Mehlhorn Golf Seminar

Golfing seminar put on by "Wild" Bill Mehlhorn

[@jayvenable4279]

Such a great presentation! I look forward to applying his wisdom. Age 69 with back pain.

[@jonroach8114]

Bill Mehlhorn was the greatest ball striker of all time and the best teacher of golf ever to live. No wonder hes not in the golf hall of fame. Mehlhorns teachings and simple self evident truths will live forever in this game and only those who apply his methods will truly pure the golf ball. Long live Mehlhorn

[@havenrab]

Anyone got Bobby contact?

[@recrementitious]

I love these old videos. It's like traveling back in time.

[@rayfrosti7849]

I have read Golf Secrets Exposed several times. The more I read it and put the concepts and instructions into practice, the smarter Mr. Mehlhorn gets. I just watched this video for the third time and appreciate it more each time. Pure gold. Thank you Mr. Mehlhorn and Mr. Shave! Seems like the man Ben Hogan said was the best ball striker he'd ever seen knows a thing or two.

[@blackie75]

Actually, he said that Bill was the best golfer from tee to green that he ever seen. He didn't mention ball striking per se.

[@scottsanders2641]

Ray, that is a great book, one of my favorites! And Bobby Shay is such a great guy, could talk golf with him all day...

[@24wnbfpro]

Is this book still available? Or maybe a PDF?

[@rayfrosti7849]

@@24wnbfpro call Bobby Shave. He still has copies and will mail one. I paid $40.00.

[@Setup4Impact]

Wild Bill was a great teacher! I was lucky enough to spend 5 years working with him in Miami in the mid to late 80s. He was way ahead of his time!!

[@kevinsmith2747]

I don’t necessarily disagree with his comments, but spending 55 min to explain something that could be summed up in two sentences is ridiculous. I like studying George Knudson and his explanation of the swing motion. I believe he achieved the highest level of understanding the golf swing.

[@lightshadow44]

It’s Sunday , New Year’s Day and listening to this man is like going to church…..putting everything aside but truth. Playing off a 4 index for 15 years, I really worked hard on positions about 5 years ago and have only broken 85 possibly 5 times! Listening and watching videos trying to find the key move. My swing became mechanical and although I hit the ball farther than ever, I have shot dozens of scores above 95 and at least a dozen above 100! True that most of my high scores can be attributed to several repulsive holes every round ( 7’s, 8’s and plus 10’s) . I have gotten away from natural golf and my true dynamic ability. As former college baseball Player and basketball player, natural rhythm and movement was quite easy. Now, stuck in mechanics, it’s lost! Never one to make resolutions I will take this man’s gospel to free up my mind and hope to return to good golf. I do understand principals of movement being a kinesiology major 40 years ago but also know that the mind must taught through 1000’s of repetitions that few can afford . Sound confusing? After viewing this lesson I will return to natural Golf ! Happy New Year!

[@John-wg1jh]

Wow. Did you bang Marilyn Monroe and cure cancer, too?😮

[@jamestown4867]

lightshadow44: I’m 69, played around 5-7 index over 45 years and got to single digits within one year (one magical, memorable free year after college working P/T at a golf shop and accumulating over 420 scorecards.) Around 60, my drives went from 108mph/250-60 carry down to 90mph/200 carry. My PGA approved swing of left side control, wrenching the spine, flat lead foot, and other kinesiologically unsound contortions needed examination. Thanks to the internet and a brief time on Quora, I found Joe Dante and sparse information on Wild Bill. Then a little later I found Mike Austin and my swing is now MA with a bit of Joe and Bill. For three years I too struggled because of the demons haunting me from the old swing. At the range, fine but the MA method is visually similar but drastically different in application and I had similar blow up holes - 3, 4, 5 over par. Finally after 4 years struggling to even break 90, it all came together; I found my lifetime swing and at age 67, I was finally hitting honest 300+ drives, carrying 260-280. Then last year I had and NDE from a bout with pneumonia. It’s also been over 3 years since covid that I haven’t been to my bi-weekly gym and pool sessions. I can now only carry 240 with my Sunday best and my 7 irons only fly 135. I had to move to the regular tees to be able to shoot 70’s but I’m more accurate than I’ve ever been, flighting the ball at will and even braving the low flighted spinning wedges. I use Bill’s image of a long hammer pounding a nail at whatever angle required. That all alone cured my overswinging, wrist breakdown tendencies and made the body movements so easy and natural. Bill talks about hip slide which may contradict Mike but it seems that to make the move Bill displays, a certain amount of shift is necessary. Mike makes the analogy of a woman’s walk with hips shifting side to side. Bobby Shave does a drill imitating the action of the wrists flicking a weight at the end of a string. Then he talks about hammering a nail. I of course use the hammer and nail image but flinging a rock on a string I find gets me scooping the ball. Any thoughts regarding the hip slide and wrist action? Fairways and greens! PenguinGolf

