Jason Dufner's Waggle

[mvmac]

With his second PGA Tour victory in three weeks, there has been a lot of talk about Jason Dufner and his waggle.  I think it's usually at least five waggles.  But what is consistent is the speed and how he does it.  He bends his right wrist back, keeps the right arm relatively straight and flattens the left wrist.  Every other waggle he's glance at the target.  What makes it look a little unorthodox is the speed that he waggles and that the right arm doesn't bend very much.  It's a waggle that looks similar to Hogan, except Hogan flexed the right elbow more.  It almost looks like Dufner is trying to rehearse Ray Floyd's swing.

I don't know if he has always had this waggle or incorporated the motion to ascend the club at a better rate.  Looking at his swing I could see he might have had an issue with float loading, dragging the handle, too much in the takeaway.  Could cause the head to move too far to the right or just create sequencing issues.

What I want to point out is that even though he rehearses this move of bending the right wrist early, his actual takeaway is the complete opposite.  Like everything else in golf, don't always trust the "experts" and use your common sense.  Be careful when commentators or instructors assume that his waggle is similar to his actual swing.  Some are even advocating that you copy what he is doing.  For myself this move would be disastrous and I think too many golfers already get the club head too low and inside early.  It isn't all negative, I do like that it keeps him in motion and when he's done, he taps the club head to the ground and goes.  Every single time.  There's no pause, or chance for doubt to creep in.  He's as "in the moment" as you can get.

Looking at this first pic we can see the differences in the waggle and the actual swing. Kind of amazing to practice a move so much and do just the opposite.

Note the flat left wrist and bent right wrist on the left.  Slight bend in the right wrist and cupped left wrist all the way to shaft parallel to the ground on the right.

Watch the entire motion

[gripNrip88]

love his swing. i try to mimic it bc to me its picture perfect (i also have a quick tempo). club stays on the right path the whole time and his movement through the ball couldnt get any better! rooting for Dufner at the Colonial!

[gwlee7]

I have really become a fan of this guy.

[poser]

Originally Posted by gripNrip88

love his swing. i try to mimic it bc to me its picture perfect (i also have a quick tempo). club stays on the right path the whole time and his movement through the ball couldnt get any better! rooting for Dufner at the Colonial!

I wouldn't say picture perfect but, its a great way to hit a pull fade.

[boogielicious]

I think the waggle really relaxes him.  He is already very low key to begin with, but it looks like it really just removes tension.  I am also a fan of his.  Especially after he lost so gracefully last year in the PGA Championship.

[gripNrip88]

Originally Posted by poser

I wouldn't say picture perfect but, its a great way to hit a pull fade.

thats why i said picture perfect to ME lol

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by mvmac

But what is consistent is the speed and how he does it.  He bends his right wrist back, keeps the right arm relatively straight and flattens the left wrist.  Every other waggle he's glance at the target.  What makes it look a little unorthodox is the speed that he waggles and that the right arm doesn't bend very much.  It's a waggle that looks similar to Hogan, except Hogan flexed the right elbow more.  It almost looks like Dufner is trying to rehearse Ray Floyd's swing.

That's why I actually like the waggle: it's rhythmic and consistent.  I remember a few tournaments ago somebody called it annoying, but I find it relaxing.  What's annoying is Keegan's spastic pre-shot routine which has no rhyme nor reason to it.

Brandon

[Beachcomber]

Mike, do you think his pre-shot waggle is to get a feel for lag on the down swing (2nd accumulator) - more so than the takeaway?

[miami8miami]

From the swings that I've looked at on YouTube it seems he hits pull fades to straight fades, although I've seen him draw a few drives at doral. His A's are almost textbook for an efficient cp release. Not only that but he's a fantastic putter and is very even keeled on the course. What do you guys think?

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by miami8miami

From the swings that I've looked at on YouTube it seems he hits pull fades to straight fades, although I've seen him draw a few drives at doral.

His A's are almost textbook for an efficient cp release. Not only that but he's a fantastic putter and is very even keeled on the course.

What do you guys think?

Listening to his own comments, he seems to admit he is a poor putter at times.

Brandon

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by miami8miami

From the swings that I've looked at on YouTube it seems he hits pull fades to straight fades, although I've seen him draw a few drives at doral.

His A's are almost textbook for an efficient cp release. Not only that but he's a fantastic putter and is very even keeled on the course.

What do you guys think?

I'm definitely going to take some time and watch him at the US Open.  Yes, agree some very obvious CP pieces in there.  What's interesting is at A3 club shaft is pointing outside baseline and then shift that left arm out and steepens the shaft to get it back to baseline at A5.

[realdealblues]

I've really liked Dufner for a while.  Part of the reason I first liked him was because of the Waggle.  I've done the same thing for years.  I do it to get my arms to relax and keep from tensing up as well as shifting my weight around to get my feet where I feel good and balanced.  I don't sit the driver down and swing right away like he does though.  I wish I could have a fast tempo like that.  I usually have to set it down take a deep breath or two and then start my backswing.

[jdmccjm]

Very interesting topic, and, being a Dufner fan, one I have actually devoted a substantial amount of thought to.  During an interview a couple months ago

Dufner said, "I can't remember where I picked up the waggle or when it started."  He went on to say there's "no thought process about it; doesn't have any meaning or swing thought."  Dufner noted, "There's no special reason for it."

