Last year when I did the “Bomb Your Driver” research with McChicken from the forum, I spent 3 months hitting nothing but drivers. By the end, we had discovered the perfect driver shafts, heads and launch conditions and I could regularly hit 330-340 yard bombs. After a while, I decided it would be helpful if I learned to hit an iron again, although I really wasn’t hitting anything longer than a wedge into the green most of the time! Anyway, during this process, my clubhead speed slipped – a lot. I went from my first driver “warm-up” swing of the day being 124-125 mph to 110-112 mph. I was still hitting it very solid and could work the ball, but it still hurts knowing I’m leaving that much left in the tank. Enter Rotary Swing 2.0…
When I was swinging in the 120′s, it was putting a lot of stress on my knee and hip. This would cause me to back it down or only be able to comfortably play a few days. Since making a setup change over the weekend, my first swing of the day today was 122 mph without me trying to get to 122 mph. I had hit 7 irons for about 2 hours before this, so I was already worn out to boot. My average CHS for the first four swings was 120 mph as shown in the video below and I felt like I had the same control as I did at 112 mph. I packed up my stuff right then and there and headed out to the course to play a few quick holes, the results spoke for themselves. On the 3rd hole at Sugarloaf Mountain, a 458 yard par 4, I hit a driver, 9 iron to a middle pin from the back of the tee box, this was in the vicinity of 313 yards off the tee and was absolutely effortless and pure as it gets. The 4th hole I hit my hybrid 10 yards longer than normal off the tee, and with less effort. I know it will take a few weeks for these changes to settle in before I can really maximize their potential and I wouldn’t be surprise if I crack the 130 mph mark within the next couple months beating my previous high this past winter of 129 mph. Lookout McChicken – I’m coming for you!
Excellent Chuck!
I had a similar experience the other day at the range. I think I can top 120mph over the next few weeks. I’ve watched the 7 part seminar on Alison’s website and it’s enlightening. Coming from a medical background, the biomechanics make a lot of sense to me.
Keep up the good work!
By the way, Driver/9I to the 3rd at Sugarloaf takes some doing…..I can remember hitting Driver 7I and being very happy with that!
Neil, I’m glad you watched the seminar, it’s long but well worth getting a basic understanding of some of the ideas we’ll be integrating over the long term. Driver – 7 iron is a poke my friend, well done! I think you should definitely bust 120 by the end of the year, with ease if we get your body winding up and unwinding properly!
Hey Chuck,
How do these swings compare with the new model?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c-PvmRkovo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZI7NCSrdy8
Hey Chuck, How do these swings compare with the model?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2c-PvmRkovo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZI7NCSrdy8
There’s a lot to like in there, would have liked to have seen a DTL view. It looks like from up the line he has a very balanced setup, but might be pulling the right arm a bit deep, but uses his core muscles really well to initiate the downswing. The face on view shows great soft wrists at the top to achieve the downcock and shows that he’s not using his arms from the top. You can really see how much he’s pulling with the left side of his body to turn on the way down, which is great.
In my opinion, Paul McGinley (European Tour player, ex-Ryder Cup) has the best Rotary Swing on Tour. I’ve just finished reading his article in this months ‘Golf International’ mag. He stresses use of the core muscles to rotate. He hits it a mile and is only 5 ft 4″!!
I agree. McGinley’s swing is a pleasure to watch. Absolutely nothing wasted and no unnecessary moving parts.
Chuck,
I was wathcing the video on Allison’s site with her tossing the medicine ball, how close would you say that motion is to the bucket sync drill in the vault? To me it looks like her rotation is a little more underneath or is that a function of where the weight is positioned at the heels?
Chuck,
Do you think you are gaining CHS because you may be swinging in a smaller circle with the hands? If you are pulling back, and pulling through, as Alison demos in the seminar, and the elbows are under the shoulders at address, are you much like an ice-skater who pulls their arms in to spin faster? Is the swing circle of the hands smaller, and closer to the torso?
Hayes, I’m not working on this or feeling this at the moment, so I can’t say that is where I’m gaining speed. I have done a little with the pull-pull move, but I’m just focused on setup for the most part right now. My speed is coming from being able to apply power while remaining under control due to my balance and not hurting my knee and hip.
Chcuk, I mentioned this because of the teaching in Alison’s seminar and the difference in the swing path between pushing vs. pulling, and remembered the skater analogy from Hebron’s book and viewing slo-mo of Tiger and how his shoulders go in, up and back. You may not be focusing on this, but it may be a result of the changes being implemented.
I worked in the basement last night in the shoulder blade positions and the pull & pull, and the circle is definitely smaller and feels faster.
Hayes, Alison and I did speak about this in my swing but it’s something I already do without thinking about it. I am working more on the left side on the downswing, but haven’t settled into anything on that as I’m still at the beginning of the changes. This is why it’s important to work with someone. When we first spoke about the shoulder blade, I started trying to feel it in my swing, but I was already doing it, so it wasn’t right. It’s a soft, subtle motion, not a wrenching pull, so some may already be doing it and only mess things up by trying to do it more.