A Great Day Spent With Dr Rob Neal, a leader in the field of golf dynamics

As we all know, golfers are very individual and differ greatly in a number of ways. This is often evident in the back swing movements of players like Jim Furyk and John Daly who could never be called orthodox.
A great expression I often hear is:

"We don't hit the ball with our back swing"

While it's commonplace for commentators and the media to analyse the positions reached by great players on the way back, it is what happens after that that has more influence on the ball. What all great players do have in common is their movement sequencing from the transition onwards.  This is also the biggest factor that separates the weekend golfer from the professionals.
From the top of the back swing the correct sequence for right handers is:

1.  Left knee and hip move laterally toward the target 
2. The upper torso and shoulders will then begin to unwind
3. Arms swing down and wrists unhinge to deliver the strike
4. Club head finally reaches the ball a long way after the first movement of the hips

If your downswing is out of sequence then there will be a significant effect on club head speed, ball direction and quality of strike .This why your movement (dynamics) are so critical to good ball striking.More an more I find myself coaching movement skills over 'swing positions'.

 Coaching kinetic sequence with the use of throwing and striking aids is great way to keep the learning's instinctive. All these disciplines share the same sequence.



I was recently lucky enough to spend a day with Dr Rob Neal who is considered to be one of the world's leading experts in the field of golf dynamics. He earned his PhD in the late 80's studying the effect of load on the lag timing in the sequence. Rob now works out of Doral Country Club in Miami with the Jim Mclean golf school. He also happens to be a +2 handicap golfer which is a testament to his work in itself.
A large part of Rob's work involves analysing golf swings using his 3D system of analysis that he has spent years developing. The system which is becoming more and more widely used involves a number of sensors being placed on the player's body while they swing. This in turn generates exact data on the player's movement and sequencing. There is a multitude of measurements that can be used but the key areas are:

• Stability

• Sequence of pelvis, upper torso, hands and club head

• Peak Acceleration timing of the elements above

I was lucky enough to be put through my paces with the 3D analysis system. It looks uncomfortable but I had no difficulty making normal swings.

The system then places your movement in 'corriders' with the optimum being based on a study of tournament professionals.

This is only a snap shot of the data generated from my session. We can see that the green numbers are good, the yellow dubious and the red are areas for concern. It then takes a skilled coach to interpret the information and explain it in a way that the player can use.

What did I learn?
In my case the data on this page was most insightful, showing a hip sway in the back swing which is a simple technique error. The other key factors (red numbers) are my x factor. shoulder turn and head rotation which are all an effect of my lack of flexibility. So, I know what I need to do before achieving the swing changes I would like. Since then I have worked with a physio and set a course of daily stretching, we'll see where that leads.

A big thank you to Dr Rob Neal for fun and insightful day.
www.golfbiodynamics.com 

Ball Striking Principle *2: A consistent long radius to your arc. Part 2/4)

If we accept that the golf is swing primarily a circular motion then it would make sense to keep the club head on the very perimetre of that circle. This not only is a feature of creating power but is vital for ball striking consistency.
If the arms get drawn toward us at the top of the swing then they are no longer on the arc which means that they will have to be outstretched again to make contact with ball. This in/out movement is a huge calculation for your brain to make mid downswing and inevitably leads to topped and fat shots.

Straight left arm
This topic is some what covered by golfers trying to "keep their left arm straight". This is not the best way to think about this for a number of reasons.

• Not everyone has the flexibility to keep the lead arm locked out. A really straight left arm would lead most golfers to becoming very tight and stiff in their movement
• The left arm is only straight during the backswing and prior to impact where shortly afterwards it rotates and folds allowing the right arm to dominate and straighten.

This is a video taken from the 'Everyday Golf Coach' app that explains the concept and demonstrates a great drill that will help you maintain your radius all the way around your swing.

Keeping your hands away from your body will more than likely mean that you shorten your swing. As odd as this may feel you will need to trust that it will in time, bring more distance. 

Ball Striking Principle *2: A consistent low point of your arc. Part 1/4)

Achieving a consistent, powerful contact on the ball is very much down to you being able to accurately predict where the arc of your club head will bottom out. Once again, here is Mile Bennett of "Stack and Tilt' demonstrating this skill perfectly.

