Instruction
Revisiting Ernest Jones’ “Swing the Clubhead”
Ernest Jones was a British golf professional who lost a leg in World War I. That didn’t stop him from continuing to play to the level of a scratch golfer, however, proving, as others have, that a golfer needs only one functioning leg, or arm even, to play at that high level. Important history we should keep in mind when considering the physical requirements for good golf.
Jones’ classic instruction book, “Swing The Clubhead,” begged golfers to do only ONE thing. Yeah, THAT. But a lot of people missed what ol’ Ernie was really on about. This article aims to shed light on what Ernest Jones described as a TRUE swinging action.
I will admit that the first time I read through the book as a younger instructor, , I missed the heart of the lesson. Up until that time, I had not even considered the possibility that the wrists could be passive and not actively bending back and forth. Similarly, I never understood what people meant by “keeping the hands out of it.”
“The hands are ON the club, they HAVE to be in it,” I reasoned.
Then one day it hit me. EUREKA! What if I hold the handle VERY lightly, like a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10, wind-up my hands around my center as a means to move the club head, and ALLOW the wrists to behave as they like — passively, in response to the active action of swinging the hands. Would that even WORK? Like a charm, I would discover. With all clubs and swings, long and short. The benefits are numerous, but perhaps coolest of all is that the wrist action is 100 percent AUTOMATED, the wrists truly functioning as a free hinge. Ah, so THAT’S what he meant!
Jones’ only real teaching aid was a pocket knife attached to a handkerchief, a kind of weight on a string. To swing something means to cause it to rotate around something else, an axis. To cause the dangling pocket knife to swing, the swinger needs to only hold the handkerchief and move the hand back and forth through space. The flexible handkerchief ALLOWS the knife to swing and represents passive wrists for the golfer. No torque needs to be applied at the hinge, which is free, to create a hinging action between the knife and handkerchief. The same is true for your golf swing. What a relief! One less thing to worry about!
Jones’ primary practice drill involved swinging the handkerchief and knife simultaneously with a club, to test whether one was even swinging at all. Any conscious and ACTIVE bending of the wrists, which Jones called “levering,” instantly causes the club to fall out of step with the swinging knife.
One of several “whippy” swing aids on the market, like the Orange Whip Trainer, allows the user to FEEL an object swing from a freely functioning hinge — the shaft in this case. Like the knife and handkerchief, this teaches us that an ACTIVE wrist action is NOT a requirement to create the ACTUAL wrist action seen in great swings, but the polar opposite of what Ernest Jones saw as a REAL swing. To do as Jones intended, simply swing or rotate the hands around your body, and ALLOW the club head to swing around the hands.
“Swing the club head with your hands,” Jones said, NOT with an active bending, “flipping,” or “levering” of the wrists.
Now that you know HOW to swing the club head, let’s swing it efficiently. This involves acceleration of the swing of the hands. With passive wrists and light grip pressure, you can learn that sufficient acceleration of the hands in one direction causes the club to initially lag behind and hinge back in the REVERSE direction. A fundamental aspect of efficient swinging is to make contact BEFORE the club head catches up to its axis, the hands, promoting solid contact with a descending attack angle, especially for swings off the turf.
Executing something called the “lagging club head takeaway” establishes the passive-wrist hinging action to start the swing. As the hands are swung back, the club head lags behind momentarily before following the hands along.
Above: Bobby Jones exhibits the classic “lagging club head takeaway”
Another great practice drill is to slowly wind-up the hands fully and stop. Starting the forward swing from this stopped position, you should CAUSE and ALLOW the club to again hinge back in the REVERSE direction, just like with the “lagging club head takeaway.” Consider that the reason you don’t always see this in great swings is because, as the forward swing begins, the wrists may already be bent back to their fullest extent. Since the forward swing to impact lasts only a few tenths of a second, there’s not much left to do now except continue smoothly accelerating the hands through the impact zone. Oh, and keep your eye on the ball! Eventually the club head catches up to the hands, but the ball is already gone.
