Frequently Asked Questions

The most commonly asked questions I am asked are, "George, how does your instruction differ from A.J. Bonar, Dalton McCrary, Natural Golf, Swing the Handle, Butch Harmon, Jim McLean, Gravity Golf -- in a word, for everything else available."

The answer is that I find other instruction often to be subjective, incomplete, insufficient, often wrong for the body type or strengths of the particular pupil.

This instruction is the most complete, the most accurate, the simplest, the quickest communication of all of the issues of golf swing and impact available anywhere in the history of golf.

Nowhere else will you find details explained so accurately.  We find that almost all golf instruction is subjective, incomplete, and imprecise: that people are served poorly with generalizations and "tips" as opposed to totality and precision. 

• Q: George, how does your “5 Minutes” video and your swing instruction differ from “Natural Golf?”

• Q: George, how does your “5 Minutes” video and your swing instruction differ from “AJ Bonar's instruction:"

• Q: How does your system differ from Dalton McCrary’s “Straight-Shootin’ Golf” method?

• Q: It can’t be so simple as you make it out to be, George -- “5 Minutes to a perfect swing...” The golf swing is just too complicated for such a comment. Why do you say “5 minutes?”

• Q: George, I have been a “slicer” all my life, and I’ve had several lessons and spent lots of money at golf schools. But after each lesson I go back to my old slice and I guess I’m stuck with it, but I hate to play golf that way. What is your reply to this?

• Q: “Sometimes I hit the ground a bunch before I hit the ball, and it just ruins my shot -- usually or especially when I’m chipping. Is that something addressed in your teaching.”

• Q: Do you offer a money back guarantee if I don’t profit from your stuff? George, I’ve been hoodwinked into spending money for videos, books, lessons, and golf schools, but I have yet to get comfortable, to profit by any of it and to get unconfused.

• Q: George, can I buy any of this stuff from Amazon.com?

• Q: GEORGE: YOU TELL US THAT 12 “FUNDAMENTALS” WE ARE TAUGHT WILL ACTUALLY “STEER YOU WRONG”. WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHY ARE THEY FAULTY?

Q: George, how does your swing instruction differ from “Natural Golf?”

A: Greatly! There is nothing “natural” to me about “Natural Golf,” based on its unnatural appearance, and on the struggle and the difficulties I see in those who try it. There is truly nothing more “natural” or easier to learn than the "release" procedure I demonstrate which which can be done immediately.  You simply stand in a completely relaxed posture that I tell you, you bend over a bit so your left arm hangs down, and then the motions you make are utterly clear and simple. By their nature they call into play all the requisite motions of the body and club in a perfectly efficient and simple way, requiring hardly any thought. In the process everything is clarified so that you can’t do it wrong... There is nothing more utterly simple than the motions you make while you are doing this, and nothing of any stress or unnatural nature in it. Its simplicity is outrageous, and it’s a shame that “Natural Golf” has stolen a name which is so deceiving in comparison to this. So actually we have “one-upped” those who incorrectly use a name such as “Natural” to describe their convoluted and unnatural “muscling” (have you ever seen a woman in their commercials?)  NG simply has no credibility in serious golf instruction.

Q: George, how does your swing instruction differ from “AJ Bonar's instruction:"

A: Bonar's message is you need to use your clubface like a baseball bat, basically by manipulating the clubface into the ball.  For those incorrectly taught a grip too weak for them and unsuited to their own physique, that procedure seems to help.  But it goes against truly efficient mechanics and requires deliberate effort.  Using effort during a swing like that never has a chance of becoming second nature or "automatic."  Also, the simplisticism (my description of ignoring everything else people need to know) omits the tremendous amount of information needed by almost all golfers for many other things needed to deliver the club with authority and power.  

I am told that the content in the video comprises only a few minutes and that there is a great deal of time taken up with other things that could be described as entertainment, not instruction. 

