Secret in the Dirt: Where's The Weight?

[rrasmussen32]

Isn't the weight shifted to the left big toe? Then is goes back to the middle of instep. At least in my swing this stops the ball from going left. Your instruction is great. Thank you.

[cockywatchman1976]

Any tips on drills/training aids for improving the pivot. Made huge progress on ball striking over the last 2 years, but I want my pivot and footwork much more like yours (which is quality). Is there anything I can do to speed up the learning process?

[BucktoothBob]

Cinderella Story here at Augusta

Cinderella story here…former greenskeeper, about to win the Masters…OH! He got all of that one, he has to be happy with that!

[Davidh0330]

how much weight and pressure is on your right foot at the top of the backswing

[bossman96]

I'm watching this again after viewing it 5 months ago and can't help thinking what a great analysis of the weight transfer it is. You've put out some great stuff MM. And your swing is beaut as well. Cheers,John

[2Eride]

Your best video

[boprn]

Of all your videos, I found this one the most interesting. When I'm playing my best, I feel the weight exactly as you have described here. Funny thing is, when I have that feeling, the swing is efortless.

[maxxsee]

I think you should use that preshot rutine in all your vids Sevam!

Can you show how far Moe turned his upper body and explain why not further and how to make sure that torque is released under him still generating a good distance shot?

Cheers

[pjfarbs]

Me again...what would be the disadvantage/s with anchoring my left foot rather than my right foot?

[sevam1]

The tendancy from the lead leg is a steeper angle of approach. This is of benefit when trying to hit crisp short iron shots with a sharply descending blow, but may not be the best for longer irons and woods where a shallower approach will generally be of benefit. If we were to go back 50 years you would be advised to vary your weight distribution as you move through the bag and to fit the shot....still good advice. The biggest challenge from the lead foot is avoiding the reverse pivot.

[pjfarbs]

Thanks for your quick response. With my weight firmly on my left foot I began really "stinging" the ball consistently. I'm working on my backswing as in your video with the broom....with the left arm roll going right across my chest. It's short but compact. Your concept of an anchor point has without a doubt helped me a ton but perhaps me anchoring my left foot will work better for me than anchoring my right foot.

[pjfarbs]

Regarding this weight shift....I was at the driving range the other day and tried starting my swing with my weight over my left foot and leaving it there so my left foot became my anchor and pivot point instead of my right foot. This resulted in no weight transfer since my weight was always on my left side and remained there throughout the entire swing. I hit some very crisp shots this way. What are your thoughts on this?

Tecumseh On.

[sevam1]

I see no problem with this. That is how I hit some wedge shots but I do not personally hit most shots that way. The benefit of what you describe is that without a weight transfer away from the target, if you can co-ordinate it, the bottom of the arc stays very tight which is good for consistent ballstriking and is in fact a basic premise of methods like Stack and Tilt. My action is a little more "rightcentric" but I am not throwing a lot of weight around. My shift is felt thorugh the ball.

[1tontomato]

Hey Sevam, cheers from Cali. I think the feeling of the transfer of mass is what Hogan called the free ride into the ball if I'm correct.

I've been striking the ball well but on occasions I struggle. I have a video of me swinging on my youtube site. I definitely have a pop up problem that has plagued my swing.

Recently I notice on video that when I use my mass to begin/end my swing, it fixes the popping up problem because it forces my hips to rotate properly.

Thanks for this video, awesome!

[ashmadnat57]

tigercatcheshair has the coordination of a two-legged lizard--and his mom dresses him funny...Sevam1, keep up the good work. Serious students of the golf swing (and others with jobs) owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to you. Thank You!!!

[sevam1]

You are most welcome!

[greczkow]

Beauty Eh!...You really set the right side early...right before the takeaway. Tell that Hoser Camera Man to get your swing on here in Slo Mo....That way he would be good for sumthing eh.

[meansswings]

Thanks Sevam for all your videos, I read Hogans book 15 years ago and always felt something was missing. I went out and hit balls today with keeping the weight not on the balls of feet and it was amazing. I just wish you would have posted your hogans move video a long time ago. I always fought a low hook, now I just hit these nice straight bombs. Many thanks keep up the good work.

[sevam1]

I would not recommend trying to hold the right heel down. As the weight leaves the right side the right heel will come away from the ground. Bending through the middle (the navel) instead of sliding everything targetward will ensure that the legs lead and that you will remain sufficiently behind the ball. Hogan's drill illustrating the "feel" is worth working on. He may not execute the swing like the drill, but he wants the same "feel". Just be aware of that.

