Pop Quiz: Hank Haney Turning in a Circle

[iacas]

Pop quiz: in which image is Hank Haney turning in the best circle?



If he'd not lift his arms, B looks pretty darn good. I don't like the "slumped posture" at setup - I'm talking about the position at the top. In fact, if he'd slump just a little bit from his setup picture in A, swing to the position in B (without the arms lifting), I think he'd be in great positions.

Look at how Hank looks in A. Does that look comfortable to you? His chin is hitting his shoulder, he's looking at the ball out of the bottom of his eyes... all because he barely turned any steeper than his "upright posture" example."

[jamo]

Yeah this article had me scratching my head too. And is it just me, or is the whole ground a little sloped?

Note: check it out, he straightens his back leg in B, maybe he's finally coming around!

[iacas]

Note: check it out, he straightens his back leg in B, maybe he's finally coming around!

He does in A, too. So does Tiger. It's more Butch Harmon that thinks you should keep your knees flexed...

Hey, like I said, give me a guy with Setup A and Top B (preferably without the hands lifting) and you've got a good golfer. Tiger's fix for his driving woes? Steeper shoulders, a lot of people think.

[Phil McGleno]

Awww, Hank, c'mon ol' buddy. Just because TW sometimes listens to you doesn't mean you get to foist crap like this on unsuspecting golfers. You're like the bad mechanic who screws things up so that people have to keep coming back to you for more "work."

[B Keller]

Did anyone see in the latest Haney Project he told Romano, and I quote, "The most important thing in golf...is distance."

Really?

[EHSGolf1]

Does anyone agree or disagree with how he said to hold the club in the last episode? About holding it more across the palm vs in the fingers. I have always heard in the fingers but I could've heard wrong.

[iacas]

We have a Haney Project thread. This one isn't it, guys, c'mon.

Look at the first picture and ask yourself some questions.

[grantc79]

Honestly, I think you could play very good golf with either A or B.

I

[Phil McGleno]

Honestly, I think you could play very good golf with either A or B.

You can play good golf from your knees, too - doesn't make it "better" or "most right." A is a crap top of the backswing position. Even Tiger - with his driver - gets well above 20 degrees of tilt (often 25 or so) and this is with the flattest club in the bag, not an iron like Hanks' hitting.

45 degrees (to the naked eye): This thread deserves a bump and it's disappointing so few have commented. This stuff is gold and nobody's paying attention.

[B Keller]

Hey, like I said, give me a guy with Setup A and Top B (preferably without the hands lifting) and you've got a good golfer.

That's what I try to do. The top of A and C he has what I would consider a serious chicken wing thing going on.

I think I like the left arm position of C with the right arm of B. And with that, I introduce FrankenHaney....

[Rexx]

- I like A's starting position.
- B is the closest top of backswing picture I like (excluding arms), but I would like it better if he kept his original 36* angle from A.
- I don't like his flat left wrist in any picture.
- And what's up with his change of angle between setup and top of backswing in all the pictures? If it changed a few degrees (like B), I would be okay with it, but why does he feel 20* is the optimal angle change?

[Leftygolfer]

You just can't play golf like that (A). How in the world would hit a good iron shot from that position?? I'd take B without the high hands anyday.

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

I'll take all of the above for B if he just lifts his chin at address (which he has obviously done at the top to make room for his shoulder.)

It really looks to me that his "slumped" address is fine except for his head. At first glance i thought he looked like his weight was back somewhat but if you look at the creases on his pants they're virtually identical in A and B. Not that that can't just be makeup applied by the Golf Digest photo editors; but his arms are still hanging naturally, his back is no more "slumped" than A, his knee flex looks the same, he just dropped his head.

I have to agree that B is a better spot at the top though hands down but I think the address is 99% okay as well.

[Gioguy21]

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure that everyone has different angles. There isn't a definitive perfect angle to which everyone should adhere. they mentioned it on the GC about finding a person's own power angle. I would go with the setup/angle in A...while being at about 25* angle at the top (between A and B at the stop). I think if you stayed in position B throughout the downswing you'd have to pull up a tad or you'd be pulling lawns as divots.

[iacas]

I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure that everyone has different angles. There isn't a definitive perfect angle to which everyone should adhere.

The point remains that his "spine angle" (I still hate that term) has changed in every one of the images. In A the base of his neck is 20° different than it was at setup. B is the closest, with A Setup/B Top right behind.

The plane of his circle shifted 20° in A.

[Gioguy21]

The point remains that his "spine angle" (I still hate that term) has changed in every one of the images. In A the base of his neck is 20° different than it was at setup. B is the closest, with A Setup/B Top right behind.

Agreed, my words kinda got mixed up a bit in referring to which angle i was talking about.

[PiustheDrGolf]

Pop quiz: in which image is Hank Haney turning in the best circle?

I guess Hank is trying to promote his idea that flatter on top gets into the position where can go wrong easily. With flat on top, right hand doesn't have enough room to do any other stuff except follow lead of his left hand easily.

My dream position (I'm working on it) would be 35* setup posture and 40* at the top.

[sean_miller]

I really have no idea. My own setup and swing look most like image(s) B. Is that why I suck?