Q: How does your system differ from Dalton McCrary’s “Straight-Shootin’ Golf” method?

A: I haven’t seen his video, but I have heard that his advice for the use of a fairly vertical swing plane has helped some golfers - a feature I appreciate and teach ala Jack Nicklaus and so many other great golfers. He also advocates "holding the club square" through impact, and I part company with him on that.  I'll let the following posts from an internet forum where people who have his tapes make the comparison for me:

"/golfequip/messages?msg=94999.1" Dalton McCrary's "Straight Shootin":what do you think? Why did you quit? Why did you Not quit? Any feedback is welcomed. Thanks----

Q: It can’t be so simple as you make it out to be, George --  The golf swing is just too complicated for such a comment.

A: Walking itself is an extremely complicated mechanical act also, but no one thinks of it that way or needs to be concerned about “walking mechanics“. And no one takes walking lessons, either. No, golfer, the only truly effective way to impart good golf mechanics is to reduce the swing to its true essentials, which takes about one minute to explain, and then the working parts take care of themselves, the same as your knees and hips do when you walk -- without thinking about them. Doing it right is immediately and easily doable by anyone, beginner or scratch golfer, and there is absolutely nothing complicated in the protocol. No kid ever needs to have a lesson in mechanics to toss a rock or swing a tennis racket, so it’s exactly the same with golf if it is introduced correctly!

I don’t pretend that learning perfect and perfectly easy swing mechanics alone will enable you to make perfect impact on the ball. “Finding the ball” does require practice and knowledge of some subtleties, and it is the subject of a major part of everything we have produced (that's our academy name, our site name, and our logo, “Perfect Impact...”) but using a good swing when learning to do that is far simpler and skill is acquired sooner than trying to do it with a grossly flawed motion.

I consider most golf teaching systems, such as “Eight steps...” and other piece by piece approaches, to be DESTRUCTIVE of the process. And when I say that the parts take care of themselves, I don’t mean to sound simplistic. It isn’t that there aren’t things that you need to do. But they are extremely simple to do, and once done BEFORE THE SWING, the swing itself is automatically programmed to take care of itself, so that attention to details is irrelevant because pure impact and direction control are built into it. It is similar to riding a bike. A child NEVER THINKS OF IT once he has the knack, because his natural coordination knows what to do without conscious direction. All he does is aim where he wants to go and he does it without thought. The most efficient golf swing motion is truly EASILY TEACHABLE AND DOABLE, BUT DUE TO BAD TEACHING, INCOMPLETE OR POORLY COMMUNICATED DETAILS, AND THE SUBTLETY OF STUFF, THE GOLFING PUBLIC HAS COME TO BUY A LIE, TO THE EFFECT THAT A GOOD GOLF SWING IS NECESSARILY COMPLEX, DIFFICULT, AND RESERVED FOR EXTRAORDINARILY GIFTED ATHLETES. What a pity, because it just isn’t so! Ever run into a golfer who never had a lesson, plays three times a year, and hits the ball a mile and usually on the money? Those people are your proof of my points: THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONTAMINATED BY (so far) 12 OF THE MOST REVERED “FUNDAMENTALS” THAT ARE PUT FORTH AND BY THE HUNDREDS OF WELL MEANING BUT DESTRUCTIVE “TIPS” YOU READ EVERY DAY. One of the first things I tell my pupils is, “John, DO NOT take any golf lessons!” For the reason that almost all “teaching” is an attempt to control appearances, hence produce results (they’ve got it backwards), instead of creating correct CORE EXERTIONS, using measurements to the ball that are based on some unrecognized REALITIES of elasticity and geometry, along certain directional lines, that DO automatically guarantee results. And if a poor result due to the absence of one or two elements in that protocol makes it APPEAR that the protocol is inadequate, the reality is that there are only a couple of ADJUSTMENTS OF ALIGNMENT AND POSITION necessary to make ITS results perfect!


