A few pivot questions

[ttb124]

Hi All,

First time poster here. I just watched "Confessions" this morning and it solidified some of my ideas about powering the swing with the pivot and letting the arms and hands go along for the ride.

Since I've been playing golf, (5 years), I have always had trouble with my strong arms overtaking the downswing motion, causing casting and flipping. Just recently, after a lesson, I think I have finally begun to understand the feeling of a proper pivot. My swing thought that is sort of working for me now is to feel like I am over rotating my hips so that my belt buckle is facing the target at impact. (I know it's not, that's just what I'm trying to feel) This seems to leave the arms, hands and club behind and promote a "late hit". This doesn't work all the time but I think I'm on the right track.

My first question is this: For those who have an over active upper body and arms, what do you try to feel in the downswing that keeps the arms from taking over?

Second question: I read an article that said that if you try to keep your elbows very close together on the downswing, this will contract the chest muscles and keep a tight upper body unit that will keep the arms from taking over. Is there any validity to this thought?

Thanks,
TTB

 

[dashfan87]

I dont know about the second question, but to answer the first question with my own experience, it has been feeling like im letting the club "drop" into place, keeping my right arm strait (im a lefty) really making myself maintain the proper spine angle through impact and not coming up and out of it, and also trying to make my tail bone work toward the target, and then unwinding around my right leg (again im a lefty)

I may be totally wrong, but thats what I have been working on.

 

[puttmad]

ttb,

At address the left arm forms a figure 7 shape with the line of the shoulders (face on view)..
As you do yor backswing this 7 shape tightens a little as your arm rises across your chest, but it is still effectively the figure 7....

The objective is to try and maintain this 7 shape on the downswing (I used to imagine the inside part of the upper left arm was safety pinned to my chest).....

Just pivot and maintain the 7.....

 

[ttb124]

Thanks for the responses guys. Dash, I do have a tendency to stand up through impact and come out of the shot. I'm sure that facilitates the flip.

Puttmad, I like the idea of the left arm pinned to the chest. Is is also true that you should feel a pressure point between the right arm and chest? Would this effectively keep the right elbow close to the right hip throught the downswing. I don't have video but I've seen DTL video of myself and the right elbow isn't even close to the hip.

 

[HowardK]

years ago

I went to Ballards school at doral..

day 1...he comes out, says hello and pulls a new 100 dollar bill out of his pocket.

he then says to 12 people anyone who can put this 100 under your left arm (right handed)......take a full swing and the bill is still under your arm keeps the 100

i was dumb enough to step up.......that 100 flew like a bird

He said "good people you are about to learn connection"

so maybe try a 100 (this economy?) try a 1 dollar bill and dont let it fall......

hjack

 

[puttmad]

ttb,

I personally don't pack the upper right arm into my side, either on the backswing or downswing....
Take the action of throwing a ball...if you stop "at the top" you will find your humerus bone is horizontal and in line with your shoulders...that is definitely not packed...

Try throwing a ball with your upper right arm tight to your right side...it goes nowhere...

The correct initial downswing action automatically brings the right upper arm close in to the right side, you don't have to conciously think about it....


BTW the "pinning" pressure of the left arm is LIGHT!....

 

[Kevin Shields]

I carry the club the last few feet of the backswing with my back and start unwinding with my lower back. For me, that delays the hands for a split second.

 

[puttmad]

I carry the club the last few feet of the backswing with my back

You mean upper back Kevin (shoulder blades)?.....

 

[Slicey McDuff]

I also do what Doubled suggests, I find my left arm gets to a point where it can't move any further to the right because of my chest, I am then rotating my shoulders around my spine to get the club further away from the ball.

One thing I have had to work very hard on was not allowing the left arm to get above a line drawn across my shoulders.
If my arm gets above that line I have a tendancy to come OTT.

It's a matter of becoming comfortable with the fact that the arm DOESN'T go super far back or high. It IS called a golf SWING after all, not a golf HIT. (took me a while to "get" that one)

The downswing is simply an unwinding of the shoulder turn, maintaining that angle between the left arm and shoulders, this keeps the club on plane (for me).

Brian does a demonstration (confessions I think it's in) where he stands his plane board up and gives it a nice back hander.
That's exactly what I adopted as my downswing, worked miracles for me. Forget about the right hand/arm and your flippin days are over!
I gained 25 metres on my 5 iron overnight!!!!

As someone wiser than me once said...
Let the club work like a club!!

 

[self-mastery]

ttb,

At address the left arm forms a figure 7 shape with the line of the shoulders (face on view)..
As you do yor backswing this 7 shape tightens a little as your arm rises across your chest, but it is still effectively the figure 7....

The objective is to try and maintain this 7 shape on the downswing (I used to imagine the inside part of the upper left arm was safety pinned to my chest).....

Just pivot and maintain the 7.....

Darn it! That is what keep your 7 means!!!

Doh!

 

[birdie_man]

"Confessions"...sounds like a porno video of some variety.

...

Downswing thought..."left shoulder up" has always worked for me.

Good first post.