I just want to say that I watched this yesterday. Took the ideas from this video to the range and I could not believe it - I think I added 20-30 yards on all clubs. And my slice was mostly gone. My driver and Hybrid I think traveled 40-50 yards more than before, and straight! A righty playing lefty! I hope to put more practice into my swing as 6 years worth of trying to play golf cannot be fully unlearned after a bucket on the range. But getting there! Thanks, was exactly what was needed for my a bit off swing.
That’s awesome! Glad you found my channel! Don’t forget to like, subscribe and share! Yes the unlearning curve is real but when you get such great improvements right away it makes it happen faster. Good luck and let me know if I can help further. Cheers!
2 years into playing in my late 30’s. I am left handed but golf right because that’s how I used to bat as a kid. This video is mind opening for my issues. I’m in bed for the night and all I want to do is hit the range.
@@CraigHocknullGolf 275, never seen that before. I have this video saved on my phone now. Really appreciate your insight and teaching style. Thanks Craig, gonna reply again when I see 300
I’m left handed playing right and been under instruction and watching golf vids on YT continually for the past three years in an effort to improve my distance and ball striking. None have until now. Thanks bud.👍
Really good narration.. you speak extremely clearly and are easy to follow along. I too have recently switched left to right... I will definitely take these notes to a practice session.. If you're ever in Vegas... I'd love to book a session.
Play golf with whichever hand you are naturally comfortable with. There are many right-handed dominant people who play hockey shooting left and/or bat left in baseball because they prefer their dominant right hand to be steering the top of the hockey stick or baseball/cricket bat. There are also many left-handed dominant people who are precisely the same in reverse in both hockey, baseball/cricket and golf, and shoot right-handed in those sports. There are also naturally left-handed dominant people like Bubba Watson who shoot left in golf, and everything else. I've also played golf with people who actually shoot left in hockey, but then turn around and play golf right-handed. Again, play golf with whichever hand you are naturally comfortable with! There is no gospel rule dictating which way one should shoot in golf. *As this video clip illustrates, executing the correct swing mechanics while using correctly fitted clubs are by far the most important dynamics to be concerned with, whether one shoots left or right in golf.*
Thanks for the compliment and nice points you bring up. Most people that I coach who play golf from the side of their non-dominant hand do so because they started doing that as a kid. Mickelson mimicked his dad from the mirror opposite side and became a lefty but then throws a ball righty. In the other sports you mentioned like hockey and hurling the stronger arm lifts and carries the stick and steers the puck. In baseball and cricket and golf most play from the same side as their dominant hand. I believe that if you are picking up the sport of golf for the first time and wondering which side to play from, I would encourage you to use the same side as you would throw a ball. In my opinion most golfers who play the best starting as adults do so using their throwing arm as their dominant arm in golf and play from that same side.
@@CraigHocknullGolf And I would be totally agnostic to this, and suggest to anyone that they play golf with whichever hand they are most comfortable with. Although I am right-handed dominant, I could never imagine playing golf right-handed with any degree of skill, dexterity, or consistency. Lefty hockey player, lefty golfer, lefty batter. Always and forever, for me.
@tonyk501 you are welcome to be agnostic on this I on the other hand have seen tremendous benefits of guiding my students into the direction that I see most bio mechanically sound. Now that being said, most adults have learned to “play the game” from one side and even though the bio mechanical evidence supports switching for “better ball hitting” the return on this investment is usually not worth it. I caddied for Mac O’Grady who is probably the best golfer in the world from both sides. I can play left handed and right handed and almost switched in 2014 due to a hand injury. However my golf experience and IQ for “playing the game” would never be matched so I just waited until I healed better. I’m glad I did because now I’m playing better and hitting the ball further than I ever have. I’ll keep teaching my beginners to play from the same side as they would throw a ball until I find evidence to the counter. Thanks again for your comments!
@@CraigHocknullGolf I do not consider anyone who has previously grown up playing hockey a true "beginner" in golf, as the genetic imprint and influence of being a left-handed shooting hockey player may override everything else. Baseball would be more similar to a golf swing, however, so odds are good that a right-handed batter in baseball will also feel more comfortable playing golf right-handed. The best advice as a child Mike Weir ever got was a return letter from Jack Nicklaus advising him to stick with playing golf as a lefty if that felt more comfortable for him. Do you think he would have won the 2003 Masters in Augusta if he decided to play golf right-handed instead? He probably never would have made the professional ranks. Same goes for Phil Mickelson, who is one of the greatest hall-of-famers we will ever see. Brian Harman and Robert MacIntyre are also a right-handed dominant players who both play golf left-handed. Insisting that all the guys mentioned above should have instead played golf right-handed is *utterly and patently absurd* .
