From Rick Bradshaws’ DVD – Formula to a Tour Swing/The Centrifugal Golf swing.

By Rick Bradshaw, Director of Instruction- Dent/Bradshaw School of Golf, at Heritage Isles Golf and Country Club, Tampa, Florida.

2004/2006 PGA North Florida Section Teacher of the Year

Over the years I’ve always been amazed how thin little girls could drive the ball almost as far as men. What is the root to effortless power and tremendous club head velocity It must not be the muscular arms and upper body because certainly Michelle Wie lacks that, yet drives the ball close to 300 yards with her tall elastic frame.

I like to refer to my favorite golf book On Learning Golf, old teaching mentor Percy Boomer and his chapter As a Dancer Sees It. This instruction was based on Percy teaching a well known dance instructress. During this lesson Percy’s pupil said that she visualized the golf swing as an upright pillar with a number of circles around it. Boomer stated that the pillar represented activity. He meant that the body during the swing should spin like a drill into the ground or a tornado twisting with great velocity. The dancer was concerned that the circles around the pillar were active and she wanted them passive. Boomer was trying to suggest that the hands, arms and shoulders want to act or interfere with the spinning centripetal force of the body instead of reacting to it. It is this inner spinning force that ensures that the respective outer force will swing the club head into the back of the golf ball repetitively striking it on the center of the club face. Ultimately long shots are a result when you make center face contact of the club head against the ball with greater club head velocity. YOU CAN DEFINITELY PRODUCE GREATER CLUB HEAD SPEED FROM THIS CENTRIFUGE ACTION, rather than trying to force the club head at the ball relying solely on hand eye coordination and upper body strength. Maybe, if you are a Fencing Gold Medalist or Zorro, but physics is the more efficient means of striking a golf ball. .To achieve enhanced spinning stand taller and more upright at address. This will suggest a drawing of your arms together and raise your wrists as you now have to stretch down to the golf ball. This full stretch feeling down to the ball will pull you arms together and connect or link your upper body to the power of the torso and hips twisting.

In an earlier chapter I recall Percy teaching a lady that was slightly overweight. Quoting Percy “I took up a wooden tee between my thumb and fore finger and spun it around and told her: this is golf power in its simplest and purest form.” She responded, “You don’t expect a stout old lady like me to spin do you?” He stated “Why not, you do on the dance floor.” I told her that a friend of mine once told me that the lightest partner he ever danced with was a lady that weighed over 200 pounds. From the quizzical way that she looked at me I knew I had scored a point. I held up the tee again and said to her. IF YOU TURN ON THE PIVOT YOU WILL PLAY GREAT GOLF BUT SO LONG AS YOU SLIDE YOU ARE DOOMED!

Power is definitely produced through a centrifuge, type motion or spinning of the torso while your feet remain fixed to the ground. Trying to power the ball by use of the hands, arms and shoulders alone without a turn on the backswing and twist on the through swing of the torso results in a serious loss of energy and clubhead speed. The hands do of course play an integral part in the transmitting of speed out to the club head. But they are prominently transmitters not generators of power.

A drill to help you feel and imagine the twist would be The Centrifuge Drill: Assume an address position with no club. Rest your triceps on your chest then twist your body back then re-twist through violently. Feel the blood rush out to your finger tips. Be aware of what muscles produce this twist. If you feel your feet, calves, thighs, hips and body generating this force you have performed the drill correctly. Another more subtle drill to keep your arms down and less active is standing at attention with your arms down at your side and just turn from your hips. Imagine you are turning in a torpedo tube. It is this pirouette type twist which will sling the club up and around on both sides of the swing. This, I assure you, is not a new twist on power but is the secret to effortless velocity in the golf swing. THIS IS WHY BOOMER QUOTED TURNING IN A BARREL AS A GREAT MINDS IMAGE FOR YOUR SWING!

