Phil ‘the Thrill’ continues to drill while striking his pill on seaside hills. I noticed that, in the midst of his Clambake victory march, Philly Mick was shelling it all over the map. However, on the positive side, at least he missed into the golf course instead of the ocean. He has abandoned control in favor of speed, for now. But I think, in time, he can have both.

So, we saw that he knows how to release his club without closing his clubface. But, did you notice how he did it? Remember the drill Jack Grout gave Jack Nicklaus to help him release his club? Let me remind you. Grout told Nicklaus to keep his trailing heel on the ground through impact. Did you notice what Phil’s trailing foot was doing?

Foreshadowing aside, you may have noticed his finish was shorter, truncated, or cut off. My attention went directly to his feet, because I observed an unmistakable link. One action necessarily accompanies the other. However, Phil’s driving results did highlight an inefficiency easily remedied.

His misses were all banana-balls. Obviously, he is playing with a swing thought that is movement-based. Great players can do that. They know how to score, so it’s of no consequence to drill as they play. Often, they play better. Even I would occasionally hit-and-hold every full shot during a round. However, Phil does have one thing to modify as he drills his way around a golf course – his ball position.

His clubface is square judging by his starting line. Therefore, after he gets comfortable with his new release on life (My apologies), he will need to control his curvature, which means path. He flattened his downswing as he played from an Open Stance last year a bit. He was on the right track. However, I think Phil did not modify his path to gain efficiency.

Now, the release he is working on pairs with a ball position that is slightly further back in his stance. However, if he does not re-path his club more from the inside, i.e. a flatter downswing, he will heel it. Let’s get the word out. Maybe we can get Phil a U.S. Open before he’s done.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Here are some questions you should ask before judging a golf swing. Keep in mind, your golf swing doesn’t begin your expression of intention. It ends it. My research led me to understand the incidental nature of movement. Now, I am sharing some questions I asked of our results.

My first question was, who is swinging the club? Each swing and individual golfer is unique. Therefore, what makes them unique? Physiology is certainly a factor. But, what about individual psychology? How do we each link thoughts together and form unique solutions to the same problem?

We are in the mind now.

What makes the timing of synapses firing in one mind different than another? We have to get the answer by making the right assumption. My assumption is – we are all made of the same stuff. Therefore, I’ll trace the answer back one step based on similarities rather than anomalies. What, therefore, makes us take action?

Our brains tell us to act when safety and risk are balanced. Safety means forethought, at a minimum. So, what makes change risky for one golfer and not another? The answer is, the ABILITY to change. What determines ability? If we have no outward signs on which to base our answer, we have to look inside the mind. But, if each mind is different, what answer applies to all minds?

Ok. Then, what is our mental similarity? We each have an unconscious, subconscious, and conscious connection to life. Hence, under an assumption of psychological competence, where does change begin? Right away, we know it doesn’t begin in the conscious mind. That’s where our actions happen. What about our subconscious mind?

Certainly, we consider action passively in our subconscious. However, the subconscious is more likely responsible for the risk-reward mechanism. Why? Because we form intention here. Change is either worth our time or it isn’t. The subconscious, therefore, is our filter. Why do we have a subconscious mind? My answer was because we have needs to express in action.

Need emerges from our Unconscious mind, and is the engine of change. Conscious Action is when rubber-meets-road. Our Subconscious Intention is the transmission between our engine and our road. Whether a four-cylinder or a twelve-cylinder Need is powering our change, we express the strength of our Need with actions.

A four-cylinder Need never makes it through our subconscious. It is not strong enough to power our change machine, so we throw it out with the risks that down-sized it. Twelve-cylinder Needs torque up our intention quickly, and launch us into tenacious, persistent change with no regard for risks.

Change is about leaving our four-cylinder Needs behind and sticking to our passions of the twelve-cylinder variety. Unfortunately, some golfers never experience a twelve-cylinder Need,  so they don’t realize what they are missing. Their subconscious piles on the risks, causes fear, and shrinks the size of their Need.