[@lawrencecirillo3233]

How’d the last year go?

[@garybryson1900]

I learned much from this video. Thank you.

[@peterpyrreb470]

Brilliant! Still relevant, and still applicable today. Historic footage. Thank you for preserving it and sharing it.

[@davidcelaya4848]

fucking jets

[@Easiestswing]

What a shame that this special man's thoughts on the golf swing have been ignored. They are especially valid for the average golfer although a lot of tour pros would do well to heed his advice about all joints and muscles being relaxed throughout the golf swing. Tiger ought to watch this!

[@amigopheasantkiller]

+Brian Sparks At the 49:34 mark he shows what a beautiful dancer he is! La Danse Du Golf personified for sure! (I know another guy who dances like that....to whom might I be referring?) :)

[@Diamnzpuck]

He is a master. the hat is legendary

[@marygdalton4188]

Loved this man. Taught me at age 15, and it’s lasted 55 years.

[@torlefborsting471]

I’ve only just discovered Bill Mehlhorn and I am so grateful. I am a very new golfer though advanced in age (50). I love the simplicity and ease.

[@donomar619lv]

@@marygdalton4188 do you still play?

[@adrianleman5158]

A great historical video,nice to see wild Bill on film.

[@jardinesydney9447]

I,m convinced now, the old way of teaching was the best,i hope and pray the old methods will gradually resurface the modern swing is too mechanical,i agree with Brian Sparks,i also said in previous reply it would do Tiger Woods no harm to revert to old ways,i was referring to allowing the left heel to rise,easier on the body.that was to golf digest tips.S/j

[@RollYourRock]

IMPORTANT!! - Someone with good hearing, headphones and perhaps knowledge of Mehlhorn's teachings NEEDS to try and make a transcript so all with interest can learn from this rare video.

[@Diamnzpuck]

I know every word.

[@RollYourRock]

@@Diamnzpuck Awesome! - Could you possibly provide a transcript? Cheers! 🙂

[@6699230]

On KZbin click the 3 dots to the right of 'SAVE': select 'OPEN TRANSCRIPT': read away!

[@jackcrosley6316]

@@6699230 Thank you, but unfortunately, the words I'm struggling to hear, the transcript interpreter is struggling to pick up as well. I probably just need better quality headphones!

[@pauledmondson7071]

This is a hell of a place for a golf lesson!

[@beegee22]

I love his thoughts on sweeping the ball rather than taking a divot. I hate seeing beautiful turf carved up as though every golfer was out digging for grubs.

[@Diamnzpuck]

this is perfect, "I taught them how to look at it" wow what a real jedi

[@matthewsword8845]

Fantastic stuff!!! I noticed the previous comment is from Brian Sparks whom may have been influenced by Mehlhorn (they seem similar). I've recently stumbled on Jimmy Ballard who was taught by Sam Byrd who learned from Wild Bill... and recently Shawn Clements appears to be teaching similar methods, in fact, he uses a lot of Mehlhorns drills on his videos. This is great. Thanks for posting

[@coloradospringsbuilder5967]

