HELP!!-Where to find it?
 

I have lost RHYTHM!

Yesterday- I ventured out to the DR after a long winter of swing "reconstruction". Started at BASIC and progressed to a little beyond acquired after about 60-70 balls. Great at first but down hill after that. I have a preliminary analysis:

First- (3-0) "so NEVER move the club except with your complete Acquired feel WITH IT'S PROPER RHYTHM".

I have worked BASIC- 12-5-1 and ACQUIRED- 12-5-2 with club and wiffle balls and TOTAL only without club (with dowels) in the mirror for position and waggle.

I have tried to be as "true" both what I have seen ( Video clips, etc.) and the words of TGM.

Second- Basic 12-5-1 "zero out the pivot, shoulder turn and accumulator #3"
and Acquired- 12-5-2 "zero pivot except shoulder turn add accumulator #3 and any needed shoulder turn".

Each is not a part of the total because of restrictions. when pivot is added BASIC changes. plane line tracing changes the rhythm is disrupted.

The only solution I can think of is going back to basic and building with IT'S PROPER RHYTHM.
Because the shortest stroke does include (for me anyway) at a minimum, the "intention twords" all element including pivot , On both ends of the motion.

Please help me with what I perceive as a conflict between 3-0 and 12-5 and how to address my problem.

thanks
The Bear

Command Posts
 

Are you monitoring your Hands?...their feel, alignments...or is your attention elsewhere?

Hey Bear, love your signature equipment, Im a Chamois grip guy myself. They sure cushion the blow to impact nicely.

I'm not sure I understand the conflict between 3-0 and 12-5 you mention. Please elaborate.

Ill take a couple of shots in the dark however:

-The "Acquired" of "Acquired Feel" is not Acquired Motion. Different concepts. Please excuse me if Im stating the obvious. Each time you change your mechanics you change the associated feel. Learn mechanically, play by feel.

-See the glossaries definition of Rhythm if you havent already. Its the holding of Hands, Arms and Club to the same RPM's. Like various points on a spoke, though they travel at different surface speeds they have the same RPMs, making for a longer lever golf wise. If the head accelerates away from the hands at a higher RPM the Lever breaks at the Hands etc.

-Each of the Hinge Actions has a different Rhythm to it due to the difference in Clubhead Travel. At Follow Through though the Hands are in the same spot in the air Horizontal will have a longer travel and therefore a longer more languid Rhythm. Vertical is more staccato given its short associated Clubhead Travel etc. Zeroing out Accumulator #3 by gripping the club along the life line in the left hand ,as prescribed in Basic Motion 12-5, will make the associated Travel and Rhythm of all Hinge Actions the same, similar to Angled Hinging.

-Homer said that its possible for Hinge Actions to be executed with the Body only, the Arms only or the Hands only. Basic Motion for instance is a Zone 2 type shot, an arm shot with the pivot zeroed. In this manner the Arms alone are left to execute the Hinge Action. (If you zeroed out Arm Motion you'd be left with Zone 3, the Hands to execute the Hinge Action like Arnies old putting method). The introduction of a Pivot will require you to account for the effect it has over Hinge Action and the direction in which the Arms are traveling. You'll have to change your Arm Motion to account for the Pivot tendancy to take them back inside the plane . See the Minor Basic Strokes and the Major Basic Strokes. The Arms being attached to the Shoulders will be effected by Shoulder Motion. The Shoulders will be effected by Hip Motion etc. The whole is a product of the components but they blend together, inter relate.

-Basic Motion is really small, like putting. Are you sure you need some Pivot in there? You're right that introducing Pivot to Basic would have a different Rhythm to it. But you'd also be adding a second Power Accumulator to such a low power operation.

-Though HOmer prescribed zeroing out the Pivot in Acquired I do see a lot people with some Pivot Motion (as opposed to Pivot Work). So Id say the Pivot or the Body is not frozen still like it is when putting. I see this motion on the Follow Through after the ball is gone, not on the way back. A release of the spine angle a little turn. All to allow the Arms their unbridled motion Id say. See the Brian Gay chipping thread to see his method, one of the best in the world too. Can some Basic Motion shots have a little body, Pivot Motion? Maybe but remember these are at the most short chips of 10 feet or so and any body motion that disrupts the On Plane travel of the Hands and Right ARm will have to be compensated for making consistency an issue.

