Herman Williams Golf

[DIABLO]

Hi everyone,just wanting to know has,anybody had many dealings with Herman Williams? do you know if he teaches one or two plane swing,it looks like,a one plane on youtube videos. he seems to know what he's talking about and also seems like he's got good people's skills. any info much,appreciated,thanks in advance.:-D

[David in FL]

Never heard of him.

[Russtopher]

His blog and vids about the correct grip are pretty good, I learned a lot from those. His stuff pops up a lot for various golf instruction-related searches, but it might be due to his just having a lot of content.

I'm not close to being well versed enough to comment on his swing type, though :) Plenty of decent golf instruction online (and some not so good), I'm a big fan of Mark Crossfield, Monte Scheinblum, and Martin Chuck's videos in addition to all the great 5SK vids here on TST.

[DIABLO]

Hi,i found his lesson on grip very good also,not many teachers on youtube teach the neutral grip.it made alot of sense when you couple it with the flat wrist lesson. i asked Herman a question via youtube and he got back to me within hours..this is exactly what iam looking for:-D..mark crossfield is ok,but he almost never responds to anyone's questions so i feel your not really interacting with him.i also feel he likes the sound of his own voice a little to much..saying that he's a nice fella with some very good advice..oh his equipment reviews are all the same. thanks for your reply :-D

[hermanwilliams]

Hey Guys,

Herman Williams here. Just thought I would chime in on your question. To answer simply, I'm not really a "method" teacher that attempts to put all my players into a single style. I like a lot of the elements of the one-plane swing but find in the real world it's really more about finding a comfortable, repeatable swing plane that works best for each player. It's much safer working with students one-on-one than it is presenting a topic on YouTube, so I try as hard as I can to provide YouTube info that works for a broad range of players or at least set up each video so the target audience understands who it's for. Thanks to all the guys here who follow my work. The views and comments are much appreciated. - Herman

[Siberian]

I've recently become a huge fan. I've been onto his videos and blog for a few weeks now. He's an excellent communicator of golf fundamentals.You get the what and the why, the bio-mechanical cause and effect, made easy to understand. No fads, no 'secrets', just a heavy dose of meat and potatoes. I went to the range at lunch today to put a few of his tips into practice. (Tips that just make SO much sense once you hear them.)  I hit the ball as well as I have in my life, which is saying a lot for a 60 year-old who was a prodigy in his youth. If I lived in NC, he'd be my go to guy.

[DIABLO]

Hi,ive recently been in touch with him,via youtube..i agree 100% with you!! he's a great at communication and explains things brilliantly..i struggle with getting my arm on top of my chest,its feels very restricted for my swing..all in all though,i would go to Herman like a shot for advice..i wished i lived near him,i would love to have a one on one with him..but coming all the way from the U.K. is slightly out of my price bracket!! thanks for the response,and good luck with your game!

[Siberian]

Diablo,

I had the same issue with my left arm being to the left of my chest instead of being on top of the pec muscle. As a kid with a two-knuckle grip, the arm was naturally more on top, but with a neutral grip now (I changed due to a wrist operation when I was 18), it's all too easy to let the left arm sit on the side of the chest. Ever feel like there's just no way to take the club back, that you're blocked? That is me sometimes. Before seeing Herman's emphasis on the importance of getting the left arm on top, when really stuck, I used to set up with my arms turned to the two-knuckle position in an effort to sort out my body angles. What did not realize is that this was naturally helping to get the left arm on top, the right shoulder tucked better, and setting the reverse K spine angle. If you think about it, you can't have both a reverse K setup and your left arm to the left of your chest - you won't be able to set the club behind the ball. With a good reverse K established, your left arm has to be on top of the pec for it to extend straight down to the ball without forcing the issue.

For my part, I do find his method of getting the left arm on top cumbersome. What I do at setup is to cock my wrists 90 degrees along the swing plane like some of the drills you've seen, which pulls the left arm on top, and then return back to the normal address position keeping my left arm in position on top. It's kind of a waggle move, but not incorporated into the take-away per se.

Between this tip and his back-swing / weight shift video, I now see clearly why my swing gets out of whack at times. Putting the advice in these two videos together has really gotten my swing back on track. Throw another tip about swinging in slow motion and you can get the hang of it fairly quickly.

Lastly, I like to go for a bit of sybervision by watching clips of Hogan swinging. It's not his swing positions, but the way his body flows forward as the back-swing is finishing that is worth copying. His timing is just beautiful to watch.

[DIABLO]

You talk alot of sense,so would you say Herman's methods are the ones to stick with? I've been playing 7 years now and keep getting caught up in everybody's methods of teaching,ive tried them all and find myself getting tied in knots(my head that is)..I've tried the Hogan move's with some great success,and moved onto nick Faldo's method's..and right now iam reading nick Bradley's 7 laws of the golf swing.its all very interesting,but very confusing as all the above have very different ways. i do like Herman's way i must admit,i just feel as though iam limited to material i can access,i do like books i can refer to,as well as video lessons. what's your opinion on the rotaryswing guys?? I've taken an interest in these guys the last few weeks,and i must say that there takeaway method works a charm..i do get the feeling it's more money driven though,which puts me off somewhat as i want to learn and not be treated like some idiot! i do like the idea that i can join,and they teach online,which is good when iam on this side of the pond...just a word back on ben Hogan,have you seen the guy on youtube called christo?? he has a channel called my swing evolution!!he's studied the ben Hogan swing,and wrote a book just like the five lesson's. he's a real nice guy who has some skill's,and some staying power to mimic a swing like Hogan's

[Siberian]

Diablo,

Hmm, not sure you should put your game in my hands. I will say this: what I like about Herman is that he teaches solid fundamentals. A good setup, decent take-away, and starting down with the legs / hips first are universal requirements for a solid strike. Anyone making it more complicated than this is blowing smoke IMHO. I've passed by the rotary swing site, and believe I saw some blather about hip issues if you slide you hips too far left as you start down. They are turning a non-issue into a sales point. True, Jack Nicklaus had a bad left hip, but he had issues with it from a young age. Furthermore, he was from the reverse C era, a finishing position tough on the back as well. He'd also hit more shots by age 20 and you will your entire life.

