There's a resurgence in interest in all things George Knudson, a golf ball striker supreme. Perhaps more on some other web sites but Id thought Id post this here for all to see ..... Happy new year to all and to all the best for the coming year.
When I was a kid I recall a golf magazine in which George was identified as the best fairway wood player of all time .....as selected by Ben Hogan. Cant remember which magazine it was . I recently saw a video on Sevam's site in which Jackie Burke said Ben preferred to hit his 4 wood , so he could trap it and hit down on it. Well George as most people know had a great affection for Mr Hogan , made a study of him actually and I can report that his 4 wood was beyond well worn whereas his 3 wood was relatively unscathed.
Here are some photos of George's 4 wood from my club makers shop, a man who worked on Georges clubs for years. Upon George's death they refinished his woods and racked them for prosperity . Here are the photos for your enjoyment.
The four wood is heavy its head filled with lead, the butt end counter balanced with a threaded rod stuck into a feril and then glued into the but end.........It swing weights at D1 but would be about D4 without the counter balancing. The overall weight is 14.5 ounces , about 2 ounces heavier than normal...doesnt sound like much but its really hefty to the hands.
To manage this weight its shafted with what Im told is one of the stiffest shafts going an old Brunswick FM 8 , tipped. This despite the fact that George was not a long hitter or brisk loader.
Its an old Mizuno persimmon but the super heavy feel when you swing it is seductive. Like a sledge hammer. Despite its small head I had the feeling that I could hit anything with it........just plow through the ball.
Not sure why the photos are upside down......weird .....cant seem to get them right side up . Sorry.
George Knudson would Finish in perfect balance as in the photo above. Then, he would relax his arms and bring his hands down in front of him to waist high with the clubshaft vertical.
George called this last position the "best seat in the house", i.e., the ideal place from which to watch the ball streak toward that clubhouse flagpole at St. Charles. He wanted to see the ball coming straight down the flagpole -- neither drawing in from the right nor fading in from the left -- as it returned to earth.
I teach "Best Seat" as Phase II of a three-phase Finish. Phase I is the "Arrow through the Ears" (see above photo). In Phase III you relax the grip and allow the club to simply slide down through the hands. If you really like the shot and want to add a bit of flair, give the clubhead a little twirl as you release it.
George Knudson would Finish in perfect balance as in the photo above. Then, he would relax his arms and bring his hands down in front of him to waist high with the clubshaft vertical.
George called this last position the "best seat in the house", i.e., the ideal place from which to watch the ball streak toward that clubhouse flagpole at St. Charles. He wanted to see the ball coming straight down the flagpole -- neither drawing in from the right nor fading in from the left -- as it returned to earth.
I teach "Best Seat" as Phase II of a three-phase Finish. Phase I is the "Arrow through the Ears" (see above photo). In Phase III you relax the grip and allow the club to simply slide down through the hands. If you really like the shot and want to add a bit of flair, give the clubhead a little twirl as you release it.
I remember.
How was the rhythm again? Count to 3 (2?) thru the ears, one for the best seat and one on the slide down?
After a strong Finish, almost all professionals assume some variation of this balanced, rock-solid position. Most amateurs, on the other hand, finish in a teetering, off balance body position and soon have the club in only one hand (usually the right).
I strongly recommend that you practice swinging to the classic "Arrow through the Ears" Finish (see the Knudson video above at 0.05). Then, as you watch the ball streak toward fairway or flag, lower your arms into George's comfortable "Best Seat in the House".
I remember.
BTW here it's a little more han 6 hours to 2011. But that's nothing to brag about. In Australia it's already been next year almost 4 hours!
I have to keep pushing the golf cart with my right leg!
Knudson was a Swinger, I take it? Moe Norman seemed to respect Knudson a great deal.
ICT
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HP, grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, the courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Progress and not perfection is the goal every day!
Last edited by innercityteacher : 12-31-2010 at 01:21 PM.
I read his book a year ago or so. Very interesting for someone like me that has a tendancy to overcontrol and steer, you need some faith to just "let it go" but I never could really swing like that for more than a practice session.
Then I read the yellow book and learned from this site, going through the basics... then one day during a practice session I suddenly wondered how would the "natural swing" do with what I've learned... At impact fix I setup the flying wedges, an then just turned and turned... that felt so good.. that's the way the natural swing can work: setup your machine and then trust it. Sonehow from this time I always wondered how close this swing would be from what McHatton teaches.
I wonder what Bucket would say about his hips here? 1968 Canadian Open at St Georges in Toronto. His weight or force is so far onto his left side that he can drag the inside of his right sole ..........something he loved to do, by design. You can not hang back and drag at the same time. Something he observed in Hogan's swing I believe.
And the attached article where he describes pulling a rope length ways with his lower body doing the work sounds familiar too. Hmmm cant remember where I heard that one before...maybe Lynn will know.
Hybrid Mode
