November 9, 2020- by Steven E. Greer
This is the state of my swing now:
Backswing and Grip:
Thanks to Jason Carbone and Mike Adams, I don’t have to feel guilty about my preference for a strong grip. It is how my bones are made and I can now get a perfect position at the top of the swing without thinking about it.
I had the common problem of rolling the forearms to start the swing. That is because my grip was too weak and I had to do that or else my arms collided with my body.
The grip and backswing should be viewed as the same issue. The Number 1 problem in the backswing is the wrong grip that makes it impossible for the elbows and forearms to fold properly. I think even top golfers like Rory McIlroy have the wrong grip.
The Backswing Pivot:
Thanks to Jason Carbone, Mike Adams, and Chris Como’s show reminding me, I have the proper pivot over the left leg that suits my pelvis structure.
The Downswing Pivot:
I had to discover on my own how to retrace the left shoulder in the downswing. It was a “feel” breakthrough. This was huge.
Most people are like me and afraid to break through the imaginary glass wall over the ball, perpendicular to the target line. Therefore, they keep the sternum stuck to the right of the ball. One has to get that sternum (i.e. center of gravity) past the ball.
This is so crucial. Don’t visualize the hands past the ball. Just think about your center of gravity and sternum turning.
Then, I combined that with my own “chicken wing” drill of the right elbow to get a nice one-piece turn of the torso with a tight right arm against the ribs. The George Gankas G Box is a good tool to help one with the right elbow position.
In general, the difference between a decent recreational golfer and an elite pro is this movement of the tight right arm. I think Warren Bottke teaches this as well.
In Summary:
That is how I now view the key parts of the swing. A player is doomed if any one of them is wrong. A) The grip allows the first half of the backswing to happen. B) The proper pivot allows the shoulders to coil in proper position. C) Then, the right arm and left shoulder have to turn in unison to get a good downswing.