Manuel de la Torre – Explained

July 22, 2025July 11, 2025 by clubfocused

Manuel de la Torre Explained

A Life of Golf

Angel de la Torre served as the Head Professional at Spain’s renowned Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro. His wife gave birth to Manuel in their apartment above the club’s proshop. You can say Manuel de la Torre was born into golf. He subsequently led his high school golf team to state championships, his college teams to national championships, and devoted the rest of his life to helping golfers improve their game.

Teaching Legacy

Leveraging his long-standing friendship with golf professional Ernest Jones, Angel adopted the then-unconventional club-focused instruction (CFI) departing from the mainstream body-focused approach. Learning golf from his father and studying the work of Jones, Manuel adopted the CFI approach making it the centerpiece of his teachings.

The Logic of CFI

At its core, club-focused golf instruction is grounded in the following four precepts:

golf is a game of using a club to propel a ball toward a target,
to reach at the target the player must manage both distance and direction
distance is a function of the speed and trajectory imparted to the ball
direction is a function of the clubface’s orientation at impact and the swing’s direction

Speed and trajectory functions of club selection. Each club in a set varies in its length and weight resulting in the speed it achieves. Additionally, each club varies in the club face loft whereby they produce varying trajectories. The golfer’s responsibility is to choose the club that will produce the needed distance.

Upon impacting the ball, the clubface’s orientation to the target can vary. If the clubface is to the right or left of the target the ball will depart accordingly. If the clubface is facing the target the ball will depart toward it. Similarly, if the direction of the swing is left or right of the target that too will influence the ball’s travel away from the target.

Since distance and direction are functions of the golf club, instruction dedicated to the optimal use of the club is only logical.

Core Concepts of CFI

By our nature, humans are prolific tool users. From a simple fork and spoon to a surgeon’s scalpel or an artist’s brush, we have a remarkable capacity to utilize tools. A golf club is, naturally, a tool.

Through his work with his father and learning from Ernest Jones, Manuel identified three core concepts that comprise what is now referred to as CFI. These concepts simplify the use of the golf club, making it easy to understand and execute.

Concept #1 Grip

Manuel recognized that the golf swing produced a centrifugal effect, causing the golf club to pull away from the player. When the arm, forearm, and wrist are subjected to this pulling, they orient the hand into a 'palm-vertical' position. Therefore, golfers can place their hands on the club in a way that results in vertical palms during the swing, thereby causing the clubface to be vertical relative to the arc of the swing (i.e., clubface square to the path). By employing understanding and discipline, the golfer is enabled to manage the clubface at impact, which is a major influence of the ball flight direction.

Concept #2 Balance

Considering the shoulders and arms as a radius and the spine as a center, the golf swing is circular in nature. When the clubface is centered on the ball and the player centered on the golf club the radius of the spine to the ball is set. If the center of that circle does not move, then the radius remains constant, and the clubface will make center contact during the forward swing. Balance is the underlying control for this action. If the weight in the feet remains consistent, the center of the circle does not shift, ensuring the radius is positioned to return the clubface to the ball.

Concept #3 Direction

Recognizing the circularity of the swing, one can imagine that the club is traveling in a circle. As such, one can visualize that the club is traveling along a very the path of a very large hula-hoop. Using that image, it can further be imagined that such a hoop could be directed left of the target, right of the target, or (preferably) aligned with the target. Each and every swing therefore has a direction and that direction influences the direction of the ball flight. The golfer’s intention should be to create a swing path in the direction of the target.

These three concepts enable ball flight control. An optimal grip is achieved by carefully placing the club in the player's hands, which biases the clubface to face the target at impact. Balance is achieved through careful attention to maintaining equal weight in each foot and sustaining this equilibrium throughout the swing. This biases the ball to be contacted by the center of the clubface.

The direction of the biases the ball flight to the target and achieved by remembering the location of the target and directing the club at that location.

Instructor Competence

Instructors gain competence by devising a variety of models, analogies, and demonstrations to impart understanding to the player, along with various techniques to help them execute the concepts and develop proficiency. To his credit, Manuel de la Torre diligently used his 70 years of teaching to accrue exemplary competence which enabled him to earn a remarkable reputation among his pupils and peers. His career stands as a model for instructors who follow in his footsteps.

