Swing - How much arms/how much body?

[jweighell]

Probably quite a fundamental question, but I've got myself quite confused recently...

How much force should I put into my downswing with either my arms+wrists or by simply rotating my hips/body? I have experimented with differnent amounts of both.

I think that people are going to reply and say 'just body'. Certainly swinging with my body is very simple, however I seem to always end up with a bad out-to-in swing path ending up in a slice when I do this? Should un-cocking happen simply with the centrifugal force generated? And does this automatically make a release?

When I swing more with my arms, I hit straighter, but tends to be generally inconsistent...

Thanks,

Jonathan

[GoNavy]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

Think of it as the same as throwing a ball, the actions are similar. Basically the lower body just stablizes the swinging of the upper body and arms, then hands, hands/club are always last, lead by the body if that makes sense to you. Put another way, I can hit the ball 80% of my normal distances from my knees, hard to get much body in there doing that, but great for stabilization, so the body probably supplies around 20%, but there is a distint difference or divide if you will from the lower and upper body, were all the torque of the swing comes from, in my case there is so much torque created by the time I reach the top, the downswing is pretty much a reflex, I couldn't stop it, if I wanted too.

I have no IDEA how Tiger stops his swing half way down, I've seen him do it when he gets distracted by something, most amazing thing I have ever seen.

[lgskywalker37]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

I have no IDEA how Tiger stops his swing half way down, I've seen him do it when he gets distracted by something, most amazing thing I have ever seen.

i think it is because he is using his upper body (big muscles) and doesn't use his arms/hands untill hands are about waist high and club is parrelel with ground , so to stop the upper body is simple, now after realeaseing the arms and hands , yes it is practically inmpossible to do. i would be curios to find out the club head speed at the start of the downswing to where the hands get waist high, then to impact. i know a majority of the acceration is from that last 90 of shaft traveling, but it would be interesting to find out. just a guess (if you know i am wron gthan feel free to correct me), but maybe you are releasing too early? how far do you hit? a good drill is to hold your club upsidown and swing and you shouldn't hear any whooshing sound untill about where the ball is or after the ball, if you do, then you are releasing to early. speaking of pitching in baseball, the only way to have that hand behind the elbow stretch that you se pros ahve befor ethey release it to be loose and use the body, then they release with their arms/hand and whip the ball through.

to answer jw post, i would say don't put too much effort into your body as you should be pretty relaxed untill your club get to about waist high when you start your release which can be as violent/hard as you want (as long as you still stay within posture and don't swing out of yourself and balance) your body is a big muscle don't need to be moved that fast.

[GoNavy]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

i think it is because he is using his upper body (big muscles) and doesn't use his arms/hands untill hands are about waist high and club is parrelel with ground , so to stop the upper body is simple, now after realeaseing the arms and hands , yes it is practically inmpossible to do. i would be curios to find out the club head speed at the start of the downswing to where the hands get waist high, then to impact. i know a majority of the acceration is from that last 90 of shaft traveling, but it would be interesting to find out. just a guess (if you know i am wron gthan feel free to correct me), but maybe you are releasing too early? how far do you hit? a good drill is to hold your club upsidown and swing and you shouldn't hear any whooshing sound untill about where the ball is or after the ball, if you do, then you are releasing to early.

LMAo...well I'm not saying my swing is perfect, but as a scratch player, I'm pretty sure I'm not releasing early. I probably need to update my bio, but you are probably right, I'm also equally sure I swing nothing like Tiger, he is in his own little category. I am also quite sure that even though he releases very late, I am equally sure he has much, much more torsion/torque at the top of his then I do in mine, so he is coming down pretty much like all low handicapper, and pro's. If I had to guess, I think his swingspeed was something like 138 mph at impact, from have way down would be around 1/3 of that, still pretty fast. What I meant was my brain just doesn't work that fast, from top to impact happens in a fraction of a second, to be honest I have no consious thought until well into the finish.

