V.J. And Yoda Talk Short Shots

[Yoda]

V.J. Trolio and I recently filmed a series of videos at his learning center at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi. Actually, this was our second 'go' at the project, the first being done at Woodmont C.C. in Canton, Georgia. We decided that our 'homespun' production really wasn't up to par -- we simply stood up a camera and used only its internal microphone -- so we went at it again, this time with two cameras, external microphones and a professional running the show.

However, we had a lot of fun in the original shoot, and as we await the finished commercial version, I thought you might like to take a look at some of our back-and-forth on the short game. Check out the two new editions under the heading Yoda and V.J. Talk Golf in The Gallery. I suggest you start with the Cut and Lob Shot segment first because it introduces concepts used in the Bunker Play segment. http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/index.p...f-Preview.html

[Doug]

More great information.

These little clips far exceed entire books that I have bought on the short game.

Thank You

[DOCW3]

Yoda~

Recognizing the type of shot to be executed in this video, once again a favoring of the front side and a knee bend toward the target line is observed in your preparation. My take-away from the videos I have seen is that this is a routine. If this is correct, is there something here to be understood or copied?

Part of my curosity is that I see Hogan in a similar postion before he turns around the front leg in the move forward. And, what I see in Hogan is not apparent in the seguence clips normally posted.

Relative to the intent of the video, these teachings are extremely helpful and appreciated.

Thanks.

DRW

[12 piece bucket]

Yoda/VJ!

Fantastic stuff!

A couple of quick questions . . .

Could you guys cover the INSIDE-OUT CUT SHOT Mr. Kelley has suggested as anti-Steering therapy, since Steering is most pervasive major "malfunction" of loyal Koolaid sippers.

3-F-7-A STEERING is the Number One malfunction – The Bent Left Wrist and Clubhead Throwaway. Any or all of the following faults during Impact may need to be adjusted out – holding:

1. the Clubface square to the Target Line
2. the Clubhead on Target Line
3. the Clubhead on a level or upward path
A very successful anti-steering therapy is an exaggerated “inside-out” Cut Shot per 10-5-E. Study 2-J-3, 2-N and 12-3-39. You always Swing along the Plane Line but not always along the Flight Line. So learn to dismiss the Flight Line. Depend on Clubface alignment for direction control (2-J). In fact, learn to execute all Plane Line Variations (10-5) to remove all uncertainty from your Computer (14-0).

The 10-5-E Closed-Closed plane line combination with its 3 corresponding stance lines is used here. Since we are talking "INSIDE-OUT" . . .

1. Why did Mr. K determine the Inside-Out Cut Shot to be the most effective ointment for a Steering flare-up?

2. Are we to play this shot with a Closed-Open (Plane Line Closed to the LOF and Stance Line Open to the LOF)?

3. AND since this is a Cut Shot, are we to use Vertical Hinging exclusively with the Inside-Out Cut Shot?

4. If using the Inside-Out Cut Shot on a full stroke would Vertical Hinging not be inferior to Angled Hinging?

Hope you guys will take a Cut at these for Bucket . . .

[Yoda]

Yoda~

Recognizing the type of shot to be executed in this video, once again a favoring of the front side and a knee bend toward the target line is observed in your preparation. My take-away from the videos I have seen is that this is a routine. If this is correct, is there something here to be understood or copied?

Part of my curosity is that I see Hogan in a similar postion before he turns around the front leg in the move forward. And, what I see in Hogan is not apparent in the seguence clips normally posted.

Relative to the intent of the video, these teachings are extremely helpful and appreciated.

Thanks.

Yes, DOC, this is my standard 'set' at Address. You have mentioned a similar look in Ben Hogan's Start Down and you are correct. In fact, he likewise prepared for that Instant Acceleration Hip Action in his own Address position. The video In Pursuit of Excellence clearly shows this lower body positioning. I am sure one of our tech-talented members could extract a still photo from the video and post it for all to see.

A primary benefit of this slight Slide (and Turn) of the Hips to the left is that it tilts the spine -- the axis of the Shoulder Turn -- a bit away from the Target. This is accomplished while keeping the Head Stationary and between the Feet (in contrast to the common advice to tilt the spine simply by hanging the Head over the Right Knee). As a result, the Right Shoulder comes down somewhat, thus giving the player 'more Right Arm'. This, in turn, facilitates the Right Elbow bend required for the On Plane Right Forearm Flying Wedge. Don't focus on the Knees, though: They do move slightly to the left, but only to support the Hip Slide. In other words, don't substitute a Knee Motion for what should be a Hip Motion.