My favorite quote for power and consistency is “FOR THE TOP NOTCHER MAY FEEL HIS BODY AS A STEEL BAR TURNING BETWEEN HIS TWO FEET, WITH ALL THE TIME THE BONES OF HIS BIG TOES OPPOSING THE MOVEMENTS OF THE CLUBHEAD-THE EXTREMES OF THE SWING”

THE TAKEAWAY OR CARRY BACK AS PERCY BOOMER CALLED IT IS THE GOLF SWING IN EMBRYO.

The feet and legs have an extremely important role in initiating power. As you address the ball, standing more upright with a slight bend from the waist, stretch your arms down to the ball. This full stretch of your arms, will pull your upper arms together taut, forming a triangle. Be aware that the force of the club head pulling when you swing will pull on your arms raising your wrists into a fairly straight line from your body’s swing center out to the club head because your hands and arms are attached to you shoulders. The club shaft plane will point up through your stomach just above your belt. It is imperative that you establish your taut, full stretch, connected feel of impact at address. This will not only suggest the impact feeling, but ensure you initiate the take away with a pivot or turn because your arms are pulled together. Your knees must maintain a slight flex at address as well as into the loading of your back swing. Do not straighten your right knee as you turn back! DO NOT PICK OR TAKE THE CLUB AWAY WITH THE HANDS LEAVING YOUR BODY BEHIND!

The take away is initiated from the ground up as a turn into the resistance of your right foot, flexed right knee, leg (calf and thigh), and hip. If you keep the right knee flexed you will not sway. This turn or twist feeling and technique, initiated delicately from your left foot into this right foot resistance, will transfer your weight enough to load energy to maximum efficiency. The efficiency is to create enough centripetal force (A rotating force that keeps an object turning in a circle) to act upon the club head being taken back. This turn back is slow and concise. It is a twist back of your thighs and hips into your right foot. The moment your body weight hits the resistance of your right foot energy starts to move up your legs into your torso. Picture your self as an architect’s compass that draws circles. Your legs are the sharp end that stabilizes the compass and your arms and golf club represent the pencil end that draws arcs. The top of the compass that you use to twist is your force center. The force center is the part of your body that the pulling force turns out through your arms to the club head.

THE FORCE CENTER IS LOCATED AT THE POINT IN YOUR BODY WHERE THE UPWARD FLOW OF FORCE ENDS AND OUTWARD FORCE BEGINS. Percy boomer stated that it was located somewhere in the pit of your back. To feel this yourself try the centrifuge drill again, turning and twisting, or spinning, and see if you can locate in your torso where the flow of power stops flowing up and starts moving out of your shoulders arms and hands. F=MV2/R is the formula to centripetal force. The tighter you spin the inner circle or force, the faster, more constant and on arc the responding outer circle. IT’S LAW!

POSTURE- An opposing force in the golf swing Posture is the position the body assumes in its endeavor to create an inner force through rotation opposing an outer force.

CENTERED ON WRIST ACTION.

WHEN AND HOW DO THE WRISTS, HANDS AND FINGERS ACT OR REACT DURING THE GOLF SWING!

Percy Boomer stated that the parts of the body above the waist must remain passive in the swing. Boomers definition of passive was “TO ABSTAIN FROM ACTING WHEN THEY MIGHT ACT”. This suggests that the upper half of your body must do nothing as you swing but in deeper analysis of Boomers goals he wanted a reaction not an action. Boomer also stated that passive meant to pass along the power or flow of force created by the pivot. If you grip the club in the fingers lightly so you can feel the weight of the club head the pressure is correct. As you initiate the golf swing buy a pivot, turn or twist from the feet, thighs and hips, your club will be carried back low. Your body turn back will end soon as you hit the resistance of your right foot and flexed right knee, and hip. This is called a hip brace and is responsible for the clubs momentum acting upon your wrists as long as your arms are still connected and resting on your chest. The momentum of the club head then takes over and swings up on the backswing resting against your hands, most notably your index finger of your right hand and back three fingers of your left. There should be virtually no slack at the top of the back swing with potential energy stored ready for its release out to the club head. As you twist your torso back through to the target unleashing tremendous velocity and energy into kinetic energy allow the club to free wheel with no thought of hitting at the golf ball. Just maintain the arms full stretch feeling you felt at address and hope Isaac Newton was right. Your thought and slogan as Boomers was turn on the back swing and the twist through impact. Think Turn and Twist, while keeping your arms braced, straight and wide against the sides of your chest throughout the swing to maintain a wide constant swing arch while creating power from spin like a centrifuge.

