping your balance as steady as possible.

By keeping your balance as solid as possible during the
swing, you will improve the tempo of your swing without
thinking about it. The swing has to be smooth in order to
maintain an even weight distribution. In other words, it
will enhance your swing tempo when you're thinking only of
balance.

On all full shots, keep your left foot solidly planted on
the ground. Don't raise your left heel like pros used to
teach; you'll get the weight shift you need without raising
your left heel. And focus on not allowing your weight to
shift laterally (swaying) to the outside of your back leg.
Keep your weight on the inside of both legs and don't allow
yourself to sway.

If your natural swing speed becomes too fast on any shot,
you'll lose your balance and mishit the shot. Everyone has
a natural tempo; you have to learn how to maintain your
balance and stay within your inherent swing speed.

It's important to keep your balance from the waist down on
tee shots with the driver. If you sway (let your weight
get to the outside of your back leg), you'll lose balance
and power on your drives.

On full iron shots, swaying is a periodic problem for
golfers of all skill levels. It's imperative to keep a
solid, balanced lower body on full iron shots; if you lose
your balance, you will either hit behind the ball or hit it
thin. A steady and smooth and slight weight shift--like a
rocking motion--will enable you to hit your full iron shots
solid and that's where power and accuracy come from.

A firm base and controlled balance is just as important--or
more so--on short shots as it is on full shots. Everyone
thinks it's simple to keep a steady stance on chip- and
pitch shots. Not so. On short pitches and chips, you
should sense a very slight weight shift in your legs and
feet, but steady balance of your lower body throughout the
shot. If you sway at all, your head will move and you'll
hit the shot thin or fat.

These same fundamentals apply to putting. Contrary to
popular belief, it's easy to get stroke-destroying body
movement on your putts. And that's fatal. Watch the pros
on TV when they putt; their lower bodies are absolutely
anchored during the putting stroke. Nothing should move
from the waist down while you're putting. If you have body
movement, your balance will be off and it will be
impossible to have a smooth putting stroke.

Practice finishing your full swing with your weight
perfectly balanced on your left foot and leg at the
completion of the shot. When you're having trouble with
your game, check lower-body balance on all shots. It's
very easy to allow unwanted movement that causes poor
balance during full- or short shots, and often you aren't
aware that you're doing it.

Working on a coordinated swing balance will improve your
game on all shots. Good balance leads to good shots.

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Comments from subscribers:
Richard, Just going to
take a moment to say thank you for your news
letters. I've been getting for some time now and
really have enjoyed them. Been of help at some
point and confusing at others. I'm left handed
which makes some things confusing and hard to
envision. keep up the good work and look forward
to your letters.
Paul

Thank you Paul, I appreciate that.

I use it on my chip shots and anything under a full shot!!!!!
George

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Richard's Quick Tip

De-activate the Right Thumb

A young friend of mine had a very strong grip. The V
formed by his right thumb and forefinger pointed to the
right thumb and forefinger pointed to the right of his
right shoulder, and his right thumb was positioned down the
top-right portion of the shaft. This thumb position caused
his entire right side to be overactive, resulting in many
hooked shots. To hit the ball straight, he had to block
the shot, dissipating clubhead speed and destroying
distance.

He solved his problems by moving his right hand to the left
so the V pointed to the right side of his neck,
repositioning his right thumb so it curled partially over
the shaft and touched the tip of his right forefinger. His
new grip allowed him to release his hands through the ball.
He can now hit more aggressively and still get improved
direction. Correcting your grip can do that for you.

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Quote:

"It is difficult to know what counts in the world.
Most of us count credits, honor, dollars. But at
the bulging center of mid-life, I am beginning to
see that the things that really matter take place
not in the boardrooms, but in the kitchens of the
world."
Gary Allen Sledge Writer

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Until next time, good golfing!

Richard C Myers

http://www.thinkandreachpar.com/
http://www.golfforleftys.com/
http://www.totalgolfdvd.com/
http://www.ourdreamrv.com/

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