Why Aren’t More People Copying Moe Norman's Swing?

[camper6]

I had the pleasure of watching Moe Norman play in tournaments.

He was extremely shy and wouldn't turn up for the trophy presentations sometimes.

His secret in my estimation was hitting the ball pure.  I don't remember him taking huge divots like the ones you see on tour now.

Later on he gave demonstrations at golf courses.

I checked out his clubs.  Loaded with lead on the irons.  Very heavy.

One of the comments attributed to him.  I don't know if it's true however.

"Learn to hit the ball". " Your secretary can make the putts."

The secret if he had one?  Same as any other sport.  Hand eye coordination.

[g greatest nind]

I would like to reply to some of your posts and at the same time present a little nore information  on the action of Moe Norman. First his inside sholder turn had very little to do with  the power he could generat from such a short back swing .Moe Norman dident have a golf swing he had a golf action,  therefore he couldent create his power with  torque, he had to find it somewhere ells. Torque is created in the golf swing of the better player when the lower body is moving farward as the upper body is still moving back.This build up  torque between the uper body and the lower body.Torque  creates speed which then creates power.  Im not saying Moe Norman had zero torque but he had very little, not enouph to acount for his power......Greg Norman by his oan admission on the Golf Chanell  said he had hit over five milion golf balls in his playing days on the PGA regular tour .He was one great player but no match for the consistancy of Moe Norman.......

Moe Norman god bless him, inadvertently sent the unconventional golfer on a downward spiral when his swing was intradused to the wold of golf when he made the Natural Golf promotionall tapes. Meaning, every unconventional golfer tryed to incorperate the single axis action to the swing. And as most if not all  unconventional golfers are handicappers and handicappers swing the club with a golf action, the single axil action cant work. If you swing the club with a golf action you cant generate power when the arms are outsreched from the body. On the other hand,  if you  swing the club with a golf swing, like the golfers you see demonstrating the single axis swing,then you can make the single axis swing work. Reason being,the golfer that swings the club with a golf swing has the abilyty to be able to wind then rewind the body, creating torque.To get to my revelation, Moe Norman dident have his arms outstretched from his body to create a sincle axis action.His arms beinig outstretched from his body was a consequence of what he had to do to get his action to work......

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by g greatest nind

I would like to reply to some of your posts and at the same time present a little nore information  on the action of Moe Norman. First his inside sholder turn had very little to do with  the power he could generat from such a short back swing .Moe Norman dident have a golf swing he had a golf action,  therefore he couldent create his power with  torque, he had to find it somewhere ells. Torque is created in the golf swing of the better player when the lower body is moving farward as the upper body is still moving back.This build up  torque between the uper body and the lower body.Torque  creates speed which then creates power.  Im not saying Moe Norman had zero torque but he had very little, not enouph to acount for his power......Greg Norman by his oan admission on the Golf Chanell  said he had hit over five milion golf balls in his playing days on the PGA regular tour .He was one great player but no match for the consistancy of Moe Norman.......

Moe Norman god bless him, inadvertently sent the unconventional golfer on a downward spiral when his swing was intradused to the wold of golf when he made the Natural Golf promotionall tapes. Meaning, every unconventional golfer tryed to incorperate the single axis action to the swing. And as most if not all  unconventional golfers are handicappers and handicappers swing the club with a golf action, the single axil action cant work. If you swing the club with a golf action you cant generate power when the arms are outsreched from the body. On the other hand,  if you  swing the club with a golf swing, like the golfers you see demonstrating the single axis swing,then you can make the single axis swing work. Reason being,the golfer that swings the club with a golf swing has the abilyty to be able to wind then rewind the body, creating torque.To get to my revelation, Moe Norman dident have his arms outstretched from his body to create a sincle axis action.His arms beinig outstretched from his body was a consequence of what he had to do to get his action to work......

[rustyredcab]

I'm not sure I buy this distinction between a swing and an action. But I do buy the notion that Moe Norman had the most repeatable golf swing ever.

I'm a huge Moe fan. I use Moe as my swing model and have taken lessons from those who teach his exact swing -- Graves Golf. (Want to see Moe Norman's swing? Watch Todd Graves hit balls.) My ball striking is better than I could have imagined before learning of Moe. My handicap has dropped from 18.0 (where I was stuck and getting worse for over 20 years) to as low as 6.1 earlier this year. I'd like to be a 2.0 someday soon and it could happen.

Anyone can learn Moe's swing. It does not take a certain body type. You need some flexibility but no more than any conventional swing and maybe less.

