The Address Routine -- A Three-Part Series
 

This video begins our three-part series on the Address Routine.

For our LBG Friends: Actually, this first video will probably be #2 in the Series by the time we get it all figured out. The introductions (including 'Bubba') need to get in here somehow! Also, we apologize in advance for the low-budget miking and Mother Nature's decision to move a windy fall cold front through during the filming. But not to worry, there's a ton of good info here, and the price is right...

:)

This segment features Ted Fort, PGA, GSEB, 2006 Georgia PGA Teacher of the Year, demonstrating his very own Hitting alignments.

Both Hitters and Swingers should watch this video with regards to the fundamentals. However, Swingers should carefully differentiate those Components that clearly are in contrast to their own action. Particularly, the Hitter's Impact Address (Flat left Wrist and Bent Right) versus the Swinger's Standard Address (Bent Left Wrist and Flat Right).

The next video will feature Jeff Hull, PGA, GSEB, 2004 Georgia PGA Champion, demonstrating his very own Swinging alignments. Caveat emptor for Hitters!

The Series features more than one hour of video. As a result, these files are large. Unless you have a broadband connection, we recommend that you right-click on the link, and save the video to your PC before viewing.

Enjoy everybody...

We do it all for you!

Thanks, Bagger!

www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery/files/TFAR.wmv

Thanks...
 

Thank you for doing this all for us Lynn, Ted and Bagger.
We deeply appreciate your efforts!

Very Nice!!
 

Very nice, clear explanations.

Ted... do you start from behind the ball, or walk in from the side, when you play? I think many people think that one has to start from behind, like Jack Nicklaus and others, but I think that one does not necessarily have to do that. Starting from behind is probably a good thing for most, but I believe Tom Kite at one point, for example, determined he does better from the side.

What do you think?

A big Thank YOU!!!!
 

You guys are AWESOME!!! Thanks for your efforts and hard work educating fellow youngling TGM'rs like myself!!

Excellent. Can't wait to get home and download the videos.
Alex

Great, the adress routine is a mystery for me.

About the wind problem I´m surtain You already have thougt about this but just in case....
http://www.nicolai-equip.de/indexe.htm

Impressive
 

Thanks a lot, Lynn, Ted and Bagger.

I am proud to say that I have almost a hitting motion like Ted!!

The similarities are when I use both hands and Ted uses his right arm only motion:laughing9

Man was that impressive or what?

"mmm... doggie" :)

Love that pattern Ted! No doubt it is thanks to seeing your motion and working with both of you that I am at 'masters' level execution with my hitting and swinging patterns.

Gotta love this place.... Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Fake axis tilt
 

I used to be one of a stupid self learner to place a shaft in front of spin and tilt all the way to the right.

THX LBG! THX HOMER KELLEY!

7 o'clock to 1 o'clock and thanks!
 

first i would like to thank all those involved with posting these great videos.

i have a question regarding the angle of approach. as ted had indicated that the blur is going from 7 to 1 o'clock (looking toward the target). since the hitter is driving a straight line on this inside-out delivery line (not target line), there is a tendency to go above plane, yoda had mentioned this in another post. in adopting 10-5-E, where you cover the inside line to keep from going above plane, would this create something that looked like /|\. the vertical line in the middle is just to indicate ball separation. it seems that there would be some kind of hand, club, body manipulation to make aclubhead blur look like /|\. just seeking some clarification.

as a side note, i was actually taught the fake axis tilt by an instructor. looking forward to the rest of this segment.
thanks

Great Video - thanks to all for it :)

Wow! The lights went of big time with the part about "lifing the left arm (primary lever) on a vertical plane" and then lifting it on the Inclined Plane.

Would that be the same for Swinging? Is this just moving the Hands on Plane or is it just in respect to the Hitter Loading the Primary Lever Assembly vs. the Secondary Lever Assembly for the Swinger?

Gotta love this joint!

Same idea - the magic of the right forearm - and right forearm pickup - but with different level/location of the 'fan' around the tip of the right elbow. The hitter keeping the 'inside' of the right forearm facing the ball, and the swinger keeping the 'underside' of the right forearm facing the ball.

Oh and an other thing! The start down waggle demo . . . AWESOME!!!

Question . . . can you relate the Start Down Waggle back to the Hand Controlled Pivot?

Oh . . and a request . . . can we get Teddy Rocket Hitting with the Right Flying Wedge only in SLOOOOOOW MOOOOO????

Me Likey!!!!!

Just downloaded and watched the video. This is great stuff guys, can't wait for the swingers part of the video.
Quick question, it is ok for a swinger to start at impact fix like the hitter or are swingers best to start with the more classical set up?
Alex

I’m curious about this to. I start the same way but not with the forward leaning club shaft. My shaft is straight up and down. When I do this I feel like the only thing I have to do in the back swing is let the right elbow cock the left wrist as the left hand turns to the plan. This way I start with the flying wages intact. Then I let CF do the work on the down swing. Is this okay to do?

usually from behind
 

When I'm playing, I usually come in from behind. It's mainly for choosing an intermediate target within a few inches from the ball with which to define the target line.

