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Bobby Jones style


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I want to start by saying Bobby Jones early 1900s was from what we read and exception golfer. If you watch his swing, you will notice it is very unique, and not today's standard. Back then they golfed with heavier clubs, and hickory shafts which were not as stiff. Imagine having a Relatively high Swing speed compared to your peers and swing a wet noodle. If thats all you had you would develop a swing to combat the issue. I believe Jones swing largely was developed due to weak hickory shafts.

You must take a step back and understand that Golf was his life, and anyone who puts in that much time knows what they are doing. I feel that there is much to learn from this old style even today with today's equipment. In fact I would say Jones style would help more players than not. Even if his style swing is not "mandatory" with todays equipment, the same basic motion is.

 

Here at WRX, and across the world driving Distance talks. Why? Distance basically = potential. So what is distance in terms of golf? With all else equal Swing speed = distance. How does one get more Swing speed? Speed = Distance/time. Basically this means the longer the backswing the more distance we can get. Immediately this posses an issue. Not everyone is flexible enough to do a 90 degree turn in the backswing with This Modern swing, which restricts hipturn.

 

If you cannot get the full turn out of your spine, you have two options. One - stay with your limited short backswing, two - get the range of motion from somewhere else. You can get this extra range of motion from knees or hips or both, and at the same time getting extra range of motion from the hips will reduce lower back pain because we do not need to have such an enormous hip/shoulder seperation which shears the spine if done incorrectly, which is all too common because people are trying to take a full backswing and to get all the way back jeopardize their spine angle.

Which brings us back to getting a little extra turn in the hips. Why would this be a bad thing? I think its one extra motion and probably reduces consistency, however it also feels more natural and I would argue after getting used to it will elevate your game tremendously.

 

What to do?

1) In the take-away Lag the clubhead behind the handle. Why? This sets the feel for the swing. Its not rigid, its soft and smooth. This allows your wrists to kind of be flung about the whole swing, not to mention it automatically makes your wrists supernate at impact.

 

2) Back leg is immobile, do not move sway it in the backswing at all - If we are doing lateral motion it will come in the Downswing not the backswing

 

3) Keep elbow tucked in pointing at ground and if it comes away from body only briefly at the top of the swing - builds consistency

 

4) The fun part, GET THAT LEFT HEEL/FOOT OFF OF THE GROUND AND BREAK IT IN TO THE RIGHT LEG. Almost baseball like! Why? Now you can freaking turn, you wont hear your spine crunching when swinging through the ball. You will have to play around with right foot flare perhaps to get it to feel right for you. IE (Right foot is 90 to the line, or toe is flared out away from the ball some, not Much though, but perhaps a few degrees if you need it)

 

5) Dont try to kill it, But you will feel the power you now have, you will learn to use it.

 

6) Golf swing is pretty simple and natural, its honestly not real complicated. The best swing is the natural swing, let your body and sub-conscience do the timing, the only thing your brain should be actively doing is receiving data from your eyeballs and decide where you want the ball to go. Once you just let things flow and happen naturally you will become a much better golfer even if you dont have the "perfectly pro modern swing".

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I just saw this nice post.

I am making Bobby Jones my swing model for a number of reasons- his tempo and hip turn/weight shift are easy on my back. In fact it was apparently common in the classic era to load up the right side considerably with a nice hip turn and weight shift - Horton Smith is another good example. this type of swing generates plenty of speed without putting so much stress on the lower back. In fact I use Horton's exaggerated right side setup with my left knee actually forward of my right at address so it can go back easily. I have been doing this off and on (not on purpose) over the years but have recently decided that its something I need to do before each full swing.

I expect if Tiger had come out earlier instead of when he did when the the golf gurus decided a centered swing was superior(Couples and Norman are prime examples) he might have beaten Nicklaus record by now instead of injuring his left knee and back.

 

"Shirtsleeve" swing technique:

1. Setup: Elbows bent forearms pressed together against shaft slightly forward of center with "Hogan" "active/flexed" leg tension left foot turned out slightly and the right leg slightly farther to the right - weight mostly on balls of feet butt of left hands sits on the top of the grip with very light grip.

2. Swing - W/o disturbing weight distribution of legs and feet lower hands while doing a forward press "swing trigger" then the left upper arm takes over on the backswing, it needs to go out in front of the body then back in front of the chest as the hands trace down initially then up to over the right shoulder "Torres". The goal is to not disturb the pressure of the feet during the initial takeaway.

 

Notes:

1. Only swing thought after swing trigger - extend left arm at shirt sleeve when reaching left hand over right shoulder "Shirtsleeve technique".

2. The upper left arm move "Shirtsleeve technique" can be practiced independently without a club, sitting down for instance

3. The correct feet tension can be felt by doing very short hops on the balls of the feet then holding the same feeling of pressure on the front of the feet and then taking three practice swings with the grip very loose in order to not disturb the same pressure on the feet and on the 3rd swing actively do the "Shirtsleeve" move. From there the swing should be done within a matter of seconds to not lose the feel of the legs resisting, this way this is not a learned technique as much as it is a setup technique.

