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: