To The Golfing Machine crowd, a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are the ball flights available to use. But they can’t use them all… maybe six, at most. To golfers setting up closed, they might be able to hit three of them. But to Open Stance philosophers, all nine are usable. Can you see the tree?

The 1, 2, & 3 that are the easiest for the golfer to hit because they are below the Plane. If a right-handed golfer sets up closed, these first three shots are their 4, 5, & 6. An actual 1, 2, & 3 does not even have an equivalent on their ball flight tree. They would have to hit a ‘-3, -2, & -1′ to achieve the first below-Plane branch of shots. A 4, 5, & 6 to them are actually a 7, 8, & 9 to the parallel set-up group. And their 7, 8, & 9 doesn’t have an equivalent either. They would have to hit a ’10, 11, & 12′ to hit the final triplet according to their feet alignment. Needless to say, the ball-striking required and awareness of clubface and path are difficult for them to assimilate repeatedly.

If a person sets up square, it’s all the same. The numbers don’t move around. However, having seen some top players’ numbers on ball-flight tree competency, I can tell you that the extremes are difficult to achieve because there is no bias to the square set-up, and the 7, 8, & 9 are the most difficult to hit for these folks because they don’t generate the lag to allow a push starting line.

But, If a person sets up open, their 7, 8, & 9 is an actual 4, 5, & 6, while actually hitting a push draw, push, and push fade due to leg drive and consequential lag. These shots are repeatable because they are above the plane. I’m withholding some details here as proprietary knowledge and literary license. Anyway, the 4, 5, & 6 for the golfer who sets up open is an actual 1, 2, & 3 on the ball-flight tree. Now to the piece de resistance…. Due to the lag option of the Open Stance swinger, they can remove lag to path their club easily to hit 1, 2, & 3. Since there is no actual equivalent on the tree, it is immaterial to measure except to say that you can do it.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Ok, genius…. Then why, oh why, do all the best ball-strikers in the world choose to control their ball by playing a fade? A fade flies higher, lands softer, spins more, IS more controllable, and as discussed in your last article – falls above the Plane. So, how do you explain what appears to be two divergent statements with one point, which is to hit a fade for control?

My answer is that the context is what matters in discriminating the difference. Because movement does not create anything due to its incidental nature, it cannot take responsibility for controlling anything, including a golf shot. Therefore, we cannot even put the two ideas, movement and control, in the same sentence. Most instructors talk about movement as if a golf shot, intentional or not, is created by movement. It isn’t, as I will explain.

We have to back away from the act of striking a golf ball to discover where the action originates. We have to acknowledge that the golfer seeks to perfectly express their consciousness, which also includes their subconscious, with every swing. We need to recognize the progression of events that lead to impact to understand not only that movement is incidental, but that control is gained before movement occurs. Finally, we need to agree that no matter how impressive the individual or special “their” swing is, the Laws of Physics apply equally to everyone.

The golfer’s conscious mind has the power to focus the subconscious intention. If properly cultivated in Philosophy, the golfer is able to shake off the limits to efficient thinking and movement born of that clarity. It’s not important, therefore, that all the best ball-strikers in the world choose to hit a fade. It’s only important that they intend to hit a fade, and don’t give up until they can express that intention at will.

Now for the control part…. Cogito ergo sum. I think, therefore, I am. This Latin existentialist phrase was an early hint at the mind drives our consciousness, and therefore, our existence. I think the point here is that everything that defines us as individuals begins in the conscious mind. Everything that defines human potential begins in the unconscious or, as Carl Jung described it, “The Collective Unconscious”. Deepak Chopra may say something like “The Non-Local Intelligence”. The others may call this source God.

So, if we tap into the universality of potential ways to swing a golf club for control of our golf ball, do we wing it and assume we are the end all, be all? Or, do we pay attention to those great icons who have gone before and copy their thoughts, recognizing a certain wisdom in it? Standing on the shoulders of giants like Newton, Tesla, daVinci, Trevino, Hogan, et.al., we have made our decisions and chosen our course of action. Copying a thought is safe, after all. One can always claim it came to them in a dream. We’ve done it forever. We continue to do it because there continues to be wisdom in it.