The Magic Of the Bending Right Elbow
 

Hitting or Swinging, Right Elbow Action lifts and lowers the Left Arm and Cocks and Uncocks the Left Wrist, all without disturbing the Right Wrist (7-3).

The best way to learn this priceless element of Right Forearm and Elbow 'Magic' is to practice the Basic and Acquired Motions from Impact Fix. The motion is ridiculously simple and natural -- it is the way we move and do things in 'real life' -- but most Golfers don't do it. Instead, they 'freeze' the Elbow during Start Up -- "Preserve the triangle!" -- and use the Body to move the Club. As a result, they do not achieve a true Three-Dimensional Start Up -- Up, Back and In -- and thus rarely achieve a true Three-Dimensional Impact -- Down, Out and Forward.

Here are a couple of drills that will help:

First, simply copy the motion I demonstrate in the video. Grip your left wrist with your right thumb and forefinger -- that will automatically give you a nice right elbow bend -- and lift the inert left arm to about chest-high or a bit beyond. Your right hand will be about even with your right shoulder. Then lower it. That's it. Do this over and over in a 'pumping' action until you sense your right elbow in full command of the action. Any body motion will be incidental. Practice this motion first without a club and later with one. The Body will respond naturally, and you will be well on your way to a perfect Backstroke.

Second, grip the golf club as if it were a heavy-headed axe. In other words, 'split' your hands on the grip, and move the right hand to the low end of the grip (one or more of your fingers could actually be on the shaft itself). Cradle the clubshaft in your right hand fingers but leave the rest of the hand 'open.' Now, from a quasi-address position, simply take the club to right shoulder high by cocking the right elbow. Your right wrist will be unaffected by this action. You will feel your left wrist being cocked and the clubhead being lifted by the right elbow and sense immediately the correct right arm participation in the Backstroke.

For many years, I marveled at the simplicity of Billy Casper's Backstroke, but I couldn't reproduce it. I 'cracked the code' of Billy's Backstroke when I learned to use my Right Forearm and bending Right Elbow to take my Left Arm and Club to the Top.

:)

not recommended
 

Impact Address is not recommended for Swinging because the club would no longer be trailing (dragging behind) the hands in Start-Up. Impact Address prepares you for carrying the club back, where Adjusted Address prepares you for dragging the club back.

Oh my God, Ted when you hit the ball with your right hand only it totally blew me away. To stay on plane and crush that ball with only one hand is totally awesome!

Two small questions:

1. Is your address stance slightly open?

2. At impact fix is your club face slightly open?

TIA.

Left Wrist Action
 

Another way to explain/feel is to focus on the left wrist action.

The hitter will use Single per10-18-C, where the left wrist is Cocked but not turned - the inside of the right forearm will face the ball and
the swinger will use Standard per 10-18-A, where the Left Wrist is turned and cocked.

Thanks for clarifying that, I wasn't too sure about it as I thought that if I started at Impact Fix, I would then make it easier to return fix at impact. But as a swinger it would not use CF fully.
Alex

Merry Mex
 

Yeah, I love the quote from Trevino...

"I line up left and hit it right"

Translation: no clubhead throwaway.

P.S. When you can hit full shots with the right arm only and your right wrist still remains bent, life is good. ;)

pre-setting right hip ??
 

Ted or Lynn or whomever,
I have a question about impact address for hitting. I know of at least one GSED who advocates setting up for hitting with the right hip "pre-set" so that at address the left hip is closed (not slightly open) and the right hip is turned back a little. Then RFT occurs without having to worry about clearing the right hip on the backswing. Thoughts????

The "Fort" Motherlode
 

I followed this wonderful golf forum closely since January 2005. Specifically I read the "Hitters Emergency Room" from start to finish, and watched almost all of the videos, some multiple times. In light of all that I had absorbed so far, I was astonished at the unexpected richness of what Yoda and Ted Fort shared with me in "Preshot Routine, The Hitter". Decided to list the specific ideas that worked for me, in case others may have inadvertently passed over something that could help.

1) Until now, I didn't have a clue what the hitter's startdown waggle should look like. I was making do with Jeff Hull's prior downswing waggle, but the slow and modest move that Ted Fort suggested, worked far better for this hitter, than Jeff Hull's more dramatic swingers waggle.

2) I have been trying to perfect my initial backswing move and thought I was doing it properly. For the last few weeks, I have been concentrating on basic and acquired motion drills. Some days I thought I was on the right path. But other days, I suffered from inconsistent performance. When I focused on grabbing my own left wrist and stretching my limp left arm on the way back, I finally learned the how I should have been doing it all along. (I recommend to other to take on the project of spending time hitting basic and acquired motion. Its a great way of discovering whether or not you are doing things properly.) My results have greatly improved since I refined my take back technique based on what you suggested in the above mentioned video.

