You might not think that a swing machine invented to test shafts could also help lower golf handicaps. But it can. You just need to study it. Called Iron Byron, this machine was developed by a leading research facility for a shaft manufacturer more than 40 years ago. Iron Byron has the world’s only perfect swing—one with power, accuracy, and control. It’s a swing that every golfer strives for when he or she goes to the range. Let’s see what golf tips we can glean from the machine’s swing that can help you transform your swing.
But first, here’s a little history of Iron Bryon’s birth. It all began in 1963. Gurdon Leslie, vice president of True Temper, asked Battle Memorial Institute, an Ohio research and development facility, to build a machine to test his company’s shafts. In response, Battle engineered Iron Byron, which copied the swing of the legendary Byron Nelson. Why him—because even at 50, he hit shots with machine-like consistency when tested by George Manning, the project’s head engineer. Today, there are more than 40 Iron Byron machines installed worldwide.
Three Key Elements
While the machine’s key purpose is to test golf equipment, its can also be used to illustrate swing’s critical features. While you might think the machine’s design is rather complex, it’s actually quite simple conceptually. It contains three key elements that all good golf swings—human or machine—have:
1. Circular Body Rotation
2. Unrestricted Hinge
3. Constant Forward Tilt
All three elements are critical. If you “disrupt” one or more during a swing and it breaks down, causing you to mis-hit. Do this often enough and you’ll add strokes to your scores and golf handicap.
Iron Byron’s power source is its drive cylinder. Attached to it is a rigid metal arm holding a golf club. A pneumatic motor drives the arm. It has no power of its own. It needs the motor to work properly. What implications does this design have for your golf swing? The rigid metal arm resembles your arms during a swing. They should remain powerless and still until you coil or uncoil. Your legs and hips, on the other hand, act like the machine’s motor. They drive your torso. If you want drive the ball farther, you must use your “pneumatic motor” (legs and hips) to rotate your torso faster, not your arms.
An Unrestricted Hinge
The metal arm has a sleeve that grips a club. The sleeve attaches to the arm by an unrestricted hinge. It enables the club to hinge fully at the top of the swing, unhinge at impact, and re-hinge during follow-through. If rust occurs, it restricts the hinge’s movements. Tension in your wrists is like rust on the hinge. It “builds” in your wrist the harder you try to hit the ball with your arms. This slows down the unhinging process. Eliminate the tension from your arms and wrists and you’ll unhinge faster and keep the clubface square at impact.
The third key element of Iron Byron’s golf swing is forward tilt. The machine is mounted at an angle, enabling the club to reach the ball. Once the machine is set on this angle, it never raises its drive cylinder or lowers it during the swing. Your torso is your “drive cylinder.” When you bend from the waist to assume the step up position, you set your body’s spine on an angle. Just like the machine, you have to maintain this spine angle throughout the swing. This maximizes your chances to find the ball’s sweet spot.
This article contains a brief overview of Iron Byron’s mechanics and how they compare to a human’s golf swing. If you want a more in-depth golf lesson-type analysis, you can go to www.swingmachinegolf.com. There you’ll find a book written by Paul Wilson, a veteran teaching professional. Titled Swing Machine Golf—The Fastest Way To A Consistent Swing, the book shows you how you can become a human swing machine and improve your power, accuracy, and control. Accomplish that and you’ll trim strokes from your golf handicap.