Following examples of efficiency or proficiency doesn’t diminish us. It helps us to resonate in harmony with the universe. This conscious decision falls within the limits of reason and existence, and it begins before any movement ever expressed our idea, whether focused by Philosophy or not. If the intention is focused, the movement becomes refined. If unfocused, the movement remains elusive. Either way, control begins before we even draw the club back.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

It always amazes me how little attention golf instructors pay to the Plane beyond the golf swing. Maybe it’s only relevant to these well-meaning folks because it is touched by the golf club as it moves around the golfer? Isn’t it important to know that the Plane is in an extended relationship with the intended start line and the ball, if only by default? The Plane extends past the golf shot in both directions to infinity, if you choose to believe. So, why would we not discuss what is significant about the space “Above” and “Below” the Plane if it extends beyond the target?

The first thing I want to clarify are the definitions. “The Plane” is the swing plane. The Plane does not necessarily parallel the target line nor the line of the feet. “Above” the Plane means any space on the outside of the Plane, from the ball to the highest extension of clubhead movement. It is the space that extends away from the front of the golfer with the Plane as the dividing line. The golfer’s head occupies this space. “Below” the Plane means any space on the inside of the Plane from the ball to the highest extension of clubhead movement. It is the space occupied by the feet – backwards, with the Plane as the dividing line.

All things being equal, a draw or hook goes further than a fade or slice, as we all know. So why would any sensible golfer choose a fade in navigating a golf course for any reason other than that it is widely known that tour players do it? Control, of course, is the answer. Control of a golf shot can be summarized by Lee Trevino best, I think. He said, “You can talk to a fade, but a hook won’t listen.” But, why do you suppose this is the case? After all, a draw is the more powerful, penetrating shot shape.

Power must equal efficiency, mustn’t it? Well, yes – in the production of clubhead speed it is irreplacable. But once the ball leaves the clubhead, the player’s power (i.e. control) atrophies very quickly, but the influence exerted by practiced, efficient movement remains to guide the ball through the elements. The point is that efficiency is not always about power alone. It is about seeking power and precision. Possessing one without the other is useless because the pursuit of only one precludes the possession of the other – leaving the golfer with one long-drive story per month to talk about.

It’s like the way that parents raise their children. They provide a consistent and powerful message to control the development of their child’s values and belief system with parameters they believe best, and then hope for the best. You try to keep them ‘above the Plane with a fade’ because the result is easier to control. Then, one day they won’t listen… they rebel. That is the metaphorical fade double-cross, in golf swing parlance. You might watch them hook it out of bounds by not calling at a certain time, as instructed.

Then, you say, “As long as you live under my roof, you’ll do as I say”. And you ground them for a week using the fade system under which they were raised. Control… it is important to alleviate parental fears of the unknown. It’s why humanity developed Mathematics. Anyway, one day, the child grows up and moves out. The ball has left the clubface. Parental control dissipates, except for that initial, powerful, consistent message to play a fade throughout life (a push draw at worst), which continues to influence their ’round’.

The fade influence represents good, responsible parenting/ball-striking intent (ad.sic.) The law or some measure of character is the metaphorical Plane. Above the Plane is good, below it is a crapshoot. Some have to break below the Plane to feel powerful once out of ten times but lose control of the power nine out of ten times. A snap hook may develop without fade intent. Certain golfers feel power FROM control. These are the people that history remembers fondly.

Now that my metaphor is completed, let’s get back on topic. We ask How, What, Where, and When we should hit a fade, and yet no one ever addressed the “Why” beyond the ‘because the best players hit a fade’ argument. Well, here is your answer….

A fade is above the Plane. It is easier to control because it is above the Plane. The fade is identified by a ball that begins on a starting line, which is invariably diverging from the line of the feet. The ball then flies straight only to fall above the Plane, which bisects the starting line at ground-level, on its descent back to Earth. For right-handed golfers, ‘above’ is to the right of the starting line, and for leftys – to the left.