In my opinion, there's a lot more to Dufner's waggle than he wants us to believe.  First of all, Dufner knows exactly where that waggle came from--Ben Hogan.  Dufner is a Hogan disciple and stated he has read everything Hogan has ever written.  However, we know Dufner's waggle is different than Hogan's waggle, and for good reason.  One golfer's waggle will not be beneficial for another golfer because each of us have different builds, swings, and thoughts.  Accordingly, Dufner has developed his own waggle based on the principles Hogan laid out for us in his books.

As far as the purpose that Dufner allegedly "doesn't have" behind his waggle, I would tend to disagree.  While Dufner's waggle is very different from his takeaway, it matches the position he moves into at the point between the middle of his backswing and the top of his backswing--that is, the position Dufner is in at the top of his waggle (hands, wrists, and forearms) matches the position he reaches at the top of his swing.  Moreover, as noted in the first post of this discussion, Dufner does tend to be a float-loader.  He keeps his hands, wrists, and arms very passive during his takeaway, and arguably throughout the entire backswing.  In my opinion, the waggle allows him to maintain this floating backswing while, at the same time, avoiding the potential for the clubhead to remain closed and below plane, causing a laid-off backswing and an across-the-line position at the top.  Specifically, the move Dufner makes during his waggle is the move he wants to happen during the middle of his backswing; importantly, however, he wants that move to happen subconsciously, allowing him to focus on a relaxed backswing with passive hands/wrists/arms while, at the same time, making sure the "triangle" he established at address remains intact and rolls clockwise as ONE unit.

In sum, I think Dufner has put a lot of thought into his waggle and definitely uses it as a tool for achieving his desired backswing motion.  Dufner's waggle allows him to have a very passive backswing, but still keep the club on plane and in a good position...subconsciously.  What we can learn from his waggle in developing our own is:  develop a waggle that helps you stay relaxed and still make the moves you want to make during the backswing without having to consciously "make" them happen.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by jdmccjm

Very interesting topic, and, being a Dufner fan, one I have actually devoted a substantial amount of thought to.  During an interview a couple months ago--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBkjUq15EKQ--Dufner said, "I can't remember where I picked up the waggle or when it started."  He went on to say there's "no thought process about it; doesn't have any meaning or swing thought."  Dufner noted, "There's no special reason for it."

In my opinion, there's a lot more to Dufner's waggle than he wants us to believe.  First of all, Dufner knows exactly where that waggle came from--Ben Hogan.  Dufner is a Hogan disciple and stated he has read everything Hogan has ever written.  However, we know Dufner's waggle is different than Hogan's waggle, and for good reason.  One golfer's waggle will not be beneficial for another golfer because each of us have different builds, swings, and thoughts.  Accordingly, Dufner has developed his own waggle based on the principles Hogan laid out for us in his books.

As far as the purpose that Dufner allegedly "doesn't have" behind his waggle, I would tend to disagree.  While Dufner's waggle is very different from his takeaway, it matches the position he moves into at the point between the middle of his backswing and the top of his backswing--that is, the position Dufner is in at the top of his waggle (hands, wrists, and forearms) matches the position he reaches at the top of his swing.  Moreover, as noted in the first post of this discussion, Dufner does tend to be a float-loader.  He keeps his hands, wrists, and arms very passive during his takeaway, and arguably throughout the entire backswing.  In my opinion, the waggle allows him to maintain this floating backswing while, at the same time, avoiding the potential for the clubhead to remain closed and below plane, causing a laid-off backswing and an across-the-line position at the top.  Specifically, the move Dufner makes during his waggle is the move he wants to happen during the middle of his backswing; importantly, however, he wants that move to happen subconsciously, allowing him to focus on a relaxed backswing with passive hands/wrists/arms while, at the same time, making sure the "triangle" he established at address remains intact and rolls clockwise as ONE unit.

In sum, I think Dufner has put a lot of thought into his waggle and definitely uses it as a tool for achieving his desired backswing motion.  Dufner's waggle allows him to have a very passive backswing, but still keep the club on plane and in a good position...subconsciously.  What we can learn from his waggle in developing our own is:  develop a waggle that helps you stay relaxed and still make the moves you want to make during the backswing without having to consciously "make" them happen.

Nice post.  You should participate more within the forums.

[bplewis24]

What would the opposite of a "float-loader" be?  Somebody like Dustin Johnson?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

What would the opposite of a "float-loader" be?  Somebody like Dustin Johnson?

Kind of, I would say Robert Rock is on the opposite side of the spectrum, both hitting drivers here

[bplewis24]

Okay thanks Mike.  I was just trying to confirm that the concept is what I was thinking of; basically loading/bending the wrists early during the backswing.  I'm not good with technical swing terms at the moment.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Okay thanks Mike.  I was just trying to confirm that the concept is what I was thinking of; basically loading/bending the wrists early during the backswing.  I'm not good with technical swing terms at the moment.

No problem, I remember a few years ago I posted my swing and I was trying to hinge my wrists later in the takeaway and someone said, "nice job float loading" and I had no idea what they were taking about ;-)