The “Counter-fall" and the critical role it plays in your swing

Mastering Golf - by David Lee

If you swing “over the top” and slice the ball, or your shots take too much effort to produce too little distance, you are not “counter-falling” sufficiently at the start of your down-swing.  The arms of the average man weigh about twenty-five pounds.  If you are solidly balanced on your feet when the down-swing begins, the weight of your arms and club swinging in front of you, will instantly pull you toward your toes (over the top) and out of plane, kind of like a washing machine with all the clothes on one side of it.  Most golfers are under the false impression that they want to be balanced during a golf-swing. What we are really searching for, is a state of “rotary equilibrium,” where the pull against the body from the weight of the arms and club swinging around us, is negated by the counter-fall, thus giving the appearance of being “balanced” during the swing.  Look at You-Tube sequences of a hammer thrower.  Because of the significant weight of the arms and hammer, he has to pivot with his body being close to forty degrees “off vertical” to keep from being pulled onto his face during the rotation.  A golf swing is a microcosm of the same move.  All sports where rotation is employed require a counter-fall in order to maintain equilibrium.

In a proper golf swing made by a right-handed player, the weight shifts to the right leg and back to the left leg as the shoulders turn back.  As the weight shifts from the right, it lands slightly against the left leg, enough to deflect the body into the counter-fall, on a line or vector about seventy degrees left of the target line, ninety degrees being straight behind you.  The feeling is like that of tipping a barrel onto its edge so that it will roll.  The deeper one moves into the counter-fall before the shoulders start forwards in the delivery, the less internal effort it takes to turn the core through impact (if the arms are in a state of dead-fall), and the faster it will move.  Using mass rotation to sling the arms and club, instead of using shoulder and arm strength, is the proper way to apply power in the golf swing.

Study the Gravity Golf cross-footed drills and they will teach you to make a perfect counter-fall.

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The Vital Importance Of The Gravity Golf Drills And The Results You Can Achieve - by Andy Waple

Introduction- by Danny Lee:  Andrew Waple has been a Gravity Golf Instructor in the UK for 4 years now and works at the cutting edge of Golf Technology (Optimal Performance Analysis Solutions).  He has worked in the past with the late, great Seve Ballesteros and has a passion for working with junior golfers.  He travels to the US every year to work with us (David and Danny) and is a strong player.
Thank you, Andrew, for sharing some of your insight into the effectiveness of the Gravity Golf Drills in the following article
~ Danny Lee

Article by Andrew Waple
It is my belief that the drills of the Gravity Golf teaching system are its greatest asset and yet they can be perceived as its Achilles heel by the unenlightened.
Before we look in to the above statement we have to stop for a moment and look into practice in a little more detail.  Why do we practice?  For most people it is certainly not for the enjoyment or because they have nothing else to do with their time.  It is not because it’s cheap either, especially if you're paying for your range balls by the 50.  So why do we practice?  The definition of practice is to “perform an activity repeatedly in order to improve ones proficiency”.

The answer is indeed simple - we practice to play better. The important question in my opinion is, “does your practice make you play better?”  The sports psychologists would say that most people do not recreate competitive situations in their practice, but for now we are going to look purely at technique.
To practice effectively we need to isolate the one aspect of the swing we are working on.  This in principle sounds very simple but with all the moving parts of a golf swing this is easier said than done.
However, the Gravity drills do isolate proper mechanics:  if the correct mechanics are not used then you, the golfer, will be provided with feedback.  Depending on how poor the mechanics are, the feedback could be a downswing that feels labored, or in a more extreme case you could feel out of balance resulting in a complete miss of the ball.
The body does not like being out of balance:  this perceived loss of control will feel dangerous to the brain.  To overcome this perceived danger, your body and mind will go about instigating a change in your technique to rid you of this danger - a change that will allow you to stay in balance.
Fortunately for us, a swing which is in balance is technically superior to a swing which is out of balance - your body and mind can fix your golf swing if you practice in the right conditions.
Sound impossible?

