I agree with you about Nick Faldo. His swing back in his prime was (and that swing still is) an excellent model for a golfer to build their swing after. While at times him or Leadbetter may have talked about resistance in the backswing at times it wasn't a completely locked up lower body. I remember in his Golf the Winning Formula book he actually talked about the stomach, right shoulder, and right hip rotating behind him over the right heel.
I was doing what would be considered the X factor swing for a long time, never had any back issues or anything, but I started to play around with straightening my right knee more, and I've been swinging really smoothly, and still getting around 118mph swing speed with the driver.
Very good information, especially for a senior golfer who has had to under lumbar back surgery most likely caused by the tight coil method (x factor) taught in the past. This "new swing" looks more like a Sam Snead swing, one that alloed him to play for a lifetime.
Now this is very funny you made this video… I’m 46 and have just started playing golf again after 23 years of not playing … the trail leg being bent is something that I have had the biggest thing taking out of my old swing .. I started playing again 4 months ago and in the first month back I had a knee brace on my right knee .. still working on the knees not being bent 😂
What is funny is I went the opposite with my swing change mid last year. Almost like stack/tilt. For someone who can’t practice for play much. The new style feel you need good re-centering, good weight shift and warmed up to have consistent low point. I went back to a swing with less weight shift, smaller backswing to have consistent round under 80. Plus distance was never an issue for me, I try to focus GIR as my golf goals
Nice video, it does partially sound familiar. When I had my first lessons in 1998, focus was on grip, swing plane and arms (left arm straight etc). Much longer ago, my mum was taught to keep her trail foot on the ground fully through the swing (!) After those first lessons, I never had one until last year (ouch in hindsight). Thankfully I had developed hip turn myself. Still ground pressure and low point after the ball were completely unknown concepts to me until last year. Since then I must have watched a million videos on what else I may have missed, like this one. Thumbs up.
Great vid - nice and simple. This is also how Sam Snead swing, swang, swung the club - forming a K with his legs in the backswing and then the second K on the follow through - the X factor is gimmicky BS. Nicklaus and many more also went K to K with their legs. It works.
I think we were all taught that back in the day. Golf Digest called that “Tiger Woods ‘X’ factor” … the difference between the shoulders turn and the hip turn (separation). Tiger could do it … us mere humans could not. Lots of back issues resulted from that 🙄 Now most encourage turning your hips on the backswing, any way you can (straightening the right leg, left heel off the ground, left knee canted in, etc) Love that “step drill” 👍🏻 Good stuff, Chris
Hi Chris, just watched your video “make 1 change and start crushing your 3 wood”. I was wondering when you place the tee in front of the ball, are you looking at the tee or the ball when swinging through? Thanks 🙏🏼
I have been stuck in the old way,was taught(especially irons) to keep the right knee flex. And to be fair you can feel the power built up..But I will certainly try to get more from this way..
Great lesson Chris! I would only add that it can also be helpful that we understand what not to do with these types of drills. Definitely need to watch out for swaying or weight moving to the outside of the trail foot otherwise all will be lost.
Yes, excellent. But, it's more a way of rediscovering the game post modern fundamentals. Bobby Jones tells us in his in video that the right leg should be able to straighten. But, that is the first drill to do, at 04.58, where you stretch and flex your right arm back. And, it is a really great exercise to keep stretching and flexing the arm back when it won't flex back any further. When you do this the arm will straighten and that will certainly straighten the right leg. And, when your arm straightens stretch it behind your back in line with the direction that your right foot points out.
I think consistency comes from a number of places and I think you could be consistent with either method. In my experience the ‘old way’ of resisting the legs causes golfers to have steeper swings or they tend to separate the arms more due to the lack of turn, that often leads to poorer downswing moves. Allowing the legs to rotate more helps the arms and backswing shape and makes it easier to hit solid shots, but do think you could be consistent with both
This step drill helps sequence the golf swing. 99% club golfers sequence in proper order and just late, or not even in the proper order at all. That in itself accommodates a lot of swing idiosyncrasies
I like the video though Nick Faldo is one of the purest strikers of the golf ball in the history of golf. If he wanted to hit it long, he also was able to do that.
SNF never spoke about or wrote about locking the hips, he wrote about having 40/45 degrees of hip turn which is what he had in his prime. He did write and talk about using the legs as stabilisers, moving the weight across and onto the right leg. But he included building into the right heel which requires the right hip to gain depth. Tiger was the pro who popularised the minimum hip turn look and principle, but he had the athletic ability and flexibility to turn incredibly well with that level of resistance. The weekend golfer does not have the strength or flexibility required and only invites injury trying to replicate.
Good explanation - but I cannot help noticing your bent lead arm when doing the towel drill and straight lead arm when hitting with clubs. This is a confusing inconsistency and does rather detract from your main points.