If you find that this short swing shows a prominent wrist action, you would be correct. But looks can be deceiving. All of the bending of the wrists you see here is provided by the acceleration of the hands with passive wrists. The same swing, with firmer grip pressure, would look less “wristy,” but executing the reverse hinge phenomenon you see here at the start-up and transition is a great exercise to prove passive wrists and efficient hand swing acceleration.
The Swing-Eze teaching aid functions nicely as a “weight on a string.” Its free hinge permits a prominent “lagging” action.
Impact is made well BEFORE the club head catches up to the hands.
The ball has left the face while the club head is still lagging behind the hands.
The club head finally catches the hands well after impact.
“Stay ahead” of the club head with your hands this way and you may well be on the road to your personal performance potential. And remember, you can swing all your clubs this way, full and short! Ultimately, you may choose a grip pressure that is firm enough to prevent the “reverse” hinging, but either way, feel FREE, literally, to continue swinging the club head by swinging the hands around your body with passive wrists.
Ernest Jones would have been proud!
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
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” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
RBC Heritage Tour Report: More minis, course-specific setups, Spider & GTS launches
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
Best fairway woods of 2026: The most versatile fairway woods + the most forgiving fairway woods
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
The 24 players who can win the Masters
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2026 Masters
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
J.J. Spaun’s winning WITB: 2026 Valero Texas Open
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Driver: Ping G440 Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft:...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2021 Truist Championship
Rory McIlroy’s victory at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship 2021 (now the Truist Championship) marked a significant return to form,...
Collin Morikawa WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Tour (14 degrees) Shaft:...
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
-
Equipment1 week agoWhat’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
-
Equipment2 weeks agoCadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
-
Whats in the Bag3 days ago
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
-
Whats in the Bag1 week agoCameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoNelly Korda WITB 2026 (April)
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose on the switch to McLaren Golf, learnings from previous equipment moves
-
Tour Photo Galleries2 weeks agoPhotos from the 2026 Cadillac Championship
Rob Saxe
Jun 1, 2019 at 9:46 pm
I’ve worked with many instructors from THE TGM guru to former tour players to pga teaching and coaching summits. Now that I’m getting older the only thing that matters after everything I’ve read from sir Walter Simpson to Ernest Jones to Jack Nicklaus to Sean Foley to athletic motion golf on YT, is allowing the clubhead to swing me and control my wrists and footwork. That’s all I pay attention to. The rest of bs. Great post here. Thank you. Oh and I love the imperceptible clubhead lag in takeaway. It sets the tone for the backswing.
BT
Sep 23, 2015 at 12:01 am
I’ve been playing 25 years and have been a 5 hc for the last decade. Straight but short off the tee with a good short game. Average drive about 225 or so. Always had a smooth easy swing. I’ve never been able to increase my swing speed much without destroying my accuracy. In fact I really haven’t tried much. Just accepted that I’m a short hitter and still managed to shoot in the 70s most of the time. I’ve read some Ernest Jones stuff before and thought it was compatible with what I do but never fully understood it until I read this article. I’ve now seen that part of my problem creating club head speed all these years was my lack of a truly free release of the club that this article promotes. I had a sound swing but not much speed. No lag to speak of. After I started working on the free swinging motion described here, I had to strengthen my grip slightly so that it’s more neutral now, rather than weak as I’d played for years before. Once I began to trust the free swinging motion this creates, my distance has increased dramatically. I am now driving it 30-50 yards longer than before with less effort. It’s completely changed my game. Clearly I was leaving a lot of distance on the table since I was short before but this has been a revelation. I’ve lost just a little accuracy but the distance gains more than offset that. Used to hit 10-12 fairways a round and now I’m hitting 8-10. None of the par 5s on my home course were ever remotely reachable for me before but now I’ve been around all of them in two at least once including a 520 yd hole today. I’m a club and a half longer with every iron as well. I can’t begin to explain how great it’s been. Anyone who’s worked hard at their game for years and achieved a relatively low handicap can tell you that you don’t just wake up one day and pick up 40 yards off the tee. But I have and it’s entirely due to what I learned from this article. I realize this isn’t the best way to swing for everyone but it certainly works for me and no one should discount it just because it’s not what suits them.
