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Publicly Silent
You know who - plus a couple of others who did the same back in the day (read on)...
The irony? If ever there way anyone you'd like/want to hear from, it's the GOAT.
Instead, we are bombarded with words, videos and posts from the attention-seeking masses.
Any & all posting anything at anytime. And you (and I, alas, admittedly - albeit with a thicker BS shield protecting me) digesting. Assimilating. Processing.
But do we regurgitate enough? You know: #considerthesource. Are you too standing with your back to the reality of all things - golf swing and other? Is your head stuck where the sun don't shine?
TW just showed up on the range with a mere two words: "Making progress." Ah.... but are you - on the links and upon life's daily sidewalks? And, is it not time you showed up, and stood up, for helpful, relevant information, fact-based offerings, and the truth?
Come with me on this CS missive journey amigos... Some music and pictures (but of course). Some insight (priceless - unlike advice). Some folk wisdom (what a concept).
Astral Weeks
Sir George Ivan Morrison (aka "Van") went publicly silent for nearly three years back in the mid 1970's - did you know? Fed up, burned out, tired of it all.
Do you know where your golf ball is going most/some/any of the time? Have you programmed, planned and visualized its desired journey before setting up and pulling the trigger?
I sincerely hope so. This pre-shot task is non-negotiable, people - just ask Tiger Woods (although, he may not respond). If your golf ball is not cooperating on a regular basis, don't quit on the process; rather, find a competent instructor and golf guide to help build the skills necessary (and for you, not the masses) so the ball 'behaves better.'
But then again - WTF do I know, right? I mean, I'm just some schmo penning/keyboarding a bi-weekly blog of sorts - and most of the humanoids don't even read anymore - opting rather for 20-second-or-less mindless entertainment-geared videos. Forget meaningful substance, right?
Guilty as charged: this is, in fact, my first golf, golf instruction and golf guidance rodeo.
A paltry 731 "Followers" (it's by far the most critical data point to human existence, happiness and well-being in current time astral weeks) on Instasmack.
Pitiful. If only I was less publicly silent. No thank you.
Watch (his eyes, especially, in prepping) & learn from the maestro, back in April of 2005. Click on a fatherly Tiger up top for a refresher of one the greatest short shots in golf history...
If, on the other hand, you are just in the "hit it and hope" mode, no problem. Click on a long-haired Van for a blast from the past. 'Hope' you enjoy...
"If I ventured in the slipstream
Between the viaducts of your dreams
Where immobile steel rims crack
And the ditch in the back roads stop
Could you find me"
Address
Proof again how pictures do indeed speak 1,000 words. The unmistakable set up of Tiger Woods. Copy that, por favor (you know, like getting in front of a mirror for accurate feedback). Stable (try pushing him over - despite a less than perfect trail leg & low back). Betcha he could jump straight up (think vertical bunny hop). Can you?
TW making Wolverine looking like a lightweight with one swing...
And those specific shorts? No chance ;) However, you can find & procure a few fresh looks from my cronies at Nike Golf, by clicking above.
Yet, so many individuals you've never actually met currently finding your eyes, ears and intellect on SM, and the Intrawebs.
Consider:
"The rise of social media as the primary mode of social interaction has caused us to substantially overvalue opinions as a gauge of character. We are now defined more by what we say than what we actually do, and words, unlike deeds, are cheap and easy to counterfeit."
St. Thomas Aquinas
Rock star philosopher, theologian and jurist back in the 1200's - then he suddenly went silent.
Did he 'see the light,' after experiencing a full-on mystical experience? Perhaps.
Seems the light most modern-day 'Influencers' (and just who, what and how are they influencing, BTW?) are seeing is addiction... Addicted to approval. Addicted to attention of clicks & eyeballs. Addicted to appreciation, success and prestige.
Take Aways
So recognizable, n'est-ce pas? Yet studying static positions in the golf swing without knowing what the pressures, forces and inputs are acting can be terribly misleading. One is left to making preferential assumptions, bias-based conclusions, and agenda-oriented educated (in some cases..) guesses.
Well, we have ball flight laws in golf (physics, folks - not somebody's smart sounding pixie dust), and we also have Brandolini's Law - thanks JM for bringing this to my attention (aka the Bullshit Asymmetry Principle):
"It take a lot more energy to refute bullshit than to produce it. Hence the world is full of unrefuted bullshit."
Transition time
To those who have chosen to "post ad nauseam" ('cause that's what the marketing geniuses have told them) to feel more relevant - how about growing awareness, kindness and compassion in lieu of your 'brand' & 'biz?'
Transition from insecurity to vulnerability, with the goal of helping others. Transition from endless selfies (who really relishes your face and tongue more: you, or your 'followers?') to posts targeted to those in need (and there are so many). Transition from posting out of ego, greed and ambition, to legitimate purpose.
Arm Drop
Not on this planet if you're wanting to hit the ball out of your shadow.
FACT: the arms, hands, handle and club have a ton of work to do (and a long ways to go) in a very short period of time from the end of the backswing to impact. Softly and smoothly along for the ride, 'following' the body? Uh, only if you're part of the flat planet Earth conspiracy mob.