However, to some, slower is better. Slower is familiar or predictable, which may be comfortable. Comfort is happiness… to some. Adventure is happiness to others. What makes the difference?

We have no scientific explanation why one mind is arranged differently within the same parameters of sanity, intelligence, and wonder, while experiencing completely different realities within the same dynamic. We have empirical data, but even that is subjectively-derived. So, where do we turn for answers? Everything we now understand leads back to unconscious Need.

Whether we want the answer to a problem, a reaction, a desire, a fear, a goal, or any other question, our pre-existing condition, preceding all discovery, is Need. Furthermore, the only discipline that I believe takes all others into account is Astrology. Believe me or not, knowing our astrology explains our mental differences, capacities, and self-imposed limitations.

My advice to you is, go find your chart. Learn why you are the way you are. Learn why you relate to others the way you do. Who are your avatars? Who else had your basic zodiac and animal signs in their chart? Once you start digging, you’ll discover why your engine for change is strong or weak, and why your mind is unique. Then, you can judge a golf swing based on better self-knowledge.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

 

The World’s Greatest Clubfitter: Part Three

First, I want to thank the World’s greatest clubfitter, Gurbaaz Mann, for taking time to complete my three-part interview. Second, I want to remind my readers that my purpose is to forward the pursuit of truth and true excellence in life. No one in the clubfitting industry impressed me until I met Gurbaaz. Mr. Mann constantly looks for innovative solutions to questions never asked. Consequently, I think the golfing world needs to know exactly WHO is the best.

JW: Baaz, thanks again for standing in the light. You are a credit to yourself, your family, and your home country of India – not to mention the golfer looking for optimal equipment. My first question today is, what goals do you have for yourself and your golfers?

GM: For all my golfers to noticeably feel, see, and display better results. My goal for even beginners and club level recreational golfers is to start with all the right information. I want a drop of at least two shots from their current handicap or, at worst, fix at least one part of their game to a much improved and elevated level.

JW: And, have you reached some of those goals?

GM: Yes. Since the beginning of 2017, I had thirteen National victories for Junior/Sub-junior girls and boys in India. Aadil Bedi made it to the Asian Games and qualified for the Asian Tour (Through Q school) and, at seventeen years old, is the youngest player yet to do it. I have three victories on the Asian Tour, two victories on the European Tour and a victory in Japan with Ajeetesh Sandhu and Shubhankar Sharma. Shubhankar‘s debut at all majors last year was also fantastic. On the Indian Tour I have 17 victories through the last five years.

The MAJOR GOAL with all my players is to empower them with the knowledge to know exactly what happened when they have a less-than-desirable shot result. In the past, I and many like me suffered from not knowing WHY during our round. We had no way to fix the next attempt, apart from guessing. However, when you are able to define the reason for the shot, you are not frustrated. Therefore, your subsequent, attempted technique yields positively correlated results. Hence, the POSITIVE CORRELATION system.

JW: I refer to you as the world’s greatest clubfitter because, based on everything we have talked about, I believe it is true. I’ve spoken to a couple clubfitters on the “100 Greatest” list, and neither of them even hinted at the amount of detail inherent in your methods. Could you please expand on your Positive Correlation system?

GM: Sure. For example, we pull a drive on hole one and two. We have no choice but to play Driver on hole three, as we have to fly a hazard. Leading up to our tee shot, our most probable logic is that we have a technique flaw involving one or more corrective measures. So now, some or all of our possible corrections will lead us into our next shot with a calculated guess.

What is missing from our decision-making process are some further diagnostic questions like, does our miss match a pattern with our Driver? Is our Driver a new addition to the bag? If YES, then, are the face angle, weight, TRUE LOFT, torque, CPM, COG, etc. matching up to our previously practised club? IF NO, then we have a well-used, understood, and trusted Driver. In which case, our miss is directly related to technique. Therefore, we can go ahead and use technique variables and avoid being LOST on the course.

