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Six Keys To A Great Backswing


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This is comimg from one of the greatest players in the world.

Tigers backswing keys2.jpg

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That image is quite old. Let's have a look at what he's changed most recently and how he'd write the article up now:

Then: "I let my right elbow come away from my side, but I make sure it points toward the ground."

Now: Sean Foley has me doing a one-plane, centered-pivot swing, and when he has me stick a glove under my right and left armpits, my elbow can't move away from my rib cage like it did in 1997...

Then: "I keep my right knee flexed, the same way I had it at address."

Now: My right knee straightens, as it has to, in order to allow my hips to turn on an inclined plane.

Then: "My weight is gathered onto my right heel."

Now: Sean Foley has me making a much more centered pivot, without head movement, so any movement in the pressure I feel in my feet is minimized, and if anything, feels slightly forward.

Then: "My left heel stays flat on the ground, which helps restrict my hip turn, creating more torque."

Now: My left heel still stays flat, but I let my hips turn back. The long drivers often let their hips go like crazy - and even Jim McLean stopped talking about the "X-Factor" surprisingly quickly after the article came out. Long drivers turn their hips a lot, and I don't want to restrict my ability to turn.

Then: "My clubface should be "square" at the top, meaning it is parallel to my left forearm."

Now: Ditto!

Then: "My left shoulder should be turned under my chin. That's easier to do if I keep my chin held high throughout the swing."

Now: My left shoulder should be turned under my chin. I do this by tilting to the left more, which steepens my shoulder tilt and allows my shoulders to work in a circle rather than "too flat." As a result of a steeper shoulder turn, I can look at the ball out of my central vision and not worry about my shoulder hitting my chin.

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Several days ago a fellow 'Trapper posted advice from Johnny Miller on swing analysis. One of JM's warnings on backswing was not to reach too far back, as this could cause you trouble in transition from the top.

Went to a Golf Expo on Friday, and an excellent regional golf school had a booth with free golf tips. I asked the guy to check my swing, if I was reaching too far back. He said I was overdoing it slightly, and then gave me a "rock skip" drill with my right arm. He suggests that a good right arm angle on the backswing would allow you to "skip a rock" down the target line on downswing.

He said I was a reaching a little too much before initiating turn, and on followthrough was coming slightly outside in. He correctly guessed that a lot of my mishits land one club short right. He says most students worry too much about backswing, and not enough about downswing path and followthrough.

His overall advice: A good backswing is one that sets you up for a good downswing. All people will do it a little differently, due to body build, strength and flexibility.

Focus, connect and follow through!

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You are changing everything to a stack and tilt description. That is fine if that is the swing you like, but most tour players today uses the other method ie:tigers swing.

He also still swings the same way today. This is for the people who don't use S&T.;

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The people who win make the smallest mistakes." - Gene Littler

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Originally Posted by EverythingGolf

You are changing everything to a stack and tilt description. That is fine if that is the swing you like, but most tour players today uses the other method ie:tigers swing.

He also still swings the same way today. This is for the people who don't use S&T.;


No, Tiger does not still swing the same way today. It's not even close (unless your definition of "close" is "he's still right-handed" or something). What are you talking about? He's said it himself, and video bears out what he's said... he's gone through several swing changes.

I didn't change anything to an "S&T; description." What's that, anyway? I simply described how he'd tell you how he felt about each of the pieces called out right now, in 2011.

P.S. Tiger's stacked.

P.P.S. If you're a professional, show me some evidence and I'll add you to the Instructor/Pro group. All I can find on you is that you're into model trains and cars.

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Agree that the Tiger picture is older, maybe 6-8 years ago.  That was back when he had a beautiful swing, and was winning everything in sight.  I would say that trying to emulate Tiger as shown in EverythingGolf's post would be a very good thing.  We'll have to see whether Foley's swing change ideas help Tiger or not.

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I ain't got time to think about no six things as I take my club back.

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Originally Posted by Harmonious

Agree that the Tiger picture is older, maybe 6-8 years ago.  That was back when he had a beautiful swing, and was winning everything in sight.  I would say that trying to emulate Tiger as shown in EverythingGolf's post would be a very good thing.  We'll have to see whether Foley's swing change ideas help Tiger or not.

Picture is over a decade old. Was published in his book in, what, 2000 or 2001?

Tiger's swing back then was predicated upon outdriving the crap out of everyone and putting well. I disagree that it was a "beautiful" swing. Why'd he change it? Could it be the damage it did to his knee? The fact that he felt he had to change it to get better?

Tiger may be a great golfer but he's never demonstrated that he understands the golf swing itself very well.

2011 will be a big year for Tiger Woods.

Originally Posted by Ben

I ain't got time to think about no six things as I take my club back.

Five? Four point two?

I'm with you... Right now I'm working on hinging the club a bit sooner, and that's plenty!

"The expert golfer has maximum time to make minimal compensations. The poorer player has minimal time to make maximum compensations." - And no, I'm not Mac. Please do not PM me about it. I just think he is a crazy MFer and we could all use a little more crazy sometimes.

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Originally Posted by iacas

Quote:

Originally Posted by EverythingGolf

You are changing everything to a stack and tilt description. That is fine if that is the swing you like, but most tour players today uses the other method ie:tigers swing.

He also still swings the same way today. This is for the people who don't use S&T.;

No, Tiger does not still swing the same way today. It's not even close (unless your definition of "close" is "he's still right-handed" or something). What are you talking about? He's said it himself, and video bears out what he's said... he's gone through several swing changes.

I didn't change anything to an "S&T; description." What's that, anyway? I simply described how he'd tell you how he felt about each of the pieces called out right now, in 2011.