@tonyk501 For every example that you have mentioned there are contradictory examples. I can tell from your last sentence that you are passionate about this. I take my role as a coach very seriously and have been playing and coaching at a very high level for a very long time. I can sleep soundly at night knowing that my advice comes from a very well educated and informed place. Sighting and example of Weir to explain a point is unfair to Mike Weirs mental strength, athleticism etc etc. We will never know if he could have made it on tour or in fact won even more tournaments because his choice of swing direction is just one part of it. Again I agree that if someone is athletically inclined such as hockey to play from a given side then I would also encourage them to do so. There are however people who are beginners who have played very little to no stick and ball sports who have thrown a ball or skipped a stone and those are the people whom I’m referring to. Hopefully you can read my comment entire comment before judging me as “absurd”.
Thank you. Your tips have put me back on the road to improvement. I had been away from the game for years, mainly due to frustration, and when I returned I even dabbled with switching back to left handed although my technique was awful at least I could hit the ball a reasonable distance. My pro suggested though that I persevere with right handed and that he would improve my ball striking. Your video, followed by some time on the range, has given me the motivation and I already see a huge improvement both with my driver and irons off the deck.
@@CraigHocknullGolf Mate, if I had to reduce it down to a single thing I would say that it was getting the swish into the quadrant before hitting the ball. It meant I was taking a divot after the ball (something I had rarely been able to do before) as well as adding distance by achieving release through the ball. Playing right handed I don't have the same natural hand to eye coordination but using your tips I am beginning to overcome that with technique. Hey, the control isn't too too bad even with the added club head speed. I've even developed a slight draw rather than a miss hit fade.
A gold mine. I’m naturally left handed and play right handed. I haven’t put it to practice as I just watched this. But he has some of the same issues I do and I think this is going to help. Time will tell.
@-stoyvensen-3325 Give it a try! I’ve been successfully helping my students for the last 25 years! There is a lot of trendy nonsense on YT that hasn’t proven itself out. It’s like key word click bait. Let me know how it goes!
I just saw this video and thought since I am a lefty playing right handed this would be perfect for me, but not entirely. I was a really good left handed tennis player with a great backhand, so I thought the right handed golf swing is just like a left hand tennis swing. But, it turns out the right delivers the power and mine is just along for the ride. There is another guy on UA-cam, Marcus Edblad, that describes this problem and what he does and how he gets the railing hand to add to the power. One fast hand and one slow hand. Also a ten finger grip will help this too. Try swinging with some gap between the two hands to feel how the two hands add power, push with the right and pull or slow down will the left.
Yes, it’s definitely a two handed sport. It’s all about leveraging the tool appropriately. In some cases it’s better to disable the weak hand and let the more powerful hand take over. If you’re able to activate both hands and use both for power, that’s even better. Hope my video explanation was helpful for you!
Exactly the same but vice versa. I’m natural right handed. Played tennis and had a great backhand. Played softball and hit it left handed, same with golf playing left handed. Marcus edblad instructions are really helpful yeah.
I find that working on basic fundamentals that have a bio mechanical foundation is the best approach to protecting the athlete from injury and also giving them the best tools to succeed under tournament pressure. I love seeing athletes figure out how to excel while doing it their own way. My only concern is that the mind is more powerful than the body and when someone puts their mind to making a poor athletic movement despite the risk of injury they often will succeed and push their bodies too far for the sake of a lower score and ultimately work themselves into permanent injury.
as a brand new 1 month golfer..im so grateful you posted this. im left handed playing righty. my swing went up 15 mph. do you offer trainings for beginners?
been searching youtube a couple years for exactly this as i am left arm dominant playing righty. My numbers are similar to his or less. However unlike him and you said it plainly but there was not advice for it.......he had also good speed with his trail arm. My trail arm is extremely slower than my left. If I look at speed analyzers I am a good 10 or more mph slower with the left. But the combined to arm swing is a touch faster than just my left arm alone. What is the tweak or remedy for this.
I would improve the speed and coordination of your slower arm to improve your combined speed. We all tend to only be as fast as our weakest link. Hope that helps!
Right hand dominant but play golf from the left side. Struggling with low swing speed which is probably due to pulling the right hand through which causes me not to release the club properly. Could I apply the early release per your video and would it work? Thanks
Exactly. Your leverage hand is the left hand in this case. Speed it up with some swishes and throws and you’ll start hitting it further! Let me know how it goes!
Thanks Craig - this is the best, clearest and (hopefully) most useful advice I've ever seen in 40 years as a left-arm dominant right-handed golfer! I'll give it a try at the range this week & let you know how it goes. One question - I have always been under the impression that I should try keep maintain a straight left arm but this just doesn't work for me - it seems from your video that it's fine for the left elbow to bend towards the top of the backswing so long as you deliver the power early in the downswing (chopping the wood) which naturally will get your arm into the correct position - is this right? Also, interested to know your thoughts on taking a weaker grip (for a left-hand dominant player) to prevent closing the clubface (I have a tendency to hook with a normal-strong grip). Thanks!
Yes all of that is correct! Bend both arms and smash but when you release the club don’t roll the wrists over. The early smash should travel through the ball with the back of your left hand releasing like a frisbee throw not a roll over! Hope that helps! Let me know!
Such an important video, lefty playing right also. Great content. I’m trying to figure out if it’s more of a frisbee release/no roll as you mentioned, would I need a flat left wrist/square to closed face at the top then throw it, or am I misinterpreting? Thx again.
