Which arm controls and powers the swing?

[BrianW]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

A five handicap huh? Let's see, how can I mess up your swing.

Tut Tut Jamb, so cynical?

[shootin4par]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

Interesting numbers Neil and closer than I would have imagined, that may be due to your lack of coiling though. I need to consider that a bit but thanks for your time.

a lack of coiling? I did the xfactor swing as well. And I am not trying to be a smartarse but would you expect most people to swing the speed stick faster? If I was swingingn at 100 and you said lack of coil, maybe, but not at 130. and for me that day was a slow day where my body was tighter due to laying around the house all day, today it was in the 137 range on most of them

[BrianW]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

a lack of coiling? I did the xfactor swing as well. And I am not trying to be a smartarse but would you expect most people to swing the speed stick faster? If I was swingingn at 100 and you said lack of coil, maybe, but not at 130. and for me that day was a slow day where my body was tighter due to laying around the house all day, today it was in the 137 range on most of them

Neil, I was not suggesting your swing speed was slow, on the contrary it is very impressive. No! I only suggested that the numbers from the three positions were closer than I expected. The reference to coiling was from your own comment "note, on this I made sure my at top position was as perfect as I could make it, not coiled but position of weight, arms, etx.." Sorry if I misunderstood you?

What made me ask you to do this is that I vaguely remembered something I had read once on how varying start positions in the downswing affected distance and accuracy. I have found that now, it was in a very interesting book that researched the golf swing, club design, ball flight etc, it is called "Search for the perfect swing" By Alastair Cochran and John Stobbs" quite scientific in its methods but interesting and comprehensive. Anyway, what they found was:

Starting the swing from the following static positions:

1) Full backswing
2) 6 inches before top of backswing
3) At the top of the backswing

Compared with the full swing Methods 2) and 3) impaired the accuracy of striking.

Measuring ball distance; method 2) achieved virtually the same distance as the full swing; method 3) lost considerable distance. The main reason for this was that methods 1) and 2) allowed time for the hips to start forward ahead of the club, with all the benefits that entails.

I guess the swing stick cannot measure the effect of poor contact though.

Thanks for your time and effort Neil.

[shootin4par]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

I like that book as well, the pivot option they deem ideal is the same pivot I have talked about on here that I am switching to in my golf swing. When I watch the speed stick on video, I do this pivot without thinking about it, but for so long I had tried to do a golf pivot to the contrary so when I swing a golf club I have to unlearn this pivot and learn the one I want, I am getting closer. Not sure why they loose so much speed from the top position, maybe it is because of tension or something, maybe people feel uncomfortable starting from a stop, my thoughts on it would only be speculation. Let me know if you want me to try with any more variables just for fun to see what happens
Hope all is well
Neil

[BrianW]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

I like that book as well, the pivot option they deem ideal is the same pivot I have talked about on here that I am switching to in my golf swing. When I watch the speed stick on video, I do this pivot without thinking about it, but for so long I had tried to do a golf pivot to the contrary so when I swing a golf club I have to unlearn this pivot and learn the one I want, I am getting closer. Not sure why they loose so much speed from the top position, maybe it is because of tension or something, maybe people feel uncomfortable starting from a stop, my thoughts on it would only be speculation. Let me know if you want me to try with any more variables just for fun to see what happens
Hope all is well
Neil

Yes, they consider two pivots, one vertical down through your spine and and one through the centre of your chest, between the shoulders (Hub) that pivots laterally. I think most top golfers use these pivots, the hub pivot can generate a lot of power through the lateral rotation of the lower body.

[shootin4par]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

the pivot that they use in chapter 13 is a compound pivot(is that the one you are referring to?) but not used by a lot of pros. They felt this to be the superior pivot. the base of the spine moves to the right on the backswing and to the left on the downswing while the C7 is the hub. In many players today they do a reverse k on the back swing and then shift left on th edownswing. every pro that I know of, could be a couple that I did not notice, shifts left on the downswing. By doing that reverse K they are not setting themselves up to maximize the latterall shift of the piovt, or the pendulum of the pivot. when you say lateral rotation I am not quite sure what you are refferring to, do you mean lateral shift which rotates the spine around the hub/c7/point between the shoulder? Just by doing this shift, without any rotation, you can make the club generate speed. add in the rotation and it can generate more.

[BrianW]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

I am not quite sure what you are refferring to, do you mean lateral shift which rotates the spine around the hub/c7/point between the shoulder? Just by doing this shift, without any rotation, you can make the club generate speed. add in the rotation and it can generate more.

Yes, that's what I meant Neil, the rotation around the hub at a point between the shoulders that allows the hips and lower body to shift left around this point in the downswing and the upper body and head right without altering the central pivot.

[BrianW]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

Hey Neil,

Taking your advice I have started practising hitting balls with my right arm only. At first I had some problems with this but I can now make a nice connection right off the mat. One thing it has improved is ball compression (No funnies please ) and right arm extension in my full swing, I have always felt that I was prone to a little right elbow collapse through impact but I can really feel I am contacting the sweet spot and getting a more penetrating ball flight now.

Thanks.

[shootin4par]

Re: Which arm controls and powers the swing?

cool brian,
life is all about experimentation and trying things for ourselves. If this is helpful to you I am glad that I could share this with you. have fun man
Neil