"The Impact Zone" by Bobby Clampett

[ugottabjoshinme]

I'm starting to notice something about using the forward aiming technique. I've noticed that I can shape my shots easier by aiming farther away, say 4" ahead of ball for a lower draw, or only 1" ahead for a higher fade. Basically all I'm doing is altering my angle of attack.

Nutty is right. Are you aiming your eyes there from setup or looking there sometime during the swing. A guy in my league said that his interpertation of it is to look at the ball during setup/backswing and then look forward right before his downswing. That just does not seem right to me at all.

[grantc79]

Nutty is right. Are you aiming your eyes there from setup or looking there sometime during the swing. A guy in my league said that his interpertation of it is to look at the ball during setup/backswing and then look forward right before his downswing. That just does not seem right to me at all.

Well realistically your aiming point shouldn't really ever be the ball on any shot you hit.

The whole idea is to hit the ball first and then the ground with a flat left wrist at impact. If you try to hit "the ball" then you will most likely pick it with a bent wrist and lose power, consistency, and accuracy. If you try to hit the ground with the club an inch or two in front of the ball you will gain power, consistency, and accuracy.

[grantc79]

skimmed through the book at borders the other day. got the gist about the swing bottoming out 4" ahead of the ball but never worked out how to get there. many thanks for the postings, especially about aiming 2" ahead of the ball and controlling the lag with your arms. i will take this to the range and see if it works. if so, i will rush out to buy the book for a detailed read and as a future reference guide.

Buy the The Golfing Machine book while you are there

Its how Bobby Clampett was taught to play anyways.

[ugottabjoshinme]

Well realistically your aiming point shouldn't really ever be the ball on any shot you hit.

So to be clear, you are physically looking 4" infront of the ball.

[Hoselrockets]

I've read the book and its easy to talk about but hard to exacute. I've been a sweeper my entire golf life and I can hit it a mile high and a good distance but I am not as consistant/ accurate as I would like to be. I know its because I try to "hit" the ball.

But it seems so simple!! Just aim in front of the ball!! Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Titanfann]

Nutty is right. Are you aiming your eyes there from setup or looking there sometime during the swing. A guy in my league said that his interpertation of it is to look at the ball during setup/backswing and then look forward right before his downswing. That just does not seem right to me at all.

It works!!!...once you get used to looking to the "left" of the ball and never actually looking "at" it great things happen. I've had problems in the past of hitting fat shots. I was almost ready to give up the game. The thing I noticed most of all was my iron shots are starting on line now. Up until 4 weeks ago when I started this method I had only hit one shot into the hole my entire life from more than 80 yards from the hole. I have hit 2 nine irons and one sand wedge into the hole in the last 4 weeks!!!...the sand wedge was in a 2 man scramble that me and my partner shot 10 under and won $750 bucks. It's the first time in my life I'm really excited about playing golf again. The only fat shots I've hit in the last month was when I forgot to look in front of the ball. Thanks Bobby!!!!

[tigerphan]

It works!!!...once you get used to looking to the "left" of the ball and never actually looking "at" it great things happen. I've had problems in the past of hitting fat shots. I was almost ready to give up the game. The thing I noticed most of all was my iron shots are starting on line now. Up until 4 weeks ago when I started this method I had only hit one shot into the hole my entire life from more than 80 yards from the hole. I have hit 2 nine irons and one sand wedge into the hole in the last 4 weeks!!!...the sand wedge was in a 2 man scramble that me and my partner shot 10 under and won $750 bucks. It's the first time in my life I'm really excited about playing golf again. The only fat shots I've hit in the last month was when I forgot to look in front of the ball. Thanks Bobby!!!!

great run, now since reading all these posts, i'm thinking of getting the book. i'm a sweeper a bit, but i know if i got the divot consistenty down i could probley average better since less awful shots.

[mhenrickson]

I really enjoyed this book. I first checked it out from the library, but it was a good (and quick) read, so I bought a copy.

I think his main point of moving the swing bottom forward, with data to back it up, is good stuff. If you search youtube for "swingvision" you'll see that what he says is true. All the swings (even the drivers from what I can tell) bottom out after the club strikes the ball.

His "aiming point technique" description does lead to a some questions of how to specifically implement this dynamic. But maybe that's the point...each person needs to find their best way to move the swing bottom forward.

In any case, I would definitely recommend this book.

