Stack and Tilt - Coming Soon...

The blueprint of the Stack and Tilt Swing is finally available to Medicus Golf Instructors! For those seeking to learn the hottest swing on tour can either call for private lessons or wait for a Summer School in Singapore...Meanwhile, enjoy the sheer poetry of Mike Bennett's swing.

Pretty Polly

Polly - who is one of the most talented students I have met - is able to take information, assimilate it and then make almost instantaneous changes.

Here, at Line 1, where the shaft is parallel to the ground and target line, she changes her takeaway from outside the target line to one that is on line. Note the position of the clubhead as a result.



As a result of the change in Line 1 above, she is able to make a flatter backswing. Though her arms and shaft at not at the optimal plane angle, it is a huge change from her old backswing where her left arm covers (almost) her entire face!

Also notice the position of her right elbow. While we don't want it tucked to closely to the body, we certainly don't want it flying like a 747 either. Ideally, it should point to the ground with the upper arm and lower arm forming a 90 degree angle.

With a flatter backswing, she is able to turn more and then match the rpms of the swing of her body and hands. I have no doubts this girl will improve her game very quickly at her rate of improvement.

At Justin Tang Golf, we help you define the ROOT CAUSE of your problems, not the SYMPTOMS and solve your problems quick without unnecessary waste of time.

Cindy's Impact Fix

Cindy is a very consistent 12 handicapper who manages to beat her male counterparts on a more than regular basis. Despite this, she thought she thought she would be able to play better had she more distance.

Our video analysis revealed a breakdown in the impact zone. Once Cindy is able to internalise the feel of proper impact, she will no doubt be able to add distance to her already pinpoint iron game. Watch out!

Article in Singapore Business Review

Driver Swing

Turn up the volume. The driver used is the Callaway FT 3 Fusion with a Grafalloy Blue shaft.

BROWN NAMED EUROPEAN TOUR GOLFER OF THE MONTH

I met Mark Brown at last year's rendition of the Barclay's Singapore Open together with his coach Mal Tongue (whom I had the pleasure of training with for 2 weeks) as well as his buddies, Brad Iles and Richard Lee.

Brownie as he is known is as unpretentious and humble as professional tournament golfers. We wish him all the best and look to him to achieving even greater success.

This is an excerpt from the European PGA Tour's webpage in which it is announced that Mark is named the European PGA Tour's golfer of the month for February.

An outstanding two week spell in India which saw him win for the first time on both The European Tour and the Asian Tour has resulted in New Zealander Mark Brown being named as The European Tour Golfer of the Month for February.

The 33 year old, who considered quitting professional golf in 2003, proved he had made the right decision to rededicate himself to the game with a sensational end to the month which caught the eye of the judging panel which comprised members of the Association of Golf Writers, as well as journalists from radio and television.

Brown’s first victory came in the Sail Open Golf Championship at Jaypee Greens on the Asian Tour where he held off the strong challenge of local favourite Jyoti Randhawa before he outlasted a world class field the following week to win the Johnnie Walker Classic at the DLF Golf and Country Club in New Delhi.

The dual successes helped Brown undertake a meteoric rise up the Official World Golf Ranking to a career high of 64th from 322nd at the start of 2008 and he now occupies the proud position of the highest placed New Zealand golfer on the list.

“I joined The European Tour last year as an Affiliate Member and hoped if I could play half decently I could possibly get into the top 115 on the Order of Merit,” he said. “But now to be in the winners’ category, I am still pinching myself. This is a fantastic award and I am very proud of that.

“The first win was special as it was my first on Tour but the second, against a field as strong as The European Tour in the Johnnie Walker Classic, was incredible. It has opened a few doors to me so I am looking forward to some new opportunities in the future.”

Brown emerged as the panel’s selection from a strong list of contenders, headed by World Number Three Ernie Els, who followed up his tie for sixth place in the EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters – his third top ten of The 2008 European Tour season – with his first victory on the US PGA Tour in nearly four years when he came from behind to pip fellow European Tour Member Luke Donald in the Honda Classic.

