Steve,
I am new to this blog 'stuff', but I have read both very constructive and well thought-out responses from you, and also what I felt were very abrupt and possibly damaging comments. HOWEVER, I see this inquiry regarding 'dynamic balance' as sincere, and capable of HELPING many folks as we continue to dialog on my favorite subject, so here goes, regarding your questions.
First, expanding on dynamic balance effects on the golf swing, I see this in three major areas, (1) lower body/pelvis, (2) upper body/torso, and (3) left shoulder complex/arm (especially the gleno-humeral joint and scapula areas). All have dynamic balance AND rhythm/tempo, golf swing affecting characteristics. So, if you 'lose your balance', dynamically, in any of these areas during the downswing, you will very likely generate both undesirable path and velocity errors. The work over the past 5 years points to the possibility that most DAMAGING swing errors are generated, further propagate, and/or diverge from these three areas. So at first, please try adding stability margin JUST to your lower body, and if you have a launch monitor available, post the velocity and dispersion differences you realize.
Next, pre activation is a term and characteristic I borrowed from research papers dedicated to better understanding the force and torque generating capabilities of the human body, while performing golf-like dynamic movements. I am sure you and many other blob readers are familiar with the classical 'stretch-shorten' cycles (SSC), and the velocity dependent nature of the output. Well, it is my research-based (others work), that pre-activation can further enhance the output over and above the SSC capabilities. More simply stated, just get the right hip back further, and its new starting location and pre-activation will favorably affect the torque-generating, and tempo/kinematic sequencing of your swing. If that weren't enough, with better dynamic balance from only this lower body/pelvic area, the antagonistic muscles patiently waiting to DECELERATE the club and body during the follow thru will not fire prematurely because the overall body is STABLE, allowing potential, additional freedom/velocities before ball impact.
Finally, the slightly closed pelvic position is my attempt at describing the easiest way for most golfers to make this CRUCIAL (for dynamic stability) set-up change, but 'taking up the clockwise slack' is also an acceptable description. In your case Steve, I must additionally state that this right(rear) hip back position, and subsequent 'feeling' must exist until impact. We all know that the both hips will open rapidly during the downswing, but as I tried to explain in another blog (Hip Power), for good golf swings, it is imperative that the angular velocity of the right(rear) hip be significantly lower than the left(lead) hip, especially until impact. Additionally, as you said sometimes you find yourself "unflexing" your hips or your knees. In the world of science and engineering, this 'unflexing' creates VERY UNDESIRABLE dynamic uncertainties/deadbands , so please try to minimize/stabilize these motions thru the transition and early downswing.
I hope you are able to try this out and let us know how it worked.
Sincerely,
Art
