Extensor Action?
 

I am fairly new to the TGM and I don't have the book yet. I seen the phrase, "extensor action" used on this forum. Could someone please explain extensor action and how it relates to the golf swing? Thanks

Hi flopshot, Click on "SEARCH" up above and type in "Extensor Action". You'll get plenty of info on that subject. Same at Chuck Evan's forum and also Brian Manzella's. Have a good one, pshr

Abridged Version
 

Flopshot,

Very simply, it is the continuous effort to straighten the right arm from address to follow through. It pulls the left arm straight and maintains the left arm radius during this interval.

Bagger

Thanks Bagger. That helps clear it up for me.

Re: Extensor Action?
 

Also, go to our archives page and search on extensor action. You will find a lot of Yoda teachings on the subject.

-Trig

A copy of a post I put on Brian's board in response to the same question...

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It is a 'light' pull, BELOW PLANE, in essence you are trying to 'lengthen your left arm' straight down to where it points at the ground, NOT towards the sweet spot unless you have zero #3 (think natural golf setup for zero #3, not recommended IMO).

Imagine you had a beam of light shooting out of your left forearm at fix, use PP#1 to stretch the left hand down that beam, tracing that line on the ground which is inside, and parallel to, the target line.

Imagine you had a beam of light shooting out of your right forearm at fix (flashlight drill).

The "Point" that those beams cross is the "Point" you are swinging ON ITS PLANE during the swing - and 'rotating around' for swinging or 'mirroring' for hitting (well you do rotate around it, just a lot less in feel and degree). Trace a line on the ground (inside and parallel to the target line)with that "Point"

All of the discussion of 'plane' in the swing boil down to swinging THAT point, the tip of the triangle.

All of the discussion of hinge action in the swing boil down to rotating around THAT point, on THAT plane - The three hinges:

opening 90* back, closing 180 through (horizontal hinge) clockwise, counter clockwise, full roll
staying 'square' (angled hinge) no roll
closing 90* back, opening 180 through (verticle hinge) counter clockwise, clockwise, reverse roll

Extensor action is Rhythm, it is LEVERAGE and MASS and one of the most important concepts in TGM, one of the greatest 'simplifications' of how to 'get it'

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so, with a non-zero no.3, your extending inside targetline but, by how much? how do you know when to say when?

so im no longer tracing the planeline with the laser?

It is important not to confuse the 'shaft' with the 'plane of motion'.

See 2-F and the recent thread re: longitudinal center of gravity.

from 2-F - "So there is a "Sweet Spot", or "Swing", Plane. But herein, unless otherwise noted, "Plane Angle" and "Plane Line" always refer to the Center of Gravity application"

english please...hehe
i'll check it out, but i'd like an answer to my question.

For practical purposes, the stretch is 'extending your left arm with your right' directly toward the ground in the direction it is pointing when viewed from down the target line at impact fix.

Put another way, if you draw a line from the butt of the club up the underside of your left arm, you want to stretch your left arm down that plane. It can be very useful to think in terms of this "under the arms at address" line/plane.

See the drills section, the 'variation on table top drill' at the bottom to give you a clearer picture of what I mean:

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=355

PD, Where is the laser? End of grip or pp3,the index finger?

If the laser is on the third pressure point, than you still will be tracing the straight plane line. The path of the hands (straight) is not the path of the clubhead (orbit).

A swivel will take the clubhead up and to the inside but the pp3 laser is still on the plane line- this is always where the laser on the grip would pick up the plane line. Homer said to use the pp3 index finger like a flashlight and trace with it.

so is the laser the same as the flashlight? laser is in butt of club and on shaft towards sweetspot. So if flashlight is rightforearm-pp3, what am i looking for? this is gettting deep...lol

yes, both hand held.

Lets stay simple here. Most lasers are in the grip (Harmon’s has a grip and a shaft laser light- I never used one- bad idea since the clubhead doesn't travel that path- this is a hand path). The grip end laser only works after take-away when the clubhead goes up and the grip end faces the plane line and as the grip is pulled down on the down stroke. (The plane line-just in case- is the straight line on the ground that attaches to the incline plane like a gutter to a roof). If you use a hand held flashlight (or small laser beam), you can now point to the plane light at address, trace it on the take-away and re-trace it on the down stroke. And this is the same arm movement you feel during the stroke.

When it is held in the hand- it is pp#3 you are pointing and the right forearm you feel moving on plane. Get a small mag lite and drive you loved ones crazy.

6b thanks, that is how i see it, but so far, Ed seems to be saying that extensor action does not comply with the same gutter...ED, to mikes gutter, how does your extensor action gutter look like?

Extensor action is a 'below plane' motion relative to the sweetspot, hence it is 'inside and parallel to' what Mike is describing.

More From The Deep LBG Bench
 

Very nice, Ed!