"The Impact Zone" by Bobby Clampett

[hamletsdead]

That is good to hear. I too stepped up my practice to doing it everyday in the backyard. 50 yard pitch shot with a PW or GW. My yard is all torn up. Oh well.

That's funny about your yard. I do the same thing and blame it on the dogs and our inept gardener. Now it's so torn up my wife has just given up. She looks at the lawn, shakes her head, and goes shopping. I've been hitting 50 chips, 50 pitches, and 50 flop shots over the doghouse 4-5 times a week and my entire game has gotten better. The only time I hit balls at the range now is just before a round, but I may skip that and just swing a couple clubs and stretch until I loosen up. It's not like hitting 30 balls at 6:30 a.m. really loosens you up anyway.

[hamletsdead]

Got the book today and am halfway through -- is he really advocating looking four inches ahead of the ball when you swing instead of at the ball? He says aim your hands 4" ahead in your mind, but does that mean "look" there as well?

I've been looking at the back of the ball and focusing on smacking one specific quadrant like you would with a hammer. The only time I don't look at the ball is with 3 foot putts.

[iacas]

Got the book today and am halfway through -- is he really advocating looking four inches ahead of the ball when you swing instead of at the ball? He says aim your hands 4" ahead in your mind, but does that mean "look" there as well?

I think that he says that for some people, looking 4" ahead of the ball works really well. You have to experiment to see if it works for you.

4" is not so far away that your body doesn't know where the golf ball is. I think if you try it you'll surprise yourself with how well you'll continue to hit the ball. Might even be an improvement.

[DaveLeeNC]

I think that he says that for some people, looking 4" ahead of the ball works really well. You have to experiment to see if it works for you.

What always struck me as odd about Clampett's aiming point techique is that he seems to want you to "aim your hands", but he then tells you to focus on where the clubface is intended to go. This (to me) is not aiming your hands, it is aiming the clubhead.

I've never really tried to literally "aim my hands" (like 3 inches from my left/front pocket or whatever). That would seem to make more sense - but I've never tried it. dave

[longfornothing]

Wishon doesn't make a putter?

[flanagan]

What always struck me as odd about Clampett's aiming point techique is that he seems to want you to "aim your hands", but he then tells you to focus on where the clubface is intended to go. This (to me) is not aiming your hands, it is aiming the clubhead.

I agree completely, it is not described consistently, or necessarily all that well sometimes, in his book.

[DaveLeeNC]

Wishon doesn't make a putter?

I assume that is a reference to the impurity in my golf bag. I keep that club just to demonstrate that I really do have an open mind regarding club/component vendors.

dave ps. Yep - they make putters.

[hamletsdead]

I don't really know what "aim your hands" means, but at the suggestion of some folks on this board I looked 4" in front of the ball this morning instead of at the back of it, and swung with that as my aiming point. Since I normally look at the ball, it felt odd, but guess what? It worked great. Worked with irons, wedges, and woods, though I'm not sure I like the idea with driver (not sure where to look, seems like it should depend on how high you tee it up). Shot an 84 even with a 3-putt and a 4-putt. Not quite like Sergio's 67 today with a 4-putt, but I'll take it for now. Looking in front of the ball vastly improved contact on my pitch shots as well -- they were a lot crisper, and I didn't skull anything across the green.

Now if I could only putt and get up and down 10 times a round . . . .

[longfornothing]

I assume that is a reference to the impurity in my golf bag. I keep that club just to demonstrate that I really do have an open mind regarding club/component vendors.

LOL! It just jumps out at you when you see Odessy. "Impurity" LOL! That is good.

Hamlet, I noticed the biggest improvement on short pitches too. Recently, I've had a hard time "remembering". Funny how that works.

[utube]

A good effort by Bobby to present the fundamentals of clean contact in the impact zone. Unfortunately, I have been unable to understand the concept of the Aiming Point as described in the golf book .

[tm22721]

I initially gave this book high marks before I understood the importance of body guided hands (over hands guided body) and body release (over hands release) for compression.

It's a simple process of maturity as I learn more nuance particularly by studying Hogan's techniques.

[Norm3333]

I read this book over the weekend and attempted the lag and load. Was very surprised with the results. Mind you it was the first day. But, was nicely surprised with the effortless power.

One concern I have now, is I was going to purchase the Taylormade Burner Plus irons. He warns against too much offset and how it will affect my driver/woods performance.

I demoed these irons the other day and was blown away at the power these irons displayed.