00:00:00 In this section of the "Mehlhorn Golf Seminar" video, Bobby Shade introduces a recording of Wild Bill Mehlhorn from the mid-70s when Shade was the golf coach at Floyd Nash University. Mehlhorn shares his unique perspective on golf, emphasizing that each person's muscles and joints move in their own way, and there's no such thing as one-piece action. He encourages golfers to understand that every activity, including golf, requires the use of muscles and joints. Mehlhorn believes that the most important thing is to be comfortable and relaxed, allowing the elbow and shoulder to move in unison, regardless of the specific task or activity. He also mentions that the top-ranking golfers let their bodies do the work naturally, without trying to force it. 00:05:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being your own best teacher in golf and the need to find comfort in your swing from the neck down. He discusses various common mistakes in golf swings, such as trying to slide with hips or using an unnatural shoulder action. The speaker advocates for keeping the body and arms in a natural position during the swing and emphasizes that anyone, regardless of age or body type, should be able to perform the same basic swing. He also mentions the importance of maintaining a clean address position and keeping the body still during the swing, with minimal extra movement from the other foot. Overall, the speaker encourages golfers to focus on finding a comfortable, natural swing and to avoid unnecessary complications. 00:10:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar, the speaker discusses the importance of timing and connection between the hips, legs, and arms in golf swings. He emphasizes that the hips should lead the movement, not the shoulders, and encourages golfers to focus on keeping their hips close to the ball and using both hands to grip the club. The speaker also shares his personal experience of discovering the importance of using the correct muscles and proper grip to improve his golf game. He encourages golfers to break away from traditional teachings and focus on the natural way the body moves to swing a golf club effectively. 00:15:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar video, the speaker shares his personal experience of playing golf left-handed for two years and then switching back to playing right-handed. He explains that during his left-handed play, his right arm was out of the way, and when he switched back, he discovered that his right forearm did 75% of the work in the swing. He suggests that this can be proven by trying out different tools and observing which hand does more work. The speaker also references a doctor's advice that the hand closer to the club head does more work, and he encourages golfers, regardless of their preferred hand position, to keep this in mind. The speaker also shares a poem he has had for almost 50 years that emphasizes the importance of the left foot in golf, which he notes is a concept that is starting to gain more recognition in golf instruction, with Hogan and Gary Player being early proponents. 00:20:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar video, the speaker discusses the misconception that the golf ball should be aligned with the left foot for a proper swing. He shares his experience of proving to young golfers that the ball should actually be aligned with the right foot for certain shots, particularly bunker shots. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding the mechanics of the swing and how it relates to other actions in life. He encourages golfers to challenge their assumptions and learn to look at things from different perspectives. The speaker also shares his experience of contradicting popular golf teachings and encouraging golfers to experiment with playing left-handed for a stronger swing. 00:25:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar, Freddie Jack discusses the importance of keeping both hands and arms working together in the golf swing. Mehlhorn emphasizes that letting go with the left hand at the top of the swing can result in a loss of control. Jack demonstrates this concept by showing how the arms work against each other when one hand is not in the correct position. Additionally, Mehlhorn stresses the importance of maintaining the correct grip and face of the club, as well as coordinating arm and leg movements. Harry Vardon's advice from 1921 is also mentioned, encouraging golfers to use only two-thirds to three-quarters of their effort and work within their natural tempo. 00:30:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar, the speaker emphasizes the importance of a smooth and fluid golf swing. He explains that fluidity is not just about the absence of jerks or hits, but also about maintaining timing and control throughout the swing. The speaker admires Julius Boros' slow swing and believes that hitting down on the ball results in a shorter and lower shot. He also suggests focusing on the subconscious mind and muscles to execute the desired shot. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of control and consistency in golf, regardless of the speed or style of the swing. 00:35:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar video, Maur discusses the importance of proper arm alignment and timing in golf swings. He mentions that an out-of-sync arm movement can lead to one hand working against the other, making it difficult to achieve optimal results. Maur also touches upon the idea that golfers have not significantly improved their athletic abilities over the years, despite advancements in training methods, and questions why golfers have not broken many records like other athletes have in sports such as the hammer throw or discus. He suggests that golfers may be neglecting the subtle forces involved in the game and encourages a return to traditional golfing techniques, such as cleaning the ball on the green and fixing ball marks. Maur notes that in his day, golfers accepted being off the fairway and picked up the ball if it wasn't in a hazard, but modern golfers strive for better accuracy and rarely take drops. He shares that during the PGA Championship in Washington, he estimated that around 40% of golfers were missing the greens, but after making this remark, he was informed that the actual percentage was closer to 35-40%. 00:40:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of comfort and muscular ease in the golf swing. He advises against squeezing the club too hard and encourages a smooth, slow swing. The speaker also explains that the arms should move independently of the body, like swinging a baseball bat. He repeats that the palm of the hand should remain the same throughout the swing, and that bending the elbows is natural. The goal is to hit the ball as if one is swinging a baseball bat, with the arms moving independently. 00:45:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar, the speaker critiques a golfer's swing and identifies several issues. The golfer's left hand is positioned too strongly, causing his shoulder to be approximately four to six inches further away from the ball at contact. This misalignment affects his accuracy and consistency. The speaker emphasizes the importance of keeping the elbow straight during the swing to avoid fixation and maintain a natural, one-piece motion. He also encourages keeping legs and arms in sync and avoiding the concept of one-piece action. The speaker uses examples like hammering a nail and swinging a baseball bat to illustrate proper swing mechanics. He also addresses the contradiction in golf literature regarding one-piece action and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a consistent swing. 00:50:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining the spine's natural alignment during the golf swing. He argues against twisting or bending the spine, as this can lead to injury. Instead, he suggests focusing on the shoulders turning and the hips pivoting. The speaker also mentions that Bobby Jones had a larger pivot than most golfers and that the body should be thought of as the carrier of the club. He encourages golfers to try different techniques to find what works best for them, even if it doesn't always result in a perfect shot. The speaker also shares his personal experience with golf injuries and emphasizes the importance of proper timing and anatomy in the swing. 00:55:00 In this section of the Mehlhorn Golf Seminar video, the instructor demonstrates a golf swing with minimal armed action, emphasizing the importance of keeping the knees involved in the swing. He mentions that he has taken hundreds of shots with this technique and encourages the viewer to focus on their knees during the swing. The instructor asserts that this approach results in a swing with hardly any armed action.