Other winners from the month considered were; India’s SSP Chowrasia, who thrilled the home spectators with his maiden European Tour triumph in the EMAAR-MGF Indian Masters; Felipe Aguilar, who became the first Chilean golfer to win on The European Tour when he triumphed in the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open; and South Africa’s James Kingston who won the Vodacom Championship on his home Sunshine Tour.

Brown is the second monthly winner of the 2008 season, the accolade for January having gone to Germany’s Martin Kaymer following his success in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. At the end of the season, all the monthly winners will be considered for the award of European Tour Golfer of the Year.

Speed Limit Exceeded...

You don't need to be a big guy to generate high clubhead speed.
All you need are strong forearms, flexible wrists and a working knowledge of how to lag the clubhead.

My Swing Through The Years...

Ewan Porter

Video of My Swing

He can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk? You decide...

Jacob Eliminates His OTT

The trick is where the instructor puts the shaft.

Is Model Golf by Ralph Mann the Model?

Is “Model Golf” by Ralph Mann “The” Model?
by Chuck Evans and Randy Sparks

At Medicus Golf Institute, we are frequently asked about the viability of the new age golf swings that are being hyped – as well as those which may be from the past. One such email was recently sent to us regarding Model Golf by Ralph Mann. The following is our synopsis of Model Golf by Chuck Evans, Executive Director of Instruction for Medicus Golf.

Indeed, Model Golf was based on top pros – but their models were developed 15-20 years ago. Model Golf also has the "model" moving the club off plane and tilting backwards. When I asked Ralph Mann about this and the differences between Hitters and Swingers, he replied, "I don't believe in Hitting versus Swinging." When I asked about the model being off plane, he replied, "That’s what our research showed the best do." I replied, “Would it not be better, for teaching purposes, to show them a model that IS on plane?” We spent two days together at the PGA Tour Academy where they installed the system. We tested it for two months and threw it out. To give you an example, one of the models they used was Vance Heafner. He hasn't played the tour since the late 80's.

Although brilliant in concept, Model Golf should never be used as a “model” for a number of reasons:



1. The model is based on an accumulation of other golfers and not the golfer that is learning.

2. The model has numerous swing flaws, meaning a player that complies with the model will inherit these flaws.

3. The model does not take into account what the student physically can and cannot do.

According to Model Golf, the pro model slides roughly two inches very early in the backswing. During the transition move, the pro will then use his hips to “bump” his weight forward (for those same two inches) and then stop sliding. The downswing then turns into a rotary motion. Model Golf states that the swing will be a weak, arm-dominated swing if there is no lateral move off of the ball. By sliding away from and then back towards the ball during the transition, the golfer loads (or “stretches”) the muscles that propel the rotary motion to the ball.

Hip Slide is a variation and several players certainly do use. However, for most players – and this applies to tour players as well – Hip Slide can be a dangerous thing. First, timing issues arise since you cannot move in a straight line and a circle at the same time. Personally, I have never seen a player that moves off the ball (to their right) in the backstroke get back to where they started. This now affects the ball location relative to the Low Point. If the Low Point has moved back, the ball location has effectively moved forward. When the ball location moves forward like this, the player ends up hitting fat shots and tries to time impact via a flipping of the hands. Secondly, most players that move off the ball (mainly middle to high handicappers) never get the correct rotational motion in the downstroke. They have plenty of Hip Slide – but no Hip Turn!

Additionally, the golfer need not slide laterally to create the aforementioned “stretch” in Model Golf. Rather, we at Medicus Golf Institute see this “stretch” as being created by simply leaving the hands at the top while moving the Right Shoulder down plane from the top. This move stretches the left arm against the chest and creates what we call "Pivot Lag."