Step 1. Is try and do the frisbee throw and determine how your hands release. Learn what ball flight is produced. Step 2. Change your grip or club face to effect the desired change. I’ve seen both weak and strong grips work.
1:01:00 Hi Craig, thank you for doing this video. I have the exact same situation as Gary in this video. I just purchased a Saber 2.0 and wondering as the left-hander, playing right handed should I be trying to chunk/hammer down with the heavy end or the light end? Also should I be working to try and hear a swish as near to the top of the downswing as possible? I’m not sure, but I don’t hear the snow swoosh with the Saber during the downswing. I am thinking that I’m not hearing the swoosh or the rollerball because of the weight of the trainer, itself. Thank you for your help! Clif
Hi! So did you receive the welcome email with all of the videos? The heavy end is just for working on strength and mobility. The “lite” end is for snapping the ball and speed and timing. What are you hoping to improve?
@@CraigHocknullGolf Hey Craig, definitely trying to work on increasing my speed! I too, am ‘sneaky-short’. As a natural left hander playing right handed, and struggling with a lack of distance. I have been playing golf for over 30 years and have never heard it explained about ‘chucking the club from the top’. I understand what you’re saying about having the left arm backhanding into the ball, not being as powerful as a forehand swing. I found your video in October, just as we were closing down the golf season here in Michigan. I have been swinging a shaft in the garage to hear the swish as soon as possible when I start to downswing with a throwing motion. Hearing that golf is primarily taught to right handed players with the right hand being on the dominant side. I just want to make sure that I am maximizing my work with the Saber. My experiences and distances were the same as Gary's, in his video lesson. My nine iron goes 125 yards total, and my 7 iron goes about 145 yards, total. Driver is 200-210 total on a good day :-( Recently working on taking my hands high, with simultaneous side crunch to take a divot as I generally come over the top and finish with low hands with no divot. Iron swing speed is about 70 mph. Driver swing speed is about 80 mph. I also had my irons bent 2 degrees up. Contact has been much better. I did get the registration email with the videos links. Are there specific drills that I should be focusing on with my Saber, as a lefty, that is playing right handed? You have a wealth of great information! Thank you so much! Looking forward to having my best season ever at age 64! Clif
Use the shaft to both backhand swish with the left hand and then forehand swish with the right hand. Whichever arm is the weak link for speed spend more time swishing with that arm. As far as timing, use both arms and hands to swish the saber from the lite end and try to get the ball to snap back by your right foot so you can develop a great push and throw with the right arm. You’ll probably see the greatest gains by activating the right arm throw. It’s not really a right hand vs left hand thing is more about bio-mechanics and leveraging the club properly. I can play both right and left handed and I have to switch my brain from throwing with the right hand when playing righty, to throwing the left arm when swinging lefty. Hope this helps!
@@CraigHocknullGolf Thank you for your guidance. One of my initial takeaways is that I need to trust crunch/throwing into the downswing. I’m starting to feel that I’m putting my hands into my trail pocket. Chucking where it feels like I’m going to hit myself in the trail ankle with the club head, but it actually misses my leg on the downswing.
Hi Craig. On the throwing from the top/hammer down from the top. Should both thumbs be on the side of the shaft as opposed to being on top of the shaft?
Been watching all your video. So great. Two questions: what muscles are you using to start the throw out? And what exercises can I use to help increase that throw out ? Thanks so much
I’m glad my videos are helping. Good question. For me the throwing motion is very similar to throwing a ball. All the same muscles that I would use to skip a rock or throw a baseball or cricket ball low and side arm are the ones that I use. To be specific those are Lat muscles, triceps and forearm muscles.
Interesting philosophy. I'll have to give it a try. I'm 100% left handed but golf right handed. I've been looking for a videos that address my situation. The part I find most curious is the "earlier" release to hear the swish before the ball, to get the club to load or flex sooner...it makes sense but goes against some of the conventional teaching. The interesting thing is that the Trackman numbers don't lie. The gentlemen you gave this lesson to increased club head speed and, as a result, longer carry, total distance and accuracy as well...what more could a guy want :) Thank you!!!
G'day Dave Tony from Australia. I am a leftie and play right handed and have been researching like you :). Don't know if this helps but I have come to the conclusion that conventional teaching is geared towards right handed people playing right handed and the inherent problems a strong right side and hand create for the right hander in the swing. We have the opposite going on and after years of adopting right hand right swing technique, its become clear to me that much of it is counter intuitive to what is required for a leftie to swing the club well. Happy golfing. Cheers Tony
@@TonyB683 great comment. I have a question for you. I am a lefty who plays left-handed but videos of my swing look much better when I swing right handed. I used to swing right handed but a teacher switched me to lefty. I don’t remember why. I’m thinking of switching back to righty. Sound confusing? Do you see advantages to being a lefty playing right handed as opposed to a lefty playing left-handed?
