Secret In The Dirt - Golf's Greatest Social Network

2013

The year two thousand and thirteen has begun. It is New Year's Day, a day of new beginnings. A time of hope and resolution.

Eyeball would love to improve and score better; however, Eyeball feels that he is caught - like many here & elsewhere - in a intellectual vortex, twirling about within a dizzying cyclone of (interesting & tantalizing) bits of information, concentrating on individual pieces as opposed to surrendering to the simplicity of the whole.

Hogan's book is hailed as the Bible of sorts. Eyeball is not one who will debate this claim, on the contrary, I sleep next to a dog-eared copy full of highlighted lines, scribbles and notes that demonstrate an earnest interest in sustained Bible study. It has been suggested by some that Hogan made no errors and took extraordinary care in the selection of all words & descriptions within his book. Recently, I have read Knudson's The Natural Golf Swing, a book which intrigues me to a great degree. Knudson admired Hogan's swing to a high degree and worked towards understanding Hogan in his own way. If Hogan's book presents specificity to the reader, Knudson's book presents unity.

So, it's New Year's Day. A day for resolutions. Eyeball resolves to start smoking immediately.

Not smoking cigarettes - Eyeball maintains the highest priority for Health - but rather exploring the cigarette swing exercise advocated by Knudson (and possibly even by Hogan). Vinny commented recently that perhaps Hogan's cigarette itself was a swing trainer of sorts. Hogan even mounts his cigarette in a holder to extend the length to roughly that of a pencil. It seems safe to entertain the notion that if the cigarette compromised Hogan's swing practice in any way, it simply would not have been hanging from Hogan's lips.



From Pepe Cano's video on Hogan.

Knudson goes much further than my assumptions and outlines a specific drill for readers to train with. He includes an 'action-illustration' as a reference for interested parties to study. Before our beloved deputy regretfully departed from the group, Festus mentioned that he had not studied Knudson's book, but found it interesting that Knudson imagined decapitating a golfer in an effort to better visualize the swing. I prepared the following animation from Knudson's book for the good deputy. A close eye will notice a cigarette (or perhaps a pencil) hanging from Knudson's mouth. I would have decapitated Knudson in Festus' honor, but then the cigarette would not have had a place to hang from.

Double post.

Eyeball wishes everyone here at the Dirt a Healthy and Happy New Years.

Eyeball wrote:


Right back at ya, big guy!

Eyeball, thanks for convincing me of the necessity of Knudson's book. Unfortunately the intellectual vortex is a necessary evil. Each level of achievement is infinitely harder than the previous and zen like oohhhmmm simply will not get you there. The simplicity of the whole is the goal absolutely. Quote.... "You add, you add, you strip away" Agreed on the cigarette, it either provided a visual that Hogan became convinced of, or it simply quieted his mind. I think I will roll one out of a cinnamon stick and see whats up. Zig Zag time warp. Thanks for what you do. Your art work repeatedly provides the bridge from the intellectual vortex to the simplicity of the whole.

Georges Book is all one needs and the T alignment stakes he puts under him TAKE THE PLACE OF THE CIG.. If that helps but looking at George is the exact place one needs to look what to do with our mouth is simple nothing we swing and hit AROUND IT or from side of lips to side of lips. The golf swing is EXACTLY A MIRROR IMAGE OF THE LIPS its a U or C depending on how one looks at or feels it. It can be on one plane two planes or 3 planes it don't really matter. But never swing bigger then you can smile. Limited motion is Mechanical and too much motion is BIOMECHANICAL mechanical will repeat and BioM wont at least not like Limited range Mechanical style. The lips give you the pattern at least the swing arc and it goes where you go. Stability of that comes from feet and ankles and minimal lip or jaw tension. We shift from LIP CORNER TO LIP CORNER if we are shifters of mass. Also we can COUNTER SHIFT to those corners AKA body weight under one corner of the lips and hands and arm weight UP AROUND THE OTHER corners of our Lips. Again all the cig or pencils is is a reference to where their stable center is. However WHERE THE CIG and pencil points has a secret and why we should use this very simple understanding and where to point it and on what shot and why. Very impressed Eyeball as always with your preception of the facts and simple truths. Hinge against the jaw bone and compress your AGAINST YOUR SMILE some helpful tips or hints that one will find interesting once they get on this SMILE PLAN Golf Journey. Eyeball have a great 2013 and keep doing what you do. Remember lip corner to lip lip corner its about Pressure not weight shift and what pressures what. from there this game gets STUPID EASY. Teach a player to smile and teach them everything.

Happy New Year

LC

Eyeball....firstly, your GIFS are killa....keep posting them
.
and now for the REAL secret, if Hogan really knew, he would have been even better
.
you gotta puff on a cigar....forget the ciggies.

Hi Eyeball,

That is a great gif of Knudson. I've also got the book and can only think that you had to invidividually scan/photograph each of the "flip" pictures on the bottom of each page to come up with the gif?

Lots of work involved there, if that's the case!

Your visual work is outstanding - thanks again.

Cheers,
Dan (with Knudson avatar)

Frank McChrystal, Thanks for the positive words.

I have only read Knudson's book once, so far, but I sense that there are aspects which Knudson expresses that seem worthy of exploring within myself. You used the phrase "…provides the bridge." This bridge is exactly what I am hoping Knudson's book will provide - a bridge between Hogan's 5 Lessons and that of simplicity.