[@Golf2025]

Great stuff...this has changed my golf world...Let's help Tommy add subtitles... would be easier to read and see as the airplanes fly over.

[@thomasprejean2107]

Would love to see him and mike Austin have a debate on the swing.

[@user-ci3il4cv2d]

Ty for this.

[@maralvor]

Putting the captions ON will help give a lot of his talk. Some unfortunately is just impossible to make out. Very useful video none the less.

[@8uvrays]

Yesterday I was writing about a tennis shot I could hit I called the magic wand forehand. The magic part of this was it seemed the entire stroke was almost all in the forearms. And I was castigating myself because I knew all I hand to do was swing with the same feel. But I could not do it because I had this list of things I had to do first. He says quite early on that 75% of the entire golf swing is from the right forearm. That and almost everything I heard seemed to be something I had noted in my best swings but was only able to implement when I was very young. But not from a flexible body, from a flexible mind. Thumb and index finger grip, that makes perfect sense, but that is the direct opposite of the first thing I was ever taught.

[@wrench3r]

Sitting here with a spore back trying to modern mechanical pivot swing. I can do both when I natural let the club flow and whip though it’s pretty natural and no body aches.

[@chrisbrowne5975]

Wow absolutely years ahead of his time that’s great 👌🏻🏌️‍♀️

[@jardinesydney9447]

I agree with Brian Sparks comment about Bill Meilhorns thoughts on golf swing being ignored,what a shame,he was a genius.I liked wild Bills comment about hips he said you pivot your hips as far as you can just like Bobby Jones did.S/J.