[lgskywalker37]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

well i didn't know you are scratch, so your swing is probly better than mine, but you commetn on "...from have way down would be around 1/3 of that...." i wouldn't think it doesn't matter how fast it is going because you are connected at that point and using only your body and you body is simple to stop on command....t the further out a wieght is the heavier it is, so when the club is close to your body you are stoppping it with your body, but around when you release it that wiehgt is getting furthe and ffurther from your shoudler and in effect getting heavier and harder to move makind it harder to stop. also, Tiger is pretty ripped now..... i am no tiger either, but i have had to stop before right before release point because the stupid bals falls off the tee.

[GoNavy]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

well i didn't know you are scratch, so your swing is probly better than mine, but you commetn on "...from have way down would be around 1/3 of that...." i wouldn't think it doesn't matter how fast it is going because you are connected at that point and using only your body and you body is simple to stop on command....t the further out a wieght is the heavier it is, so when the club is close to your body you are stoppping it with your body, but around when you release it that wiehgt is getting furthe and ffurther from your shoudler and in effect getting heavier and harder to move makind it harder to stop. also, Tiger is pretty ripped now..... i am no tiger either, but i have had to stop before right before release point because the stupid bals falls off the tee.

I had that happen before, ball falling off tee, but it has always been before I started down, easy to stop as you say. The part I say is amazing is as I mentioned the time element, a fraction of second from top to ball, I don't see how he does it. It has to be reflex, if I remember my biology right, it was something like from the time your brain says move, it is over a second until the message makes it to the muscle, big or little, reflex gets generated from the spinal cord, happens much quicker.. once I start down my reflex is telling it to go..lol.. my brain has no control, so somehow tiger is wired different then the rest of us..lol..or at least me.

[BrianW]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

Hi Jonathan,

You have asked a very important question that is most relevant to obtain a good effective golf swing.

Read the article in this link, it gives very sound advise on the relationship of the body, arms and hands in the down swing. The other lessons in the series are also worth looking at.

http://www.golfpro-online.com/tuition/lking/ten.html

[jweighell]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

you should be pretty relaxed untill your club get to about waist high

Actually, that's something I always keep forgetting. I know I shouldn't put too much force into the swing at the top, but I always subconciously start my downswing with a big heave. This probably doesn't help, and probably answers my question!

How do you start your downswing without too much force? Do you just let your arms start to drop?

EDIT: Thanks for the link Brian, just reading now...

[jweighell]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

Read the article in this link, it gives very sound advise on the relationship of the body, arms and hands in the down swing. The other lessons in the series are also worth looking at.

Ah ha! Faults 1 and 2 definately sound like what I've been jumping between!

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

Hello:

During practice, I start with the sand wedge and try to match up my body rotation exactly with my arm swing. I feel like I'm hitting the ball with my chest and the arms and hands are just connecting the club with a little wrist cock and uncock.

As I work up the bag it becomes evident that the amount of arm swing increases but I always try to keep it connected with the body rotation as I did with the sand wedge shots.

There is also a direct relationship with the leg & hip action. Less on the short clubs and more on the longer. I still try to keep the leg action connected with the body rotation. Syncronization is key.

[tigress]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

Hi Jonathan,

You have asked a very important question that is most relevant to obtain a good effective golf swing.

Read the article in this link, it gives very sound advise on the relationship of the body, arms and hands in the down swing. The other lessons in the series are also worth looking at.

http://www.golfpro-online.com/tuition/lking/ten.html

Hi Brian,

Thanks so much for providing this link. I have been struggling lately with a loss of distance and consistency. The key of starting the downswing with the arms, while initially retaining the shoulder turn, was the explanation I needed. I'm back to hitting the ball solidly. I have an 11 handicap and my husband and friends just shake their heads and laugh when I refer to my 'new internet swing'!

Tigress

[BrianW]

Re: Swing - How much arms/how much body?

Hi Brian,

Thanks so much for providing this link. I have been struggling lately with a loss of distance and consistency. The key of starting the downswing with the arms, while initially retaining the shoulder turn, was the explanation I needed. I'm back to hitting the ball solidly. I have an 11 handicap and my husband and friends just shake their heads and laugh when I refer to my 'new internet swing'!

Tigress

Hi Tigress,

Anything to help a damsel in distress

Here is a link to a very good Video lesson on the same thing, you should find it interesting:

http://www.ritson-sole.com/golf-tips...-over-the-top/

From your Internet knight