Herman Zhao, PGA

🏌️‍♂️ A quick chat with my mentor, Dr. Greg Rose — can you catch what we’re talking about? 😆

This was a short discussion between me and Dr. Greg Rose,
the founder of TPI and one of the world’s leading experts in golf biomechanics.

🎧 Can you understand what we’re saying about “shallowing the downswing”?
💬 Drop your answer in the comments —
🎁 I’ll send a small prize to whoever gets it right 🤣

Dr. Rose has been one of the most influential mentors in my coaching journey.
Every year, whenever I get the chance, I make sure to learn from him in person.
In coaching — and in life — learning never stops.
Keep improving, stay curious, and keep moving forward 💪

📌 In the next episode of Swing Analysis,
I’ll dive deep into what really makes a downswing shallow.
Stay tuned!

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About Coach Herman Zhao

👨‍🏫 Herman Zhao｜PGA Golf Coach (U.S.)
✅ PGCC • PGA Class A • TPI Level 3 Certified
🌍 Online lessons available worldwide
📩 Book a Swing Analysis session (private, not shared online) #高尔夫

🏌️‍♂️ Swing Analysis Ep.64｜Shallow the Downswing — Don’t Push, Shift Right!

Everyone wants a shallower downswing,
but most players chase it with their hands.
The truth is — it’s all about weight shift, not hand lift.

👉 The correct move: pressure into your right side, then rotate.
👉 The wrong move: push off the left leg too early — it kills your sequence.
👉 Remember: right leg powers the move, left leg only supports the turn.

This episode breaks down:
1️⃣ The right way to shift your weight;
2️⃣ How to shallow the club naturally through lower-body movement;
3️⃣ Why true shallowing happens from the ground up — not from your wrists.

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About Coach Herman Zhao
👨‍🏫 PGA Golf Coach (U.S.)
✅ PGCC, PGA Class A, TPI Level 3 Certified
🏌️‍♂️ 12+ years of coaching experience, including 2023 PGA Tour Champion Wyndham Clark
📍 Teaching Locations: Lake Forest, Newport Beach & Oak Creek Golf Club
🌍 Online lessons available worldwide
📩 Swing analysis lessons are private and not publicly posted
#高尔夫 #美国 #加州 #尔湾

Swing Analysis #49｜Lateral Sway = Reverse Spine Angle + Fat Shots!
🎯 Today’s issue: This player shows excessive lateral sway in the backswing, which creates a Reverse Spine Angle. This moves the center of mass too far right, making it much easier to hit the ball fat.

🔺 Key faults:
• Excessive sway instead of rotation in the backswing;
• Reverse spine angle at the top, forcing compensations;
• Weight too far on the trail side, leading to fat shots;

💡 Fixes:
1. Maintain spine tilt and stability in the backswing;
2. Rotate through the hips instead of swaying laterally;
3. Keep the center of mass more centered at the top;

📌 After this video: You’ll understand why sway leads to Reverse Spine Angle and how to prevent fat shots with better body control.

📍 About Coach Herman Zhao
• 12+ years coaching experience, worked with PGA Tour players
• Greater China’s first PGCC + PGA Class A + TPI Lv3 triple-certified coach
• Coaching locations: Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek
#高尔夫

Swing Analysis #48｜Aiming Right but Pulling Left? Lack of Separation = Outside-In Path
🎯 Today’s issue: This player aims right but consistently pulls left. The cause? No separation between upper and lower body. Both turn together, so the downswing starts from the upper body, sending the club Outside-In.

🔺 Key faults:
• No upper-lower body separation at transition;
• Upper body initiates downswing, club moves out early;
• Aim and swing path misaligned;

💡 Fixes:
1. Let lower body start the downswing to create separation;
2. Keep the club on the trail side longer in transition;
3. Align aim with intended swing path;

📌 After this video: You’ll understand why separation is critical to avoiding Outside-In pulls.

📍 About Coach Herman Zhao
• 12+ years coaching experience, worked with PGA Tour players
• Greater China’s first PGCC + PGA Class A + TPI Lv3 triple-certified coach
• Coaching locations: Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek
#高尔夫

Swing Analysis #47｜Open Clubface + Flipping Wrists? Say Hello to Slice or Pull Left 🐔
🎯 Today’s issue: Clubface is wide open in the downswing, forcing a last-second wrist flip to square it. The result? Either a high slice to the right or a dead pull left — both killing consistency.

🔺 Key faults:
• Open face in transition → forced wrist flip;
• Arms pulling away from the body, creating the classic “chicken wing” look;

💡 Fixes:
1. Control face angle earlier in the grip and transition;
2. Drop arms in the downswing instead of pulling;
3. Train for face stability to minimize left-right dispersion;

📌 After this video: You’ll spot the telltale signs of poor face control and learn how to fix it with body rotation, not hand manipulation.

📍 About Coach Herman Zhao
• 12+ years coaching experience, worked with PGA Tour players
• Greater China’s first PGCC + PGA Class A + TPI Lv3 triple-certified coach
• Coaching locations: Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek
#高尔夫

Swing Analysis #46｜Special Fan Lesson 🎁 Learn DJ’s Power Fade for Control & Distance
🎯 Special episode: First-ever “active fan” swing breakdown! This fan is a certified CGA coach who’s been highly engaged with my content — now it’s his turn for a deep dive.

🔺 Main issues:
• Clubface often closed, leading to inconsistent ball flights;
• Backswing is short and body feels tight;

💡 Suggested fixes:
1. Shot strategy: Commit to a Power Fade, just like Dustin Johnson — one predictable shape for maximum control;
2. Swing adjustment: Take a page from Phil Mickelson — lift the lead heel slightly in the backswing to free up rotation and add width;

📌 After this video: You’ll know how to stabilize ball flight through a set shot shape and unlock more turn without forcing it.

