Been reading 3-F-5 and find myself in need of a lighthouse
From what I gather, the "practice stroke" is primarily to practice the pivot motion of the body, while not overly focusing on the arms or hands. Basically establish the plane line and your position relative to it.
"Forward press" sounds like fixating the clubhead/shaft relations at impact, i.e. flying wedges. Mostly hand and wrist positions
What I don't understand is what is the "start down" waggle and the "address" waggle. Is it like what Mike Weir does (start down) and what Ben Hogan explained (address)?
Most serious golfers are reasonably aware of the pre-Shot fundamentals of Grip, Stance and Posture. And even though these could almost always be improved, they are at least familiar. Similarly, golfers are keenly aware of the Address (Station 1), the Start Up and the Backstroke. That is because they spend a great deal of time on their 'move' to the Top (Station 2). Most practice the wrong things, of course -- "Start back with the Shoulder Turn and keep the Club low to the ground" comes immediately to mind -- but at least they are aware of what is going on. But, once they get to the Top, this studied awareness fades to black: The mind flashes Code Red, all Hell breaks loose -- AAOOOGA! AAOOOGA! DIVE! DIVE! -- and they find themselves suddenly at the Finish (Station 3), usually asking the proverbial question: "What have I done?"
The problem here is that almost all golfers have at least some idea of what is going on in their Stroke from Address to the Top, but only a very few have any idea what is going on from the Top to the Finish. In The Golfing Machine, this is called Downstroke Blackout, and its cure is the Downstroke Waggle (3-F-5). Use it to practice your 'move' from the Top: Downplane through the Start-Down and Downstroke. Downplane through the Release and Impact. Downplane to the End of the Follow-Through (Both Arms Straight postion) and even into the Finish. Move continuously -- up and back and down and out and up and back and down and out -- through these various sections of the Stroke, integrating and overlapping them as you do.
Through diligent practice, you will in time substitute precision motions and alignments for what is presently only a very fuzzy idea of what happens between Stations 2 and 3. Your Downstroke -- and remember, that includes the Follow-Through (only the Finish should be considered the Upstroke) -- will have been correctly programmed.
Regarding the Address Waggle, the Golfing Machine Waggle is not the 'Handsy' action you see when people attempt the 'Hogan' Waggle. This type of Waggle -- usually a fiery, Wristy move of the Clubhead away from and back to the Ball -- is almost always accomplished by Bending and Flattening the Right Wrist, Cocking and Uncocking the Left Wrist, and holding the Arms relatively motionless. In contrast, the Golfing Machine Waggle is an Arms Waggle -- the Right Arm Bending and Straightening and the Left Arm Swinging from the Left Shoulder Stroke Center -- with the Right Wrist Frozen in its Bent, Level and Vertical Impact Alignment and the Left Wrist Locked in its Flat, Level and Vertical Impact Alignment. And always over the top of the Ball.
Use the Golfing Machine Waggle to rehearse the Bending of your Right Arm in the On Plane Right Forearm Flying Wedge Start Up. Feel the Extensor Action of your Right Triceps and the accompanying Checkrein Action of your Left Arm as you move up, back and in On Plane and down, out and forward On Plane. Feel the Lag Load against the #3 Pressure Point at the Top of the Waggle. Feel its Drive through the Impact Interval. Feel the Straightening of your Right Arm and watch its actuation of the #3 Accumulator Roll. Watch the Clubhead Blur over the Inside-Aft Quadrant of the Ball as you execute the proper Left Hand Hinge Action and Rhythm. Make sure you take your Waggle to the end of the Follow-Through, the Both Arms Straight position, even for a two-inch Putt. Through it all, maintain the Impact Alignments of your Left and Right Wrists and Trace the Straight Plane Line with your Right Forearm and #3 Pressure Point.
If it sounds like there’s a whole lot going on in this Waggling business, you’re right. Quoting Homer:
“You’re a very busy guy!”
But don't worry, once you've consciously Translated the correct Mechanics into reliable subconscious Feels (1-J and 3-B), simply go through your Routine before each Shot. It takes just seconds, and the only time you will be interrupted is when it doesn't 'Feel' right. Something is mechanically not as it should be. Your Early Warning Waggle System has done its job, and you have been alerted in time to save the Shot.
Program your Impact Alignments at Impact Fix (8-2). Practice your Waggles at Address (8-3). Use your entire Pre-shot Routine (3-F-5) to help you be as prepared as possible before Start Up, as precise as possible to the Top, and as smooth and complete as possible through Impact to the proper positon at the Finish. With a disciplined Pre-Shot Routine, you'll seldom need a 'do-over:'
Would you agree that in general character, the 'arms waggle' resembles the motion that many major league hitters use (with a more stable left hand position)
I haven't paid any attention to the Ballplayer's routine. Using only my imagination, I can see that they use a good deal of Arm Prep Motion. But I also think I see a good deal of non-Golflike Wrist Wiggle, i.e., Left Wrist Bending and Right Wrist Cocking. Those old enough to remember can picture the flippy Wrists of Dale Murphy. But... nobody set the Flying Wedges better than Ted Williams.
While there are many obvious similarities in the application of Power, I wouldn't put a lot of time in trying to compare the Baseball Waggle to the Golf Waggle. Remember, those guys don't have a BatFACE to worry about!
Particularly important is your observation that it is usually taken into the Address Waggle area. The Address Waggle is ideally an Arms Motion that reacquaints the player with Sections 8-9 through 8-11 of the Stroke -- Release to Follow-Through -- in both directions. The Start Down Waggle is an Arms and Pivot Motion that Transports the Fully Assembled and Loaded Power Package Down Plane from the Top into Release.
Overlapping the Address and Downstroke Waggles allows the Player to remove all cobwebs and restore full consciousness of the Downstroke.
Hybrid Mode
