People think moving the same way at a golf ball is impossible to replicate, which is a false idea. They assume the movement they are being taught works – regardless of set-up, which is also a false idea. Every time you set up to a golf ball you have an opportunity to either destroy or create patterns of movement.

I had a young, indignant, and inexperienced instructor poke at me the other day about his closed stance and the “fine” shots he was hitting. I said, “That’s great. So, I guess you’ll be telling students to use a closed stance, then?”

“No. Because It’s not for everybody. Nothing is for everybody.”

“An open Stance is.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Sure it is. You wanna know why?” I was waiting to hear the sound of his next shot behind me. (We we’re practicing side by side.)

“Well, he said incredulously, are you gonna tell me?”

“Oh, sorry, I thought you might be swinging. The reason is that we are symmetrical. Able-bodies golfers are symmetrical.” 

“Why does that matter? We’re all different sizes and shapes. We’re not supposed to all swing the same.”

“There you go with that motion stuff again. All you motion guys believe the golf swing begins and ends with motion, and it doesn’t.”

“Why should everyone set up the same if you don’t think they should swing the same?” 

“You’re trying to prove an objective with a subjective. It’s interpreting facts to support your own conclusions… it’s the daVinci Code’s, Lee Teabing method of golf instruction… ‘interpret facts to support your own conclusions.’

“I don’t see that.”

“Few instructors do.”

Although my young counterpart was earnestly arguing a point of view, he was not trained to look beyond his didactic. His is a common fallacy – ‘We are destined to relativism because we are relative to one another.’ Some folks are oblivious to the commonalities that bind us athletically.

Anyway… this interaction was all in good humor as we were both in a good mood. I don’t want to leave you with the impression this was combative. It was men talking trash… but without the hyperbole and irony. This kid was trained to take a view of the golf swing that every other instructor is trained to take. It’s not his fault he doesn’t see beyond his nose.

What is alarmingly pervasive, however, is the inclination to dismiss, out of hand, any idea that usurps the established, enabling dialectic in favor of a self-help suggestion. The Open Stance created another convert today. I gave no swing help, yet procured another student. How do you suppose hat happened?

Golfers DO NOT NEED instruction. They need teaching. Teaching allows a student to pursue their own solutions. Pursuit of our own solutions is as close to freedom as we will ever be.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/our-stance-ball-position-and-adaptation/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/open-stance-creates-great-ball-strikers/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/ball-position/

If anyone doesn’t know who Mr. Trevino is, I’ll explain later. For now, let’s just watch as Lee Trevino recommends a flatter swing, magazine caution, and keeping it in the fairway. These video show how clever we can be in explaining different ways to think about our golf swings.

Lee’s swing was not especially flat. However, in his defense and by his own admission, he was a blocker. He didn’t hit it far, but he did hit his ball straight down the middle, so to speak.

I watched Mr. Trevino at the 1985 US Open, where he was paired with Hubert Green. “Hubie” asked about Lee’s new bride, saying he heard she was named Claudia. Lee said, “This is number three.”

Hubie said, “You’ve had three wives named Claudia!?” Lee, didn’t skip a beat and said, “Yeah, if this one doesn’t work, I don’t know what the hell I’ll do.” Hubie warned the crowd saying, “If there are any Claudias here, you better get the hell out!” Uproarious laughter ensued.

Then, at the 85 Western Open, Lee expressed frustration at the length of Butler National, as he dropped a ball on the deck of sixteen tee, walked up to his ball, and ripped a fairway wood straight down the middle. I have no idea how he finished, but I was sure the reigning PGA Champion would be okay.

As for who Lee Trevino is, I will get right to the point. Lee Trevino is the greatest ball-striker who ever lived. But, don’t take my word for it. Take the word of his contemporaries, who also played with Ben Hogan and watched Moe Norman hit range balls. And, by the way, Lee Trevino set up open.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Why Tour Players’ Heads Move “Down” Through Impact
Steepen Impact/Flatten Swing With an Open Stance
A “Flat” Golf Swing Is A Relative Term

Mark Twain wrote, “A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” And we know, very well, what he meant. We created advertising and sales founded on the idea. “Yellow Journalism” emerged from the idea. Effectively, Mark Twain’s rumination propagated every negative consequence imaginable.

We are witness to ‘Peak deception’ as all information outlets spill the last of their propaganda into the mill. As we enjoyed our ‘Bread and Circus’, all the wrong information settled into our heads. For decades, we celebrated the purveyors of sensationalism rather than Truth. However, there is a Silver lining.

As exciting and controversial information disseminated, it pulled the truth along behind it as a scapegoat. Hollywood, mainstream media, etc. put out talking points every day that mirror each other, ridiculing boring truth, and we accepted them. Because after all, why not trust channels and faces which are familiar? We have decades of comfortable memories and excitement associated with their presence in our lives.

However, establishment media outlets are being exposed as the alternative outlets emerge. I think of openstanceacademy.com as one such alternative, information outlet for a golf idea instead of people and events. To my mind, old golf media luminaries are completely lumpable as one Jabba The Hut-amalgamation of golf swing misinformation.