For more information on golf schools and lessons contact Rick Bradshaw 220-8099 or www.tourexperience.com.

By Rick Bradshaw of the Dent/Bradshaw School Of Golf at Heritage Isles CC

By Rick Bradshaw

2004/2006 North Florida Section,

PGA Teacher of the Year

Director of instruction

Dent/Bradshaw School of Golf

Heritage Isles Golf Club

Several years ago a friend of mine wanted to learn how to play golf. We went to the golf range and he started hitting. He hit some erratic shots, chopped the ball into the ground a couple times, bladed a bunch and almost hit me once when he shanked one sideways. He looked at me and said; well what do you think? I remarked; your golf swing looks just like Norman. He beamed with a smile and said; Greg Norman? I shook my and head and said no, Norman Bates! You know from the shower stabbing scene in the movie Psycho. Your kidding he remarked. Yes I am however your swing is a little choppy.

We went on to discuss and learn how to smooth out a choppy swing and develop a smooth accelerating one. The following steps will help.

1. Get rid of the thought of hitting at the ball and develop a swinging motion as if the ball was not there. The ball only weighs 6.2 ounces, 5.9 in the Pro V.

2. Maintain a constant swing arc by bracing your arms together at address forming a triangle down to your grip. Be sure to draw in your biceps toward your thorax and maintain a feeling of straightness in the elbows.

3. Next you have to power your swing through a rotary pivot of the torso. If you were good at the Hula Hoop it may help.

4. The key to an accelerated swing motion is a turning and twisting of the torso and shoulders on the swing plane. There can be no independent or abrupt hitting at the ball that will interfere with a constant rotation of your hips on the down swing.

A QUTOE THAT WAS MADE FROM TEACHING GREAT, PERCY BOOMER, STATES IT BEST IN MY MIND;

“If at the moment of impact you stop the forward pull of the left side, which is what you will do if you hit at the ball, the power is not available and club head cannot, as it should, continue accelerating in contact with the ball until the ball rebounds from it.”

By Rick Bradshaw of the Dent/Bradshaw School of Golf

This is not a Star Wars drill or a telekinetic attempt to make the golf club swing in a perfect arc every time. However, by feeling the pulling force of the clubhead throughout the swing, a perfect swing arc may be the result. The secret is to take several practice swings fast enough to hear the club make a swooshing sound. Grip the club with light grip pressure so our forearms and wrists will react to the club’s outward pull during your practice swings. Do not attempt to manipulate, actively guide, steer or even control the club as you make practice swings. Simply feel the force of the clubhead swing through the air, especially at the bottom of your swing arc where the ball will be. When kids are in the park on a swing, their body weight pulls the chain of the swing straight - and smooth swinging results. The golf swing is the same principle! Try it with a golf ball and be sure to concentrate on the force of the club swinging through the ball. don’t tighten up to hit at the ball. the idea and reasoning is that if the clubhead is pulling, you cannot be pushing or forcing the club at the ball. to have centrifugal pull of the clubhead, you have to have an opposing centripetal body force at the other end. You can achieve proper body positions by concentrating on the feel of the clubhead’s pulling force through impact. In many ways, it’s less confusing and easy to perform. The result will be effortless power, a repeating swing arc, and maybe even a swing like Ernie Els!

