01 · Five philosophies
1.
“The swing is a fingerprint, but the impact zone is a photocopy.”
Every backswing differs. Through impact, every great player is identical. That tells you what to practice and what to leave alone.
2.
Body parts closest to the club, in order.
Wrists, arms, shoulders and back, torso, hips, legs and knees, feet. Most instruction does it backwards. Jon calls that malpractice.
3.
Muscle memory lives at home and the range, not on the course.
A four and a half hour round contains under three minutes of actual swinging. Five minutes a day at home equals 300 to 400 balls.
4.
Practice makes perfect permanent.
You install whatever you repeat, including your faults.
5.
If it feels right, it's usually wrong.
The correct position feels foreign at first. Comfortable is just familiar.
02 · Seven positions, in strict order
The club is in your hands. So the wrists come first, then everything outward from there. You do not move to the next position until the one before it is automatic. Skipping ahead is how faults get installed.
Don't fix your hips if your wrists are the problem. They usually are.
1
Wrists
Where the club lives. Grip pressure, hinge and release. Cue: Feed the dog.
2
Arms
Connected to the body, not swinging independently. Cue: Squeeze the cow.
3
Shoulders and back
The turn that moves the arms, rather than the arms lifting on their own.
4
Torso
Rotation inside a fixed space. Cue: Pickle barrel.
5
Hips
Turn, don't slide. Cue: Car stuck in snow.
6
Legs and knees
Stable, flexed, quiet. They support the turn; they don't start it.
7
Feet
The last thing, not the first. Cue: 100-dollar bill under the heel.
03 · The cue library
A cue is a picture you can feel without thinking. Each one belongs to a position or a moment in the swing. Say it, and your body knows what to do.
Feed the dog
Extend the follow-through in the direction of the ball flight. Palm up, fingers offering.
follow-through
Squeeze the cow
Elbows stay together through the strike. No chicken wing in either direction.
2 · arms
Pickle barrel
The lower body is in a barrel from the waist down. The hips can turn, but they cannot slide out of it.
4 · torso
Car stuck in snow
Nobody pulls a stuck car from the front with their arms. You push from behind, using your body weight. That is the hips.
5 · hips
100-dollar bill under the heel
The trail heel stays glued to the floor through impact. Lift it and you lose the bill.
7 · feet
1.68 ounces, not a cannon ball
The ball weighs 1.68 ounces. Stop trying to crush it like it's heavy. Tempo wins.
tempo
04 · Five drills you can do in a living room
01
The Straight Arms Drill
Feet together. Pinch a half-roll of toilet paper between your forearms, just above the elbows, and swing 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock. Drop the roll and the drill is over.
foundation · positions 1–2
02
The Face South Drill
Address the ball, then keep your feet and shoulders turned away from the target and swing from that closed position. You feel the club drop inside first.
cures over the top
03
Half-Swing Steady
A chopstick or alignment stick steadying the wrists. Half swing, then hold the position. Jon's pacing: 30 seconds, two minutes, 30 seconds, two minutes, 30 seconds.
the five minutes a day
04
Down-the-Line Square
Stand up straight with the club pointing down at 45 degrees. Bend forward from the hips, not a squat, until the clubhead is flat on the ground. Then bend the knees. Weight on the balls of the feet.
setup · square and athletic
05
The 2-3 Tee Drill
Two tees about two inches apart make a gate. Swing back and forth through the gate without nicking either one. It trains the eye to see a square path at the bottom of the arc.
the daylight zone
“If you can't hit the wedge, go home and cut the hedge.”
05 · The practice math
one round of golf
4½ hours
Contains under 3 minutes of actual swinging. You are not practicing when you play.
at home, no ball
5 min / day
Equals 300 to 400 balls on the range. Positions, not results.
the catch
permanent
Repeat the wrong thing and you install it just as well. Which is why the order matters.
06 · The eight levels of golfers
1
Not caring where the ball goes. Here to drink beer and walk in the sunshine.
2
Caring a little, but not much. Wants the ball to go forward.
3
Doesn't want to look like a fool. The social golfer.
4
Keeping up with buddies. Doesn't want to be the worst one in the group.
5
Beats buddies. Competitive now, and keeping score honestly.
6
Shoots in the 80s. Knows their handicap. Practices on purpose.
7
Shoots in the 70s. A real practice routine, and knows their own fault list.
Most disappointment is a level 3 student who wants level 7 results on level 3 effort. Say your number honestly and Jon can set a realistic plan. Every level is welcome, including 1.
Book a lesson.
Say your level and what days work.
Jon ManosGolf Academy