problems with keeping the club face closed

[jambalaya]

Re: problems with keeping the club face closed

Jeff Ritter's hula hoop swing aid is extremely valuable in properly understanding how the hands and forearms work (as well as how the right elbow folds beside the body) in relation to the swing plane.

I have found that almost every golfer can quickly understand how the hands and forearms work (as well as how the right elbow folds beside the body) if they will just take a look at what happens when swinging a club elevated above the ground on a swing plane that is close to horizontal. Likewise, taking practice swings with the club head at least 10" above your feet level will force you into the proper hand and forearm rotation, as well as the proper right elbow movement.

Hitting golf balls from a severe side hill lie with the ball above your feet is an absolutely fantastic way to learn and feel what it's like to have perfect hand, forearm and elbow useage. Once you grasp how the hands, forearms and right elbow are supposed to work just use the exact same swing to hit balls on level ground. Hitting balls from level ground of course will require you to swing on a more inclined swing plane compared to when you were practicing on a side hill lie. You may even learn that it is far easier to hit well struck shots from a sidehill lie by using a one plane golf swing. And you may learn that your swing plane, like so many amateurs, has been too upright when you see how the right elbow must fold beside your body on the side hill lie. Also, you may learn that a one plane swing, where you do not have to use timing and an extra movement to drop the club back onto plane again, is easier to consistently accomplish and delivers the club head to the golf ball in a direct line.

You may also be surprised to learn that the back of your right hand stays cupped (as Greg Willis has talked about recently, e.g. Greg Norman's "The Secret") through impact when you properly use the right shoulder moving down (not out) through the impact area. You may also be surprised to learn that your chest and hips will naturally rotate open at impact, instead of remaining square to the line, losing your lag angle, coming over-the-top and flipping/swatting at the ball. You may also be surprised to see how the right hand crosses over the left hand automatically with no effort or manipulation to square the club face at impact. You may also be surprised to learn that you can use the full power of your stronger right side and torso, and that your weight shift happens naturally with perfect balance.

It is my opinion that hitting balls from a side hill lie with the ball above your feet may be the very best way for most amateurs to actually learn about proper hand, forearm and right elbow movements. And also to learn about the all-too-important swing plane, proper right shoulder movement in the downswing, lag, hand action, right side power, etc., etc.

Give it a try!

Good thoughts. I know whenever I try to illustrate to someone the concept of rotation in the swing as opposed to lateral movements it is much easier to understand if you have them lift the club up in front of them like a severe side hill lie and simply rotate back and fort around their torso with no lateral movements.

Question: I have been doing a lot of slow motion swings trying to get the left wrist flat at the top and a cup in the right wrist al la the waiter and tray position. I find that if I don't fold the right elbow properly, for me sooner than I have been, the right arm pushes back or puts pressure on the left wrist making it harder to get it flat and also harder to keep the club on plane. Is this a correct thought?

[jambalaya]

Re: problems with keeping the club face closed

Thanks, I think I get. These analogies hardly ever tell the whole story.


How about my question about how to fold the right arm and the idea that not folding properly will make it difficult to get the left wrist flat?

[BrianW]

Re: problems with keeping the club face closed

This video by Jeff Ritter helps with understanding the way the arms should fold and extend either side using a one plane swing:

[jambalaya]

Re: problems with keeping the club face closed

Brian, the latter half of this video from Jeff Ritter beautifully explains how decreasing the smaller inner circle of the hands (by bringing the left elbow in to the side, which is the exact opposite of what the right elbow does in the backswing) speeds up the larger outer circle of the clubhead, which increases clubhead speed. This is the exact same principle used by ice skaters when they bring their hands and arms into their body to make them spin around faster. Or when a ski boat turns it causes the water skier to go much faster.

Jeff Ritter has a lot of very excellent training videos.

I love his stuff. He gives you mental images that stick with you.

[jambalaya]

Re: problems with keeping the club face closed

Half the battle of the golf swing is learning (and understanding) what (and why) happens in a proper golf swing. The other half of the battle is actually doing it. I find that mental images and analogies related to the golf swing are most often very valuable to most people.

Here is a topic that many golfers have a terrible time understanding and properly doing - "weight shift".

I'm guessing there must be a zillion videos and articles and books about how to shift your weight on the downswing. Yet millions of golfers find it hard, if not impossible, to properly shift their weight to the left side in the downswing. If they cannot properly shift, which is the genesis stage of subsequent downswing events, they will never produce a proper downswing. Ever wonder why so many golfers reverse pivot, or they fail miserably by intentionally sliding their hips toward the target, or intentionally turn their hips to start the downswing, or intentionally throw their body weight onto their left side, or stomping their left foot back flat onto the ground...or so many other ideas that never seem to produce a proper weight shift to the left side? The simple answer is - they do not understand that weight shift has most to do with lower body/hip motion that supports the upper body's movements and intentions. Repeat - the upper body's movements and intentions.

If anyone is interested in discussing this extremely important topic let me know and I will start a new thread about it...and I'll give mental examples and analogies to support it, as well as swing tips that will prove it.

Yeah, go ahead. Weight shift is a problem for me that I have only half solved. If I don't make a conscious effort on the driver to get the weight over to the front side it causes all kinds of problems for me.