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What is it?

Allow me to tell you what the ‘555 Team’ considers to be the ‘Penultimate Moment’ first.

That soft moment of truth is the ‘Impact & Separation’ interval … the ‘Moment Of Separation’ or what should properly be referred to as the ‘Moment Of Restitution’ … when the golf ball transitions from ‘Oblate and Squashed’ back to ‘Round’. Energy applied squashes while energy ‘Delivered or Released’ enables the ball to get back to its equilibrium or neutral state.

Few golf aficionados would disagree with this being the ‘Ultimate’ and not the second most important!

This ‘Country Gentleman Golf Teacher’ has another opinion. You may concur? Mr. Nicklaus did! A ‘Perfect Swing and a Bad Set-Up’ will not make you happy! A Perfect Set-Up and a Bad Swing might do so! The ultimate configuration is a Set-Up element!

Prepare for Putts & Chips as thoroughly as possible (mentally & physically) … using your ‘8 Step Putting & Chipping Pre-Shot Routine’ (PSR) on absolutely every occasion. This discipline is the magic key to some very real ‘Short Game’ happiness!

Have only a very small point here to share with YOU!

Having done a thorough ‘PSR’ and having made one perfect practice putt, do not make a second ‘Practice Putt’.

Move into the ball, while taking a deep breath (DDB – Deep Diaphragmatic Breath) in and out. This simple process will help you relax! We are going to make the ‘Perfect Strike’ while making the second ‘Smooth Exhale’. You remember our ‘Breathing Rule’? “If your Hands Are Moving You Shall Be Breathing Out!” Applies to every club and shot in your bag! Athletes work breathing out!

‘Clubhead Lag’ is primarily a matter of ‘Passive Position or Set-Up of your Golf Parts or Components’ prior to the swing’s actually taking place. When we become ‘Active or Dynamic’ we see ‘Velocity and Delivered or Kinetic Energy’ in action … doing ‘Bend & Straighten Work’.

Where are my Hands and Sweet Spot relative to my ‘Target Hip Socket’ through the ‘Pre-Impact’ and ‘Impact & Separation Zone’? They are trailing or lagging behind the powerhouse! (see ‘Pivot Core’)

The ‘Lower Body Machine’ (LBM … Hips & Core) ‘Leads’ all the ‘Upper Body Machine Components’ back to the ball. (UBM - Lever Assemblies, Hands, Wrists and Arms and the Actual Golf Club).

Do you actively make ‘Lag’ or create a ‘Lag Angle’ during the ‘Loading Phase’? (‘Line of the Target Lever related to the Shaft Line’ - In Line vs. having an ‘Acute Angle’ consciously and deliberately?)

Teaching should accomplish improvement over minimal time and be safe to the owner! We teachers must help you have more Fun and Success. You cannot over a very short 1.2 to 1.6 second ‘Back & Up, TOB, Transition, followed by a Down & Out, Chase Follow & Finish’ fully and easily evaluate a total golf swing event. For sure you cannot think your way through this highly-active sequence of motions … arrangement of ‘Components & Procedures’. When you master YOUR golf swing, it should not change much over aging ‘Father Time’. Stay fit!

To be happy and predictable, you must Master Golf Basics (MGB), and Focus On Fundamentals (FOF), commit to ‘The 5 Set-Ups and to the ‘5 Essential Elements’, to ‘Ocular Acuity, Tempo & Timing and more similar core ingredients.

Here are some challenges we teachers understand. 1) Struggle with being Brace Side Dominant, (it is not always a problem) 2) Overswinging, 3) Faulty Take-Away Clubhead Path, 4) Clubface Aim Control, 5) Deficient Clubhead Speed, 6) Mechanical Consistency (So as to prevent Soft Tissue Injuries – STI), 7) controlling Ball Flight Control, 8) Bottom Of Swing Arc (BOSA) and Angle Of Attack, 9) Feeling The Steel (clubhead awareness), 10) Equipment, 11) Course Management, 12) Fitness, 13) Nutrition and more! Golf is demands ‘Work Smart’ attention!

Have I got you thinking? Like to possess an ‘Ultimate Opportunity to Play Smart Golf’? Of course you would! Eliminate half of the built-in course problems. Just think if you were able to play your tee ball moving ‘Left To Right and Right To Left’ at will! That would immediately change the way your golf life evolves every round? Staying in the ‘Short Stuff’ is a good thing!