Additionally, we may see slight differences in club performance throughout our bag. Our applied action and desired result may not match from one club to the next. I’m not contesting that our fourteen clubs are all different – physically. However, their response to CONTACT, BALL-FLIGHT, AND CONTROL must be predictably similar.

If we could test the specs. of our favorite clubs’ individual components, we could structure the rest of our bag to feel and perform similarly. Chances are that our ‘SPECS’ are necessary to optimize our performance through the major part of our golfing life. Great examples are:

Brandt Snedeker: Driver and Putter

https://www.golfchannel.com/article/golf-central-blog/snedekers-driver-and-putter-valued-34
https://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2016/01/14/brandt-snedeker-bridgestone-jgr-driver.html
https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/gear/gear-news/brandt-snedeker-whats-in-the-bag-162581

Henrik Stenson: 3-Wood vs. Driver

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/henrik-stensons-3-wood-an-old-trusty-and-an-interesting-conversation-piece

Tiger Woods’ stinger was best with his steel-shafted, Tileist PTS 3-wood.

https://www.theringer.com/2018/4/4/17196624/tiger-woods-stinger-shot-masters-augusta-national

In the case of Stenson, he suffers from an equipment mis-match. A clear-cut change in the torque, cpm, and dynamic weighting progression from his 43.5 inch 3-wood to a 45/45.5 inch Driver is causing him problems. Also, Stenson is picking the ball cleanly off the turf or low tee with his ‘spiral staircase’ (Pete Cowen) action. That method is mis-matched with a 460cc Driver head that has a completely different centre of gravity. AND YES, I COULD MAKE A MUCH BETTER DRIVER FOR HIM that feels and performs quite similar to his 3-wood.

As for Tiger, I would love to ask him whether his graphite 3-woods match the stability of the Dynamic Gold steel in his old PTS 3-wood. I’d also like to ask him, how often do you play the Stinger these days?

JW: I’m hearing you say that our assumptions, and not just shot patterns, are primary in diagnosing and curing a golfer’s equipment ills. That awareness impresses me. I constantly reinforce my Open Stance readers and followers that without asking the right questions, we are left to our base instincts, which are emotional, and always lead to trouble. I think our mission is similar, which is to free golfers from chasing misinformation offered by industry minions. So, I’ll ask, what positives or negatives do you observe in our current golf-industry narratives?

GM: The current promise of golf is based on technology which, in reality, is nowhere close to as complete as is in Formula 1 racing, Aerospace, or even Radiology. Body-motion analysis is commonly practiced, but the cure is not truly available. Launch monitors are used widely now to measure ball flight. However, technology that measures what led to our ball flight, from the swing and club/shaft perspective, is not.

The promise of better golf is being delivered by enticing the golfer to BUY MORE CLUBS EVERY YEAR, BUY MORE APPS and TRAINING AIDS, and HIT IT FARTHER – rather than GET MORE SKILLED! I can only imagine the disappointment over spending $500-3000 for Christmas clubs and tech. only to see no improvement.

No wonder less players are playing the game and courses are shutting down. In the end, resources to play golf are limited and being channeled into less-than-satisfying experiences for the price. The money should have been spent on a decent fitting maybe once every five years, lessons with the local, professional teachers and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, GOING OUT and PLAYING (Green Fees). If the ‘RACE’ to keep up didn’t require us to be $2,000 in the hole before playing the game, maybe more people would play and more/better talent could emerge.

JW: I suspect I know. But please tell me why, in compiling a ‘Top 100 Greatest Clubfitters’ list, golf publications don’t speak to the club-fitters themselves?

GM: I stopped reading the magazines a long time back. I’m not worried about that. I agree that more research needs to be done about methods used and why “Top 100” fitters merit recognition. But, I’m focused on my clients.

JW: That’s a fine answer. I’ll take care of it. But, do you think golfers will eventually demand actual work be done by golf publications before recommending services, or will they continue to rely on old standards?

