Mac O'Grady Golf Clinic

[mvmac]

Haven't watched it yet, don't think I have this one, video quality sucks.

This would be around '88, when Gary McCord was in the program. At this time Mac called the positions "sections" rather than "P's".

Mac O'Grady Golf Clinic from Steve Patterson Golf on Vimeo .

[mchepp]

Cool find, thanks for posting. Hopefully a few more of these make their way to the public.

[dchoye]

Thanks for the share. First time i seem Mac speak about the golf swing. Really dont know why he was so parnoid of his teaching philosphy going to the masses. He's got a lot of natural talent that really cant be duplicated. Im sure he would be more popular today if he let more people videotape his clinics.

[mvmac]

Thanks for the share. First time i seem Mac speak about the golf swing.

Really dont know why he was so parnoid of his teaching philosphy going to the masses.

- He's afraid of being proven wrong.

- From his perspective, he's spent a lot of time and money researching the golf swing and doesn't want other instructors "stealing" his information.

- Doesn't want the information interpreted incorrectly.

- He likes the mystique of keeping "the information" a secret.

Im sure he would be more popular today if he let more people videotape his clinics.

He hasn't done clinics for some time, since the mid 90's as far as I know. At the time this clinic was filmed he had hopes of building an "institute of golf". Similar to what TPI is but more golf swing focused. A place where they would do research on all aspects of golf and where instructors would go to learn about golf biomechanics.

For the past 20 years or so he's just done private schools, $2,500 for 3 days and some schools are 7 days. Until recently you could film at the schools, just don't share it or make it public or you'll be kicked out of the circle. Now he doesn't allow anyone to film and he's not letting instructors attend. That'll change because instructors are his main source of income, they bring in more students.

[mvmac]

Gary Mc Cord and Mac O'Grady Clinic from Steve Patterson Golf on Vimeo .

[mchepp]

Wow, an early Christmas present.

[Lihu]

Cool, thanks for posting.

[nevets88]

I hate to be morbid, but I hope he has everything written down and captured on video somewhere under lock and key? Does he have any kids or proteges?

[Lihu]

I hate to be morbid, but I hope he has everything written down and captured on video somewhere under lock and key? Does he have any kids or proteges?

He is pretty knowledgeable.

[iacas]

I hate to be morbid, but I hope he has everything written down and captured on video somewhere under lock and key? Does he have any kids or proteges?

Why?

It wouldn't matter if he did. He's changed things about 20 times, and at the end of the day it's ONE way to swing a club, and often that one way is governed by what he thinks LOOKS good.

Mike gets annoyed at me about this stuff but I'm not a Mac fan. Not a fan of the mystique, the cult nature, the secrecy, the outrageous attitude/ego, the methods he uses, etc.

Now, a LOT of the people I know have a Mac background. You could say I do too. But that's because he's sought out or known among the people who try to learn a lot. But I'm still not even entirely sure how much of what they end up learning he contributed.

[deason]

Awesome stuff here...

I understand Mac was doing a Course in the UK...not sure if it was open to the public.

[mvmac]

To me these videos are closer to "entertainment" than something to learn from. Just interesting to see how the information (beginning of golf biomechanics) has evolved. These clinics are from '88 and he doesn't start talking about the trail knee reducing in flex until '94.

Does he have any kids or proteges?

No kids and no one that is really a protege.

All the good Mac information is already out there.

[iacas]

To me these videos are closer to "entertainment" than something to learn from.

I concur. :D

[nevets88]

I finally got a chance to watch the vids.  Thanks again, @mvmac.