One important key to remember is that even the world's best players make compensations in their golf strokes. Tour players are just better at compensating than the average player and are also experts at hand manipulation. If someone wants to create the perfect Golfing Machine, they need not look further than Iron Byron. Mechanical devices don't need to make last minute adjustments during the stroke. They do, however, require that the ball be placed precisely in the same place each time. If it is not, the ball goes everywhere – just like a human.

Our preference at Medicus Golf Institute is for golfers to move as few things as possible in the smallest amount of space possible – something that will eliminate a lot of “faults.”

Though we do not teach with straitjackets on our students, we prefer a set-up with 60% of weight on the target side. You then leave it there during the backstroke and downstroke. After pre-setting this weight, you then either simply rotate (Swinging) or take the right shoulder and right arm down plane to the inside aft quadrant of the ball (Hitting). By proceeding in this way, a golfer has successfully eliminated one more moving part.

If one does not set-up as prescribed above, there is a minimal “hip bump” to start the downstroke. But even then, this motion is no more than two inches.

For a game-changing experience where you’ll learn more about how to build your golf swing your way, sign up today for a Medicus Institute Golf School near you.

Visit to NZ Golf Academy

October saw Justin Tang make a trip to visit the New Zealand Golf Academy based in Cambridge.

During the visit, he got to share ideas with 3 former National Coaches of New Zealand, Mal Tongue, Shane Scott and Bob McDonald. Also, he got to play around with some cool gadgets at the academy.

Appended are some pictures and a video.

Teaching an Old Man New Tricks...

The senior golfer in the pictures remarked that you can't teach an old man new tricks. Guess he was wrong because by the second lesson, he was putting some serious compression on the ball.

The Incredible Power of Visual Learning

The Incredible Power of Visual Learning
Here is an excerpt from an article that just appeared in Scientific American Mind. It's from the April/May 2006 edition:

"Humans See, Human Do - Brain Cells That Mirror Actions We See Are Key to Learning..."
"[Mirror] neurons are scattered throughout key parts of our brain -- the premotor cortext and centers for language, empathy, and pain -- and fire not only as we perform a certain action but also when we watch someone else perform that action. These neurons have been studied in the past for their roles in movement and other functions. Now, however, researchers are examining them intensely for what seems to be an additional function -- the way they fire in response to something observed. The discovery of this mechanism, made about a decade ago, suggests that everything we watch someone else do, we do as well -- in our minds. At its most basic, this finding means we mentally rehearse or imitate every action we witness, whether it is a somersault or a subtle smile. It explains how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance, or play tennis."
Scientific American Mind
April/May 2006
P. 23-24

Shaft Flex Point: Myth or Legend?

Golf Shaft Flex Point: Myth or Legend?
By: Mike Tait
President, and Club Designer of SMT Golf
You hear players giving advice all the time on getting the correct flex point on the shaft you are using. Retail store clerks tout the magic of this phenomenon when they have you in front of the display of brightly painted shafts on the wall. Truth be told, while not a myth, it has turned into one of the biggest mysteries in the sport.

Players have been conditioned to believe that the difference between a high flex point and a low flex point can be virtually from just below the grip to right above the ferrule on the clubhead. But the truth is that the distance between High and Low Flex Point is basically 2.5 inches in the middle of the shaft. Arguably hardly worth talking about, but I, of course, find myself unable to stop here.

Flex point is most talked about when discussing a shaft choice to make the golf ball trajectory change, The higher the "flex point", the lower the peak trajectory of the shot for that particular club. The lower the "flex point" the higher the peak trajectory will be for the club used. In reality, I have found that "flex point" is used more like a crutch in the clubfitting process and certainly when diagnosing playing problems. And is all too often used to help "ring the register" because it is something we have all heard of but really know almost nothing about.

Players and clubmakers are quick to want to suggest reshafting to a shaft with a different flex point, but in reality we might want to be looking at it a bit differently, perhaps a bit more logically.

