The Spin Axis Podcast

[Shindig]

I listened to the most recent episode (026 -- Stats Deep Dive with Lou Stagner) and learned that being short-sided is not as trivial as I thought;  this is something I'll have to keep in mind of course.   Then again, it's at least reassuring (if I heard correctly) that closer is still better, but there's some small distance amount at which it's better to be a bit further away and have more green to work with.  When I type it like that, it makes sense.

I also learned there's apparently a golf stats newsletter I didn't know about and need to subscribe to.

[saevel25]

Diving into the gaining distance enhances more accuracy when defining it by offline angle. 

I wonder if it is because improving distance improves the kinematic sequence and enhances athleticism. There are a few episodes on TPI where they clearly see golfers who guide the ball out there, and they are less accurate. I think it has to do with hand timing. 

Golfers can improve distance in different ways. Equipment, swing mechanics, just higher cruising speed. In most cases, I think the more you can just be an athlete, the less you need to try to sequence things up. Its probably more difficult to sequence the swing up when you swing easy. 

[Ty_Webb]

24 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Diving into the gaining distance enhances more accuracy when defining it by offline angle. 

I wonder if it is because improving distance improves the kinematic sequence and enhances athleticism. There are a few episodes on TPI where they clearly see golfers who guide the ball out there, and they are less accurate. I think it has to do with hand timing. 

Golfers can improve distance in different ways. Equipment, swing mechanics, just higher cruising speed. In most cases, I think the more you can just be an athlete, the less you need to try to sequence things up. Its probably more difficult to sequence the swing up when you swing easy. 

I haven't listened to the episode yet - planning to do that in an hour or so. That said, gaining distance as you say can be done in a number of ways. The best way to increase it significantly is to hit it more flush with a squarer face. That'll increase your distance and also increase your accuracy, making it quite a useful combination. People who did that will be a healthy portion of the people who got longer in the stats (presumably Arccos if it's Lou)

[saevel25]

8 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

I haven't listened to the episode yet - planning to do that in an hour or so. That said, gaining distance as you say can be done in a number of ways. The best way to increase it significantly is to hit it more flush with a squarer face. That'll increase your distance and also increase your accuracy, making it quite a useful combination. People who did that will be a healthy portion of the people who got longer in the stats (presumably Arccos if it's Lou)

What I am saying was, there are people who may just swing better (more centered strikes) because they swing at 95%+ than at 90% or less. They are being more athletic instead of just trying to guide it (requires more timing or compensations). 

[Ty_Webb]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

What I am saying was, there are people who may just swing better (more centered strikes) because they swing at 95%+ than at 90% or less. They are being more athletic instead of just trying to guide it (requires more timing or compensations). 

No doubt. Especially if they practice swinging at 95%+ and then try to shift it down when they "need to get one in play". That's not when you should be changing anything. I find it very challenging to hit off speed shots with my longer clubs. Timing goes haywire.

Listened to the episode now. It's interesting - Lou explicitly said he doesn't know how the people who got longer got longer, but I would imagine it's a variety of reasons. I could also easily believe that one of the things you do while speed training is experiment with different movements (probably not even consciously). When you find a movement that makes you faster, it's very possible that it's from improved sequencing or some such and that also improves your accuracy. 

Edited September 3 by Ty_Webb

[Ty_Webb]

Manzella is quite the character! Not sure either Erik or Jayson managed more than a couple of sentences the entire episode.

[iacas]

8 hours ago, Ty_Webb said:

Manzella is quite the character! Not sure either Erik or Jayson managed more than a couple of sentences the entire episode.

It won't change in part 2. 😄 

[Shindig]

I think the hosts got fewer words in during part two.  I haven't gone back to count.  The guest was very entertaining, though, so that isn't quite a complaint (I like the hosts too though!)

I'm really enjoying this podcast by the way.

[Ty_Webb]

Interesting - I thought Erik was able to get a few words in this episode. It was pretty interesting again. I quite like Manzella - I get the impression he's something of an acquired taste, but he has a lot of history and as he says himself, he has an opinion. I think he's a little aggressive on the timeline for AI, but it will be interesting to see how that pans out. It's getting better and better at what it does. I don't think it's yet at a stage where it comes up with its own opinions - more regurgitates others still, but give it time...just more than 5 years before your iphone will fix your swing for you...IMO

[saevel25]

Great episode on GAPs. I agree 100%, this needs to be consistent. It is something you have complete control over to a high level of repeatability and precision. It is such low hanging fruit as well. 

My own tendencies. 

Grip - Can get too strong. I tend to not get much grip with my left pinky, and the grip can feel like it slips more into the palm. I mess around with grip size and tap wraps. I wonder if I need to get away from a big taper. 
Stance - Use to be too far right. I noticed, for the first time ever, I was aiming too far left on the course last week. It was like 5-10 yards left of the target, not 20-30 yards right. Overcorrection. 🤣 It is getting better. 
Posture - Way better now that I stretch and work on mobility. I could tell years ago that if I tried to keep my knees less bent, get more on the balls of my feet, I felt a stretch in my calves and hamstrings. Now, I don't, and it helps. I think people might avoid that stretch feeling because it might feel unnatural. I used to be head up as well, looking too much down the bridge of my nose. I still can catch myself doing that, especially on shorter irons. I think I have average ankle mobility. I do have to use elevated heels when I squat at the gym, or I tend to fall over forward. 