I can see that but very often exercises abs drills won’t 100% replicate the full swing, in fact it’s often better that way. This exercise is to allow the golfer to better understand how the body pivots, so yes the arm bends a little but I’m swinging a towel with a different weight to a club, different hold etc, the focus here should be on the body with thr towel and shoulder just as the reference
It's not really a new swing though, is it? It's basically the old swing of Hogan and, Snead, etc - they all did that movement with the hips and trail leg. This is just a correction back from the cr8p that Leadbetter was teaching, and that he doesn't teach anymore as he realises it was wrong. Faldo is a big guy, he should have been able to hit much longer than he did, he was basically swinging well within himself and Leadbetter just brought his fadey swing back to something a bit normal, but then screwed it up again later with stupid ideas about releasing his trail arm angle early.
Nope..can't do it. I move forward, my head goes forward I hit it thin..I try to keep my head back and is actually worse. For now stay loaded on the left and swing thru on the downswing. The momentum carries me for ward.
The irony is Fado obviously won majors and was a great player in his time, but he hit the ball nowhere, despite being much bigger than most people realize.
I agree with you about Nick Faldo. His swing back in his prime was (and that swing still is) an excellent model for a golfer to build their swing after. While at times him or Leadbetter may have talked about resistance in the backswing at times it wasn't a completely locked up lower body. I remember in his Golf the Winning Formula book he actually talked about the stomach, right shoulder, and right hip rotating behind him over the right heel.
This towel swing idea worked exactly as you described for the hips. The two club step forward tip is brilliant! Thank you - Boston Mass
I was doing what would be considered the X factor swing for a long time, never had any back issues or anything, but I started to play around with straightening my right knee more, and I've been swinging really smoothly, and still getting around 118mph swing speed with the driver.
Very good information, especially for a senior golfer who has had to under lumbar back surgery most likely caused by the tight coil method (x factor) taught in the past. This "new swing" looks more like a Sam Snead swing, one that alloed him to play for a lifetime.
Now this is very funny you made this video… I’m 46 and have just started playing golf again after 23 years of not playing … the trail leg being bent is something that I have had the biggest thing taking out of my old swing .. I started playing again 4 months ago and in the first month back I had a knee brace on my right knee .. still working on the knees not being bent 😂
What is funny is I went the opposite with my swing change mid last year. Almost like stack/tilt. For someone who can’t practice for play much. The new style feel you need good re-centering, good weight shift and warmed up to have consistent low point. I went back to a swing with less weight shift, smaller backswing to have consistent round under 80. Plus distance was never an issue for me, I try to focus GIR as my golf goals
Nice video, it does partially sound familiar. When I had my first lessons in 1998, focus was on grip, swing plane and arms (left arm straight etc). Much longer ago, my mum was taught to keep her trail foot on the ground fully through the swing (!)
After those first lessons, I never had one until last year (ouch in hindsight). Thankfully I had developed hip turn myself. Still ground pressure and low point after the ball were completely unknown concepts to me until last year. Since then I must have watched a million videos on what else I may have missed, like this one. Thumbs up.
Great vid - nice and simple. This is also how Sam Snead swing, swang, swung the club - forming a K with his legs in the backswing and then the second K on the follow through - the X factor is gimmicky BS. Nicklaus and many more also went K to K with their legs. It works.
X Factor produced an lot of Back Injury’s period !!!
@@Thataintnothing most notably Tiger.
@@canyounot5598 👍 Yup!
I think we were all taught that back in the day.
Golf Digest called that “Tiger Woods ‘X’ factor”
… the difference between the shoulders turn and the hip turn (separation).
Tiger could do it
… us mere humans could not.
Lots of back issues resulted from that 🙄
Now most encourage turning your hips on the backswing, any way you can (straightening the right leg, left heel off the ground, left knee canted in, etc)
Love that “step drill” 👍🏻
Good stuff, Chris
Thanks and so true, athletes like Tiger can move that way…… most of us however, not so much!
Excellent drill. I always grab two clubs and swing freely to loosen up and feel the turn.
Hi Chris, just watched your video “make 1 change and start crushing your 3 wood”. I was wondering when you place the tee in front of the ball, are you looking at the tee or the ball when swinging through? Thanks 🙏🏼
Chris amazing drill ..love this feeling of free movement..that will be my warm up every day..thanks
Thanks 🙌
I have been stuck in the old way,was taught(especially irons) to keep the right knee flex. And to be fair you can feel the power built up..But I will certainly try to get more from this way..
Thanks Chris hope it helps
Great lesson Chris! I would only add that it can also be helpful that we understand what not to do with these types of drills. Definitely need to watch out for swaying or weight moving to the outside of the trail foot otherwise all will be lost.
