In this video, I sit down with Thad — a +2 handicap amateur who’s played at a very high level — for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the golf swing.
We talk about why so many great ball strikers came from a more classical era of golf, what’s been lost as the swing has become more “modern,” and how chasing positions, speed, and aesthetics has actually hurt a lot of golfers — including us at times.
There are no drills, no quick fixes, and no coaching jargon in this one.
Just two golfers honestly discussing feel, movement, ball striking, and what really matters in a golf swing.
If you care about striking the ball better, understanding the swing on a deeper level, and learning from the past rather than fighting it — this one’s for you.
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40 Comments
Lots of great questions already — drop yours below and I’ll film a dedicated Q&A video answering them.
If there are things I’m unsure on, I’ll bring Liam in as well.
More garbage
Love this video! Great insight on the simplicity of Hogan's swing, and playing with your natural shot shape. A true recipe for golfing success!
I’m not sure this stuff should be classed as ‘Liam’s method’. Mac O’Grady and a million other coaches have been teaching COG shifts since before Liam was born probably. Swing is looking great though James 👍🏻
I find the cloud pattern in the background more interesting
3:58 Sometimes I feel like my swing is too deep across my body which prevents me from lifting my arms as high as they probably should be, as I tend to do a fake turn with my hips. I notice that my right hand is kind of hanging on for dear life when this happens and never really gets on the club to put force into the ball. In his practice swing he seems to have the same issue where the hand can't stay on, but then he flushes it in his actual swing with the right hand grasping powerfully like it's nothing. What's the feel there?
Very similar to Tom Saguto teaching.
What Andy Plummer (stack and tilt founder) teaches is really not that different to what you and Thad are discussing here, you don't just have your weight forward the whole time you just push onto it when you've started your back swing and you keep your back closed to the target just as you were doing in this video
to be honest i've been playing much better golf since i moved away from Liam's stuff to what Andreas Kali teaches which is a form of stack and tilt. I now have a better sense of where my low point is and my contact has gotten way better. Distance also hasn't been a problem, my drives are averaging about 280 yards which is fine for weekend golfers.
Liam's stuff is great but most of us don't have access to him in person like you do and we have to self analyse and self diagnose. I think with what Liam teaches you can easily end up swaying way too much thinking you're stepping 'off it' which will lead to inconsistency. Liams backswing drill where you flick it backwards also lead to me having a john daly backswing which was an absolute nightmare to deal with haha.
There are currently three male golf swings worthy of trying to emulate. Louis Ousthuizen, Zane Scotland and Robert Rock. Most amateurs should study female golfers like Rose Xhang or even Imbee Park.
Trying to copy McIlroy, De Chambeau will only result in hospital visits.
Check out the best ball striker, Canadian Moe Norman single plane swing.
Jimmy ballard
Been working on similar stuff to this today, then found this video. My grandfather taught me at 9-11 yrs old everything he learned following and studying Jack and Hogan. I didn’t realize until later in life (40 now) that I lift my left heel and then stomp into it as arms drop before throwing the club head through the ball and that’s very similar to classic Nicklaus swings. “Modern” coaches have tried to “fix” me, but I always default back to that feel.
6:54 Wes Patterson is a stack and tilt long driver, 2024 ULD champion for 35+ year old age group. Coached by Mike Manavian
1. I'm glad you are finding something that works for you.
2. Putting things in neat little boxes ("new", "old", "modern", etc…) is how our brain likes to think, but its incredibly destructive to learning. Golf is about confidence and feel. There are things developed in all ages that help with both of those things. The idea that we should swing like Hogan because you found one picture of him with one swing is silly (also, notice how fit he is – nobody reading this comment or watching this video is going to swing like him). Please don't tell 70 year olds watching YouTube to swing like that.
I know this may surprise you guys, but the human spine is able to bend , twist and be very mobile. Look at how babies crawl. It’s only as we get fat, old and disregard our fitness that the body loses mobility. The modern swing is far more athletic and superior.
I've been following your content along with Liam's coaching videos for quit a while. I was making progress but the the depth part may be what I was missing. I was always about 6-7* in to out and worked hard to get that more neutral last year so I was afraid to get too deep and under again. I tried hitting some balls on the sim tonight and was never more than 1.5* in to out. Best part was I was just hitting smooth shots and I was still at 130 ball speed on a 7. Felt like I had way more time to get to the ball. I hope this is the reason I've struggled with driver since trying Liam's method. I'd still be hitting balls if I didn't have to go to work, lol. Thank you for posting this.
Absolutely loved this one 👏
The chemtrails, almost evident in every USA golf video I've watched….damn. About to look like China soon
Good chat. Enjoyed that. And a guest my age!
Slow greens, short course, every week a a PGA guy shoots a 62 on 7400 yard course with 13 stimp greens.
Having your left shoulder travel around and not into the ground is the exact reason why you've been getting stuck for years. You can see you're still stuck here as you exit left and hold the face off not allowing a proper release.
Awesome vid mate, light bulb moments for a lot of the TGN crew 👍🏼
When you see old school golf swing you see players like Nicklaus, Sneads, Hogan, and now it's Scheffler. His swing is very similar to old school swings. Wonder why he's dominating.
John Erickson and Bradley Hughes have been talking about this in depth for 10+ years. Go check them out if you haven’t
Wes Patterson is a long driver who uses a weight forward method, and he crushes it.
This is pure golf chat ❤ proper range sesh
One plane swing , the plane truth book…
James, ive been toying with a fitzpatrick depth and timing and it's so pure at contact. 52 years old. 9 capper. Had to weaken my grip to stop the left side shot but I bring it back 45 degrees from target line. In to out almost over the top. Working for me. 👍 145 ball speed to 155 with driver.
Not really Joaquin niemann isn’t big and strong and his angles in his downswing are mental so it’s not really about strength it’s about how supple and flexible you are ⛳️⛳️👍👍
Every single golfer needs to read Hogans 5 lessons.
Would love to hear Liams thoughts on the greats of the game, Jack, Hogan, Jones etc. If he things 'they had it right all along' or we take lessons from them and develop what they had with a more modern swing? what the draw backs/improvements are to a modern swing? Love this content, cheers!
That's straight out of Mister Hogan's book. I still have the Five Lessons and it's still valid to this day! Go and get it, wonderful hand drawn illustrations and the calm words of the man himself.
Love it 🙂
Irony is most of what you are discussing except weight forward at setup are stack and tilt concepts.
Great example of feel vs real and when your swing already has scar tissue it’s nearly impossible to change. Why would these two even think about replicating Hogans plane. He was 5’8 with long arms. These guys are much taller with great swings.
“You can’t have lead-side pressure.”
Yet I’m hitting my 7-iron around 196 yards with lead-side pressure all the time. (Measured with Trackman and FlightScope outdoor, at a height of approximately 100 yards above the sea level) – Swing your swing, if it works.
I love the points you make on the back swing, would you talk about what the hands do, ulnar deviation, supination, extension and release.
Great video, I’m 52 and have been making swing changes and I am done. I am letting the club momentum finish my swing and it is so much more natural. Trying to force yourself into positions might look like a great swing but if you can’t hit it, what’s the point. The weight transfer then happens so much more easier on the transition with more depth.
Awesome 👌
I struggle with my hands getting too deep early then I lift a lot at the top