I agree, if you are not practicing this then you can become lax. For about the entire first half of this season, I was just waltzing up to the ball without aiming. I still catch myself being lazing. I have to step back and actually aim. I think adding this into your practice sessions is easy. Just do it before ever rep at the range. Just make it a conscious effort on the course. 

For the tee shot, the only time you can kind of use an alignment aid (other divot or maybe something is lying on the ground). I tend to use that to help me aim. I try to imagine a straight line that I align my body to. 

[Shindig]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

I agree, if you are not practicing this then you can become lax. For about the entire first half of this season, I was just waltzing up to the ball without aiming. I still catch myself being lazing.

From late 2022 until a few months ago, I barely played (maybe two dozen rounds, total, and only four rounds in 2024).  I had my first lesson in ages (Skillest, with Erik) and grip was part of it -- mine really did get into a bad spot, and I had to (and still have to) practice the new one.  It still feels odd, but that's a good thing when adjusting (otherwise I'm probably doing the previous).  

I'm going back into the office for the first time since then and I'm tempted to take a small section of pipe, keep it in a desk drawer, and periodically take it out to practice my grip. 

[TN94z]

3 hours ago, Shindig said:

From late 2022 until a few months ago, I barely played (maybe two dozen rounds, total, and only four rounds in 2024).  I had my first lesson in ages (Skillest, with Erik) and grip was part of it -- mine really did get into a bad spot, and I had to (and still have to) practice the new one.  It still feels odd, but that's a good thing when adjusting (otherwise I'm probably doing the previous).  

I'm going back into the office for the first time since then and I'm tempted to take a small section of pipe, keep it in a desk drawer, and periodically take it out to practice my grip. 

Same here. Seems quite a few of my fundamentals had strayed and Erik had to get me back on track. It was kind of surprising how bad I had gotten off. 

[BadGateway]

Just listened to the latest episode regarding the toughest things to learn...the lateral movement/weight shift is what we got into during my last lesson and I'm definitely struggling with it. So in a sense, it feels good to see it made this list, haha.

I feel like I understand the general flow of the swing (sway back into the turn, pressure on the trail side, fall forward) but can't seem to finish it off correctly. I can never seem to get into a good spot to push off the lead foot to rotate my hips. And by the time my weight's all the way forward, I'm WAY ahead of the ball and can't get the club on it.

I'm sure it's all just figuring out the timing, but I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time this winter sequencing it suuuuuper slowly.

 

[iacas]

Once you've loaded the front leg, it begins unloading. Fast. Explosively.

[saevel25]

On 10/1/2025 at 9:03 AM, BadGateway said:

Just listened to the latest episode regarding the toughest things to learn...the lateral movement/weight shift is what we got into during my last lesson and I'm definitely struggling with it. So in a sense, it feels good to see it made this list, haha.

I feel like I understand the general flow of the swing (sway back into the turn, pressure on the trail side, fall forward) but can't seem to finish it off correctly. I can never seem to get into a good spot to push off the lead foot to rotate my hips. And by the time my weight's all the way forward, I'm WAY ahead of the ball and can't get the club on it.

I'm sure it's all just figuring out the timing, but I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time this winter sequencing it suuuuuper slowly.

 

The TPI videos on YouTube, pretty much like 90% of them, go into how early the weight shift happens and how stupidly early a golfer needs to start increasing that pressure under the lead foot. That isn't just getting the weight forward, its actively pushing against the ground. You want to have a single spike in pressure. Unlike what I do, where I have two low spikes, or a plateau of pressure. 

Some PGA Tour players do it at spot you'd think would be a detriment to the swing. If you have good backswing kinematics, you literally cannot do this early enough. 

[Ty_Webb]

50 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

The TPI videos on YouTube, pretty much like 90% of them, go into how early the weight shift happens and how stupidly early a golfer needs to start increasing that pressure under the lead foot. That isn't just getting the weight forward, its actively pushing against the ground. You want to have a single spike in pressure. Unlike what I do, where I have two low spikes, or a plateau of pressure. 

Some PGA Tour players do it at spot you'd think would be a detriment to the swing. If you have good backswing kinematics, you literally cannot do this early enough. 

It does need to go back first though right? You could set up with weight on your front foot and then just leave it there and that would be too early. I think anyway - maybe not

[saevel25]

5 minutes ago, Ty_Webb said:

It does need to go back first though right? You could set up with weight on your front foot and then just leave it there and that would be too early. I think anyway - maybe not

I did say, good backswing kinematics 😉

Like, you don't just want to immediately do it from address, but no one is going to do that, I hope. 🤣

If you make a backswing, it is in the realm of counterintuitive how early this happens. 

[GolfLug]

I enjoyed the latest episodes with Mike Granato. His unaffected style wants to make me listen to him more.

I particularly took note his mention of how 'pros' are so good at simplifying things and come across as 'effortless' but really they are going at it with everything they can summon. It's just that the efficiency of their motion is high enough to give that impression of effortlessness to the general peanut gallery of golf. I'm going to look up some more of their stuff.