This level of accuracy and control requires a number of principles falling into place.

1. Dynamic Posture: Holding posture angles throughout the swing
2. Consistent Swing Radius: Keeping your hands stretched away from your body until late in the follow through
3. Centre Point: Keeping your body from moving laterally in the back swing
4. Arm Dynamics: Unwinding the arms,wrists and club head at the correct time and in sync with the body 

This is partly why golf coaching can get a little messy at times. The pupil is normally after a relatively 'quick fix"but until all these principles are mastered the ball striking will be a little unpredictable and heavily reliant on timing.

Dynamic Posture:
 This is the principle of simply holding your posture angles until well after impact during the swing. This screen grab is taken from the Everyday Golf Coach app where I explain this concept in more detail and demonstrate the 'x' drill to create a powerful pivot motion of the body while staying in posture. The images represent a still at address position (top right), back swing and impact (main still). A useful thought is to imagine that your back side is touching a wall and must remain touching until after impact. This would keep you from standing up out of your posture prematurely.

This is a tricky move to master but is absolutely essential. If you are just starting out then I would recommend putting a few hours in on the range to get this right. It will take a lot of concentration initially but like all movement patterns, once fully learnt it will eventually happen without any conscious attention on your part.

Correct Ball Striking Intentions

Upon learning the game it would seem fairly instinctive to lift the ball from underneath .A lot is made of weight transition but the reason why a beginner may stay on their back foot is their intentions to lift the ball up into the air. It is also for this reason that the same novice has a breakdown of the wrist and arm structure coming into the ball. You Tube video from John Dunigan

 


Not until we understand the correct motion of the club into the ball can we create a solid and reliable movement. So what is the correct striking motion of the club?
The club travels in a circular arc that needs to bottom out in the right place. That equation is the key to quality striking. The club's arc should bottom out some 2-4" past the ball. This means of course that the ball is being struck on the downward part of the arc with the divot starting 1-2" past the ball..

This video I've grabbed from You Tube (gyddor) explains it well. I like the drill too. It will condition better intentions into the ball.

It is fairly common advice to 'hit down' on the ball but the important thing is not to strike down in the ground but to control where the club arc bottoms out in relation to the ball.
Key aspects of the swing that allow us to develop this skill are keeping a constant swing radius and moving the weight correctly. (To be discussed in future posts.)
Until then, have a look at this impact in slow motion. The divot starts 2" after the ball and the arc bottoms out just after that.(You Tube video by knaapjen)

To be continued...

Solid Ball Striking Principles

It should be the intention of any development plan to improve key factors that dictate the ball strike and flight. In terms of the actual strike on the ball, there are several factors that will heavily influence your success.

1. Correct intentions on how to 'lift' the ball
2. A consistent bottom of your arc
3. Dynamic impact alignment
4. The ball position relative to the arc

Over my next few posts I'll be covering each of these principles in more depth and how we can improve in each area. I'm dashing off to work/coach now so let me leave you with this clip of Mike Bennet from 'Stack and Tilt' demonstrating all 4 principles. What is especially evident is number 2, a consistent bottom to his arc. Having seen Mike hit balls live, I can't tell you enough how impressed I was with the quality of the strike and his control of the flight. Especially as he had 50 highly knowledgable/critical PGA professionals watching him at the time.

Reading Grain on Bermuda Greens.

Quite often I'll be working with a good player and they'll blame the 'grainy' greens for their putting stats. This has always sounded like excuses to me, but that was until my recent trip to Miami, Florida.

We had a great time and played some fantastic courses while we were out there, none more so than the incredible Miami Beach Golf Club.

It was a week of good ball striking for me but I was made to eat my words on the greens. I was hitting putts as much as 8 ft past and holed nothing all week. In short , I putted like a beginner. It wasn't until our last round at Polo Trace Golf Club that Darren Panks. the professional, explained the art of reading grain on Bermuda greens. This was a big 'ah ha' moment. His thoughts were especially insightful since the grain was barely visible on the sanded greens. What Darren shared with us was the method used by the local professionals which involves examining the edge of the cup for a 'burnt side'. This gives you the direction of the grain. Here is a good video I found by PGA Professional, Hal Jacobs.

Information that would have been useful on day one :-(