We have all come to the golf course or driving range with a swing speed. I don't care what yours is, and you don't care what mine is. Each club in our bags really has a maximum speed that we can swing it. After a big bucket of balls, logic might tell us that we are probably swinging it a bit slower than earlier in the bucket due to muscle fatigue. We are not Tour Professionals and only have so many full swings in us before we lose a bit of the edge. As weekend players, we tend to reach that level sooner than your conditioned golf professional will.

That being said, and if you agree with that statement, you can agree that shaft WEIGHT has much more to do with trajectory and certainly has taken much more than its share of the blame, and of course, the glory, for the elusive "flex point" issue. What I mean is, if we all swing at a max speed, and we put a heavier product in out hands, we are certainly going to swing it a bit slower. If we swing it a bit slower, the ball flight laws tell us that the ball will not spin as much and therefore will not rise as high. Of course, if we go to a lighter shaft, we will swing the club just a bit faster, in effect adding spin to the ball causing it to rise quicker and higher. Either way, the blame or kudos are often given to "flex point". The example is really quite simple. Can you throw a bowling ball higher or a baseball higher? Remember, you came to me with a swing speed, and that did not really change within the two throws required to complete this simple test.

Don't get me wrong, flex point is not like the Loch Ness Monster, it can actually be found and identified. But just like the Loch Ness Monster, because we can find it, doesn't mean that we always know what to do with it, or if it has any real value once we have our hands on it.

I contend that shaft WEIGHT or overall weight of the club (not swingweight) has much more to do with the overall trajectory of our shots than "flex point" will ever have.

The answer, as with virtually all of my teachings and theories is really quite simple and basic. If you want to hit the ball higher, you can and should look to a lighter shaft or lighter overall product. If you want to hit the ball lower, you should look to a heavier shaft or heavier product.

Certainly loft and length are an issue, but for the sake of this topic, we will stick with weight and how it gets confused by virtually everyone for "flex point".

In the SMT - RLM shaft lineup, the sales leader Miridio is the lightest weight and produces arguably the highest trajectory of the three shafts available, while the Argent being slightly heavier tends to keep the ball down out of the wind a bit more than the others. The Basalt, is the perfect combination of the two. Experiment to see what works best for you, but take an assessment of your own game by asking yourself how you tend to hit the ball overall..... higher or lower, and how would changing that ball flight alter your game? But don't get bogged down in the marketing hype when looking to buy a new shaft. Close the catalogs and the golf magazines and use some common sense. If the shaft is heavier, the ball will fly lower in the same clubhead and if the shaft is lighter weight it will generally make the ball fly higher. It really is as simple as that.

Has Golf Become a Frustrating Form of Recreation?

In an earlier article I spoke about the decline of the game and laid part of the blame at the feet of not only the governing bodies of golf but also at the feet of those who are developing and designing golf courses.

It is my opinion though that the majority of blame is directly on the shoulders of the PGA. It is my opinion that those who are responsible for the education and teaching of how to play the game have and are failing miserably. The fact of the matter is that though equipment has seen improvement beyond what many thought possible, the handicaps and skill set of golf players throughout the industry has improved ZERO. When it comes to true handicaps, way too many golfers do not have nor can they play to a 10 handicap or less.

In the beginning Medicus Golf was a training aid company with a purpose of helping golfers. We have now expanded our mission to include not only that of aids but to also assist golfers to improve through golf swing education. But this is not why I mention this. I mention this due to the fact that on a daily basis we are in contact with hundreds of golfers calling to purchase swing aids. In most cases these golfers are presently working with someone who is providing lessons for them. This does not make logical sense to me though I must admit that for our business this is a good thing. But, why would anyone who is working with a golf teacher/educator ever have a need for a training aid. It is one thing when an instructor would request the student to place an order to assist them with their swing faults but this is seldom the case. The students are the ones who are still searching on their own. The other amazing thing to me is that most students see and view their instructor as the best thing since sliced bread. This makes no sense.

