Gallery Questions and Answers
Bobby,
I have read your book “The Impact Zone” and my question regarding The Aiming Point Technique is, in the book it shows you looking at a point 4 inches in front of the golf ball, at address do you look at that point and not the golf ball or was that used to emphasize that you should concentrate on having your hands go to that point?
If it was just to emphasize your point, is there anything wrong with actually looking at a point 4 inches in front of the golf ball during the entire swing?
I look forward to your comments.
LS
Dear LS,
Of the many questions we have received at the Impact Zone concerning questions from reading the book, yours has been the most common. The aiming point concept is one that is difficult to explain in words. The Sybervsion/Impact Zone video, which is currently being produced and will be available for the market in the late spring of 2009, will share in much more detail this very important concept. I encourage you to get a copy of the video when it comes out. Stay tuned to our website for updates regarding its release.
But I can give you a few comments, which might be of help. The ideal swing bottom for all shots is 4 inches in front of the ball. The purpose of the Aiming Point is to produce a more forward swing bottom. The illustrations on p.39 in “The Impact Zone, reveal an imaginary line that one should have to aim the hands to a point well in front of the ball. There is no reference in the book that this aiming point is 4 inches in front of the ball. In fact, this point varies from golfer to golfer. Some may aim 4 inches in front of the ball to produce a 4 inch in front swing bottom. Others may need to aim much further forward as the 4 inch in front swing bottom is the combination of many things. The Sybervision/Impact Zone video will get into this as well.
The key point is to have your mind on your hands and an awareness that the pivot (or workhorse) is moving those hands which are aiming in front of the ball. One can also picture that the hands will pass through a forward of the ball position at impact, to produce forward lean of the club shaft at impact. This is a similar move to a martial artist breaking a board, the focus is not on the board, but rather aiming the hands to the other side of the board.
I have had some readers share with me that they have improved their swing bottom and thus their game by actually looking at a point in front of the ball at address and not looking at the ball at all. Though I have never used this in my own game, I’m not against it at all. The key is that if you can do something to create a more forward 4 inch in front swing bottom, then do it!!!!
Most golfers look at the ball at address and aim their hands at the ball, which produces a less than optimum swing bottom result. My suggestion is to first visualize your hands aiming at a point well in front of the ball as you start your next downswing. This point can be a few inches or a few feet in front of the ball, depending on you. Experiment with the distance you need.
If this visualization technique doesn’t land with you, then look at a point in front of the ball at address.
Happy Golfing,
Bobby
Bobby,
When I put lag in my swing I will eventually start shanking. What causes this and how can it be corrected?
NP
Dear NP,
When I read your question, I see that you are finding a relationship between amount of lag as a cause of shanking. Amount of lag has nothing to do with causing a shank, but you’re working on increasing lag may be causing you to do something incorrect which causes a shank.
First, a shank is caused from off-plane force (need to work on dynamic #5). The clubshaft is somehow propelled on a plane outside of the correct plane through the impact zone, causing the ball to make contact in the heel of the club and connect with the hosel. This hit causes the shank. You might find that your cause of the shank could be as simple as standing too close to the ball. Or you may find that your balance point moves towards your toes on your downswing and through impact, causing the hit in the heel of the club. These are two of the most common causes of the shank.
You may find it helpful reviewing in the Impact Zone my discussion regarding clubhead lag. Remember that clubhead lag is both a quality, in that the clubhead always trails the hands, as it is a quantity that can be measured in degrees from the left arm and the clubshaft. Noone can have too much lag, nor is it ever the cause of hitting in the heel or the toe of the clubface.
Happy Golfing,
Bobby
Series of Questions from DH:
1. In your opinion what is the geneses of lag? Do you feel it is something that is natural or must be learned? What causes someone to lose their lag in golf? “How does one teach lag”?