[rgmmiller93]

Yep!

[tigercatcheshair]

You can see from all these videos that this guy is a ' SWING GROUPIE '. Copying others swings instead of finding his own. Can anybody say 'Trust Fund' + " too much time on his hands'.

His Star Wars figurine collection must be BREATHTAKING !

[davidleealford]

Tigercatheshair, you should be glad certain people have tried to understand all the great swings. I've done the same thing and have received similar criticism. People shut up when they see I can hit the ball straight every time. I'm sure Sevan can also demonstrate to a high level.

[Tulsagolfomatic]

yeah that would really suck! ya know being able to copy Mo and Ben. Shit might as well quit if thats all ya got huh? You win the most ignorant comment of the year award! obvious troll and desperate for love ay?

[pjfarbs]

Another great lesson! It has really helped me to keep that right leg/foot firmly planted on the ground when I was always shifting everthing early to the left. Thanks a million!

[lithepanther]

Sorry - forgot to add: what do you think? have you ever tried them? Basically a round disk that can be inflated to make it more wobbly. They are about £40 for a a pair of self-inflatable ones. I used them before in physiotherapy rehab for a knee injury. I practise every time up the range now on them and my ball striking has improved dramatically. I also play blades and it has eliminated the random shank I'd get every few hundred balls where I lost my balance coming down and put the hosel on it.

[lithepanther]

Mike just thought you might like to know - had a lesson, pro sorted my weight out (too much toward heels) and swing plane (flat). Then fantastic lesson - put me on inflatable balance cushions under each foot and exercise: to swing back and hold backswing. Felt my swing 'go into' the trouser crease of my right upper thigh/abdomen. Just left of the hip bone - where you could get a hernia in that area for example. Fell off the cushions otherwise. Also fell off if weight not on the ball of the foot.

[sxgeter12]

Great video and commentary. Can you comment on grip pressure? How tightly do you hold the club and can unecessary grip pressure foil other aspects of the swing?

[sevam1]

I hold the club very firm for most shots. The exception would be when I am trying to bomb one. Then I squeeze with just enough enough pressure to control the club which is a bit of a judgement call. The reason I like firm grip pressure is because I get very few surprises distance wise with firm grip pressure.

[will2282]

hey seavm1 what is your key thoughts when starting the backswing to make sure the club face is in sync with the swing path and also what is your backswing trigger

[sevam1]

I have to say that I just decide to go and I go. My only thought is turning down and into the right leg if I think about anything at all. it looks sometimes like I have a forward press, but that is not what it is. It is me eager to get right and leaving my hands behind for a second. In general I want to get some inertia into the clubhead asap so I have something to react to on the backswing.

[redsoxall]

In order of importance. Is the squat over the bag leg most important followed by the back foot pressuring toward the back to keep your back leg bent and to the inside. Is there other things that you consider really important to start learning this swing? I would like to spend my time on the critical areas first.

Thanks

[redsoxall]

Great stuff. I have always tried to shift my weight to my front leg to quick. Do you start the downswing by pushing your back leg straight down and keeping your weigh over the back leg and then shift forward to hit the ball?

Thanks

[sevam1]

I drop slightly into the right leg to start the downswing. After that I am moving left both roationally and to some degree laterally. The point of the video really is that although you ar going to move targetward and to the left, the sequence of it is important. Whipping yourself immediately left means you are losing a useful contact point too early.

[redsoxall]

I emailed you on the golf forum also. In other words the sequence is squat down on the bag leg first then go towards the target. Is that correct.

[sevam1]

Pretty much. When you drop it accelerates the reversal of motion and the forward hip starts to open up. You just move through the ball with everything you've got from that point. Once you drop you are heading left. The drop is not big either, Basically just a little sit down move.

[wayblopar]

Great observation. I'm amazed that virtually none of the "experts" note that Hogan dropped as he went back. It is pretty important and clearly obvious in all the old video. I've seen some data suggesting that at impact, particularly with a driver, there is more weight pushing down into the right foot rather than the left. If I remember it correctly it was Mike Hebron that came up with the data, gathered from some "force plates" under each foot.