GM: People want real information that can be proven – not false information that is a mere claim. To be able to get the right answers, unfortunately, we need to ask the right questions as you are doing, my friend. In educating golfers, our job is to ask the right questions FOR them. Hence, the publications will have no choice. Sadly, some very famous forums and websites are attempting to bring better questions to the forefront and yet they are falling short.

We must understand that companies give top players, publications, and channels free equipment and money to endorse and support their products. Therefore, players and media do as any business would do – write things that bring the revenue up. But this goes back to whether the advertisement is really TRUE OR FALSE. Imagine a pharmaceutical company advertising something about a product that really doesn’t do what the marketing says. You know what would happen next.

JW: I do. Finally, Gurbaaz, what legacy would you like to leave in the golf industry and in your own life?

GM: There is a lot on that list, which is quite personal. But, one of them surely is to be the path and myth-breaker that every authority in golf looks up to. With discerning coaches as yourself, I’m sure we will get there.

JW: We may, indeed. Thank you, Gurbaaz.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

 

I want to explain why the open stance controls your trailing elbow. However, I’m going to do it by showing you how to ask the right questions. You will fill in the blanks. I need you to think about it so you can own it. I’ll start with a common question.

How can I keep from pulling my shot (left) with an Open Stance? You have options that range from adjusting your grip/clubface, to moving your ball position, and everything in between – including manipulating your trailing elbow. However, your solution will be an element in exactly what makes your unique adaptation work. Answer the question your way.

Why is my solution necessary? Your trailing elbow is one piece of your golf swing pie. Pretty soon, you will realize that all correct solutions are necessary in part or whole to adapt efficiently according to your body type. The decision for implementing one solution has a cascading effect with all others. But, focus on your answer first.

What do I need to do to make my solution work? Readers of my work know, in any great golf swing, your trailing elbow plays a pivotal role. However, you have to get it in position first, which means there is always an efficient, motion-saving predicate to our solution. Your Open Stance grades your answers. If, after repetitions following your best answer, you still don’t know where to turn, ask a better question.

Is my movement necessary? After all, your swing is a chain reaction. One movement precedes impact. Another movement precedes your final movement, etc. Trace your solution back until you either prove it or prove it wrong. Ultimately, your goal is to work within the parameters of eliminating unnecessary motion and saving body stress.

Why is my movement solution correct? This is actually a null-hypothesis kind of question. You work from a base of being wrong until proven right. It’s much easier on our mind to assume we are wrong first. Work from a base of humility until you put all your swing pieces together and understand why your Open Stance controls your trailing elbow.

Working on your Open Stance intellectually open doors, not only to curative freedom, but to control of emotion and focus. Every result, in the process, makes you more competent and confident as an independent contractor of your own game.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

The open stance creates great ball-strikers. It forces us to concentrate on set-up, which is where our attention should be. Greatness infers predictability, which is a measure of confidence and a consequence of expectations, honed through perfect practice. In turn, practicing with intention means locking down everything that occurs prior to movement, which is your set-up. The one thing that separates expert ball-strikers from the choppers is their attention to set-up. It’s all on purpose.

You may have heard setting up open is difficult. I’m thinking of that gimmick wedge commercial plugged by Aaron Oberholser. If you listen, you hear him refer to a square set-up as if it’s easier. If Obie were correct, then people wouldn’t set up closed, either. But, they do, which means setting up square is just as difficult. This is all a distraction.

What these bozos don’t want us to know is that setting up to our golf ball is, and has always been, an intentional act – no matter which philosophy we choose. Why would they do such a thing, you ask? I’ll get to that later.

For now, we will review Open Stance benefits. A more generous turn into your backswing, a pause at the top, more leg drive, less stress on forward hip and knee, vertical shoulder rotation, lag, and saving shoulder impingements with a flatter swing are the main benefits. However, I find the most interesting benefits of the Open Stance are in relation to our target and ball.

