In this article
http://www.manzellagolfforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=357
Brian wrote
"Posture is often overlooked by golfers as important and often taught incorrectly by well meaning but misinformed teachers. In 1954 author H.A. Murray, in his book "THE GOLF SECRET,” talked about the common outline to the neck and shoulder area of the champion golfers of the day. His extensive research reveled that these outlines showed a definite roundness to the upper back and neck area compared to 'average' players. This upper body posture, allowed the golfer's to look straight at the ball as opposed to the duffer’s propensity for looking down their nose. This posture includes the neck being nearly parallel to the ground at address. This trait is shared—at least at impact—with nearly 100% of the great players from Vardon to Woods.
Because most poor players don't bend over at the hips nearly enough, teachers started to notice how straight the lower backs of the champions were. What they missed, was that the ‘straight-ness’ ended in the upper backs of players like Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead.
So, today, many modern players carry the straight back to the extreme which includes the upper back and the ‘head up-look down’ that Murray saw as a poor player’s fault (PICTURE POSTED SOON). The better players who start ‘head up’ almost always return the neck to near parallel with the ground to look straight at the ball and have the better clubface control that comes with the proper neck position."
I have been going from the chin up Adam Scott type set up which is MEANT to induce a straighter back and is taught by modern pop instructors like sad case Scott Cranfield to Brian's more roundness to the upper back and neck where I look at the ball.
I have found this actually straightens the back from the hip to the base of the neck. I think looking at the ball helps straighten the natural tendency for the spine to bow inwards towards the belly in the small of the back. Also I notice that Brian's address helps deal with my tendency to straighten up through the shot as you have a better perception of maintaining head height when looking directly at the ball. IMO the Adam Scott chin up address does the opposite of what it is meant to achieve.
http://www.manzellagolfforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=357
Brian wrote
"Posture is often overlooked by golfers as important and often taught incorrectly by well meaning but misinformed teachers. In 1954 author H.A. Murray, in his book "THE GOLF SECRET,” talked about the common outline to the neck and shoulder area of the champion golfers of the day. His extensive research reveled that these outlines showed a definite roundness to the upper back and neck area compared to 'average' players. This upper body posture, allowed the golfer's to look straight at the ball as opposed to the duffer’s propensity for looking down their nose. This posture includes the neck being nearly parallel to the ground at address. This trait is shared—at least at impact—with nearly 100% of the great players from Vardon to Woods.
Because most poor players don't bend over at the hips nearly enough, teachers started to notice how straight the lower backs of the champions were. What they missed, was that the ‘straight-ness’ ended in the upper backs of players like Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead.
So, today, many modern players carry the straight back to the extreme which includes the upper back and the ‘head up-look down’ that Murray saw as a poor player’s fault (PICTURE POSTED SOON). The better players who start ‘head up’ almost always return the neck to near parallel with the ground to look straight at the ball and have the better clubface control that comes with the proper neck position."
I have been going from the chin up Adam Scott type set up which is MEANT to induce a straighter back and is taught by modern pop instructors like sad case Scott Cranfield to Brian's more roundness to the upper back and neck where I look at the ball.
I have found this actually straightens the back from the hip to the base of the neck. I think looking at the ball helps straighten the natural tendency for the spine to bow inwards towards the belly in the small of the back. Also I notice that Brian's address helps deal with my tendency to straighten up through the shot as you have a better perception of maintaining head height when looking directly at the ball. IMO the Adam Scott chin up address does the opposite of what it is meant to achieve.