Tomasello, Chapter 4

[Weightshift]

Weightshift:

You are correct in that 'vertical' means 'perpendicular' or 'at right angles to,' and I encourage you to use that term if you prefer.

Actually I made a mistake. According to the dictionary..
perpendicular: At right angles to plane of horizon.

So 'perpendicular' means 'vertical'. I always thought it meant at right angles to anything

It seems that others are confused too:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=right%20angle
"An angle formed by the perpendicular intersection of two straight lines; an angle of 90°.

However..
http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?q=perpendicular
Synonym: vertical (Alan: no mention of 90 degrees)
Antonym: horizontal

We are incorrect in saying that vertical (or perpendicular) means at right angles to. Vertical (or perpendicular) is DEFINED as being at right angles to plane of horizon (ONLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO PLANE OF HORIZON) not at right angles to anything we choose.

The term is, as you say, "absolute" in that it defines a 90 degree relationship between, e.g., two surfaces.

"Vertical" is absolute in that it is FIXED at right angles to the plane of the horizon. If we wish to define a relationship between two planes at right angles to each other, we must say that they are "at right angles to each other" or "have a 90 degree relationship".

Of all the myriad of possible planes, Vertical and Horizontal planes are special, absolute, cases (defined by Man), as all other (angled) planes fall within these two limits.

'Horizontal', 'Vertical' and 'Angled' are all adjectives but the first two are also nouns e.g. "..to the Vertical"

However, that relationship can be with any given plane, not just the horizontal. Which, of course, makes it "relative."

And that is the way the term is used in TGM

So unfortunate.
No wonder I couldn't understand some of the text!

[Weightshift]

Weightshift:

You are correct in that 'vertical' means 'perpendicular' or 'at right angles to,' and I encourage you to use that term if you prefer. The term is, as you say, "absolute" in that it defines a 90 degree relationship between, e.g., two surfaces. However, that relationship can be with any given plane, not just the horizontal. Which, of course, makes it "relative."

And that is the way the term is used in TGM: Vertical (or perpendicular) relates to each of the Three Basic Planes (Horizontal, Vertical and Angled) and not just to the Horizontal. In other words, it is possible to be Vertical not only to the Horizontal Plane, but also Vertical relative to the Vertical and Angled Planes.

Do this for me:

Stand a pencil on the cover of a book laying on a table. The pencil is perpendicular -- or vertical -- in relation to the book (and its horizontal plane). Now, holding the pencil in place, stand the book upright (in a vertical plane). Though the pencil now may be said to be horizontal (in relation to the horizontal plane), it remains perpendicular, or vertical, to the book (and its now vertical plane). The same holds true when the book is tilted on any angled plane, i.e., the pencil remains perpendicular, or vertical, to the book (and its now angled plane).

Similarly, holding the Flat Left Wrist perpendicular, or Vertical, to any one of the Three Basic Planes of Motion -- Horizontal, Vertical or Angled) imparts its Motion to the Clubface. That is good news, because...

When you control the Left Wrist...

You control the Clubface.

And when you control the Clubface...

You control the Ball.

And when you control the Ball...

You control the Game.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=perpendicular
1. Mathematics. Intersecting at or forming right angles.
2. Being at right angles to the horizontal; vertical. See Synonyms at vertical.

In message <123j0rlfss99o9f@news.supernews.com>, Alan Illeman <illemann@surfbest.net> writes
>I'm studying a book about geometry (of the golf swing) where the
>author describes something being vertical to an angled plane,
>when he really means, IMO, "at right angles to" an angled plane.
>
>I always thought that "vertical" and "horizontal" were absolutes
>(it's either vertical or it isn't) carved in stone, and that all angled
>planes fall between these two fixed limits.

They are almost absolute, but approximations are allowed.
>
>I sought confirmation from my Concise Oxford Dictionary (196
>
>(1)HORIZONTAL: Of, at, the horizon; parallel to a plane of this; at
> right angles to the vertical.
>(2)VERTICAL: Perpendicular to plane of horizon.
>(3)PERPENDICULAR: At right angles to plane of horizon.

Not necessarily; this is the original meaning, but perpendicular can
always be qualified by reference to a different plane or line.

>(4)RIGHT: (of angle) neither acute nor obtuse, of 90 degrees, made
> by lines meeting not obliquely but perpendicularly.
>
>I'm amazed that COD confuses me even more.
>
>http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=perpendicular
>1. Mathematics. Intersecting at or forming right angles.
>2. Being at right angles to the horizontal; vertical. See Synonyms at
> vertical.
>
>If the context is in doubt, how do I decide which of these two
>meanings is appropriate?

The context should always make it clear whether the word is being used
in an absolute sense, or relatively. If no relative is specified, take
it as absolute, meaning vertical or upright.

--

[Yoda]

>If the context is in doubt, how do I decide which of these two
>meanings is appropriate?

The context should always make it clear whether the word is being used
in an absolute sense, or relatively. If no relative is specified, take
it as absolute, meaning vertical or upright.

--

Weightshift,

I applaud your research and the intellectual curiosity that inspired it. You are on the right track here.

In TGM, as a Basic Plane of Motion, the term Vertical is used in an absolute sense. As a geometrical alignment, it is used in a relative sense, i.e., defining a right angled relationship to any one of the Three Basic Planes -- Horizontal, Angled or Vertical.