For instance, when we drive toward the target, we are moving further from the target line. Also, our ball position, at address, moves back in our stance between our feet while remaining in the same position along the target line. Additionally, our spine angle remains the same along our toe line, but steepens along the target line. Each adjustment causes the prior list of benefits to occur naturally, as adaptation becomes assimilation.

Let’s get back to the reason companies and media mislead us with promises of a magic pill or device. They do it to keep your swing and your brain as broken as possible. Hence, they perpetuate our insecurity and associated retail response mechanism – conditioned by decades of subliminal messaging in advertising. Consequently, apparently, we keep running back to buy their latest gadget or DVD.

I hope we can starve their rapacity going forward. This site is free to assist with that goal. My only mission is to free golfers from the misinformation treadmill by offering the truth to battle their untruth. Hence, once again, we play our dangerous game. What you do with this information will determine your success.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

This Is Why Gurbaaz Mann Is The World’s Best Club-Fitter

JW: Hello, Baaz. Thank you for taking time to talk today. In our opening interview, you told us a bit about your background. But, today I want to talk about club-fitting and your particular set of skills.

GM: Sounds good.

JW: O.K., then. My first question is meant to draw a line between what we are told and what you know. Therefore, let me first ask, what differentiates your methods from others?

GM: My method works on contact (club head and ball relationship with respect to components) -backward to the player, rather than player and body toward the contact. Let me explain, in detail.

Current certified teaching methods worldwide follow the – Grip, Posture, Stance, Alignment, Aim, and Plane – format (not necessarily in that order).
         
My method, of Positive Correlation, follows a priority list from beginning to end. Lie of Ball is first. Then, I consider the club face at address, lie and length of club (dictated by hand position of player), shaft dynamics (weight, material, flex etc), grip of the club (size, texture,etc.), dynamic weight of the club, grip of the player, posture, stance, alignment, aim, and plane.

Why these preliminary steps? Assume a 13 year old with a hand postion of 24 inches from the ground wants to play a 3-wood at the men’s market standard (43.5 now! @ D2-D6 swing weight) instead of a junior set. Here is what is going to go wrong assuming the current certified methods:

1) Their grip will become strong because they adopt a much higher hand position (31 inches) with the assumed “need to see 2 knuckles”.

2) Posture is compromised by positioning their arms well outside the shoulder line and decreasing their spine angle at address. They will produce even more straightening at impact with arms, possibly, much higher.

3) Their stance will become too wide with straightened knees.

4) Alignment, needless to say, starts going right for right-handlers. It produces disconnections between their shoulders, hips, and feet due to lie angle, flatter arm plane, and right to left ball flight.

5) Their aim becomes skewed with different lofts, lengths/lie. Generally, aim is to the right for a right-handed golfer and to the left for a left-handed golfer.

6) Their swing plane is adversely affected, too. Because their club is too heavy and too upright, they adopt a strong grip and high takeaway, which lead to an inside-out, downswing re-route.

Furthermore, kids always adapt with an over-swing or have a backswing that is well past parallel. Their leading foot is invariably off the ground through impact – leading to their head dropping to the right with insufficient balance to finish well. But, HERE IS THE REAL ISSUE….

The player, after repetition and practice, has found a way of compensating to make the club work. We must understand that the COMPENSATIONS are INVOLUNTARY MOTION. Single or multiple COMPENSATIONS are making the player COMPETENT with the club in their hands.

JW: Absolutely right. That’s the recipe for disaster.

GM: Here are the problems their coach/teacher will battle:

1) Video analysis will force a grip change to little success.

2) The shaft defines the plane. And, the length of the shaft, which is their real problem, makes it impossible to deliver the clubhead relatively more ‘on plane’. In fact, the certified methods that instructors will use actually makes the player INCOMPETENT compared to their COMPENSATED swing. Teachers hit a road block, as a result, and are not able to fix certain issues. According to me, ‘the golf swing is a combined result of what has been learned as IDEAL VOLUNTARY MOTION (learned either through body-movement self-awareness or instruction), compensations to equipment, and turf conditions.’

