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Ross Jul 11, 2017
Great Dave! Make sure that “whoosh” sound is not the hands helping. I found some of my students that use a bag start using their hands again. Feel your entire body impact the bag as it turns.Ross Jul 09, 2017
Okay, I reread the post and now know why you were confused (probably the way I try to explain things). In that post, the arms moving on their own, is a “Bad” thing, because when they do, they will “choke” or “stop” the body from rotating. The body can not turn or rotate AND use the arms or hands at the same time*… it is one or the other. We want the body to continue turning and accelerate through impact, so the arms/hands must “go for a ride” during the golf swing.* I’ve looked at hundreds of videos just for this phenomenon, and once the body senses that the hands are going to do something (like throw an axe into a tree), the body will stop turning, and brace, to throw the momentum down to the head of the axe. Most golfers think this is a reliable way to play golf and it is not !!! It changes the club face causing miss hits and causes the “flip” cutting our radius in half for a weak shot (in putting too).
Ross Jul 08, 2017
Hi Dan
Please tell me or send me a link to this “writing” you read. I’d like to go see it and reread it. It may be a typo [frown].When I say the body controls the arms, I’m trying to convey the feeling that the arms do not move themselves (lifting, help or adding hit through impact) … they stay in the confines of the rotation of the shoulders on the backswing, and the body unwinding on the downswing. You may be stopping your body early on the downswing after impact, giving the feeling of the arms being “slung” vs. “drug” or “puller” to the left (right hander).
The elbows don’t have to be close to the body, they just have to point to the hips (at least the front elbow for sure). The arms too close to your body, may be that you’re not letting them hang on top of your pecs. Start with the club out in front of you about chest height, and shaft inline with the front arm, elbows towards each other pointing down, then let the arms drop. This should have the backs of the upper arms on top of your pecs, then sit down to the ball. I have a video on this in the “More” section > “Pre-shot Routine” > “Arm Setup”.
Ross Jul 27, 2017
In general longer shaft more distance (less control)… and shorter shaft more control (less distance)*. I’m sure you know this, so each golfer should experiment for their needs. I do remember shortening a Driver one time for more control, and lost a lot of distance quick, and immediately changed back. Again, I’d say just experiment. Back in the day we’d just cut the shaft at the grip end to shorten or add an extension to lengthen. Not really sure what the “physically correct” and “accepted” method is today. I’m sure club makers want to change the whole shaft each time (could get expensive).* You also get into flatter and steeper swing planes, with different lengths which affects the ball flight. A lot of different elements/properties change.
Ross Aug 08, 2017
Thanks for becoming a Member! There has been much discussion on wrist hinging here in the forum and some blog posts too (just search and you’ll find).In general… if you hinge, you’ll have to unhinge and that usually turns into a flip and a miss hit… and you don’t gain anything by hinging, SINCE we don’t throw the club through impact, we rotate and trap the ball with the entire body. We want a nice solid shaft in line with the front arm, and flat to bowed out front wrist, while making contact with the ball.
Now you can do anything you want… if you can hinge into the right impact position at the top of the backswing, and then hold that back down into impact, GREAT… but most hinge the face wide open, then get the opposite reaction on the downswing, and end up flipping for a non solid, miss hit because they’re trying to square the face on the downswing.
Ross Aug 19, 2017
The Shoulders do all the work on the backswing. Then the body’s core (unwinding) bring the arms down and around to the finish. The arms never help or move independently. They don’t actively move away from the body (reach or stretch out) . Maybe through inertia they “elongate” (if the golfer didn’t setup the arms correctly with elbows close together), but the point is that you don’t use the arms to reach out or pull back in. There may be a slight pinching between the elbows “holding” or slight tension in the wrists to “maintain” the setup shape to the top and back down through impact. You want to feel the Shoulders do the work on the backswing, then just unwind and feel the body’s rotation bring the arms back down and around. There is a “harmony” in this move… again like throwing a ball… the body unwinds to move the arms/club through in one continuous move all the way to the finish. It is kind of like the body is swinging the arms, but if the arms/hands try to help, the body will stop and it ruins the move. Hope this helps.Ross Aug 21, 2017
If you’re a Member, I have many Chipping Pitching lesson videos that explain this. If not you can go to YouTube – DUPLESSISGOLF and I have a Chipping Lesson Video.1. Feet close, weight mostly left, ball just inside front foot.
2. Shoulders only for Chipping (FYI…I prefer Pitching in most cases)
3. This is not a quick answer because you need the whole routine:
~ From behind the ball, visualize tossing the ball to a spot and imagine the ball rolling and taking the break and finishing in the hole. Then setup aligned to that spot, and then using only the shoulders, hit the ball at the speed you visualized, to the spot on the green you picked. Ideally you will watch some of my Lesson Videos where I explain this in detail.Ross Sep 03, 2017
The elbow getting stuck behind the back hip can happen for different reasons (and combinations of the reasons I will mention)1. You did not wind up correctly on the backswing (shoulders first from top down), so you did not remove the “slack” in your back muscles*. This usually means, you moved your hips and shoulders together on the backswing so, on the downswing (since there is slack in your back), the hips could start unwinding leaving the shoulders behind and the elbow gets trapped.
