Pivot - couple of very interesting studies

[BerntR]

I had a couple of very good reads yesterday. They were basically related to the pivot. A lot of what I read is complimentary to 7-12 Pivot. AFAIK Homer is on the money when he talks about the pivot (what a surprise ). But there's more to say about it than you find in the yellow book.

First out is Allison Thietje & Co. Very fundamental, very basic, very clear and also very practical. This is low hanging fruit for teaching pros. She and her colleges have developed a few anatomical fundamentals for correct movement patterns in the golf stroke. It relates to damage prevension but those who need them will likely strike the ball much better too. Go here and pick from the menu About Us-> Motion Memory Golf Live Seminar. The first 2-3 chapters of the seminar is absolutely worth the time.

Equally interesting, but with a different approach and a very entertaining style of writing is Kelvin Miyahira. He is a speed trainer and very much into golf and tennis. In his recent monthly column he makes case for the not so pretty pivots that we can see on the tour. There's a lot of food for thought in several of his monthly columns and his Tiger analysis is a great read for anyone that doesn't go by the name Hank Haney
You can find Kelvin's columns here.

[jake2]

Thanks Bernt for posting these.

I was in Phonenix couple months ago and took two lessions from Greg Smith. He looked at my swing and suggested trying right forearm takeaway. All I did was to pull to the top and let go from there and change was dramatic to the better. That and some other things Greg gave me to work on helped a lot.

Once I saw Allison's presentation, I knew why that RFT worked so well - I was pulling myself around, not trying to push (I really had a dysfunctional pivot).

I've now also worked on pulling myself around on downswing as well and things keep getting better.

I found also this Kelvin's column very interesting

[Daryl]

All Golf Instruction follows one of two major Schools of Theory. Actions Based or Alignment Based.

[GPStyles]

Alison is hot

[BerntR]

All Golf Instruction follows one of two major Schools of Theory. Actions Based or Alignment Based.

As far as I have seen, the usual distinction seem to be between action / alignment on one side and position on the other.

Anyway, there are a lot of alignment cues in the material that Kelvin produces. He has very clear ideas about how to align the spine, the right shoulder blade etc to get the action you're capable of.

[Daryl]

I was meaning to imply page 61. I did a really poor job of it. Sorry for the previous misleading post.

Two major schools of theory: (TGM accounts for both)

1. Pivot Controlled Hands
2. Hands Controlled Pivot

The alternative to Hands Controlled Pivot is, of course, Pivot Controlled hands per 10-24-F. That does not alter the Basic Geometry or Physics requirements but assigns to Physics precedence over Geometry – Force dictating alignments. Which obviously reduces precision.

[BerntR]

I am still struggling to understand what this distinction REALLY means.

Pivot controlled hands are often associated with geometry above physics, or perhaps precision above "blind" power. Which I totally buy into.

Then the hands are sometimes ascribed the role as the principal monitors - something that also makes a lot of sense.

You can monitor your hands when you need to, and they will give you a lot of info. But you can also use your hands to monitor the club head and the club face. But I believe you use your eyes as well. And for a full stroke your mind - not your hands - will monitor a lot of separate motions throughout the body that adds upp to a full stroke. And balance, timing and rhythm. Some of it will be in the concious and some of it will be small brain motoric subconcious stuff.

There is also such a thing as eye - hand coordination in golf. I can adjust the swing on the fly and hit the ball even if it moves between address and impact. I think that sort of monitoring and corrective actions are an important part of good ball striking. But while the hands may play first violin in the orchestra, the conductor sits between the ears.

But can the pivot literally be controlled by the hands? I don't think so. I believe the control center sits between the two ears. Can the pivot ruin the hands' chance of moving the club properly? Absolutely.

Then of course there are some people who associates this hands vs pivot control to stroke patterns: Forearm pickup is hands controlled while shoulder turn start is pivot controled. But then control is confuced with execution. And who wants to hit the ball strictly with the hands anyway?

I think it is safe to say that most golfers with a few years of experience - who have unlocked the most basic "mysteries" of the game - know what they want the club to do and also know what their hands need to do to accomplish that. I sometimes forget to use my feet properly. I can sense it in my hands, but I have to think of the feet before I am able to do something about it. If the hands could run the show I should only have to think about the hands to make it happen. But it isn't so.

Also - when I play well - there is no such reductionistic approach in place as hands or pivot or shoulder turn or whatever. It's just the club, the ball, what I want to do and a very holistic image and anticipation of the motion required to make the stroke. No hands. No pivot. Just a stroke.

[BerntR]

PS: I totally agree that educated hands are vital - and that uneducated hands can nullify everything. But I don't regard educated hands as sufficient in this regard.

There are a lot of 5-15 handicappers I know who have played for many years, who know how to produce a decent score but who doesn't have anything like a good stroke. I think these typoe of golfers show how far most people can get with educated hands and without a good stroke pattern.