While it is true that someone can hit a pull fade, the fact that it’s starting line is under the Plane precludes the possibility for repeatability and power. This is true because the clubhead has to pass the hands before impact, which requires an early release and consequent deceleration of the clubhead. The most repeatable and well-behaved, law-abiding fades begin either in-line with the feet at set up or above the Plane.

Now, it’s not the fade that creates control. Wait…huh!?

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

The golf swing is a balancing act, isn’t it? We start moving this way and that way, and pretty soon we are flexing every appropriate muscle to get back to where we started our swing. Though, as we all know or suspect, sometimes the appropriate muscles are not the correct muscles. Today, I’d like to start a conversation about the use of muscles and their abuse or employment in inefficient or efficient swings, respectively.

Now, I will ask my readership to memorize my books, articles, and ideas for later reference. As you all know I have written and been copied, plagiarized, and referenced without citation extensively throughout the teaching realm over the past five years – with no consideration for remuneration, I might add. In spite of this, I do feel it is most important to get knowledge out into the golfing world, regardless of financial benefit. So let me add some more fodder for Breed, Hall, et.al. to lift, clean, and place more of my work onto their own profitable programs. Listen up boys and girls….

Muscles release and contract to counter efficient or inefficient, familiar or foreign motion. Usually, motion is easiest to balance when it is efficient and/or familiar, which means unmanipulated or extensively practiced. Conversely, motion is most difficult to balance when it is manipulative or non-practiced. We who have been watching golf for the last few decades know that practice can make up for inefficiencies, but no amount of efficiency can make up for a lack of practice. As such, the motion of a balanced golf swing requires familiarity based on controlled experimentation to become competent, which precedes confidence and mastery of any motion.

I’m not going to talk about the Physics and Biomechanics of different golf swings and the body-types that create them today. After all, why would I want to hand out the answers to the test you all will eventually present my information relievers. What I will talk about is the innate ability of all golfers to create movement that corrects every imbalance in a golf swing – good or bad – more quickly than the imbalance was created. This is where the effect of the golfer’s intention is realized in movement. And, it is here that we discover any disconnect between the set-up relationship to the ball/target and the golfer’s intent. The Open Stance and all my writings about it emerged from this relational nexus of all the disciplines present in human consciousness – with movement as its expression.

As I have written many times before, the interdisciplinary placeholder between a golfer’s intention with their golf ball (Intent) and the religious implementation (Religion) of that intent is Philosophy. The swing imbalances created by a golfer’s chosen philosophy creates feedback that can prompt making swing decisions that tie a golf swing into knots or free it up to perform efficiently. My research has shown that, without exception, an open stance creates better and more understandable feedback, better decision-making, and more efficiency of motion.

My students always comment on the imbalances they perceive and how they invariably regained control of their swing because the better feedback allowed them to identify the counterbalances needed in-motion. In fact, every decision my Open Stance students makes about how to pursue their Intention with their Philosophy is correct and produces the same swing efficiencies tailored to each, individual physiological make-up. The speed of creating these efficiencies on the way to mastering balanced ball-striking is dependent upon the amount of practice and personal ownership of the Open Stance set-up.

So, the balancing act of meeting disinformation with valuable information continues. How will this simple, set-up-open-and-play-golf message be dissected and portioned out to fill air space over the next months? It’s anyone’s guess, as they say. I take satisfaction in seeing how many tour players have adapted to the Open Stance over the past few years. From my seat, it is the fastest-growing philosophy in golf… and it’s a no-brainer. See you back here for the fast learning without the noise. Next up – which side of the Plane is best for you?

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

I was talking to a range pal about past instruction and swing talk he had experienced in his long golfing life. This guy was puring it and, when I complimented the sound he made, started telling me about some of the changes instructors wanted him to make after siccing a Flightscope on him. They said his path was too inside out and pressured him, without changing his set up, to hack across the ball in order to straighten it up.

