I just read, Afternoons With Mr. Hogan…, by Jody Vasquez. I was impressed by his story-telling and sense of humor. The book was filled with eye-witness accounts of Ben Hogan in different “compartmentalized” areas of his life from 1964 until his passing. J.V. Got to see Mr. Hogan from a unique perspective, to say the least. The stories he shares are fun and describe the pioneer of modern golf. Leave it to a Texan.

The stories that end with a short answer were my favorites. “You’re a golf professional aren’t you?” Yes. “Then, you should know why.” Ha! I laughed out loud. However, one line stood out. Jody’s had an interesting observation regarding the sound of a Hogan impact. He said, “I believe his flat swing plane enabled him to keep the clubhead traveling along the target line longer, and thus kept the ball on the clubface an instant longer. Hence, a deliciously unique sound.”

Then, the best line of all came after hours of work with Jay Hebert. I’m laughing as I write. “That son of a bitch better play good tomorrow, with all the work we put into him.” Oh, my God, that’s priceless. I’d always heard Hogan was efficient with words. However, it turns out he was funny, too. Hogan’s spirit reminds me of my college coach, Katman.

We were eating at a Pizza Hut during a competitive trip. We were hungry and, of course, irritable. One of the guys asked when we could expect the pizza. The waitress said, it’s coming. Katman said, “So is Christmas”. That story always makes me smile, and that is the feeling I got reading about Jody Vasquez’s Hogan experience. Well done, sir.

The Open Stance Academy

K: Johnny, I only have one question about an open stance, and here’s it is. What is the pot of gold at the end of the Open Stance progression?

JW: I like the imagery. Did you compose it that way because the Golf world is focused on the UK for the next two weeks?

K: Actually, it’s an old question a friend asked me a while back, which is now clever and topical.

JW: haha! Okay… let me take this from one perspective at a time. First, health… the open stance requires a flattened plane along the body line, which minimizes shoulder impingements and rotation on your forward knee and hip.
Second, power… the open stance causes the brain to create efficient solutions for impact. One of those immutably logical and athletic adaptations is lag – facilitated by placing your trailing elbow prior to impact.
Third, repeatability… placing the trailing elbow inside the trailing hip before impact creates a necessary structure. The club head cannot get closer to or further from the ball with this controllable structure in place. Therefore, measuring your distance from the ball will cement further progress.

K: Okay, I lied. I have follow up questions. Is it for everyone? Does it work for everyone?

JW: No, I think it’s safe to say an open stance is not for everyone. However, the open stance does work for everyone who sticks with it.

The Open Stance Academy

I was speaking to a friend and student about his improvement when I heard myself say, “Practice making the right sound at impact.” If anyone else can close their eyes, hear a shot come off a club, and make suggestions, let me know. I suspect there are a few of us who can do it. Anyway, since I began teaching sound, my students have turned corners of progress they never knew existed.

The next time you notice yourself not listening to your golf club interact with the ground and your ball, redirect your attention to sound and recompute your feedback. You will discover a whole new self-evaluation level that does not involve beating yourself up over less optimal impacts. Practice is easier when our criteria for progress puts solid contact first.

Likewise, playing from bunkers is also easier with a thumping confirmation as our club and the sand meet in a drawn-out chorus of bass drum notes and cymbal rides. Avoid the snare drum sound. Visual evidence is always helpful, but audible evidence adds a layer of refinement to the complete practice experience. When we practice using more senses to judge our results, we involve the creative side of our brain.

Chipping and pitching requires our ears, too. I liken it to ripping a three-pointer from deep. “Tchoo” is the sound I like. Wearing earphones or depriving your brain of all available feedback is, I believe, harmful.

For example, while living in South Florida, I watched Kelly K. hit golf balls from a closed stance while listening to music via iPhone ear plugs. She was clanking every shot she hit. I was horrified, because I knew her tour school was next week. Therefore, I got her attention and asked her (Dropped a hint), “Don’t you need to hear impact, too?” She responded shortly, “Why do I need to hear it? I can feel it.”

Not wanting to intrude or dent whatever confidence she had, I waved the high sign and turned away knowing she was in trouble. Well, she wound up finishing last in the qualifier. From that moment on, my advice in practicing has included clicking the hearing tumbler into place.

You may have noticed I mentioned that she set up closed. It’s no surprise one inefficiency accompanies the other. From my point of view, she needed an overhaul that time would not allow. Then again, maybe she knew what I knew – and wore the headphones to avoid hearing what I heard. Poor girl.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

p.s. This will probably appear in a golf magazine by the Fall.

Bubba Watson was asked about his setup. Listen to his answer.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

One of my former Florida students, CK, who lives in Baasten (Boston), called me. She had just returned from the golf course to tell me she remembered something I told her years ago, and she hit the ball beautifully. She flattened her downswing, because she remembered me suggesting the open stance requires a wide swing.

