Paul Wilson Golf

[EatingASalad301]

Paul is a serious problem. I don't think that he's completely on point.

 

1. Tension in the grip is always due to palm gripping. If you grip a club right, it's in the fingers, giving the grip way less tension

 

2. Throwing the hips into it without any arms is done before you begin. That always bothered me with him

 

3. My hands are really strong. I can carry my entire pushcart with one hand. My forearms are key to my speed, as when the club releases, it needs force. I have to grip the club firmer consciously, to maintain it. It's mostly left hand, but without the forearm strength I'd have less than 95 mph

 

4. The way Paul is it occurs to me that he's just a cashgrab. He can't play, and it's clear because with what he teaches being so high in BS I figure he barely breaks 85. I wouldn't bother.

[nlk10010]

On 1/1/2020 at 9:15 AM, braincramp52 said:

The biggest distance killer which has plagued me forever is tension in my swing. I was watching some clips from Paul Wilson and really liked what he was teaching. Just wondered if anybody has bought his digital lesson program he's selling?

 

Haven't bought it but, as I've posted before, I know at least one person (from my small sample of acquaintances) his methods have helped. I'm sure there are others they haven't. It all depends on your particular issue. Face it, there are numerous instructors (online and in person) who are good, conscientious people whose methods simply don't work with some golfers, you have to see if tension in your arms is destroying your sequencing. It does for me but the reason I don't adopt Paul's methods full-on is that I can't control the face well enough, that's why I've gravitated towards the SP (but that's a story for another day).

 

The idea of twisting the hips and letting the pelvis/torso drive the swing from the ground up is not new (e.g. Pete Cowen's "Spiral Staircase"), nor is the approach of keeping the arms back until the body drags them around (Clay Ballard has a drill for this as does Todd Graves). Paul in fact seems to be a disciple (either knowingly or otherwise) of Mike McTeigue; he just delivers the message in his particular way.

 

Worth a look, but in order to tell if ANY approach will work for you requires a significant time and effort investment.

 

Good Luck.

[NoTalentLefty]

On 5/16/2021 at 6:48 AM, nlk10010 said:

 

Haven't bought it but, as I've posted before, I know at least one person (from my small sample of acquaintances) his methods have helped. I'm sure there are others they haven't. It all depends on your particular issue. Face it, there are numerous instructors (online and in person) who are good, conscientious people whose methods simply don't work with some golfers, you have to see if tension in your arms is destroying your sequencing. It does for me but the reason I don't adopt Paul's methods full-on is that I can't control the face well enough, that's why I've gravitated towards the SP (but that's a story for another day).

 

The idea of twisting the hips and letting the pelvis/torso drive the swing from the ground up is not new (e.g. Pete Cowen's "Spiral Staircase"), nor is the approach of keeping the arms back until the body drags them around (Clay Ballard has a drill for this as does Todd Graves). Paul in fact seems to be a disciple (either knowingly or otherwise) of Mike McTeigue; he just delivers the message in his particular way.

 

Worth a look, but in order to tell if ANY approach will work for you requires a significant time and effort investment.

 

Good Luck.

This is the real answer. All instruction has its advocates and deniers. Just find what works for you and swing your swing. 

[xkilgorextroutx]

1 hour ago, NoTalentLefty said:

This is the real answer. All instruction has its advocates and deniers. Just find what works for you and swing your swing. 

 

This right here. There are some instructors that the majority of people may think aren't worth the money they pay for their free YouTube videos, but they might say something that resonates with *someone* and they end up a better golfer as a result. Lots of different "methods" and viewpoints out there, and if you find one that helps you be more consistent and score better, good for you.

 

That said, I can't think of a single forum where Paul Wilson actually has fans, or has shown up himself and added quality content. It's not just here that he's sent threads off the rails. His claims have been called out all over the place.

[woodriff]

Personally I watch two guys. Paul Wilson and Clay Ballard. Paul teaches an early wrist c0ck, exactly what Jim Flick taught. You can have a firm grip and still have an early wrist c0ck. Speed comes from less tension in the wrists only. 
Wilsons rotary swing teachings are a bit different, and close to Tom Watsons swing in a barrel. Wilson had back surgery and had to develop a swing. As he’s says many times “pain free”. I think he’s an good teacher for seniors.

Clay Ballard has some excellent teachings, especially drills for ball position and contact. 
Much of the teachings all have common threads, it’s just presented in different ways.  Still can’t beat the Texarkana 9 to 3 drill. 
Play well everyone. 