Q: George, I have been a “slicer” all my life, and I’ve had several lessons and spent lots of money at golf schools. But after each lesson I go back to my old slice and I guess I’m stuck with it, but I hate to play golf that way. What is your reply to this? 

A: Reader, there ARE NO SLICERS! -- there are only bad teachers! NO ONE IS A “SLICER”. Slicing is due to an improper ADJUSTMENT (of either the club or where you stand) that is made at setup (like putting a driver into the clamp of an Iron Byron golf swing machine with the face wide open), NOT TO AN IN-SWING FAULT. EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE WRONG AS A RESULT OF ANY GOLF SWING WAS ALWAYS DUE TO SOMETHING THAT WAS MISADJUSTED OR MIS-MEASURED BEFORE THE SWING EVER STARTED, OR MISUNDERSTOOD ABOUT WHAT TO DO DURING THE SWING -- I.E., IN THE SETUP AND PROCEDURE. HENCE EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE WRONG CAN ALSO BE PREVENTED AND CORRECTED LONG BEFORE THE SWING EVER GETS UNDER WAY, AT SETUP. SO YOU NEED A TEACHER WHO WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT WILL ENABLE YOU TO GET ALL THAT STUFF RIGHT BEFORE YOU START YOUR SWING, not a teacher who tells you to “TRY TO......” while you are swinging. IT JUST WON’T WORK THAT WAY!!!!!!


Q: “Sometimes I hit the ground a bunch before I hit the ball, and it just ruins my shot -- usually or especially when I’m chipping. Is that something addressed in your teaching.” 

A: ABSOLUTELY. ADDRESSING PROBLEMS LIKE THAT ONE IS THE FIRST THRUST OF MY TEACHING. MOST FAULTS SEEM TO BE INADVERTENT AND DUE TO CLUMSINESS, BUT THEY ARE NOT AT ALL DUE TO LACK OF NATURAL TALENT! We blame ourselves as “klutzes“, but the truth is that problems of that kind ARE PREVENTABLE BY ANYONE BY KNOWING ABOUT SOME SUBTLE REALITIES, so that you can deal with them correctly. If you DON’T know about them, you WILL be victimized by them because you did not allow for them.

MANY ARE BUILT INTO THE STANCE AND OTHER THINGS THAT YOU GOT FROM “GOLF LESSONS,” AND FROM OTHER BASICS WHICH INHERENTLY PREVENT A GOOD SWING -- (12 OF THE MOST REVERED “FUNDAMENTALS” WILL STEER YOU WRONG IF YOU DO WHAT THEY SAY!!!) My teaching first addresses PRECISELY THOSE THINGS THAT INTERFERE WITH GOOD IMPACT, that JUMP UP BY SURPRISE, OR THAT GET IN THE WAY OF USING YOUR NATURAL ATHLETICISM EFFECTIVELY. SUCH FAULTS AS FAT SHOTS, TOE HITS, AND COMING OVER THE TOP ARE PRECISELY BECAUSE YOU FAIL TO DEAL WITH SOME VERY SUBTLE REALITIES THAT ARE NOT MENTIONED IN MAINSTREAM INSTRUCTION. BUT I TELL YOU ABOUT THEM, AND THEY ARE EASY TO DEAL WITH.

