Golf Swing Journal - March 24, 2009 Bennett Model Again

I'm back in VA after a surprising severance of my 20 year friendship with muata. I'll cover that in another post later.  For now, I want to capture a few thoughts on my golf swing - much improved golf swing.  A day prior to leaving LA - March 12th to be exact - I took one last lesson with Mike McNary to make sure I was on the right track.  Much to surprise, Mike kinda switched gears on me and pointed me squarely back to the Mike Bennett model of Stack & Tilt and away from the Mac O'Grady swing.  The reason makes sense: I prefer a draw pattern and Bennett's swing does just that.  Mac is much more of a fader - as is Mke McNary himself.  Dana, like Bennett, is a draw guy, so much of what he teaches is toward that pattern.

So, today, March 24, 2009 I practice at Anacostia Park in DC for several hours.  The key elements to my swing improvement are as follows:

1) set up - hands & grip higher and foward opens the face slightly at address - perfect for the open face draw I'm hitting.  This establish what MORAD refers to as the baseline of my shot pattern, which is not the same as the target line .  The target line is only a reference point, but all the action takes place on the baseline. 

2) Plane Sticks - Using the plastic alignment sticks as Plane indicators, I really get a clear sense of what an on-plane swing is.  The key is to use the baseline - NOT the TARGET LINE as the circle.

3) P4 - Laid off!  That simple.  Get it laid off and the rest gets a lot easier.

4) Ratio of releasing Accumulators 4 & 1 on the downswing - compared to the body shifting forward is at least 2:1 arms to body.  This is what gives Bennett's swing that distinctive cadence and look.  It's what gets his hands and posture where the are at the finish.  If the body gets too active from P5-P7, the club will be thrown outside and steep, and the arms will have to race to catch up.

5) Preserve that FLY WEDGE! Practice Dana's Flying wedge drill.

6) Keep that left knee flexed well into P7 - and keep it moving forward, NOT SPINNING LEFT!

7) 32 Ball Clear Key Practice.  One thing at a time, focused practice.