Proper procedure for learning how to hit (start 4 barrel or start single)
 

Hello all, I have a rather interesting question.

I have been hitting off and on for about 6 months now. I understand it well and execute it just fine generally.

However, I am really interested in 4 barrel hitting to maximize distance and power. Also since I started as a swinger the swingers movement feels more comfortable than a very stiff feeling pure hitters motion.

I'm very comfortable with the idea of making a relaxed swingers motion with a hitters drive.

My coach doesn't seem to want me to follow this line of thinking. He envisions me as literally left foot anchored with a right arm take away and then a right arm drive with as little body movement as possible.

I was wondering are there really any great benefits to not being 4 barrel that I don't quite have the fore sight to see yet?

I am 6'5 and very strong and not exactly the most flexible guy in the world so I do not doubt the hitters motion is more productive for me long term.

But if I am given the choice between PURE hitting and PURE swinging I would choose pure swinging. I simply loathe the idea of being completely anchored and stiff over the ball and wacking it with my right arm. It feels underpowered, stiff, and generally bad to me.

I experimented more today and was literally going for the feeling of being frozen over the ball and moving nothing but my right arm and had pretty good success.

Am I just missing the boat here when it comes to 2, 3, and 4 barrel hitting?

I have read Fort's posts regarding 4 barrel hitting and he continually uses words like "swingers start down" and the like which leads me to believe he is basically swinging with a driving right arm.

Am I look at this wrong?

The allure of Hitting eludes me. It’s just a lot of hard work and since we all Start-Down by Pulling (Pivot Swings), why not go with the flow.
Hitting is so different. Punch elbow is comfortable but Uncocking on a vertical plane seems un-Golf-like.

I think its just the simplicity of it as well as it just being more suitable for some of us.

When I did nothing but swing I could hit some out there around 300 but I also struggled a lot and couldn't achieve the level of consistency I wanted.

With hitting even on my bad days I hit the ball pretty solid and straight I just don't score.

That said I'd love to be able to poke them out there in the 300 range again and I want to know if hitting will get me there or won't it before I dedicate months to it.

You can get there with Hitting. Ask Ted.

Well therein lies my problems:

A: My teacher wants me to be left foot anchored. Zero out all movement that I can and be purely right arm.

B: A very dumbed down version of what Ted Fort does is basically swinging with a driving right arm.

C: I struggled as a swinger.


Different people have different goals and one of my goals is to hit it LONG.

I look at Tiger, Sergio, and guys like that and realize I'm not going to have that level of flexibility and a lot of that talent is god given and isn't trainable.

However, (and I mean no offense) I look at Ted Fort and say to myself that talent was worked for and earned. With my height and strength there is no reason why I can't achieve Ted Fort's club head speed plus some.

I'm just not sure if I can do it PURELY with my right arm ONLY.

1...2...3...4!
 

The right arm is accelerating the primary lever assembly (left arm and club)for sure but 4 barrels is only possible with a hitter's stroke. My point is that you are bringing the other accumulators to the party. I used to think that my hitting stroke was shorter than my swinging stroke...until I realized that when I was hitting I was usually only using 2 accumulators!


PS: There is no real tension between power golf and precision golf. One of my drills for my teens is to figure out how to hit a 7 iron 175 yards! They love it! It introduces them to lag...lean...and taking the loft off everything. Of course this does not stop them from taking their 8* drivers on the upswing!

Could you elaborate on this a little more please.

If I am left foot anchored and as purely right arm as humanly possible then I'm guessing that is 2 barrel using only #1 the bent right arm and #3 the angle between the shaft and left arm.

I guess now what I need to be going for is a slight pivot coming off of the start down to load my right arm via #4 the angle between left shoulder and left arm. How aggressive is this move? Is it pretty subtle or is it a more serious maneuver?

Am I fairly correct so far?

How about do you add in #2 as an angled hinger though?

Zone 1
 

Hitters pivot. The pivot however serves as a backstop or launching pad for the driving right arm. #4 is the master accumulator. It triggers the others. Do you have any sense of the #4 pressure point? Outside of my hands this is a huge feel for me. When I hit I try to only use #4, #1, & #3. four barrels is for trouble makers! I have found extensor action and a centered and stationary head invaluable in learning to use #4 Acc. If the left arm is not moving across your chest (with pp evidence of that fact) then you are probably using a shoulder turn takeaway. Most people use only two acc. (IMO) and then not always in the right sequence. Homer said a good (satisfactory?) game can be developed with just two acc's. Hope that helps. Daryl will fill you in on the details!

Honestly, I do not.

What I basically feel is right arm pulling back until I run out of right arm and then right arm driving forward. I don't feel any shoulder interaction at all with the exception of force being applied to the right shoulder via the right arm.

I would guess that going 4 barrel would introduce a lot of issues if you don't have really good timing.

With my current motion I can still hit a ball 270 or so, but if I can safely get more I would definitely like to get more.

#4 accumulator is really where I would like to focus.

That would be the pivot loading the right arm correct?

The more pivot the more right arm I have available to drive?

:eyes:

A lot is going on here
 

Gotta post and run. You will be amazed at how little right elbow bend it takes to cock the left wrist, and how little the left wrist actually cocks! #4 as you probably know is the out of line condition that your left arm reaches relative to the shoulder line. To my way of thinking flying wedges, Right forearm takeaway, extensor action, as well as a centered and stationary head all make the full utilization of the #4 Acc possible. Keep your head stationary and between your feet, grasp your left arm with your right hand and then simply take the left arm up. You will note that the left arm is across the chest and you should feel some pressure between your bicep and left pec. Given that your right forearm is on plane (is it?) and therefore in a bent condition...try to straighten it against the checkrein of the left arm. What this insures is structure for your power package but also the precise degree of right elbow bend .

Played again today and its really starting to click.

The only issue I'm currently having is with the longer clubs for some reason the longer the club the strong my right hand wants to get.

This is especially true with the driver and 3 wood which is starting to scare me.

I think its my stance that has me reaching a bit with the right arm.

Hit it with the right shoulder
 

Stronger? More "turned" to your right? Reaching with your right arm may indicate that you are running out of right arm (right elbow is straightening prematurely) Make sure your right shoulder is properly located down plane at impact by checking it out at impact fix otherwise it will be hopelessly too high (above plane) and in order to "get to" the ball the right arm fires...it runs out of gas...so the right wrist fires! :sad2:

The allure of hitting for myself is the ability to use the right arm. I am right arm dominant and don't operate the left arm that well. Furthermore, swinging requires some pretty good flexibility IMO. Hitting plays to my strengths (using the right arm) and stays away from relying so much on the pivot (although you do have to pivot effectively hitting).




3JACK

Hit to Swing
 

I now swing because I first learned to hit! Hitting was a great way to learn right arm participation.