Instruction
Video analysis: Rickie’s revamped swing
Although he finished the season without a victory, Rickie Fowler proved to be one of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour in 2014. He finished ninth in the FedEx Cup standings, second in the Team USA Ryder Cup standings and finished no worse than T5 in any of the four major championships — his work with Butch Harmon, which began last year, is paying off.
The swing changes that Butch and Rickie put into effect this season are some of the most drastic I have ever seen. The interesting part is that Butch is typically a “work within the existing swing” type of teacher. His work with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson has produced only subtle changes, but the improvements in Rickie’s swing are day-and-night. It’s no wonder he’s been a mainstay on major championship leader boards on Sunday afternoons in 2014.
Take a look at the video below and see if you agree!
[youtube id=”mAvK8kYQoo0″ width=”620″ height=”360″]
If you’d like me to analyze your swing, go to my Facebook page and check out my online swing analysis program.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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BigBoy
May 10, 2015 at 10:19 pm
The boy is back.
Greg
Sep 20, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Nice going … I post a valid point and you delete it… I will try again. If you look at Ricky’s feet you can tell the two videos are from a slightly different angle. There is nothing wrong with your assessment, but you need to use two videos from the same angle to make those points accurately. imho….
Dennis Clark
Sep 22, 2014 at 1:21 pm
I deleted nothing.
Jeff R
Sep 24, 2014 at 6:57 pm
Agree, but would say these videos are considerably much different angles.
Jack
Sep 20, 2014 at 4:05 am
I respect you Dennis, but these are not major changes. Rickey could have changed this in a day or two. I do believe that golf “teachers’ are a major reason people don’t get better. The golf swing is a pretty simply motion, that you all either can’t or won’t really explain to folks. Carry on…
Jimmy
Sep 20, 2014 at 9:00 am
The golf swing is not a simple motion at all, and there is not a chance in hell that it only took Rickie 2 days to implement these changes. Look at his finishes from the beginning of 2013-2014 PGA Tour season. That’s when he first started working with Butch, and he was not playing very well because he was making swing changes. But after MONTHS, not DAYS of working at this new swing, he started playing much better. The golf swing is anything but simple. Have you,(probably a hacker), ever tried to make even the simplest change in your golf swing, such as a minor grip change? It’s very difficult to repeat something just that small, let alone changing the position at the top of his swing or the position of the club head in relation to his hands on the take away.
Dennis Clark
Sep 22, 2014 at 1:27 pm
Agreed. As a teacher I can appreciate the degree of change and I think there is more to come. Going left thru impact for example.
Dennis Clark
Sep 22, 2014 at 1:25 pm
Interesting perspective. While you may find it simple others struggle with it. I only offer advise to those who seek it. And my corrections are from experience not theory. If you don’t think these changes are considerable I would respectfully disagree. Thx
Dennis Clark
Sep 22, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Do you teach golf? Curious.
jim rebey
Sep 18, 2014 at 8:56 pm
First thing i notced is that his chin is up now and the 90deg of the right arm at top.
Dennis Clark
Sep 18, 2014 at 1:16 pm
Interesting to note while on the subject of Fowler, he partnered with Billy Horschel in the 2007 Walker Cup matches.
John Mclane
Sep 19, 2014 at 3:19 pm
From a money ball approach to the Ryder Cup Billy Horschel would have been a much better pick for USA than Web Simpson. That was actually my captains pick even before he won the FEDEX. The USA team still hasn’t learned the lesson from the 1980 USA hockey team. Its not about getting the best players, its about getting the right players.
The Man
Sep 18, 2014 at 11:44 am
Went from an unorthodox swing to a classic modern swing.
Dennis Clark
Sep 17, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Seems like many of you got the message despite the different camera angles. There is a lesson in all these great players for anyone who wants it. In Fowler’s case the almost zero early forearm rotation, followed by a dramatic roll in the second part of the takeaway, put him in a laid off position at times. Butch hates the club laid off and behind. It’s one of his tenets as an instructor.
Dale Doback
Sep 18, 2014 at 1:43 am
This was a great analysis. I followed Rickie this year at the Bob Hope and he played very mechanical and uncomfortable missing shots all over but mainly pushes to the right. Fowlers misses seem to be getting much better and it is a pretty big adjustment he made in his swing in such a short time. While I wouldn’t call this an overhaul like Tigers, Harmon has defiantly softened his deep takeaway and his release doesn’t seem to be as dependant on his hand timing. Nice to see Fowler playing really well, I can’t wait to see him in the Ryder Cup. GO USA
Dennis Clark
Sep 19, 2014 at 9:49 am
Yes I agree. I teach hands more in front so body and arms can work together better, less independent. But Rickie is soooo talented he can make anything work????
