The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ arm placement helps generate power appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ arm placement helps generate power appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall explains how Jack Nicklaus’ upright swing helps increase power and accuracy.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ arm placement helps generate power appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: Understanding how a pendulum works can give your swing the rhythm it needs appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: Understanding how a pendulum works can give your swing the rhythm it needs appeared first on Golf.

Check out Dr. Bob Grober on YouTube. I heard the term “harmonic oscillator” a few years ago and was lost until I found out it was simply a pendulum. Understanding how a pendulum works and how we can increase pendulum speed has become very helpful to explain to golfers how to improve their sequencing.

I always thought of rhythm as a way to explain motion when a golfer or coach didn’t understand mechanics. So, unfortunately, I discounted the concept, which was my loss. But now I understand a harmonic oscillator model and Jack Nicklaus’ lower body makes so much sense — moving from lead to trail leg and back to lead in rhythm with a pendulum is a wonderful move.

Building off the above image, consider that the movement of the club around the body acts as a pendulum too, so we are swinging a pendulum (club) around our body, which we can use as a pendulum too.

Timing those two pendulums will synchronize the swing with the body motion to produce more power and accuracy. When watching a skilled player, these motions make the swing look coordinated and rhythmical.

Try the simple drill of holding a club loosely in your finger tips. Now try to take it back slowly and then increase speed quickly. You’ll find the club will not swing. Now try the same thing when gripping the club normally and swinging with the image of Jack’s feet moving. No need to hit a ball for this one initially, but to make the club swing you need to match more closely your backswing speed with your downswing speed — creating a harmonic oscillator!

Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall (@TattersallGolf) is cofounder of Fusion ATL in Atlanta, Ga.

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The post Golden Rules: How the harmonic oscillator can help increase distance appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How the harmonic oscillator can help increase distance appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall breaks down Jack Nicklaus’ swing and demonstrates how the harmonic oscillator helps increase backswing speed, which results in further distance.

The post Golden Rules: How the harmonic oscillator can help increase distance appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How copying Jack Nicklaus’ famous flying right elbow can increase your power appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How copying Jack Nicklaus’ famous flying right elbow can increase your power appeared first on Golf.

Jack’s right-arm action is as iconic as his powerful leg action. His “flying” right elbow was often considered a liability — he couldn’t win with it.

Actually, he did, to the tune of 73 PGA Tour wins and 18 majors. High-tech measuring tools in today’s coaching world, such as 3D images, force plates, launch monitors, etc., have helped identify what made the longest and best hitters indeed the best. This is true for Jack and what I call the “freaks” on the World Long Drive circuit.

Instruction

In addition to studying Jack’s techniques using pictures, advanced measuring devices prove why a flying right elbow is beneficial to creating power. They also show how it really works. No matter your ability, your right shoulder moves around your rib cage on the backswing. Jack moved his farther than most players (as evidenced in the above photo from 1965), fueling his backswing with greater potential energy.

The key to Nicklaus’ move wasn’t just his loading motion (the iconic flying right elbow) but, rather, how he worked that elbow in front of his rib cage going back and lowered it as he made his way down. The trick? Coordinate this movement with a huge weight shift to your front side before rotating. In a word, boom!

Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall (@TattersallGolf) is cofounder of Fusion ATL in Atlanta, Ga.

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The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ flying right elbow can increase distance appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ flying right elbow can increase distance appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall breaks down Jack Nicklaus’ swing and demonstrates how his flying right elbow contributed to his success.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ flying right elbow can increase distance appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How throwing a baseball can help you replicate Jack Nicklaus’ powerful swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How throwing a baseball can help you replicate Jack Nicklaus’ powerful swing appeared first on Golf.

We’ve seen some powerful swings this summer.

