Phil Mickelson says you can take that modern swing and wrap it in a back brace

[mvmac]

Not Phil's best IMO. Doesn't make much sense he would be criticizing the "modern" swing when he was working with Butch for years on not changing the flex in his rear leg on the backswing, shortening the arm swing, etc. As we all know he wasn't a great student because his swing continued to go past parallel and he always lost some flex in his trail knee (this is a good thing).

A lot of the top guys, Rory, Spieth, DJ, Bubba, Rickie, don't really have modern "restrictive" swings.

I just categorize this as gamesmanship or Phil trying to prove to himself that he has some advantage in the twilight of his career.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/phil-mickelson-says-you-can-take-that-modern-swing-and-wrap-it-in-a-back-brace?mbid=social_facebook

Quote

"You can play golf for a lifetime and injury-free if you swing the club like Bobby Jones did, like Ernest Jones used to teach -- where it's a swinging motion rather than a violent movement," Mickelson said from Augusta. "A lot of the young guys get hurt as they create this violent, connected movement, and I don't believe that's the proper way to swing the golf club."

Mickelson said his freer move -- a style championed by commentator Brandel Chamblee in his new book, "The Anatomy of Greatness" -- is why he's been able to play relatively injury-free into his mid-40s, and he worries about a generation of young players copying the aggressive lashes they see on tour telecasts.

 

[onthehunt526]

Mike,

Phil has a point, to an extent... a freer move with less of a violent motion, will in some ways, be more resistant to injuries over time.

However, Phil is just being Phil.

[mchepp]

18 minutes ago, mvmac said:19 minutes ago, mvmac said:

Mickelson said his freer move -- a style championed by commentator Brandel Chamblee in his new book, "The Anatomy of Greatness" -- is why he's been able to play relatively injury-free into his mid-40s, and he worries about a generation of young players copying the aggressive lashes they see on tour telecasts.

This quote almost sounds like Phil is promoting Brandel's book. I don't think he is, but it makes it sound like he is.

[Patch]

I use a less violent swing. Have used it for 42+ years. I have never had an injury due to my golf swing. I also like a lot of what Earnest Jones wrote about the golf swing. His is really easy to understand swing instruction. 

As for Philly Mic's comments, I think "gamesmanship" is a fair description in this instance. 

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, mvmac said:

Not Phil's best IMO. Doesn't make much sense he would be criticizing the "modern" swing when he was working with Butch for years on not changing the flex in his rear leg on the backswing, shortening the arm swing, etc. As we all know he wasn't a great student because his swing continued to go past parallel and he always lost some flex in his trail knee (this is a good thing).

A lot of the top guys, Rory, Spieth, DJ, Bubba, Rickie, don't really have modern "restrictive" swings.

I just categorize this as gamesmanship or Phil trying to prove to himself that he has some advantage in the twilight of his career.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/phil-mickelson-says-you-can-take-that-modern-swing-and-wrap-it-in-a-back-brace?mbid=social_facebook

Not sure what is the "modern swing" is what I have been learning a modern swing?

If so, I started learning it in my 40s and am pretty much injury free and am swinging faster than I was 4 years ago. It kind of self regulates. I can't swing any faster so I can't swing so fast that I can injure myself.

If I were to emulate anyone's swing at an older age it would be Ernie Els' swing. Ernie Els seems to be a good example of having an athletic swing without injury.

[Mr. Desmond]

2 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

Mike,

Phil has a point, to an extent... a freer move with less of a violent motion, will in some ways, be more resistant to injuries over time.

However, Phil is just being Phil.

I had more back injuries swinging the arms (under Hank Haney instructors - keep back knee flexed and all that other stuff) than I have had as I've gotten older with more of a modern center pivot swing.

I see a lot of "modern swings" that do not look violent.

If Phil is pointing at Tiger, that's a special case, and he should not cite it as an example. From what I saw, Tiger looked great on the range, violent on the course.

[b101]

2 hours ago, mvmac said:

-- a style championed by commentator Brandel Chamblee in his new book, "The Anatomy of Greatness" --

This is the point where you know for sure he's barking up the wrong tree.

[boogielicious]

5 hours ago, mvmac said:

Not Phil's best IMO. Doesn't make much sense he would be criticizing the "modern" swing when he was working with Butch for years on not changing the flex in his rear leg on the backswing, shortening the arm swing, etc. As we all know he wasn't a great student because his swing continued to go past parallel and he always lost some flex in his trail knee (this is a good thing).

A lot of the top guys, Rory, Spieth, DJ, Bubba, Rickie, don't really have modern "restrictive" swings.