Remember…feel the Force…don’t force the feel in the golf swing.

Rick Bradshaw, 813-220-8099 or www.tourexperience.com

North Florida PGA Teacher of the Year 2004 and 2006

Director of Instruction

By Rick Bradshaw of the Dent/Bradshaw School of Golf

Unfortunately, the majority of golfers by statistics suffer from slicing the golf ball. For the right-handed golfer this would be caused by a left to right spin of the golf ball resulting in a shot veering off to the right of the target.

There are two types of slices: THE PUSH SLICE AND THE PULL SLICE. The slice that fills my golf school with students is the PUSH SLICE.

The PUSH SLICE is caused by the tightening of the hands gripping the club in an endeavor to generate more force to the clubhead as it nears impact. The responsible culprits are the right shoulder, right arm, and right hand planning a violent attack at the golf ball that interferes with the natural release of energy and swinging of the clubhead through the ball. The right-handed golfer stands to the left of the golf ball, SIDE ON, like a field goal kicker in football. The golf club swings inside the target line as the body rotates on the back swing, and then from inside to outside to the ball on the through swing. If the club is swung naturally and unforced through impact the clubhead will impart a right to left spin (or draw spin) on the golf ball, the same as the kicker curves the football right to left in the N.F.L.

If there is a forcing or pushing of the club into the ball, the club face will open during the strike imparting left to right spin on the ball as well as a direct push of the ball right of the target line.

BECAUSE GOLF IS A SIDE ON ACTIVITY IT IS MUCH EASIER TO DRAW THE BALL WITH RIGHT TO LEFT SPIN, THAN FADE THE BALL WITH LEFT TO RIGHT SPIN.

The reason is that we can swing the club more inside and around because we are standing inside the ball. It’s much more difficult to impart left to right spin unless you swing left handed.

REMEMBER GRIP IT LIGHT TO HIT THE BALL CORRECTLY OR RIGHT.

For those of you who slice, proper instruction can correct it easily in one lesson.

Rick Bradshaw, 813-220-8099 or www.tourexperience.com

North Florida PGA Teacher of the Year 2004 and 2006

Director of Instruction

By Rick Bradshaw

2004/2006 North Florida Section

PGA Teacher of the Year

I recently collected all the data on which body part should receive the National Golf School Sales Award and a trip for two to any island in the world that does not have a golf course.

The winner by a landslide was the right hand! Coming in a close second was the right shoulder and honorable mention was the left side of the brain.

Data:

The Winner

-The right hand wants to take control of the golf swing right from the start through to the finish.

-He does not care who he bullies around to achieve control.

-Charges have been brought against him for choking the club and squeezing the life out it.

-Murder charges for trying to chop, bludgeon and kill the ball are ever pending.

- Refusal to be a team player and follow the lead of the legs, body and left side, have caused grief for thousands of golfers.

The results were thousands of golf lessons for teaching professionals and golf schools.

CLOSE SECOND

-The right shoulder is an accomplice of the right hand and should be held accountable on all charges the right hand receives.

- The right shoulder is the force behind the right hand and wants to and does obliterate any chance of the golf club being pulled with great velocity down and through the ball.

-The right shoulder is the pushiest of body parts in the golf swing and someone should shut him up.

However I would like to personally thank him for is monetary contribution to my golf school lesson volume.

HONORABLE MENTION

-All right I know the left side of the brain is responsible for us reaching the moon, and our worldly successes but give me a break the golf swing is not that complicated.

-I truly enjoy teaching articulate left brain analysts as I enjoy their knowledge on various issues and right brain lessons are quite a bore, but please refrain from over thinking Mr. Left Side of the Brain and be smart enough to focus on the most important issues and not every detail of the swing all at once.

-Once the left side of the brain filters out the unimportant details and focuses on the main factors involved in swinging a golf club he could cost me lessons.

Happy golfing, Rick Bradshaw

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