I say chuck all the 'systems'. A good teacher won't try to stuff you into a system. He/she will help you apply solid fundamentals, some of which you need more work on than others. Unless your grip is poor, either a neutral or strong grip works. The pro tour is full of both. You don't need a specific swing plane, you just need to stay on yours. Way too many witch doctors out there, and Herman is not one of them.

Regarding Hogan, don't make too much of my using him as an example. I had a teacher try to get me to swing on his plane and it just about destroyed my game. For me, it's really about the rhythm of his swing. He had more of a buggy whip transition than most players, but this both helped him achieve greater lag and assured he would not start his downswing with his upper body. The flow of his swing, perhaps ironically, underscores the point that a golf swing is a dynamic act, not a series of positions. Perhaps the most clinical player in history still had a very free-flowing swing. I also find his explanations don't really match his swing - better to just watch his swing than listen to his advice.

Yikes, I've gone on and on. Sorry. Bottom line, Herman will help get you squared away with your fundamentals, and hopefully de-clutter your mind with the clarity of his explanations. You might also look around locally. There are a lot of good teachers at local courses, and they have the advantage of seeing you hit balls live.

[DIABLO]

Thanks alot for your time and input,iam glad i spoke to you!! i had a good feeling about Herman,and i suppose i was looking for someone to clarify what i was thinking.. thanks again for your time and knowledge.I've only just started to use the sand trap,and it's great full of friendly knowledgeable people

[Lihu]

Hi,i found his lesson on grip very good also,not many teachers on youtube teach the neutral grip.it made alot of sense when you couple it with the flat wrist lesson.

i asked Herman a question via youtube and he got back to me within hours..this is exactly what iam looking for:-D..mark crossfield is ok,but he almost never responds to anyone's questions so i feel your not really interacting with him.i also feel he likes the sound of his own voice a little to much..saying that he's a nice fella with some very good advice..oh his equipment reviews are all the same.

thanks for your reply

I know what you mean.

Hey Guys,

Herman Williams here. Just thought I would chime in on your question. To answer simply, I'm not really a "method" teacher that attempts to put all my players into a single style. I like a lot of the elements of the one-plane swing but find in the real world it's really more about finding a comfortable, repeatable swing plane that works best for each player. It's much safer working with students one-on-one than it is presenting a topic on YouTube, so I try as hard as I can to provide YouTube info that works for a broad range of players or at least set up each video so the target audience understands who it's for. Thanks to all the guys here who follow my work. The views and comments are much appreciated. - Herman

Cool that you responded. I've watched a few of your videos in the past, and found them very helpful. Two (or more) on one instruction in a collaborative manner is even better.

[Siberian]

For the record, I've watched a bunch of Rotary Swing videos and they are very good. The approach to making a good take-away is brilliant and is at the core of their approach. They do go on about hip and back issues in places, but the fix they apply is simple and wholly in line with the solid swing fundamentals they teach. Additionally, their 'push' vs 'pull' concept and effect on swing dynamics is well worth some study. In general, the Rotary Swing is the same swing Herman Willaims teaches - classic fundamentals, no gimmicks,. Bottom line: excellent site.

[DIABLO]

Hi again,I've still had trouble with the concept of the left arm on top of the chest,i really feel my arms aren't hanging from my shoulder's.so for that reason i feel as though i couldn't apply myself to Herman's way's...that said he is a great teacher with fantastic communication..i might look into rotaryswing again,although my game's in good shape at the moment and i really don't want any clutter in my head..all i think about these days is synchronized body and arms to create a solid flowing swing,with a well timed release...and hey presto iam back shooting mid 70's and back into single figures

[HawkNballs]

As far as online instructional videos... I like Shawn Clement and Josh Zander the best.

Everyone has different taste.  That's why they make so many different types of wine!

[dmnoland]

Herman teaches at my local course. I've chatted with him a couple of times and he seems like a great guy but he's not inexpensive. I usually pay $40 for a 45 min. lesson. Herman charges $75 for 30 min. with the first lesson being 1 hour for $150. Are his numbers out of line for quality instruction?

[Vinsk]

Herman is awesome. Period. On another note, I did the 3 day instruction with Golf Made Simple. It was fantastic. I'm a mental disaster with golf but at least I can say I hit the best shots of my life after working with their program. You can see my newest swing on the member swing (Vinsk ) thread. Feels so good to compress the ball and see that beautiful divot appear IN FRONT of the ball. Herman responded to my question online. He was right on the money about my issues and the GMS instructor had said the same thing.

[DIABLO]

So are both of you fellas saying your getting true value?considering his lessons are free on youtube! can i ask what do you both play off?..and do you both have your lead arm on top of your chest?