[@markhumphrey8894]

33:29. There it is; me in a nut shell. Practice hitting tees on the ground then go to the ball. Great idea! I take a divot 3 inches behind the ball and now I have a sponge between the club and ball. No energy left to carry the ball. I'm so fixated with swing hard and hitting it far. Can't wait to get to driving range this Spring and try this. Check the dang ego at the door in order to improve your game.

[@benjaminsarmiento8150]

Amazing content!

[@NocyMusic]

Ernest Jones played on one leg had one swing thoughts swing the club head eliminate all other thoughts

[@kareemosman3064]

Thanks for posting

[@A-FrameWedge]

There was 2 golf courses in Industry Hills, Ca called the Babe and the Eisenhower, the Eisenhower was opened for play in 1979 and the Babe was ready to play in 1980 and till about the mid to late 80’s if you missed a fairway there was a 50% chance you could find it much less play it. That must of been the type of golf course Melhorn was talking about, today’s golf is all about power not so much the accuracy, they need to change the ball for the pro’s so they can play some of the great older courses again.

[@jteddy11]

Anybody know the poem he talked about that he put on his business card? Would love to see it, seems Mehlhorn thought is was important.

[@ag358]

If only wild bill could've putt well, from tee to green he was superb. What he said about rough is true, in his day they made jokes about losing their caddie in the rough. Pre-1951 you couldn't lift clean and place on the green, or special rules in the fairway. Bobby jone's 66 in England shocked the British isles, it would be like shooting a 55 in a major championship only the rough they had then was very punishing.

[@TheNightstalker67]

Does anyone know the Arch Ward Poem he is talking about? I would love to hear it but the plane noise drowns out what he is saying.

[@jeffreylardizabal3964]

Amen, Amen, Amen! Most kids nowadays have multiple surgeries on their backs and knees because - what they are doing is not natural.

[@sysomerstein6884]

anything on bunker play

[@dig1ify]

Ball forward in all shots I play this way for years now scratch

[@frozendivots1564]

If you watch his prime swing, he didn’t bend his lead elbow.

[@brainfree4931]

Wow, thank you so much.

[@steveng8727]

Anyone know the year of this great seminar?

[@nickytuason]

That was excellent!

[@gerardodonovan3060]

Nick Tuason m o

[@jpworks2]

What is the poem on his card?

[@tegra10able]

Wild bill said "It isnt a good poem but it makes a lot of sense" It goes like this, The title is GolfWise. I guess im dunb Please tell me why a golf pro tells a right arm guy to let his left arm do his stuff, are other troubles not enough? You never heard a tennis pro Insist a right hand players blow be a left hand back hand swing, an obviously silly thing. So i submit my stance shoulde be on port side starting from the tee, and hence my right arm being stronger, controls the shot and makes it longer. What flaws in this there may be some, please tell me why i guess Im dumb.

[@kwablatetetorsu9055]

Self confidence

[@bh5606]

..interesting..

[@flipgentry3862]

What was the poem at 18:58?

[@jonathansmith9705]

Yeah, it's a shame his mic wasn't stronger or that a course or range further away from the airport wasn't chosen.

[@kvishal001]

Any description of how he used to draw / hook the ball ?

[@mknight102]

@@bowmanhealth1824 I have been looking for that book. Can you share with me how to get a copy?

[@billymac29]

Why would you film this right next to an airplort?

[@rickysubaran7266]

That was the course where Melhorn taught and had Carte Blanche

[@timmorthland6736]

What year was this filmed?

[@scott4525]

1970s, there are actually two seminars that were filmed. If you purchase the book from Robert Shave the videos are included.

[@Diamnzpuck]

He's talking about Hogan every time he say's "they" "he" unless when he states otherwise...Don't think he was the biggest fan 😬

[@chappy24]

Well you can go doon if you do the crosslateral

[@karinamarshall513]

Jim appears to have massive shoulders

[@Golf2025]

He is dragging the handle… I knew it..

[@NonStoppp3332]

What’s Wild Bill so cranky about?