CK asked again why “wide” works so well. I explained flattening requires placing the trailing elbow earlier to guide clubhead delivery. Additionally, release point determines impact consistency. Furthermore, rotation away from address determines release point. So, simply by setting up open, the mechanisms for solid impact fall in line.

Remember, “wide” for you is not “wide” for someone else, and vice versa. Homogeneity is not recommended. In my opinion, video is the best way to determine ‘flat enough’. Then, centeredness of contact, divot depth, length, and direction take over as the guiding force of improvement throughout your bag.

The one common gauge for flattening may be keeping your leading arm at or below the trailing shoulder. Video shot from a down-the-line view reveals positions. However, Video is not needed if your intent with your ball is specific enough. Hitting it perfectly solid, demanding no curvature, and flying your ball straight at your target are specific intentions. More advanced specificity includes trajectory and spin control. But, start with contact.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

More than twelve years ago, I had the opportunity to meet my golfing hero, Jack Nicklaus. He was opening his new renovation at Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course, in Columbus, Ohio. His reworking of this Mackenzie masterpiece was on full display as he, his son Gary, OSU Football great Archie Griffin, and a fourth I can’t remember – tees off. Needless to say, I was there to see Jack, so remembering the choppers wasn’t a priority.

After nine holes, Griffin and fourth had to go. Jack and Gary put on a nice display of golf from the tips. At sixty-five years old, J.W. Nicklaus was movin’ it out there with his son off the tee. On number twelve, Jack called for a long drive contest. Gary hit a frozen rope right down the middle. Jack set-up open and seemed to take forever to hit his. Then he moved, and his ball was gone in a hurry. Both men piped it down the middle. However, Jack won by two feet.

The spectators were allowed to walk along with a mic’d up Nicklaus. He used the mic except when he was walking. During that time people would ask him questions and he would give engaged, earnest answers like the class act he has always been. So, I gathered up the courage to talk to him about my college golf coach and his former teammate, The Katman.

When I mentioned the Katman, Mr. Nicklaus lit up. He started asking ME questions. I was walking with Mr. Nicklaus and remembering Katman’s stories. And, as of that stroll down the fairways with the greatest of all time, I had seen the mutual respect they had for each other. Mr. Nicklaus was even a guest speaker, in absentia, at Katman’s DePauw Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. As I remember our walk, Mr. Nicklaus was wonderfully animated as his memories seemed to wash away reality, for a moment.

I guess I writing this because, although we don’t get any younger, our memories never age. Whether famous or common, people remember the connections they make with others, famous or common. Therefore, let me suggest you pursue and enjoy life and golf in the company of fine, honorable individuals who exhibit sportsmanship – win or lose.

All the best people I know are golfers – all competitors… all Americans. They remain calm under pressure, show character in the face of adversity, and happily walk down the fairway knowing it isn’t always fair. In conclusion, open your eyes and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

This is the world’s first video on The Open Stance setup. Take a look at the 2014 video I made in South Florida with interviewer – Charles Beren.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

When You Change Your Movement, You Change Your Ball Position: The Interview

K: I just watched a video of Hank Haney.

JW: Yeah? How’d that go for ya?

K: I thought it was good. But, I have some questions.

JW: OK.

K: He went through the rule of threes, which was understood. He talked about ball flight with path and clubface combinations, which was understood. In fact, everything he said – I understood.

JW: That doesn’t seem to leave you much room for wondering, does it?

K: I’m getting to that. I realized I understood all that because I already knew it. So, my questions started to form. Then, I started listening for any reference to set-up, the feet, and how set-up affects the swing. He didn’t mention any of that.

JW: Sure. Let me guess…. he just talked about motion.

K: YEAH! That’s exactly what he talked about!

JW: And, you were surprised?

K: Well, I’ll get to my questions. First, why do you think he didn’t discuss set-up?

JW: Because Haney is from the old school of instruction, most likely. That means he may not have ever considered the human, adaptive element in a golf swing. I don’t think old-school instructors mislead people on purpose. They just learned that keeping it simple made it easier to work less and make more.

K: And, you don’t agree with that philosophy?

JW: HA! You managed to crack my code. Naw, it just strikes me as a half-assed approach to making a living as an expert on the golf swing.

K: You always talk about the influence of the set-up on the swing. What could Haney have covered in his movement clinic?

JW: Well, if he talks about changing movement without talking set-up orientation, he should talk about the way the ball changes relative position with different club paths. But that would, most likely, lead to audience questions about set-up. Maybe he couldn’t risk it.