One of my favorite phrases is “There are no bad pupils (or klutzes); there are only bad teachers!” And the reason is this: if something like that happens (like coming over the top, fat impact, toe hits, or dribbling a drive off the tee) it is because of some reality of which you are not aware and which occurs because your setup did not allow for it. The spot on the ball that you are going to hit is about the size of a nickel, the spot on the club you want to impact it is also about the same size, and it’s sitting there about five feet away from where your left arm connects to your body at your left shoulder, so you’d better believe there are details to be dealt with if you want impact without any overlap between the two nickels. But THEY ARE NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT SIMPLE INFORMATION THAT I OPEN UP TO YOU. IT IS STUFF THAT YOU WILL SEE FOR YOURSELF ONCE IT IS POINTED OUT TO YOU, THAT WILL ENABLE YOU TO MEASURE CORRECTLY TO THE BALL FOR PERFECT DEPTH CONTROL, SWING ON LINE FOR PERFECT CENTER OF GRAVITY AND ON-LINE CONTROL, AND ALIGNMENT OF SWING AND CLUBFACE FOR PERFECT DIRECTION AND TRAJECTORY CONTROL. To have a “teacher” NOT point out those things to you is patronizing, and in a word, such incompetent teaching qualifies as malpractice. It is my contention that 75% of appropriate golf instruction needs to deal with THOSE things, not with “swing mechanics.” Swing mechanics are EASY when you’ve got impact and direction control details right. My phrase for it is, “Teach a man how to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life!” You do NOT need “golf tips” and “a fish” now and then, because you are too intelligent for such band-aids. You too CAN AND OUGHT TO KNOW THE WHOLE MAGILLA, INCLUDING THESE OTHER COMMON SENSE DETAILS. Then you won’t need ANY other teacher besides yourself!


Q: Do you offer a money back guarantee if I don’t profit from your stuff? George, I’ve been hoodwinked into spending money for videos, books, lessons, and golf schools, but I have yet to get comfortable, to profit by any of it and to get unconfused. 

A: YES!. If you are not TOTALLY THRILLED, TRANSFORMED, AND LIBERATED by my stuff [Item # 1 excepted] and you return it to me (without any need to explain yourself ) within 60 days, I will refund your full purchase price. But I don’t have any fear of that, due to the substance and common sense and immediate applicability of what’s there.

Q: George, can I buy any of this stuff from Amazon.com?

A: Yes, you can the books from Amazon but you’ll get them quicker from me directly. If you’d rather phone your order in than on-line with us, feel free to call us. Our telephone number for chatting or ordering is (800) 226-9326.   I do not know of their money back policy: mine is stated above.

GEORGE: YOU TELL US THAT MANY  “FUNDAMENTALS” WE ARE TAUGHT WILL ACTUALLY “STEER YOU WRONG”.   WHAT ARE THEY, AND WHY ARE THEY FAULTY?

1) “Put your feet shoulder width apart.” It’s wrong because, for most golfers, it PREVENTS the complete mid-body turn that pulls the torso and arms and club through impact -- the distance between the feet inhibits the turn of the mid-body. Achieving full shoulder width for the feet is accessible only to a few golfers, and it is NOT advisable even for those who can. Because, if the “motor” shuts down before impact, the golfer must contrive a motion to get through impact, essentially to “muscle” the club. This deflects the clubhead from orbit, and slows it down.

2) “Go back low and slow.” It’s wrong because it engages muscles to carry the club to the top, which causes the wrong muscles to be triggered for the downswing. Arms and hands should be completely disengaged “up there” so that they are NOT triggered. The arms and hands need to be THROWN to the top in the first 45 degrees of backswing, after which they relax and coast.

3) “Have the back of your left hand face the target when you take your grip.” It’s wrong because your hands do not naturally return to the ball in that position -- the left hand is usually naturally turned more to the right than that. So it will guarantee an open clubface at impact (for virtually ALL golfers), requiring either that you live with your slice, or that you contrive an unnatural “in-swing twist” of the forearms to bring the clubface to square at impact.

4) “Move your hips first.” It’s wrong because it is unspecific, therefore harmful.  There are a series of motions that occur in a specific order, besides which there are TWO hip motions required, each at a different time during the swing. The first forward motion of the hips is key for delivering great leg power to the shoulders on plane and for “walking back to”, or placing, the body weight onto the forward foot for the downswing, and the second is the natural ROTARY MOTION OF THE MIDSECTION, which continues powering the arms.