Just think about when you learned to ride a bike.  To begin with, you may have fallen off a couple of times but on the 3rd or 4th attempt you managed to find your balance and you were on your way.  Your body and mind sensed danger and subconsciously solved the problems for you.

To keep a bike upright is an incredibly complex feat.  At that young age (when you learned to ride a bike) what did you understand about Dynamics?  To that extent, what do you currently understand about Dynamics? Dynamics is a branch of classical mechanics, which in turn is a branch of physics, all of which I was blissfully unaware of when I took off on my bike for the first time.

My initial statement was that it is my belief that the drills of the Gravity Golf teaching system are its greatest asset and yet they can be perceived as its Achilles heel by the unenlightened.  The Gravity drills take advantage of our powerful mind and body and can teach us to play golf in the same way we learned to ride a bike.  However, for this to be effective we have to be prepared to put ourselves in a state where we are unstable and ready to learn.  Standing with our feet shoulder-width apart will never produce rapid learning, just like you never really learn to ride a bike whilst using stabilizers.

Instead we have to grasp the nettle and be prepared to swing the club whilst being in an unstable state:  in the Gravity system this could be in a cross-footed or a one-footed mode.  By heightening our body’s sensitivity to danger through the sensation of loss of balance we can rapidly increase the learning speed of our (student) golfers and this is why the drills are Gravity Golf’s greatest asset.

The reason the drills can be perceived negatively is because they are unlike most drills ever seen in golf.  We are used to seeing people at the range with bands on their arm, alignment sticks etc… but should someone hit a shot off one foot they are perceived as being crazy.

Yet the purpose of our practice is to play the game better regardless of what that may look like.  The Gravity drills may look different than other practice systems - you may hit poor shots whilst in your drills, but if the end result is playing better golf on the course, does it really matter?  If I miss-hit every practice shot I ever hit but continually improved my performance on the course I would be a happy golfer and I’m sure you would be too.

So let’s start practicing with the real intent of becoming a better golfer and stop worrying about what others may think of us on the range.  Use the Gravity Golf system to isolate the flaws in your technique and whether you are hitting good shots or bad you can be happy in the knowledge that your golf swing is improving ready for you when you next get out on the course.

Written by Andrew Waple UK Gravity Golf Instructor
www.andrewwaplegolf.co.uk

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How Can Softer Arms Create More Power? - Mastering Golf - by David Lee

How Softer Arms Can Create More Power

Sadly, for golfers all over the world, almost everyone begins by swinging the golf club incorrectly.  The instinct that most players have when they start the down-swing is to flex the shoulders and arms in an attempt to strike the ball.

When a player tightens his or her arms in the down-swing in an effort to create power, it normally has a negative effect on core-speed and distance because most individuals do it too early.  Players that use counter-fall and core mass rotation to “sling” their arms, usually create more power than tight-armed players, and do it with far less effort.

At the completion of the back-swing, if the counter-fall goes deep enough, and the arms start down in a state of total dead-fall, a very gentle turn will create great speed in the arms.  There is a “symbiotic” relationship between the counter-fall depth and the falling arms that allow power to be enabled instead of forced.  Most players never feel how easily this can be achieved because they have flexed their arms and shoulders at the start of the down-swing in every swing they have ever made, and instantly kill the body’s ability to sling the arms with minimal effort.

The best way to develop sensitivity to the impropriety of flexing the shoulders and arms at the start of the down-swing, is to practice the Gravity golf cross-footed, one-armed drills.  It becomes instantly apparent that flexing is not the answer, and you begin to feel how to use counter-fall and mass rotation for power.  Most players, once they know how to apply power correctly, will use no more than one-half their former effort, to move the ball significantly farther.

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2012 Teen World Cup Victory for Addison Mitchell and Gravity Golf

Addison Mitchell has been doing quite well in junior girls golf tournaments. But after recent Gravity Golf training with David Lee, it improved significantly. At 5'11 and only 14 years of age, “she can knock the tar out of a golf ball,” says David Lee, founder of Gravity Golf. 

