A Ben Doyle Lesson -- Part I / Tire Trouble

[fogger]

And probably one more, Fogger...

What it sounded like.

The Feel and the Sound combine as one delicious Crunch!

Ah yes, I neglected to mention the sound. I suppose that's why the gentleman beside me waited and watched me hit...he heard it too. I didn't become self conscious until someone walking by stopped to watch too.

And although I didn't get a chance to hit today, I'm still grinning from the experience... I can't wait to get to the course!!!

[bantamben1]

I guess what he means by "don't add" is not to break down or swing from the wrists? No machine components swings forward independently?

yes also i think he means dont move your hands independently from your pivot the pivot moves the hands to the aiming point and then the flail snaps the club down at the ball the feeling should be more of a centrifigal force with the weight of the club going into the ground like if you held the club really lightly it would fly out into the ground at the aiming point

[Yoda]

Also , I think he means don't move your hands independently from your pivot. The pivot moves the hands to the aiming point and then the flail snaps the club down at the ball. The feeling should be more of a centrifigal force with the weight of the club going into the ground. If you held the club really lightly it would fly out into the ground at the aiming point.

bantam,

You have referred to two different Aiming Points. Both accomplish the desired Impact Hand Location, one directly and the other indirectly.

The first is the direct approach and refers to Ben's use of the term 'Aiming Point' as it relates to the Hands. He has defined this as the Line of Sight through the Impact Hand Location to a point well in front of the Ball (and even the Left Foot). I have not personally talked with Ben about this, but I believe this Line of Sight could be further defined as that spot on the Plane Line where the Right Forearm points at Impact. This, in turn, defines the Right Forearm Angle of Approach,that relationship established at Impact Fix of the Right Forearm Flying Wedge to the Ball and to the Plane Line. It is this alignment that the Forearm must leave and then precisely return.

The second refers to the Aiming Point as defined in The Golfing Machine. This is the Aiming Point of the Thrust, usually the Ball (with a five-iron) or just slightly in front of it (shorter Clubs) or behind it (longer Clubs) unless the Ball is located further back (shorter Clubs) or further forward (longer Clubs).

The Aiming Point technique is mandatory for the control of the Snap Releases (which happen so fast it is impossible to actually monitor the Impact Hand Location). This Line of Thrust automatically drives the Hands toward their Impact Fix Location and is thus the indirect equivalent of the Impact Hands Location procedure.

[GLFNVEG]

What does Ben mean when he says 'Don't look at the shaft'? this is after the student has hit the tire and is holding their postion.

[mb6606]

I believe Ben means at impact if you can look straight down the shaft line to the ball your right forearm has come in off plane (to high).

[Yoda]

What does Ben mean when he says 'Don't look at the shaft'? this is after the student has hit the tire and is holding their postion.

He actually says "Don't look DOWN the Shaft."

In this drill, Ben is teaching the correct Clubface Impact Alignments -- the Left Wrist is Flat, Level and Vertical -- and the 'Right' Timing of the Clubhead Thrust. The Primary Lever Assembly (Left Arm and Club) impacts the tire with the Left Wrist Level (not yet fully Uncocked) and on its way to Full Extension (Full Wrist Uncock). After Impact, the In-Line condition of the Left Arm Flying Wedge (2-K #2) is maintained as the Club abruptly stops and the tire speeds away. In other words, after the Flail's Angular Acceleration Phase (2-K #1), the Club is prevented from moving into its Momentum Phase (2-K #2) or its Deceleration Phase (2-K #3).

Accordingly, the Clubshaft has not yet 'passed the Hands', and you should therefore be looking at the back of the Shaft (which is perpendicular to the Line). If, instead, you are able to look down the top of the Shaft, it indicates that the Club is not at right angles to the Plane Line and that the Left Wrist is no longer Flat. It has passed the Hands -- geometric disaster -- the inevitable consequence of Throwaway and its Bent Left Wrist.

[mb6606]

The flat left wrist and the "Golfers" flail!!!!!

[h.kan]

Otherwise, this was a fantastic video. I mostly enjoyed that this was a real hacker who Ben constantly corrected and received feedback from. Often on the Golf Channel, a teaching pro will use a Tour pro to demonstrate whatever principle he is teaching. Too polished and perfect. Watching a hacker going through a lengthy trial and error is much more enlightening, because after personally watching a video or reading a forum thread, I will often have the same type of questions this hacker did.

I totally agree! A very good way of making a instuctionvideo. Cudos to the hacker. With all his problem to grasp and do right he forces Doyle to fraze himselves in different ways to express one thing. All the different things he says makes me really understand in a way I didn´t before.
Puh just 9800 strokes left.

[h.kan]

I have trained with the impactbag and that feelt ok and good.
BUT yesterday on the range a totally disaster. Topping and the balls going low to the right all the time. Its like my hips are pushing the club out and my distance to the ball feels akward and wrong. I´m just doing a 30 degree pivot. And I start with a little hipslide. Also trying to pickup and deliver the right lower arm and club along the incline plane.
If I pivot faster and go for a vertical hinge the ball go straight but I want to stop the stroke in the impact position hmm.
Any help much appreciated.

Edit
Video closeup shows I´m shanking, hmm thats a new one for me. Used the search function and got a lot of advices.

[metallion]

I have trained with the impactbag and that feelt ok and good.
BUT yesterday on the range a totally disaster. Topping and the balls going low to the right all the time. Its like my hips are pushing the club out and my distance to the ball feels akward and wrong.

I am not capable of giving you a solid advice matching your description, but one thing came to mind:

I have learned is to not be bothered about the ballflight as you go through changes. A strong draw or hook might be an indication that you have gone from "quitting" to extending through impact. Impact bag exercise might do that. If so it is "just" a matter of upgrading the other components.

I'd start by hitting off grass, looking at the direction of the divot and take it from there.