Stick a ball on the end of a pencil. Tilt the pencil. Rotate the pencil between the fingers. This is NOT how the spine works in a golf swing. Although it seems to be.
Vertebrae allows the spine to re-position itself during the pivot. For some, less or more than others. This allows for a tripod.
A head that rotates to the right and left is no big deal- it is still centered on the tripod.
My camera tripod head moves 3 ways but it always centered over the legs.
This argument has wedged distance between many. The name calling is childish. Loyalties tested- over what? An inch or so of a centered head rotating to the side? Do you sway? Of course not. You stay centered over your legs. This ain't Ballard.
I got this idea from "another instructor" on "another site"....
His view is that it basically works like this when you turn around your spine:
The stick is in the BACK of the rocket....(just like the spine runs up the back of your torso and head)....
Now spin the rocket mentally....the stick is in the back....
...
The argument is that it basically gives you "something" to turn around (your SPINE) rather than nothing and also that it makes it easier to tilt in the downswing.
I got this idea from "another instructor" on "another site"....
His view is that it basically works like this when you turn around your spine:
The stick is in the BACK of the rocket....(just like the spine runs up the back of your torso and head)....
Now spin the rocket mentally....the stick is in the back....
...
The argument is that it basically gives you "something" to turn around (your SPINE) rather than nothing and also that it makes it easier to tilt in the downswing.
I think I get you Birdie Man,
but in this analogy you would have to turn the spine to move the body-and the head.
If the stick were fixed and the body of the rocket turned around the stick and the red cap on the rocket was able to move (or not)independently of the stick and the "body"of the rocket ,what would happen if we just rotated the body around the stick?
The red cap (head )WOULD NOT MOVE.
If the body and cap moved together ,the eyes would be facing in the direction of the chest.
Be useful if you could expand on this issue,in case I have missed something!
Can we change a word in the question from OR to AND, so I can respond? I like to have options...as Mr. Kelley intended.
Homer did give recommendations, which I will follow. But, in the end, he wanted you to pick something that stayed still. If you use the head, your eyes can see more under the ball if the head moves, giving visual feedback. Thus, 2-0-A-#1 does not say a stationary neck.
There's a minimal difference in using either application, but the base of the neck allows the eyes to move. If they move, how much is too much? When does it become a sway? How can your eyes warn you upon achieving too much movement? Is it at 2.7 or 2.8 centimeters? Your guess is as good as mine.
Just keep something still so the left shoulder (center) has an additional center around which to operate, and you'll be better for it. Is that too difficult?
Can we change a word in the question from OR to AND, so I can respond? I like to have options...as Mr. Kelley intended.
Homer did give recommendations, which I will follow. But, in the end, he wanted you to pick something that stayed still. If you use the head, your eyes can see more under the ball if the head moves, giving visual feedback. Thus, 2-0-A-#1 does not say a stationary neck.
There's a minimal difference in using either application, but the base of the neck allows the eyes to move. If they move, how much is too much? When does it become a sway? How can your eyes warn you upon achieving too much movement? Is it at 2.7 or 2.8 centimeters? Your guess is as good as mine.
Just keep something still so the left shoulder (center) has an additional center around which to operate, and you'll be better for it. Is that too difficult?
Of course you can have options .
I think it also depends what the student is actually doing. A student moving his head 12 inches back will require a slightly different message to a student that has a reverse pivot.
Per 1-L-2, the head is allowed to turn (but not sway or bob), but surely this rotation will change the way your eyes look at the ball. Doesn't this make the "eyes argument" obsolete, as I do not know of any great golfers who does not turn their head slightly on the backstroke? Unless, of course, you can tell the difference between a head turn and a head sway by using your eyes, which I certainly can't.
It's a shame Homer didn't add anything about the eyes, even in the 7th edition. Maybe he expected us to work it out.
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tongzilla
Last edited by tongzilla : 08-14-2006 at 07:46 AM.
Per 1-L-2, the head is allowed to turn (but not sway or bob), but surely this rotation will change the way your eyes look at the ball. Doesn't this make the "eyes argument" obsolete, as I do not know of any great golfers who does not turn their head slightly on the backstroke? Unless, of course, you can tell the difference between a head turn and a head sway by using your eyes, which I certainly can't.
I think it also depends what the student is actually doing. A student moving his head 12 inches back will require a slightly different message to a student that has a reverse pivot.
Per 1-L-2, the head is allowed to turn (but not sway or bob), but surely this rotation will change the way your eyes look at the ball. Doesn't this make the "eyes argument" obsolete, as I do not know of any great golfers who does not turn their head slightly on the backstroke? Unless, of course, you can tell the difference between a head turn and a head sway by using your eyes, which I certainly can't.
It's a shame Homer didn't add anything about the eyes, even in the 7th edition. Maybe he expected us to work it out.
Homer mentioned the eyes. And, I believe it was in the tapes from one of the Master's classes. It's a shame he didn't write about it and put it in the 7th.
You might not see it. But, let's not throw a "surely" out there just yet. You're a great ball striker, so I know you have the ability to perceive minute differences. If you say you don't see the difference, I have to believe you.
I find a very big visual difference in what the eyes perceive when the head is swaying versus the head turning. Most have the ability to move their eyes in the sockets...like this: If your eyes stayed fixed in the sockets, I could see that it would be hard to differentiate. I know your eyes do not.
I can focus my eyes on the tiny power light on my computer monitor and turn my head. As I turn my head, my eyes stay focused on the light. So, my eyes turn to the left as my head turns to the right.
When swaying, even the smallest amount, I notice the sway. There is a visual difference.
An optometrist will have to describe the way the eyes triangulate to see the differences. It's not my field. But when you sway to the right, the right eye has to be looking down the hypotenuse of a right triangle. And, your left eye would have to be looking down the shorter side. Your head would only have to move the distance from the center of your nose to the pupil of your left eye, for it to become a right triangle.
This whole "eye" discussion is interesting...but it certainly seems way out of proportion to the importance of other swing principles...Duval can shoot a 59 and he isn't even looking at the ball at impact (at least before he messed with his swing)...his head was already turned and looking down the fairway...I think Annika does the same thing and she isn't too bad a player.
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If your eyes stayed fixed in the sockets, I could see that it would be hard to differentiate. I know your eyes do not. 
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