This is not a new idea. In his 1946 classic, On Learning Golf, Percy Boomer recommended a similar Address positioning, one he alternately called the 'set', the 'brace' and 'profiled Hips'. Relating it to the ancient Egyptian dancers with their square Feet and Shoulder lines, but 'profiled' (open) Hips, he refers frequently to the 'brace' and its benefits. This cornerstone of his teaching apparently worked for his students: He was the most successful Golf Instructor of his day and was recently named the #1 Golf Guru of All Time in a Sports Illustrated poll of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers.

[rchang72]

Yoda, I can't believe the bad luck you had with ambient noise. A delivery truck followed by weather warning sirens?

[Richw]

Great video Yoda and VJ! I watch the videos in the gallery right before I head off to the range. I'll pick one area to work on and watch the pertinent vid to get focused. This winter I'll be working hard on my short game so this will get watched alot. Thanks guys!

[Bagger Lance]

Yoda, I can't believe the bad luck you had with ambient noise. A delivery truck followed by weather warning sirens?

And there is another segment with Ten Thousand Cicada's in full courtship.
But lucky for us, Yoda is graciously providing this rare content. And especially lucky for me to pick and choose which segments of the set of DVD's to showcase. There is much more that would make the toughest skeptic say hummmm, very nice. I just took deep breaths and muttered...WOW! I couldn't resist showing the Bunker segment. Witness the Masters Level demonstration of Lynn showing the variety of shots for any hinge action, on any plane angle, with any ball position, using what ever lag pressure is needed. I know I'm not ready for that test.

Bagger

[Yoda]

Yoda, I can't believe the bad luck you had with ambient noise. A delivery truck followed by weather warning sirens?

It ain't bad luck, Rchang, it's normal! Until I started filming videos around the country, I had no idea how much noise there is on the so-called 'tranquil' golf courses of the land.

My first attempt in Orlando, Florida, early this year met with more maintenance carts and mowers than you can imagine. After several aborted attempts, we moved to the far side of the course -- far enough away, I thought, to avoid all that activity.

I was wrong.

In fact, on this outer border of the course, in addition to the everpresent maintenance men...

"All the lonely people
Where do they all come from ?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?"

-- The Beatles, Eleanor Rigby

...we were also constantly interrupted by everything from barking dogs to screaming avian wildlife. The last straw came when a heliocopter -- a heliocopter for cryin' out loud! -- approached and then stopped directly above us. With its occupants apparently checking out the adjacent property, and with the entire blue sky available for parking, it then proceeded to hover in that exact spot a full ten minutes! I kid you not.

Last June, things were going quite nicely during the filming of a practice tee interview with Henning Lundstrom, GSEM, in Destin, Florida. Suddenly, the range-meister cranks up the ball-picker and begins to rattle around in front of the tee. When he gets through, he fires up his gasoline-powered ball buggy, pulls up within ten feet of our location and kills the engine. He then proceeds to dump range balls, first into the basket at Henning's feet, and then into the baskets in the adjacent stations. That job done, he cranks up again and motors away. Between him -- he made several more passes -- and what must have been the entire Florida Air National Guard conducting maneuvers in the area, Henning and I didn't stand a chance.

Then, in September, after running into similar obstacles during our first run at Woodmont C.C. in Canton, Georgia, V.J. and I declared war: We decided to film our next go-round at his quiet West Point, Mississippi, learning center. Situated at the far end of the Old Waverly Golf Club's practice range and well away from the clubhouse and golf course, it seemed to offer the perfect solution. Alas, within thirty seconds of our opening lines, a train whistle blew...and blew...and blew. I could only shake my head at V.J.:

"A train, V.J?", I said in disbelief. "You have a train around here?"

"It's three miles away," said he.

Well, maybe so, but it might as well have been next door.

Undaunted, we were out early the next morning on the scenic back side filming our Putting video. We had a two hour window until the first golfers would come through and had to make the most of it. We set up our cameras and got things rolling.

Then came Blowerman.

We're talkin' about a guy on a major league tractor pulling a giant leaves blower. Between the two machines, it sounded like Saturday at the Indy 500. And for some unknown reason, Blowerman decides to make the adjacent rough his career project. He simply would not go away! Even the normally cool-as-a-cucumber V.J. finally lost it and invoked an expletive or three.

When Blowerman finally ran out of gas, we moved to take advantage of the renewed peace and quiet. But we no sooner get started again when the guy who lives just off that green cranks up his riding mower and proceeds to mow his backyard. I am not making this up!

The delivery truck and weather sirens you talked about, Rchang? I never heard them.

I swear to goodness, I never heard them.

[cjgolf]

Lynn,

Congratulations on picking up about the nonesense about bunker shots being the easiest shot in golf that teaching pros repeat ad nauseum.

as u basically say its cr.. as far as it relates to almost every player

that this is perpetuated in itself says a lot about golf teaching in general

nice music with the video by the way

Chris in Oz