Remember Series – Top, Stop and Hit

By | on March 5, 2015 | 33 Comments |


lock

Sorry, this content is for members only.

Click here to get access.

 

Already a member? Login below

Email
Password
 
Remember me (for 2 weeks)

Forgot Password





Tags:

Author Description

Avatar photo

Paul Wilson is the creator of Swing Machine Golf and founder of Ignition Golf. Paul's golf swing technique is based on the Iron Byron swing machine. YouTube Channels: Paul Wilson Golf and Ignition Golf Tips. Please Join me on Google+

33 Responses to “Remember Series – Top, Stop and Hit”

  1. good tip will practice it at home ,I am snow bound right now . Looking forward for more video tips

    • Henry,

      Glad you liked it. Don’t forget you can find all of my tips through the red navigation bar under GOLF TIPS. just hover over it and all the sub categories are listed.

  2. Good lesson, my thoughts are “low, slow and stop at the top”

    • Dear Mr chriskitchens ,Sorry to intrude in here and tell you this is an erroneous motto derived from great BOBBY JONES teaching a long time ago .I did so myself ,only to learn that a slow backswing ruins your swing .
      BOBBY JONES himself didn’t do as he advised as demonstrated in reviewing his filmed swings :his swing was the sweetest we know ,but it was much faster than thought,it was it’s smoothness that gave the impression it was slow (Same comment for ERNIE ELS who also has a pretty fast swing ,but so graceful it seems slow !)

    • Chris,

      Very good. Just got someone to slow down today. Made the world of difference.

  3. Paul, good tip, but based on other lessons, I don’t think you should be using the word “hit”. You recommend in other lessons to not think about “hitting” the ball, but just swinging the club. Maybe, Top, Stop and Swing would be better. – Mike

    • Mike,

      Hit works with my 3 word description of how to remember it “swing through it” is too long.

  4. Paul ,I do exactly as you say .. except I don’t say “STOP “at the top ,I reverse directions without stopping .
    I ‘ve adopted recently the “JOHN NOVOSEL” TOUR TEMPO system with the three musical beats :Start,Reverse,Impact.
    After tinkering with the different tempos proposed ,I’ve settled on the 24/8 beat ,my total swing tempo is around 1,16 s .My swing is much faster than before,my contact with the ball is more solid ,and my distances with all clubs has increased (No Wonder ,my throughswing is much faster than before ).
    On top of that I’m much more consistent,no more topping the Fairway woods as occasionally before ,and I don’t have any swing thought when swinging ,I just listen to my inner rythmn and sing

  5. March 6, 2015

    LouisBond

    Paul, Still having trouble semding e-mails to “[email protected]”.
    Saw a tip from another teaching pro several years ago saying “don’t be in a rush to hit the ball”. “take your time as it isn’t going any where until you hit it”.
    When I hesitate at the top I get a better weight shift & therefore a better result.
    This tip really works.

    Louis

    • Louis,

      Exactly. The faster you swing the more you are using you arms.

      I sent our programmer the message.

  6. Avatar photo

    March 7, 2015

    KennthBova

    Paul, as usual, a great tip. From you, I understand that there are hundreds of things going on in the golf swing. You are teaching us to implement them into our muscle memory and not think about the swing. Proper practice reinforces this and then the winter comes and goes and as you said human error sets in and back to watching you tips. Keep them coming!!

    • WELL ,for me it’s the opposite :now that I know the ” positions ” ,as Paul teaches them with exemplarity ,I forget them completely in m’y swing ,I think only of m’y tempo ,the motto ” TOP ,STOP ,HIT ” blends perfectly in my 3/1 beat ,for a total swing Time (Tempo) of circa 1,16 seconds .
      Happily ,there’s practically nô WINTER on the FRENCH RIVIERA ,and I Forget nothing ( or nearly ,not to wish to seem presomptuous )as time goes by.

      • Avatar photo

        March 11, 2015

        KennthBova

        Raymond, it seems like you have been playing golf a long time. Compared to me, you are a most advanced player. I’ve only been playing for 14 yrs. I only broke a 100 two yrs. ago, but I have a blast playing even if I don’t break 100. I also always look forward to reading Paul’s tips. I wish I was 40 yrs. younger and listening to his tips.