Jeff R
Sep 24, 2014 at 6:59 pm
I’m Ron Burgandy????
Ian
Sep 19, 2014 at 7:40 am
Denis, really enjoyed that analysis. Obviously the camera angle made the flaws on the sling on the left look worse. But isn’t a club that’s laid off of the top most likely to come way out in front of the player? Just as a club that’s across the line has to come down steep and then shallow out too much leaving the club behind the player?
Dennis Clark
Sep 19, 2014 at 9:42 am
Ian, I know what you mean. Yes, but Here’s what to consider. The hand path vs the club position. “Laid off” means the club in under the PLANE of the hands. The hands travel in a direction and a plane. Example, inside, outside, up, down. How far the club head swings out is a combo of the path of the hands and the plane of the club. So when I see a player across the line at the top, the club usually starts down steep, and then they attempt shallow it out. They might shallow it by backing up, OR they might swing the hand path OUT toward the ball, like a Phil does. so it’s all individual. What I like about what Fowler is doing is keeping the hand path more in front with the club in line with the hands. This a bigger topic but that’s good for now. Great observation thought.
Rob
Sep 17, 2014 at 6:10 pm
The lost art of camera angles…while his swing is much different this is a terrible video to try and use. You have one right down the line (video on the right) then the video on the left is shot about 3 or 4 feet away and at an angle. Lesson #1 in video analysis for golf instructors is CAMERA ANGLES!
Dennis Clark
Sep 17, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Thx
luke
Sep 18, 2014 at 6:09 pm
agreed
DeucePot
Sep 17, 2014 at 5:43 pm
Dennis,
I appreciate the analysis camera angles aside. As you stated the angle will only affect the degree of change and not the point of your article. With professional level athletes even a small amount of change is significant and there are noticeable changes in the take away and position at the top. Watching Rickie in the latter half of the season I’ve seen a swing that he has confidence in, especially under pressure. On the whole he has avoided the tournament ending blow up holes or stretch of holes that his career had previously been full of. Many have missed the point of the article and even commented on the focus on a player who has not won much. Rickie is clearly showing a desire to be more competitive on the PGA tour and his new swing is in its infancy. Give him a little more time and wins will come.
Mark
Sep 17, 2014 at 3:54 pm
So much written about a man who can’t win a tournament. Never has someone had so much media coverage for so few wins….
Dennis Clark
Sep 19, 2014 at 9:51 am
Can’t disagee with that. Rock star with one win. I wrote this piece because of change not status in game. Thx
Jeff R
Sep 24, 2014 at 6:59 pm
two wins
Konnor
Sep 17, 2014 at 11:06 am
Dennis,
Your point is still more than made. The changes are significant to the naked eye but the videos further that point regardless of angles. Well done.
adam
Sep 17, 2014 at 10:24 am
My most noticeable takeaway from his old to new swing is that he slowed his back swing down tremendously. I have since done the exact same thing and it has made a world of difference
Jeffcb
Sep 17, 2014 at 10:18 am
I think respectfully that Fowlers good results are from around the green, not necessarily swing changes. He’s 108th in driving accuracy and 100th in GIR’s. However, he’ 17th in scrambling and 37th in strokes gained putting but he has seemed to me to make everything this year. My coach told me that under pressure with his new swing he’ll miss way right and by golly at the PGA on Sunday on 16 and 17 his tee shots were way right. Terrific year from him though
Stats
Sep 17, 2014 at 12:30 pm
Aha!
That’s what I was looking for. Thank you.
Dennis Clark
Sep 17, 2014 at 7:24 pm
And what about his new swing will do that?
Jeffcb
Sep 17, 2014 at 7:41 pm
Dennis – I wish I could remember the reason
Dennis Clark
Sep 18, 2014 at 1:14 pm
We’d need to know his Trackman numbers honestly. On camera in seems like his path was quite right. With the club more in front it can go more left IF HE WANTS. But if you look at him going through the ball, he still seems in to out. But I agree the swing we’re seeing looks prone to pushes and hooks.
Brian
Sep 17, 2014 at 6:44 am
Thank you for your great analysis. We all learn something from it…even the critics as they analyze your analysis. I might send you a video of my swing sometime.
