Simplicity of Spine Movement

Simplicity of Spine Movement

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By Chandler Rusk, GGA Master Instructor

One of the essential understandings in the Single Plane Golf Swing is how Moe Norman’s spine worked during his entire motion. Why is this so important? The shoulders and arms move in a direct relationship together with the spine.

In the two images below, you can see Moe’s address position (on the left) and the top of the backswing position (on the right). Because of the spacing from the ball that Moe created at address, he merely would rotate his body and fold his trail arm as the spine maintains its starting position. Bio-mechanically, this is the most straightforward backswing movement possible.

Displayed below are Moe’s impact position (on the left) and Moe’s release position (on the right). Once again, you can see how the spine is mirroring the same place it started in.

When the spine can maintain its position, the swing, getting to impact becomes very simple. Because the body can stay in its posture. In traditional golf methods, this is not possible because of starting to close to the ball at address.

This forces the spine to lift and the head to go down causing extreme stress on the back and leads to inconsistency

Additional benefits of this spine movement include:

  • Less moving parts in the golf swing
  • No compression or shear of the spine
  • Consistent striking point at impact
  • Compressed golf shots every time & with every club in the bag

Expectations

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By Paul Monahan, GGA Performance Mindset Coach.

It is fascinating to me how MUCH our expectations can negatively impact our experiences…as well as our ability to perform at our best.

While watching the last round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, I heard one of the CBS announcers – I think it was Peter Kostis – comment on the challenging day that John Rahm was having.

After three solid rounds, Rahm began his final series in second place, with a chance to win another event this year after a phenomenal 2017 in which he earned his first victory as well as ten top ten finishes.

But after 16 holes, Rahm was at two-over par when he probably needed to be a 3 or 4 under par to be in contention to win. Rahm’s frustration was pretty evident.

At that point, Kostis commented that he thought Rahm’s biggest challenge in 2018 would be managing his expectations.

What did he mean? Simply that Rahm had such an incredible year in 2017, that he would have to be careful not to create expectations in his mind about the results he would be able to achieve in any given week.

We perform best when we drop our expectations when we metaphorically leave our expectations in the car. These allow us to see our reality (the game, the shots, the putts…etc.) more objectively…and not have our perspective clouded by our stories.

A little over a week ago I had the chance to attend the Graves Golf Academy 3-Day School in Orlando…the inaugural instruction school of 2018.

During this first day of the school, Tim Graves and his staff emphasize the importance of starting the Single Plane Swing process with the shortest of golf moves possible – the putt – by leading a putting lesson.

As I interacted with some students during the putting lesson, I noticed how many were struggling with their mental game. And I know it sounds strange…we were practicing putting.

The guidance from Tim was this: work on matching the putting stroke model and don’t worry about sinking putts. We don’t care about sinking putts; we want to make sure that we are hitting “checkpoints.” If we get good at executing the checkpoints, we will make putts, for sure.

But here’s what I saw: guys were getting frustrated because they weren’t sinking putts. (And some guys were extremely frustrated.)

These were brilliant, accomplished people. They know how to listen and follow direction. But …they were stuck in their expectations.

When we get stuck in our expectations, when we view reality through the lens of hope, the only way we can be satisfied is if those expectations are met. (Makes sense…right?)

But if our expectations are not met then what happens? You guessed it: disappointment – or even worse: apparent frustration.

The guys on the putting green were missing putts they expected to make. And so, they experienced those misses as disappointment and frustration. (They even forgot about the purpose of the practice, to begin with.)

But what if they had been able to set their expectations aside?

They likely would have been able to perform better throughout the exercise and would have:

  • Remembered the purpose of the practice session
  • Not worried about the result
  • Focused on process
  • Worked on matching the putting model
  • Enjoyed the experience
  • Learned
  • …and maybe even been a little more fun to be around

I often tell my clients, the tighter your grip on your stories or expectations about what should happen, the more difficult it is to experience your reality in productive ways…especially when things don’t go as you think they should.

If you want to get better at this game, (or anything) you must learn to drop your attachment to results and instead, stay focused on the elements that produce the desired results. Like; gripping the club correctly, starting with a proper address, and matching the swing model.

When you miss a putt or hit a ball poorly, remember: that is a neutral event. It is neither good nor bad…it is. Learn to see the things that happen in your environment as they are…and not worse than they are. Learn to see them as a chance to learn something and master a new skill. No matter what happens.