Simple maths: measure the "g's" - gravitational force/acceleration of the clubhead at impact of a Tour player, a long drive competitor - or anyone that hits it anywhere.
Physics 101 (and you came here for the tunes and pictures, right?): Gravitational acceleration is the acceleration of an object in free fall within a vacuum. This is the steady gain in speed caused exclusively by the force of gravitational attraction.
Fantabulous concept for most short shots, including proper management of speed and distance of your golf ball on a putting surface. Constant, coasting and cruise control-like speed through impact.
But you want to 'send it' farther, do you now? The longest hitters create near 40 g's of force at impact, with most Tour players in the 20g-25g realm. In about 1/5th of a second (0.20).
You insist on 'taking the air' out of your arms and letting them 'drop' from the top? I see... And we'll see you frequently at the pitch and putt course.
What a welcome respite it would be if our Intraweb plasterers took the air out of their obsession with being seen, and heard. Talk less, and say more..??
FACT DROP: "Virtually all of the information you consume is through platforms that select heavily for entertainment value rather than usefulness or truthfulness"
Is that your deal? Looking to be entertained, or improve? Your choice.
Almost 'thump' time
The sound that elite ball-strikers (yes, TW qualifies) make when the club collides with the ball. And the shaft covering part of the trail forearm at the above stage in the motion certainly helps.
But how to do so..?? Rehearse in slow mo without the same speeds and forces of full speed? Largely irrelevant, sorry.
Instead, make the system (mind and body) work with resistance in the form of a band, or exaggerated, opposite movement. Manual manipulation works as well.
Oh, and if you think there is no downward pressure in the hands/handle at this point and beyond, think again. 'Tis that pressure (there's that 'physics' thing again..) in fact that keeps the clubhead 'up' and in-line, so that it doesn't 'land' (think airplane here..) too soon.
You know: the concept of hitting the ball first.
Impact
Whaaa??? You were expecting a tasty image of TW at 'clubhead meeting golf ball' time? I understand. Dastardly expectations strike again - ditch em.
Click above on Van or one of the hounds for a tune from his album Veedon Fleece, recorded just prior to his sabbatical of silence (as so many ought to do; we'd all be so thankful..). It might in fact Comfort You.
Oh... and impact? In golf swing realm, imagine it as an accidental collision created by what precedes that millisecond of 'smash,' and preceding what is yet to come. Last I checked, a swing goes back & forth (the collision is somewhere in the middle) and the golf ball is not moving, so why in the name of shutting up for the sake of others, would you hit 'at' it?
The other impact? How about creating one with your actions, full of passion, inspiration and encouragement, instead of one largely based in income?
Post Hit
You know - the effects of the relentless posts, words and messages. Showing all to be in such a hunky dory state, when others around you (in plain sight, nonetheless..) suffer mightily. You thought having to carry a water hazard instilled fear? What about our SM little boys & girls who dread the notion of appearing meaningless, even temporarily? Frightening indeed, to them.
Never mind the depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies our 'Influencers' are fueling; as long as it's keeping them in the spotlight... Silence would be surely golden, and welcome, in so many instances.
And golf club (and hands/handle) post "whack" with TW just above? Why - where'd they go? You thought the club, arms & hands were supposed to swing 'in-to-out?' Think again, again.
Tiger's golf ball is headed towards his target - can you spot it, just above the flying dirt - while his hands (still with downwards pressure being applied), those things holding the golf club, are working in a wonderful crescent-shaped-moon arc, down & around him.
Presto chango (especially you hookers and pushers of the golf ball..), he of few words and ZERO posts has made things disappear on a proper path.
Exit
The point in the follow through where the shaft and club reappear.
Check out Tiger's: somewhere between his rib cage and lead shoulder joint - on a diagonal plane (as is the clubface) eerily similar to his shaft at address. More elements to play copy cat with.
What about you? Have you considered exiting from the onslaught of information being slung your way like stale Thanksgiving leftovers?
Turn things off. Tune things out. Recommit to simple, quiet, and minimal voices that resonate far beyond the frequency of a blue-lit screen.
Maybe even dance in the moonlight (click just above on the grass, sky and or clouds)...
Finish
So nice to see Tiger swinging a golf club again - and nice to see the spikes on the underside of his trail foot, with eyes and body facing the target?
In search of some boots for the wintry months? Click above.
You? Off balance is acceptable if you're trying to bomb one off the tee (just take a peek at the long drive crowd), but for all else, stability from start to finish will serve you well.
Biomechanics 101: place your ankles under your shoulder joints. It's about how you'd land after a jump of sorts - test it out (pre Thanksgiving Day feast, preferably)!
The science-based benefits of silence, to follow (alas, our 'desperately need-to-be seen & heard crowd has not gotten this memo...), for your perusal this fine late November day, circa 2021.
Why so? Why, as TW shared, as a tool in making progress as a golfer, and human being.
- Silence Helps You Concentrate
- Silence and Creativity
- Awareness is Achieved Through Silence
- Silence Provides You with a Sense of Calm
- Noise Has Been Linked to a Lower Level of Learning
- Productivity and Silence
Tired of the noise everywhere whilst in search of golf, and golf swing help? I understand, and would be happy to assist in guiding you down a more productive path.
"Still waters run deep"
-- Latin proverb
Best,
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