The Teachings of Norrie Wright:

Norrie Wright is a gifted teacher in Jacksonville, FL, my mentor for many years.  Early on, he showed me how important the body is in a golf swing, in particular the placement of the spine.  He calls it the Second Axis Tilt.

Most golfers (yes, most) come at the ball weakly from out-to-in.  They try desperately to swing the arms from the inside, but fail every time.  The reason they fail?  It is because the body is invading the space that the arms should be in.  Said in southern-speak: the arms go where the body isn’t.

If you slice, pull, and seem to lose distance, this information will help you.

Watch a good golfer setting up to hit a drive.  There is a noticeable tilt; the bottom part of the spine is closer to the target than the top part.  So many golfers set up to a drive with the spine straight up and down, inviting a steep, chopping swing.

In the backswing, the good golfer will maintain that tilt, which gives the arms a lane in which to swing. A simple way to put it:

·  At address, a vertical line through your zipper will also pass through your left ear (right hand golfer. Lefty’s I love you, but for now please translate right to left).

·  At the top of the backswing, your chest will be over your right leg. (Left shoulder over right knee).

Once you are set-up at address, visualize that your right shoulder is against a wall.  As you swing back, slide the right shoulder back on the wall, putting your chest flat on the wall at the top.  Another simple phrase would be to bury your right shoulder.

In my 25 years of teaching, some of the most dramatic improvement in a golfer’s success has come from learning the above move.

To learn about the second axis tilt, lag, release, and other cornerstones of Norrie’s teachings, watch The Wright Swing, an instructional DVD produced by filmmaker James Hoagland.  To order, e-mail me at ed@awarenessgolf.com.