Dennis Clark
Sep 17, 2014 at 7:24 pm
You’re welcome. Thank you.
dunn2500
Sep 17, 2014 at 3:04 am
These vids aren’t from same angle so hard to determine exactly where his angles are at….
Be Nice if you could use 2 examples from same angle…
dunn2500
Sep 17, 2014 at 3:09 am
These vids aren’t from same angle so hard to determine exactly where his angles are at….
Be Nice if you could use 2 examples from same angle…
Drawing lines against his body and camera is not even close to being in same spot so reference isn’t accurate….
Dan
Sep 17, 2014 at 7:43 am
Agreed!!
Stats
Sep 17, 2014 at 1:05 am
Does anybody have the ball striking stats from before and after? Not scoring stats, just ball striking stats.
Weird thing, I kinda don’t mind either swing. The new swing is more technical, being in positions to make it work, but the old swing was more about feel and I think that the old swing will stand up to pressure more than the technical one. With the new, more technical one I fear he’ll try to keep getting into the positions of the swing and forget to play with more feel to guide him in certain situations. Sure, he might be successful with the new swing and it might look good, but is it going to stand up long-term?
TW
Sep 16, 2014 at 10:23 pm
Also seems to have a smoother follow thru to finish. The 2010 swing seems like a bit more loss of posture in the finish. Would love to have this swing
Eric
Sep 16, 2014 at 8:42 pm
Dennis,
I enjoyed the analysis, is it safe to say the big change was the takeaway and that led to a better position up top and because of that better position up top allowed for a better / more efficient downswing through the ball?
Rickie Fowler
Sep 16, 2014 at 8:33 pm
Wow, what a bunch of tools leaving responses. Maybe these tools can write up the next swing analysis. Hostile bunch of pricks.
Eric
Sep 16, 2014 at 8:53 pm
agree completely with your comment!
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 9:08 pm
No need for that. Everyone stated their disagreements respectfully. That’s the great thing about golfwrx. We teachers interact with the readers In an open forum designed for everyone to learn. Thx
nikkyd
Sep 16, 2014 at 5:32 pm
One thing i noticed this year, is that he has slowed his swing down enough to notice it.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 6:14 pm
Over all tempo? He’s actually increased club head speed. His amazing ability to separate his lower and upper body creates a lot of speed. Thx
nikkyd
Sep 24, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Tempo, i should have said tempo. He just looks like hes taking an easier rip at the ball ( swing easy and live with the extra distance)
Andrew Tursky
Sep 16, 2014 at 4:05 pm
Here’s a link for those looking for a more DTL view of Fowler’s pre-Butch swing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEhpy6Mh-i8
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 3:33 pm
The brilliance of Fowler’s move is the shallow early steepening into impact. If most golfers learned that move early in their career they’d be WAY better off than the reverse of that as most amateurs are; steep early trying to shallow.
Don
Sep 17, 2014 at 3:03 am
I agree. Now how could an amateur find that move? Can you help?
Dennis Clark
Sep 17, 2014 at 6:06 am
The horizontal component needs to be learned early. Very early. I start a lot of juniors out by hitting from high tees to ingrain an arc and the feeling of swinging around.
Not Brandel
Sep 17, 2014 at 6:47 am
In my opinion, in the new swing, fowler initially drops his hands in transition while the shaft steepens a hair. After that, the club shallows out into impact. I agree 100% that a hogan-like shallow to steep move is more agressive and effective than the fowler/Michelson pattern.
Dennis Clark
Sep 17, 2014 at 8:11 am
Having taught for 30 years over 25000 lessons I assure you it’s the way to learn golf. When you get under early you can turn into the shot. WAY better than backing up to shallow it out. Thx
golfpunk46
Sep 16, 2014 at 3:00 pm
This in incredibly impressive! Thank you for putting this video together. Fascinating how much the change is.
harrold
Sep 16, 2014 at 2:49 pm
the video on the left is a complete waste of time as its at an angle so any perceptions that are being drawn from that about his sling will be blurred. Should analyse swing videos from exactly DTL otherwise the viewer is getting poor information
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 3:20 pm
No still video is a waste of time. At least mine. The camera angles are slightly different but the changes are as I indicated. Watched him up close at Augusts when the changes were new and at Pinehurst. By that time the changes were considerable.
Rich
Sep 16, 2014 at 7:58 pm
Yes the changes to his swing are considerable. You can see it with the naked eye. However, harrold is right. The angle of the 2 videos is significantly different so there is a considerable parallax error in the position differences you are pointing out in the analysis. You should find a 2011 video with the camera directly behind him as with the 2014 video and then the differences will have more meaning.