The Gary McCord video, I didn't finish the other one yet because mower and other noises - just some random thoughts:

• Is that LA's Riviera?
• Boy, that's a lot of people in one clinic. Big difference between then and now, with the secrecy.
• O'Grady said and I paraphrase - I was afraid to go public with this information until I won a couple of times.
• Did O'Grady popularize the thing with two people swinging at the same time?
• I had no idea McCord knew O'Grady - but then I'm nowhere near golf's inner circles. I just thought the contrast between a personality who lurks in the fringes and McCord, who is well known in the golf world, was interesting.
• The arms close to the body section 7 to 8, in today's parlance, A6-A8  - that's his pattern - it's not necessarily a bad thing depending on your swing, yes?
• Interesting bit about arms high at A4, harder to make a centered turn.
• Someone taped over this with bits of a Spurs game, the Spurs, current reigning NBA champs lead by Robinson's protege, Duncan.
• This video is freaking old, but strangely feels current. It's much more tangible to me that SnT and instruction nowadays stands on the shoulders of MORAD and others after watching this.
• Is McCord's swing nowadays still MORADish, what about when he had that bit of success on the senior tour?

Will post more thoughts - I'm definitely gonna re-watch these. Sorry @iacas

[mvmac]

I finally got a chance to watch the vids.  Thanks again, @mvmac.

The Gary McCord video, I didn't finish the other one yet because mower and other noises - just some random thoughts:

Is that LA's Riviera?

Did O'Grady popularize the thing with two people swinging at the same time?

I had no idea McCord knew O'Grady - but then I'm nowhere near golf's inner circles. I just thought the contrast between a personality who lurks in the fringes and McCord, who is well known in the golf world, was interesting.

The arms close to the body section 7 to 8, in today's parlance, A6-A8  - that's his pattern - it's not necessarily a bad thing depending on your swing, yes?

Interesting bit about arms high at A4, harder to make a centered turn.

Is McCord's swing nowadays still MORADish, what about when he had that bit of success on the senior tour?

1. Yes.

2. Maybe....probably, he calls it shadowing. He compares your swing against his, and of course he's the model

3. It's the CP pattern (Inward swing direction) he likes. As Erik mentioned, Mac likes the swing to look a certain way. Mac loves the look of the face staying square to the arc 7-8 as the hands move left with the pivot. Trying to achieve this look is one of the biggest negatives to what he teaches.

4. This is where Mac tends to be very narrow with his view of a functional golf swing. Of course you can have have high arms and make a centered pivot, Nicklaus and Couples off the top of my head. A pivot that is more level will typically lead to the player having to "lift" the arms on the backswing.

5. Don't know, I think it's similar except for the followthrough.

[Ernest Jones]

3. It's the CP pattern (Inward swing direction) he likes. As Erik mentioned, Mac likes the swing to look a certain way. Mac loves the look of the face staying square to the arc 7-8 as the hands move left with the pivot. Trying to achieve this look is one of the biggest negatives to what he teaches.

Ok, going wildly OT here but...

I have had some success* with the swing thought of my body moving in two different directions at impact, hands driving to right field, body pivoting hard left and the ball splitting the difference and going right down the pipe, seems to really help with getting the hips to open up. Is this the same concept? Definitely a feel thing.

*I haven't worked with that feel in ages but may go back to it at some point. @david_wedzik seemed to like that image when I mentioned it to him during a lesson.

/hijack

[mvmac]

I have had some success* with the swing thought of my body moving in two different directions at impact, hands driving to right field, body pivoting hard left and the ball splitting the difference and going right down the pipe, seems to really help with getting the hips to open up. Is this the same concept? Definitely a feel thing.

It's different. Like I said he likes the hands going more LEFT with the pivot, more like Hogan with the butt of the club disappearing at A7.5 while the club head is still visible. You need a lot of arm speed and a lot of external rotation of the trail arm to be able to get this look. Most importantly it's not needed to hit good, solid golf shots.

[dchoye]

It's different. Like I said he likes the hands going more LEFT with the pivot, more like Hogan with the butt of the club disappearing at A7.5 while the club head is still visible. You need a lot of arm speed and a lot of external rotation of the trail arm to be able to get this look. Most importantly it's not needed to hit good, solid golf shots.

Yea , I agree.

There's many players who hit solid golf shots with the appearance of the arms and butt of the club more outward from the body.

Mac sets up with low hands and close to the body, it's easier for him to look more "CP" like release

Take a look at Moe Norman, he's got the extreme opposite setup with his hands extended away from his body and a picture of his release looks like the poster boy of a "CF" type release.

I personally believe many golfers fit inside these extremes, and it's more a function of hands and posture at setup.