Resources:

Understanding the Golf Swing by Manuel de la Torre https://refer.is/lqc5pdi0

Manuel de la Torre

Manuel de la Torre Wikipedia https://refer.is/r8njh8yk

https://heartlandgolfschools.com/manuel-de-la-torre/

Club-Focused Golf Instruction – a deeper dive

July 12, 2025March 29, 2025 by clubfocused

Club-Focused Golf Instruction

A Paradigm Shift

The Golf Swing: A Complex Motor Skill

Golf, a seemingly simple act of propelling a small sphere toward a target, is in reality a highly

complex motor skill. The trajectory, curvature, and distance achieved by a golf shot are entirely

dependent upon the interaction between the golf club and the ball. Consequently, a golfer's

proficiency is directly correlated to their ability to effectively manipulate the club.

The Physics of Ball Flight

The flight path of a golf ball is governed by established principles of physics. Launch monitors,

employing these physical laws, can accurately predict ball flight based on the momentary impact

conditions. Club-focused golf instruction (CFI) leverages this knowledge to elucidate the clubhead’s

role in producing desired ball flight patterns. CFI teaches golfers the necessary club/ball conditions

to produce their desired ball flight.

A Comparative Analysis of Instructional Methodologies

In contrast to the prevailing body-focused approach, CFI posits that the club, rather than the golfer’s

body, is the primary determinant of ball flight. The assumption underlying body-focused instruction,

that correct body movement will automatically lead to optimal clubhead path, is empirically

unsupported. The shoulders, hips, arms, etc. can all move in some prescribed fashion yet allowing

the club to contact the ball producing widely undesirable outcomes. Rather than the body being the

point of focus, evidence supports that the body adapts to the intended clubhead action. Therefore,

the club is the effective point of focus.

The Cognitive Basis of Tool Use

Humans possess an innate ability to utilize tools without conscious consideration of underlying

musculoskeletal mechanics. This is evident in the effortless use of everyday implements such as

hammers, knives, or scissors. CFI capitalizes on this natural capacity by emphasizing the golf club

as a tool and allowing the golfer’s body to adapt accordingly to the golfer’s intention. This results in a

more intuitive and efficient skill acquisition.

Empirical Support for CFI

The efficacy of CFI is supported by extensive research conducted by Dr. Gabriele Wulf and

colleagues at the University of Nevada Las Vegas[1]. Their findings consistently demonstrate

superior performance outcomes when learners focus on external cues (i.e., clubhead movement)

compared to internal cues (i.e., body movements).

Historical Perspective on Golf Instruction

Traditional golf instruction has predominantly emphasized body-focused techniques. However, the

rapid clubhead speed and the club’s low profile have hindered direct observation of clubhead action,

leading to an overreliance on body movement imitation. This approach has frequently resulted in

frustration for golfers unable to replicate the desired outcomes despite accurate body mimicry. The

case of Ernest Jones, a golfer who lost his lower leg, provides a compelling anecdote. Despite

significant alterations to his body mechanics resulting from the loss of his right leg in a war injury,

Jones maintained a high level of play, underscoring the primacy of clubhead action. His

student, Manuel de la Torre, further developed these concepts, establishing the foundation for

modern CFI. By shifting the focus from body mechanics to clubhead dynamics, CFI offers a more

direct and effective pathway to golf improvement.

How Golf Lessons Can Help Improve Your Golf Swing Techniques

February 13, 2025 by clubfocused

Your golf swing is the foundation of your game. Whether you’re a beginner or an avid golf enthusiast, establishing a golf swing that you understand and perform with consistency is pivotal for a satisfying experience on the course. A consistent, powerful swing boosts your confidence and enhances your accuracy and control. Heartland Golf Schools is located minutes from St. Louis making it easily accessible.

The Power of Professional Golf Lessons

While all of our students had spent hours, weeks, months, and even years working on their golf swing, they quickly found that having enrolled in our professional golf lessons was a game-changer. With over 30 years of experience, your golf instructor provides personalized guidance, helping you master fundamentals like grip, posture, and alignment. With the benefit of expertise, you can identify and correct flaws that have compromised your swing.