3) Teachers are teaching better GOLF SWINGS, but not necessarily better GOLF SHOTS. The former is merely a promise of the latter. But, scoring results are clearly a consequence of better golf shots. Golf swings are the responsibility of the player. Better golf shots require the player and the equipment to cooperate. Our entire industry is based on teaching the GOLF SWING and yet no two players in the world swing it the same through the bag.   

My Method centres around the GOLF SHOT, which means I concentrate on:

1) Contact – centeredness, divot pattern, and compression (smash, spin)

2) Ball flight – high, low, mid, draw, fade etc., and

3) Control – shot shaping, spin control, and club face orientation/awareness 

In my experience- IF THE CLUB WON’T ALLOW IT THE SWING CANNOT ACHIEVE IT. 

JW: That is a very complete thought, Gurbaaz. Thank you for expanding your answers, by the way. My second question is, whose clubfitting or scientific work inspires your own? 

GM: Lloyd E. Hackman (Inventor of the Fitchip), Dr. Ajit Chaudhry, OHIO STATE, and Katsuhiro Miura

JW: I recognize Miura. His club’s have sort of set the standard for upscale, custom-fitting. I think he just made Tiger’s new iron sets. I’ll look into Hackman and Chaudhry and report back. For now, however, let me ask an industry question. I’m interested in getting your opinion on whether or not, under current rules, manufacturers have any more technology on the horizon?

GM: There are only so many materials on the planet earth. And, cost-effective production must conform to R&A and USGA legal guidelines. Therefore, our club heads aren’t any better than they were ten years ago. The forging process of iron heads moved to CNC production that changes the aesthetics of the back of the club with every new model. But, the basic club face, design dimensions are practically the same. Different grades of metal give us little-to-marginal improvement, and sometimes less. Our club head is pretty much static. Our shaft, however, is bending and torquing, which changes the orientation of our club face in relation to our hands and grip.

The shaft industry will eventually control the game of golf. As soon as they know exactly how to match a persons unique acceleration signature through the bag with multiple shot shapes, we will move forward. For example, the technology for measuring the added kick of our shaft as a part of club-head speed has not yet been implemented. However, when developed, it will make the shaft industry more important than the club head industry. I dare say I have a good idea of how this can be done.

At that point, club heads will be reduced to the prices of common tools. It’s just metal in the end. However, in the mean time, my advice to golfers is when you find a club that you are completely satisfied with, don’t change just because the manufacturer has promised better technology.       

JW: Speaking of developing methods to further subdivide component performance, do you think manufacturers are trying to distract us? Do you have any opinion on how marketing is used to sell golf clubs and services? 

GM: Golf clubs are meant to perform better with each new model. But, my experience tells me that the honeymoon period is exactly a week of concentrated golf before seven out of ten players miss their previous clubs. The reason is because our learned response with the previous clubs doesn’t match our new ones, and our timing has been thrown off completely.

For example, top tennis players use the same rackets with the same tension and grip size throughout their careers. How come they don’t change every year to newer technology?!

JW: (Eyebrow raise)

GM: There – I’ve just hit a chord, haven’t I? We see the same dynamic with craftsmen and their tools, surgeons and their scalpels, or musicians and their favourite instruments.

Marketing is done by advertising the newer Driver faces to launch our ball faster for longer ball-flight. SHOULDN’T THIS CALL FOR A LAW SUIT?! The parameters have already been set. So if a ball were to fly longer with every model by a yard then, in ten years, you are longer by ten yards. And I’m sure that would interest the R&A and USGA. Our rules experts would have to investigate the legality of golf balls. Therefore, the marketing may be ILLEGAL.