It is my opinion that the students are not improving due to those who are providing the information are teaching a lot of experience and feel, and though in general the information may be good, it is far from being complete. With the information being incomplete the student never gets the correct mechanics for them and then the natural progression into their OWN feel, not the teachers, is never accomplished.

As Homer Kelley stated, “There are a lot of very smart people playing some very poor golf.” Why is this the case? They lack the information to succeed! Period! No ifs, ands or buts.

So until golfers, especially new to the game or those who have left frustrated with the game, can get the correct information, so the game is not a frustrating form of recreation, the game of golf will suffer. This added to the equipment issues, course design and other issues mentioned in the previous article, makes a turnaround for growth quite bleak but…..the fix is NOT that hard to implement, sell or get across to the public. All we need is to implement change with correct educational information of how to play the game and to make the game fun for all.

Randy Sparks

Jim and the Twistdown

Check out how Jim twisted his way to an inside-out clubhead path.

Sergioesque

Lady-in-red after her 4th lesson. Her clubhead lag looks almost SERGIOESQUE.

Putt Like The Pros

Golf tip: Putt like the pros

Look at the world's best putters and they all have at least one thing in common: Once they pick the line, they focus on the pace of the putt. They do not "fall in love" with the line. This only leads to putts that are short.

The best putters use different types of strokes and grips. Some of them use a straight back/straight through type of stroke while others use the arc approach.

Let's examine these types of strokes.

1. With the arc approach the club moves back, up, and in during the backstroke, which means it has to move down, out, and forward in the downstroke. Because the player is using this arc approach, ball location is critical. Too far forward and you will pull the putt and too far back and you will push it.

2. The straight back and through method produces a putter face that essentially looks at the ball during the stroke. Since the putter is now moving on a vertical plane there is no inward motion, which means there is no outward motion. Ball location isn't nearly as critical since the face isn't opening or closing.

Players also have a variety of ways they stand at the ball when putting: Some use the so-called square stance, while others use an open one.

Then there is putter and grip styles.

Ken Green uses a putter about 30 inches long while other Bruce Leitzke uses a long putter anchored at the top of his chest. Grip styles range from overlap to reverse overlap, the claw, the saw, cross handed, you name it!

The bottom line is use whatever you want style you want, as long as you're making putts.

Don't be worried about what your playing partners may think or say, you're the one making the putts, not them.

Bernhard Langer has overcome the yips at several times in his career. Do you think he cares what other players think about his putting style?

Whatever you decide to do, stick to it and work on it. Good putting can make up a lot of strokes and bring that handicap down.

Chuck Evans is one of only 31 teachers worldwide designated to hold a "Doctorate in Golf Stroke Engineering." He is executive director of instruction for the Medicus Golf Institute and has served as director of schools for the PGA Tour Golf Academy , and the director of instruction for The Golfing Machine and the United States Golf Institute.

Mind Practice

Researchers doing studies on Olympic athletes have found that the brain cannot differentiate between what is really happening and what is imagined.

Tests done on these world-class athletes showed that the brainwaves for the athletes were the same whether they were actually running or simply imagining they were running.

What this means to golfers is if you can imagine yourself making that move your pro taught you, its the same as you pounding bucket after bucket of balls at the range. The advantage you have with visualisation is that you can corroborate easily the changes by visualising and then practicing in front of a mirror. Try it and see how you fare.

If you can conceive the image of you swinging in a proper fashion then you can achieve it.

The Back Stroke

By: Chuck Evans

Once address is completed we can start the backstroke which involves two separate movements. These movements are controlled from the waist up. The lower body should be moved by the upper body if the player is flexible enough, if not, then allow it to move freely in both directions.

The hands and arms … the vertical plane
The shoulders … the horizontal or inclined plane

At this point we would like to remind you that Address and Impact are NOT THE SAME! The only thing that has not changed is the ball position.