Build Precision & Consistency in Your Golf Swing

Consistency in your golf swing is key. Consistency of the physical action of your swing is the result of consistency of the mental action that directs it. Your coaching addresses both the physical and the vital mental aspect that is the key for every proficient golfer. The physical action to be produced with the golf club can be made simple to understand. The right mental cues can make the execution of those actions feel automatic. The combination of the two builds precision and consistency.

The Path to Progress

The carpenter finds that the solution to a dull saw is not pressing harder, but instead is sharpening the saw. Working harder on the range reinforces the very notions that keep a player from finding improvement. The path to progress is to “sharpen” your understanding of the golf swing so your practice time produces great results. Our location is convenient to St. Louis and making the solution to your concerns easy to access. Heartland Golf Schools’ 3-day program enables you to clearly understand and experience the consistency in your golf swing that you’ll enjoy. Come join us!

Tempo, Rhythm, Acceleration, Speed

January 17, 2025 by clubfocused

metronome indicates tempo — metronome and speedometer

Often Used and Often Confused Terms

Aside from how our buddies might use these terms when they talk golf, these four are also regularly misused by TV commentators and others who speak authoritatively about golf. Understanding these terms can be helpful to every golfer.

Tempo. When you clap your hands to the beat of the music, the clap is faster for the upbeat tempo and slower for the downbeat tempo. Jon Rahm’s swing is completed in a shorter time than Chris Kirk’s. Chris has a slower tempo.

Rhythm. Clapping your hands to a song, you find that the clapping does not get faster or slower. Rhythm refers to the consistency of the tempo. A rhythmic golf swing is one with a consistent tempo.

Acceleration. Refers to the rate of change in the speed of the swing. The forward swing starts slowly and then it gets faster. While the speed of the forward swing is faster as it arrives at ball contact, the rate of change should be consistent. Observers will often describe a swing with consistent acceleration as being “smooth” whereas uneven acceleration could be described as “jerky”.

Speed. While clubhead speed is often referred to, more significant is ball speed. Ball speed is a function of clubhead speed and the quality of contact being achieved. Ball speed increases as: 1) the clubhead weight increases, 2) its coefficient of restitution increases, 3) the path and face angle coincide, and 4) the centeredness of contact. As pertains to speed, I offer you the words of Bobby Thompson a former world record holder for land speed: “Too much speed is never enough”.

Bottom Line: The rate at which we speak, eat, and walk varies by individual—as does their swing tempo. However, the rhythm and acceleration are consistent in the performance of an effective golf swing. Ball speed is a good thing.

Taking A Golf Lesson

October 17, 2024 by clubfocused

A golf lesson will not improve your game. An effective golf lesson:

Will enable you to experience the improvement you are seeking in one session.
Will enable you to understand the change you have made resulting in that improvement.
Cannot create a new habit of that change. That takes putting in the “reps”. Upon the conclusion of the lesson, your old swing will still be that which is normal. Disappointment results when a golfer walks from the lesson tee to the first tee expecting the improvement without putting in the “reps”.
Should only be expected to produce the improvement with a degree of consistency after at least 6 practice sessions devoted to that lesson.

Bottom Line: When a lesson has resulted in you producing the improvement you are seeking commit the lesson to paper and have the instructor confirm that you have adequately captured the change to be learned. Expect that only after a number of conscientious practice sessions will you begin to see the result of the lesson with some degree of consistency.

Being In Control

September 30, 2024 by clubfocused

Having now worked with thousands of golfers, their universal desire is to be in control of their golf ball. They want the ball to go exactly where they want it to go. The single reason these golfers attend our school is to learn what to do with the golf club to make the ball go exactly where they want.

While they will have game-improving instruction and lots of time for skill acquisition, there is another dimension to playing well. It’s sometimes referred to as the mental side of golf and has to do with the thoughts swirling in our heads as we approach a shot. Here are three aspects of the mental side that I know will improve your game immediately.