Like John Rahm or the participants of our GGA Schools, we all would benefit by loosening our grip on our expectations…or dropping them altogether.

Paul Monahan, PCC is a Peak-Performance coach, member of the International Coach Federation and a certified COR.E Performance Dynamicsä Specialist. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men. He works with elite-level performers and leaders, helping them to expand their awareness so that they perform at their best more consistently.

He can be reached at paul@paulmonahancoaching.com

Playfulness

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By Paul Monahan –  GGA Performance Mindset Coach.

Recently, I heard a celebrity speaking about golfing with his buddies. He mentioned that there was one person in his circle of golf friends that he particularly admired because the playfulness that person brought to the course.

He said that his buddies all wished they could be more like that…especially on the golf course. He said that this guy nearly ALWAYS played well – and without a lot of effort.

Playfulness is just one of those things that elude most adults you now.

And if you think about it, it’s not their fault. It’s just a product of the society and culture we all grow up. One that rewards serious, adult, responsible behavior.

But studies show that the more we can tap into our child-like playfulness, the better we perform – particularly when it comes to skills-based, physical endeavors.

Last Spring, Tim (Graves) invited me to attend and teach at a 5-Day Build Your Game Alumni Camp in Orlando. (If you ever get a chance to visit a 5-day camp, do it. It’s a fantastic experience.) It was an opportunity for me to teach performance mindset concepts to the attendees, and also to work on my single plane swing.

Among the many fantastic learning dynamics Todd and Tim create in the 5-day camps are some live scenarios designed to replicate the competitive situations – and the pressure – we may encounter during our weekly games at home.

One of the scenarios is a bracketed putting contest called “21” that lasts from Wednesday to Friday…with the winner earning lots of cool swag – plus bragging rights for a whole year.

I played in the contest that week and happened to face the eventual winner in the semi-final round …a virtual putting buzz saw named Gary Gustafson.

Following an incredible hour-long quarterfinal match against Tom Lagos (Tom is an excellent competitor…watch for my blog/story about that match in a future installment!), I got crushed by Gary by a score of 25 – 2 within about 15 minutes!

After our match, when I asked him what his secret was to such a fantastic performance, he told me this story:

While he was watching the game between Tom and me, Gary noticed a little 5-year-old boy putting on the other end of the practice green. (The boy was there with his mom, just goofing around on the putting green. We saw him too…he was a pretty cute kid, and a tremendous little putter!)

Gary said that he noticed two things that this boy was doing: First, that he was putting remarkably well for his age, and second that he was putting rather quickly.

He interpreted the quick pace of play by this boy as playfulness. Or, generally just NOT OVERTHINKING each putt. And he noticed a sense of joy and eased the boy displayed as he stepped up to each shot, took a look, and pulled the trigger.

So Gary decided he would take playfulness into his upcoming match. He would set up his putts carefully and deliberately, but he would trust his line and pull the trigger without lots of time to let over-thinking set.

And MAN did his strategy work! His putting was amazing!

Throughout our (very short) match, Gary made a bunch of long putts, as well as plenty of shorter ones. And if he wasn’t making putts, he was super-close, so he was always picking up points. It was an impressive thing to watch. (I had a pretty good seat for that show!)

I think it’s a good lesson for all of us. No matter what the performance or the situation. (Leading in critical moments, negotiating a sale, or playing golf.)

We nearly always perform better when we trust in our ability to do the thing, and step into it without a lot of over thinking. Todd (Graves) likes to say that he tries to “play empty.”

And while there are undoubtedly multiple dynamics that determine success in a skills-based performance like golf, a sense of fun and playfulness during our performances can go a long way.

So, try this: The next round you play, or the next time you practice, be intentional about NOT OVERTHINKING. And step into your shots with a more playful mindset.

Play the game. Have fun. Don’t overthink it!

After all, we call it PLAYING golf…do not we?

PS…What does playfulness on the golf course look like for you? Drop me a note and let me know your thoughts: paul@paulmonahancoaching.com

Paul Monahan, PCC is a Peak-Performance coach, member of the International Coach Federation and a certified COR.E Performance Dynamicsä  Specialist. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men. He works with elite-level performers and leaders, helping them to expand their awareness so that they perform at their best more consistently.