You may use any backstroke procedure you choose and there are basically three to choose from.

A one piece takeaway…Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods
A two piece takeaway…Ernie Els, David Duval, Karrie Webb, Anika Sorenstam
A three piece takeaway…Raymond Floyd, Nancy Lopez

Choose anyone you wish that feels comfortable and natural. What initiates the backstroke? Ask ten different instructors and you will get ten different answers. Some player's feel it starts with turning the shoulders, some feel it may be the hips, and still others think and feel it's the hands. We believe it is a combination of the hands, trailing forearm, AND shoulder turn that starts the backstroke. Earlier we talked about the role of the hands, arms, and shoulders during the backstroke. They absolutely must work together and synchronous if the club is to stay on plane!

As the club starts back the clubhead must point at the base of the plane line until the clubshaft reaches parallel to the plane line and horizontal to the ground. As the club starts upward then the butt of the club must point at an extension of the base of the plane until it reaches the top of the swing. If you can't get the clubshaft to parallel, then the butt of the club MUST point to the base of the plane line. If you are one of the few that can get the shaft to parallel, then it should be parallel to the base of the plane line.

The hip sequence (how the hips move) for full swing shots is always the same. They Turn, Slide, Turn. A great majority of players think the hips slide in the backstroke (shifting weight). While this certainly is an option it eliminates creating any rotating force of the body. A better procedure would be the one described above and is the option that the majority of the world's best players use.

The Mind Thinks in Pictures

Does your golf instructor paint pictures for you during lessons?

When the mind really thinks, it
thinks in pictures. If your pro is not creating mental images to
get his point across, you're missing out big time.

You need to be involved and visualizing instead of just hearing to what you are being instructed. Is he able to make you 'see' your mistakes and the requisite corrections?

One of the keys to creating mental imagery is using
action words.

Analogy is another powerful tool for creating mental images.
When I am getting my point across, so my student
can understand what needs to be done, and be in a position
to take action, I use word pictures with
something that's already familiar.

Still skeptical? Read the following phrase and see what comes to your mind.

"Pizza with Golf Balls on top."

The Power of Pronation

Pronating helped Howard change his downstroke from outside-in to inside-out.
The question is what did he pronate?

Having Some Fun...

Was having some fun at the range with the driver...not too bad eh the load on the shaft.

Jerry Barber - The Orignal Stack and Tilt?

With all the buzz about PGA Tour coaches Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer of late, Golf Digest thought it was appropriate to bring up the late Jerry Barber, a thinking man's golfer who presented a then novel way of swinging the club.

Barber is quoted as saying that he does not like to transfer his weight to the right side of the body. Well, it certainly goes against the grain of traditional teaching. However, I am reminded that in every revolution, some 'disturbance' to the status quo might happen. Will this be the next great thing in golf? Only time will tell.

If you would like to experience the Stack and Tilt swing for yourself in Singapore, remember that Justin Tang is the only who is ABLE and QUALIFIED to teach you by virtue of his experience in The Golfing Machine and being under the tutelage of expert practitioners of the system.

Which is more important, the Clubhead or the Shaft?

Which is more important, the clubhead or the shaft?
by: Mike Tait
President & Clubmaker of SMT GOLF

We might as well start talking about the chicken or the egg or creation vs. evolution. But I would like to share my thoughts on the matter, and of course they are only my thoughts and opinions, and as you are trapped into reading this, at least I can wax eloquent without fear of immediate rebuttal.

Again, the following comments are my own, derived from 30 years as a PGA Professional, and knowing what I know about the field of golf club design, manufacture and teaching theories. While I am certain to have many that disagree with me, my goal is to simply give an educated opinion to those that are searching for a theory to grab hold of and to begin formulating their own thoughts. If this helps some folks, then I will consider it a huge success.

