Hey everyone, Shawn Clement here. Wisdom in Golf. And today really important video in order for you
to get solid contact on the ball, I'm going to show you how to top the ball properly.
Once you understand how to top the ball properly, then you'll understand how
to hit the ball solidly. You don't want to miss this one. Stay tuned.
In order for us to begin, I want to show you a very easy task that we teach our students. Okay
So let me get my favorite grass whip. So if I'm cutting grass with this particular club and I'm
doing it with one arm, watch how the whole arm club unit swings around my right shoulder. See
that notice where it's bottoming out. It's bottoming out right underneath the shoulder.
So the low point is here. When I bring both arms together to take my grip.
The center is right here between my two clavicles, the sternal notch, and I'm just going to swing
back and through without stopping. And you're going to see a nice blur. Can you see where the
low point of that is Now, if I'm cutting through something, notice my arms come down? First,
the hands come through. Then the shaft, then the heel of the club, then the toe of the club.
So the toe of the club only passes the heel right about here and then comes back up and
it re hinges. Now I'm going to go in the other direction. My hands come through first, then the
shaft, then the heel of the club, then the toe and it releases here. So there's a nice release
there. And then there's a nice release there. This is where the peak speed is in each direction. So
all I need to do is figure out where the low point of the swing is going to be. So if I just swing
back and through without stopping just in the air and I observe where the club is passing, see that
notice where the bottom is right about here. So if I lower a bit more than I do it back in through
without stopping, then I can cut grass with this club right here. Do you notice where the club
is Cutting the grass in relation to the ball The ball is in the center? Watch where it cuts grass.
Notice this cutting grass in front and notice how it's cutting grass in the back when I'm
going that way. So if I raise myself a little bit higher and bring that to the,
if I swing from here, it feels like I'm going to miss it. Yep. I see the blur right above the ball.
So I go down to the equator. Now I'm going to let it swing in both directions. Watch what happens.
And there, we have it, the perfect top golf shot watching slow motion here,
as I'm doing, I'm walking and I'm topping balls at the same time. And notice how the hands come
through first. Then from here down, it is so fast. You think you're going to miss the ball, but then
the bottom of the club cuts through the top of the ball. So it's like I'm taking my grass whip
and I am hovering it above the ball. And I'm shaving a little bit off the top of the golf ball.
So now if I take this and I put it on a tee
and I lower my grass whip to the grass, and I feel the sole of the club cut the grass. It
Watch what happens
And the ball just falls to the ground. Doesn't it Isn't that cool?
So I am cutting through the STEM of the dandelion. I am not trying to hit
the ball. Now, if you do the same thing with the sole of the club,
This is my dandelion in disguise, and I'm cutting the stem of the dandy line with the
sole of the club. Notice the ball's got to meet the face of the club to go into the air. Well,
there you have it. So if I cut the stem of the dandelion, the ball meets the face and leaps
into the air. So I'm not trying to hit the ball. I'm trying to cut grass with the sole of the club
because this is a grass-cutting tool. First and foremost, then you have a nice flat surface and
a nice springy face, like what they have on, you know, that, that flash face that they have
in the Callaway clubs to really, you know, spring that ball forward. So my goal is my eyes are
between the leading edge of the club and the ball. I see the stem to be cut. If I'm over here, do
want above the ball. Again, I see where the blur of the club is passing. That gives my brain a nice
reference. So then I lower the club and I'll go, okay, that's going to top, I lower it some more.
Ooh, that feels like I'm going to cut grass. So then you let the way to the club cut the grass,
And then the ball leaps into the air. So I'm never trying to hit the ball. I'm always trying
to cut the grass. You could start with a high tea, see that now I'm going to have to hover
the sole of the club at just the level below the ball, where the tip of the tee is,
and I'm letting the weight of my arm club unit cut through that.
Then I can take a shorter tee,
Nice little knob, bring that down. See I got the,
just the knob showing. Then I see the sole of the club ready to cut through the knob.
There it is. And then finally,
When you have it on grass if I were to poke my finger down here, see that my whole fingernail
disappears. So you've got this much grass under the ball, holding the ball up. So if
I just focus on letting the sole of the club cut through the grass in the direction of my target,
Hear that sound.
So I'm never trying to hit the ball.
I'm always trying to cut through the grass in the direction. I want the ball
To start. That's
One way of knowing your levels. That's going to put the ball in the air. The other one is ball
position. So many of you put the ball forward and you try to get under the ball and try to lift it.
Well,
If you tried to do that with the grass whip, I'm going to put the grass whip here.
I'm going to catch it on the way up. I'm just going to take a big slice
out of the ball. The only way that I get to cut the dandelion stem.
See where that is. It's gotta be cutting here. So,
So as I'm coming through, this is what happens. I'm cutting through. Notice how the weight shifts
my hands come through, then the shaft, then the heel
Cut, see how the toe of the club catches up with it.
And then that comes into the finish. So you never have to think about that,
a good way to, feel how that works. If I were to cut some grass towards you,
notice how the weight of the instrument releases me. I wouldn't do this. What I
find playing baseball. There is a nice, full release of that trail hand over the lead hand.
And you see how that releases through. I got to let that happen. So I'm feeling that nice
release in the direction of my target. So if the right hand is doing this there's pronation,
then the left hand is doing this they're supernation. All I gotta do now
is let it whip through the cut and not try to steer it. I want to abandon control. So watch
how accurate a human-machine can be there. My dandelions in disguise. Now I'm going to show
you walking through three dandelions. If I cut my rolls On nice and tidy, those rows
are. So I put each ball about a club with the part. All I'm doing is cutting my dandelions,
Easy peasy. Enjoy that information, go out and cut some grass. Enjoy the game, see you next week.