K: Maybe. He does seems to know some Physics and measurement of ball flight and swing principles, though. And, he was engaging. Is that enough to be known as a great golf instructor these days?

JW: It’s is for he, Ledbetter, McLean, Breed and those guys. But, my personality isn’t as palatable as theirs. I think of them as entertainers. My personality is more of an acquired taste. Therefore, I have to teach with knowledge instead of instruct with personality.

K: I can see that.

JW: (With a laugh) Geez, thanks a lot. No, I’d guess I’m a little more serious… thoughtful, maybe.

K: No, I really mean to compliment your hard work. You’re the only true teacher I know, and perhaps the only teacher who knows the inter-disciplinary progression of the golf swing. My game is testament to your work. I know for the rest of my life, I’ll never set up anything but open.

JW: Nor should you.

The Open Stance Academy

<img src=”https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=wwwopenstan0a-

Have you been dissatisfied with your “Progress” in golf? Maybe, you have been wasting time working on movement. Movement-focused learning creates a viscous cycle that really leads to nothing except the next fix. It’s a treadmill. Movement is taught by every player in the published instruction game. Therefore, I ask, is the treadmill is keeping you from moving forward?

Anyone reading my opinions on the “Teaching” industry knows that I suggest no real knowledge has reached students. That would be impossible, from my point of view. Because, teaching is transferring knowledge that enables freedom. Also, real knowledge underpins everything in student self-development. Therefore, I use “Instruction” as a derogatory, but descriptive term for old-school, golf swing practitioners.

Taking golf instruction essentially means you are, effectively, buying a bill of goods. My purpose is not to call individuals out. Rather, I seek to educate golfers about my definitions for instruction and teaching. Instruction is about How and What, teaching is about Why. Instruction is cleverness disguised as knowledge. Teaching is naked and wise. And, teaching is much more difficult to master, because you have to be fluent with an entire continuum of causal relationships.

People think they are getting “Why” answers – just because their instructor tells them so. Therefore, I feel te need to isolate misleading messages by showing that set-up determines swing. For instance, my followers know how quickly improvement comes by employing an Open Stance set-up. We have acknowledged the greatest ball-strikers of all time use an Open Stance. Why, then, doesn’t everyone use an Open Stance? My answer is, because each of us wakes up at a different time.

I’ve known many instructors eager to call the Open Stance a “Method”. Unfortunately, these sad peeps have difficulty discriminating between teaching and instructing. We know “methods” (A-Frame, Stack-n-Tilt, et.al.) promote one movement for all golfers without regard for set-up. Teaching, on the other hand, provides context and tools for answering our own swing questions. Instructing gives answers without context. As a result, the student’s only option is to return to the beginning… again.

My students/applicants will never have to return to the treadmill. Therefore, my advice to you is, “Step off the instruction treadmill. Open your stance and play golf.”

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

I just got off the phone with the world’s best clubfitter – Gurbazz Mann. A good young golfer and his father just left me. But, before they did, they sold me on their Fitting Guru, Gurbazz. They raved about his fitting philosophy and cited his documented results with Tour Professionals and elderly alike. Whether it is Shubankar Sharma or Mrs. Havacamp, “he is on another level”, they said.

Naturally, I couldn’t wait to speak with him so I called him after decent people go to bed. He is busy at Shinnecock Hills this week, but he answered anyway. I introduced myself, and we got into it. From my first question, he was fluent. Articulate about all things golf club, he assured me my suspicion about modern clubfitting was correct. However, he was also diplomatic enough to agree that most clubfitters ask the wrong questions or make the wrong assumptions of the components and how they are measured.

I found that I was not alone in my quest for truth in golf. My story of Grasshopper and her Callaway irons was my nod to his study. Some hack clubfitter put a 5’1” woman into regular-length clubs that were 3 degrees upright. Hence, she developed a casting motion that became a literal pain in her neck and shoulders. Therefore, I insisted she buy new clubs two degrees flat before we began working together. After months of adaptation, her ball striking was better and her pain was gone. Gurbazz said, “of course.”

We talked for thirty minutes about torque and high modulus graphite, and errant assumptions made in introducing it. We agreed clubfitting should not attempt to fix a swing error, and a swing should never adapt to a poorly-fit club. Suffice it to say that this man, Gurbazz Mann, is next-level.

I’m trying to contain my enthusiasm for his brainpower. I mean he is a bonifide GENIUS. He doesn’t think like a clubfitter. He is the Stephen Hawking of clubfitters. If you are ever within 250 miles of Columbus Ohio, see him. If you are ever in India, see him. Gurbazz’s knowledge and what he can do for your club needs are OFF. THE. CHARTS. In conclusion, I am thoroughly impressed. I’m going to set up an appointment ASAP. Thanks for your time, G-Mann.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy