Just started following you, in part because so much of what you are preaching echoes an old teacher of mine, Gary Marlowe. Gary was/is the youngest person ever to win the Maryland Amateur and was headed for an appearance in the US Open when he blew his knee out in a waterskiing accident. He was never able to compete on the tour as a result but did become a great teacher. He was a strong believer that great golf begins with great hands and wrists. A slightly built guy, Gary was maybe 5-10, 155 lbs when I took lessons from him. We were working on the thumbs up to thumbs up drill when he showed me that he could his a 3-wood 220 yards without taking a turn and using a half-swing. "If you hit the ball with your body, how did I just do that?" he said. That was almost 30 years ago and it stuck with me, at least in my head. I recently got back into the game just as I was turning 70 and, voila!, here you are saying much the same things Gary said 30 years ago. I'm hooked...again,
Hi Andrew ! I'm Cristian from Argentina. I finally found an instructor who understands what the weekend golfers need!!! I'm just asking you for some ideas to work on the linear downswing because it's what costs me the most and I can't fully appreciate it in the videos. My congratulations from almost 8000 km from your home. Great job!!!
Thanks Cristian! I’m glad you’re enjoying the channel! Arm speed is so important, the biggest influence is monitoring tension in the arms! 1-10 you want a (5). Start that way at address and ‘maintain’ that tension level throughout the swing! Make sure you keep your back to the target as you transition! I’ve attached a video that might help! Best, Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SzXGyaYQdDk.htmlsi=aPYl96pDDVugQzlu
Appreciate the video Andrew & I can see where you're coming from. Would you agree it's a matter of where you're starting from on the body/hands spectrum? I started golf as an adult with strength in my arms and, because no one told me otherwise at the time, would literally stand stationary in front of the ball hitting at it. If it ever did work it certainly doesn't now (64) & so have spent range time reducing arm effort to re-balance that with body. I have to be careful though to start the backswing passively and continue from there without waking arms up to much. I can make a lovely, effortless practice swing & making progress with a ball. Your drills to develop from L to L into a fuller turn will help.
You have to find what works for you!! One size will absolutely not fit all. Having said that I’m scratching a much needed itch in the golf instruction world. The obsession with body dynamics at the 100% exclusion of arm swing and wrist mechanics has gone too far!! Best, Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻 ru-vid.comNsXOphZGs0Q?si=wcc_fTSHJbG7veWp
Great video. I'm trying to instill in my 12 year old daughter the idea that she should strive to become an artist with the ball and encouraging her to use her hands to do so. It's the same way i play, and i play to a decent standard as well (very low single digit handicap).
That’s great! The artistry indeed is in the hands. Once you educate them to “feel” the club head - the rest of the game becomes a lot easier! Best, Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
Your demonstration of how the club head moves toe first is brilliant!... but the next few minutes about how you hit a fade is even more "gobsmacking"...the more I watch your work the better I like it Andrew and the more the subtleties come to life.
Andrew, I totally relate to your teaching. First off, I am two years older then you. Though, physically I have no huge issues, I am not in the greatest shape. Not terrible, but I would say I have average physical strength and flexibility for a guy my age. The trying to use the body as the main engine of the swing is something I have wasted my time for years trying to do. Yes, many of the touring pros out there appear to have body driven swings, but what I have heard you say b4 and what I have said for many years now is the pros who do really think mostly about the body have already mastered the use of the hands and arms to create speed. Most higher handicap golfers have no idea how to use the hands and arms properly. As a side not, I went to your web site and noticed that you spent time teaching in Wilmette, Il. I lived in The Chicago Area for the first 41 years of my life before moving for work purposes. It is a great area and there are some great courses around the Chicago Area. Anyways, great work.
Very true about most golfers! It’s fun to work on improving your body dynamics - working on ground mechanics etc. But for most - that’s not going to help them much. Educating the hands and arms FIRST is so important! After that it gets a lot easier in my opinion. I lived in Chicago for many years prior to moving to South Carolina at the end of 2020. I was extremely blessed to be the Resident Teaching Professional at an incredible private club on the North Shore for twenty seasons! Great course, and great people. I’m glad my channel is having an impact. Thanks for watching! A. 🏌️♂️⛳️🙏🏻
Big thanks. Another great video. What’s your advice on weight transfer on backswing and down swing. ? Are you transferring weight from rear foot to lead foot or are you keeping must the weight on lead foot. Thanks
Hi Eliot. Pressure shifts in the swing for sure from the inside of the trail foot back into the lead foot as you pivot the club. That pressure ideally works its way back into the lead heel through impact. This is not a static distribution, pressure shift needs to be understood as an overall movement over time. The head should stay pretty centered!! Shifting “weight” can often be misinterpreted! Best, Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
I enjoyed this immensely Andrew. I was wondering if you have a more in-depth video on the different releases for fade and draw that you mention here and what to expect from each? I float around mid-singles hcp and am looking to understand each, so I can use both better. I can stick to one or the other shape for a time quite successfully, but when I try the fade release but get a draw or I try the draw release and get a fade, I start losing my mind! 😄 Also, the fade release gets me more speed and height, which I need however, the draw release gets me better contact but with a ball flight that is to low. Would like your thoughts on this, if you could direct me to a video. Merry Christmas!