He confided he couldn’t do it. I asked him if they suggested a ball position change to accommodate the instruction. He said there was no other suggestion. So I said, “Of course you couldn’t do it! NO ONE CAN DO IT without changing ball position!” In retrospect, I felt like I was too emotional in my response to his experience. But, the instructor giving him advice was from a central Florida teaching Mecca. How could anyone worth their teaching salt not know this!? What kind of instructor would suggest a swing plane can change without a concomitant ball position change. Did he not care about contact?

I felt for my range friend at this revelation. But, I knew he was a player from way back who was an athlete and not a sycophant. I decided to ask him the only important question about impact. It is a question with an answer only an experienced, practiced, pre-technology ball-striker would know… a question that is beyond quantitative analysis and cannot be faked with a searching answer. I asked him what he thought he most important part of impact? “Hitting the middle of the face”, he said. I exclaimed, “YES! That’s all that matters! You’d be shocked at how many top players don’t know that!” I started telling him about Bruce Fleisher and intention. Anyway, that discussion led me to this idea….

The next time you take a golf lesson, ask your instructor “Why” he or she is asking you to move in a certain way or do a certain drill. Consider it, and keep digging with another “Why”. If you can’t do it, my suggestion is that you may not want knowledge. You may only want instruction. Instruction is what experienced lesson-takers require when looking for a scapegoat when things turn sour with their game. It is all a club member needs for the rationalization and also… to get favors in the golf shop (Tee Times, Pairings, etc.). The secret is out, boys and girls.

Now, if the instructor EVER gets offended to your one type of question – LOSE THEM! You’ll be doing the earnest among them a huge favor – especially if you like them. The only people who want to answer the “Why” question are Teachers. Teachers convey facts and draw in all sides of a story to substantiate the message. They have done more research and devoted more thought to the truth underlying every answer to “What, Where, How, and When?” Think about The questions you have when you see a mechanic, carpenter, or a surgeon.

I think we need to be more honest when communicating with our hired experts. If you want to be sure you are getting the absolute truth in any business situation, we have to ask lots of questions. Otherwise, we are handing money to an ambitious someone who would otherwise spend their time fogging a mirror. Believe me, they are all around us. I understand this argument serves my purposes, but it doesn’t make my words any less true. You see, I was lucky. I had a student that wasn’t afraid to question my information. It only made me better.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

I was standing on the practice tee watching Bruce Fleisher hit little wedge shots to a 50 yard flag. I just watched for a bit. His tempo was the same every time. His routine was the same every time. It was quick and repeated for every shot. I could tell there was no thought involved.

He moved up group his clubs to different targets, and I noticed his tempo never varied. He never looked like he was reaching for more power or more of anything, for that matter. He seemed to be very much involved in enjoying his practice session. It occurred to me to start asking him about his reemergence into professional golf, but I waited for a better moment.

I caught up to him later – away from the range. I asked him about the comments Johnny Lap. had made about how he was destroying the fields in South Florida in his forties, and how it led him back to he tour. He told me he had one goal before he ever stepped foot into his first tour event. He wanted to be the best wedge player in the world. Nice, right? He basically proved everything I had discovered in one statement.

Bruce wasn’t long off the tee. But he led the PGA tour in par five birdie conversions every year he was out there. That means he was more effective from 100 yards than anyone else was from the front of the green or even on he greens. Bruce told me he went to Bob Rotella, whom he respects, and ran his goal by Bob. Bob didn’t like his goal. Bruce said he seemed to be upset by it. I wonder why?

If everyone had such a specific intention with their golf game, why would they ever need to see Bob Rotella? Bob is great at what he does, but what he does is not necessary for golfers like Bruce, who lack doubt and confusion. For golfers like Bruce, it’s as simple as knowing the most important parts of the game, choosing one he felt most important in feeding the others, and becoming the best in the world at that specific skill. That is power over your own mind.

Every great golfer had a specific intention with their golf ball. Find yours.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

These are some student examples. Send me your open stance swing clip, and I’ll post it alongside these uniquely individual interpretations of the Open Stance.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

I had a year of the driver once… once. I was unaware that I was in the midst of a process that would allow me to hit the ball further and straighter than anyone else. I was just frustrated that I was not hitting it well, and was determined to fix it within my current movement pattern and set-up. I hit a lot of golf balls… a LOT of golf balls.