Self Talk. Consider your response to a caddy that would criticize your shot, remind you that you are not good out of the sand, or draw your attention to all the places you don’t want to hit your ball. While that’s obviously objectionable, what’s not obvious is how we say many of these same things to ourselves during the round. Here is improvement No. 1—No Complaining about a shot you made or the recovery shot you have to make. Those thoughts and words are more injurious than a downhill braking putt or a buried lie in the bunker.
Competing. Unlike in almost any other sport, your competitor cannot physically affect your performance. They cannot put your ball in a divot or deep rough nor can they interfere with your golf swing. Here is improvement No. 2—Your competitor is the golf course. The winner, the champion is the player who competes the best against par.
Process. Know the difference between “process” and “product”. Your ball fight is the product. Your setup and swing is the process. We can’t control the ball flight. We can control the process. A highly defined process (grip, alignment, posture, and swing) is the single common denominator of every consistent golfer. Here is improvement No. 3—Establish a process. Make your goal to religiously perform the process for each shot—especially the difficult ones.

Bottom Line: With no change in your swing or your equipment, your game will improve with these three initiatives: No Complaining, Compete Against the Course, and Establish a Process.

The “Spin” on Backspin

August 30, 2024 by clubfocused

Among the many things that have not changed in our beloved game of golf, are the ooohs and ahhhs heard from the gallery when an approach shot lands on a green and backs up 20 feet toward the cup. How do they do that?

Understand that every ball that isn’t topped (including putts) leaves the clubface with backspin. Every airborne approach shot you’ve ever hit to a green has been spinning backward when it landed. Correlating to loft, a nine iron can produce about 9,000 rpm and the driver produces about 2,500 rpm of backspin.

Here are the spin factors:

Some balls are engineered to spin more than others. Tour players almost always choose these balls (eg. Titleist ProV1, Bridgestone Tour BX, Callaway Chrome Tour X). These balls not only are better at picking up backspin from the club, which means they will also pick up slice and hook spin better!
For a ball to have enough spin to stop where it lands or roll backward requires an amount of spin only able to be imparted from a club swinging at higher speeds such as a full swing. The faster the swing (think tour players) the more spin.
Partial swings are typically not traveling fast enough to impart enough spin to back up. The reason tour pros carry so many wedges is to allow them to make full swings from even short distances.
Spin is reduced when water (eg. sprinkler, dew, rain) or grass (think taller rough) comes between the ball and clubface.
Backspin is optimized by two factors: clubface loft and angle of attack. Increase either or both and you’ll increase your backspin.
For full swings, increased spin will increase the aerodynamic lift and thereby increase trajectory.

“Sucking the ball back” (as the effect of backspin is sometimes referred to) is great except:

When you land near the front edge of the green and it backs itself off the putting surface.
When you land short of the hole and it backs further away

Bottom Line: Every shot has backspin. Don’t expect to see a lot of backspin at the range (those balls are typically low-spin balls).

Muscle Memory

August 17, 2024August 17, 2024 by clubfocused

On any given day, on any number of driving ranges there are untold numbers of golfers endeavoring to improve their game by building “muscle memory.” Similarly, on any given day there are untold numbers of golfers using training aids that advertise creating “muscle memory”.

Sadly, for both golfers on the range and those exercising with training aids they will fail to achieve muscle memory. The simple reason is that muscle memory is a fallacy. Under a microscope, we find that a muscle is comprised of muscle cells.

Within that muscle there is not a single memory cell. The tiny rubber band-like muscle cells contract when and only when they receive a nerve impulse from the brain. The memory automating a golf swing exists not in your muscles but in your brain.

The famous golfer and former tv commentator Ken Venturi described someone complimenting Ben Hogan on his terrific “muscle memory”. He explains that Ben was not flattered and instead snapped, “My muscles don’t have memory, I tell them what to do.” Hogan was describing the physiological reality that muscles respond to directives from the brain.

Those directives are most effectively created in response to our visualization of the task we want to perform. When a soccer ball finds the goal, the kick is the response of the player visualizing that objective. The same is true for the hockey player and of course the golfer. Both Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods were very descriptive of their use of visualization.

Bottom Line: Seeking muscle memory is a fool’s errand. There is no such thing. To direct your muscles most effectively, learn to use visualization, the little-understood key to the performance of every professional golfer.

7 Habits of Highly Effective Golf

August 17, 2024June 16, 2019 by clubfocused

Put on your golf shoes, we're taking the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People onto the golf course.

