Brian et al. Love your board. Thank you for the great info. I am a student of the TGM but for many reasons have not been able to spend much time with my local AI of late.
One problem that I have constantly stuggled with is excess tension in my left arm. I hardly even needed to take a lesson anymore because the mantra from my AI was a constant 'softer, softer, your adding your adding'.
This week I had my latest epiphany, and it seems to finaly address my problem. I have always initiated the startup and takeaway with my left arm and shoulder. Sort-of pushing my left arm backwards until the clubshaft was parallel to the target line then using my left arm and momentum to lift the club up over my right shoulder.
I came to realize that there is no way for the left arm to be inert if it is thrusting the club and bearing the weight of the club in the backstroke.
My solution (this week)has been to have a completely relaxed left arm thoughout the swing by allowing my right arm to power the startup/takeaway and to the top. I trace (roughly)the forearm plane going back to about hip high and lift the club, (what appears to me to be almost vertically)to the top but is actually on-plane. I kind-of stretch the #3 pressure point staight up against my left hand.
I then simply drop the club by releasing the upward drive of my right hand and let my left hand/arm swing through the aiming point. Bent right/flat left is maintained throughout.
My concern is that since I trying to build a swinging procedure, I should not have this much active right hand/arm involvement, even in the backstroke. It requires that I allow the right hand to take a dominant role to the top and then a passive role in the downstroke.
Am I way off base here?
Just to lengthen an already long post,I have an analogy. Assume correct backstroke swing geometries. Then imagine you are holding a 1LB dumbell in your right hand, your left hand is laying inert on the side of the dumbell. Use your right hand and arm to take the dumbell back and to the top then shift the dumbell to your left hand and just let it drop, allowing the swing of the inert left arm to provide momentum. The pivot then adds power at release and beyond.
I realize that we must learn feel through mechanics, but in this case I think my mechanics and geometries were OK but but my 'feel' for how to acheive them was hurting my swing. Any thoughts?
Many thanks.
One problem that I have constantly stuggled with is excess tension in my left arm. I hardly even needed to take a lesson anymore because the mantra from my AI was a constant 'softer, softer, your adding your adding'.
This week I had my latest epiphany, and it seems to finaly address my problem. I have always initiated the startup and takeaway with my left arm and shoulder. Sort-of pushing my left arm backwards until the clubshaft was parallel to the target line then using my left arm and momentum to lift the club up over my right shoulder.
I came to realize that there is no way for the left arm to be inert if it is thrusting the club and bearing the weight of the club in the backstroke.
My solution (this week)has been to have a completely relaxed left arm thoughout the swing by allowing my right arm to power the startup/takeaway and to the top. I trace (roughly)the forearm plane going back to about hip high and lift the club, (what appears to me to be almost vertically)to the top but is actually on-plane. I kind-of stretch the #3 pressure point staight up against my left hand.
I then simply drop the club by releasing the upward drive of my right hand and let my left hand/arm swing through the aiming point. Bent right/flat left is maintained throughout.
My concern is that since I trying to build a swinging procedure, I should not have this much active right hand/arm involvement, even in the backstroke. It requires that I allow the right hand to take a dominant role to the top and then a passive role in the downstroke.
Am I way off base here?
Just to lengthen an already long post,I have an analogy. Assume correct backstroke swing geometries. Then imagine you are holding a 1LB dumbell in your right hand, your left hand is laying inert on the side of the dumbell. Use your right hand and arm to take the dumbell back and to the top then shift the dumbell to your left hand and just let it drop, allowing the swing of the inert left arm to provide momentum. The pivot then adds power at release and beyond.
I realize that we must learn feel through mechanics, but in this case I think my mechanics and geometries were OK but but my 'feel' for how to acheive them was hurting my swing. Any thoughts?
Many thanks.