[@GreenDistantStar]

I think Bryson might have an opinion about how hard to hit the ball ;-)

[@Valvey789]

Like Jimmy Ballard, he frames his teaching as a debunking of prevailing notions of the swing. But all modern tour pros twist their spines in order to create width, leverage, and to activate their lats. Twisting like this is an unnatural action, for which many of his common sense nostrums don't apply. Baseball players don't wind themselves into knots as they wait for the ball. If they did, there would be as many batting instruction videos on YT as there are for golf. That being said, Melhorn's method is great for weekend players who want a simple, accurate swing.

[@SpinandThrowDiscGolf]

Jack Nicklaus made everything he advocated obsolete.

[@jeffreylysek632]

Nicklaus was taught by Grout and Grout was a Mehlhorn fan.

[@davidcrocker9806]

Show don't tell FFS!

[@TheNYgolfer]

Classic example why good players do not necessarily good teachers make. 55 minutes of my life wasted. He throws impressive words (centripetal.centrifugal) to dazzle but does nothing to explain how he utilizes these forces. Lots of mashed potato with little gravy and no meat

[@jmmitchell6560]

He explained it perfectly. Golf is a simple game to learn, difficult to master. Follow his simple rules and you can teach yourself and become the best YOU can be not some other guy.

[@RedDragonfly205]

Wow what a legendary piece of golf instruction. It is 'back to the future' golf. No golf instruction explains the swing forces because they are always there no matter how good or bad you swing the club. The atmosphere on Earth does not discriminate. Homer Kelley confirmed most of these Wild Bill theories but Mr Mehlhorn explains it in an easier way to digest. As Mr Hogan would say if you do not understand the words use a dictionary. These guys found what they know in the dirt. We don't have to be spoon fed everything surely.

[@RedDragonfly205]

It is amazing that Mr Mehlhorn played with Mr Jones and Mr Vardon whilst Mr Hogan learned a lot from Wild Bill early in his career. Modern day veteran golf instructors say they spent time at Mr Hogan's ranch learning 'the way' to swing too. Tiger has even been quoted saying the same story as Bill says about swing tempo. Some people walk fast, talk fast and chew fast whilst others don't but those same attributes determine their individual tempos. This gives unique swing personality from one player to the next even with tertiary swings that comprise the same imperatives. TGM-GSED instructor Gregg McHatton says 'fast is faster but slow is fastest' Wild Bill says similar in this seminar when referring to centrifugal forces and pulling from outside and pulling from inside to hit the ball. It is this use of the swing vectors that accumulates natural speed where the clubhead works in the release like a pin ball vectoring between bumpers. Mr Mehlhorn's condition of his feet within the swing resembles that of Mr Jone's the most. When he demonstrates hitting the ball with his knees they are counter rotating through impact but they never get in front of the hips as this would stall the pivot. Wild Bill's theories regarding relaxed bone joints and muscles to generate release speed has been proven by TGM. Muscular acceleration loses clubhead speed in the release due to resistance. Whilst centrifugal acceleration gives even acceleration of the club at the moment of truth for that 3 quarters of an inch that the ball stays on the clubface. This allows a separation speed that is 70% of the impact speed. In this technique the hands just hang onto the club, nothing more. The only thing that could be challenged from what Bill says in this seminar is the thought that it is best to put the sweet spot of the club to the back center of the ball in a grass cutting motion. Now due to better technology in the manufacturing of the golf ball it is believed to be best to hit the top of the ball allowing it to jump off the ground. The application of inertia (stored in the right thigh) to the release motion allows the club velocity to continue to increase through constant effort but effort is not power. You cannot swing faster than you can turn. Wild Bill's thoughts on elbow involvement are so so profound. Through his shared knowledge and sound thoughts on the golf swing Wild Bill Mehlhorn gives us all 1% of separation from over 150 years of Golf Swing Traditions. We should all feel indebted to him for his attention to the detail of the correct technique in the Golf Swing. I salute him.

[@christophersoltis]

I am throwing out the melatonin and ambien. My new bedtime ritual to perfect REM