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Bobby Schaeffer
Bobby Schaeffer
1). Address
This one of the few times when your left wrist is bent as the butt of the club should be pointing
directly at your belt buckle. Make sure that your shoulders are open to the target line. The club
face will be slightly closed as it lies next to the ball at this address position.
As you take the club away from the ball with the back stroke, you accumulate the potential
energy. The large muscles of the back take the club away, not the hands. (Refer to the mop drill
from the video.) Initiate the take-away with the feet, thus rotating the hips.
3). Top of Swing
From the top, as you initiate the down stroke, energy is loaded. Keep the tension out of the wrists
and allow the weight of the club to cock the wrists naturally. Keep your head behind and
maintain eye contact with the ball. Maintaining the wrists in a fully cocked position and turn
your body to the ball. The sensation here is that your hands stay at the top of the swing and feel
as if they never approach the ball.
4). Down Stroke
The club shaft moves in longitudinal acceleration as you begin the turn. Wrists remain cocked
and the hands do not assist in bringing the club down. The turn of your body should accelerate
the butt of the club handle toward the ball. This can only happen if your wrists remain cocked.
Any action by the hands or pressure from the thumbs will cause you to cast the club (movement
horizontally across the shaft). This wrist cocked position is a big key to both power and
accuracy.
5). Release Point
Trust your pivot, with the wrists fully cocked in order to conserve the angular momentum, to
bring the hands and the butt of the club to the release point. This is where the world famous Ben
Doyle is quoted as saying that they key is, "having the courage to trust your pivot". Conservation
of angular momentum. From the golfers visual perspective, the hands appear to be ahead of the
ball. The handicap player tends to panic and casts the club head in order to "catch up" to the ball.
This causes that player to "hit at the ball" rather than "swing the club."
6). Impact
While the pivot continues, the left wrist will automatically uncock into impact. Proper impact
position will always maintain a flat left wrist and a bent right wrist all the way into follow
through. Allow the wrists to uncock naturally. Trust the turn. Do not apply independent hand
action. Again, this would cause you to cast the club, which is them ost common error of
struggling golfers.
7). Follow-Through
The club shaft remains on plane and proper impact positions are maintained into follow through.
16 to 20 inches past impact the left wrist bends and the left elbow folds as the club comes back
up the incline plane. Follow through is the first time that both arms are straight in the swing.
8). Finish
Allow the momentum of the club to continue in the arc, pulling your left shoulder away from the
target.