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JoeJacksonQ Aug 26, 2014
Thanks – I like your method and now can eliminate based on your clarification.It was mention above of downswing by shoulders…..I thought it was the hips or is a thought to execute downswing.
Upon your response I will do more drills and make a video for analysis soon…thanks again.[smile]
Jimbohaw Aug 25, 2014
Ross, when I was watching Jason Day this past weekend, I thought his swing looked like what you teach (except for his wrist action). If you just watch his shoulder turn, the resisting of his hips, and then the rotation of the body, he looks a lot like your videos. Of course he rotates his wrists, but if you watch everything else, it looks a lot like the Ross method. And he hits it far!Femgolf1 Sep 30, 2021
My Golf mentor, teacher, model and creative genius. I am happy to inform you that my golf has improved tremendously since I discovered, embraced and commit to your method. I play w a lot of confidence now to the envy of my club mates and partners. For this I congratulate you and myself.
I discovered that my backswing nearly and mostly stop at the “extended” takeaway since I wont want to lift the club the hands. I am often criticized that this is too short.
How can I get the hands up to about 9’0 -10 0clock without lifting the arms in the backswing!! Am I asking for too much? I have consistently refused to yield to their criticisms because I feel my distance and results are manageable.
But is there any way I can do this or is there anything I am not doing right. You have seen two of my video for analysis.
When I watch your videos it looks to me you lift after the takeaway.!! .
I will appreciate your comments. Thank you sir.Femgolf1 Jul 23, 2021
Does the chest remain steady center while the SHOULDERS move on the takeaway and so create a kind of internal tension in the abdomen / the core. Please what is this shoulders alone “first”? I only end my backswing at the end of the “takeaway ” @when my SHOULDERS cant go any further and this seems as if the clubhead is on the ground or at 80clock!Ross May 11, 2016
Great comment Larry. I’m pretty sure that most golfers have more fun and enjoy their round more when they hit it straight.What I really like about what you said (a shorter backswing), reminds me of myself, when I had to take my P.A.T* for the PGA. To pass, I had to shoot no worse than a pair of 75’s. I knew (at that time), if I could just keep my tee shot in play, I’d have no problems. BTW … this is before I discovered “square club face”, which later solved this concern. So, I decided to only use 3 wood (at most) off any tee, to eliminate the chance for a big miss, and also protect my attitude. I wanted to put about a 75-80% effort on the swing. Well, it worked. I ended up hitting 30 out of 36 greens and remember standing on the last hole with 9 extra shots to pass. I almost felt like I was “bunting” all my tee shots to get them as straight as I could vs. hit is as “far” as I could. It was like the tee shot had a specific distance I wanted to hit. If you were on a par 3 and needed your 8 iron distance, you would not try to hit it as far as you could. That is the effort I played with, all day … for control.
I also like your (more club) idea. If you practice taking more club and learn to swing (completely**) at different paces and different backswing lengths, you can be very successful at golf. Don’t try this on the course util you’re sure of the results from prior practice.
* The P.A.T. (Playing Ability Test), is one part of becoming a Class A PGA Professional. You have to play (2) rounds of golf in one day, playing with other professionals, and beat a “target score” determined by the difficulty of the course.
** It is easy to “chunk” or “block shots” when you take more club, because psychologically, you know you have too much club if you hit it good … so many gofers “quit” or “cut off” the finish. This can cause a “flip”… or the arms/club lag too far behind in a “protective” (I don’t want to hit too far) nature. You MUST complete your rotation! You can shorten the backswing, but have to turn through completely … OR, you can turn completely at a slower pace.
larry May 10, 2016
The topic of back swings and distance reminds me of playing golf with my friend Ed. Ed is 85. Twenty years ago his handicap varied between zero and three. Now its fourteen. We played last week. His back swing goes only a short way past his trailing sock. No drive goes over 180 yards, but in the center of the fairway. He hits lots of fairway woods or hybrids into the greens, almost all a short distance from the pin. His hands are still steady with a putter and never three putts. On the front nine he was even par through the eighth hole. A wayward second shot ended with a double bogey on nine. The back nine is a little tougher and he shoots 41 for a 79. I shoot 92.
So, i am thinking, which is more important; distance or direction? I think accuracy combined with good course management can give some very good results. My next round may find me taking more club and playing with a shorter back swing.shensly Aug 09, 2017
Were there “Down the Line” Videos posted after this request? I would also find those helpful.Ross,
The fact that my front shoulder (right handed) is hurting a bit, does it mean maybe I taking the backswing to far?
Thanks Ross.
Ok, I think I understand! I will definitely start with short backswings. For future reference though, once I train the major muscles, of all your videos, which one would be the best one to study of how far back I should take the shoulders/arms/club (or how the final backswing should look like at the top)? Which one is the newest one?
Thanks again
Ed_Blackburn1 Apr 28, 2020
The latter Ross, especially the chest. Just wondering what drill would be best to focus on that.Anthony225 Oct 02, 2021
This was always something difficult for me to grasp. When you watch some good players it appears that they lift their arms in the backswing (and some do). But what happens in my experience is that as you rotate your shoulders in the backswing the arms “lift” due to the back elbow running out of room. When the back elbow runs out of room it starts to fold causing the front arm to lift. But the front arm doesn’t lift on its own. If the front arm lifts on its own I get disconnected and then the club gets left behind when I turn my hips on the downswing. One backswing thought that has been helping me is that during the backswing the back elbow should “feel” like its not too far from the right hip. This is a feel only and by too far it more of the plane that the back elbow and shoulders travel on if that makes sense. So on my backswing I now feel that my should turn back puts my back elbow in position to return back in front of the right hip with no independent from the arms.DaveF Oct 05, 2021
Hope you’re doing GREAT Ross!
I’m finally swinging from the ground-up!For me thinking about getting the left hip back at impact STAYING OVER the Left leg (starting with the Ross Move of course? and not “spinning” my hips was the final clarifying moment (of many). Never would have gotten here without your roadmap (and a lot of work of course?
I had an eagle on a par 5 last week, it only took 3 really great shots using Driver and 5 Wood, but it’s not “how” but “how many” right?
I’m even working the ball more and more so it’s all good man ? You know what a hot mess my swing was when I started!DaveF Oct 05, 2021
Stick with it! I am 6 years into this now (might be 7? and learning to turn your shoulders vs just moving your arms would be beneficial to the vast majority of golfers I see. I have found that “good” golfers actually compliment people with compact backswings. I struggle with this as much as anyone, but one thing I do now that helps as part of the routine is I turn my shoulders before addressing the ball ala the big muscles drill and mentally note where the right elbow stops with no arm interference. This has the benefit of building in a pause at the top (rhythm) and not “trying to hit the ball in the backswing”. My fatal flaw (one of them anyway) is if I am not focused on JUST the downswing I’m toast. As a drill, I find the “acid test” of whether I’m making progress is finding the top of the backswing position, and then hitting balls from there. Like Ross has mentioned, watch Matsuyama, and then try to hold that pause even longer, or just start from there, from the top. It also helps with the instinct people often have of “worrying they will get back to the ball” (another thing I’m guilty of). Anyway, sorry to go on, but I’ve been pretty quiet since I observed I was “oversharing” a few years ago!
