Frequently Asked Questions 

 GENERAL QUESTIONS

What If I Am Old?

While age may be a factor in the degree and speed of motion that you can create in your golf swing, the laws of anatomy apply to everyone, unless there is physical impediment or deficiency, there is no reason why you will be unable to make the moves your body was designed to do! Also older people have difficulty posting up on left side and still turn. It is easier for them to rotate like arnold palmer without all the excessive slide.

 

What If I Am Out Of Shape?

While physical condition may be a factor in the execution of certain moves, the good news is that by following our cutting edge fascia workouts, one can slowly but surely to remodel one's fascia web due to its highly adaptive nature.

 

Can Someone Who Has Flipped Their Entire Golf Life Still Change?

Yes, undoing a flip is no different from learning to write with your non-dominant hand. Habits never cease, they can only be overlaid with new ones. Through the exercises and new movement patterns prescribed, every single repetition will move ensure that the "flip" program will be far down the line when your body retrieves a movement to strike a golf ball. Is it all about hitting it far?

 

What About Accuracy?

In our examination of the elite ball strikers, namely swings that can send the ball long and consistently straight, we have come to the understanding that the clubfaces of elite ball strikers need to be very stable for maximum force transmission. For maximum force transmission, the swing needs to be powered by the spine engine which creates maximum rotation at high speeds, which in turn precludes the hands from disrupting the stability of the clubface. Just as a speeding car does not wobble, usain bolt does not fall out of his lane while running at preterhuman speeds; the clubface of a powerful spine driven golf swing stays stable. Great stuff

IS IT SAFE FOR MY BACK?

While we cannot be sure that everyone is doing the swing correctly, at least we are sure we are not promoting a swing that is harmful to your back unlike many other popular swing methods. Forty year old studies on back pain in golf are being ignored by some methods leading to the same reverse “C” follow through that gave jack nicklaus his back pain. Because our system is designed for the anatomy of the human body to function optimally, this swing will not hurt your back, but may in certain cases prevent further damage to any pre-existing conditions.

GREAT MOVES AND MICROMOVES?

1. Should I Work to Develop Great Moves or become a Method Man?

A lot of these problem with the golf swing need to be fixed at the root. But many golfers and even tour pros fall into the trap of trying to learn a method instead of fixing a flaw. In doing so, they buy into the new paint job before they fix the engine. Or they’re exchanging the engine of the Formula 1 car for a Volkswagen Bug engine because the method said so. Insanity? Perhaps, yet it happens all the time and the only guy we know it isn’t going to happen to is Bubba.

Each of these popular methods has a bit of truth to them. But the reality is that it will only work for the few people where the method excels by actually fixing a flaw. Take for example Johnson Wagner with his spine flexion only backswing. If he were to do a bit (not the whole enchilada) of stacking and tilting it might help him find the Goldilocks zone of correctness for creating some thoracic spine extension. But if devoted to it for years, soon we’d see him go overboard with the “accuracy” swing that would make him a great short iron player but can’t hit the driver. Ultimately the dogma of the method takes precedence over the pragmatism of hitting it better with just a little bit of the fix that improves you.Yet that is the trap. If some improvement due to the dogma is good. More is better. So you swallow the entire program.

Contrast that to developing better moves, fixing flaws of your swing and ultimately taking small steps toward a great golf swing each day. There’s no reason to buy into any dogma. There is no one way! Or two or three even. There are millions of combinations of moves to swing the club effectively. Each individual has their own uniquely human body that can only express their own movement patterns with different speeds/intensities based on their strengths, weaknesses, prior sports experience, myelinated pathways, fitness level, genetics, etc. Just as no two fingerprints are alike, no two golf swings are alike and regardless of how much you try, you will never have the same swing as Ben Hogan, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jamie Sadlowski or whoever your idol is. But you can add a few of their moves and improve a little at a time.

2. So how do we recognize Great Moves?

We do this by breaking down the Great Moves into smaller movements we call "Micro Moves"

3. What is a Micro Move?

So let me start by defining what a micro move is. Basically, micro moves are like the individual genes that make up your swing’s DNA. For example, when a teacher says to “shift your weight” what does that really entail? Or, “you’re coming over the top. Let’s get the club on plane.” Well, we know the answers to those questions are not so simple and they involve many micro moves.

4. How Do I see the Micro Moves?

A micro move is so small that sometimes only high speed video captures it (even so-called high-tech biomechanical systems like the K-Vest, Golftec and TPI 3D are not looking for these moves, therefore won’t find it). We’re shooting videos at 300 or 600 frames per second and sometimes at 1200 frames per second to catch the action of individual muscle firings. Normal camcorders shooting at 30 or 60 frames per second will miss many of the moves or catch them in midstream. In other words, if you took video of a bouncing ball and two consecutive frames captured the ball in mid-bounce, it would seem as though the ball wasn’t moving or never moved. Thus, the need for high speed video is immensely important.