You can learn more about Paul at www.paulmonahancoaching.com

A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WANTING SINGLE PLANE GOLF SWING INSTRUCTION – Your Connection to the Graves Golf Academy

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I’m Tim Graves, PGA, Co-Founder of the Graves Golf Academy and I wanted to say thank you for your interest in the Graves Golf Academy and the Single Plane Golf Swing.

I wanted to give you what we believe is the essential information about your single plane golf swing and the Graves Golf Academy.

We believe the quickest way to improvement and understanding the Single Plane Golf Swing is the Single Plane Academy Inner Circle.

We got this question/comment often and wanted to make sure you understand the difference between having access to your purchased training in the Single Plane Academy and being a MEMBER of the Single Plane Academy Inner Circle.

Single Plane Academy Inner Circle membership benefits include the following:

(Members get the following):

Instruction Gallery: 30+ instructional topics from the grip to downswing to creating leverage to impact, how to create more distance, etc. Over 300+ pictures and instruction in this gallery.

Moe Norman Archived Videos: 16 online videos (averaging 1 hour per video: 15+ hours) of live Moe ball striking demonstrations, interviews with Moe, Moe performing clinics.

Single Plane Fundamentals (NG): 15 video clips (averaging 30 minutes each) discussing Single Plane fundamentals vs. Conventional fundamentals (club fitting, set up, grip, address, impact…)

7 Principles of Golf – 7 Online Videos (averaging 1.5 HOURS per video – OVER 10 HOURS) teaching the Full Swing, Short game & Putting, Club Fittings, Playing, Practicing and Thinking on Golf Course (We call this our Golf School in a Box…)

Before and After – 16 Videos of us working with fellow students – their swings before a lesson/school and swings after with our discussion on their change (helps many to see).

Fitness and Exercise: 23 Video Clips (averaging 15 minutes each) discussing specific Single Plane Golf Exercises from core strength exercises to Lower Back Relief Exercises to preround stretching to wrist flexion exercises to Fitness and Nutrition.

Caddie Clips: 18 Video Clips (averaging 4 minutes each) discussing on course situations from hitting over a tree, around a tree, alignment, how to beat out of a divot, buried bunker shot, downhill shots, reading greens, etc.

Moe vs. Pros: 5 Online Videos are comparing Moe’s swing to touring pros including Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, Rocco Mediate and others.

Range Practice Tips – 9 Video Clips of (each averaging 5 minutes) discussing practice tips (on range practice tips) from focus, to motivation to feelings.

Webinars: 100+ Private Instructional Webinars (starting January of 2009) (at least 1 per month and each over 1 hour long: 100+ Hours) covering EVERY topic of the Graves Golf Academy. From indoor practice to every part of the full swing to short game to how to practice to special guests discussing specific golf related topics, etc.

Inner Circle Rewards: Monthly members earn $10 per month (credit) toward future golf schools, and Annual members earn $120 per year toward future golf schools. Credit DOES NOT expire as long as regular membership.

Products (Training Aids and Instructional Material) – Members receive discounts on all training aids and instructional material. For example, the Pre-Christmas special was 40% off any and all training aids and products. Callaway Epic Driver introductory offer of 10% off driver offered only to members. Specials every week.

Facebook – Private Facebook Page for Inner Circle Members only. Where members can see everything FIRST, talk to other. Single Plane Academy Golfers, speak directly to GGA Master Instructors, get the best deals on GGA instruction, etc.…

Newsletters – Single Plane Academy Inner Circle members only newsletter. Sent the 3rd Monday of every month and listed all the upcoming promotions and Single Plane Academy specials for members ONLY.

Specials / Significant Discounts – ALL DVD products, All Schools, All training aids, All Master Classes, All specialty events – a discount (significant) for Single Plane Academy Inner Circle members only.

Private Webinars – Once a month (sometimes twice) – a private live instructional webinar (1 hour + long) for Inner Circle members just covering ALL Single Plane instruction topics. These webinars are recorded and stored in the webinar section of the Inner Circle, so members have access to them forever (as long as a member).

Priority Access – By email or phone to the Graves Golf Academy Master Instructors (including Tim and Todd Graves). 100s of calls and emails come into the GGA every day – Inner Circle members get priority access, and all emails/calls will be answered and returned within 12 hours (typically faster.)

These are just some of the benefits, instructional material, etc.. that Single Plane Inner Circle Members receive.