[Daryl]

I am still struggling to understand what this distinction REALLY means.
Pivot controlled hands are often associated with geometry above physics, or perhaps precision above "blind" power. Which I totally buy into.
Then the hands are sometimes ascribed the role as the principal monitors - something that also makes a lot of sense.
You can monitor your hands when you need to, and they will give you a lot of info. But you can also use your hands to monitor the club head and the club face. But I believe you use your eyes as well. And for a full stroke your mind - not your hands - will monitor a lot of separate motions throughout the body that adds upp to a full stroke. And balance, timing and rhythm. Some of it will be in the concious and some of it will be small brain motoric subconcious stuff.
But can the pivot literally be controlled by the hands? I don't think so. I believe the control center sits between the two ears. Can the pivot ruin the hands' chance of moving the club properly? Absolutely.
Then of course there are some people who associates this hands vs pivot control to stroke patterns: Forearm pickup is hands controlled while shoulder turn start is pivot controled. But then control is confuced with execution. And who wants to hit the ball strictly with the hands anyway?

I’m going to try to explain, in the simplest and surest way I can, the difference between “Pivot Controlled Hands” and “Hands Controlled Pivot”. Sorry, in advance, for the long (and vapid) post.

Golfers that Shift Planes use “Pivot Controlled Hands” (but there are exceptions to every rule) and Golfers that don’t shift Planes use “Hands Controlled Pivot”.

Golfers that Shift Planes, will Release at the same Place in the Pivot; at or around the Plane Shift, when the Right Elbow gets onto the Elbow Plane and the Right Forearm changes direction from downward (from the top of the swing) to Forward (this is one example but common). This induces the Throw-out of CF as the change of direction of the Right Forearm moves the Left Arm away from the Chest.

There exists only one Release Point for Plane Shifters.

Because Release Point depends on the Pivot, the Golfers ball striking skills depend on “Timing” his Pivot, Arms, Hands and ball location to coordinate the Clubhead being at the Right Place at the Right Time for the desired shot anytime the Right Forearm moves off-plane during the Backstroke and re-planes during the Downstroke. For these Golfers, any change in Pivot Mechanics, Stance and/or Ball Position actually changes the relationship of the Release Point to the Ball, which changes Impact and thus affects Ball Flight.

It is important to note that that the Players Hand Path and Deliver Lines are not in Alignment at Release. This forces the Golfer to "Flip" the Clubhead onto the Delivery Path in order to strike the Ball. Golfers "Compensate" by using "shorter" strokes or by Hugging the Chest with the Upper Arms.

You can experiment with this by using the "Hogan" drill. Keeping the upper arms close to the chest, swing back and forth as smoothly as possible. As the Stroke becomes longer and the Right Elbow moves away from the chest, you'll begin to notice a "Flip" (kink) during the Downstroke at Release ( the kink is the Hands going on one path and the clubhead going on another). You'll soon learn that as long as you shorten your Backstroke, and keep the Right Elbow as close to the Body as possible, you can avoid the disruption (the cause is unknown to them) that causes the Flip.

Hogan, Byron and Garcia, are excellent examples of how to avoid the "Flip". They re-plane the Club at Startdown to the Elbow Plane (they lower the Clubhead/shaft) before the Pivot is used to deliver the Power Package.

Now, a lot of Golfers have discovered this link between the Release and Flip and most of them adopt keeping the upper arms as close as possible to the Chest. The "Fix" or compensation, they soon discover, introduces another problem which now needs another compensation. They have truncated the "down-stroke acceleration sequence" and must find some way of generating more pivot force to gain Clubhead speed (Bio-mechanics). They soon discover that the greater force they generate with the Pivot, the Closer the Upper Arms must be to the Chest until they finally realize that it's better to keep the Arms glued to the Chest and learn (find a way) to be able to force the Hips to turning faster.

Pivot Controlled Hands (the above) is all fine except it doesn’t Always provide the opportunity for a Three Dimensional Impact and without that, you lose considerable control of Ball Flight on longer shots especially when the right elbow moves away from the right hip during a longer backstroke. (this paragraph needs a lot of cleanup)

If you choose not to Shift Planes at least during the Downstroke, and trace the Plane Line, you can choose your Release Point from early to late, Sweep to Snap, etc., and Always have a Three Dimensional Impact. The Release Point is not dependent on the Pivot. This is "Hands Controlled Pivot". The Hands, through the #3 PP, maintained the Right Forearm Flying Wedge, and the Clubshaft has remained on the Plane of the Right Wrist Bend with the Right Forearm. So, the Delivery Path (hands) and Delivery Line (Clubshaft-Clubhead-Plane-line) remain undisturbed. No Flip Release, no kink in your swing at the bottom during release.


So, a "Pivot Controlled Hands" players ball striking rests with his ability to "Time" the Pivot to provide his one and only Release Point enough space and time to Flip the Clubhead back onto Plane for Impact (or learn to compensate). The Pivot is controlling the Release Point Vs. you controlling the Release Point. The Pivot Controls the work the Hands must perform (re-planing the clubshaft), Vs. the Hands Controlling the work the Pivot performs so not to disturb the delivery path and line.

Capice?


Below is a quote from the Book. You need to put this together with 10-24-F.