It was the Winter of 2006-2007. I was freshly immersed in the South Florida climes again, and was on course to play professionally. I’m wired to perfect things. After one painful day on the range, my hands, wrists, and forearms were exhausted, inflamed, and swollen. I made the commitment to concentrate on perfect contact before I worried about anything else. I needed to take this one step at a time. I throttled back on the speed and started paying attention to my set up and movement with perfect contact. Consciousness with each swing gave me feedback I used for the next impact.

Patterns formed. Associations emerged between the results and the intention. I repeated what felt powerful within a purely contact-driven experiment. I noticed the way my intention translated into swing-sequence, which translated into movement and then the ball. In order to repeat a pain-free impact, I had to pay close attention to everything. I didn’t pay attention consciously, but subconsciously. “Total consciousness” came later. It was incidental to the need I had to avoid pain within the process.

Pretty soon, the patterns of movement I had developed were yielding noticeably better impacts. And the application of speed was easier once my intention for perfect impact was realized. The structures I created in my swing to hit it perfectly, once formed into fluid motion, also allowed me to move as fast as I wanted to hit it as far as I could. It was pretty simple. A specific intent led me to my goal and well beyond. By the time I reached my goal I was already working toward another more specific one.

In the meantime, I had become an absolute machine from the tee. My set-up was exactly the same every time. My swing thought was the same every time. My structures were the same every time. And my speed was producing tremendous length. And I NEVER, EVER missed my target by more than a few yards… Not EVER. Imagine being able to swing as hard as you can knowing you’ll hit it perfectly. Have you given it a thought? I hadn’t.

As a result of my performance, I was recruited by playing fellow competitors to play with them in numerous partner events. I was told I was hitting the Driver as far as anyone in South Florida. I won’t talk about my putting. Somehow, I had arrived at my driving destination without even thinking about it.

I guess it’s true… If you enjoy what you are doing, it’s not work. The point is, have a goal, hurtle yourself into a process of reaching it, then create a specific intention out of the pain you experience along the way. Let the pain guide your brain.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Is there a different definition of ‘competitive’ for each person, or is it an objective moniker on a subjective study? Well crap, I guess I just gave away the answer. Rhetoric is a familiar medium to a teacher. My bad. I have something to say about competition because it has been a familiar component of my life. I have competed plenty. But, as I have recalled my history in successful competition, I realize now that it was never about the competition.

It was about making my Dad proud. Can you relate? I competed because I was good at it. I was good at it because I had something very important to win – dad’s pride. My motivation, however, was never to measure myself against other golfers. I cannot claim the Ty Webb answer, “By height”. My motivation was personal, like everyone else’s. But it was unique to a segment of competitive golfers beyond, but like, myself.

It follows that without motivation, the desire to compete is diminished. Desire, or more specifically intention, is at the center of every achievement. By feeding one’s motivation, competition can be seen not as the fuel, but the vehicle. My point is that competition is incidental to EVERY tournament golfer. Competition and competitiveness has always been about reaching a larger goal. Byron Nelson wanted to buy a farm. He competed because there were more important things in his life than the field of battle. Competition was a means to an end then, and now.

Let’s face it, no one is giving back trophies and cashiers checks in the world of golf. No one competes to measure themselves and their games in a vacuum. No one passes up an interview when they have won a tournament or played a good round of golf. My view is – don’t belittle the motivation. It’s all good. It’s all natural. It’s just different for different people at different levels at different times in their lives. But, it doesn’t matter what the motivation is as long as it produces a focus and persistence sufficient to reach the ultimate goal. Such is everything in life.

Is there a difference in appearance between being intellectual and competitive, determined and competitive, aggressive and competitive, secure and competitive? I think the word competitive can be subdivided into these four categories. People need a life condition that allows what is most forceful in them to bubble to the surface. There is a trigger inside every golfer that produces a motivation for competing. That trigger may be confused with its expression inside golf, but it is always a passenger looking for a vehicle. Golf is just a vehicle for achievement – like anything else worth doing.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy