Backswing and transition confusion

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mitchdoc

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Having seen Brian's recent videos on youtube I am a bit confused. It is clear he is not a proponent of RFT or tripod swings. I am fine with that. In his most recent stuff he seemed to prefer a body controlled pivot and shoulder turn takeaway. However elsewhere in a post he talked about issues of slack in a backswing which was more likey to occur with a body controlled takeaway as the arms might keep going , or something ot that effect.

My problem:

My backswing usig RFT feels tight compact etc but like Brian my backswing doesn't feel right or look right ( I look like he does in his recent online video). However if I take a backwing controlled more by my right shoulder, I feel like I am make a fuller turn and feel better and have more power overall. However, my arms/hands tend to get a bit long and collapse a bit getting narrow. I also cross the line. This can lead to a compensating trnsition/downswing to get everything together again. Now I am a decent golfer, sport a 5 hcp while having a ppor short game, and I hit the ball reasonable distance (150 8 iron and 255 carry driver) with a 5'8 in poor shape frame.

I would like to have a backswing that is more controlled shorter and wider without the overriding tension that ruins it if i think about extensor action too much.

Ideas?
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
mitchdoc said:
Having seen Brian's recent videos on youtube I am a bit confused. It is clear he is not a proponent of RFT or tripod swings. I am fine with that. In his most recent stuff he seemed to prefer a body controlled pivot and shoulder turn takeaway. However elsewhere in a post he talked about issues of slack in a backswing which was more likey to occur with a body controlled takeaway as the arms might keep going , or something ot that effect.

My problem:

My backswing usig RFT feels tight compact etc but like Brian my backswing doesn't feel right or look right ( I look like he does in his recent online video). However if I take a backwing controlled more by my right shoulder, I feel like I am make a fuller turn and feel better and have more power overall. However, my arms/hands tend to get a bit long and collapse a bit getting narrow. I also cross the line. This can lead to a compensating trnsition/downswing to get everything together again. Now I am a decent golfer, sport a 5 hcp while having a ppor short game, and I hit the ball reasonable distance (150 8 iron and 255 carry driver) with a 5'8 in poor shape frame.

I would like to have a backswing that is more controlled shorter and wider without the overriding tension that ruins it if i think about extensor action too much.

Ideas?
Click to expand...

Whew!

One at a time.

When I say I don't like a "Right Forearm Takeaway," do you know why I don't?
 
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mitchdoc

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I do and I happen to agree with you. That said Theone thing RFT does for me is keep my backswing more compact. I find with a more std takeaway that Things are really good but that somehow at somepoint the backswing stops too late and my arms kinda collapse a bit getting narrow (hands close to head) and the club crosses the line at the top.

Ideas on how to tighten it up without feeling undue tension ?
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
"The pivot must be the same WITH AND WITHOUT THE CLUB to avoid any unnecessary hitch." —Homer Kelley

Thats the answer, work it both ways until there is NO DIF.
 
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rprevost

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The description of Mitchdoc's problem fits me to a "t." Comes from watch the Gravity Golf video too many times! What is the "throw the drunk off your back" drill?
 
KappaRaider

KappaRaider

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rprevost said:
The description of Mitchdoc's problem fits me to a "t." Comes from watch the Gravity Golf video too many times! What is the "throw the drunk off your back" drill?
Click to expand...

The only way i could get a drunk off my back is to pivot to the left. I wouldnt just rotate my hips left, i would rotate my whole core to the left. This may or may not be what Brian is talking about.
 
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mcflog

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rprevost said:
The description of Mitchdoc's problem fits me to a "t." Comes from watch the Gravity Golf video too many times! What is the "throw the drunk off your back" drill?
Click to expand...

To get a drunk off your back (left shoulder) is for the left shoulder to go up and back. The great thing about throwing the drunk off is that it causes a lot of good things to happen in your swing without thinking about it. Using the ground to create a strong force etc..
 
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mitchdoc

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Brian, my pivot is the same with and without a club, it is my armswing that is different.

With RFT since my hands/arms control the motion they stop where they want to be and the body goes as far as it needs to for this to happen

With body controlled takeaway, there seems to be no check rein for the arms and they go longer than they should.

Any idea on syncing the 2 up so armswing and shoulder turn end t same point?
 
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JeffM

New member
I presume that this series of photos of Tiger Woods shows Tiger "throwing the drunk off his back" at impact - http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/TWbackview.jpg

One can see that Tiger doesn't slide his hips laterally (beyond the ball) in the downswing, but abruptly pivots over his "straightening left leg" thus causing his left pelvis and left torso to swing to the left and back (towards the tush line). It looks like Tiger is trying to get his left shoulder as far away from the ball as possible at impact and that this phenomenon produces the "throwing the drunk off one's back" appearance. Please correct me if I am wrong about my understanding of the "throwing the drunk off one's back" phenomenon.

Jeff.
 
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jmessner

New
Felt it firsthand!

I'm sure Brian will provide the right answer, but just wanted to share that when I took a lesson from Brian last year in SoCal he demonstrated this to me by actually draping himself over my back with his left arm hanging over my left shoulder and asked me to feel how I would swing if I tried to flip him off my back with my turn. I had a real problem sliding way ahead of the ball so this was one of the feels he worked me through. And I have it on the DVD video summary of my lessson. Classic!

Jay
 
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johngolf33

New
Is extensor action that important on the backswing? It seems a lot easier to make a sharp hip turn and not sway outside the right foot if your arms stay soft on the backswing. It is also easier to Float Load if the arms are soft on the backswing. I realize that extensor action is very beneficial on the downswing, but is it really that necessary going back?
 
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