To arrive at a correct top position, turned shoulder plane for instance, you need to first take your right hand "up" and "back" but hardly "in" at all.
Good post, OB. It was a strange revelation. It also gave me a wicked case of the shanks that took me a couple weeks to shake, but just like every other time I've been to the swamp, my game ultimately improved because of the change.
Is what you are describing a "Turning Shoulder Plane" procedure, OB?
Hey BBax.
Wasnt trying to but I see how you might have thought that. I have edited my previous post slightly to correct that.
The demonstration was really just to show that regardless of your chosen plane angle the "in" of the three dimensional takeaway is mainly attributable to the pivot.
The arms go up , the pivot goes back. They net out in some manner.
You could do the demo in another manner. With just your right arm and no club, swing back to top as per your normal swing. Then return your shoulders to a parallel to the line position while holding your hand in the air as at top. Your right arm and hand will move considerably closer to the plane line. The degree of "in" you have lost is the degree supplied by the pivot. It will be most of it.
Now when your hands are educated , hands to pivot, the brain sends the hands to their desired place and the pivot follows along accordingly , perfectly without us being conscious of it at all. Like reaching, grabbing for something. We do this all the time and should do it when golfing too.
Good post, OB. It was a strange revelation. It also gave me a wicked case of the shanks that took me a couple weeks to shake, but just like every other time I've been to the swamp, my game ultimately improved because of the change.
I am still flighting the "IN" element...more more hints please.
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If you cannot take the shoulder down the clubshaft plane, you must take along some other path and add compensations - now, instead of one motion to remember, you wind up with at least two!
Been practicing this a lot since Cuscowilla -one reason I've not been posting!
I've got to the stage where I'm trying to start with moving the right hip back and the left knee in, whilst monitoring pp#3.Swinging from the feet.
I have experimented with the shoulders starting the take away ,but I have a tendency to freeze with my right hip if I do this. Keeping your eye on the ball and getting the hands synchronised to the pivot with good rhythm is the key for me -I have a tendency to be very aggressive on the downswing and it really feels very effortless when i get it right.
HULA,HULA!
I am still flighting the "IN" element...more more hints please.
I remember we both had similar takeaway issues when we were at the range together in Hong Kong.
Neil and OB posted some excellent tips here. I had to activate my pivot a little more on the backswing - think about the Macdonald drills for this. Starting with basic and aquired motion also helped, as it was hard to hit the ball with the right amount of 'up' and no pivot, even on short shots. Having somebody watch you do it is the best way to see and feel the right action. It took some convincing on Jeff's part for me to believe I was on plane.
A Smart Stick is also a great way to see if you're on plane. flashlights and hand-held lasers are too easily manipulated IMO.
Also, not being so far 'in' with my arms and laid off with the club at the top meant a totally different start down and downswing feel, but that's for another thread...
I do not try to take my club back with shoulder...might be my lower part body pivot is too aggressive going back....
Indeed, the feeling of "Up" element is so weak in my golf swing...really need some drills to make my backswing more on plane.
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If you cannot take the shoulder down the clubshaft plane, you must take along some other path and add compensations - now, instead of one motion to remember, you wind up with at least two!
I do not try to take my club back with shoulder...might be my lower part body pivot is too aggressive going back....
Indeed, the feeling of "Up" element is so weak in my golf swing...really need some drills to make my backswing more on plane.
Hmmm. Can I take one last shot at it?
I'm now wondering if your lower body is over rotating and throwing your hands inside? This would be another version of pivot to hands. Its common, I still sometimes suffer from the shoulder turn version of this.
So try this:
-consider the lower body and the arms as going in different directions.
The right hip (only) turns BACK and the right forearm and frozen right wrist go UP.
-working just with the hips consider them as having a set place at which the right hip stops. Ill leave it to you to determine where this is depending on flexibility. Hips at 45 degrees? Or what ever. But feel them stop. That is, in start up clear that right hip back a set amount only and then stop. What is going on up top may pull them around a bit more , that is ok.
-working just with the right arm and hand, no club. With the frozen right wrist bent to the desired amount from fix, put your mind in your right wrist and take it up to your ideal top position. Look, look, look back at Top and take your right hand up there with RFT. Just let your shoulders respond to the hand dont think about the shoulders. This is what we do in normal human motion. Like reaching behind you for a cup off of a high kitchen shelf. You dont think about the pivot when doing that! If your thinking about it all its just the brain sending the hand to the cup. The cup representing Top for the golfer. This is hands to pivot. We do it all day , everyday and should do it in golf too. Put your brain in your hand and it will go where you direct it.
Anyways good luck with it and thanks again for all those amazing videos
Hybrid Mode