David and Addison met last year at Fort Smith, Arkansas at a kids clinic hosted by Jim Edgin. Last December, Addison came to work with David Lee at Black Diamond Ranch in Florida and then invested another two weeks in June at David's current training facilities at Green Valley Country Club and Furman University in Greenville, SC. She has been working with the Gravity Golf concepts ever since and her results are telling rest of the story.

She finished as co-runner up in individual stroke play at the 2012 Teen World Cup at Pinehurst while carding a strong 69 in the final round. She and her partner, Megan Munroe defeated Maria Balcazar of Mexico and Gabriella Coello of Venezuela to gain a point on their way to a 7-2 Teen World Cup Victory for the American Team.

David Lee stated that her progress with the Gravity Golf concepts has been “remarkably rapid” and they are having a huge impact on her game. “She is already showing the ability to put Gravity Golf principles into effect under pressure in tournament play – under very competitive situations,” says David Lee. David also stated that she shows the potential of being one of the best junior players that he has seen coming along in years.

“She certainly has the desire to be a great player and is willing to put in the effort,” said David.  “She is going to be a fabulous player whether she decides to play at the college level or at the professional level.”

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Mastering Golf by David Lee - Flying Right Elbow: Friend or Foe?

Unfortunately, for the golf world, when Jack Nicklaus appeared on the golf scene, he did a less than adequate job of explaining “why” he let his right elbow “fly” during his back-swing. Ben Hogan had kept his right elbow tucked during his back-swing, and had successfully convinced the world that he had perfect mechanics. When Jack came along a few years later, with a totally different routing in the right arm, it was perceived by many as a flaw in his technique. No one considered the possibility that Jack was the one swinging the club in total compliance with the physics laws and that Hogan’s technique should have been the one in question. Hogan’s book “The Fundamentals of Modern Golf” had become the “bible” of golf instruction, and wasn’t going to be changed without a good explanation for doing something different.

In a proper golf swing, the right elbow leads in the back-swing, lays into the “slot” during the change of direction, and leads the forearm, hand, and club through impact. The more width that is in the right shoulder joint throughout the back-swing and the change of direction, the easier it is for the body’s core to connect to the arms and sling them through impact. If there is insufficient width in the right shoulder joint through the change of direction, the brain will sense “slack” in that joint and involuntarily cause the shoulders and arms to tighten as they start down, in an effort to cover the slack. When this occurs, core-speed through impact can be diminished and the swing path can easily be disrupted. Women who play with too little arc width will have very limited power.

Learning how to route the right arm (or left if you’re a southpaw) correctly, is one of the most important keys to easy power and control in your golf swing. Study the Gravity Golf one-arm drills. They are critical for the development of a technically perfect swing.  

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Drilling for Freedom by Danny Lee - Flying Right Elbow: Friend or Foe

One of the most controversial subjects in the golf world is the question of the flying or tucked right elbow: whether or not the leading arm in the back swing should go out away from the body like Nicklaus or stay in like Hogan.

There are many ways to get the job done as long as the sweet spot of the club face and the ball match up at impact. At Gravity Golf, our focus is on doing this with the least amount of effort and while maintaining maximum consistency.

The first thing to do is to understand what made both of their swings work? The answer is. . . the foot work. If you have good footwork and you can get equal amount of force pulling you forward and backward, your arms and hands will be free to stay on plane and ride the body's rotation (rotational equilibrium).

Some of the positives to allowing the leading elbow to fly (like Nicklaus) versus keeping it tucked (like Hogan) allows for a larger arc size, more time to move deeper into the counter-fall and more time to accelerate through impact. Another strong benefit is that if your elbow is out and up in the back swing it will help you to keep the club above plane in the back swing which is what you want. The reason is, as long as you throw it above plane, you can continue turning with your arms, tension free, until you have reached your full rotation when you can simply let your arms drop. If you keep your elbow too close to your side and then lift at the top to get the height, it will force tension into your arms and will likely pull in the down swing.

Work on the various Gravity Golf right arm drills, focusing on properly routing the leading elbow in the back swing: right elbow for right-handed players and left elbow for left-handed players.