I’m actually talking about the American pastime of baseball, where athletes such as Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are knocking the cover off the ball almost every time they step up to the plate. It reminds me of how powerful Jack Nicklaus was in his prime. Jack was the longest hitter of his generation — in fact, across a few generations. How did he do it? The image below from Jack’s My Golden Lessons book — and a nod to baseball — provides a clue.

Anyone can point to Jack’s powerful lower body — and how he used it — as the source of his tremendous power. But check out the image of the pitcher throwing a baseball, included by Jack in his book to highlight the necessary loading and unloading of the trail shoulder during the swing. See how Jack “stretches” his trail shoulder behind him at the top and then how that shoulder “unloads” by moving around his rib cage on the downswing, just like the pitcher releasing his fastball?

Want to hit the ball farther? Throw baseballs. Focus on the stepping and throwing motions like Jack suggested some 20 years ago, and get your shoulders into action! Not only did these moves work for Jack, they’ve subsequently been proven using current tech and are alive and well on the professional and long-drive tours. Batter up!

Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall (@TattersallGolf) is cofounder of Fusion ATL in Atlanta, Ga.

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The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ upright swing helped increase his power appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ upright swing helped increase his power appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall explains how Jack Nicklaus’ arm placement helped increase his power and offers tips on how to adopt his technique.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus’ upright swing helped increase his power appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus used force plates to help his swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus used force plates to help his swing appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall explains how Jack Nicklaus used force plates to improve his swing and explains how they work.

The post Golden Rules: How Jack Nicklaus used force plates to help his swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Use these 3 keys to copy Jack Nicklaus’ world-class putting stroke appeared first on Golf.

The post Use these 3 keys to copy Jack Nicklaus’ world-class putting stroke appeared first on Golf.

For my money, the greatest putters of the modern era are Tiger Woods, Ben Crenshaw, Brad Faxon and Jack Nicklaus. I see a lot of players try to mimic the styles of the first three but rarely Jack’s. Odd, to say the least — you don’t win 18 majors (including two at St. Andrews, host of this year’s Open Championship) without a world-class stroke.

In speaking to many students over the years, some have mentioned not being comfortable with the way Nicklaus set his head so far behind the ball at address. Fair enough — not many golfers are left-eye dominant like Jack. But what about the other aspects of his stroke? Here are three elements I think every golfer — including you — should copy.

1. Forward ball position

Nicklaus played the ball off the instep of his front foot. Motion analysis studies show that a forward ball position promotes an upward angle of attack, or “rise,” of the putterhead through impact. This, combined with the absence of any shaft lean at the point of contact, creates topspin—the secret to a pure, “wobble-free” roll.

2. Ulnar deviation

At setup, Jack hinged his wrists downward, not up. Such ulnar deviation helped Nicklaus “lock” his wrists in place, thereby eliminating unnecessary twisting of his hands or the putterhead. Thanks to launch monitors, we know that your putter produces the most “smash factor” (club speed/ball speed) than any other club in your bag. Keeping the putter stable through impact is the only way you can manage it. In fact, some instructors argue that head/face stability is more important to putting success than path or impact point.

3. Piston stroke

In his many teaching manuals and videos, Nicklaus refers to his left hand as the one that controls the putterface and the right as the one that supplies the stroke power. It’s this relationship that ultimately helps you generate the correct amount of force for any putt you’ll face. Consider the roles of both hands when you practice, prioritizing, as Jack did, speed control. (Between us, aim is overrated, especially outside of five feet.) Three moves, no more three-putts. Copy that!

Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall (@TattersallGolf) is cofounder of Fusion ATL in Atlanta, Ga.

The post Use these 3 keys to copy Jack Nicklaus’ world-class putting stroke appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: Jack Nicklaus’ putting technique appeared first on Golf.

The post Golden Rules: Jack Nicklaus’ putting technique appeared first on Golf.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jon Tattersall explains Jack Nicklaus’ unorthodox way of putting and offers tips on how to adopt his technique.

The post Golden Rules: Jack Nicklaus’ putting technique appeared first on Golf.