I just categorize this as gamesmanship or Phil trying to prove to himself that he has some advantage in the twilight of his career.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/phil-mickelson-says-you-can-take-that-modern-swing-and-wrap-it-in-a-back-brace?mbid=social_facebook

 

Bobby Jones retired at 28. Who know what would have happened to his body at 40.

[14ledo81]

My swing does not have enough speed to be called anything close to "violent"......

[Typhoon92]

I read something recently, maybe it was Tom Watson saying the modern swing is the cause of more injuries than the older swing with the reverse C finish.  I think Phil makes sense on this one.

[saevel25]

6 hours ago, mvmac said:

I just categorize this as gamesmanship or Phil trying to prove to himself that he has some advantage in the twilight of his career.

I agree. Phil is the ultimate competitor. I can see him easily just wanting this piece of as something he can hang his hat on over Tiger and other golfers. 

6 hours ago, onthehunt526 said:

Phil has a point, to an extent... a freer move with less of a violent motion, will in some ways, be more resistant to injuries over time.

Jason Day made the point that most golfers have back issues. I think just because you don't hear about it doesn't mean that they don't exists at some level. 

In the end Phil could have just been lucky not to get the injury bug. Also, the media wasn't prevalent back in the 1970's like it is now. It's harder to keep things secret. 

In baseball, before we what we know now as Tommy John Injury there were pitchers in the past who would just disappear from the game. The excuse would be elbow issues or pain. 

People over the past decade have wonder why their was a huge jump in TJS in pitchers. Some say it wasn't a huge jump because it probably existed they just didn't know it was TJS or it was every reported.  I do think there are more TJS now, but not to the extent that is being reported since we can't confirm all the TJ injuries in the past. (off-topic)

Lets say there is a higher rate of back issues. I would say the bigger issue is kids hitting thousand upon thousands of golf balls before the age of 15. To compare to baseball. They are recommending now that a kids playing baseball take 6 months off after little league to just rest the arms. These kids have so much wear and tear now on their arms  before they even get to college or the minors. Some MLB teams have been known to look for pitches who didn't play in year round traveling teams since there is less wear on the arms. 

I can see this happening to these golfers who followed Tiger's track of starting very young and being devoted to one sport. 

 

[Mr. Desmond]

I've started to take swings lefthanded on the range (but not with a ball) to even things out and lessen potential back issues. Massage therapists and my instructor say that same thing -- take swings from the opposite side to help the back muscles.

[newtogolf]

Fred Couples has one of the smoothest, least violent (to me) swings I've ever seen and he's battled back issues for most a lot of his career. We're all built differently and in some cases the back injuries aren't from golf but from other activities or trauma.  

I love Phil but this is another case of where generalizations don't work.  

[jamo]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

Lets say there is a higher rate of back issues. I would say the bigger issue is kids hitting thousand upon thousands of golf balls before the age of 15. To compare to baseball. They are recommending now that a kids playing baseball take 6 months off after little league to just rest the arms. These kids have so much wear and tear now on their arms  before they even get to college or the minors. Some MLB teams have been known to look for pitches who didn't play in year round traveling teams since there is less wear on the arms. 

I don't know if the golf swing is really close enough to the baseball pitching motion for that analogy to mean much.

[Typhoon92]

1 hour ago, Mr. Desmond said:

I've started to take swings lefthanded on the range (but not with a ball) to even things out and lessen potential back issues. Massage therapists and my instructor say that same thing -- take swings from the opposite side to help the back muscles.

Good point, I was told the same thing with a couple of instructors I work with.  Gotta train the muscles both ways.

[Patch]

8 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Good point, I was told the same thing with a couple of instructors I work with.  Gotta train the muscles both ways.

I have a set of left handed club that I sometimes use. Mostly 9 hole stuff. My hdcp is probably double from my normal side. I too know the importance training both sides of the body. 

3 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Bobby Jones retired at 28. Who know what would have happened to his body at 40.

Pretty sure I read that Jones retired early due to poor ciculation in his legs. He didn't have many more competitive golf rounds left in his legs, and knew it. 

[Big Lex]

Whether or not a swing which looks "long and flowing" stresses the body less than one which looks "connected and violent" would have to be determined experimentally in some way. It makes sense intuitively that a Bobby Jones swing would be less taxing on joints than would Jason Day's swing, but you don't really know this to be fact unless you can measure it or test it in some way.

I agree totally with Phil, however, in that all other things being equal, it's important to try to swing the club in a way that causes the least amount of damaging strain to our bodies.

[MrDC]

I think it's pretty obvious that allowing the entire back to stay connected throughout the swing is going to be less damaging than restricting the lower back and using a coil/uncoil action, I don't see how anyone can say otherwise, the constant twisting and yanking is going to cause problems eventually, it's a much safer bet to use the entire body- legs and all- for power rather than putting so much on the core.

Edited April 6, 2016 by MrDC