Understand, I don’t even like Star Wars, and yet through decades of conditioning, the cultural brain-worm is inn there. I, therefore, apologize for my mental weakness in this regard. However, the media ‘war’ over your brain ‘space’ is losing its appeal, gratefully, to truth-tellers.

I am a truth-teller. I am boring. I promise nothing, and yet deliver the truth your golf swing and game need. No other golf media outlet is tipping their hat in my direction, yet my words are still getting out into the world, and solving problems. Have a nice day.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/the-proper-imbalances/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/golf-digest-takes-yet-another-step-closer-to-john-wrights-work/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/string-theory/

It’s getting a little monotonous, but I’ll point out another winner open to a better idea. Patrick Cantlay won The Memorial from an Open Stance. Of course, Patrick’s success doesn’t surprise me. Because I want help all golfers, I want to remind you all that the Open Stance is the best way to guarantee your ball-striking success.

Patrick strikes his ball well every week. His accuracy and distance statistics reflect not only power but precision. Combine his full swing with a deft touch around the greens, and you get a winner. And, Cantlay is going to win more and more tournaments, because his intention is rooted in set-up and not movement.

I want to remind you again how an Open Stance reflects Patrick’s specific intention with his ball, which leads him to efficiency and better results. Remember to choose a set-up philosophy rather than react with one, because advanced choices provide context for results.

I’m still amazed at how effortless an Open Stance Swing looks, in spite of knowing Why. In recent weeks, Koepka, Spieth, and others are tinkering with the idea. Video proves their questioning of old instruction. For now I’ll offer my respect and congratulations to Patrick Cantlay – an Open Stance Master.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

A “Flat” Golf Swing Is A Relative Term

Golf Digest Takes Yet Another Step Closer to John Wright’s Truth

Set-Up Philosophy Can Create or Destroy Golf Swing Efficiencies

All the greatest ball-strikers asked questions of themselves that improved their performance, including Moe Norman. If you have never heard of or listened to him, you owe it to yourself to see what a complete golf obsession looks and sounds like. Personally, I have never seen someone so strange completely dissect the physical and spiritual aspects of golf. I believe his insights bubbled to the surface because Moe Norman quietly pursued the answers to the right questions.

At The Open Stance Academy, we want golfers to take control of their improvement by employing a proven set-up philosophy. Through parable in paragraph, we guide willing golfers to their most-efficient golf swings. Furthermore, we want students to ask better questions to get better feedback or… answers.

The difference between a good question and a bad question is in the first word. You may remember I quoted Socrates, who said, “Small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, and great minds discuss ideas.” The first word of a question focuses our attention on either our next step or our solution. Of the words, who, what, when, where, why, and how, only one bypasses incrementals and incidentals. Why?

I find it difficult to understand how someone so gifted was largely ignored for the majority of his life. Moe wistfully asked why it took sixty-five years for the World to see his genius. He would have liked to have competed with the notoriety at his back.

In this segment, we can see a hint of regret in Moe’s demeanor. He knew too late what some learn early in life. However, Moe still didn’t talk about people, and only talked about events in his own life. We know he was focused on solutions by the word beginning his interview queries. Tortured souls always ask deeper, more fundamental questions.

Any time I feel unappreciated or down, I watch Moe Norman videos. Listening to him chatter away so fluently about golf’s bigger questions gives me hope that his colorful personality will eventually serve to move us toward golf’s underlying truth. In any event, he always makes me smile and feel hopeful.

“They say it’s a boy’s pastime, yet it builds men.”
Murray Moe Norman

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Questions You Should Ask Before Judging A Golf Swing
Why The Open Stance Controls Your Trailing Elbow
The Open Stance Creates Great Ball-Strikers

Manuel de la Torre nailed it thirty years ago. As the first PGA teacher of the year, he gave an address. He had to talk about his beginnings, so I clipped three minutes from the video that gets at our Open Stance “concept”. He perfectly summarizes why we go around in circles with our golf swing.

Mr. de la Torre is a very direct person, not unlike myself. In fact, he is a Rooster, not unlike myself. His style is not always friendly. However, if you can get past his acerbicism and listen to him like he is an angel, the truth is all he cares about with the knowledge he has.

If that sounds like a qualifier, it is. We “do the best with what we’ve got”. Therefore, I recommend his videos without agreeing philosophically, because he is not crass. He doesn’t try to sell you a fad or anything not rooted in fundamental motion.

Yes, motion is his milieu. But, regardless of philosophy, if we each recognize the truth beneath the surface, we remain individually correct. We simply differ on depth.

Any natural spring begins in the Earth and is express upon the Earth. Finding buried treasure requires digging, diving, or displacing superficial layers of disguise. Mr. de la Torre did exactly that, in his wheelhouse of motion.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/string-theory/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/couples-therapy/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/we-believe-golfers-should/

FINALLY! Look at what Jordan Spieth is doing with his set-up! The former number one looks to be on board with the Open Stance, at last. He has some adjusting to do, but he will be back in the winner’s circle now that his set-up has improved.