And finally – everyone one of these above categories are routinely updated. More webinars added, more caddie clips added, more Moe vs. Pros videos added, more Moe Norman clinics added, more Range Practice tips, etc. etc.

This is where we store our instructional and exciting information about the Single Plane Swing and Short Game and Moe Norman.

This is the MOST UPDATED information about golf instruction you will find ANYWHERE!

If you would like to be a member of the Single Plane Academy Inner Circle – price is $27 per month.

That’s it now. And will not increase (if you join now).

This is the Winter Special Pricing.  If you join now – it will never increase – you are “grandfathered” in on this price. 

If interested, you can do one of three things:
1. Can join online at: CLICK HERE
2. Can watch a webinar I produced (about 35 minutes long) about the Single Plane Academy Inner Circle at: CLICK HERE
Please let me know if interested – happy to help with whatever you need.
3. Reply back to this email timg@moenormangolf.com – “I Want to Join” and I will contact you with membership information. We will discuss membership options.

Becoming a member is BY FAR the largest step you will take in improving your single plane golf game (we have 1,000s of members – you can meet them and talk to them through facebook and other membership portals when you become a member if interested.)

PS – There is no “minimal” membership – meaning if you are questioning – join for one month, if works for you – GREAT. If not, contact us anytime and we will cancel your membership.

Sincerely,

Tim Graves, PGA
Graves Golf Academy Co-Owner
2011, 2014, 2106 WC / SCS PGA Teacher of the Year
(866)377-2316
(405)562-9225 (Outside US)

2 Biggest Differences in the Single Plane Swing

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By: Chandler Rusk, GGA Master Instructor

What makes the Single Plane Swing more repeatable and more comfortable on the body?

Two main factors that go into this:

#1 – The Address Position

Notice the RED lines. The golfer on the left starts with the hands very low and the club shaft extending through the lower back (two-plane swing).

Moe Norman on the right starts with more space away from the golf ball (notice the distance between the hands and upper thigh). Furthermore, Moe began the club to where the shaft extended through the middle of his back (by the way, this is where 99% of golfers make an impact).

Moe Norman, Single Plane Swing, Golf Swing, Golf Tip

#2 – Effects of Lower Body Movement with both Address Positions

As you can see pictured below on the left, since there was no space at address, the lower body has been forced to lift and rotate/spin to clear the hips. While the lower body lifts, the upper body is forced to stay down to make contact with the ball. This results in stress in the lead knee, lower back, neck, etc.

Below on the right, since Moe establishes space in his address position, his lower body can work down slightly into a flexed lead knee (this takes the pressure off of the lower back). Once Moe gets into his lead knee, he then rotates and swings through the ball. When the lower body and upper body go down the same amount, there is no stress on the body.

The Address Position and Lower Body Movement is paramount in achieving a simple and repeatable motion with no weight. Once trained, golf becomes extremely fun because you can wake up every day knowing that you will hit the ball well and not have any pain.

This is what we strive for as a TEAM with every student at our Golf Schools.

Quick Update on Spring Premier Schools

– January, February, and April Schools Sold Out in Phoenix, AZ and Orlando, FL

– March Schools Available

– You can still get in for a reduced price if you get in touch with us NOW

Call School Director, Shannon Friday, at (405) 250-6960 or email shannonf@moenormangolf.com

Phoenix, AZ

March 2nd-4th – 3 Day Premier School – 3 Spots Left – Register

March 12th-16th – 5 Day Build Your Game Camp – 2 Spots Left – Register

Orlando, FL

March 2nd-4th – 3 Day Premier School – 3 Spots Left – Register

View our Premier School Calendar Here

Single Plane Experience School Update

If you are not able to make one of our 3 or 5 Day Premier Schools or are not sure if you want to make the commitment just yet, we have 1 Day Single Plane Experience Schools available that will get you started in the right direction.

All 1 Day Schools are taught by our highly trained and Certified Single Plane Instructors. All Instructors are Class A PGA Professionals and stationed at different locations across the U.S. and Canada.

$100 off – $599 (Ends Jan. 8th)

Contact SPE Manager, Chandler Rusk at (405) 816-8381 or email chandlerr@moenormangolf.com

Highlighted locations below:

Phoenix, AZ – 3 Schools in January

Orange County, CA – Spring available

San Diego, CA – 2 Schools available

Orlando, FL – 2 Schools available

New Orleans, LA – March available (1st time we have been to this location)

Hendersonville, NC – March Schools available

View our Single Plane Experience Calendar Here
 

If you have School Credits for being a Member of our Single Plane Academy Inner Circle or Coaching Program, call us before signing up if you’d like to use your School Credits!