Todd
Jul 13, 2016 at 4:17 pm
Awesome, BT! When the wrists are allowed to function as “free agents”, a Jack Nicklaus described in his book, “Golf My Way”, the wrists un-cock with greater speed, as you’ve discovered! Ironically, intending to speed-up with the wrists themselves, reduces speed!
Jeff
Jun 8, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Unfortunately, I regret to report that the information in this article is worth exactly what I paid for it. Total crap. I am convinced that golf instructors know it’s bad business to make people better golfers and no longer need lessons. Its maddening and cruel, in my opinion.
Jeff
May 31, 2015 at 8:11 pm
I have read STC so many times that I have lost count. I have also purchased an expensive DVD which claims to teach pure Ernest Jones. Never did it occur to me that passive wrists was the missing link to my success. Yes I know they are mentioned, but I always honed in on other details. There have been days where I have the feel and I can’t miss, where golf actually feels easy for 5 or 6 straight holes. HOWEVER, much more often, I have struggled to implement STC and typically go back to experimenting and doing what gets me by. If there weren’t thunderstorms outside, I would be at the range trying this right now. Rest assured I will soon, and I will post the results.
James G
May 4, 2015 at 11:33 am
The lagging clubhead move was also used by Julius Boros and his swing was very much like what Earnest Jones advocated. Boros’ swing is still as relevant today to study as when he was playing on the Tour.
As an aside, this is the theory behind the Whippy Tempomaster training aid as well. The man who developed it said he had been swinging a ball on a string and came up with the Whippy as a better alternative to that.
dcorun
May 1, 2015 at 12:49 pm
I’ve used this swing for some years after reading an article about Ernest Jones and thought how simple this swing idea was and why it wasn’t popular with more golfers. This is a very simple swing as explained. Light grip pressure, pick a target, turn the shoulders and swing through the ball not at it. Let everything happen naturally not mechanically like a lot of today’s teachers try to teach. I found a book by Manuel de la Torre a Top 100 and highly regarded instructor/teacher called ‘Understanding The Golf Swing’ and it is a great book which teaches this swing. It is easy to understand and has illustrations always help a lot. If you can get it do so since it goes into greater detail than Todd can in this short space. Manuel and his father who taught him were disciples of Ernest Jones and Manuel’s father met and worked with Earnest. Todd is also right that this swing is for all shots.
BA
Apr 29, 2015 at 9:00 pm
Todd, have you followed the work of Manuel De Le Torre? He is a direct disciple of Ernest Jones.
Todd
Apr 29, 2015 at 11:39 pm
BA, yes, I have studied Manuel’s book, “Understanding The Golf Swing”. None other than Moe Norman adopted Manuel’s method later in life!
LK
Apr 29, 2015 at 10:17 am
I’m not sure about the orange whip or the swing eze but back in the day I learned to swing this way using a Whippy Tempomaster. Over the course of a couple years I dropped about 25 strokes (100ish to mid 70s) and gained 30 yards with every club. I’m proof that Mr. Jones theory is legit.
Skip
Apr 28, 2015 at 2:13 pm
Wow, nice to see you understand it now. Probably would have come in handy way back when, when you were teaching people how to play.
Todd
Apr 28, 2015 at 9:48 pm
Skip, you’re right. It would have. After years of study and experience, I feel better-equipped to teach effectively today than when I started teaching 20 years ago. But the thing that keeps me most interested in the golf swing is knowing there is always more to learn.
Greg V
Apr 28, 2015 at 10:17 am
Percy Boomer took it one step further by teaching how to hit the ball using pivot, while keeping the upper body (everything above the belt line) relaxed and reflexive to the pivot of the legs and hips. Percy could play a bit; he won the French Open, beating Henry Cotton and the other good English/European pros of the day.
If you think about Earnest Jones playing single digit golf while pivoting on one leg, that is a pretty good trick!
On the other hand, Jim Flick used to sit on a stool and hit the ball pretty darn well with only a little trunk rotation and an arm swing. I guess the principle is the same – keep the hand action reflexive and a result of a pivot. The means are just different.