        • Kenneth :An old timer ‘s comment :Breaking 100 is already quite an acheivement:you’ll find out that you stay on this plateau a long ,long time before you move to a higher plateau (90)and you don’t know why it happens .Even abiding by PAUL’s luminous lessons it won’t happen overnight :you’ll have to find out more or less by yourself .But you should be fully aware that good golf technique is far from sufficient.Paul makes it look very easy with his superfast,smooth rotation through ,but in reality it’s damn difficult to acheive at his speed,he’s pumped it up in years and years starting very young .I started to progress significantly myself by working hard and every day on my body (Gymnastics ),stopping or at least slowing at the same time the effects of age .Every MPH of swing speed you gain is a drop of one point of handicap ,so 10 MPH is 10 points of handicap down .But more important yet is the short game from 100 Yards of the Green ,you have to be “Deadly “at this distance ,then get into the hole in 2 strokes maximum ,better try one single stroke.
          Finally ,never go to the Driving range ,play only on the golf course the most often you can ,you’re wasting your time on the driving range ,it’s not the the same game ,it gives you the illusion you are good while on the course you play only one shot from any distance

          • Avatar photo

            March 13, 2015

            KennthBova

            Also Raymond, I was told years ago that golf was 85% mental and 15% physical. I firmly believe in muscle memory and you only get that with a lot of practice.

    • Ken,

      Thanks. There are quite few things happening that must be done precisely. Keep in mind I say a lot of the same stuff but in different ways so it may seem like more than it is. Keep focused on coiling and uncoiling while hinging and re-hinging all done on a angle. That is the swing in a nutshell.

      • You are absolutely correct:repeat ,repeat repeat is the key to consistency and good golf.But as Paul shows ,you can do that at home ,without hitting any ball,just by making”dry run” swings in front of a Mirror or a window pane.My point is that if you have enough time ,better go to the golf course than to the driving range ,playing a few holes :hitting on a golf mat to regularly spaced flags is not the same as shooting from the turf/rough on the golf course to targets which are less visible and avoiding trees ,water and obstacles.That’s where the mind set you insist rightly upon comes into play,you have to “have the guts ” to play that specific shot…once only,no second chance!

        • March 14, 2015

          Paul Wilson

          Raymond,

          You should be doing it some much in practice swings that you know no other way to do it. This way you will be able to do it on the course.

  7. Hi Paul, this question is in regard to Lesson 4 in your Swing Machine Golf book. When I complete the top of the swing and club is touching the back of my head there is a lot of pressure on my lefthand thumb , down the shaft. Should my thumb be more around the shaft instead of supporting the shaft more straight down it? Does that thumb restrict the loose arms and wrist?

    For once I am trying to follow your guidance to the “t”. No pun intended. Looking forward to all the snow going away here in Maine so I can put your teaching into play.

    Thank you

    • Jeffrey,

      This pressure may just be because to hit this position your wrists must be loose enough to allow the club to re-hinge. Most people are too tight because they don’t like this loose feeling. This means they hold on with their right hand and it stops it from fully re-hinging. So as you re-hinge it is a new position that you are not used to. I just did a few practice swings and I feel this pressure too because the club is resting on my thumb. I guess I am just used to it so I am not aware of it. Make sure you check your grip to make sure it is perfect. You can send me a pic if you want and I will check it.

      Glad you are trying to follow it to a T. If you do you will develop a great swing.

