Billy Dunk 3 wood swing

What can we learn from this legend?
I know there are some great stories too.

Wasn.t it Billy Dunk whose victory speech at a local tournament comprised the following: “Small cheque. Small speech. Thank you”.

LagP, there was a post about one of the ISGers getting a lesson and being told to keep his left heel on the ground, we are certainly accustomed to seeeing Gary Edwin trained pros (Pampling/Gow)out here. I accept that this is probably conventional wisdom without Nicklaus as the main role model.

I am interested in the move Dunk makes in photo 6, where he seems to uncoil and uses the planting of his heel to straighten his left leg and hold that position through the shot. Almost seems to my amateur eye that the move with his heel is the catalyst to set the downswing in motion.

I have tried to quieten my legs in the past (learnt golf in the 70’s) but find that I seem to get a bit lost without a trigger. Hence I still try and make a small move with my left heel.

Would appreciate any thoughts you had

Wasn.t it Billy Dunk whose victory speech at a local tournament comprised the following: “Small cheque. Small speech. Thank you”.

101,

Dunky was not like that. David Graham was the culprit.

David played to be someone. Dunky played because he was someone.

Great player when he was on a roll and he quite often was. Not a long hitter but had a simple repeatable swing. Unusual set-up in that he started with the clubhead well inside the ball and each waggle moved it further out. When the head reached the ball away he went.

A lot of my generation were influenced by Hogan’s idiosyncrocies.

It seems Mr Dunk often went very, very low.
He must’ve putted well, but I wonder if he was a great putter, or rather if he had streaky rounds?
Would love to know what sort of putter he used.
Paul

Wasn.t it Billy Dunk whose victory speech at a local tournament comprised the following: “Small cheque. Small speech. Thank you”.

101,

Dunky was not like that. David Graham was the culprit.

David played to be someone. Dunky played because he was someone.

Dunky actually came out with it first, but he said it to be entertaining and his natural sense of humour allowed it to be taken as pure comedy. Everyone laughed their heads off.

Then Graham tried the same line but because of his character there was complete silence – and the sponsors weren’t happy. He later claimed he was just being funny, but who knows how he truly meant it?

Funny story.

It seems Mr Dunk often went very, very low.
He must’ve putted well, but I wonder if he was a great putter, or rather if he had streaky rounds?
Would love to know what sort of putter he used.
Paul

Does anyone have a putter made for an Aussie tour player?

Not sure if he was streaky or not (most people are to some extent) but he faced Eric Cremin in the 36 hole final of the 1962 national PGA championship. Billy beat Cremin 8 and 7 taking only 41 putts over the 29 holes played.

The putter shown in his book is a heel shafted blade type putter.

malvernstar,

I think flexibility is an issue as to whether or not the left heel comes up or not. If it does, it should be pulled up by the turn as long as there is a cohesive body tension in effect through out the muscles. Haphazardly lifted would not be useful in anyway. I’m sure Bio would attest to the value of a proper muscular coil sensation via a big shoulder turn against a firm lower body. Dunk and Nicklaus may not have been the most flexible, so the foot lifts. Sam Snead was very flexible and his
foot did lift, but his hip turn was huge with a straightened right leg, and massive shoulder turn, so his foot came up some.

It’s clearly not mandatory to keep the left foot completely planted to hit consistent golf shots, Dunk tells us that.

Again, let’s all thank WAYNER for posting these photos for us all to see! Great stuff, and thanks again for taking the time to scan them in from the book!

Lag/Dart/Guru

I’ve read Bob Torrance’s book and he talks about the left heel lifting (although not saying either lifting or planting is favorable). Padraig Harrington actually said in an article that he lets his left foot fly slightly on the backswing, so that he can slam it back into the floor to initiate his downswing. So much so, he said that when hitting the ball well, he makes a visible dent in the floor!

Also, I watched Stuart Appleby hitting balls at the Aussie Open last year and was stunned to see daylight under his heel at the top of his backswing. I’m talking just slipping a few sheets of paper under there height…. Do they use this move to initiate a proper move through the ball? I was stunned to see Appleby do it, especially given how compact his swing is…. I just sat and watched him hit balls post his round for about 40 minutes…. Was a quality experience, because nobody else was there. He looked like he really thumped the heel down to start the dowswing…. A slightly less pronounced lift, but a similar concept to Billy Dunk I suppose?

OC

Pics 7 + 8 tell it all…

Billy is holding the flex of the shaft all the way to the ball.. great stuff.
If anyone wonders how he hit is so straight and solid, this is why.
So few golfers can do this, and don’t let the chicken wing left arm throw you off his action. This is a classic move for hitters, to pull the shaft on plane with the “saw blade” radial type acceleration. If you don’t have the hip or rotational speed like Hogan, you can chicken wing the left arm to keep the club on plane in the fight against the outward throw the “swinger” would so welcome. I’ve seen it done by so many fine hitters. It’s not a power move, but an accuracy move. It doesn’t surprise me to learn he wasn’t the longest hitter.

I hope someday I can see the whole motion on film or video someday.
Anyone posting film footage of Dunk gets a free lesson from me!

Lag

Could you please clarify the “saw blade” radial type acceleration? I can’t seem to get my head around this.

I also googled radial acceleration. Is this the reason why he is “chicken winging” it? That is, acceleration towards the centre of the circle? It’s getting might “foggy” here LP/Dart/Guru. Please help :) .

Numbers,

Check out the “Lets talk Golf Machine” post..
On the early pages there are some very in depth posts about this very subject.

Quick explanation would be,

Longitudinal acceleration… shaft “expanding” telescopically.

Radial acceleration… shaft accelerating sideways in a circle…

Centrifugal force…. the shaft and clubhead moving away from the center

Centripetal force… the shaft and clubhead moving towards the center of a circle.

L.P
Billy Dunk, didn’t hit far, but this was an advantage, the blokes out drive him, he would then knock it close and put pressure on them,
he did this countless times , what a player