2. On the backswing the arms/hands got involved and helped lift up, or pulled the arms way back across your chest behind you (disconnected) so on the downswing, the arms can’t catch up.
3. The elbows are not staying close together and get separated (maybe chicken wing back elbow) so on the downswing the back elbow gets trapped.
This is why the Ross Move helps, because it helps teach the student to feel the body being patient bringing the arms/club back down in front vs. the body/hips just racing away leaving the arms/club behind.
One important thought is … a shorter backswing makes it easier to return back in front. I tell my students when they feel the shoulders finish on the backswing, start the downswing. No extra lifting, hinging, bending or arm/wrist… focus on shoulders controlling the backswing**
About grip pressure both hands/wrists can work equal and you do not need a death grip… you need the correct sequence of body movements trapping and pulling (with the body unwind not the hands and arms pulling) through impact and accelerating all the way to the finish (not just at the ball). It is much easier to keep the shaft in line with the front arm if the body keeps turning to the finish… if it stops, the club wants to flip.
* On the backswing, the shoulders can turn some without the hips moving at all. This means the hips and shoulders can move independent of each other causing HUGE golf issues. I call this independent leeway “slack”. When you windup shoulders first and remove the slack in the back muscles, a continuity is created like winding up a rubber band… so on the downswing there is harmony unwinding together.
** On a full swing the shoulders turn first and the shoulders eventually turn the hips a little… but it is the shoulders moving the hips, not the hips turning on their own.
Ross Sep 02, 2017
You want to check that your back elbow is not getting trapped behind your back hip. That can force a flip. The Ross Move (and Ross Move Drill) can help. Make sure your arms have gotten back in front of the body as the body, rotating, drags the shaft through as you hold the shape. You may have to start with the front wrist bowed out a bit to help hold. The gap drill can help.Also, make sure the ball is forward and your weight is 60-70% on your front side. Practice very short pitch shots (Fix Wrist Drill) keeping your wrists fixed on the backswing, and then all the way to the finish… then lengthen the shot until you find where you’re starting to flip.
Keeping the shaft in line with the front arm is not an easy thing. Most golfers have the urge to throw the club head to help… practice/warmup with the short pitch to show your body what you want to do. Become familiar with the correct move.
Ross Sep 12, 2017
If my memory is correct, I recall Laura Davies would leave the ground too. It is almost like jumping rope in a way, where the body leaves the ground, so the arms can swing the rope under.Ross Sep 11, 2017
Hi Dan
We do use the ground for both winding up and unwinding.What I think you’re referring to is straightening out the front leg. In general this is contrary to what we do. This move essentially helps generate speed having the arms/club pass the body at impact. They’re sending the energy “up” so they can swing their arms through against the body vs. how we rotate and trap the ball using the body and arms unwinding.
Moral of the story… if you try this move, your distances will be very inconsistent, and the ball will be all over the place unless you have exceptional talent and can consistently square the club face… and then you still can’t trust it. You also may hurt your front knee if your front foot is flatfooted and you turn through fast .
One other thing, many top players have different swings for different shots. You usually see this “up” move with Driver or a very long or hard-hit shot.
Ross Sep 22, 2017
Unwinding the golf swing will happen at different paces depending on the shot. If you take a very short backswing, then using the body to unwind (like throwing a ball), your rotation and arms and club should all finish together (or) your body will unwind at a pace that everything finishes together (at the same time). You should feel your body’s unwinding rotation bring the arm/club back in front of you and around to the left so everything finishes together. Watch (and practice) The Finish Drill, The Stop Rotate Drill, and you’ll see what I’m saying. Much harder to explain in writing then just do. If you’re having problems, send me a couple videos of you doing the drills and I’ll tell you why you’re struggling.Ross Sep 21, 2017
If you’re thinking hips to start and unwind, they unwind at a continuous (does not slow down and speed up) pace. It is actually best for them to speed up or accelerate slightly to the finish.If you feel the need to slow down or stop the hips midway to let the arms/club catch up, you should watch (review) the Ross Move. It also may be that you did not wind up correctly. The shoulders must start winding around the spine first. It is like the shoulders get a “head start” at first, as you coil from top-down on the backswing. This will have you would up correctly so when you unwind, the hips can bring the arms back down. We’ve talked quit a bit on this here at the forums if you search. Short pitch shots are a great way to learn this.
Ross Sep 24, 2017
There are many different situations, but in general hit the ball first if you can. Also, the shaft must be in line with the front arm through impact to have a solid shot (no flipping). Now a buried lie in a bunker is different… you want a “dig sole” or think of a slightly closed club face to remove all the bounce to let the club go down through the sand and kind of gouge the ball out.