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John Wilkinson - Gravity Golf review and College Scholarships

College Golf Scholarship Success!

We at Gravity Golf want to congratulate one of our premier instructors for reaching great career achievements.  John Wilkinson of Down Under Par Golf in Springfield Ohio has quite a successful history teaching the Gravity Golf method.  Over his career, his students, including juniors, adults and seniors have compiled over 150 scholarships and over 1,000 student victories in tournaments, including state, high school, collegiate, and senior state amateur championships.

On another note, all of his high school students who sought collegiate scholarships for golf in 2011 were awarded!  Not many golf instructors in the US can honestly say that 100% of their college-bound students gained scholarships for collegiate golf in a single year.  By using the Gravity Golf method as his central curriculum, John has continued to have a wonderful success record in helping to create winners from beginners.

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Mastering Golf - by David Lee

How’s Your Heave?

Hint: It Is the Move of Champion Players

After the grip is taken and proper posture assumed at the address position (both very important), the swing is ready to begin. The term “take-away” connotes that the swing is started with the arms and hands. However, in the modern or “Gravity” swing as we call it, the swing is set into motion with the body’s core using a consortium of muscle groups including the obliques and pectorals, as well as the back and shoulder muscles. Even the feet and hips participate to a degree. We call the move a “heave,” and it is akin to the move you would use to throw a medicine ball.

At the start of the back-swing, the shoulders, arms and wrists are firmed-up so that the swing will begin with the appearance of being “one piece,” even though it is anything but. The heave is powerful, yet lasts for no more than one-foot of arm travel. There is enough power, however, in that one foot, to carry both the arms and club to the completion of the back-swing, with no additional lift required. At the end of the heave, the arms and wrists relax, but the momentum from the initial movement holds the arms and club in-plane, as well as extended, throughout the remainder of the back-swing.

The heave has three very important jobs in the swing. First, it establishes the plane in which the club goes back. Second, it clears the tension from the arms so that they will “dead-fall” at the start of the down-swing. Third, it provides the power for the core rotation that carries the body into the all-important counter-fall.

Jack Nicklaus says in his book that he knows whether or not he will hit the ball perfectly by the time the club has moved one-foot into the back-swing. That comment means that for him, the entire recipe for a perfect swing is essentially over by that point. If the first domino in a line doesn’t fall properly, neither will the rest of them.

The best way to practice the heave is from a cross-footed, normal back-swing mode.

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Drilling for Freedom - by Danny Lee

How’s Your Heave?
- by Danny Lee

Jack Nicklaus stated that he knew in the first foot of his backswing if he was going to hit a good shot or not. What he was feeling was the force and direction of the heave:  if he set the right pace into his body from the start, it would flow easily through the rest of the swing.  The heave is the move that will allow you to do this consistently. If you refer to some of our other videos on the counter-fall, one of the main points is getting a sensitivity for how much your arms weigh.

Some of the worst advice you could get is for someone to tell you to take the club back slowly.  It is one of the biggest, yet widely accepted misconceptions in golf swing instruction. If you have ever tried holding your arms over your head for an extended period of time (perhaps when changing a light bulb) you probably realized how much effort it takes and had to immediately put tension into your arms.

With a perfect Gravity Golf swing, you want your arms to be falling from the top of the swing with the least amount of tension possible.  The best way to accomplish this is to get the tension out as soon as you can. The easiest way to accomplish this is by unweighting your arms with a brief pop of energy from the core (the heave) that will allow your arms to float to the top of the swing and then allow gravity to bring them back down. Also, pay special attention to the routing of the leading elbow when working on this move.  As a side note and fun fact, when analysts tested tapes of Bobby Jones' down-swing, it started exactly at the pace of gravity (~32 FPS²).

The heave also has a direct effect on how far you will hit the ball and how deep you will go into the Counter-fall. In essence, the heave is the move to extricate tension from your body at the beginning of the swing and initiate an effortless move.  Practicing the Gravity Golf cross-footed drills can help you perfect your heave.

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