I have found that with any learning process in life, it is often the most ludicrous comment or off-the-wall story that I remember and teaches me the most. One of my Golfing Machine mentors, Dr. Tom Tomasello, once told me a story over a bottle of wine and a game of chess. Dr. Tomasello asked me, "Teddy, as we drink this bottle of red wine together, what do you feel is the most important part of this bottle?"

As I pondered his question, while being dismantled in a game of chess, I naturally thought of the soil, the seed, the grape, the fermentation process. With a smile on his face, Tom silently stated, "the cork." His point was that a wonderful wine would sour in one day if the bottle were not properly corked. You are probably wondering how this correlates to the golf swing. The answer comes in a metaphor. The cork is to the wine as the PIVOT is to the golf swing. Tom then continued, "What good is a proper grip, good stance, and an on plane motion, if you have a poor pivot?"

The pivot involves:

• The feet-they support
• The knees-they provide flexibility
• The hips-they power
• The shoulders-they provide direction to the arms
• The head-for balance

The tip for this month is all about the pivot and the body, zone one in the golf swing. Follow the suggestions below, use the accompanying pictures, and let these drills enhance your pivot and your use of the body in the golf swing.

Address

At Address:
Flare your toes out, maintain a slight knee flex, get your tail back, and slightly tilt your back shoulder down. Your weight should be centered between the arch and the heels of the feet.

Backswing

Backswing:
For a right-handed golfer, initiate the backswing by pushing the left shoulder over the right knee. Keep both feet on the ground, key on the right knee staying flexed, and allow the right hip to rotate back. At this point, your weight should now shift to the inside muscles of the right leg and into the right heel.

Downswing

Downswing:
Start the downswing by keeping the right shoulder back (for a right-handed golfer) and tilting into the ball. As the trailing shoulder tilts, the feet, knees, and hips should assist in shifting your weight towards the target. Your weight shifts into the left leg and left heel due to the momentum of the downswing.

Finish

Finish:
Always finish tall and with a smile. Footwork is essential. It is time to rest and asses with all of your weight on the outside muscles of the left leg for a right-handed golfer.

Ted Frick
2005 Carolinas PGA Section Teacher of the Year
Owner / Director of Instruction
Classic Swing Golf School (Located at Legends Resort)
P.O. Box 50955 Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
(843) 903-5560
1-800-827-2656
tfrick@classicswing.com
www.classicswing.com

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