P.S. Tiger's stacked.

P.P.S. If you're a professional, show me some evidence and I'll add you to the Instructor/Pro group. All I can find on you is that you're into model trains and cars.



Its hard not to fall for Grant's swing... I know I'm jealous.

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Ok, I see what cbrian and iacas is talking about and I looked at some of sean foley's vids on youtube. Funny thing is I compared his swing to mine and I noticed that i do have a more centered pivot like his swing. It looks like he has a one piece takaway and then as he gets to the top of his swing he's more centered. I also notice that his right leg stayed flexed it didnt straighten up that much, at least that's what I saw in the videos.

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"Golf is not a game of great shots. It's a game of the most accurate misses.

The people who win make the smallest mistakes." - Gene Littler

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Nobody wants it to straighten all the way so much that it locks out, but the flex changes - and that's what people mean when they say "straighten" - it's a synonym for "lessen the amount of flex."

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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Originally Posted by iacas

That image is quite old. Let's have a look at what he's changed most recently and how he'd write the article up now:

Then: "I let my right elbow come away from my side, but I make sure it points toward the ground."

Now: Sean Foley has me doing a one-plane, centered-pivot swing, and when he has me stick a glove under my right and left armpits, my elbow can't move away from my rib cage like it did in 1997...

Then: "I keep my right knee flexed, the same way I had it at address."

Now: My right knee straightens, as it has to, in order to allow my hips to turn on an inclined plane.

Then: "My weight is gathered onto my right heel."

Now: Sean Foley has me making a much more centered pivot, without head movement, so any movement in the pressure I feel in my feet is minimized, and if anything, feels slightly forward.

Then: "My left heel stays flat on the ground, which helps restrict my hip turn, creating more torque."

Now: My left heel still stays flat, but I let my hips turn back. The long drivers often let their hips go like crazy - and even Jim McLean stopped talking about the "X-Factor" surprisingly quickly after the article came out. Long drivers turn their hips a lot, and I don't want to restrict my ability to turn.

Then: "My clubface should be "square" at the top, meaning it is parallel to my left forearm."

Now: Ditto!

Then: "My left shoulder should be turned under my chin. That's easier to do if I keep my chin held high throughout the swing."

Now: My left shoulder should be turned under my chin. I do this by tilting to the left more, which steepens my shoulder tilt and allows my shoulders to work in a circle rather than "too flat." As a result of a steeper shoulder turn, I can look at the ball out of my central vision and not worry about my shoulder hitting my chin.


Did....did you just speak for Tiger Woods.

Yeah...that happened.

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He was channiling his inner tiger ;b

i think the reason most people have issue with seeing his swing changes is that he slowly changed them. Not like Phil who did a drastic change  under Butch. You really can tell Phil's swing looked different from one year to the previous.  Also, i think Tiger's sit down move, that he's the best in the world at, is always there, so that makes it hard to tell if anything changed in the downswing.

But they did a review of his swing under haney versus Foley on the golf fix. They showed his hands and arms getting deeper, and he had more spine tilt and a steeper shoulder turn. We all know Sean was working on him being centered when Tiger was with him before he paid him, they showed Sean holding a club up next to Tiger's right ear to keep it from moving back.

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Originally Posted by Smyth

Did....did you just speak for Tiger Woods.

Yeah...that happened.


It's not hard when you know exactly what he's been working on and have looked at his swing a good bit the past 12-18 months or so. :-)

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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Originally Posted by iacas

Nobody wants it to straighten all the way so much that it locks out, but the flex changes - and that's what people mean when they say "straighten" - it's a synonym for "lessen the amount of flex."



And it's really tough to straighten it all the way, never seen anyone do it, Bubba gets it as straight as anyone

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Originally Posted by iacas

That image is quite old. Let's have a look at what he's changed most recently and how he'd write the article up now:

Then: "I let my right elbow come away from my side, but I make sure it points toward the ground."

Now: Sean Foley has me doing a one-plane, centered-pivot swing, and when he has me stick a glove under my right and left armpits, my elbow can't move away from my rib cage like it did in 1997...

Then: "I keep my right knee flexed, the same way I had it at address."

Now: My right knee straightens, as it has to, in order to allow my hips to turn on an inclined plane.

Then: "My weight is gathered onto my right heel."

Now: Sean Foley has me making a much more centered pivot, without head movement, so any movement in the pressure I feel in my feet is minimized, and if anything, feels slightly forward.

Then: "My left heel stays flat on the ground, which helps restrict my hip turn, creating more torque."

Now: My left heel still stays flat, but I let my hips turn back. The long drivers often let their hips go like crazy - and even Jim McLean stopped talking about the "X-Factor" surprisingly quickly after the article came out. Long drivers turn their hips a lot, and I don't want to restrict my ability to turn.

Then: "My clubface should be "square" at the top, meaning it is parallel to my left forearm."

Now: Ditto!

Then: "My left shoulder should be turned under my chin. That's easier to do if I keep my chin held high throughout the swing."

Now: My left shoulder should be turned under my chin. I do this by tilting to the left more, which steepens my shoulder tilt and allows my shoulders to work in a circle rather than "too flat." As a result of a steeper shoulder turn, I can look at the ball out of my central vision and not worry about my shoulder hitting my chin.



well said Erik!

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Bubba has the flexibility of a contortionist.  Other than a few LPGA players, I've never seen anyone that can get a straight arm to 12:00 without breaking down the rest of their form.  Incredible.  I can get to 9:30, maybe 10:00 with my 50 year old body.

Tiger doesn't have that flexibility.

I think their real "key" is being able to repeat their chosen backswing consistently and getting into the correct impact position.

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Note: This thread is 4787 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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