The same goes for club heads. Some people have actually gained distance. But, that happened over several years due to better shaft timing and better shaft construction. With every passing year, the high-modulus graphite is making it possible to achieve lighter weight, lower torque, and relatively higher stiffness with less material.

I can prove that a legal titanium club made in the late 90’s and early 2000’s will go equally long or longer at 380 – 400 cc than the 460 heads today – purely by installing the right shafts. And, yet, nobody advertises the shaft to be 10-15 miles faster with the same effort. The CLUB HEAD hype is absolutely UNTRUE and FALSE MARKETING TO SELL!  

JW: O.K. Then. Since we are moving into clever marketing versus complete manufacturing honesty, I’ll ask a question that may make a material difference to the golfing public. What is the most material thing, in your opinion, that the club-fitting industry is keeping from the public?

GM: COST of PRODUCTION and actual margins of profit are a complete mismatch. SHOCKING DISPARITY. There are some better final-product, assembly processes available in manufacturing, but they are bypassed due to expense.

JW: Before we stop, would you comment about industry-standard club set-up, swing weight, and measurements?

GM: Sure. The average club is made for a golfer with a hand position, at setup, that is 30-31 inches off the ground. But, only 20-30 percent of players fall in this zone. The swing weight scale is obsolete due to change in shaft weights. And, the club heads are still manufactured at 7 gms apart for every half an inch based on swing weight and yet no two sets fall at a desired weight when bought.  

JW: Ladies and Gentlemen – Gurbaaz Mann.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Has Ricky Fowler revealed the secret of famous instructors? Maybe, but the last sentence in the latest Golf Digest piece raised my eyebrow. I flipped to the cover story and found some insightful information. Butch thanked his students for educating him. DJ, and Ricky spoke well of Butch. It was a love fest.

However, there was one line, which quoted Ricky Fowler, that stood out to me. Golf Digest placed the quote on the picture that ended the article. Before you read it, remember that my opinions about instruction and famous instructors are well-documented and cynical. Therefore, take that into consideration as I explain my view. Here is the quote.

Am I the only one who sees it? Didn’t I just read that Butch has created a mystique so potent that it allows him to cherry pick his players based on their chance to be great? Ever hear of catching a shooting star? What a fortunate position to be in, huh? Having the gravitas to write your own ticket must be wonderful. But, before you think that hard work led to his success, let me tell you that it was inevitable.

I’ll hold Butch’s astrology in reserve, or at least until enough of you ask for it that I feel compelled to share it. In the mean time, I can just say his heritage provided a paved path to success that never wavered. Additionally, Butch has always been nice to people who can help him.

He learned golf from his father, who provided his sons an immediate “In” with top players. It’s a dynasty – a continuum of consistent presence in one field of work. As a dynasty grows, it intensifies. Hence, over the past thirty years, we witnessed the weight of the Harmon family dynasty manifested in Butch and his brothers’ fame. But, dynasties are fickle things.

The Hilton’s had a dynasty. Paris is their matriarch now. However, she is famous or, infamous, not because she has any special business skill, but because she has the benefit of the Hilton dynasty. Her family maintains business partners that Paris used to turn her sows ear of an image into a silk purse.

Then, there is the Open Stance Academy. Descended from no one teaching the Open Stance, I work without the assistance of ropes and safety nets, inheritance or privilege. My only possession is the brain between my ears and the desire to free golfers from the cult-of-personality, instructional treadmill. Hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to be a hypocrite in the near future, so I can find out if I’m any different than he who floats on a raft of adoration. In the mean time…

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Ladies and Gentlemen, An Interview With Gurbaaz Mann, the world’s greatest club-fitter:

JW: Mr. Mann, we spoke at-length last year at The Bridgestone Invitational, where you impressed me with your intelligence and comprehensive knowledge of club-fitting. Suffice it to say, I came away with the opinion that the world needs to know who you are and what makes you the world’s greatest club-fitter. So today, if you please, I want to sort of lay the foundation for further talks by going backward in your golfing history. Do you mind?