CHAPTER 5 WRIST POSITIONS - COMBINATIONS

MONITORING

“Monitoring” is awareness – through “Feel”, “Feedback”, sensation – of the location, condition, direction etc. of any element for any purpose. When you watch as you reach for your cup, you are unaware fo your hands. But with your eyes closed you are acutely dependent on them. Then notice how quickly they can adapt when “monitored.” Golfers have the same problem. Because your eyes must be on the Ball, they cannot watch the Club. So swing the Club with your eyes closed until you realize how consciousness of the Club, per se, is so disruptive as compared with consciousness of the Hands. Learn to SWING THE HANDS, MONITOR THE HANDS. Some players use the Club only to develop its TOTAL equivalent in Lag Pressure Point Feel. That is – until the Hands no longer consciously Monitor the Clubhead or the Body – only themselves, and automatically dictate total Component compliance with Delivery Path (6-E) and Delivery Line (2-J-3) requirements (7-23). Both are Monitored by the Hands but the Delivery Lines, in addition, must be “Traced” by the Right Forearm. For the ARC of Approach Delivery Line that relationship is with true geometric Plane Line, itself. The Plane Line – being the Basic – can substitute any of its “Visual Equivalents” at any time. In either or both directions. Because the Right Forearm and Clubshaft are on the same Plane during Release and Impact (7-3), players actually Monitor the Clubhead Delivery Line by “Tracing” along it with the Right Forearm with the #3 Pressure Point as the lens causing its beam to move along the Reference Line. Study 2-N and 4-D.***

The alternative to Hands Controlled Pivot is, of course, Pivot Controlled hands per 10-24-F. That does not alter the Basic Geometry or Physics requirements but assigns to Physics precedence over Geometry – Force dictating alignments. Which obviously reduces precision. But, also Clubhead Throwaway. The information for such a procedure is all included herein - merely Monitor the Pivot instead of the Hands.

*** Bold out by Daryl...This is true when the Downswing Plane does not shift. With the Right forearm tracing the lines and the Clubshaft and #3 PP on the same plane. No flip, no kink, just "Back of Ball".

The following quote speaks directly to the problem with "Hands Controlled Pivot". The following quote refers to a small flashlight attached to the #3 PP (not the forearm itself) with a Level and Bent (and for swingers include a turned) Right Wrist.

The Right Forearm of every Hacker comes into Impact too high – pointing beyond the Delivery Line during Downstroke (2-J-3, 7-3).

2-F PLANE OF MOTION All the action of the Golf Club takes place on a flat, inflexible, Inclined Plane which extends well beyond the circumference of the stroke – in every direction. The full length of the Clubshaft remains unwaveringly on the face of this Inclined Plane – Waggle to Follow-through. Every other Component of the Stroke must be adjusted to comply with that requirement. See Sketch 1-L. That includes the Right Forearm. See 5-0. The player must hold the Forearm in the Feel of the same plane per 7-3, dynamically in-line. Picture the javelin thrower with the right elbow and On Plane right forearm leading the hand toward the target (Delivery Line) all during Delivery. See 6-B-1. The Right Forearm of every Hacker comes into Impact too high – pointing beyond the Delivery Line during Downstroke (2-J-3, 7-3). Study 2-G and Components 5, 6, and 7.

Bold by Daryl.

[O.B.Left]

If your intention is to Trace a Straight Line Base Line, your Pivot will comply and you will be Hands to Pivot. Like bending over to pick something up, your brain sends your hand to the object, the body complies perfectly, without any thought to it. No need for conscious adjustments to waist bend, shoulder to hands alignment etc. We are well suited to this sort of movement we do it all day long. Take your pressure points to Top and then Trace or Thrust them at the Aiming Point on the way down. Thats about all there is to it.

The plane of the Shoulders and the plane of motion of the Hands do not need to be aligned. There is no mechanical reason for it. No benefit to be had. We dont reach for things in that manner outside of golf why do it when golfing? The body, the pivot , the shoulders go their way , the hands and arms go another. With the shoulders and arms united as single unit a conscious turn of the shoulders , Pivot to Hands will take the Hands back in the direction that the Shoulders are travelling............always under plane. Although some schools of thought then try to align the plane of the shoulders more closely to the inclined plane on the backswing. But why bother? Its a very awkward compensation.

That said, getting the Hands on the Inclined Plane defined by the Turned Right Shoulder ( the Turned Shoulder Plane) prior to Startdown does serve a purpose. Given the 6-M-1 Downstroke Sequence it will allow a move of the Right Shoulder to take the Hands Down the Inclined Plane in Startdown. To initiate Startdown with an independent movement of the Hands or Arms would break the Pivot Train. A movement of the Right Shoulder with the Hands aligned to a higher plane would take the Hands out over the Inclined Plane. But its still Hands to Pivot if, as in the Startdown Waggle exercise, the turn of the Pivot pulls the butt of the club towards the plane line, base line. The brain is still in the Hands. Most likely felt as a strong sense of the #2 pp being pulled longitudinally and the #3 pp being loaded.