Ugh, Peter Kostis (Paul Casey)

[iacas]

Freeze frames (two) of Paul Casey's Downswing

Video:



Ugh. Why does anyone listen to what Peter Kostis says if this is how his students swing?

[luckyluke699]

6th best golfer in the world according to the rankings Iacas? crumbs! :S

[ohiolefty]

It is an odd swing. Still, if it works...

[Greg]

Its all about the results, isnt it? Look at Jim Furyk, im amazed he can duplicate that swing and be consistent but he is. Villegas has a powerful but violent swing with his irons but usually controls them quite well. Each player is different, all that matters is that the club face strikes the ball solidly at impact and you're aimed the right direction and pick the right club for the distance. Sounds simple when its put that way but far from simple to execute.

[the steam train]

Personally, I always find it pretty hard to argue with results. But the golf addict in me really does enjoy swing analysis, so why shouldn't we listen to Peter Kostis? You never would have started this thread if you didnt want to tell us... :)

[jamo]

I dunno. It's not a great move but Tim Clark does the same thing and Mike and Andy praised him in that interview you posted a month or so ago. I don't think it's a good move, but.... he's in the top 10 in the world.

[nike_golf]

I remember watching that live and thinking that that knee, leg, and foot action all were something I don't think I will want to try anytime soon. Peter mentions Casey's right foot might come up a little early on the downswing. You think Peter? Holy cow. He also mentions that's an "old school" swing. What's "old school" about it? The lifting of the left heel during the backswing?

Freeze the clip at the :40 mark. He's a quarter (a bit more) of the way into the downswing. How unbalanced does that look?

Watch BOTH of his heels come up off the ground right before, during, and after impact. He literally about jumps at impact.

But, he was booming drives. Goes to show that even pros don't always "go by the book" w/ their swings.

[iacas]

Its all about the results, isnt it?

For Paul Casey, sure. For someone trying to learn the golf swing, no, it's not about Paul Casey's results.

6th best golfer in the world according to the rankings Iacas? crumbs! :S

Phil's #2 or #3. You don't see people copying his swing - and with good reason.

I dunno. It's not a great move but Tim Clark does the same thing and Mike and Andy praised him in that interview you posted a month or so ago.

They didn't praise him for that, no.

Watch BOTH of his heels come up off the ground right before, during, and after impact. He literally about jumps at impact.

Let me be clear about something: jumping at impact is a good thing. You push off the ground - sometimes quite hard - at impact.

But that move stars at about P6 on into impact. It doesn't start at the top of your downswing.

[Tiger Spuds]

Well if you want to talk about the results of the swing being what matters, he did pull an obscene amount of iron shots yesterday.

[uttexas]

What Peter K. often does is praise people who's club is parallel to their stance line (at the top of the backswing---ala Jack Nicklaus). He'll then say someone is layed off if the club is parallel or in plane to an angled circular plane running through their shoulders. He'll criticize Ian Poulter for straightening his rear leg, then talk about how classic Cassey's swing is when he does the same thing. Nobody's perfect, but if one listens to Peter K's comments on the golf swing, one could easily get confused. Peter K loves the two plane golf swing and is inconsitent with his criticism of one plane swing golfers.

For whatever reason, the big time golf media "experts" (from Golf Digest, to the Golf Channel, Nick Faldo, Peter Kostis) all seem to publicly agree with each other when it comes to ball flight laws and swing theories---it's as if they are toeing the party line.

[kfowler]

All I know is Kostis lost all credibility with me when he endorsed that fraud Jacqueline Gagne and her hole in ones.

[iacas]

What Peter K. often does is praise people who's club is parallel to their stance line (at the top of the backswing---ala Jack Nicklaus). He'll then say someone is layed off if the club is parallel or in plane to an angled circular plane running through their shoulders. He'll criticize Ian Poulter for straightening his rear leg, then talk about how classic Cassey's swing is when he does the same thing. Nobody's perfect, but if one listens to Peter K's comments on the golf swing, one could easily get confused. Peter K loves the two plane golf swing and is inconsitent with his criticism of one plane swing golfers.

Yes. And it was pointed out to me that one of the worst one's he's ever done is this one:

[david_wedzik]

It is an odd swing. Still, if it works...

Its all about the results, isnt it? Each player is different, all that matters is that the club face strikes the ball solidly at impact and you're aimed the right direction and pick the right club for the distance. Sounds simple when its put that way but far from simple to execute.

It does have oddities and it IS all about the results in the end (especially when playing for millions of dollars each week)...yes...but the most important thing to note in these comments is "far from simple to execute" -- golfers need to realize that there are ways to swing the club that are more efficient and easier to execute. That is iacas' point with the thread. Because Paul Casey does these things doesn't make them correct or efficient. It just means Paul Casey has done them all his life and has an uncanny knack for playing the game (and somehow makes it to solid impact). If the average golfer attempts to implement this move they will hit across the ball every time and become a frustrated pull/slicer.

I believe it is extremely important to NOT make determinations or teach students based on THE PIECES that make up the mechanics of the best players in the world. These players are well outside the norm and a large number of them reach great impact positions "in spite" of their mechanics. However a golfer decides to swing they should do so because their chosen method is grounded in solid principles that make the entire process simpler and most efficient...not because Paul Casey or anyone else on tour does it. Seriously think about that part...finding instances where you can use great players as examples of what you conclude to be true and reliable is fantastic and can validate your beliefs. Just be careful NOT to make determinations or add things to your swing/game SIMPLY because the best players in the world do it or say they do it.

I dunno. It's not a great move but Tim Clark does the same thing and Mike and Andy praised him in that interview you posted a month or so ago. I don't think it's a good move, but.... he's in the top 10 in the world.

Tim Clark used as an example for some other reasons though these positions are still "better" (and definitely not the same as) than Casey's. Left arm in about 10 degrees and right foot much more banked in impact photo.

Dave

[DavidFehertysBike]

I make a similar move with the heels through impact, though i stay planted a little longer. But when i get through the ball im practically on my tippy toes. Im very similar in height and body type to casey and the only way people our size can compete with bigger guys from the tee is to toruqe ourselves into a preztel. I was hitting the ball further than i ever have before the season ened, and i will hit it even further this season, but if you see getting onto your toes as a drawback then i guess that is what it is. I load very heavily on my back foot, so i have to basically sqaut first to get rid of it. It feels to me like im going down, and then over to my left. From there its nearly impossible to stop from going onto your toes. I dont notice im doing it, TBH.

[david_wedzik]

I make a similar move with the heels through impact, though i stay planted a little longer. but if you see getting onto your toes as a drawback then i guess that is what it is.

Moving onto the toes and jumping doesn't have to be seen as a drawback - the oddity here is that he moves onto his toes so quickly into the downswing and how that shoots the left arm out and off of the arc. It sounds like you jump later in the downswing which is a good thing when done correctly.

Dave

[colin007]

it looked to me like paul casey was hitting pulls. is that what i was seeing?

[nevets88]

I thought his swing looked different - it used to be longer.

http://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/upload...e-Golf-Tip.jpg

[9iron]

it looked to me like paul casey was hitting pulls. is that what i was seeing?

Casey actually blocked a number of irons on Saturday before pulling some shots on Sunday. In his defense, he is rounding back into form from an injury.