Chris
Sep 16, 2014 at 2:39 pm
My 2c to all instructors doing swing comparisons. Putting up camera angles that are this different shows either laziness or low quality standards, especially when the internet is full of Rickie swings. Even if you can still justify your assessment and what you’re saying is great info.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 1:30 pm
I’m always fascinated with talent and tend to seek our the less than orthodox swings to learn from. I watch Rickie up close every year at Augusta and I can state unequivocally that the changes are pronounced. He’s a gifted player.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 1:25 pm
To the point of the different camera angles: the changes I noted would not be different, perhaps just the degree of the changes. 2-D video comparisons are always subject to parallax issues but does any one actually think the club is not more in front of him? Or over him at the top?
Eric
Sep 16, 2014 at 4:40 pm
Wouldn’t the degree of the changes be an important distinction? You draw lines and make points referencing how different some of his positions are, all of which may be correct but also exaggerated and misleading because of the difference in camera angles. I agree with what you are saying since you can see everything even with the off camera angle, but think comparing all the lines you drew is pointless.
Rich
Sep 16, 2014 at 8:00 pm
+1. Couldn’t agree more Eric.
TheFightingEdFioris
Sep 16, 2014 at 12:51 pm
As an instructor, are you not being borderline irresponsible by using two camera angles that differ so drastically? That aside, you did a great job here. Big fan of what Rickie has changed and it was a big risk for him to do it and prove there’s some substance behind that style. But I do think the swing changes are exaggerated due to the camera angles.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 1:21 pm
Parallax issues are inevitable when taking videos off internet I agree. Irresponsible? I think not as the emphasis of my content would not change. Perhaps the degree of it.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 1:32 pm
I love your screen name. How did you come by it? Can I guess you play with a very strong grip?
TheFightingEdFioris
Sep 16, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Lol Ed Fiori and I are opposites in almost every way on the course, but gotta admire a guy that could hold his own against the Big Cat. And you’re right, your message would have been the same no matter the camera angles. Again, I thought it was a quality analysis.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 6:30 pm
I played with Ed. His nickname was “grip”! Thx
kyle
Sep 16, 2014 at 12:43 pm
Not a very good analysis.
It would be a lot better if you compared videos that were shot from the same angle. The camera angle for the 2011 video makes the hands seem further outside his hip at the top of the swing, and since it is shot from significantly higher than the 2014 video it makes the arms appear further below his shoulder plane much sooner.
Ricky has made a lot of changes, but the camera angles exaggerate the differences.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Direct down the line videos are hard to come by unless you film them yourself. Have you filmed any yourself? Or can you find any more accurate? If so send them. The point I’m making will not change I assure you.
Pat
Sep 16, 2014 at 2:06 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEhpy6Mh-i8
There you go
kyle
Sep 16, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Dennis,
Honestly you seem a little defensive, because I didn’t think much of your analysis. I can understand that. But some of your conclusions are based on the camera angle. I just looked up a better angle dtl view (around 2011-2012) and Rickie’s hands were barely outside his hips at the top of the swing (unlike in your analysis).
As I said the general ideas line up regardless of the angles, but it would have seemed much better done if the angles were the same. If you couldn’t find a better angle for the 2011 video, no worries, you could have just said that.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 7:45 pm
Not defensive at all. The video I chose was a different camera angle and you’re correct in pointing it out. You started out saying “not a good analysis”. My response says it is a good analysis despite the different camera angles because it indicates his changes. Are you a teacher? Do you do a lot of video work? Curious. Thx for interest.
Dennis Clark
Sep 16, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Not defensive at all really. Your opening statement was “not a good analysis “. The video I chose was a different camera angle and you’re correct in pointing it out. But the analysis has other lessons beyond the parallax problem caused by the video I chose. Namely: big changes are rare in great players and his is noticeable from any angle. My editor and I found a better camera angle and posted it above. When I return to my golf academy I’ll comment on that angle.
TheLegend
Sep 16, 2014 at 11:49 am
Very interesting!
Nick Cinzilla
Sep 16, 2014 at 10:41 am
Dennis, it looks to me like Fowler is taking the club a little steeper on the backswing, so that his left arm intersects his right shoulder, instead of being shallower and underneath his right shoulder. Would you say that this is more of a one-plane position at the top? If not please explain. Also, Harmon seems to favor most players hitting a cut versus a right to left shot. What is your opinion about that?