My question is, has anyone had problems with a large offset iron giving problems with driver/woods?

[starchuk]

since Bobby is trying to improve your impact condition with a forward swing bottom, an offset club is design for those who don't have an optimal impact. There would come a point where your impact position and the offset would match up perfectly, but then your impact condition will improve more and then the clubs will not be enough for you. You'll need to take the training wheels off.

BTW, what did you do to improve your lag and load? I'm always interested to hear what people 'feel' to do this.

Personally, I have struggled keeping the shaft coming into the slot with the shaft appearing through my right forearm at waist high. In my teaching, this is not a mandatory position as there are alot of great players who don't get here, but its a personal preference.
I have to feel like the club is swing down around my belt to feel the lag. I don't think it could feel low enough. I also strive for drive loading, which is really pushing the club through the golf ball. I try to keep the clubshaft loaded until after the ball is already gone.

[Norm3333]

BTW, what did you do to improve your lag and load? I'm always interested to hear what people 'feel' to do this.

The way I feel it is the way he describes it in the book. I feel my left arm straight and my left wrist cocked fully at the top of the backswing, then as I swing, I try and hold the left wrist cocked on the down swing. At some point, I'm not aware when, my wrist uncocks.

It seems that for me, keeping my left arm "very" straight and my wrists loose and cocked, seems to help. It is only my second day of working with this new swing, but having just returned from the driving range, my session ended on hitting a very high percentage of my 4 irons verrrrry crisply and numerous 3woods off the deck, hit very well. I will try again tomorrow. As for growing out of the Tour Burner Plus irons, I was amazed at the "power" (only word I can find to describe the feeling after making contact) they gave me. They were sooooooooo easy to hit and it felt like they rocketed off the face. I am going to have a hard time not buying them.

[starchuk]

I've heard that before: trying to keep the lead arm straight and hold the angle in their wrists. By trying to do all that bring tension in to your arms and hands - or more like wrists. I don't see an issue with a tight grip as long as the wrists can stay flexible and loose.

Lagging the clubhead with your torso turn simply happens by turning through your shot. Putting stress on the shaft is a different story.

It sounds like you love those new irons. Great feelings go along way with how you swing the club. If you love them, get them!

[Norm3333]

I've heard that before: trying to keep the lead arm straight and hold the angle in their wrists. By trying to do all that bring tension in to your arms and hands - or more like wrists. I don't see an issue with a tight grip as long as the wrists can stay flexible and loose.

I have found that the straighter I keep my left arm, the longer I hold the lag, the flatter my left wrist, and the looser I hinge my wrists, the better the ball strike. I don't even swing that hard. This book has changed my swing. I am still getting use to it.

One thing I have to be careful of is squatting during the downswing. If I maintain my spine angle as I lag the club, I put a very good strike on the ball. Wow, what a work in process this game is.

[Andrew Rice]

I have just completed the book and whilst I felt the information was excellent I thought the presentation of the book was disappointing. Let me first state that I am a huge proponent of function over form or substance over style in the golf swing. Most of the information out there today is predominantly style based. When you study the swings of Trevino, Floyd, Locke, Berg, Lopez, Ballesteros and Player (all multiple major winners) there can be no deduction other than there is more than one way to swing a golf club successfully! That begs the question, "What is important?" Bobby Clampett hits the bullseye in clearing away style and isolating impact. That is the one true common denominator amongst all the greats.
I felt the book could have been better presented had it incorporated more illustrative photographs that were larger and in color. The Tour player pictures were small, with the golfer being even smaller. A picture is worth a thousand words and the majority of golfers out there learn visually.
I would only encourage a die-hard golf junkie to buy this book.

[Norm3333]

I have just completed the book and whilst I felt the information was excellent I thought the presentation of the book was disappointing. Let me first state that I am a huge proponent of function over form or substance over style in the golf swing. Most of the information out there today is predominantly style based. When you study the swings of Trevino, Floyd, Locke, Berg, Lopez, Ballesteros and Player (all multiple major winners) there can be no deduction other than there is more than one way to swing a golf club successfully! That begs the question, "What is important?" Bobby Clampett hits the bullseye in clearing away style and isolating impact. That is the one true common denominator amongst all the greats.

I couldn't agree more with your assessment. I will add that until I read his book, I was never aware of the importance of the lag. I have read many golf instructional books and am never afraid to adjust my swing if it promises more consistancy. But, no book ever talked about load and lag.

I just had my 4th driving range session using this swing and I am having a lot of success. Very powerful and consistent.