Among the three most ridiculous things I have heard in this great game of golf are


1. Keep your head down.

2. Keep your left arm straight.

3. The shaft is the engine of the golf club!

All three comments are worthless and one is simply just plain, mathematically incorrect. Care to guess which one?

The golf shaft simply cannot or DOES NOT generate its own power. So the "engine" comment is completely without merit! At best, to stay with the automotive metaphors, the shaft can, and I believe is, the "transmission" of the golf club. Its sole purpose is to transmit or deliver the power that we have generated, through the golf club head to the golf ball.

Taking it one step further….the shaft is absolutely NOT the most important part of the golf club either!

If we were to really believe that comment, could it be said by the same believers in that statement that "the shoes are the most important part of the tuxedo"? Or how about, "The carrots are the most important part of the chicken soup"? How about "The white keys are more important than the black keys on the piano"?

I ask you this, "shaft is the most important" believers.

How can a golf shaft that weighs roughly 70 grams on average, have so much influence on spin profile, launch characteristics, trajectory , etc. etc. etc. when the clubhead weighs in at roughly 200 grams?

It is really like trying to make the argument that "the tail wags the dog".

As there are really only three pieces to any golf club, and all three perform their own important function and each need to work with each other and the individual player to create the best chance for success. A competent clubmaker, clubfitter or golf professional will be able to make sure that, "your shoes do in fact, match your belt".

Because being wrong on either of them will make you look bad, if you know what I mean.

Ball Position

I often talk about the effects of ball position. Most players assume that to draw the ball you move it back and to fade it you move it forward. That is true for players who push the golf club - but for players who pull the club it's a disaster!

Players who pull the club are using an effect very similar to that of a door opening and closing. So the farther forward you position the ball, the more it will draw. But there are several other factors you must consider in positioning the ball:

Golf-club design: Every club has only one straight-away flight position, and it's up to the player to find out where that is.

Hand speed: Players with fast hands should position the ball farther back, those with slow hands more forward.

Downstroke plane angle: Flatter angle, move the ball back. More upright, move the ball forward.

Forget your feet: The ball must be placed in relationship to the upper body, not the feet. The precise low point of the stroke is the outside edge of the target-side shoulder, so the shoulder should be the reference point for all ball placements.

The space between your feet can change in the course of a round, but your shoulder span will never change.

If you position the ball "off the left heel" but the feet are in a narrow position, the impact point of the ball is effectively moved toward the left side of the chest. If the stance is wider than the shoulders, the impact point is outside the low point.

How do you determine the low point? Hold a club by the grip end and let it hang straight down vertically. That's the low point.

While holding the end, move the clubhead to the right (if you're right-handed). This is prior to the low point, so the club is moving downward. Now move the clubhead to the left, past vertical. This is after the low point and the club is now moving upward.

Remember, you can have perfect mechanics but poor ball position, in which case you won't be able to control your ball.

Chuck Evans is one of only 31 teachers worldwide designated to hold a "Doctorate in Golf Stroke Engineering." He is executive director of instruction for the Medicus Golf Institute and has served as director of schools for the PGA Tour Golf Academy , and the director of instruction for The Golfing Machine and the United States Golf Institute.

TaylorMade-Adidas Golf

Justin Tang Golf is pleased to announce a partnership with TaylorMade-Adidas Golf.

All existing and new students of Justin Tang Golf will be entitled to special discounts on TaylorMade and Adidas merchandise. Please note that students must be accompanied by authorised members of Justin Tang Golf during their purchase and the usual terms and conditions apply.

Howard's Before and After

Check out Howard's Before and After Impact Alignments.
The Before reeks of a dipping head as well as a chicken wing - common consequences of a faulty setup as well as trying to "keep the head down."

The After resembles a more professional impact position. Left wrist is slightly arching with the left arm and clubshaft in a convex shape.

Body is taller at impact indicating a stationary head and spine position throughout the swing.

Pivot rhythm is maintained as well which is evidenced by the lack of space between the left arm and the torso.

Good stuff mate!