[sevam1]

In my mind I am going left, but it takes time. Right, Left, Boom! The trick is that it is not a quick or violent leap left, but more like a drop accompanied by one constant targetward thrust. It feels like I am leaving late yet still manage to arrive early if that makes sense.

[will2282]

i meant to say slightly raising the back foot then the front foot then swing

[sevam1]

I start with just a little push right of the forward foot, but I don't think about it too much. Snead used a little forward press and then took everything back from there in unison. That part is pretty personal so I would recommend that you go with something that feels natural to get you started back in a decent sequence.

[will2282]

hey sevam something i would like to know is your take on triggering the swing. I have heard of a slight body press, slightly raising the back foot then the back foot, forward press, etc. any ideas. I play good with a slight forward press but i feel like the club gets behind me on my backswing. also at what point in the takeaway will the club start to not point between your arms.

[lesorensen7]

In a video mentioned that you felt pressure at your right index finger. Is that pressure created by your right foot pushing down into the ground during the downswing transition, or by turning your hips and core? I was trying to get that right finger sensation by turning my hips, but I now feel the push off the ground near impact creates a better sensation. Also, if I delay getting on to my left side it occurs more natrually during the swing.

[HabloIrlandes]

I really like the way the club doesn't get to parallel on your backswing, Mr Hogan in the earlier part of his career went way..way past parallel, but footage from 1953 shows how he's shortened it up very like your own swing. Do you know how he want about that transformation?,

Rgds,

Karl.

[sevam1]

First of all the horrific car accident in 1949 had to have an effect on his mobility since so much damage was done to his left side. There is, however, a point on the backswing past which the law of diminishing returns applies. Hogan of course over time came to realize this. Firming up your action will always restrict motion. In Hogan's case we are talking about the "live tension" he ascribed to in 5 Lessons.

[wtfjonw]

Mike,

You have mentioned that you get lower on your backswing where more challanged golfers get higher, and this allows you to really engage the earth for leverage in your swing - but it does not appear, during your backswing, that your head lowers at all. How are you able to achieve this lowering while maintaining a level (albeit turning) head position? Thank you for all of your sharing and welcome back to camera-man!!

[sevam1]

The big drop is when I drop into the shot and start to move left in transition.

[UPLosBanos]

Sevam, in response to this video, what's your opinion about the stack and tilt swing?

Thanks..

[sevam1]

It is a method that works and I experimented with it in the mid 1990's after reading Swing the Clubhead by Ernest Jones. I do not like it because I feel that it lacks versatility in that is a swing that cannot accomodate uneven lies all that easily. Imagine uphill side hill off of the forward foot. Tough, very tough. I understand the principles of S&T but don't really like it very much.

[vegasclubmaker]

mike what do you think of the prefect ball stiker as to help to feel proper lag . thank you rick

[sevam1]

I used it for chipping and putting and liked it a lot for that. With full swings it is not helpful to me personally because my grip pressure is so extreme and I like to use the right index finger to really pressure the shaft. When I used it I gained 15 yards on my 5i, but I don't need or want those 15 yards. Many golfers will benefit from the device, but it is hard for me to be objective about it because lag is the only thing that I want less of in my own swing which does not apply to most.

[will2282]

hey sevam what is your take on things to trigger the swing to get everything moving in the right sequence ex. forward press, slight body press, using your feet, etc. i have used a slight forward press with the club but i feel like the club gets behind me. Also regarding the takeaway at what point will the club not point between your arms in respect to maintaining a one piece takeaway

[77bovi]

Great video. Really appreciate what you 3 are doing.

"that's why its no effort to hold the club open"... i'm gonna have to try to decipher that! and fulcrum inertia :P

i guess those balls you hit won't be fetched anytime soon :p

[stahrman]

Casey knew better to stay in. Cameraman is really starting to perfect his craft, lol. Mike, how are we gonna get through the winter? Maybe we can send you guys to do a Florida series. Awesome stuff. Should help me stop spinning out. Great blog, looking forward to some Wild Bill Melhorn, and Count Yogi. Thanks

[scorpiossnakes]

rofl at 2:01

[sevam1]

That's my new dance. I call it "The freezing your ass off shuffle."

Sevam1

[scorpiossnakes]

i'd better learn that dance quick since i'm moving to canada next year

[trapsmv9]

Boy, this was a great one, Sevam; very helpful. Sorry you had to endure the cold to do it! We're getting that spitting snow here in NY, too. And it's good to have Cameraman back.