@@jawjuh1005 Hi Jawyuh, when I started playing at 14 I did have the option available to me of left hand clubs and my dad who was right hand played left handed. I tried left hand but felt more comfortable playing right handed for some reason. I think possibly because I played a lot of backyard cricket right handed, but then I could have elected to bat left handed from a very young age but interestingly I didn't, and even more interesting my mother would challenge anyone any time they might try to change me to do something right handed :) I don't feel any advantages playing right handed when left hand dominant, in fact Brian has provided me with the realisation that following normal golf tuition for right hand dominant people that play right handed (which is what 85% percent of instruction and technique in books etc. is geared to) may actually in some cases harm the quest for improvement in my swing. In one extended lesson with Brian, I have made unbelievable progress, which all comes down to understanding what the main problem with my swing is i.e. the right hand is not being used correctly. There are other inherent faults Brian and I have to work on no doubt, but this has been an excellent start. In summary, I think before you make a decision that it would be helpful to discuss your thinking with Brian. In my case I am now 62 and to change sides is out of the question. Hope this has been of some help. Merry Christmas. Cheers Tony
I switched a student last year from righty to lefty but she was a beginner and should never have been righty. I always recommend using your best throwing arm as the prime mover.
@@CraigHocknullGolf day three and I’m seeing angles and wrist conditions I never was able to find. My power isn’t there yet, but the feels are great and I have so much more knowledge on the swing now compared to when I picked back up 2.5 years ago. Loving the process it’s making me fall back in love with the game. Plateauing on the low 80s was frustrating. My short game and putting have been holding it all together, my ball striking and long and mid irons have always been found lacking.
Craig, I am also a left handed playing righty, I did buy the saber a few months ago, and just got back from a golf trip. Is this throw the same with the saber. I could no make good contact with the ball.
@@CraigHocknullGolf Craig, at the end of last season, when I found your video on UA-cam, i went out and increased my 6 iron from 145 to almost 175. I went on this golf trip to FLA, had not had a lot of time to practice, but when I tried to do the throw early/chop wood, I could not make contact with the ball. The weather was very bad, started off in the 40s and two day were in the high 50s, and windy. I am not sure if that and the fact that we were by the golf (Destin FLA) played a lot to do with my game (I also had 3-4 layers on just to keep warm) I felt like I was hitting off the sand even if I was in the fairway, and the ground was very sandy.. If I thinned the ball, I would try to throw harder, and then I would hit it fat.
Watch this video as it relates to timing. Also yes the environment you were in / clothing issues doesn’t sound like it helped. ua-cam.com/video/MHg2PCH3r4Y/v-deo.html
Club fitting is always part of my lessons however having the correct shaft won’t increase your distance unless the old shaft you were using was completely wrong. Even increasing your club head speed by 1 mile an hour is better than any shaft change. As you’ll see in many of my videos my students have increased their speed dramatically in-spite of having back issues etc. I’d encourage you to learn from the videos to optimize your swing first then optimize the shaft second. If you can improve 5-10 mph club head speed that’s an entirely different shaft selection.
@Craig Hocknull Golf I understand, at my age...and back. Swinging harder is not helping. I think we have one speed when you get to a certain age/physical health. Cheers 🍻
One of my students is 88 and has increased hand speed for more distance. Another student has a complete spinal fusion as a result of surviving a commercial plane crash and he’s now playing golf again with much longer clubs and faster hand speed. As long as you have the curiosity to learn and love the process anything is possible!
Does it work in reverse?????I am a dominant right hand player (tennis) but to avoid slice steaming out from overuse of right hand I lead and go through the ball with the left arm. It is particularly useful when, due to their age people cannot use correctly their lower body to follow!
If the ball is curving too much that’s a technique problem. Grip problem, club face or path manipulation problem. As far as power goes, the dominant arm should be the most active and in most cases should be the trail arm but as long as the golfer knows how to uses their lead arm if that’s the dominant arm it is also very effective. Choosing to use your non dominant lead arm because it works better usually tells me that there is some other issues. Hope that helps!
Fantastic lesson for all of us lefties playing right handed...so many great tips....just brilliant
You’re welcome thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This is the best golf lesson I have ever seen - deserves a million views
Thank you! I guess in due time!
Same, lefty always played right. This is actually really good 🎉!
Thank you! Glad I can help!
I just want to say that I watched this yesterday. Took the ideas from this video to the range and I could not believe it - I think I added 20-30 yards on all clubs. And my slice was mostly gone. My driver and Hybrid I think traveled 40-50 yards more than before, and straight! A righty playing lefty!
I hope to put more practice into my swing as 6 years worth of trying to play golf cannot be fully unlearned after a bucket on the range. But getting there!
Thanks, was exactly what was needed for my a bit off swing.
That’s awesome! Glad you found my channel! Don’t forget to like, subscribe and share! Yes the unlearning curve is real but when you get such great improvements right away it makes it happen faster. Good luck and let me know if I can help further. Cheers!
2 years into playing in my late 30’s. I am left handed but golf right because that’s how I used to bat as a kid. This video is mind opening for my issues. I’m in bed for the night and all I want to do is hit the range.