[marte]

 

Paul Wilson's  stuff on you tube was helpful to me.  Became a very straight driver without any loss of distance.   And it didn't cost me a penny. 

Then, of course, several years ago, I drifted away from Paul's stuff to I don't know what in hopes of hitting it a bit further.

Edited August 22, 2021 by marte

[BigEx44]

On 1/2/2020 at 11:18 AM, braincramp52 said:

I was just curious because I can relate to the tension in the wrists. I can get around a course fairly decent but I know the tension I have in my wrist and forearms knocks off a bunch of distance

 

I'm not a Paul Wilson disciple - but I like his stuff and I especially like some of his drills.

So I cherry pick a few things to use/practice.

Then again....I don't 100% follow any particular instructor.

[N0rs3man]

I like the guy, talks calm and clear, and anyone who's 50 that can hit it 300 has a decent swing to learn from. 

 

Also, I believe people in general can reason really well. And the things he says probably are exactly right for what he's trying to do. If we all had an intimate view of his swing and swing principles, everything he says would probably be spot on. 

 

But its like any swing, works for some and not others. There's a trigger out there for everyone, some people find it when they are dreaming golf, some people hear so.e hacker say something and it makes everything click.

[Ri_Redneck]

On 1/2/2020 at 4:42 PM, juststeve said:

I can't stand to look at Clement's golf swing. It's all lumpy and ugly. Nevertheless a firm grip doesn't always equate to tension anywhere except in the fingers. I was taught to grip as firmly as I wanted so long as it didn't induce tension in my wrists and arms.

Steve

 

This is what I have in mind also when gripping the club. When I was a youngster, I was told over and over, light grip. I just didn't know where light ended and firm began! So, I just experimented with grip tension until I found what was right for me. In my mind, I grip the club tightly with pinky - middle of my left hand (righty), but I only feel tension in the fingers. My left arm is relaxed. I generate enough speed to get the ball out there where I need it.

 

My $.02.

 

BT

[RobertBaron]

On 8/21/2021 at 2:50 PM, N0rs3man said:

I like the guy, talks calm and clear, and anyone who's 50 that can hit it 300

Debatable 

[PhilsFanDrew]

I have mixed feelings about him.  I can't speak for his paid content but his free stuff is all very redundant and he comes across as a one trick pony.  It's like how many videos can you make about keeping your wrists loose and not swinging with your arms?  I definitely agree with him that amateurs don't use their bigger muscles (lower body and core) enough to generate power and distance but he doesn't really go into detail and falls back on cliches.  "Coil and uncoil"  "Use the ground"  "Create a whipping action... etc"  I will give him credit for correctly describing his free videos as "tips" rather than instruction. 

[JDIL]

His YouTube videos messed me up pretty good with firing the hips. Arms got stuck behind. 

[Scottbox]

At the end of the day, ask yourself: "how much of what Paul Wilson is talking about is applicable to me?" Very often, we're poor judges of what the root problems in our swings are (myself included). So Paul Wilson's fixes might work for one person if it solves their issues. But man, if you already hit a slice and you weaken your grip and fire the hips, my only advice for you is to aim 100 yards left. And play for a shank with your irons. 

 

Great coaches coach people. They don't foist methods on everyone like it's a one-size fits all solution. That's not coaching, that's just selling stuff. Also, "keep your hands out of the swing" is one of the biggest misnomers in teaching. Even body-orientated coaches teach the proper use of the hands. And BTW, good luck being a decent chipper if you don't have feel in your hands.

Edited September 6, 2021 by Scottbox

[Mike Laster]

I just started watching Paul. I’ve been out of golfing for about 10 years. I’m 62. I bought me a 7 iron and started practicing the golf swing Paul teaches. I’ve never hit the ball better in my life. Finally a teacher that shows you how to use the lower body and arms swing freely. 

[LeeLayfield]

Having the hips open before contact is the key to distance regardless of how you accomplish it. If you can accomplish that then you can work on the rest while never giving that up. There’s not one person on earth who can hit the ball a long way with closed hips. And to me, that’s the hardest thing about the swing to accomplish. I can do it just fine without a ball but when the ball goes down everything changes. A golf swing is mysterious. Imagine going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and someone jumps out  of nowhere and scares you. You jump three feet in the air and scream for your life. When you land  I want to know what your left wrist was doing, if you pushed your hips forward, did you bend your lead arm, when you left the floor did you lead  with your knees, and at what point did youpiss your pants?!?! 

Lee Layfield

[azgreg]

Ask @MonteScheinblum he's a huge Paul Wilson fan.