Agreed, I think any swing change has its risks and moving technically to a different place should be done with caution as you say
Yes, excellent. But, it's more a way of rediscovering the game post modern fundamentals. Bobby Jones tells us in his in video that the right leg should be able to straighten. But, that is the first drill to do, at 04.58, where you stretch and flex your right arm back. And, it is a really great exercise to keep stretching and flexing the arm back when it won't flex back any further. When you do this the arm will straighten and that will certainly straighten the right leg. And, when your arm straightens stretch it behind your back in line with the direction that your right foot points out.
Is there a part 2 to this video. Great information
extremely awesome!
Good one!
Well done Chris 👏 😊
On the back swing ,Does the right knee just loss a little flex or become straight ? Please?
Does all depend on how much hip then you have, but for most the leg will lose a little flex but probably never enough to be straight
I have a issue of tightening up in my swing
How does this new swing help with consistency? Not convinced this is the best advice for us the amateurs.
I think consistency comes from a number of places and I think you could be consistent with either method. In my experience the ‘old way’ of resisting the legs causes golfers to have steeper swings or they tend to separate the arms more due to the lack of turn, that often leads to poorer downswing moves. Allowing the legs to rotate more helps the arms and backswing shape and makes it easier to hit solid shots, but do think you could be consistent with both
This step drill helps sequence the golf swing. 99% club golfers sequence in proper order and just late, or not even in the proper order at all. That in itself accommodates a lot of swing idiosyncrasies
All the great golfers before the x factor era let everything turn !!
Absolutely! All the beautiful and efficient swings throughout history are more like this than the Faldo era stuff.👌🏻
Chris, seems to me that you really need to keep the transition slow, in order to create that stretch. True ?
Definitely helps, not that slow but well timed is key
I like the video though Nick Faldo is one of the purest strikers of the golf ball in the history of golf. If he wanted to hit it long, he also was able to do that.
Agreed a phenomenal player, loved watching him
SNF never spoke about or wrote about locking the hips, he wrote about having 40/45 degrees of hip turn which is what he had in his prime. He did write and talk about using the legs as stabilisers, moving the weight across and onto the right leg. But he included building into the right heel which requires the right hip to gain depth. Tiger was the pro who popularised the minimum hip turn look and principle, but he had the athletic ability and flexibility to turn incredibly well with that level of resistance. The weekend golfer does not have the strength or flexibility required and only invites injury trying to replicate.
If that shotgun sound was only a second earlier when you hit the ball it would’ve been epic!
🤣🤣 always scares the life out of me! It’s when they do a shotgun start on the golf course
That X-factor bs has ruined a lot of backs
Good explanation - but I cannot help noticing your bent lead arm when doing the towel drill and straight lead arm when hitting with clubs. This is a confusing inconsistency and does rather detract from your main points.
I can see that but very often exercises abs drills won’t 100% replicate the full swing, in fact it’s often better that way. This exercise is to allow the golfer to better understand how the body pivots, so yes the arm bends a little but I’m swinging a towel with a different weight to a club, different hold etc, the focus here should be on the body with thr towel and shoulder just as the reference
@@ChrisRyanGolf I get that Chris and it is a great exercise for the lower body - very helpful! Thank you!
Absolutely. All tuned out when I saw that.
It's not really a new swing though, is it? It's basically the old swing of Hogan and, Snead, etc - they all did that movement with the hips and trail leg. This is just a correction back from the cr8p that Leadbetter was teaching, and that he doesn't teach anymore as he realises it was wrong. Faldo is a big guy, he should have been able to hit much longer than he did, he was basically swinging well within himself and Leadbetter just brought his fadey swing back to something a bit normal, but then screwed it up again later with stupid ideas about releasing his trail arm angle early.
Faldo and Leadbetter killed distance
Nope..can't do it. I move forward, my head goes forward I hit it thin..I try to keep my head back and is actually worse. For now stay loaded on the left and swing thru on the downswing. The momentum carries me for ward.
I agree. Keeping my weight on the left side is the only way I can consistently compress the ball.
“This swing will work with everything”
I dunno man, feels kinda weird swingin a putter around like this
🤣🤣🤣 stick with it it will come good 🤣
The irony is Fado obviously won majors and was a great player in his time, but he hit the ball nowhere, despite being much bigger than most people realize.
Mr. Ryan, please shave your beard. It's looks terrible. Also, I suggest you eliminate the back swing. It's unnecessary.
😂 keeping the beard, but thinking a new UA-cam channel could be an idea called, ‘the bearded golfer with no backswing’
I reckon that has legs 🙌
@@ChrisRyanGolf Do a video showing no back swing. Chris.
Nonsense. I love the beard. No backswing? What sport were you looking for on this channel?