Vinny, thanks for suggesting the cigars. Cigars do seem like they would be heavier than cigarettes. Good idea.


Dan, Let's just say, it's a labor of love. I have to see things in my own way. I don't know why.

The thing I like about Knudson's swing is it just looks so efficient-if it did not need to be done it was not.
Plus seems to me he could smack that driver pretty good distance with his accuracy in his prime...

Eyeball wrote:



Happy New Year to you Eyeball.

Thanks for the great gif. I think if you add the two alignment axes to the gif, it will be more instructive. The pencil/head orientation, the lateral hip/body and the hands movements, the address and the impact positions can be easily seen and compared.

Earlier GIF removed and replaced with GIF below.

Sweet. Nice gif.

I really enjoy watching that mans swing. His putting was not as good, unfortunately.

Lots of stuff going on in Golfjunkie's recent post. Lots.

I went back to study Knudson's T alignment sticks. Interesting how Knudson uses his heels to index his set up alignment. Also interesting is how Knudson instructs that the golfer should ensure that his / her left foot is located outside of a plumb line dropped from the left shoulder.

Eyeball wrote:





one of your best Gifs.
beautiful transfer of weight and pivot, right foot sliding.

Eyeball, thanks for the gif and starting this thread. I've found The Natural Golf Swing to be a major source of inspiration for me. I've owned a copy for a few years now, but only in the past two months have I really taken those chapters to the course. I've focused on Five Lessons and much of the material here for the past few years. My ballstriking and knowledge of mechanics have improved greatly, but I haven't been playing to the potential I feel I have. My problem has been my mental and emotional balance, and those are now my challenges. Anyone struggling with playing a consistent round will benefit from this book. Here's one of my favorite sections:

"The kind of balance I advocate begins with a logical conception of the swing. The golfer who knows what he is trying to do will have mental balance. He[/She] will stand up confident that his method makes sense. He will approach each shot with a certainty that if he carries out his procedures properly he cannot help but produce a good swing. But he must know what he is trying to do. Given that, he can accept error. He is, after all, a human being."pg.62

Happy New Year Dirters!
GSmith

ps. I also watch this a lot for my mental health. "Get that mind right!"

This guy knows a thing or two about Sir George also. Really enjoy the GIF's Eyeball, any discussion about Knudson is an education.

Eyeball

here is the only Example of Mr. Ben doing what you and I talked about through the whole process. You will see all the things we spoke of from knees and shins to the other stuff. Also whats NOT MOVING UP TOP.

ENJOY AND DO WHAT YOU DO.



Heres Jack in 86 doing it to watch on the Par 3 16 when he almost Holes it. Watch Seve on 15 dump it in water watch what DROPS uptop out from where they started that FEAR.



Tiger 2000



George



Bobby Jones





As you can see they are all using and doing it With no awareness and thats a great thing you know what to let Take over so you can focus on playing and striking it well every day. The either fit it in their stance or build their stance around or on both sides of it via the shins and ankles. They are shifting motion from left to right to left OR LEFT RIGHT IN THEIR LEAD LEG. Never crossing the ball with that shift also the things uptop that are staying still lets them NOT HAVE TO SHIFT WEIGHT only get in Motion.


Have fun learning from this I await wait you see.

GJ

The cigarette points the direction of the motion of the swing

Thanks for the interest in the Observatory, guys. I have been overwhelmed at work lately and haven't been able to post. I have enjoyed reading everyone's contributions. Thanks.

In any event, Knudson's book continues to provide interest.

Recent observations from an interested (inexpert) observer:

Knudson places a great high priority on target awareness and balance. Target awareness and balance… Knudson describes in some detail how one should set up to the ball, how one should prepare themselves to withstand the imminent dynamic force created during the swing, all the while maintaining balance. Knudson refers to the address stance as the "starting form."

"Left foot open and outside the left shoulder."

I realize that all analogies are incorrect by their very nature, still, I see a related bias in George's starting form. Kinda looks like this to me.



As if the targetside axis was preparing for a lateral loading.

Non-biased version below for reference.

(Previously posted GIF removed.)

Seems like George drops his right foot back in his starting form. I wonder if this positioning increases his ability to maintain balance or if that is just his natural tendency. Mmm… Shafts leans away from target while Knudson assumes his starting form... (Perhaps this is just an illusion.)

Alan Smith wrote, "The cigarette points the direction of the motion of the swing." Mmm... It also seems to point at the back of the ball when Knudson's starting form is assumed. Does Knudson always set up with his head behind the ball?

Edit: Had a chance to do a little field testing with the cigarette exercise. The cigarette ultimately seems to end up pointing at the coordinates out in space where the airborne ball will soon land.

Question did Knudson setup closed in hips/shoulders? Anybody know?

My take:

The physical burning cigarette itself keeps arms/hands below the plane of glass.

The direction the cigarette/pencil points, throughout the swing, indicates the direction of the swing. Centered at address. Moves back to point at the right toe, indicating a loading into the right side. Moves back past center and holds at the back of the ball, indicating intent to hit the ball. Then moves past the ball into space, as inertia has carries the upper body into the finish position.