 

[MonteScheinblum]

Twice a thread resurrected by a first post and a first time post praising him..  Hmmmmmmm!?!?!!??!??!?

Edited July 16, 2024 by MonteScheinblum

[GungHoGolf]

1 hour ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Twice a thread resurrected by a first post and a first time post praising him..  Hmmmmmmm!?!?!!??!??!?

The sock puppet game is strong with this one.

[MonteScheinblum]

24 minutes ago, GungHoGolf said:

The sock puppet game is strong with this one.

Knowing his history with me, misrepresenting how far he hit a ball on an advertising video and his interactions here on this forum, it would actually surprise me if those three accounts WEREN’T him. 

[NoTalentLefty]

2 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

Knowing his history with me, misrepresenting how far he hit a ball on an advertising video and his interactions here on this forum, it would actually surprise me if those three accounts WEREN’T him. 

Ok Monte, Isn’t he a certified teacher ? And if so, if he is so misguided or misguiding pupils why is he allowed to teach? Did someone in the PGA certification mess up or does the PGA recognize there is more than one way to teach? That’s the real question that all of us should be asking about anyone who teaches isn’t it? 

[GungHoGolf]

22 minutes ago, NoTalentLefty said:

Ok Monte, Isn’t he a certified teacher ? And if so, if he is so misguided or misguiding pupils why is he allowed to teach? Did someone in the PGA certification mess up or does the PGA recognize there is more than one way to teach? That’s the real question that all of us should be asking about anyone who teaches isn’t it? 

PGA credentials have little to do with instructor competence, in my experience. And some of the best instructors have no PGA affiliation.

Edited July 17, 2024 by GungHoGolf

[NoTalentLefty]

17 minutes ago, GungHoGolf said:

PGA credentials have little to do with instructor competence, in my experience. And some of the best instructors have no PGA affiliation.

I didn’t ask you. I want to get at the heart of this from a PGA certified instructor. No offense.

Edited July 17, 2024 by NoTalentLefty

[iacas]

27 minutes ago, NoTalentLefty said:

I didn’t ask you. I want to get at the heart of this from a PGA certified instructor. No offense.

 

I'm one (a PGA member). I liked his post, which should tell you a bit.

 

The PGA doesn't really teach you how to teach very much, there's no real follow-up or ongoing requirements except for paying dues and a little bit of ongoing credits (which you can get by attending meetings or viewing some things online, filling out surveys, etc.).

 

Some of the best instructors I know aren't PGA members (and some never were), and some of the worst I know are. PGA membership says very little about how good you are as an instructor.

[StanleyL]

I started out golf in 2012 following Paul Wilson.  I drifted off to many others and in the last 6 months have returned and bought his video program which was a one off $97 at the time.  Pretty much the cost of one hour pro lesson but much more valuable for anyone like me who likes to learn by themselves.

Why?  Because I have a high hcp around 17-20 and find his instructions easy to follow and the positions achievable and uncomplicated.  It encourages a feel for body positions that helps to not think about it.  When I do his four main things it works. 

 

His things are, and he instructs learning the swing backwards: follow through with shaft level to ears at back of head, touch the knees, coil shoulders back until you feel stretch in left flank under armpit for righties, point thumbs towards right ear in backswing.  The short game is on a separate subscription program.  For seniors and people learning I highly recommend it because if you put those 4 things together which he goes into much more detail than I can put here, you will hit the ball straight and high consistently. 

Edited September 22, 2024 by StanleyL

[NoTalentLefty]

On 9/21/2024 at 9:24 PM, StanleyL said:

I started out golf in 2012 following Paul Wilson.  I drifted off to many others and in the last 6 months have returned and bought his video program which was a one off $97 at the time.  Pretty much the cost of one hour pro lesson but much more valuable for anyone like me who likes to learn by themselves.

Why?  Because I have a high hcp around 17-20 and find his instructions easy to follow and the positions achievable and uncomplicated.  It encourages a feel for body positions that helps to not think about it.  When I do his four main things it works. 

 

His things are, and he instructs learning the swing backwards: follow through with shaft level to ears at back of head, touch the knees, coil shoulders back until you feel stretch in left flank under armpit for righties, point thumbs towards right ear in backswing.  The short game is on a separate subscription program.  For seniors and people learning I highly recommend it because if you put those 4 things together which he goes into much more detail than I can put here, you will hit the ball straight and high consistently. 

Stanley is an example of what works for some may not work for others. A person can work in other systems than those on here. Great to hear Stanley.