Hopefully you get some good practice in your sleep. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
@@CraigHocknullGolf 275, never seen that before. I have this video saved on my phone now. Really appreciate your insight and teaching style. Thanks Craig, gonna reply again when I see 300
Awesome! Hope you’re enjoying the process!
I’m left handed playing right and been under instruction and watching golf vids on YT continually for the past three years in an effort to improve my distance and ball striking. None have until now. Thanks bud.👍
You are very welcome! Glad you found me 😀
Excellent lesson.
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Gary is lucky to have Craig transforming his swing to gain more distance which is all weekend golfers yearning for.
Thank you for the positive comment!
Huge opportunity for viewers lots of us out there.
Thank you! Just trying to help!
Really good narration.. you speak extremely clearly and are easy to follow along.
I too have recently switched left to right... I will definitely take these notes to a practice session.. If you're ever in Vegas... I'd love to book a session.
Cool! I’m glad you are enjoying my channel! Where in Vegas do you play?
Play golf with whichever hand you are naturally comfortable with.
There are many right-handed dominant people who play hockey shooting left and/or bat left in baseball because they prefer their dominant right hand to be steering the top of the hockey stick or baseball/cricket bat.
There are also many left-handed dominant people who are precisely the same in reverse in both hockey, baseball/cricket and golf, and shoot right-handed in those sports.
There are also naturally left-handed dominant people like Bubba Watson who shoot left in golf, and everything else.
I've also played golf with people who actually shoot left in hockey, but then turn around and play golf right-handed.
Again, play golf with whichever hand you are naturally comfortable with!
There is no gospel rule dictating which way one should shoot in golf.
*As this video clip illustrates, executing the correct swing mechanics while using correctly fitted clubs are by far the most important dynamics to be concerned with, whether one shoots left or right in golf.*
Thanks for the compliment and nice points you bring up. Most people that I coach who play golf from the side of their non-dominant hand do so because they started doing that as a kid. Mickelson mimicked his dad from the mirror opposite side and became a lefty but then throws a ball righty. In the other sports you mentioned like hockey and hurling the stronger arm lifts and carries the stick and steers the puck. In baseball and cricket and golf most play from the same side as their dominant hand. I believe that if you are picking up the sport of golf for the first time and wondering which side to play from, I would encourage you to use the same side as you would throw a ball. In my opinion most golfers who play the best starting as adults do so using their throwing arm as their dominant arm in golf and play from that same side.
@@CraigHocknullGolf And I would be totally agnostic to this, and suggest to anyone that they play golf with whichever hand they are most comfortable with. Although I am right-handed dominant, I could never imagine playing golf right-handed with any degree of skill, dexterity, or consistency. Lefty hockey player, lefty golfer, lefty batter. Always and forever, for me.
@tonyk501 you are welcome to be agnostic on this I on the other hand have seen tremendous benefits of guiding my students into the direction that I see most bio mechanically sound. Now that being said, most adults have learned to “play the game” from one side and even though the bio mechanical evidence supports switching for “better ball hitting” the return on this investment is usually not worth it. I caddied for Mac O’Grady who is probably the best golfer in the world from both sides. I can play left handed and right handed and almost switched in 2014 due to a hand injury. However my golf experience and IQ for “playing the game” would never be matched so I just waited until I healed better. I’m glad I did because now I’m playing better and hitting the ball further than I ever have. I’ll keep teaching my beginners to play from the same side as they would throw a ball until I find evidence to the counter. Thanks again for your comments!
@@CraigHocknullGolf I do not consider anyone who has previously grown up playing hockey a true "beginner" in golf, as the genetic imprint and influence of being a left-handed shooting hockey player may override everything else.
Baseball would be more similar to a golf swing, however, so odds are good that a right-handed batter in baseball will also feel more comfortable playing golf right-handed.
The best advice as a child Mike Weir ever got was a return letter from Jack Nicklaus advising him to stick with playing golf as a lefty if that felt more comfortable for him. Do you think he would have won the 2003 Masters in Augusta if he decided to play golf right-handed instead? He probably never would have made the professional ranks. Same goes for Phil Mickelson, who is one of the greatest hall-of-famers we will ever see.
Brian Harman and Robert MacIntyre are also a right-handed dominant players who both play golf left-handed.
Insisting that all the guys mentioned above should have instead played golf right-handed is *utterly and patently absurd* .
@tonyk501 For every example that you have mentioned there are contradictory examples. I can tell from your last sentence that you are passionate about this. I take my role as a coach very seriously and have been playing and coaching at a very high level for a very long time. I can sleep soundly at night knowing that my advice comes from a very well educated and informed place. Sighting and example of Weir to explain a point is unfair to Mike Weirs mental strength, athleticism etc etc. We will never know if he could have made it on tour or in fact won even more tournaments because his choice of swing direction is just one part of it. Again I agree that if someone is athletically inclined such as hockey to play from a given side then I would also encourage them to do so. There are however people who are beginners who have played very little to no stick and ball sports who have thrown a ball or skipped a stone and those are the people whom I’m referring to. Hopefully you can read my comment entire comment before judging me as “absurd”.