📍 About Coach Herman Zhao
• 12+ years coaching experience, worked with PGA Tour players
• Greater China’s first PGCC + PGA Class A + TPI Lv3 triple-certified coach
• Coaching locations: Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek
#高尔夫

Swing Analysis #45｜Stop Pulling That Right Elbow Back! ⚠️ Flat Plane + Stuck + Casting
🎯 Episode focus: This player pulls the right elbow back during the backswing. It seems like creating room, but it actually flattens the swing plane, causing stuck downswing and making casting more likely.

🔺 Key issues:
• Right elbow back → flat backswing → downswing gets stuck;
• Flat path + no natural drop → forced early release (casting);
• Loss of both distance and consistency.

📌 Pro comparison: From the side, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson may look like their trail elbow is behind them, but from another angle, it’s still in front of their body — preserving space while staying on plane.

🎯 Outcome: Learn to keep your right elbow in a functional position so you can maintain a healthier backswing and a freer downswing.
📩 Want a personal swing review? DM your slow-motion clip — I’ll pick some for follow-up.

📍 About Coach Herman Zhao
• 12+ years coaching experience, worked with PGA Tour players
• Greater China’s first PGCC + PGA Class A + TPI Lv3 triple-certified coach
• Coaching locations: Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek
#高尔夫

Swing Analysis #44｜Turning Together = Out-to-In → Push/Fade — Missing Separation? ⚠️
🎯 Episode focus: Many golfers — even semi-pros — rotate their upper and lower body together, lacking separation. It looks smooth but often forces an out-to-in downswing and produces pushes/fades.

🔺 Key issues:
• Turning together → no arm space → outside-in path;
• Outside-in path → face more likely open → push/fade;
• Loss of path control and consistency.

📌 Pro comparison: Players like Lexi, Brooke, Nelly show clear separation at the top, giving them better path control and reducing the chance of a push/fade.

🎯 Outcome: Spot the “turning together” habit and understand how missing separation affects your ball flight.
📩 Want a personal swing review? DM your slow-motion clip — I’ll pick some for follow-up.

📍 About Coach Herman Zhao
• 12+ years coaching experience, worked with PGA Tour players
• Greater China’s first PGCC + PGA Class A + TPI Lv3 triple-certified coach
• Coaching locations: Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek
#高尔夫

Swing Analysis #43｜Reverse Spine Angle Is Killing Your Driver’s Distance & Consistency! 🚫
🎯 Episode focus: Many golfers blame technique tweaks for poor driver performance — but a common root cause is the Reverse Spine Angle at the top. This spine tilt wrecks efficient weight transfer and kills power. Being crossed at the top (clubshaft past the target line) compounds the stability problem.

🔺 Key issues
• Reverse Spine Angle → destroys weight transfer & compression;
• Cross at the top → unstable arm path, more big misses;
• Outcome: inconsistent ball flight, reduced carry and control.

🛠 What you’ll learn
1. How to spot a Reverse Spine Angle in your own swing;
2. How being crossed affects stability and a quick self-check;
3. Two immediate fixes + training drills for lasting structural improvement so your driver hits purer and farther.

🎯 Outcome: You’ll be able to identify the issue on sight and apply a short-term correction plus a long-term plan to restore distance and consistency.

📩 Want a personal swing review? DM or drop your clip in the comments — I’ll pick examples for follow-up.

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📍 About Coach Herman Zhao
• 12+ years coaching experience, worked with PGA Tour players
• First Chinese coach with PGCC + PGA Class A + TPI Lv3 certifications
• Lessons in Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek, CA
#高尔夫

Swing Breakdown Ep.42｜Why Your Right Foot Should Jump Off the Ground Like DJ, Sergio & JT! 🚀
Many amateurs think lifting the right foot at impact looks “ugly,” so they force it to stay flat.
🚫 Result: Your weight never shifts, power stays behind, and shots come out weak and inconsistent.
✅ The fix: Actively push off the ground with your right foot at impact — almost like you’re jumping — to launch your weight forward.
In this episode, I break down how Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, and Justin Thomas all use ground reaction force for massive distance and control.
#高尔夫

Swing Breakdown Ep.41｜Overswing isn’t the problem — your setup is!🔥
Think you’re stuck because of a long backswing? 🤔 Think again.

🚫 Overswing is the effect, not the cause
✅ The real issue: your setup is too upright, leaving no space for your arms
✅ That posture forces your arms to lift — not rotate — leading to a stuck downswing
🔍 We break down Nelly Korda’s swing to show how proper posture allows big turns without getting stuck!
#高尔夫

Swing Analysis Ep.40｜Want 20 More Yards with Your Driver? Fix These 3 Things!
🚀 Want 20 more yards with your driver? It’s not about trying harder — it’s about fixing your structure.

Here’s what’s holding most amateurs back:

1️⃣ Stance too narrow → No width = no moment arm = no power
2️⃣ Right hip too restricted → Can’t open during backswing, kills rotation
3️⃣ Too “on top of the ball” at the top → Can’t swing up on the ball = high spin, low carry

📌 In this video, I break down:
• How to widen your stance and open the trail foot
• Why your backswing top position is causing downward hits
• How to create an upward attack angle to reduce spin and increase distance

📸 DM me your swing if you want feedback — I’ll tell you exactly where you’re leaking power.

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👨‍🏫 About Coach Herman Zhao
🏆 PGA Class A | PGCC | TPI Lv3 Certified
📍 Coaching in Lake Forest / Newport Beach / Oak Creek
#高尔夫