Oh ya or like Drew says you can just monitor the Hands. As long as they travel the plane and execute the desired Hinge Action with the appropriate Rhythm you're good. See the glossaries definition of "Pivot".

Spring- Ahh, life is good
 

First, I owe a thanks to Drew and OB for their help. I owe a special thanks to YODA, along with VJ and BG for his fine video and ALIGNMENT GOLF DVD set which bring to life HK’s TGM and a due note to this forum which provides an exceptional opportunity for me to study, inquire and even vent upon occasion.
In the beginning there is prologue. This time there must be prologue or my past comments and this comment will have little understanding or perspective to be gleaned from .
I took up golf many years ago – my first woods were Macgregor tommy armour persimmon with “key hole” inserts. (that dates me). I have been either “a grip it and rip it” with a RE-Grip on the way down or a “throw the club at the ball” guy. Always as hard as I could. I wore “Hush-Puppy” golf shoes and always tore the spikes out within a month. If the shot called for a 5 I would use a 6I . I grip the club with the left hand way up on the butt end because my fingers are a little long and reach my palm with a normal grip size (not good ) IGet the ball “in the vicinity” of the green then rely on a short game and often an “out of your mind”(that’s good) putting game. Hated any hole that didn’t allow a driver off the tee. I would shoot in the HIGH 80’s – never broke 80, seldom over 92-93. Always hoped for improvement and used lots of practice just to stay the same. Never had instruction because a “Do it like this” demonstration without understanding of what I was trying to do something does not fit my communication pattern. But, I am here. You can see why I have to be careful because old habits can linger. Look in my bag That tells its own story.
Winters in New England are long and cold. If there is a time to rebuild it is now.
It is my plan to rebuild from scratch not from my present motion and fitting in corrected alignments. My prologue is testimony to why I think this is better for ME.
I believe this also has pitfalls. Because, I believe that any motion must be part of my total motion. Not having a total motion requires that as each new element is added I must return all the way to basic motion and add in the anticipation of that new element although it is not an element in the basis motion. I am constantly reminded that “preparation” for swing/hit elements is vital and effects the execution of preceding elements. So, now I have the “chicken and the egg” scenario. I now understand ,but that does not make it any less frustrating.
3-0 recognizes the “preparation-anticipation” requirement. 12-5 does not. A properly previously developed total motion does not contain this pitfall. Improperly previously developed total motion risks the re-hatching of bad habit.
I do think that I respond to the feel in the hands ONLY. I know one of the problems is that the feel may not be complete and is therefore left out and if it relates to a component not yet included creates confusion.
I have had this unfinished note on my notepad 4 4-5 days an in the interim Spring has Sprung. Therefore 1 of three things will happen:
1. I will continue my reconstruction seriously
2. I will revert and relapse
3. I will put the clubs back in the attic and think about it some other day.

Thanks
The Bear

Cycles, circles and seasons. To every thing .........there is a season.
 

HuggyBear

Its spring. Golf is fun in the spring. Perhaps because we dont burden ourselves with expectations and are able find joy in what compression comes our way however infrequently. Go out and have some fun. 1,2 and 3 are inevitable. They cycle through my golf calendar thats for sure.

Perhaps your belief that "any motion must be a part of your Total Motion" is giving you some problems? I wish it were so, but it isnt. Basic Motion is not a component part of Total Motion for instance. The Arm motion that allows your Hands to travel the Plane in Basic will be an off plane motion once Shoulder Turn is added for instance. The Arms being attached to the Sholders. Keeping the Hands, the Pressure Points on Plane is what its all about.

To further complicate things for the golfer in Total Motion the Hands dont power themselves along the Inclined Plane. The Hands path being the product of the divergent vectors of the Three Zones. Pivot outwards, Left wrist uncock downwards etc . Fortunately we are have our Pressure Points or Feel to guide us. That feel is the feel of the sweetspot plane whirling around in three dimensional space. If we take that feel and direct it along a line that intersects with the ball good things start to happen. If not for that blessing golf would be impossible.

Its spring, take your pressure points out for a little air. With your mind on them they'll bring you a compression that you can start to direct. In this way, you may feel like you are back to your old "grip it and rip it". But Id venture in a more informed and aligned manner.

Some say the Big Bang will be followed by a Big Coming Together. The particles returning with new information to form a newer greater whole. Some say love it is a flower.