Left Shoulder

[YODA]

I have a bum right hip/leg that has severely hindered my golf game; in distance, trajectory (very low on all shots), & consistency. I spent time yesterday re-reading some of Brian's articles to see if I could find something that would help a little. I noticed the picture and comments about getting the left shoulder over the right foot in the backswing. I'm amazed! Gained 10% - 15% in distance. And the trajectory is much higher on all clubs. Still feels a bit uncomfortable; however, I can't wait to get to the course tomorrow. Can someone explain why this occurs? Anything else that I should add in combination with this move?

 

[semipro]

As you can tell by my recent post, I am not without questions myself; however, the left shoulder turning over the right knee insures that you get the coil. Coil is necessary to store the angular difference between the upper body turning 90 degrees and the lower body turning 45 degrees(or less). Having a stable lower body while turning the upper body creates power, ie. Newton's law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Or in golf terms, energy transfers from stored(top of backswing when upper body is coiled)energy to kinetic energy(turning back into the ball) by the final whip through the end of the club into the ball.
My crude attempt to answer your question.

 

[EdZ]

Because when you make a full shoulder turn, you can bring things back down on plane, from the "inside", without compensation - you can get the right shoulder on plane - a full turn makes it possible by keeping your hands and chest in synch with each other, and gives you more margin for error in your timing. This is the reason I think that 'most' folks are better off letting that left foot come up, to ensure they get the lead shoulder behind the ball

The higher flight is likely due to better more 'solid' contact (because your plane and angle of attack are better, from the inside)


Feeling like you 'hit the ball with the back of your lead shoulder' is an image that can really help many folks

 

[Mathew]

quote: Coil is necessary to store the angular difference between the upper body turning 90 degrees and the lower body turning 45 degrees(or less). Having a stable lower body while turning the upper body creates power, ie. Newton's law: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Or in golf terms, energy transfers from stored(top of backswing when upper body is coiled)energy to kinetic energy(turning back into the ball) by the final whip through the end of the club into the ball.

Nope....

Coil is nothing to do with creating power and is just a myth. Physics and the understanding you have towards the golf swing is all completely incorrect... and dropping newtons name doesn't make the attempt anymore complete.

Your body is not coiling as though it was a spring despite what those idiot moron instructors believe (that haven't thought about the swing in their lives, can't play themselves, its just something to preach that sounds good to people that don't know any better.... very often in golf teaching... the better the bull...the better they get paid... with very few exceptions).

The solution is simple for all to understand - get a piece of card or a book and tilt it forward 45 degrees to approximate your back - now to give you understanding im going to show you two things to do

First with the bottom edge level - you will see that if you rotate the bottom edge 45 degrees that the top isn't quite fully turned...

Now second time put a tilt in the trail side and then rotate it again - evola we have 45 degree turn bottom edge and 90 turn bottom edge - optical illusion....

Congrats the book just did the golf turn without coiling like a spring - must be magic !

 

[cdog]

I followed you until the second part, im not seeing what you mean, i need more explanation please. (the tilt part)
thanks

 

[Brian Manzella]

The answer is AXIS TILT.

You MUST be TILTED to the RIGHT about 30 degrees or more at impact.

LATE tilting make you get back UNDER the clubface and THEN you can't get back OVER it to SQUARE IT UP.

Sooooo....

This 'movement' put everthing in place sooner.

Viola!