5) “Pull the left arm down.” It’s wrong because the left arm GETS moved down ever so subtly by the motion of the hips.  The deltoid muscles ARE NOT TO BE ACTIVATED--the arms do not struggle at all.

6) “Get back to setup position for impact.” It’s wrong because, since the shoulders get PULLED to and through impact, they will be tilted at impact, and the hips will be turned considerable "lefter" than setup.  You will NEVER see a picture of impact position of ANY GOLFER of any quality where the upper body is not slanted with right shoulder down and left shoulder high, waist turned left, in a very different position than setup. 

7) “Set up parallel left, so that your shoulder line is approximately left of the green when the pin is in the middle.” It’s wrong because parallel lines appear to CONVERGE in the distance, like railroad tracks. So a “parallel” setup will place your shoulder line 24” or so left of your target, not left of the green.  In a word, you'd actually be aligned to miss the green on the left.

8) “Swing your putter in a line, straight back and straight through.” It’s wrong because such a procedure requires you to contrive your motion unnaturally, i.e., to manipulate the putter, instead of using a natural swing that involves some arc in its path.  And that’s because the body is not directly above the ball, but a bit beside it. Contriving is not as reliable as natural swinging.

9) “Get behind the ball.” It’s wrong because you don’t “get” anywhere! You simply don’t move your head forward, and the lower body’s natural leading motion will make it APPEAR that you’ve “gotten behind the ball. So trying to “get behind” the ball will cause you to contrive an unnatural and unnecessary body motion, and/or the lack of any such contrivance will make you feel guilty and think you are swinging less well “than the pros.”  Since the top of your head does rotate to your right as your body thrusts forward, pivoting around the swing center at the back of your neck, there is an illusion of your head moving back.

10) “Create an X-Factor in your backswing.” It’s wrong because the backswing is not where power is applied, much less from any elasticity in the body  Power is applied in the downswing, so natural exuberance and effort to swing heartily tends to increase the angle between your hips and your shoulders because of our anatomy.  Same as how the cable gets stretched when a tow car tightens it to take up the slack before the car being towed actually starts to move.  You don't create any X consciously or otherwise: your torso gets towed. 

11) “Put your weight onto the balls of your feet.” It’s wrong because your weight needs to be dead center to prevent a need to “restore your balance” during the swing, which would relocate the clubhead orbit closer to your feet and cause toe impacts. 

12) “Set up with the clubshaft perpendicular to the spine.” It’s wrong because the LEFT ARM AND CLUB CONSTITUTE A KIND OF DOUBLE LEVER: THE LEFT ARM/CLUB CONNECTS to the LEFT SHOULDER, NOT to the WAIST, SO IT SWINGS FROM THE SHOULDER -- its axle is the left shoulder. So there is no way that the spine is bent out over the ball far enough for that lever to be PERPENDICULAR to the SPINE! You will NEVER see a golfer -- even a very short man -- place the clubshaft that “flat”! The actual angle between the spine and the upper arm and clubshaft (which are in the same plane on the way to the ball) is OFTEN EVEN LESS THAN 45 DEGREES in many great golfers.

Friends, THERE IS MORE MAINSTREAM INSTRUCTION which also either mis-states stuff, or is actually just plain wrong in its counsel. But the things mentioned so far will suffice for now to illustrate the pitfalls of most instruction, which blindly accepts and unquestioningly passes such things along TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE PUBLIC. I can say categorically that an enormous amount of golf instruction is not only erroneous; it is actually DESTRUCTIVE.

Watch out who you take instruction from!!!

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READERS: This website WELCOMES your questions, and we will immediately respond to you in person about any problems you are experiencing. Remember, THERE ARE NO BAD PUPILS, AND YOU ARE NOT A KLUTZ. THERE ARE SOME HORRENDOUSLY CONFUSING ADAGES IN THE GOLF WORLD, AND MOST PEOPLE ARE MISLEAD BY THEM.

 

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