 

 

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LIke 30 years ago I read Bobby Jones on Golf and got tu understand the role of your hips in the swing. I developed a kind of hips based motion that made a very accurate player. A couple of decades later and seeing old reels of Bobby Jones I discovered the guy was way better than what he wrote. He was a genius. And his swing theory is timeless.

The guy was a natural loooong hitter. The type of swing he discusses must not be really what bombers these days are using, but Bobby Jones is the only case of a super golfer who can explain his swing.

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  • 2 years later...

Very recent convert to the Bobby Jones swing method. I’ve tried MDLT and Venetos swing method. Enough of that . 
 I’m actually getting good distance and shooting lower scores and it’s pretty easy on my 64 body. Now can’t say it’s a perfect copy of Jones but it looks similar. Drag club back and inside and my drives are heading toward 245 to 255 range when I was at 225 to 235 range. It’s actually moved me back to the regular tees. 

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Driver: Callaway Paradym 9 set to 10 Draw

3W Callaway  Epic Flash

5w Callaway Epic Flash
Hybrids: 4-5 Epic Flash    
               6-7 Big Bertha 

               7 Ping G430 played as an 8 

Irons: PXG Gen4 XP 9-GW

Wedges: PXG 0311 52 56 degree Forged

Putter: Odyssey Rossie Pro 2.0 

 

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I seriously doubt a handful of golfers would be able to have their downswing and impact and follow-through the same as Bobby Jones’.
 

Anyone can imitate his backswing but have you actually seen how he moved his lower body and club after that? It’s comparable to Hogan and is a better action than 99% of tour players today still.

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1 hour ago, golferdude54 said:

I seriously doubt a handful of golfers would be able to have their downswing and impact and follow-through the same as Bobby Jones’.
 

Anyone can imitate his backswing but have you actually seen how he moved his lower body and club after that? It’s comparable to Hogan and is a better action than 99% of tour players today still.

I will agree on that . My lower body can move but not nearly as much and that’s why old bones can’t be a long hitter .

Driver: Callaway Paradym 9 set to 10 Draw

3W Callaway  Epic Flash

5w Callaway Epic Flash
Hybrids: 4-5 Epic Flash    
               6-7 Big Bertha 

               7 Ping G430 played as an 8 

Irons: PXG Gen4 XP 9-GW

Wedges: PXG 0311 52 56 degree Forged

Putter: Odyssey Rossie Pro 2.0 

 

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Have been experimenting with Bobby Jones belief in a leisurely long backswing  with the driver & also incorporating the body arms/hands clubhead takeaway sequence. 

For an old person I am finding this (at moment ha ha!) Is working well. The key for me with this is to feel a slow  transition - it almost feels like a leisurely downswing with the speed sort of naturally increasing to the impact point.

 

I think Vijay Singh is also an advocate for a longer backswing for the senior golfer..obviously need some flexibility so it is not all arms.

 

Haven't given it a go with the irons though have been incorporating the clubhead lag takeaway a bit.

 

 

(Hopefully will be getting out the hickories as well soon and will give it a try with these)

 

 

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Yes.. sort of leads to a natural  soft wrist hinge.

It is gradually becoming a more natural move to start the takeaway but have to have a quick think rehearsal.

The other key for me that I am working on is the feel that the transition is  smooth & flows naturally - 'feels' sort of like slow motion-ish which allows 'plenty' of time for the lower body to initiate the down swing. When feel I get it right the whole swing feels very easy and flows or to use one of Bobby Jones favourite words "leisurely".

Early days.

 

Edited by Nickc
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I've had his entire set of videos for probably 8 years. I watch them regularly. So many good points to remember there. I also had the opportunity to walk through the Bobby Jones museum at Atlanta Athletic Club a few years back. It was surreal!

 

BT

 

Dr#1 Cobra Speedzone 10.5 – HZRDUS Yellow HC 65 TX @ 46”
Dr#2 Mizuno STZ 220 9.5 (10.5) - HZRDUS Smoke IM10 65 Low TX @ 46"

Mizuno ST190 15 - HZRDUS Smoke Yellow 70 TS @ 43"
Mizuno STZ 220 18- HZRDUS Smoke Yellow 70 TS @ 42"
Mizuno MP15 4-PW - Aldila RIP Tour 115 R
Cobra MIM Wedges 52, 56 & 60 – stock KBS Hi-Rev @ 35.5”

Odyssey V-Line Stroke Lab 33.5"
Grips - Grip Master Classic Wrap Midsize

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  • 3 months later...

One Jones key is cupping your wrist at the top and then yanking your trail elbow into your body going down to flatten it all out. His hinge was basically all cup, putting the shaft across the shoulders. No forearm rotation, club face at the ball the whole way. And the only reason he looks so flat going back is because he turns his hips/legs off the ball, in sync with his chest. Absolutely not throwing it inside, it actually feels the opposite, like the club never gets behind you. Then he swings very upright from there, he’s just got his entire body facing behind him. He only appears across the line because of the giant body turn. If he kept his hips relatively still like the modern swing it’d be a giant slice or pull. It’s a fun swing to emulate and produces a very high ball flight. 

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