Two for the price of one!

[okie]

I have had the hardest time learning how to fan my right forearm, as well as keep my head centered and stationary. In the process of hitting thousands of balls in practice I noticed that these two desirables are initricably intertwined. I (perhaps more gifted players can) cannot fan my right forearm correctly unless my head is centered and stationary. Can someone articulate this "phenomenon" for me in a more sophisticated manner? The end result is a motion that never goes beyond top, with considerable extensor action etc. It has taken me 18 months to gain appreciable control over the shaft/sweetspot and the head. I guess clubface/ball control is the last to succumb to the wiles of TGM! Is it accurate to state that good players, even players say on mini-tours etc have good plane and clubhead control but what seperates the men from the boys is clubface control? I have played with dozens of "asspros" (aspiring professionals ) that could play their ball but lacked a degree of consistency. I knew a fella that played 15 events in a row where he shot in 60's 3 out of every 4 rounds but threw a 75-78 in there somewhere. The nuances of superior ball striking reside in the left wrist. Or does someone think that perhaps plane, or a driven sweetspot is hardest to come by?

[Yoda]

The nuances of superior ball striking reside in the left wrist. Or does someone think that perhaps plane, or a driven sweetspot is hardest to come by?

This is a great sentence, Okie. And the fact you could phrase the Three Imperatives in this way is a measure of your progress. Congratulations!

To your question . . .

The three are inextricably intertwined. Improve one, and you improve the others. Conversely, lose one, and you lose the others in a proportionate amount.

Regarding their heirarchy in the Application (and Control) of Force (2-L), you correctly have identified the Flat Left Wrist. It is no less than The Gateway (4-D-1) because it Harnesses (2-L #1) Centrifugal Force (Clubhead Control / the Law of the Flail / 2-K-#1, #2 and #3) and enables a precision control of the Clubface (2-G).

Adherence to the Inclined Plane (2-F / Clubshaft Control) makes the Flat Left Wrist possible because it eliminates (2-L-#2 / Avoid) the necessity to throw the Clubhead toward the Ball from its Off Plane location (Compensating Force Vector / Overpowering per 2-L #2).

All of which enables the player to maintain the stress in the Shaft (Clubhead Lag Pressure / The Secret / 6-C-2-0/A).

[12 piece bucket]

I have had the hardest time learning how to fan my right forearm, as well as keep my head centered and stationary. In the process of hitting thousands of balls in practice I noticed that these two desirables are initricably intertwined. I (perhaps more gifted players can) cannot fan my right forearm correctly unless my head is centered and stationary. Can someone articulate this "phenomenon" for me in a more sophisticated manner? The end result is a motion that never goes beyond top, with considerable extensor action etc. It has taken me 18 months to gain appreciable control over the shaft/sweetspot and the head. I guess clubface/ball control is the last to succumb to the wiles of TGM! Is it accurate to state that good players, even players say on mini-tours etc have good plane and clubhead control but what seperates the men from the boys is clubface control? I have played with dozens of "asspros" (aspiring professionals ) that could play their ball but lacked a degree of consistency. I knew a fella that played 15 events in a row where he shot in 60's 3 out of every 4 rounds but threw a 75-78 in there somewhere. The nuances of superior ball striking reside in the left wrist. Or does someone think that perhaps plane, or a driven sweetspot is hardest to come by?

The absolute bottom line is . . . GOLF IS PRIMARILY A GAME OF FACE. Studies have shown that the face has 70-80% influence on the curvature, tragectory and starting direction of the ball vs. the path. THEREFORE . . . you HAVE to figure out how to make sure that you have a face that matches your path. Mr. Kelley was intimately aware of this . . . . the book starts with what? Sustaining and manipulating the line of compression. That is why you see a lot of whacky swings that work. These players flat know instinctively or intellectually that it is a face game. The pros may not even be able to tell you that. They may THINK that the path is the boss. But what they have done is find a face that MATCHES their path. Another thing that is important in this regard is the #3 accumulator angle . . . which is pretty much plane angle control . . the closer the face gets to the ball the more disasterous a change in the #3 angle can be. Get a face angle magnet [stick -- Ed.] and watch what raising and lowering the handle does to the stick thingie.

fleeting face alignments = swivel and not hinge action, busted flails, #3 angle disruption via hands, t-rex arms or bobbing, & fast closing face due to a perverted tilt of your tea cup or a stalled pivot.

