I might add as well that in addition to setup being crucial to a stable golf swing, you also require proper mechanics – which are impossible without the correct setup.
So it all flows from one thing, the setup.
When you get that right, then all you have to worry about is the actual swing motion, which is nothing more than a back pivot to prime your swing machine to swing down and through from the top.
I have been going over the changes to my stance as shown down the line (** more on this at the end of the post), and it has been a while since I looked at any of my archived video from the “E = MCS” video released in 2017.
While I would not consider the setup shown down the line as what I want to see today, I was still surprised by how close I was to it 6 years ago – not too bad at all.
Having struggled for years with an over the top down swing, I’d like to share some trouble-shooting tips for those who are still having issues with it even though they have been following MCS Classic Golf Swing principles (or think they are).
That part in brackets is not a dismissal or put-down of one’s efforts – I myself, even though I built the MCS Classic Golf Swing model and have improved many others’ swings doing so, have struggled with thinking I was adhering to MCS principles when I wasn’t.
It looks crazy at first with all of the bouncing and shifting around before the back swing pivot, but if you look closely at the reigning World Long Drive Champion Martin Borgmeier’s swing action, it’s pretty solid.
You can see the swing I’m featuring below on YouTube and I’ll break down what I like about it, as well as the “flying foot” compensation that has taken over the entire golf world from junior tours to long drive: Continue reading
By impediments, I mean that there should be no part of a golf swing where one’s setup or mechanical action impedes the freedom of the swing itself.
In modern golf, you have the planting of the leading foot on the back pivot, which leads to every other problem you’ll find in modern swinging due to that massive flaw in the mechanics.
You’ll remember my looking at a particular Jack Nicklaus setup from back in the 60’s and how I declared it nearly optimal, except for the extra wide stance?
Well, don’t look now, but the more you compare certain things in setups of great swingers, the more you see how you should be doing it yourself.
I will never be accused of having looked at too many golfers’ swings, because I have invariably focused on the male subset of swingers, but I came across the Sybervision video featuring LPGA legend Patty Sheehan’s swing that just blew me away.
I have featured Mickey Wright’s swing in the past, but this swing model of Sheehan’s is absolutely the closest thing I’ve seen to the MCS Classic Golf Swing model I built between 2014-2017, to be completely honest.
You can believe this or not – I have written dozens of posts about him over the years since he turned pro in 2007, which was when I began my first blog SwingTheoryGolf on WordPress.
So I’ve seen him swing with changing models over the years, changes made necessary because of injuries, and he even at at time used a Classic-style lifting leading heel (I’d have to check my archive but I believe it would have been around the time he was winning majors).
While working out the model I’ve been building of late, I fell across something that may have solved my issue of “head shift on the back swing or into the down swing, head shift at all or none” that has been on my mind.
First, does anyone remember how Jack Nicklaus used to get over the ball and, just before he began his backswing, he’d tilt his head to a certain spot and then swing?
If you’ve never looked closely at the great recently departed Tom Weiskopf’s golf swing, or haven’t in a while, you’ll be very pleased to look at it.
In fact, other than one nit-pick, I would be hard-pressed to find anything in this man’s swing action or setup.
WAX Golf 