Nice vid from Sean O'Hair

[deronsizemore]

Came across this today. Thought it may be beneficial for those having trouble with swaying in the backswing. He gives a pretty good explanation of what you should feel.

[Dr. Slice]

hmm well i guess i am doing the weight transfer wrong on the downswing, i have been having a lot of lateral movement on the downswing. is that bad?

[deronsizemore]

hmm well i guess i am doing the weight transfer wrong on the downswing, i have been having a lot of lateral movement on the downswing. is that bad?

Every swing is different. It isn't nessesarily "bad," it's just difficult to repeat every time. The less lateral movement you have on the backswing, the less lateral movement you need on the downswing to get back to a good impact position. It really depends on how much lateral movement you have though. Too much lateral movement isn't good.

[Jtjohns]

Great Video!!! This is exactly what I've been told my problem is. I have a hard time squaring the club because when I sway foward, my club is essentially behind me and this prevents me from squaring it at impact.

[PiustheDrGolf]

hmm well i guess i am doing the weight transfer wrong on the downswing, i have been having a lot of lateral movement on the downswing. is that bad?

I don't think it is BAD but as described by O'Hair, it's harder to find the consistent impact position every single time. Golf is a game of simplifying. Avoiding unnecessary movements is the key.

[Dr. Slice]

okay so i get that too much lateral movement is bad but it seems like without a lot of weight transfer i cant really hit down on the ball very well

[iacas]

Every swing is different. It isn't nessesarily "bad," it's just difficult to repeat every time. The less lateral movement you have on the backswing, the less lateral movement you need on the downswing to get back to a good impact position. It really depends on how much lateral movement you have though. Too much lateral movement isn't good.

The problem with that is that it's wrong. Every good player - EVERY good player - pushes laterally towards the target on the downswing. They all hit the ball with their weight already shifted dramatically to the left. You don't the weight from the right side to the left side simply by rotating. You do it by driving the pelvis forward, the knees forward.

I don't think it is BAD but as described by O'Hair, it's harder to find the consistent impact position every single time. Golf is a game of simplifying. Avoiding unnecessary movements is the key.

Sean's not even correct in this video.

1) First, his right leg does straighten (I'm not starting this debate again - he retains some flex, he doesn't lock his knee, but he does decrease the amount of flex. 2) Second, he's completely wrong about what Stack and Tilt is on the backswing. There's no leaning towards the target like he demonstrated - it's about keeping the upper center "stacked" over the lower center. 3) He's completely wrong about how much he pushes forward laterally on the downswing. Look, part of the reason I kinda hope Sean Foley ends up coaching Tiger Woods - Foley is O'Hair's coach too - is because Sean Foley has been teaching Sean O'Hair Stack and Tilt without calling it Stack and Tilt. Sean Foley has texted Mike and Andy, he's pestered them with questions constantly (they're nice guys, so "pestered" is my characterization) on the range, and the language Sean O'Hair and Foley use in articles is straight out of the Stack and Tilt playbook. To put it basically, Sean Foley's been teaching Stack and Tilt to Sean O'Hair. And may soon be teaching pieces of it (inward hand path, PLEASE) to Tiger Woods. Look at the pictures, read the language, and decide for yourself. This one's pretty clear, and it's not a case of seeing what you want to see... spend time with Mike and Andy and you're going to hear the SAME phrases, the same words, and see the same pictures. http://iacas.org/f/ohair_article.jpg Sean O'Hair's swing is as close to the S&T; model as almost any other golfer. Whether O'Hair knows it or not.

[saevel25]

Thats exactly what i am trying to work on, when i was with my instructor i was just striping irons one after another, and i didn't concern myself with lateral movement, which i do sometimes if i think i am not getting over. Its a bad habit i created. But i have the issue that he didn't discuss much, how to get to the left side with out lateral shifting to much.

[deronsizemore]

The problem with that is that it's wrong. Every good player - EVERY good player - pushes laterally towards the target on the downswing. They all hit the ball with their weight already shifted dramatically to the left. You don't the weight from the right side to the left side simply by rotating. You do it by driving the pelvis forward, the knees forward.

I guess I misread the question that I replied to originally. My response was for lateral movement in the backswing but I see now he was asking about downswing. A lot of golfers do have lateral movement the backswing but the more lateral movement you have, the more you'll need on the downswing to get back to impact. This is why I said "too much lateral movement [away from the target] isn't good."

[iacas]

A lot of golfers do have lateral movement the backswing but the more lateral movement you have, the more you'll need on the downswing to get back to impact. This is why I said "too much lateral movement [away from the target] isn't good."

Yes, I agree with all of that.

The O'Hair video is yet another great example of "do as I do, not as I feel like I do and thus say I do."

[trumpetgolf]

Why don't more teachers to the pros give Master Classes? Or better yet, why don't they do dual Master Classes with the pro just there to hit shots and talk about feel (and be the big name draw) and the coach actually talk through mechanics and drills?

[shortstop20]

Yes, I agree with all of that.

Precisely. Here's a good angle showing his lateral movement, and this is with an iron. He does it whether he realizes it or not.

[senorchipotle]

hmm well i guess i am doing the weight transfer wrong on the downswing, i have been having a lot of lateral movement on the downswing. is that bad?

no, you can move as far laterally on the downswing as your lower body will let you without your upper body(shoulders and head particularly), moving forward. you have to shift your hips laterally unless you plan on hitting the ball from the outside. i focus on keeping my chin slightly behind the ball at all times.

[SpringBokVol]

Look, part of the reason I kinda hope Sean Foley ends up coaching Tiger Woods - Foley is O'Hair's coach too - is because Sean Foley has been teaching Sean O'Hair Stack and Tilt without calling it Stack and Tilt. Sean Foley has texted Mike and Andy, he's pestered them with questions constantly (they're nice guys, so "pestered" is my characterization) on the range, and the language Sean O'Hair and Foley use in articles is straight out of the Stack and Tilt playbook.

Thank you. I have been seeing this for a while now as well. There a lot of players with S&T; swings and that are being taugh S&T; fundamentals but they are being called something else so there isn't that negative conotation to it.

It's quite funny.

[PingGKEN]

After these comments, I'm beginning to think my instructor is teaching me S&T;! He loves to compare to Sean Ohair during the lesson, lol. And what Sean said in the video sounds just like one of my lessons.

[saevel25]

So is sean O'Hair's swing the stack and tilt?

I am wondering because its not anything like what S&T; was described in Golf Digest. I am sure there are variants, but i put Sean O'Hairs swing as just want modern athletic golfers are using. Anthony Kims is very similar, and so is Rory's, were you don't try to make it a point to move laterally left, but the natural shoulder turn is there, staying central in teh golf swing and using all rotation.

[SpringBokVol]

Just found this article from Foley...

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instr...our-back-foley

Interesting, huh?

[damnitdave]

he uses piecies of stack and tilt pattern