[shaun]

In relation to Clampett's suggestion to "aim your hands" four inches in front of the ball, I think this is a good suggestion that might work for some people.

But for many (most?) people that are trying to improve their impact position, the problem will be deeper.

Many people don't make the proper move during their transition down. They don't move their hips laterally from the top of the swing, which sets them forward of their position at the top, but still closed relative to the target line; from there, the proper move is to progressively and simultaneously rotate, and laterally slide, the hips into and (for the rotary motion) through impact. If you don't have this move, no amount of aiming "ahead of the ball" will help because your hands will be too far behind the ball to catch up before impact.

[tm22721]

Initially I liked the aiming point point concept but now I realize it to be a crutch for lack of weight transfer, pure manipulation, prone to inconsistency. If you generate enough live tension through upper/lower body separation during transition, most of the lateral shift will have occurred by the end of the backswing . Putting you in position to hit well before the downswing sequence is even half completed with a swing bottom 4" in front of the ball.

[iacas]

Initially I liked the aiming point point concept but now I realize it to be a crutch for lack of weight transfer, pure manipulation, prone to inconsistency.

No, it's not a crutch, and the aiming point concept has little to do with weight transfer. I can't expound on it too much - you can read The Golfing Machine if you want to read more about aiming point concepts (6-E-2), but suffice to say you're way, way off base.

I'd quote 6-E-2 but you really have to know what I'd be quoting to get anything out of it, so...

If you generate enough live tension through upper/lower body separation during transition, most of the lateral shift will have occurred

That doesn't make any sense. Your lateral shift occurs from the end of the backswing on through to impact or just a bit beyond. Hogan did it. Good players now do it. Their lateral shift has not "[mostly] occurred by the end of the backswing."

[Phil McGleno]

Initially I liked the aiming point point concept but now I realize it to be a crutch for lack of weight transfer, pure manipulation, prone to inconsistency. If you generate enough live tension through upper/lower body separation during transition, most of the lateral shift will have occurred

In a word, no. I've gotta ask, tm - do you fancy yourself to be an armchair coach or something? You're a 10 handicap.

[Zeph]

The aiming point concept is something I've had success with. I don't like the idea to not look at the ball, so I rather mentally focus on the follow through of my swing. By focusing on the ball, I'm prone to release the club at the ball. Looking at the ball while focusing on the follow through helps me not cast the club away as much.

The difference in feeling is not mistakable, it's like the clubhead is just passing through the ball. Ultimately, my goal is to have that feeling on every shot, working with focus ahead of the ball may help me get there.

[mhenrickson]

I agree with what Zeph said. This winter I practiced in my basement using an old door mat. I focused on hitting the mat after the spot I marked on the mat (which would represent the ball). So the few times I made it out to the range this winter, I found that I was not so focused on hitting the ball, but rather swinging through to the spot just beyond the ball.

I'm pretty new to golf, so my swing is not consistent enough to do this every time, but I am getting better and hope to make some progress this summer.

[tm22721]

Aiming point is a position. TGM covers all swing methods so of course it includes the aiming point concept.

Dynamics make positions not the other way around. IMO trying to achieve a position via manipulation only leads to inconsistency. Dynamics are much more reproducible. I would focus on discovering a dynamic that results in the proper swing bottom commonly accepted as being 4" in front of the ball.

[Phil McGleno]

Aiming point is a position.

No it's not. It's a point on the ground that you're supposed to "dynamically" move your hands to.

Besides, you've changed your story - you called it a "weight shift crutch" before when it really has nothing to do with the weight shift. Plus you've yet to answer my question: why do you keep profession to know things when you're listed as a 10.3 and so often get things wrong?

Dynamics make positions not the other way around.

See, that implies to me that you don't understand the aiming point. It's not a "position" in the golf swing at all. It's something you aim at with dynamics.

I would focus on discovering a dynamic that results in the proper swing bottom commonly accepted as being 4" in front of the ball.

Have you even read the book being discussed? No? Didn't think so.

[schwack]

Good read. Some parts are confusing where better wording would make it more understandable possibly supplemented with more examples and pictures. Overall I would recommend this book to fellow golf enthusiasts.

[delaloi]

Has anyone seen the new Clampett Sybervision Impact Zone DVD? Sounds like some good video would address some of the book's shortcomings.

But at $250, it had better be good. Any views would be appreciated.