Many students at first have problems keeping their hands from taking over somewhere during the swing. Usually this is just before impact. I have a drill that works the large muscles, keeping the hands passive, that I have my students work on. Here is an analysis/comparison of the Large Muscle Drill vs. the Actual Golf Swing, to focus on the differences and what to work on. WATCH BELOW…Thanks, Jim.
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The natural brain default, is to use the hands to do the task. That works great for many things (not hitting a static golf ball). Then the next logical step is to take that natural default and find ways to use it, or help make it work better. Well, that works very little of the time, without hours per day of constant practice. So, if you can learn to control that “default” flip with the hands and turn it over to the Large Muscles, many variables are controlled and the margin of error greatly improves. NOW… no one ever said it is easy to just remove the natural tendency to use the hands, but if you put in the time, you can learn to control the hands and let the large muscles do the work for a repeatable golf swing.
The individual in the video is learning how to “override” the hit at it tendency. Notice how smooth the drill looks through impact. No ball, no hit tendency… well, the way I see that is… if I can do it in the drill, I can do it when a ball is there, if I don’t think about the ball or hitting at a ball… When the ball is there, my mind is picturing my body doing the drill with out a ball. I copy my “drill” swing I practiced. This took some practice and focus, but is doable if you put in the time… Ross
The first photo it is easy to turn using the body rotation because the man did not hit the ball. His club is in the air. It is easy to air swing to make large muscle to turn. The second photo he has to hit the ball at same time to make a turn.
If I’m picturing what you are saying correctly, yes. Ironically, I was working on a blog entry very similar to what you are saying. In a lesson yesterday, I had my student simulate impact against a pole on the range… he then hit wonderful shots because the muscle image was still fresh and he just reproduced it with a drill. This is not finished yet but I think you will get the idea. I will do a video soon.
Here is the post draft:
Use A Kinesthetic Drill to Map Impact for Recall
If you setup in a doorway with the door jamb opposite your front hip socket, then simulate impact by putting the palm of your back hand on the jamb, and turning your core to push against the jamb (rotating like the downswing, not sliding forward), you will push on the jamb and actually program or map this feeling in your brain, Kinesthetically.
So why would you want this? Well, it is teaching the muscles the feeling of what you want to achieve through impact. It is kind of like recording a mental picture of all of your muscles (turning and pushing), that you will recall just before you swing. Then once you’re setup, recall the feeling of the drill then go. The visualization is so fresh in your mind, your body will reproduce it.
I guess looking at this video again of my swing and the drill , the early release of my right hand is due to my hands taking over once again on my down swing. This should answer my own question that I just wrote to you.
I just took out an aluminum pole and ran it up from the floor through my hands & touching my left side, it makes it impossible to flip the club on the forward swing. I practiced with it and then hit some balls trying to get the same big muscle feeling I had with the extension pole. Is this Ok to do. Thanks, Jim
Hi Brian
You got it, that is the crux of my instruction! A couple of things about your comment.
The photo with the straight shaft in line past impact, is exactly what the average golfer needs to learn to allow the body rotation to control the arms and club. The body rotation controls the arms/club on the downswing, starting from the top, into impact, and past impact. This is not what you have been taught!! The traditional golf swing, does not use the body rotation to trap the ball. When you try to release the club head actively, [b]THE BODY WILL STOP TURNING EVERY TIME[/b], to brace, while the hands throw the club head. This is not powerful or consistent. BUT…if you keep your hands from hitting at the ball and allow the body rotation to continue through impact, the ball is trapped by the entire body mass as you keep turning. AND, since you did not roll the club face open on the backswing (another traditional issue), you do not have to square the face… JUST TURN. This is the concept in a “nut shell”.
You do have to allow the body rotation to “Pull” the arms and club back down in front of your body, as you turn… but if you are not helping with the hands, the body just drags the arms and club to the left as you continue to the finish. This will NOT make the ball go left, unless you flip or release, closing the club face. The ball just goes straight. If the ball goes left, you flipped or your body stopped and the arms/club past the rotation… sorry for long explanation… it is a simple, natural move, like throwing a ball, but hard to explain… Ross
i agree the one on the right flips but the one on left has no release.