[okie]

I have chicks chirping everywhere! For those that have worn a bald spot from all the head scratching all I can say is persist! Mr. Kelley's image of the incubator is the perfect description of the process. Don't get discouraged when you hit a sticking point, just turn the egg a bit! To live according to the seems as if is like being held at gun point! Execution is still a slippery bugger, but there is something comforting knowing exactly what you are trying to do. A feel system without an engineering system is fleeting, or if you prefer, a lopsided lottery. I have played many shots and many rounds with a nagging neurosis. Wondering when the dreaded hook would reappear etc...breathing a sigh of relief when I managed to eak out a good score etc.
I cannot wait for the next aha moment! Thanks for all the help, Yoda (and others too numerous to mention) Golf is fun again!

[okie]

The absolute bottom line is . . . GOLF IS PRIMARILY A GAME OF FACE. Studies have shown that the face has 70-80% influence on the curvature, tragectory and starting direction of the ball vs. the path. THEREFORE . . . you HAVE to figure out how to make sure that you have a face that matches your path. Mr. Kelley was intimately aware of this . . . . the book starts with what? Sustaining and manipulating the line of compression. That is why you see a lot of whacky swings that work. These players flat know instinctively or intellectually that it is a face game. The pros may not even be able to tell you that. They may THINK that the path is the boss. But what they have done is find a face that MATCHES their path. Another thing that is important in this regard is the #3 accumulator angle . . . which is pretty much plane angle control . . the closer the face gets to the ball the more disasterous a change in the #3 angle can be. Get a face angle magnet [stick -- Ed.] and watch what raising and lowering the handle does to the stick thingie.

fleeting face alignments = swivel and not hinge action, busted flails, #3 angle disruption via hands, t-rex arms or bobbing, & fast closing face due to a perverted tilt of your tea cup or a stalled pivot.

#3 Acc. is well worth studying. I have experimented with altering #3 angle, and I chuckle at just how much a small change in my left hand grip can alter the ball flight. Understanding the difference between hand action (#3 acc) and wrist action (#2 acc) has been very helpful as well. I have speedy mittens and I discovered that my grip needed to be more under the heel pad than it was, consequently I hit fewer coat-hangers left I still think the clubface is the last bastion to fall. There can be no hope of controlling the face, unless the clubhead is lagging on plane, right? I am starting to have the sense that my left wrist is isolated and independent, kinda like an individual hinge My chief challenge right now is learning to trust my structure and NOT overload it. By the way the key for me not doing just that is a centered and stationary head...it seems to be the overload sensor. Mr. Kelley's practical check for swaying (if your view of the ball changes) is mind jarringly simple. I know understand overload as being synonymous with imbalance (seems like Edz may have said as much a few times!) I alway took playing within yourself as almost a negative directive i.e. don't swing so hard! I once listened to Freddie Couple talk about what he thinks about out on the course. He ummed and aahed and eventually said something like "I just try to stay in balance out there." I remember yelling at the TV "Gee, thanks for that pearl, Freddie!" Well, I now get what balance IS. Retard. So, a buddy recently asked while out playing "What is you swing thought for the day?" I ummed and I aahed and replied "Just trying to maintain perfect balance!"

So as Bucket suggests spend some time understanding # 3 Acc. I discovered that a 1/2 and inch grip adjustment CHANGED my game.

Looking forward to the DVD series!

[mb6606]

A lagging clubhead at take away and float loading are two ways I use to ingrain the feeling of #3 and the flat left wrist. If I recall correctly Brian Gay demonstrates this on video.