Thank you. Your tips have put me back on the road to improvement. I had been away from the game for years, mainly due to frustration, and when I returned I even dabbled with switching back to left handed although my technique was awful at least I could hit the ball a reasonable distance. My pro suggested though that I persevere with right handed and that he would improve my ball striking. Your video, followed by some time on the range, has given me the motivation and I already see a huge improvement both with my driver and irons off the deck.
Love it! What was your lightbulb moment?
@@CraigHocknullGolf Mate, if I had to reduce it down to a single thing I would say that it was getting the swish into the quadrant before hitting the ball. It meant I was taking a divot after the ball (something I had rarely been able to do before) as well as adding distance by achieving release through the ball. Playing right handed I don't have the same natural hand to eye coordination but using your tips I am beginning to overcome that with technique. Hey, the control isn't too too bad even with the added club head speed. I've even developed a slight draw rather than a miss hit fade.
Awesome! That makes sense because the trail arm for the golfer is so important even if it’s not the dominant arm. Cheers!
A gold mine.
I’m naturally left handed and play right handed.
I haven’t put it to practice as I just watched this. But he has some of the same issues I do and I think this is going to help. Time will tell.
I’m glad you found my video helpful! Hopefully you subscribe and tell your friends about the great information you see! Cheers!
@@CraigHocknullGolf the instruction seems to go against everything I hear from other instructors online. But, what you say in the video makes sense.
@-stoyvensen-3325 Give it a try! I’ve been successfully helping my students for the last 25 years! There is a lot of trendy nonsense on YT that hasn’t proven itself out. It’s like key word click bait. Let me know how it goes!
I just saw this video and thought since I am a lefty playing right handed this would be perfect for me, but not entirely. I was a really good left handed tennis player with a great backhand, so I thought the right handed golf swing is just like a left hand tennis swing. But, it turns out the right delivers the power and mine is just along for the ride. There is another guy on UA-cam, Marcus Edblad, that describes this problem and what he does and how he gets the railing hand to add to the power. One fast hand and one slow hand. Also a ten finger grip will help this too. Try swinging with some gap between the two hands to feel how the two hands add power, push with the right and pull or slow down will the left.
Yes, it’s definitely a two handed sport. It’s all about leveraging the tool appropriately. In some cases it’s better to disable the weak hand and let the more powerful hand take over. If you’re able to activate both hands and use both for power, that’s even better. Hope my video explanation was helpful for you!
Exactly the same but vice versa. I’m natural right handed. Played tennis and had a great backhand. Played softball and hit it left handed, same with golf playing left handed. Marcus edblad instructions are really helpful yeah.
I find that working on basic fundamentals that have a bio mechanical foundation is the best approach to protecting the athlete from injury and also giving them the best tools to succeed under tournament pressure. I love seeing athletes figure out how to excel while doing it their own way. My only concern is that the mind is more powerful than the body and when someone puts their mind to making a poor athletic movement despite the risk of injury they often will succeed and push their bodies too far for the sake of a lower score and ultimately work themselves into permanent injury.
as a brand new 1 month golfer..im so grateful you posted this. im left handed playing righty. my swing went up 15 mph. do you offer trainings for beginners?
Yes I do in person in New York and online also.
been searching youtube a couple years for exactly this as i am left arm dominant playing righty. My numbers are similar to his or less. However unlike him and you said it plainly but there was not advice for it.......he had also good speed with his trail arm. My trail arm is extremely slower than my left. If I look at speed analyzers I am a good 10 or more mph slower with the left. But the combined to arm swing is a touch faster than just my left arm alone. What is the tweak or remedy for this.
I would improve the speed and coordination of your slower arm to improve your combined speed. We all tend to only be as fast as our weakest link. Hope that helps!
Right hand dominant but play golf from the left side. Struggling with low swing speed which is probably due to pulling the right hand through which causes me not to release the club properly. Could I apply the early release per your video and would it work? Thanks
Exactly. Your leverage hand is the left hand in this case. Speed it up with some swishes and throws and you’ll start hitting it further! Let me know how it goes!
I'm the same as you. There's no videos for us though 😢
We are on our own in this world
Thanks Craig - this is the best, clearest and (hopefully) most useful advice I've ever seen in 40 years as a left-arm dominant right-handed golfer! I'll give it a try at the range this week & let you know how it goes. One question - I have always been under the impression that I should try keep maintain a straight left arm but this just doesn't work for me - it seems from your video that it's fine for the left elbow to bend towards the top of the backswing so long as you deliver the power early in the downswing (chopping the wood) which naturally will get your arm into the correct position - is this right? Also, interested to know your thoughts on taking a weaker grip (for a left-hand dominant player) to prevent closing the clubface (I have a tendency to hook with a normal-strong grip). Thanks!
Yes all of that is correct! Bend both arms and smash but when you release the club don’t roll the wrists over. The early smash should travel through the ball with the back of your left hand releasing like a frisbee throw not a roll over! Hope that helps! Let me know!