For management-types, this is a way to bring the performance enhancement benefits of these famed seven ideas to your golf. If you are one of the remaining few who haven't read the book or heard the tapes, make the purchase. Applying these ideas to your golf may be the impetus you need to try them in your life.

Habit 1...Be Proactive Being reactive to weaknesses in your game puts you into a defensive "fixing" mode--circle the wagons. But being proactive says, "let's build a game I can enjoy." Now you’re in a "creative/improving" mode. This is an important shift from focusing on "what you don't want" to "what you do want.

Habit 2...Begin with the End in Mind When you say, "I want to improve my game" what exactly do you mean? Do you have a handicap in mind? Do you want to be less stress-filled? Want a better short game? Define what you want the end to be. Keep it in mind by occasionally imagining its attainment. If this sounds flaky, you've got a lot to learn about the power of imagery.

Habit 3...Put First Things First In real estate its "location, location, location." In golf its "putting, putting, putting." You can practice it year round indoors and it requires little strength. You use the putter more often than any other club and it accounts for the biggest percentage of your strokes and the biggest chance for scoring improvement. The putting stroke is the “heart” of the full swing. Buy a great putter or a fresh grip for your old putter.

Habit 4...Think Win/Win Malcomb Forbes described success as failure that you learn from. A poorly played round is the blueprint for your game improvement, if we take the time to read it. You will be amazed at how resilient you can be after a poor shot and how many fewer poor shots you'll make if you can keep Mr. Forbes in mind and ask, "What am I learning?" Win from your good shots, win from the poor ones.

Habit 5...Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood When you are working on any part of your game, begin by first improving your understanding how it "should" be done. Only then, should you turn your focus to improving what you are doing. Seek first to understand.

Habit 6...Synergize Too many players try to "go it alone". Unless you find it particularly rewarding to "figure it out on your own", take advantage of the discoveries of those who have gone before you. Attempt to identify one author/teacher that makes sense to you and build on their experience. If you stray from their teachings, do so carefully. Collaborate, synergize.

Habit 7...Sharpen the Saw The carpenter with a dull saw can try to press harder--likewise for a golfer. But pressing harder is not the solution for either. Regardless how sharp a saw, sharpening is an inevitability. Touring professionals make this case by regularly working with their coaches. Schedule your game for routine sharpening.

Covey's teachings about life are readily adaptable to golf, because golf is life in miniature. It is a journey we take over hill and dale never knowing if we are on the verge of delight or disaster but choosing to move forward regardless. Heartland Golf Schools Learn golf, learn from golf.

Choose the Right Tee Box

August 17, 2024June 1, 2019 by clubfocused

Countless rounds of golf begin with the question, “Which tees do you want to play?” Too often the answer is based on testosterone and not golf logic. Too often this becomes an opportunity for someone to announce their prowess saying, “Let’s move to some back tees!” There’s a better way.

Our home course is Annbriar. Let’s use it as an example. The first hole plays 304 yards from the middle tees. While there is a fairway bunker on the left side, this hole is kind to the player, recognizes this is their first hole and so provides a generous landing area. When you look at the green you find that it is an elevated green sitting at least 4 feet above the fairway. Additionally, the green is shallow. The architect has set the green to receive lofted approaches. Therefore, the right tee box is the one from which your typical drive will position you to hit a high lofted shot that will hold this green.

The second hole is very different. Measuring 364 from the middle tees, you’ll find that this green is level with the fairway and is deeper. Here the architect is giving you a target that will work well with lower trajectory approaches since you will be using a longer iron.

Golf logic for tee selection, asks the simple question, “From which tees can I hit my average (not my best) drives and be in the appropriate landing areas for each hole?” Typically the prescribed landing area will be devoid of bunkers, the fairway will be a little wider and your club selection will match the design of the green (our first hole is designed for a lofted approach shot). If you are not sure which tee to play, ask the pro shop to give you the best distance from which to approach the first few holes. The choose a tee box from which you will reach that approach. A less scientific approach says, “Let’s choose a forward set of tees and if after a few holes there are too many birdies, move back.” You’ll find that using the first hole as a benchmark, that same tee selection will position you correctly for the rest if the holes as well.