3) Ted Fort's suggestion of having the butt of my shaft face my left shoulder helped me get a more consistent forward lean for my swing which improved my consistency. I also really liked the idea of establishing ones grip at impact fix with the forward leaning shaft. I have decided once and for all that I will use impact fix as my address position going forward, as well.

4) I have read alot at the forum about the matter of the angle of approach and hitting. Watching Ted Fort waggle from contact to low point from 7 to 1 picked me up and carried me from intellectually understanding the concept to to having a consistent method of striking the ball better. Also really liked his concept of letting the target line evaporate after set up, and focusing instead on the delivery path.

5) I also liked Ted Fort's idea of not grounding his clubs when hitting off tees so as not to disturb his frozen hinges.

I can't properly express how much I appreciate your wonderful website. You guys are the best. Its amazing how many people contribute so selflessly to support people like me that they don't even know. Please feel free to contact me if there is something I can do for you in return. (For example, I would be happy to contribute to a fund to help fund additional videos for your website.)

The Rewards
 

Thanks RV - It's posts like yours that really make the efforts worthwhile.

Sometimes it's tempting to think all of this information we give out for free, is taken by some for what "free" is worth.

When someone like you really experiences the value and demonstrates their appreciation, it's appreciated in kind.

It won't be much longer before this site leapfrogs to the next level. We are working hard behind the scenes.

Bagger,

I have a suggestion that possibly might help you in your leap froging efforts. I am a hitter who has been signficantly confused from time to time, in trying to make productive use of your generous "free information". When I watched the Tom Tomasello Videos a while ago, for example, it is almost impossible to know what information I could use and what information did not fit with my hitter's profile. As I am sure you are aware, adding every promising looking piece of information to ones swing that one sees here, can throw a monkey wrench in your swing if you add the wrong piece. When I added Jeff Hull's dramatic downswing waggle for example, it didn't produce the benefits I was expecting. because I should have been performing that move slower. When I watched Ben Doyle's videos, I didn't initially know whether "drag the wet mop" is an idea that works for hitter's or only swingers? (Not to mention, Lynn Blakes, drag the wet mop video as well.)

Clearly there is no blanket solution to this problem. But I do think it might be possible for you to create a hitter's emblem, and a swingers emblem, and perhaps mark videos as they released as to whether they contain primarily swingers information, primarily hitter's information, or perhaps a mixture of the two.
In any event, this is a fantastic place to learn about golf, regardless of whether or not you chose to put my suggestion to work.

R . . . The Drag the Wet Mop thingie is applicable to BOTH Drive Loaders and Drag Loaders . . . It is simply the feeling of "dead weight inertia" of Clubhead Lag and the load it puts on your Pressure Points regardless of the method used to accelerate the Lever Assemblies. You must nurse the Dragging the Mop feel regardless of your choice of CF or Muskle Powers. Below is the passage from 7-19 Lag Loading that speaks to the point.

The correct Clubhead Lag Pressure “Feel” is a deadweight inertia – exactly like dragging a wet mop through impact – constant Loading, constant direction. A careful nursing of the Clubhead Feel. Clubhead Lag can be established by three different ways:
1. by resisting the Backstroke motion for Drive Loading
2. with the Start Down motion for Float Loading
3. by “throwing” the Club against the Lag Pressure Point at The Top for Drag Loading

Many thanks Bucket, that answers a question that has been puzzling me. I thought the word drag indicated it was for swingers, but clearly I was wrong. My point in mentioning "drag a wet mop" is that sometimes it can be a bit tricky to figure out who certain lessons would benefit... .

The lag pressure always has a Constant direction. Is this true regardless of the delivery path being used or length of the stroke ?

Hello,

I would be very interested in those videos, but I can't find them anymore. Any help ?

Thanks

No one has a link to those videos ? :(

Concur - would like to see those videos, especially Ted's video mentioned by Yoda in post #1.

Is it still available?

I believe they were taken down due to poor audio quality. Hopefully they will be redone as I feel the content is excellent.

Kevin

Had a lesson with Ted and asked him about the video. He did say they were taken down because of poor quality. He allso mentioned that maybe someday, God and time willing, they plan to make a new one of much better quality.

Ted said it was important stuff!

Here's hoping they make a new video. Maybe if we ask nicely Yoda and Ted will find the time when the tournament season is over and they can get together to make a new one.

I'm late to the game here i know :-( Is this out ? Can i download it or pay for it? Lord, I can use it!!! Thanks in advance!

New guy.
 

Hi guys. Tons of great info at this forum. Love it... 2 questions... [1] Is there anyone in the New York(met section) that is an LBK or TGM authorized instructor? [2] can anyone help me figure out how to open some of the forum's videos, there are some like this one that just go into a blank screen. this one is on the address routine.. I tried saving, cookies, etc .. www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery/files/TFAR.wmv

Thanks for your help.
Martin, PGA