  8. Paul , ” All the roads lead to ROME “:for some ,pausing at the top is bénéficial ,for others like me it is Bad ,as it slows down too much m’y backswing .
    Regarding swinging fast in the throughswing doesn’t imply you swing with the Arms :I just looked at JB HOLMES swinging at the DORAL ,IN THE CADILLAC /TRUMP OPEN ,when hé holes in one on a PAR THREE ,SAME as DUSTIN JOHNSON :both ,more JB than DUSTIN swing Incredibly fast in the throughswing !
    Would you say they swing with the Arms ?
    I’ve gained substantial distance in swinging faster in the throughswing ,and I feel I acheive this by pushing very hard with the right leg ,and rotating my hips as fast as I CAN .I don’t give a thought to m’y Arms ,except extending them the furthest I CAN .
    ” A propos “: CAN you explain why the right arm which is slightly flexed at impact Has to straigthen out AFTER impact and not at impact .Straigthening the right arm after impact has nô effect whatseoever on the ball flight .
    Where’s the catch ,except the straightening just happens by itself ,it can’t be otherwise ( I refer to your. Drill with the chair )

    • Rymond,

      Holmes is certainly using his arms. You can tell by the speed plus his wrists are way too tight. No full hinge at backswing and club not splitting the ears.

      Dustin, is less arms. I saw some of this swings and they didn’t look that fast. You need to get power by pushing with the lower body so you are doing this right.

      The right arm is bent at impact because of the body tilt. This means impact is not the widest point on the arc therefore the right arm is not fully extended. The right arm fully extending is indicating there is no resistance through impact. If there is no resistance then it would stretch out fully using simple physics. The mass has to get to its widest point if you let it go.

  9. Paul ,At the CADILLAC OPEN there was a wonderful slow motion of BUBBA WATSON showing his tee off driving :he does an exaggeration of your intruction insofar he twists his lower body going forward :his hips are facing the target and even beyond while his upper body is way behind :then he goes in the throughswing on the tips of his toes as if he was taking off!
    He shot a seven iron 225 yards to acheive his eagle!
    He remember TIGER’ swings a long time ago ,he also exaggerated his rotation going forward with the results we see now ,a broken back!

    • March 10, 2015

      Paul Wilson

      Raymond,

      He is really moving the lower body hard. There are arms in there too. He is so long though if it’s the right course and he is on he can win.

  10. Where’s ole Bob Murphy when you need him?. He looked at your video !!

  11. Paul ,You didn’t show us anything regarding the” short game “since quite some time ;those you gave us were very good .
    Could you resume or refresh the series?
    Regarding the equipment ,there’s some buzz now about the counterbalancing of putters .
    I wonder if it brings something to your game ?Do you have an opinion on the subject ?

    • March 10, 2015

      Paul Wilson

      Raymond,

      I can only shoot these in the summer when the course is green plus they ripped up the green I was using so I don’t have a great spot to shoot. Once I can shoot more I will.

      Choosing a putter is personal preference. Look at the best of all time. They all used different putters. Choose one you like the feel of and are confident with. This will put you in a positive frame of mind.

  12. March 10, 2015

    JohnSweeney

    Hey Paul
    Wasn’t there a pro
    On Senior Tour that did exactly what you showed by the name of Bob Murphy? I remember this man taking the club back slow and literally stop for at least a second at the top before his downswing. I used to do it years ago but forgot about that drill. Really stretches your back out besides lowering the instinctive rush to go at the ball and rush your swing. Sets up a habit of great tempo.

    P.S. Just to let you know that your 1-2-3 touch your knees and finish the swing method has done wonders for my confidence. Have scratch golfers at club saying how nice my tempo and swing look not time toon a few better shots

    Thanks!!!

    • March 10, 2015

      Paul Wilson

      John,

      Might have been him. Not sure.

      Like I keep saying, you don’t hit it going back. You are setting it up to come down. Go slow enough you can make sure you are in the right position before you come down.

      Glad to hear people are taking notice of your swing. It will keep happening which is a great feeling.

  13. Paul ,I think I already asked this question before ,regarding the postion of the knees at adress :my question was:-should the knees be slightly “Knock kneed “at adress or not-
    I think the answer was no.
    Correct or not ?
    Why “Knock Kneeing” is bad (Recommended by numerous other teachers )

    • March 12, 2015

      Paul Wilson

      Raymond,

      Just have the knees straight at address. If you knock them in you may create too much resistance. If so your coiling body will either be restricted or it will actually throw you to the outside of your right foot.

You must be logged in to post a comment.