Why waggle in golf

These keys may change over time, and will be golfer-specific. Personally, when I first setup to the ball, I quickly make sure that I am:. This all sounds like a lot, but through many years of practice, I can quickly check all four of these things between the moment I set the club behind the ball and the moment I initially pull the club back.

Jack Nicklaus preached about the importance of this phase of the golf swing, and was quite deliberate in his own setup accordingly. Just like you must practice your swing on the range, you must also practice your mental routines. Personally, I find all of this to happen naturally , and never consciously think about it, but Hogan presented the information as if the golfer was consciously making an effort to think about it.

I think the ultimate goal of the waggle is to keep the body loose and comfortable, and prime it for the full swing. Whatever effectively accomplishes this is sufficient. It is simply a series of short and quick subtle wrist and body movements that keeps the golfer agile and ready to take the club back:. He is rehearsing his full takeaway during the waggle:. The trigger is something that is largely overlooked because many golfers do not even realize that they are doing it. I wanted to mention it because it is a crucial moment of the golf swing, and can be the difference between a drive down the middle and a drive that finds the water.

After you have checked your setup and loosened up via the waggle, it is time to get the swing started. This is such a critical moment because it is the brief moment when you settle in on your swing thought whatever it may be , and start the swing. During this motionless time period, all I am thinking about is my swing thought.

It took me years and years before I could successfully clear my mind at this moment. If I find my mind wandering at this critical moment, I will step away from the ball and start over. Having this discipline can be the difference between a great round and a terrible one, so it cannot be overlooked. You want this trigger to become completely habitual and unconscious. And if you are struggling to get the swing started, just be patient and keep working on it.

Even the pros struggle with the trigger sometimes as seen in the video of Kevin Na at the Players:. In this post, we have covered everything that happens from the moment you step over the ball to the moment immediately prior to taking the club back. In the next section, we will be talking about the takeaway. My mission at The DIY Golfer is to make golfers more consistent in just a few hours a week through advanced practice strategies and timeless, first-principle golf instruction.

For a more consistent golf game, start here. Waggle the club. When you waggle the club it helps you to pace your swing, loosen up your muscles and practice getting the golf club swinging on the correct plane. How you waggle the club determines a lot about how you will swing. Players who have a very quick waggle tend to have a very quick golf swing. Players who waggle the club back to the inside will tend to jerk the club back on the inside and then come over the top when they hit the golf ball.

Players who waggle up and outside may be too steep when they come in or they may be forced to reroute it when they come back to the golf ball.

So you waggle the golf club to loosen your arms, to pace your swing and to practice swinging the golf club on the correct plane. When you waggle the club it's mostly with your hands, just a little bit of rotation with your arms but your wrists are cocking up and your arms are rotating just a little.

Sort of, but not exactly. For those readers who are Hogan purists, the others are hip rotation and swing plane. The waggle can range from a barely perceptible flick of the club head to an elaborate and exaggerated set of body rehearsal motions, from one quick physical sequence to many, so many that playing partners and sports commentators alike feel compelled to comment on them.

And just to further complicate the matter, there are different kings of waggles for different kinds of shots, although the most common waggle occurs as a preparation for the tee shot.

Many, including Hogan, claim that the waggle disrupts the flow of those emotions into the body, reduces mental and physical tension and allows pure mechanics to take over the swing process. Many claim the waggle is a crucial component of the process. The video clips that follow offer a broad array of golf tips for developing an effective waggle. Next 1 of 12 Prev post. Next: Ben Hogan. More NFL Rumors ».

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