Here’s how to have that opportunity!

What if you could choose or had this ability to ‘Play Only Half Of The Golf Course’ … from the centerline left or right? If you had a controlled Fade or a less-controlled Slice, you could move your ‘Centerline’ towards the ‘Pull Hook High Energy Side Of The Target Line’ and allow the ball to move toward the ‘Fade Slice Low Energy Side’ of the action picture.

This is an advanced ‘Golf Mechanical Topic’ but you might enjoy the conversation? Your ‘555 Team’ shall try to ‘Keep It Stupid Simple’! The Solution To Complexity Is Simplicity!

As you are well aware, we refer to ‘The Brace or Hitting Hand and Lever’ as the ‘Bend & Straighten’ or ‘Push Lever’. It is logically on the ‘Push Side of your ‘Golfing Machine’. It is also referred to as the ‘Thrust Link’ or lever. It produces the ‘Lion’s Share of the ‘Velocity’ (Clubhead Speed) as it ‘Pushes and Hits Through The Little White Ball’. (Impact & Separation)

We refer to ‘The Target or Swinging Hand and Lever’ as the ‘Pull Lever’. It is logically on the ‘Pull Side’ of your ‘Golfing Machine’. It is referred to as the ‘Drag Link’ for that reason.

Let’s examine an obvious baseline? Our ‘Topical Procedure’ is ‘The Full Swing’. Individually, there is but one ‘Full Swing’ … Bottom, Top, Bottom and Top. As you know, we, the ‘555 Team’ refer to these positions as ‘Swing Sequences’ … SS #1 (Take-Away), SS #5 (Top Of Back Swing - TOB), SS #7 is the ‘Pre-Impact Position, SS #8 (Impact & Separation) and SS #10 (Top Of Front Swing - TOF)

So, how do we actually take possession of this “Bargain”?

Make your predictable and perfected ‘Full Swing’!

Now, pull any golf club tool out of your ‘Tool Box - Bag’ (sans Putter), accomplish your ‘Set-Up and Pre Shot Routine’ (PSR) and courageously make your strike through the ball!

We are all wonderfully different individuals and more power to us … each one of us! How do we wind up to throw an over or underhanded baseball? Out of the ground! How long have you got?

Your ‘555 Team’ is dedicated to a science-based golf performance … mental and physical! Newton and his fellow travelers, after centuries, maintain governance! The apple still falls down from the tree! That baseball pitcher, fielder or thrower naturally ‘Winds up and Throws or Releases’ the ball from strong legs and a vibrant core! Lever functions and strength matters too!

A question for you if you do not mind? Does the Body Wind Up The ‘Hands, Wrists and Arms’ or the opposite process? Arguably each can be debated. We humans need a balanced approach to glean optimal knowledge and functional success. Real-life works that way!

The great Gary Player typically, by necessity, ‘Walked Through His Shots’. This action or discipline protected his ‘Lumbar Spine’ and love of the sport.

Mr. Player’s ‘Walking Through’ more naturally accomplished his ‘Transition’ or, as called by some, ‘Weight Shift’ and ‘Rotational Power Creation’.

If you want to ‘Walk Through an Interior Hallway Door’, or to ‘Throw A Hard Boxing Gut Punch’, you had better ‘Accumulate, Load, Store, Deliver and Release’ – ALSDR)(see ‘The Power Line Delivery System’)

Here is a workable ‘Bullet-Proof Skill Drill’ for you!

Do you remember our ‘Swapping Pockets Bullet-Proof Drill’? It’s a worthy consideration!

When you are at ‘Impact Fix’ (Address Ready), your back pants pockets are relatively ‘Parallel’ to your ‘Body and Target Lines’. You could refer to this as ‘Neutral and Unloaded’.

When you ‘Load Coil, (Wind Up your big Body Rubber Band) to your ‘Brace Side’ (see ‘The Power Line Delivery Sequence’ – Accumulate, Load, Store, Deliver & Release) Your ‘Brace Rear Pocket’ rotates spinally to the ‘Brace Side, Back & Slightly Up’. Very simple process!

At your Top Of Back Swing (TOB) your Brace Pocket will be at its ‘Fitness Coil Limit’ … perhaps about 45 degrees to the Body Line. (see ‘Alignment’) You accomplish your ‘Transition’ (Bump & Direction Change) thus moving into the Front Swing or ‘Off Loading Phase’. (ALSDR – This is the DR aspect)