Michael Manavian is a PGA Tour Champions coach, one of the world’s leading instructors using GEARs Golf 3D motion capture software, and the author of Atomic Golf. With over 30 years of teaching experience and a background spanning biomechanics, club fitting, and nutrition, Michael has built a reputation for translating complex data into simple, actionable coaching.
In this webinar, Michael breaks down one of the most powerful formulas in golf instruction: the 1:1 bend ratio. He teaches that whatever forward bend a player establishes at address (P1) should match their side bend at the top of the backswing (P4). When those numbers align, the head stays centered, the eyes stay focused, and the brain can process a stationary target the way it was designed to. When they don’t, the head drifts, balance breaks down, and the ball might as well be moving.
What You’ll Learn
The 1:1 bend ratio and why it works. At address, every golfer creates a forward bend relative to the ground. As they rotate to the top of the backswing, that forward bend must transform into side bend. When the two numbers match, the head stays in a stable box, the eyes maintain central gaze on the ball, and the vestibulo-ocular system stays balanced. When they don’t, the brain is working overtime to track a moving target in real time.
How 3D data reveals what feel can’t. Feel and reality are rarely the same thing. Michael walks through how 3D data inside Onform gives coaches an objective look at exactly what is happening in a student’s swing — and how to use those numbers to diagnose the problem and communicate the fix clearly.
Real case studies: before and after. Michael walks through multiple examples, showing exactly how the bend ratio looked before intervention, what changed, and how the 3D data confirmed the improvement. Seeing the trail shoulder replace the lead shoulder on a steady line is the kind of feedback that makes it click for students.
How the bends connect to power. Staying in forward bend removes vertical force. Michael explains how extension and side bend work together to allow the body to generate the ascent, while the arms handle the descent, and why shortcutting that sequence costs distance.
How to apply this to any student, any age. From juniors with too much flexibility and no direction, to seniors losing range of motion decade by decade, the formula stays the same. The accommodation changes, but the goal does not: match the bends, keep the head centered, and remove complexity so students can perform.
About Michael Manavian
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