"On the backswing your feet and legs should resist the coiling
action of your upper body. If they do so properly, they will trigger
Your downswing as a "reflex' action. So, set-up to the ball
with your feet planted, your knees flexed and feeling "springy"
from the waist down."

John Jacobs

cd,
You may recall that Jacobs was a member of the discussion group in which Blake participated ("Golf World," February, 1975) and in which Mindy's swing was the subject. There was little agreement between Jacobs and Blake about the downswing. The following exchange seems pertinent. Late in discussion:

Blake: My attitude is a bit different. I say you take backswing to wind yourself up so when you hit you can put as much pressure into the ball as you can.

Jacobs: I agree, but if you say there's no movement of the clubhead from the top of the swing - that you must wait for it - that's the death of golf. Because of those high-speed photographs people are getting the impression that when they get to the top of the backswing the one thing they mustn't do is hit. But they've got to start accelerating from the top in order to get enough speed at the impact position. If they think of moving their hips first, or rataining that wrist cock they've seen in so many still photographs, they merely give the ball an ineffectual push.

Ken Adwick: Many pictures show Jack Nicklaus in these 'frozen' positions, but they give a totally false impression. I think it was Jack Nicklaus who said - the same as John and I are saying - that you must release the clubhead right away from the top and at impact the clubhead must be starting to pass the hands.

Jacobs: Jack said to me: "There's no way you can hit too early - so long as you use your legs."

Lawrie Henshaw: But, according to the teaching, shouldn't the legs be responsive?

Jacobs: It would depend on whom I am teaching. I might tell one person to think of the path of the clubhead and the next person - depending on what he's doing right or wrong - "keep that knee in position and clear your right shoulder." Because, as I emphasise again, I'm teaching people. The reason why some people's body movements are not responsive is because we're not all the same.

Blake: You're talking about you can't hit too soon. My point is you don't hit - you just drag that clubhead through the ball, keeping up the pressure through the ball so that it stays on the clubhead as long as possible. And there's more chance of doing that with my method than any other. My main objective is hitting an accurate length, straight and with the correct flighting of the ball, is one one of the most important things in golf. End.

My main point was to show that though Jacobs, in your quote, seems to recommend a Blake-like backswing, from the top, their concepts diverged--in 1975 anyway. Re the Nicklaus quote which ended with, "...so long as you use your legs." The discussion after that didn't really explain what Jack meant by 'use your legs.' Jim