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About the Norwood Method and our Golf Swing Aids

Where did this swing come from?

This swing came from Scotland and England and the proficient golfers of the period from 1860 to 1900.

The Scottish golfers would often say; “You didn’t oot (out) on that one” and “you didn’t hit doon (down) on that one.

From the very beginning The Scots determined there are only two ways of hitting a golf ball.

Swinging from the outside in

Swinging from the inside out

Soon they realized swinging inside out was the better of the two and when you look at virtually every photograph of early Scottish and English legendary golfers they all will show a deep inside back swing a strong left hand and a weak right hand and their left foot was always out at 45 degrees.

Although their method of lower body movement varies greatly they all have the above things in common.

There is a portion of the Joe Norwood Golf Swing that dates back to the earliest photographs of golfers.

The book “The Art of Golf” written by Sir Walter Simpson and first published in 1887 clearly shows a deep inside backswing and at least 75-80% of the weight on the right side.

There are some golfers from the era 1850 to 1910 that have their left foot almost off the ground. I believe this is why Joe Norwood says the outside bottom of the left foot should be raised off the ground.

I remember my Grandfather putting a golf ball under the outer palm of my left foot as he tried to get my weight at address onto my right foot.

Who is Joe Norwood?

Joe Norwood was born in Boston, MA. in 1892. In 1903 or 1904 he got a job working for the Wright and Ditson Sporting Goods . Mr. Alexander H. Findlay, who was the golf club department manager, began to mentor Joe and teach him to teach. Alex Findlay was responsible for bringing Harry Vardon over to the United States for Golf Public Relations and it was Harry Vardon and Alex Findlay who mentored young Joe when he was just 12 years old. I have a picture of Joe Norwood in 1905 holding a golf ball in his right hand with the famous “Thumb and Forefinger” grip and Joe was smiling because he knew he had it down. Harry Vardon (From Golf-O-Metrics) held both hands with the Thumb and Forefinger position that is so well known from Mr. Ben Hogan’s book and famous grip. Joe Norwood worked with Mr. Hogan in the 1940’s and during that time and since one can see the effect Norwood had on Hogan. His grip, backswing and hands before club head impact.

Joe Norwood came to Los Angeles in 1922 and was the 1st head professional for the Los Angeles Open. He was head professional for the Los Angeles Open 4 times. Joe Norwood was the only non-aligned teaching professional given access to all the professional players during the Los Angeles Open until his passing in 1990. He was the Pro’s Pro and one of the great golf swing trainers.

Joe Norwood played a round of golf with legend Walter J. Travis and after finishing Mr. Travis told young Joe, ”You’ve got a great game lad but you can’t putt”. Joe said; will you teach me? Travis quipped: No because you’re a professional player, Joe replied: I teach, I don’t play professionally and from that point the Joe Norwood Swing began because he took the Walter J. Travis putting method and devised a swing from it. His entire swing hinges around the elbow, sealed wrists and anchored body.

What is a Golf-O-Metric ?

A Golf-O-Metric is simply an exercise. Joe coined the phrase Golf-O-Metric to give the golfer some sense of what he was doing. Joe Norwood’s Golf-O-Metrics are designed to give the golfer freedom to work the muscles of his body. They are golf swing aids designed to keep the swing intact and to keep the golfers body in form. If you don’t stretch the muscles then you won’t be able to perform the swing.

Is this swing easy to learn?

Yes!

Yes this swing is easy to learn when you think about how much time you will have to play this game of golf. This swing is easiest to learn by the golfer who maintains his swing in the Joe Norwood method and hardest to understand by the golfer who us steadfast with the rotation method. The humble golfer who wants to learn and will practice will find this swing extremely enjoyable. The high handicap golfer because he has nothing to lose. The low handicap golfer because he wants knowledge.

The great thing about this swing is that it is backed up with Golf-O-Metrics and supplemented by knowledge.

Joe Norwood did not teach people how to play golf. He taught them how to swing a golf club and the game itself must be governed by how you perform the swing and your mental attitude about scoring and competition.

No other golf swing provides you with the in depth knowledge to apply the mechanics and begin to feel the mechanics as part of the swing. Judgment comes after knowledge, application and feel. Judgment is what is used for scoring. The JNGS (Joe Norwood Golf Swing) can teach you Knowledge, Application and Feel but Judgment is all yours. Judgment is necessary to score well.

Why is this swing so different from the swings of today?

The swing brought over from Scotland and England began to change in the 1960’s when Palmer, Nicklaus, Trevino and many if not most players came out with their own swing and as it is today, each new champion has a swing that everyone wants to emulate but no one can.

Professional players are not teachers. They play for pay. They don’t know how nor wish to teach because they themselves have teachers and coaches helping them all along the way.

Players have practiced for decades and still miss make swing mistakes. Their short games are spectacular and the very few at the top (500 out of 70,000,000) every once in a while put it all together for a week and since their short game is so good when their swing momentarily peaks, they are in the winner’s circle with big smiles, only to frown in a couple of weeks when they’ve lost the feel.

What can I expect from this swing?

You can expect great things from this swing because all of the answers are provided for you. There are no vague comments about what you must or must not do.

Golf-O-Metrics, The Anatomy of Golf, The Joe Norwood Golf Swing Forum and teaching from me (Dan Norwood) will put in place a series of moves and holds that you can measure and understand.

You will never have to wonder why you missed a shot. When you make an incorrect swing, you will know immediately what part of the body didn’t do its job, whether it was your hands collapsing from the seal of the wrists, your body lunging to the ball, your body losing its anchor and rotating or your shoulders not descending enough to compress the ball.

Poor Golf is a Gift

Good Golf is Acquired