[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.