A micro move cannot be seen by the naked eye at regular speed. So if you want to see these moves, turn down the volume on your TV set (for best results, hit the mute button…….shhhhhh Mr. Kostis) and watch the Konica Minolta SwingVision shots on CBS carefully. In our modern, technological world, this should be our way of “digging it out of the dirt” as Ben Hogan would say.

Or, get yourself a Casio high speed camera and start seeing what’s really going on in your own swing. You don’t have to get the top-of-the-line Casio EX-F1 that Rick and I have. Casio has introduced several small point and shoot digital cameras like the EX-FS10 that shoot 210 frames per second and cost less than $300 on Amazon and other online dealers. With a great digital camera like that, who needs a camcorder?

5. Who uses the Micro Moves?

Micro moves are performed by the elite golfers most likely without their knowledge. They just swing that way. I’m sure Jamie Sadlowski can’t tell you which of the micro moves he uses. Nor could Tiger, Bubba, Rory, Camilo or Alvaro. But these moves are there in the most athletic and powerful swings. 

Also, micro moves are not only for golfers. They are in the motions of great baseball hitters, pitchers, tennis players, hockey players, football players, basketball players and more. When athletes use micro moves during their movements, it represents the best way they can move.  Take a look at the pitching motion of Tim Lincecum as an example of a pitcher using all these micro moves. Or Roger Federer using micro move called wrist flexion during his awesome forehand.

Yet oddly enough, micro moves are the opposite of what many people would call “efficient.” Many people believe that we should eliminate all extraneous motions and that this will make you better or more consistent. NOT! 

Thus, the majority of the weekend warriors do not use these micro moves. Some people may think that we lose these micro moves a little because we get old and stiff, but that’s not true. There are some great senior and super senior long drive hitters that can absolutely nuke it. So that’s not the reason. Undoubtedly, we lose these micro moves because of poor instruction. Some popular swing theories seek to eliminate these micro moves from the swing. Forty years ago, it was a given that you should keep your head absolutely still and your left arm rigidly straight. Now we know that’s not true.

Today there are popular ideas in current instruction that are eliminating micro moves yet are being blindly accepted on the basis of marketing appeal and simple athletic illogic. It sends golfers flocking to the Kool Aid to drink without any scrutiny. Perhaps it will take a few more decades before the masses realize the damage it is doing. But you don’t have to wait for a few decades of waning performance before its too late. You can be on the cutting edge and start looking at these micro moves and better yet, begin using them now.

Remember, the removal of these micro moves will cause a loss of power and worse yet, will cause a golfer to have chronic swing problems unless you resurrect these micro moves. Another way to lose these micro moves is via subtle changes in posture due to exercise and improper training.

6. Why do we need Micro Moves?

Each micro move is there for a reason. This goes back to stretch shorten cycles (SSC) and how we can use our body to the fullest potential. The most powerful way to use your body is to make use of these SSC’s because we can generate more power by stretching before contracting. Simply put, each micro move is a trigger to start a SSC and obtain a powerful reflex action that follows. If we focus on the micro moves, we won’t have to “try” to get the next move, it will just happen. And by adding a micro move or two, you can really change your swing in a positive way. It will remove the flaws from your swing by pulling them out from the roots, not just clipping the top of the weed off. Also, these micro moves are set up sequentially to produce the greatest amount of speed and power for your golf swing. 

7. If I don’t have the Micro Moves can I still be good?

Yes you can. However, it is at a diminished level. Let’s say we take out all your leg movements, given that you want the same distance but could only use the top half of your body.  Wouldn’t that make your upper body overwork? Wouldn’t that also cause dysfunction? Sure it would. So the bottom line is that missing pieces to the puzzle will always affect the outcome. So try to get these moves because if not, you aren’t swinging optimally as our body is designed to do.

DRIVE-HOLD SWING? HUH? WHATS THAT?

Q: What is a DRIVE-HOLD SWING?

A: A Drive Hold swing describes a golf swing that is driven by the spine which enables the clubface to be held stable.

Q: Is DRIVE-HOLDING a method?

A: No, the Drive Hold Swing is not a method, it is a system based on the observations of how the best ball strikers in the history of the game swung. Given the many variables, mental and physical abilities from human to human; we deliberately eschew forcing students into a set pattern. 

Q: Do I need a strong grip to DRIVE-HOLD?

A: No, it is not required. One of our swing models, Gary Woodland, uses a neutral grip and yet has a Drive-Hold compliant swing.

Q: Do I need to swing like a long driver to DRIVE-HOLD?

A: No, you do not. Many of our swing models are not professional long drivers and play on the PGA Tour. Some of them include, Matt Kuchar and Jim Furyk.

Q: Do I need a high arm position in the backswing to DRIVE-HOLD?

A: No, you do not. You can almost drive-hold from any arm position... what is more critical is the accompanying moves that complete the swing. Basically you cannot use the same pattern for a high arm swing vs a flat arm swing.

Q: Do I need to Right Load to DRIVE-HOLD?

A: No, you do not need to Right Load. There are successsful Drive Holders like Arnold Palmer and Tommy Gainey who Left Load. 

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