Such an important video, lefty playing right also. Great content. I’m trying to figure out if it’s more of a frisbee release/no roll as you mentioned, would I need a flat left wrist/square to closed face at the top then throw it, or am I misinterpreting? Thx again.
Step 1. Is try and do the frisbee throw and determine how your hands release. Learn what ball flight is produced. Step 2. Change your grip or club face to effect the desired change. I’ve seen both weak and strong grips work.
1:01:00 Hi Craig, thank you for doing this video. I have the exact same situation as Gary in this video. I just purchased a Saber 2.0 and wondering as the left-hander, playing right handed should I be trying to chunk/hammer down with the heavy end or the light end? Also should I be working to try and hear a swish as near to the top of the downswing as possible?
I’m not sure, but I don’t hear the snow swoosh with the Saber during the downswing. I am thinking that I’m not hearing the swoosh or the rollerball because of the weight of the trainer, itself.
Thank you for your help! Clif
Hi! So did you receive the welcome email with all of the videos? The heavy end is just for working on strength and mobility. The “lite” end is for snapping the ball and speed and timing.
What are you hoping to improve?
@@CraigHocknullGolf Hey Craig, definitely trying to work on increasing my speed! I too, am ‘sneaky-short’. As a natural left hander playing right handed, and struggling with a lack of distance. I have been playing golf for over 30 years and have never heard it explained about ‘chucking the club from the top’. I understand what you’re saying about having the left arm backhanding into the ball, not being as powerful as a forehand swing.
I found your video in October, just as we were closing down the golf season here in Michigan. I have been swinging a shaft in the garage to hear the swish as soon as possible when I start to downswing with a throwing motion.
Hearing that golf is primarily taught to right handed players with the right hand being on the dominant side. I just want to make sure that I am maximizing my work with the Saber.
My experiences and distances were the same as Gary's, in his video lesson. My nine iron goes 125 yards total, and my 7 iron goes about 145 yards, total. Driver is 200-210 total on a good day :-( Recently working on taking my hands high, with simultaneous side crunch to take a divot as I generally come over the top and finish with low hands with no divot. Iron swing speed is about 70 mph. Driver swing speed is about 80 mph. I also had my irons bent 2 degrees up. Contact has been much better.
I did get the registration email with the videos links. Are there specific drills that I should be focusing on with my Saber, as a lefty, that is playing right handed? You have a wealth of great information!
Thank you so much! Looking forward to having my best season ever at age 64!
Clif
Use the shaft to both backhand swish with the left hand and then forehand swish with the right hand. Whichever arm is the weak link for speed spend more time swishing with that arm.
As far as timing, use both arms and hands to swish the saber from the lite end and try to get the ball to snap back by your right foot so you can develop a great push and throw with the right arm.
You’ll probably see the greatest gains by activating the right arm throw. It’s not really a right hand vs left hand thing is more about bio-mechanics and leveraging the club properly.
I can play both right and left handed and I have to switch my brain from throwing with the right hand when playing righty, to throwing the left arm when swinging lefty.
Hope this helps!
@@CraigHocknullGolf Thank you for your guidance. One of my initial takeaways is that I need to trust crunch/throwing into the downswing. I’m starting to feel that I’m putting my hands into my trail pocket. Chucking where it feels like I’m going to hit myself in the trail ankle with the club head, but it actually misses my leg on the downswing.
Hi Craig. On the throwing from the top/hammer down from the top. Should both thumbs be on the side of the shaft as opposed to being on top of the shaft?
Been watching all your video. So great.
Two questions: what muscles are you using to start the throw out? And what exercises can I use to help increase that throw out ? Thanks so much
I’m glad my videos are helping. Good question. For me the throwing motion is very similar to throwing a ball. All the same muscles that I would use to skip a rock or throw a baseball or cricket ball low and side arm are the ones that I use. To be specific those are Lat muscles, triceps and forearm muscles.
Interesting philosophy. I'll have to give it a try. I'm 100% left handed but golf right handed. I've been looking for a videos that address my situation. The part I find most curious is the "earlier" release to hear the swish before the ball, to get the club to load or flex sooner...it makes sense but goes against some of the conventional teaching. The interesting thing is that the Trackman numbers don't lie. The gentlemen you gave this lesson to increased club head speed and, as a result, longer carry, total distance and accuracy as well...what more could a guy want :) Thank you!!!
So glad you enjoyed the video. Give it a go and let me know how you do! Cheers!
G'day Dave Tony from Australia. I am a leftie and play right handed and have been researching like you :). Don't know if this helps but I have come to the conclusion that conventional teaching is geared towards right handed people playing right handed and the inherent problems a strong right side and hand create for the right hander in the swing. We have the opposite going on and after years of adopting right hand right swing technique, its become clear to me that much of it is counter intuitive to what is required for a leftie to swing the club well. Happy golfing. Cheers Tony
@@TonyB683 great comment. I have a question for you. I am a lefty who plays left-handed but videos of my swing look much better when I swing right handed. I used to swing right handed but a teacher switched me to lefty. I don’t remember why. I’m thinking of switching back to righty. Sound confusing? Do you see advantages to being a lefty playing right handed as opposed to a lefty playing left-handed?
