spine angle

[tongzilla]

WHY does my spine get more upright during the downswing (down-the-line view)? I noticed players who do this usually have a straighter right arm at impact than players who don't.

 

[smatts]

I have this problem too and it is because I am not turning my hips away from the ball, rather I am moving towards it forcing me to be more upright so I don't miss it entirely.

 

[Brian Manzella]

'Cause..Cuz...

WHY does my spine get more upright during the downswing (down-the-line view)? I noticed players who do this usually have a straighter right arm at impact than players who don't.

I call it "fitting it in."

Folks so-called "lose their spine angle" or "tush line" on the downswing, are trying to get the clubhead to the inside of the ball, when it's orbit would have had it more to the outside it left alone.

This straightening up is also accompanied by square-ish shoulders as well, which accounts for the right arm having to be straighter in order to reach the ball (because the right shoulder is farther form the ball).

The solution?

It depends.

If you have a downswing shift to the Turned Shoulder Plane, you probably shouldn't worry about a little of it. It is your body accommodating the more upright plane.

But, if you are a elbow plane downswinger, or you just want it to disappear form your pattern, setting up more upright or adjusting start-down more to the inside will do the trick.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

This is something I rarely worry about on my lesson tee. It has very little to do with anything I find important.

"Get the club to do what it needs to to make the ball go where you want it to."​

This can often be down with Arm-Hands-and-Club (the Power Package) adjustment. Adjust the BODY—the Pivot and Address, only if you have to.

Then, if you do, remember the main job of the pivot:

Make it easy for the the "Power Package" to produce the desired path and clubface, and generating speed from winding up, unwinding hard, and snapping the (kinetic) chain.

 

[tongzilla]

I call it "fitting it in."

Folks so-called "lose their spine angle" or "tush line" on the downswing, are trying to get the clubhead to the inside of the ball, when it's orbit would have had it more to the outside it left alone.

This straightening up is also accompanied by square-ish shoulders as well, which accounts for the right arm having to be straighter in order to reach the ball (because the right shoulder is farther form the ball).

The solution?

It depends.

If you have a downswing shift to the Turned Shoulder Plane, you probably shouldn't worry about a little of it. It is your body accommodating the more upright plane.

But, if you are a elbow plane downswinger, or you just want it to disappear form your pattern, setting up more upright or adjusting start-down more to the inside will do the trick.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

This is something I rarely worry about on my lesson tee. It has very little to do with anything I find important.

"Get the club to do what it needs to to make the ball go where you want it to."​

This can often be down with Arm-Hands-and-Club (the Power Package) adjustment. Adjust the BODY—the Pivot and Address, only if you have to.

Then, if you do, remember the main job of the pivot:

Make it easy for the the "Power Package" to produce the desired path and clubface, and generating speed from winding up, unwinding hard, and snapping the (kinetic) chain.

great answers Brian!

from what you've said, would I be correct to think that slicers lose their spine angle more often than hookers?

why do some people (like me) have a more upright plane? I don't think it's just because I have more right arm participation (which was sort of the conclusion in an old thread).

 

[Kevin Shields]

Brian, awesome answer. I've seen alot of underplane swingers who lose spine angle as well. So this is actually a correction for a club that would have hit the outside of the ball?

 

[mrodock]

You may have to stand up if you hands are too far away from you coming down to get the sweetspot back on the ball. If you are shifting to a more upright plane you have to raise the handle up.

 

[birdie_man]

I always stand up...I am a TSP guy (steeper shaft).....and not with a very late release at that.

I doubt that I can do it well enough any other way to be honest. I don't even understand any other way.....that is to say.....I don't understand what I cannot do. [well]

Elbow plane...max trigger delay..."staying down on it" (or bobbing downward even)...

Why can't I do it well (i.e. while controlling the club, with power).....don't know. I can do a lot of things in a practice swing. (so my body seems to be physically capable)

I wonder about it but I don't really worry about it in my golf swing.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Brian, awesome answer. I've seen alot of underplane swingers who lose spine angle as well. So this is actually a correction for a club that would have hit the outside of the ball?

Not necessarily the outside of the ball but most definately probably would fat it.

 

[lia41985]

I call it "fitting it in."

Folks so-called "lose their spine angle" or "tush line" on the downswing, are trying to get the clubhead to the inside of the ball, when it's orbit would have had it more to the outside it left alone.

This straightening up is also accompanied by square-ish shoulders as well, which accounts for the right arm having to be straighter in order to reach the ball (because the right shoulder is farther form the ball).

The solution?

It depends.

If you have a downswing shift to the Turned Shoulder Plane, you probably shouldn't worry about a little of it. It is your body accommodating the more upright plane.

But, if you are a elbow plane downswinger, or you just want it to disappear form your pattern, setting up more upright or adjusting start-down more to the inside will do the trick.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE:

This is something I rarely worry about on my lesson tee. It has very little to do with anything I find important.

"Get the club to do what it needs to to make the ball go where you want it to."​

This can often be down with Arm-Hands-and-Club (the Power Package) adjustment. Adjust the BODY—the Pivot and Address, only if you have to.

Then, if you do, remember the main job of the pivot:

Make it easy for the the "Power Package" to produce the desired path and clubface, and generating speed from winding up, unwinding hard, and snapping the (kinetic) chain.

No instructor I've ever read so neatly sums it up. Brian: thank you so much!