Left arm and hand at impact

[Kumabjorn]

Being an academic I just can't help myself, I work out different hypothesis on how to improve my swing and then I begin testing it (always on the range). The other day I was working on the left arm being in front of the left hand at impact. This really seemed to influence the ball flight (can't measure any differences in legth on the range, but will do so later on the course) and made for a more solid feeling at impact. From a scientific viewpoint "feeling" is useless, I would need to record what happens at impact and I don't have the required equipment. Yet, it intrigues me. Curious as to the relevance of this "discovery" or is causality flawed in my reasoning? The left arm being in front of the hand is a result of something else done earlier in the swing? Or is it possible to strive for the left arm being in front and think of nothing else? I should add that it was not easy to accomplish, I had to be very focused and conscious about it, not a state of mind I would want to strive for on the course (I want to be target oriented, not focused on swing technique).

[edshaw]

Re: Left arm and hand at impact

Maybe thinking of "feel" as bio-feedback
it won't make it seem as useless.

[BrianW]

Re: Left arm and hand at impact

I take it you mean your left wrist is supinated at impact? (ahead of your hand) If so this will deloft the clubface creating a lower ball flight.

Ben Hogan did this, if you can get a copy of his book "Five lessons" and look at pages 102 and 103 he explains the theory.

[edshaw]

Re: Left arm and hand at impact

Good one, Brian.
It is also worth pointing out that
as the left hand is supinated, there
is no other position for the right wrist
than to be laid open, and as the most
famous Ravielli illustration in the book
shows, it is still closing at impact.
Greg Willis's "right hand drill" explains
it perfectly. Greg notes the correlation
that exists between the club face and
the wrist position, and, as such, is worth
a viewing.
I was recently on the swing analyzer
and was shown to be hitting the ball
on the toe, with an open face, producing
right to left spin and a right to left
ball flight. Impossible? According to John
Jacobs it is. But, the camera does not lie.
(Hint: the swing path was way inside out.)