Miss our Last Webinar? It is a MUST SEE and it is FREE
 
 

Stay CURIOUS My Friends

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Last year my wife and I joined a bowling league with a bunch of friends and now bowl once a month from September – May. It’s been a lot of fun learning what it takes to be more consistent, to roll the ball where I want to and to post higher scores.

And since I’m pretty competitive, I wanted to play at a high level if I could! So, I got my shoes and was fitted with a new ball. (Plus bag, rosin, slide powder, ball cleaner, you know, the works!)

(For your dangerous bowlers, you know that bowling is very complicated with lots of subtleties and nuance…it’s pretty fascinating!!)

For as long as I can remember, bowling has been a family tradition around the holidays. And this year was no different, except that we bowled twice while our boys were home. During one of the games, my son Joe decided that he wanted to throw my ball and so he rolled it a few times.

My new bowling ball is a “hook ball” …one that will hook to the left for a right-hander like me. It requires a different delivery methodology compared to a “straight” ball…and so it has taken me a little while to get used to it.

Joe is a pretty level-headed thinker. And when he first threw the ball, he immediately knew that he must have done something incorrectly. But he was calm and collected and in essence turned to me and just said. “How did that look?”

I offered him a couple of thoughts on how he could get closer to the model as I understood it, and he gave it another try. This time he got a lot closer, and the ball had a nice gentle right-to-left hook. Not perfect. But he made progress right away.

I believe that Joe’s success came from a willingness to be open to feedback AND a genuine curiosity about the process. He wasn’t stuck in his story or impacted by imperfect results. He took action, observed and tried to analyze what he saw. All without a lot of negative emotion, even though he didn’t get exactly the results, he might have hoped for it.

When is the last time you were curious about something? You know that feeling..a genuine interest in and wonder about what is happening, how something works, or how to make a specific thing better.

When we are truly curious, we are in a state of optimal receptiveness, and open to discovery. Being curious can be fun.

The journey of improving in bowling, our golf swing – or anything for that matter – is always enhanced when curiosity shows up for us. However, expectation often shows up instead. And when this happens, our emotional state intensifies as we measure reality against our story about what SHOULD be happening. (Not a great plan for maintaining a productive performance mindset.)

Frustration, anger, and irritation at the things that go “wrong” are how often we experience challenges. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You CAN shift your thinking – and your outcomes – by anchoring to CURIOSITY in those same difficult moments.

What does curiosity sound?

When you hit the driver OB on your first hole: Instead of: “Way to go you, big dummy!!” Try this. “Hmmm. That’s interesting. I wonder why that happened?”

When you miss that important putt: Instead of: “You are the WORST human being ever!!!!!!” Try this “That’s interesting. What can I learn from that?”

I know it seems a little far-fetched to engage in that kind of dialogue with yourself…but believe me, it works.

You have the right to be angry. But that anger may cause you to disconnect from your best thinking and ultimately, your ability to perform well.

Larry Senn, the author of Up the Mood Elevator, says that if leaders wanted to perform at their best, they have to work on being more curious. He said that the leader who can be curious about the things happening in front of them is FAR more able to tap into the best version of themselves.

Why? Because being curious creates a different feeling for us. It allows us to stay open and objective, and less judgmental or even annoyed.

The same is true for anyone who wants to perform at their best. Anywhere. Anytime.

As you start the new year and think about what you want to accomplish on the golf course, think about a commitment to cultivating CURIOSITY…the sense of wonder and real discernment that can lead to leaps in your skill and performance development.

So perhaps a motto for 2018 is one we can borrow from a famous beer commercial – with some modification:

All the best for a happy and prosperous 2018!

-Paul

PS…I’d love to hear how your ability to be curious in the face of challenge impacts your game. Drop me a note and let me know how it’s going: paul@paulmonahancoaching.com

Paul Monahan, PCC is a Peak-Performance coach, member of the International Coach Federation and a certified COR.E Performance Dynamics™ Specialist. He resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife Paula and is the proud dad to three young men. He works with elite-level performers and leaders, helping them to expand their awareness so that they perform at their best more consistently.

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