Chris, I just uploaded a video on “Release Patterns”. Hopefully that helps your release questions! Best, A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2a8WhWgU2FA.htmlsi=QgdHLTbw7zoFQ0UT
Well,Well,well now l know how to get more distance on my golf. I’ll practice all the instructions you’ve shown on your video. It’s been awhile now how to increase the distance of the balls. In your teaching just realise it is on arms and harms just to make them relax. Surely when l practice next time weather permitting know for sure distance will be there for me. JUST RELAX. I’ll go back to your video and put comment on your comment section. I can’t wait to apply what l have learned on your video. Thank you ver much. Ernie Mendoza from Brighton. Avid fun now of your instructional video from now on .
Hi Ernie! Thanks for watching my videos. I’m so glad they are helping your golf game! Tension is the silent killer in golf. Keep your arms relaxed and have fun with your golf!! Best, Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
This guy is brilliant. Forget the over rotation and handle dragging. Hands, wrists, and arms do 90% of the work. Draws and fades come from the hands and the release. Padraig has good videos on this too. Wrists need to be very active if you want distance.
Thanks J.D. The artistry is in the hands for sure. The body plays a vital role in transporting the arms but it’s a mistake to think that there is only one way to get the job done!! Bottom line - Find what works best for you! Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
Key is to get in athletic posture, relax the shoulders, arms, and wrists, and hit draws and fades with the hands and wrists. After learning to hit it with the hands, then work on adding some body power to compliment the necessary hand action. Most men can hit a 9 iron 135 yards with just the wrists and a little arm movement. The mistake we make is focusing first on body and clubhead positions in a very static way. Instead, we need to activate the true power source first and foremost. Your insight is refreshing and true. I got to 127 ball speed with a 7 iron just focusing on keeping body closed and letting arms drop before turning the body. It's easy speed. @@AndrewEmeryGolf
And I'm 49 years old getting 127 ball speed with a 7 iron. Before watching your videos, my 7 iron ball speed was around 115 to 120 with more effort exerted into rotating. Linear and angular speed are the true keys. Think of throwing a frisbee at a 45 degree angle with the lead arm only or even both arms. You would keep your back to the target quite a long time to speed up the arms and then wrists. Body rotation is the end result of the arms being flung.
Hello Andrew, Have had both knees replaced, so I have used my hands and arms with a strong grip for the past 20 years, plus I hit it straight with an occasional hosel rocket. Everything is straight even mishits like if I top the ball it just rolls straight out. I drove this one golf instructor crazy by not using my body and strictly arms and hands. Your approach is a lot like Joe Nichols and Mike Malaska who I have patterned my swing against, but unable to get my body to support my arms and hands. Thanks much if you could do an instructional video about the proper use of the body for us 1%. Cheers Mark
The fade generally has ‘more’ compression because you’re on a steeper orbit! But whether you’re hitting it left to right or right to left - you should always strive to compress the ball! Thanks for watching! Best, Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
Hi Andrew, When you advise golfers to align to the right for a draw, is the club face pointing at the target or is it out right ie parallel to the path?
Hi John, the club face “sends it” and the path “bends it.” Meaning that you aim the club face where you want the ball to start - for a draw it’s slightly right. Then simply align a little further right of that so the club is set up closed to the path as you swing. The more you align and swing to the right, the bigger the draw! Thanks for watching! Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
Hi Matt, while it would seem that you would want to spin more to fade the ball. In my experience in particular working with my elite golfers. They tend to get open too soon when fading which leads to weak shots to the right. You have to be patient from the top for sure!! Once you learn to transition correctly - variations in trajectory, and shot shape are influenced by aim, alignment and of course release patterns! Thanks for watching! Coach A. 🏌️♂️⛳️🙏🏻
I'm a novice golfer but have higher swing speeds (probably avg 115-120 w/driver). I've noticed two primary schools of thought in the YT golf community: Arnold Palmer - let it flow, relax, loose, momentum, etc AND the more mechanical positional school of thought I feel like I make more progress for the former but I hear verbage that makes it sound like "You don't swing fast enough to worry about the later school of thought". See my predicament?
No predicament! Keep it simple and be an athlete! Let the golf ball be your guide, it’s the greatest instructor in the world. Everything else is window dressing! It’s not about swinging better, it’s about hitting it better. And, believe me when I say that you can get into a lot of great ‘positions’ with a bunch of swing thoughts and hit it a lot worse!! (Find a coach that helps you, not one that impresses you!!) Best, A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
Coach Andrew, I normally religiously follow your advice. I am sure this video makes total sense but all I heard was to hit a draw use some left voodoo and for a fade some right voodoo. I might be able to hit these shots on the range, but coming down the stretch with a one shot lead against my buddies for $40… no chance! I am going to rely on my slight draw from my game improvement clubs and for a fade, take an extra club and open the face.
Voodoo…..Love it!! You’ve got those release patterns on auto-pilot……You’re a “baller!” So many golfers don’t set up and hit “golf shots” like you do. They align and aim straight and hope for the best. Keep playing YOUR game and get after it! Best, Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
So true! He hits his 9 windows working the club with his hands using multiple release patterns, ball position and of course alignment adjustments! Coach A. ⛳️🏌️♂️🙏🏻
People, even instructors, trying to emulate viktor hovland and dustin Johnson are completely wasting their time. They are elite athletes. You don’t have their strength, flexibility, and proprioception, and…you never will. The body should be reacting to and supporting your hands and arm movements.
you are a MONSTER, fu.......ng greath video, i always beleve in the hands, the golf is playing with the hands, you are right, where are you? i want to have some lessons with you...
Thanks man! I’m in Charleston, SC for in person - but do online coaching also! Reach out when your schedule permits. Let’s get after it!! ⛳️🏌️♂️👊🏻 andrewemerygolf.com/contact