Moe was self taught and stumbled onto a swing that is a thing of beauty. Symmetry. Logic. Simplicity. He taught himself the easiest way to hit a ball consistently. You can call it an "action" if that makes you happy. It is a golf swing and anybody can learn to do exactly what Moe did. It is not easy to change one's swing. But it is a simple swing to understand. I've watched hundreds of hours of tape of Moe hitting balls. Call it what you like. It is a beautiful golf swing.

You can learn more about Moe at http://morenormangolf.com .

Watch for a movie to come out in the next year or two about Moe. His life was a great story.

[g greatest nind]

Again I would like to reply to some of your posts and submit a  little more information on the swing of Moe Norman.....I can appreciate you being skeptical that there is a golf action and a golf swing and at this time I dont want to get into explaining the vast diferences that seperate the two completly diferent actions. What we can agree on, Moe Norman had the most repeatable swing ever.....The huge fan of Moe Norman ......Well it sounds like somthing out of the Graves Academy promotional. For one to bring ones handicap down from eighteen to six...? .... I agree one hundred percent Moe Norman stumbled on his swing.Kowing what I now  know, I can catergorically say his swing wasent preconceived. I also agree  that his swing was a thing of beauty and I also believe anyone can learn his, and if it will make you happpy, call it a swing.There is only one problem, other than myself, no one knows how his swing workes. Lots of groups  profess to teach the Moe Norman swing but all they are doinig is teaching you to look like Moe Norman. They havent a clue what he was talking about when he referred to his vertical drop and the horizontal tug....And one last thing and not to be offensive but more to set the records staight,I have watched thousends of hours of tape of Moe hitting ballls....And yes it is a beautyfull swing.

[Kieran123]

We get it.

However, using paragraphs and correct grammar would be beneficial in the future.

It's hard to take someone seriously when they lack basic grammar skills

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by g greatest nind

... There is only one problem, other than myself, no one knows how his swing workes. Lots of groups  profess to teach the Moe Norman swing but all they are doinig is teaching you to look like Moe Norman. They havent a clue ...

Glad to meet a fan of Moe's on TST forum. I'm not going to get into a "I love Jesus more than you love Jesus" argument. Let's agree that we both love Jesus.

I'll go alone with the notion that you know Moe better than me and most. I will say that I have spent time with people who knew Moe and spent a lot of time with Moe and sure seem to know how Moe's swing worked and still works. I've only met one person that copies it exactly and that sure works for him. I've met lots of people, who like myself, are using Moe as a model and trying to learn his "action." Some of us have had great success as we measure success.

If you know a "how his swing works (sic)" secret, please share.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by g greatest nind

Again I would like to reply to some of your posts and submit a  little more information on the swing of Moe Norman.....I can appreciate you being skeptical that there is a golf action and a golf swing and at this time I dont want to get into explaining the vast diferences that seperate the two completly diferent actions. What we can agree on, Moe Norman had the most repeatable swing ever.....The huge fan of Moe Norman ......Well it sounds like somthing out of the Graves Academy promotional. For one to bring ones handicap down from eighteen to six...? .... I agree one hundred percent Moe Norman stumbled on his swing.Kowing what I now  know, I can catergorically say his swing wasent preconceived. I also agree  that his swing was a thing of beauty and I also believe anyone can learn his, and if it will make you happpy, call it a swing.There is only one problem, other than myself, no one knows how his swing workes. Lots of groups  profess to teach the Moe Norman swing but all they are doinig is teaching you to look like Moe Norman. They havent a clue what he was talking about when he referred to his vertical drop and the horizontal tug....And one last thing and not to be offensive but more to set the records staight,I have watched thousends of hours of tape of Moe hitting ballls....And yes it is a beautyfull swing.

Where did you get your omniscience regarding Moe Norman?  Must have been when you were skipping out on your grammar and spelling classes.

[camper6]

Originally Posted by g greatest nind

Again I would like to reply to some of your posts and submit a  little more information on the swing of Moe Norman.....I can appreciate you being skeptical that there is a golf action and a golf swing and at this time I dont want to get into explaining the vast diferences that seperate the two completly diferent actions. What we can agree on, Moe Norman had the most repeatable swing ever.....The huge fan of Moe Norman ......Well it sounds like somthing out of the Graves Academy promotional. For one to bring ones handicap down from eighteen to six...? .... I agree one hundred percent Moe Norman stumbled on his swing.Kowing what I now  know, I can catergorically say his swing wasent preconceived. I also agree  that his swing was a thing of beauty and I also believe anyone can learn his, and if it will make you happpy, call it a swing.There is only one problem, other than myself, no one knows how his swing workes. Lots of groups  profess to teach the Moe Norman swing but all they are doinig is teaching you to look like Moe Norman. They havent a clue what he was talking about when he referred to his vertical drop and the horizontal tug....And one last thing and not to be offensive but more to set the records staight,I have watched thousends of hours of tape of Moe hitting ballls....And yes it is a beautyfull swing.

