The answer is no. In the book “The Golfing Machine” -where it´s based the S&T swing- Homer Kelley defines the three imperatives for a good swing:

1- Flat left wrist
2- Clubhead lag pressure point
3- Straight Plane line

http://www.golfswing.com.au/ppage.php?id=109

The flat left writs at impact is the same as keeping the bending in the right wrist ( keeping the flying wedge ). If you hit the ball with all these three imperatives your swing will be great. These are the essential parts that every golfer has no matter how his swing looks like. That´s the reason why Furyk is playing between the best ones. Lag is defined as the “secret of golf”.

There is a lovely book , based on TGM book, written by Clampett (The Impact Zone. Mastering the Moment of Truth) where he explains the five dynamics for a great swing (they are based in the previous 3 imperatives):

1- Flat left wrist at impact
2- Forward swing bottom (tour pros have it 4″ ahead of the ball)
3- Loading the club in the backswing
4- Lagging the club in the downswing
5- Straight Plane Line

Clampett´s book is all about the five dynamics which defines a great impact. His ideas are based on the TGM book. If you master the impact zone no matter how your swing looks. This is why such different players with different styles (from Hogan to even Furyk..) can play in the pro tour with good results. They all master the impact zone. His idea is that if your achieve to move forward the bottom of your swing you can start to hit the ball better and reduce your handicap. He has made a study an his results are: Tour pros has a bottom point of the swing 4″ ahead of the ball, scratch golfers 2″ ahead of the ball, mid handicapper at the ball and high handicapper behind the ball. There is a direct correlation between one´s own handicap and his/her bottom point of the swing. Therefore he recommends to focus your aiming point 4″ ahead of the ball. Here I put a link to a Golf Digest article (Nov-2007) where he summarizes some of these ideas.

http://www.bobbyclampett.com/images/BreakingClampett_000.pdf

About the aiming point technique Bobby Clampett defines it: “The “aiming point” technique involves drawing an imaginary line from the hands, at the top of the backswing, to a point in front of the ball along the ball-to-target line. As the backswing transitions to the downswing, the golfer directs or “aims” his or her hand, not at the ball, but at that point in from of the ball.”

He define this point to be 4″ ahead of the ball because he has study the swing bottom of tour pros and he says that they have the bottom 4″ ahead of the ball while high handicapper have it at the ball or behind. Through the “aiming point” concepts he assure you can have a forward swing bottom and start immediately to reduce your handicap. It is a lovely book. You can read the reviews people is doing in the Amazon website. He defines the lag as “the downswing´s number-one priority, concern and goal” and the forefinger pressure point (trigger finger) as sadly the “most overlooked fundamental of golf” in order to lag the club.

Thanks,
Bill

It’s odd that you hit it well off the tee. There really shouldn’t be much difference at all.

Bobby

When a player’s life consists of golf, golf, and more golf, it’s a little easier to understand how they can make unconventional swings work. However, we can also look at it like this: a player that doesn’t work at it probably isn’t going to excel, whether choosing to work with a unique set of fundamentals or something right out of a text book. Given that, though, a recreational player might have better success following a blueprint out of a book rather than trying to figure out how to cobble together a bunch of basic GASP fundamentals.

And something else that never really makes much sense to me are people who say “PGA professionals don’t have ‘fundamental’ swings so you shouldn’t either”. Well, yeah, but it’s also their JOB to be good at golf and they spend 8+ hours a day working at it and they can develop the timing needed to make it work. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that comparing touring pros to every day guys like you and me is like comparing apples and oranges. A strong base of dependable repeatable fundamentals for someone who plays twice a week is paramount to developing consistency. That’s just my two cents, anyway.