I don't think it is body or arms

[jbrunk]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

Nobody 'just swings' or 'just hits'.

[bill reed]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

hi Jbrunk
i was meaning the type of golfer, one that looks like he is very smooth and there no effort through impact and the golfer like say I Poulter that swings faster and seems to put that hit in at impact, both do swing and hit but some look more like there swing is all one smooth motion.
cheers
bill

[Hannu]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

Here is an analysis of where and how power comes to golf swing:
http://welch-e.com/welch-e/webinars....ntent=webinars

I'd watch all the webinars...

IMHO- "Hitting" is just using different kind of timing and maybe using more wrists, arms and shoulders...

Simon Holmes comments on different styles of release - some smack the ball and others like to steer the clubface more. Simon puts Tiger Woods as a player who likes to steer - control his clubface. (That would make Tiger a swinger - but he realy hits the ball:-)

So hitting and swinging is just a guestion of degree - not about doing one or the other - just you might favor other a little more in your swing. I think my swing changes from hitting to swinging during a round of golf debending on club I use... And it's not intentional

[pnearn]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

You’re not striking the ball, you’re just swinging the club, and the ball gets in the way.

Here's my main concern with this statement. If you say that to most beginners or high handicappers they will just swing their arms vertically up and down and not really engage the body or 'connection' in any way. That will be a weak flippy movement

Once they understand the need for the upper arms to stay close to the body and the right elbow to stay pointed at the hip as the arms lift up rather than move sideways then its more clear how the body and arms move together. The right armpit headcover drill is still the best drill out there IMHO to ingrian this feeling in as you cant just swing your arms sideways

Once you get this sensation of everything working together in a connected way then you can forget 'steering or hitting' with the hands at impact and just shift and turn easily through the ball - which is what i think of just swinging through the ball .. you have to be swinging correctly to begin with

Not sure if you agree? Here's a great article on this

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/...gh-connection/

[bill reed]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

hi pnearn
i don't know if you saw Padraig Harrington on the practice range before his final round of the open, Bob Torrance had him swinging with head covers under both arms.
it seemed to help his game and he plays so much better than we do so i would say its worth trying it to see if it helps us amateurs.
cheers
bill

[bill reed]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

Hi Golfinguy
i agree about getting the fundamentals right first but i think we think to much about the swing. if we throw a stone we don't think of "weight shift or what our arm does." we let the body do it for us. i think once you have the basics of a swing you can let the body and arms work by them selfs. by that i mean not trying to control them.
start your swing from the right posision then everything else just happens as a reaction to your setup.
cheers
bill

[Hannu]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

When we are saying that you just swing - and ball is just in the way - we might forget timing. I think that you need to time your golf swing and aim at the ball. It's not just swinging and the ball happens to be somewhere on the line.

I like the exercise where you put headcovers under your arms - and almost every other exercise, too:-) You just need to be curious of the outcome. Exercises make you learn new things about your own body - and it helps you to manage difficult situations on the course.

[bill reed]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

hi Golfinguy
when your swinging well what do you think off when you start your swing.
i know that all my thinking is done when I'm behind the ball looking at the shot i want to hit and trying to see it in my mind, then i go through my set up.
but i don't think of doing anything with my hands, arms or body. i start a forward press and everything else follows without me having to think about it.
i could not do that without having the fundamentals and the basic good swing.
with a pitch or chip i always say over and over, "soft hands" but don't change my grip pressure that seems to happen by its self.
i do feel my mind controls the body better with me not thinking about what moves but like you say you need the basics of a swing there first.so i think I'm agreeing with what you said
cheers
bill

[bill reed]

Re: I don't think it is body or arms

hi Golfinguy
i have never thrown a baseball or a cricket ball, have fly fished and i think of where the fly is to land in the water and i don't think of my had or the fly rod.
i really do think we have problems when we think and try to control out swing by doing something that we don't need too.
i do think when were learning we have to think and visualize what were doing but one you have a good swing then it happens and you don't need to try and use your hand, arms or any other body part. just let it happen.
cheers
bill