I don’t know who told him to do it, but kudos to them for listening and acting. Jordan is too talented to languish with a faulty platform. Personally, I hope he uses his new-found philosophy to make up for lost time. Spieth is already the best putter on tour. How much more dangerous would he be hitting fairways?

Had he not shot a 65 in his first round of Colonial, I wouldn’t have suspected a change. And, to be fair, he putted lights out. However, one comment by the announcer at the beginning of the following video is an unmistakable alarm bell. Then, at eighteen, we once again notice his feet and where his shot travels. He’s in.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/jordan-speith-advice/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/jordan-peterson-open-stance-corollary/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/are-butch-harmon-and-sean-foley-reading-my-website/

In an earlier post, I quoted Brooksie as having said, “I won’t be changing anything” with regard to his game. If you watched the PGA last week, you heard something completely different. Apparently, Brooks Koepka does change some things. Considering our theme here, you’ll notice his change pretty quickly.

He shot 63, 65, and 70, with a 74 on Sunday. Here are four videos – one from each day of the PGA at Bethpage. I’m sure you will notice the change he made from round to round. His change makes me think, maybe he meant ‘unconscious’. Here’s a hint… watch his feet.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

The Open Stance Creates Great Ball-Strikers
Did Anyone Write About An Open Stance Cure Before John Wright?
Why The Open Stance Controls Your Trailing Elbow

Did you know golfers and humanity, in general, share evolutionary attributes with water? It’s true. The way we move to grow is the attribute. We fall, we refresh, we pool, we rise, we flow. Bruce Lee once recommended we “become water” to perfectly adapt to our situation. I wonder if he didn’t know water’s natural movement is upward. In his wisdom, maybe Bruce was telling us to evolve or become most efficient in our chosen philosophy.

The first thing we do is fall down. We make mistakes and become frustrated at our decision to improve our situation. Then, we respond by quitting (no more rain fall) or we accept inevitable setbacks to move toward our goal rooted in our philosophy.

Second, we choose to stay down or collect ourselves. We’ll assume resilience, because we don’t celebrate people who stay down. Therefore, to reinvigorate our process, we enter a community of like-minded individuals, pool experiences, gain strength through association, and try again.

As our movement gets more powerful, our progress enthusiasm overflows our now confined space. We move up a flight, a league, a format, or a handicap threshold… maybe all for the top percentage of motivated players. When we rise above our previous expectation, we start find new motivation.

We look for new solutions, new tests of our philosophy and associated skill set. New possibilities become new goals. A boundless quality to our potential brings both exultation and confusing detours until we, once again, gather with others at the same level and move in the most efficient direction to enjoy our life’s journey.

Water rises because it must. However, as it moves, it both feeds and displaces the weak and the strong alike. If you have read my opinions of instruction versus teaching, you know which displaces and which feeds. Water evolves and causes evolution in other systems. Water is perfect in any state. Artificially redirecting or manipulating water always creates problems – not for the water, but for the manipulator.

Nevertheless, when we become like water, we take on certain assumptions of that simile. Bruce Lee was certainly ahead of his time, but maybe for hidden messages as much as revealed lessons. If we think in the broadest metaphorical terms, we may see every axiom or aphorism as only a directional quality to our human and golfing flow.

The strength in the flow is in efficient, unfettered freedom to seek the highest possible level, which is why plants grow upward. They are a proxy for water that cannot pool and flow – an expression of an underlying condition. In any case, water is never wasted because water finds it’s own most efficient expression. We call that state equilibrium.

People spend too much time resisting the inevitable instead of cooperating with it. We choose subjectivity over objectivity so we feel control over mortality, let’s say. In swimming against the current, we deny ourselves the ability to go with the flow, which is the force that displaces and rebuilds. At which point, we become watchers of goals being achieved by others who submitted to the truth binding them to efficient use.

Freedom of movement is freedom of expression to golfers. The truth is that all water droplets are different until they meet the ground. Then, they are uniquely and naturally repurposed. The Open Stance is the fall to the ground. It is a biodynamic certainty. However each droplet reacts with the ground is up to chance. But, we can choose our path and cooperate with the flow of any path.

We will fail on our way to efficiency. But, will we lay the groundwork to later succeed? Depending on our mentality and submission to the truth before us, we have potential. We have to choose efficiency and, in doing so, recognize the Open Stance represents the drop of falling water.

With an Open Stance, ball-striking efficiency is guaranteed. So, what keeps us from our OS philosophical flow? Fear, of course, inhibits even the best-laid plans. You can stay down if you want, but the ground won’t get any lower to raise you up. In the end, the definition of our movement is not when we fall or pool in the ground, but when we rise.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/our-stance-ball-position-and-adaptation/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/specific-intention/
https://www.openstanceacademy.com/golf/watch-out-for-rabbits-this-year/

https://youtu.be/TitF9hNHiLY