shaft backing up

[gailfcno]

hi guys just a quick question. i have read alot about the shaft backing up from kevins threads, and it has the effect to open the clubface, i understand that players like nicklaus and couples played with this technique. i think kevin also mentioned that backing up the shaft causes the player to stand up the handle through impact which can also increase the rate of closure and cause hooks and pulls, i was hoping someone could explain how standing up the handle can increase rate of closure.

 

[Kevin Shields]

I think you answered your own question. By defintion, a backed up shaft opens the face making it have to close by twisting the shaft the other way. However, if you have a downarched wrist and turn the face off the plane sooner ala David Toms or Tom Watson your clubface will close at the same rate despite what some may believe.

 

[gailfcno]

I think you answered your own question. By defintion, a backed up shaft opens the face making it have to close by twisting the shaft the other way. However, if you have a downarched wrist and turn the face off the plane sooner ala David Toms or Tom Watson your clubface will close at the same rate despite what some may believe.

thanks very much for the reply kevin, i think i understand what your saying, is it the fact that the player feels the face open so instinctivly snaps it shut through impact. im not sure if this is related kevin but and i hope im not getting this wrong, as i understand it swinging left helps square the face and swinging down the line or out to right field causes the face to shut down much faster, what is the reason behind that. thanks kevin

 

[Kevin Shields]

Swinging down the line or out to the right will make the face OPEN. Only if the player senses this will they rapidly close it.

 

[mgranato]

I'm still not sure I grasp exactly what a backed up shaft is. Is there a picture or video that shows this animal? Pretend you guys are explaining to a five year old.

 

[Lindsey Newman]

I'm still not sure I grasp exactly what a backed up shaft is. Is there a picture or video that shows this animal? Pretend you guys are explaining to a five year old.

A shaft that is overly steep (pointed inside the ball or even at the ball -down the line view) after transition is in effect closed early. In order to keep the clubhead from swinging in to high, steep and outside in, the player must work the shaft back and under to get the clubhead on the ball. This is the opposite of a shaft/clubhead that is squaring up instead you are backing up and opening both the shaft and the clubface to "fit" them into impact.

 

[gailfcno]

Swinging down the line or out to the right will make the face OPEN. Only if the player senses this will they rapidly close it.

thank you kevin for taking the time to answer my questions, i really appreciate it. kevin could you explain how the face opens when swinging down the line or out to right.

 

[mgranato]

A shaft that is overly steep (pointed inside the ball or even at the ball -down the line view) after transition is in effect closed early.

If the shaft has one of those lasers pointing out of the grip, "overly steep" would be if that laser was pointing inside (or at) the target line on the way down (say when the left arm is parallel)?

In order to keep the clubhead from swinging in to high, steep and outside in, the player must work the shaft back and under to get the clubhead on the ball.

"Back" in the sense of away from the target, or away from the ball (in towards the golfer)?

This is the opposite of a shaft/clubhead that is squaring up instead you are backing up and opening both the shaft and the clubface to "fit" them into impact.

What would you say is the most common cause of this overly steep shaft coming out of the transition?

 

[Lindsey Newman]

What would you say is the most common cause of this overly steep shaft coming out of the transition?[/QUOTE]

I have to watch what I say here, but a steep shaft position is a steep shaft position. Early, laid off takeaways tend to respond with lift up, flying right elbow and across the line positions (steep). I know that is not a novel finding, but the truth is the truth. I fight it every day.

That being said, we see every day great steep backswings that have that beautiful shaft layoff move in the transition which makes them work. The key is to not be shallowing the shaft all the way down if you get my drift.

 

[Jared Willerson]

Lindsey & Kevin: thank you for your responses in this thread, they have helped me tremendously.

 

[ekennedy]

What would you say is the most common cause of this overly steep shaft coming out of the transition?

I would think an inactive lower body COULD lead to an overly steep shaft coming out of transition. If a player doesn't adequately fall to their left side (or bump or shift) and gets a tad quick at the top, the shaft could get overly steep.

 

[LDGolf]

So all this time I thought the butt end should be at the target line on the downswing is incorrect ?

It should be pointing outside the target line ?

 

[Kevin Shields]

So all this time I thought the butt end should be at the target line on the downswing is incorrect ?

It should be pointing outside the target line ?

It depends on the handpath. The butt end can point anywhere to an extent. It really depends on where the hands are going. Sorry, but it deserves a much more detailed explanation than this.

 

[LDGolf]

It depends on the handpath. The butt end can point anywhere to an extent. It really depends on where the hands are going. Sorry, but it deserves a much more detailed explanation than this.

Intuitively my brain tells me a higher hand path would require the butt insides the ball and a lower hand path the butt outside the ball.

Does this sound correct ?