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left arm and your chest so you dont lose control over the clubhead. The clubhead comes at the ball from the inside and leaves the strike going back to the inside on a square path. The ball is contacted just before it reaches the fur-thest point away from the golfer, which is the bottom of the arc after contact. The club should not come from the inside, hit the ball and continue flying uncontrollably out to the right. Remember, we are creating speed by whip-ping the club in a circular path around us. So post-im-pact, the club comes back to the inside.

One good way to practice this move is with a standard pitch shot. Since there isnt the need to create much leverage, the club is kept very much on the shaft plane. As you work on pitch shots, try to keep the butt end of the club pointing at your belly button and use your ro-tation to create power. Its an easy way to ingrain that feeling of not letting the arms fly off the body.

The full expression of energy transferred into the ball exemplified by a high extension through the finish.

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CHAPTER 9: SWING DRILLS

RIGHT ARM ONLY/BELT DRILLAs I mentioned earlier, it was when I tried to play golf with a useless left arm that I began to get a better elbow connection in my swing. One thing I still practice that I learned that day is right arm swings. Im sure left arms swings will be good in the future, but right now I actively practice hitting balls with just my right arm.

I start with chip shots around the green. Im really focus-ing on just making solid contact. If you can do that you will find that you can actually hit good chips. For me the key is to maintain my right elbow connection. As I make longer swings I try to make sure my right hand is leading the clubhead through impact. This makes me try to clear my body before my arm comes through. Its hard to do at first, but its a very good drill.

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Another variation on the right arm only swing is to use a belt tied around the elbow of the right arm. This guaran-tees the right arm will stay connected through the hit. At first its a little tricky to do, but as you get used to it you will find its not so unnatural for a good golf swing.

SLOW MOTION SWINGS Slow Motion swings are a great way to practice what I call the Laser- the Load Stretch Release concept. I look at the swing as one motion with three parts. Most peo-ple look at the swing as a backswing and a downswing. I believe the first part of the swing is the Load where

Belt Drill.

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everything turns away from the ball together. The sec-ond phase is the Stretch where the lower body begins to turn back to the ball maximizing the stretch between the upper and lower body, and the club head drops behind. The release occurs when the upper body relinquishes its stretch away from the lower body and the arms allow the club to hit the ball.

LEFT SIDE PULLI find it helpful to have a friend hold my club head waist high along my toe line behind me down the line. From this position I can work on my left side pull. I want to

Slow Motion Drill.

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feel like my hips have already turned the corner. They are leading my shoulders that are just about to turn the corner. I want to try and pull the club from my friends hands with my body and my hips, not with my arms. You can work club head pulls from different angles, which Ive found to be helpful.

BASEBALL SWINGSFor some reason, practicing baseball-style swings with the club a couple of feet above the ground makes it easier for me to feel my body opening up before the club comes through the impact zone. Im reminded of Mister Ho-gans demonstration of the lower body sequencing where he keeps his elbow tucked and he practices his lower body

Left Side Club Pull

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opening up to the target. Then, when Mister Hogan rolls his wrists downward, suddenly the club takes a different path, diving down towards the ball ready for the crush.

THE CLAWWhen I learned the Claw from Roger Dunn, I began to incorporate it by doing pitch shots first (the same goes for the Twirl). I would draw the club up halfway with the face shut the whole way. Upon reaching the top I try to

Working on the claw with Roger Dunn.

Baseball Swings 1-4.

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keep my arms in place and then turn my body towards the target while keeping my head steady. This reminds me of how Dustin Johnson hits the ball. I have used the Claw to play some really good golf and I still use it sometimes, mostly when I wish to hit a draw.

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MySwingEvolution Patronage

Thank you very much to all of my Patrons for making this book a possibility. It would not have been possible if not for your generous support. It is my honor to share with you what I have learned over the past four years and I hope to continue on my journey of discovery.

Id like to thank my father, Dr. Fausto Garcia, for teach-ing me the game, and my older brother, Donald Garcia, for being the perfect model for an older brother and gen-tleman golfer. Id also like to thank the rest of my family, and especially my dear wife, Bridget, for supporting me as Ive undergone my Don Quixote-type journey.

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Id like to say a special thank you to Jose Hernandez for giving me unwavering support and encouragement. Without your help this book would have been next to impossible.

This is my father, Dr. Fausto Garcia, and my lovely wife Bridget, along with our two beautiful children, Avery and Evelyn.

Here I am with Jose Hernandez at Doug Sanders 80th birthday tournament.

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And, Id also like to give a special shout out to my main man, Eddie Bravo, whose revolutionary system of 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu served as a major inspiration for the structure of My Swing Evolution.

And, thank you to the the Golf Club at Terra Lago for providing such a spectacular backdrop for the principle photography.

And, thank you to all of my subscribers and viewers on YouTube. You have made my golf dream become a real-ity. Without your constant encouragement, this would never have turned out as well as it has. Hit em long, and hit em straight.

Co-hosting Eddie Bravos podcast a few days before his rematch with Royler Gracie, with guest, Emmy-winning reporter, Amber Lyon.

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PLATINUM PATRONS

Jose F. HernandezDonald ReidGary GisclairJason VasquezVincent BroringTodd HibbertMin MatsumotoRalph Caccese

Mario CanalDavid CashRyan KasternKaran RaiSam PatrickRobert HaleyFrancios CanchesChris Peterich Jerry YorkDr. J. Terry AfordDr. Andrew Lee

Thomas SultanaRob GraessleJan Hans PietersJoshua HayChris MayeStephan ImbachThomas SantiagoRoger HaagChristophe Tchoun You Thung Lee

Paul KimSteve HuerthHakan OlanderKeiichiro MiyazakiAaron HeafieldEric McCallGeorge SupolGerald ThomasAlvin VoonAndre SjobergTroy Tinnes

Jan Willem HelmsRamesh SrinivasanVincent DuganKevin AlasJong Suk JinClyde Bass

Bob KaylorRoger HaagSanteri HuvinenWilliam ManserBauyrzan SarkytbayevAlex Simanovski

William DaytonDavid CorderoMark LewinRichard McKinnesEdward HermanDan Petchell

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Christo Garcia is a director/producer whose television shows have been awarded both an Emmy, and a Peabody Award. Christo is also a martial artist, ballet dancer, and nationally certified personal trainer.

Mr. Garcia has distilled 60 years of supposition concerning Ben Hogan's work into a simple and easy to follow progression. The Hogan code is a must read for the do it yourself golfer.

-Zack Axelton

I had never learned the proper fundamentals of golf despite playing this game for 13 years. I was without proper educational materials until I stumbled upon Christo's "My Swing Evolution" series. This series takes you through a journey to learn and master the basic fundamentals the great Ben Hogan implemented in his swing and transfers that knowledge onto us.

-Anthony Beltran

Christo Garcia set off on a golfing journey, one that many of us followed via his regular YouTube updates. This book is certainly his map, a path that others may follow and also enjoy the secrets of the iconic Ben Hogan.

-Greg Patmore

Cutting my handicap by 12 strokes within an year was a direct conse-quence of learning to take charge of my own development. My Swing Evolution has been a great example to follow.

-Krasimir Ivanov

Reading and hearing what Hogan said was never the same as under-standing what he meant. Thanks for breaking the Hogan Code" and translating his genius into game lowering lessons for all of our swing evolutions.

-Don Raymundo De Monterey