Answer to Question 1: Lag is both natural and learned. Is is both a quality and a quantity, both can be improved through proper instruction and training. Lag exists in other sports but in my opinion is most critical in golf as golf is the most precise game I know. Throwing lag away is a culprit that has destroyed golfers for a long time. Retaining lag is a process of understanding the purpose of the downswing is to “store”, while training the body pivot to work on the downswing to support the retaining of lag. Thus teaching “lag” is done through making sure the student understands the concept then improving the motion of especially the hips which slide and turn through the downswing in an accelerated motion which allows the lag to store longer. The video system will address this more closely than the book did. This is really a visual learning process that is next to impossible to fully develop in a book.
2. Trigger Finger – I have read some about this concept before in The Golf Machine, but would love to hear more of your thoughts on how this plays a role in lag.
Answer- Question 2: The “trigger finger” is important to maximizing the creation of lag. yes, the Golfing Machine makes mention of this as the #3 pressure point. Again, the video will develop this further.
3. Club Face - Is it your thought that club face being open or shut at the top has little to do with ball flight?
Answer- Question 3: Tiger has won majors with all three clubface positions (shut, square, open). Corey Pavin and Johnny Miller had very open faces, Paul Azinger, Bernhard Langer, and Lee Trevino had very shut faces when they all won their major championships. There are plusses and minuses for both, but it is insignificant in comparrison to the benefits of improving one’s impact. Too much instruction in my opinion centers around “clubface” and should be placed in much lower priority for the student.
4. Early Load – Why is it important to set the club early rather than let your body work naturally, where the elbows break and the wrist break when the body wants them to break, based off of your body movements?
Answer- Question 4: Early load does become more of a style issue rather than a dynamic and I shy away from advocating an early load. What I do advocate is that the purpose of the backswing is to fully load the club, or load the club as much as possible, regardless of the length of shot. Thus, to create a backswing that is in a constant loading motion is optimal. It is also optimal for the pivot or body to work in harmony and naturally with the load. I agree fully!
5. I think you are “right on” when you note that most players are too affixed to the golf ball. Do you think this has a lot to do with lose of lag?
Answer- Question 5: Yes, definitely. In fact, in our golf schools we are developing, we have as part of our assessment process at the start of the school to evaluate how much a player is fixated on the ball. I call this the “ball bound factor” and it is measurable. Those who struggle with this benefit from special drills I’ve created for it.
6. Flat Left Wrist – Is this a natural thing or something that should be worked towards? When I explored this over the weekend, I had to work to keep rotating my body as the thought of Flat Right Wrist tends to make me slow down my rotation versus letting this process happen.
Answer- Question 6: Flat left wrist is easier to work on with the putt, chip and pitch. Once the clubhead begins to strike through impact with velocity, the left wrist at impact becomes a pass-through motion that is the result of sustaining the lag, forward swing bottom, etc. I placed it as the #1 dynamic for the purpose as it should be the first thing to learn for a beginning golfer, and it should be learned by the putt first, then the chip, then the pitch.
Bobby-
Hi I am a 17 year old golfer who like you was starting to get lost in my swing style rather than dynamics. I read your book impact zone and had a few questions about the aiming point 4 inches ahead of ball like you talked about. I am wondering about ball position in the stance relative to the 4 inch mark so for a driver do you still play off the left heel and aim 4 inches ahead of that or should you have everyclub more centered in your stance?
CH
First let’s clarify the distinction between the aiming point and the swing bottom. Aiming point varies from golfer to golfer, the swing bottom is an absolute best at 4 inches in front of the ball. I advocate this for all clubs, including the driver, but it is less critical for the driver. Personally, I like to use the same exact ball position and swing I use for the 3 wood as for the driver. Doing this had made me a more accurate driver of the golf ball. The swing bottom is easier to identify when hitting 3 woods, but still can be challenging depending on the surface your are hitting off and the type and condition of grass.
My ball position is about three inches inside the left heel, but the ball position should be in collaboration with the swing bottom. If you have maximized your ability to load, lag and utilize the work horse and still can’t get your swing bottom 4 inches in front of the ball, then changing your set up (which could include moving the ball position farther back) should be done. In our golf schools we advocate the ball position and set up being the last item to change to accommodate the 4 inch in front swing bottom.
Bobby