@@jawjuh1005 Hi Jawyuh, when I started playing at 14 I did have the option available to me of left hand clubs and my dad who was right hand played left handed. I tried left hand but felt more comfortable playing right handed for some reason. I think possibly because I played a lot of backyard cricket right handed, but then I could have elected to bat left handed from a very young age but interestingly I didn't, and even more interesting my mother would challenge anyone any time they might try to change me to do something right handed :)
I don't feel any advantages playing right handed when left hand dominant, in fact Brian has provided me with the realisation that following normal golf tuition for right hand dominant people that play right handed (which is what 85% percent of instruction and technique in books etc. is geared to) may actually in some cases harm the quest for improvement in my swing. In one extended lesson with Brian, I have made unbelievable progress, which all comes down to understanding what the main problem with my swing is i.e. the right hand is not being used correctly. There are other inherent faults Brian and I have to work on no doubt, but this has been an excellent start. In summary, I think before you make a decision that it would be helpful to discuss your thinking with Brian. In my case I am now 62 and to change sides is out of the question. Hope this has been of some help. Merry Christmas. Cheers Tony
@@TonyB683 Thank you! Merry Christmas to you as well!😀
I had the same problems. I gave up and I’m changing to lefty
I switched a student last year from righty to lefty but she was a beginner and should never have been righty. I always recommend using your best throwing arm as the prime mover.
@@CraigHocknullGolf day three and I’m seeing angles and wrist conditions I never was able to find. My power isn’t there yet, but the feels are great and I have so much more knowledge on the swing now compared to when I picked back up 2.5 years ago. Loving the process it’s making me fall back in love with the game. Plateauing on the low 80s was frustrating. My short game and putting have been holding it all together, my ball striking and long and mid irons have always been found lacking.
Glad things are working out!
This is how I learned as a kid, then tried to “shallow” and “lag” the club. Just terrible 😞
It’s an unfortunate trap for so many golfers. Glad you are now on track!
Craig, I am also a left handed playing righty, I did buy the saber a few months ago, and just got back from a golf trip. Is this throw the same with the saber. I could no make good contact with the ball.
Here is how you can start doing online lessons with me ua-cam.com/video/R5CYojqzI0Q/v-deo.html
I need more information regarding your statement / question.
@@CraigHocknullGolf Craig, at the end of last season, when I found your video on UA-cam, i went out and increased my 6 iron from 145 to almost 175. I went on this golf trip to FLA, had not had a lot of time to practice, but when I tried to do the throw early/chop wood, I could not make contact with the ball. The weather was very bad, started off in the 40s and two day were in the high 50s, and windy. I am not sure if that and the fact that we were by the golf (Destin FLA) played a lot to do with my game (I also had 3-4 layers on just to keep warm) I felt like I was hitting off the sand even if I was in the fairway, and the ground was very sandy.. If I thinned the ball, I would try to throw harder, and then I would hit it fat.
I will look at your coaching link, Thank you
Watch this video as it relates to timing. Also yes the environment you were in / clothing issues doesn’t sound like it helped.
ua-cam.com/video/MHg2PCH3r4Y/v-deo.html
Wouldn't an older person have more help with speed with the correct shaft? We're not all getting 96+ HS if you got an old back! 😆
Club fitting is always part of my lessons however having the correct shaft won’t increase your distance unless the old shaft you were using was completely wrong. Even increasing your club head speed by 1 mile an hour is better than any shaft change. As you’ll see in many of my videos my students have increased their speed dramatically in-spite of having back issues etc. I’d encourage you to learn from the videos to optimize your swing first then optimize the shaft second. If you can improve 5-10 mph club head speed that’s an entirely different shaft selection.
@Craig Hocknull Golf I understand, at my age...and back. Swinging harder is not helping. I think we have one speed when you get to a certain age/physical health. Cheers 🍻
One of my students is 88 and has increased hand speed for more distance. Another student has a complete spinal fusion as a result of surviving a commercial plane crash and he’s now playing golf again with much longer clubs and faster hand speed. As long as you have the curiosity to learn and love the process anything is possible!
Does it work in reverse?????I am a dominant right hand player (tennis) but to avoid slice steaming out from overuse of right hand I lead and go through the ball with the left arm. It is particularly useful when, due to their age people cannot use correctly their lower body to follow!
If the ball is curving too much that’s a technique problem. Grip problem, club face or path manipulation problem. As far as power goes, the dominant arm should be the most active and in most cases should be the trail arm but as long as the golfer knows how to uses their lead arm if that’s the dominant arm it is also very effective. Choosing to use your non dominant lead arm because it works better usually tells me that there is some other issues. Hope that helps!
So glad I found your channel. I really enjoyed your teaching expertise. Are you on insta and fb? Thank you! Monroe
Thank You! I’m on Instagram @craig_hocknull Cheers!