Did you ever see Moe Norman swing a club live.

I did.

His swing was not a thing of beauty.  Far from it. It's not something to be emulated by any means.  It's an individual thing.

It was efficient but beautiful is hardly a way to describe it.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder in this case.

[rustyredcab]

I wish I had seen him live and in person. I've only seen video -- and I've seen his "swing-clone" Todd Graves.

Maybe the beauty is more in the definition than the eye.

I heard someone describe Luke Donald's swing as elegant. I agree. Moe's swing was not elegant but I think the symmetry, balance, effortless power, and simplicity make it a thing of beauty. Everything lines up with something else and seems planned to make the club easier to return to a solid impact position.

camper6 -- When and where did you see Moe?

[poser]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

I wish I had seen him live and in person. I've only seen video -- and I've seen his "swing-clone" Todd Graves.

Maybe the beauty is more in the definition than the eye.

I heard someone describe Luke Donald's swing as elegant. I agree. Moe's swing was not elegant but I think the symmetry, balance, effortless power, and simplicity make it a thing of beauty. Everything lines up with something else and seems planned to make the club easier to return to a solid impact position.

camper6 -- When and where did you see Moe?

Well if Todd Graves is the swing clone why isn't he on tour?  Let me guess putting right?

[camper6]

Back in the fifties.  He toured around in a Cadillac and played various tournaments.  This is in Canada.  Northwestern Ontario.

Then after his career was over he toured around and put on clinics at various golf courses.  So I saw him at his peak and when his career was over.

Up close.  He had huge hands.  Very powerful looking. That's part of the secret as well I guess.

[g greatest nind]

In reply to your post. It is difficult to defend onself when I reread some of my grammer. Even my user name is spelt wrong,thats more to do from being careless than anything els and I will  apologies for that mistake.  I have had a problem with spelling and grammer all my life, now a day they call it a learning disorder thing. It is something I have had to contend with and work around all my life. Like writing out reports for the next shift foreman,writing letters and as you can see trying to post on the forum.But it hasent stopped me from becoming a time served tradesman,a shipright  to be exact.Nor has it stopped me from becominig a shipwright foreman and having to read rather complicated drawings in all aspects of shipbuilding.Nor has it stopped me from becoming a self employed home renoveter when the shipyards dried up. I self taught to do electrical,plumbing,ceramic tiling,hardwood flooring,studding,dry walling taping and mudding,painting and decorating ext.ext.

As im writing this post im well into my seventy third year on this planet and at a age in life where I have no  desire to take on well educated but extremely bad mannered individuals...Good luck with your forum.

[poser]

Right on maybe being a little slow helps.  Didn't Moe get his head ran over by a car.

[camper6]

Never argue with an old guy.

He is too old to fight.

He will just kill you instead.

[mmoan2]

Ok, after playing for about two years now, I've inevitably come across the "Legend of Moe Norman," the "Greatest Ball Striker Who Ever Lived." Can anyone comment on his swing and how legit it would be to emulate it? I've heard some infomercial espousing how Moe's secret is the one-plane swing. Wanted to get some thoughts on it. Thanks.

[mmoan2]

All,

I thought I got this posted last night, but I guess not. After two years of golf, I've inevitably come across the "Legend of Moe Norman," the "Greatest Ball Striker Who Ever Lived." I've seen his swing on YouTube in its current incarnation, so it's one of a 60+ year-old man, but I heard that in his heyday he was the most consistent ball striker ever. What's his secret, anyone who knows, and is his swing one worth emulating? His swing now looks bereft of power, but I saw on some infomercial that even as a youth he would "drive one ball after another 250 down the middle of the fairway..." I would love to be 250 in the dead center of every fairway as much as anyone else, but I also want to be able to go at par 5's in 2 once in a while. I think I'd sacrifice 250 95% of the time for 290+ 65% of the time. I also haven't seen any mention of his short game, or even full wedge swings. I'm sure I could form my own conclusions after looking at some film, but I was wondering if any of you experts out there have some thoughts. Thanks.

[canadianpro]

I've had the great pleasure of not only watching Moe hit balls but having the chance to play with him a couple of times. Moe use to put coins down two feet behind and two feet ahead of the ball and his idea was to have the clubhead square to the target throughout that zone while "holding the angle" (his defintion of lag). If it was any easy task to copy Moe's "action" we all would be doing it but I have seen many try and to my knowledge nobody has been able to master it to the point where they are regarded as one of the best ball-strkers ever. He was one of a kind and to watch him was amazing.