GM: “Fire away at will.”

JW: Okay. First, Lets talk about what led you to your current career. I’d start with academics first. But, since schooling and golf for us began about the same time, Ill start with golf. So… Baaz, tell us about your playing resume. Are there highlights that stand out in your memory?

GM: Sure, I was No 1 Junior in India in 1999-2000. Then, I earned a partial scholarship from Arizona State to play on their golf team. I turned pro after school and played on the Indian Tour, where I was Rookie of The Year. I won twice and earned Asian Tour Status. Then, I played on the Asian Tour for six years and earned a world-ranking.

JW: Your upward playing trajectory sort of flattened off. What was behind that?

GM: In 2010, I suffered a Labrum Tear injury in my hip that ended my playing for two years. I did recover from the injury in 2012 and my best finish on the Indian Tour thereafter was 2nd in 2013.

JW: Tell us about your schooling. I would guess you were an excellent scholar. What were your favorite subjects?

GM: I attended High School at St. John’s High School, Chandigarh, India before attending ASU. My strongest schooling subjects were Economics, Math, Physics and English.

JW: Those subjects certainly make sense considering your command of physical concepts with regard to the golf ball and club interactions. I’ll ask more pointed questions about the empirical data you, alone, possess later. For now, and on the lighter side, who were your golfing heroes?

GM: My Father starting out as a 10 year old. He was a three-time Club Champion and a scratch handicap. He represented India for the Senior Championships. After him, I like Jeev Milkha Singh, David Duval, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomery, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, Davis Love… not necessarily in that order.

JW: That’s an extensive list.

GM: I couldn’t ever pick one as a favourite as I enjoyed each of their games for different skills.

JW: Yes, I certainly understand that. They each had a specialized skill in their skill-set, which leads me to my next question. What were your strengths on the golf course?

GM: I was the longest hitter on the Indian and Asian Tour, which contributed to my high rank on the eagles and birdies list. My wedge play around the greens was also very strong.

JW: And your weakness was…?

GM: My putting was probably the weakest part of my game until 2014 where I re-learned it all in a fresh way, and I dare say it has become a stronger part of my game. I took time off from pro golf and doing research into golf technologies and protocols in manufacturing etc. to understand this. Also when I was able to apply this to more players in my academy and see immediate results I knew I was on to something.

JW: I sense we are headed toward another interview about what you do on the other side of the ropes. So, Baaz, let me ask one more question for this episode. Do you still play/competitively? 

GM: Yes. I have recently been able to qualify for the Indian Tour as I have been positioned here for a while. I finished 16th in the Q school to earn a full playing card status. Otherwise, I only play as I am a mentor to some players on the tour and it helps me to keep applying my process to myself, which has yielded good results. Considering I have not played actively for four years and only eight competitive rounds last year, it was good to finish 16th on a really tough scoring track.

JW: Thank you for your time, Gurbaaz Mann. Talk soon.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

Watching Bryson DeChambeau win in Dubai reinforced what we all know and raised a second question. Which is, if putting wins, why worry about full-swing set-up? The answer is simple, actually. However, I will draw it out as if a proof of work.

I can answer the question with a question of my own. I ask, how would either part of the game exist without intention? Putting excellence and set-up consistency both begin with perfect practice rooted in the desire to repeat what works. We express our desire by intending to fulfill it. Intention requires attention. By definition, any desire unfulfilled, was not a desire. Hence, future proves past.

Assuming the expression of desire is underway, the next step is that we have to create a philosophical anchor for our technique. Our philosophy is expressed in an intentional set-up to our ball and target. The “putting wins” axiom is true. However, it is incidental to excellent putting, which is also subject to a set-up anchor for technique.

Technique, on it’s own, has more to do with movement. Therefore, I will bypass that topic, for now. However, I will say my Open Stance following is quickly growing. And, in my opinion, it’s because golfers are beginning to understand that they are responsible for their own expression of desire.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy