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The foundational ‘Golf Stroke Procedure’ is the ‘Push Basic Stroke’. You already know this as ‘The Putting & Chipping Stroke’. The ‘Full Swing’ is called the ‘Punch Basic Stroke’. (‘Stage 3 with Pivot’)

I have had decades of telling this story, but seven clients and non-clients recently asked about how they might improve their ‘Flat Stick - Dance Floor’ performance. Pretty simple! OK, here we go!

Putting is simply ‘Distance & Direction’ … ‘Clubface Aim and Weight’ with energy management controlled by ‘Stroke Length’. (see ‘Inching’ or “AskUs!”) Remember that ‘All Putts and Chips Are Dead Straight’! We putt to the stick or to an ‘Off-Set Aim Point’ and, if e miss, strive to roll ‘The Little White Ball’ 12 to 17 inches past the cup. We do not want to ‘Come Up Painfully Short’!

All ‘555 Golf Family’ knows that ‘Stance’ is item #3 in the 5 Set-Ups … Posture, Grip, Stance, Ball Location & Alignment. We all know that ‘Stance’ encompasses ‘Two Conditions’ … 1) Foot Width and 2) Foot Aim. Both matter a lot when considering a free and invited ‘Pivot Engine Release’!

Stance MUST facilitate (invite) a smooth ‘Back & Up Swing’, the ‘Transition’ as well as a repetitive, comfortable ‘Down & Out or Front Swing’. We must return through the strike to Square with Hips Pointing to the Far Target. This is known as ‘Pivot Release’. (see ‘Deliver & Release’ in the ALSDR)

If we are ‘Too Wide or Too Closed Footed’, either or both of these conditions ‘Impede our proper ‘Pivot Engine’. If and when we cannot ‘Properly Load Coil and Un-Load Release’, we shall not be able to ‘Deliver The Ball’ efficiently with our ‘Lower Body Machine’. (LBM or Core)

The primary movement is what we refer to as ‘Protraction and Retraction’. What does that mean? Think about rowing a boat in the direction that your back is facing. Moving the ‘Oar Blade’ backwards, to the front of the boat, gets you ready to move water and do work in a positive direction … towards the bow or front of the boat. You extend your hands and thus your shoulders forward (anterior to your body), which moves the ‘Oar Blade’ posteriorly to the body core … pushing your hands forward moves the ‘Oar Blade’ back. When you ‘Pull On The Grip Of The Oar’, you move water aft or towards the stern of the boat. Newtons ‘Action & Reaction’ goes into effect and we advance or propel the boat forward.

So, ‘Protraction (Anterior Hand Movement – away from the chest) also Moves the Shoulder Blades Forward’. The opposite occurs when you actually ‘Pull On The Grip Of The Oar’ to move a volume (Mass) of water. It is referred to as ‘Retraction or Posterior Hand Movement’.

What is the purpose? There has got to be a sensible reason or why make them? Right?

The purpose is to ‘Feel The Steel’ and your entire ‘Body Machine’ in a motion as close to the real needs and profile of the impending strike. If this is not the case why make a ‘Practice Swing’?

We must therefore make our practice swing as close to the real ‘Preselected Procedure’ as possible … both On Path and On Plane with grip pressures and velocity that make us feel the forthcoming task. Is it a powerful, all out, bash or is it a bit softer and smoother? One must ‘Feel The Steel and ‘The Entire Body Machine’ as stated above!

1. Stroke is executed with both ‘Wrist Cock and Pivot’ ‘Components’ involved and is, therefore, very close to being a Full Swing just with less ‘COIL-UnCOIL’ (ROM).
2. Pitching is simply an ‘Extended’ version of the ‘Chipping Stroke’. There is more ‘Range of Motion’ and thus, more ‘Clubhead Speed’. The Ball goes farther! Trajectory is simply a matter of the factories ‘Loft’.
3. There is a ‘Putting Stroke’ in the ‘Pitching Stroke’.
4. ‘MORE AIR TIME THAN GROUND ROLL TIME’. Ball tends to Run very little upon contacting the ground and, if there is much ‘Back Spin’, the Ball may even ‘Back Up’.

If you have never made a ‘Putt’, a ‘Chip’ or hit a ‘Full Swing Golf Ball’, open your browser to ‘A Golf Course Near Me’ and give them a call. What to ask? “Do you have a Putting Green, a Short Game area and a Driving Range? How much are your buckets of practice balls? Can I borrow or rent a Putter and a #8 Iron? How much for an hour or so? Do you have an instructor who will spend a few minutes with me free-of-charge making sure I am striking golf balls properly? How much are good lessons at your place?” Any reputable golf course will be delighted to respond to your queries! Will very likely give you an habitual FREE starter bucket!

As soon as you get favourable answers, set a time and date. “Right Now” would be expedient!

Three more prudent and highly beneficial action steps are 1) We already know that your browser works! Load in https://555golf.com or www.555golf.com or simply 555golf and click ‘Enter’. You will immediately arrive at the very special ‘555 Golf Website’. Click on the ‘Red Join Now Button’ right at the top of the Home Page and become a FREE ‘Club House Basic Member’.

Question? Where is your ‘Driver Ball Location’? Teed-Up how high? Student Answer: “Driver ball location is just inside the left heel. I do tee it up higher now than I did previously. I want to hit the ball on the upswing.”

Let me see if I can make quick sense herein? How much teed-up ball is above the Driver Head Top Plate? Think of the simple science. Every golf swing has a ‘Bottom Of Swing Arc’ (BOSA). In generality, this BOSA is where the sole of the golf clubhead ‘Pinches The Grass’. We are familiar with this ‘Location In 3 Dimensional Space’. All our ‘Non-Teed-Up Balls’ are struck there! Why get cute or difficult with the Driver? When people tee the ball up in the Driver situation, they SHOULD HOVER THE CLUBHEAD so the Sweet Spot matches the ‘Ballistic Target’. (BIC … Bottom Inside Cheek’) Efficient but quite challenging! How do I know this difficulty to be true? Top plates of so many Driver heads are all beat up! We call these ‘Rosies or Rosettes’. When using this very teed up ball, ‘Inside Heel’ location, we unnecessarily suffer a lot of ‘Fat Thins’. This is proof of a lack of stability.

If you already have an effective, compatible and ‘Gaining Ground Instructor’, can you apply the ‘555 Golf Principles’ without upsetting the apple cart? Will I run headlong into method conflicts?

No! As long as the instruction you are receiving is designed to work with very predictable and disciplined Musculo-Skeletal Biomechanics of the human body, you will not run into substantial conflicts. There are actually a relatively small number of very specific needs in making a sound and repeatable golf swing that make you happy. Embrace and apply these without delay through using a professionally designed ‘Pre Shot Routine’ (PSR).

Your ‘555 Team’ refers to these as ‘Mastering Golf Basics’ (MGB) and ‘Focusing On Fundamentals’ (FOF). They are all provided in writing so you avoid confusion. You shall be rewarded by ‘Setting Up For Success’ (see ‘The 5 Set-Ups’ and ‘The 5 Essential Elements’)

What is your propensity for striking the ‘Little White Ball’ “FAT THIN”? This learned and passionate Country Gentleman Golf Teacher knows first-hand that this propensity of taking a divot behind the ball is a torturous event. We often refer to this ‘No - No’ as turning the sod over the ball! Even taking a deep shovel full of turf and dirt in front of the ball is not a good thing! Not much can be worse in golf … perhaps only missing a two-footer for the win?

Is fat better of worse than thin? The saying ‘Thin To Win’ is actually true … unless you are needing to cross a pond in your approach. At least thin has an opportunity to run a helpful distance under control!

Have you ever dug a ditch with a #LW (Lob Wedge) under a really short shot from the fringe while looking at the cup? Not a great moment! So, you used a very lofted tool when you did NOT have to cross or get over a blocking bush or piece of bad ground? “Oh I am going to make Mickelson Magic!” How many clutch short approach shots has he missed in critical moments? Far too many! They do not call him ‘The Brides Maid’ for no reason. He has come second in dozens of Sundays mainly due to bad and perhaps arrogant decisions!

1. Stroke is executed with both ‘Wrist Cock and Pivot’ ‘Components’ involved and is, therefore, very close to being a Full Swing just with less ‘COIL/Un-COIL’ (‘ROM’)(‘BHTD’).
2. Knock Down is simply an ‘Extended’ version of the ‘Chipping Stroke’. There is more ‘Range of Motion’ and thus, more ‘Clubhead Speed’. The Ball goes farther! Trajectory is simply a matter of the factories ‘Loft’.
3. There is a ‘Putting Stroke’ in the ‘Knock Down Stroke’.
4. ‘MORE AIR TIME THAN GROUND ROLL TIME’. Ball tends to run very little upon contacting the ground and, if there is much ‘Back Spin’, the Ball may even ‘Back Up’.
5. ‘GRIP’ may be Shortened (‘Choked Down’).
6. ‘Moderate GRIP Pressure’. Don’t squeeze and kill the chicken!