TRYING to straighten the right arm early in the downswing.

[coophitter]

best video yet

Brian, I think this thread's video is the best one you've ever made. It's difficult to discuss right arm thrust and especially right forearm and hand thrust when pictures and film show it to seem rather late, held, delayed, or passive in an expert's downswing. Right arms, forearms, and hands flex against their own resistance, against the resistance of their change of direction, and against the resistance of the lead arm, hand, and club, so they tend to bend more in a negative direction before you can actually move or straighten them in the positive direction. It also takes the average Joe about .25 secs to actually get the message to his muscles to straighten his arm. Given the timing of the average golf swing, that means I need to try to straighten my right arm not from the top, but during the backswing - just where probably changes golfer to golfer but I imagine its nearer the end of the backswing than the beginning. All these strange things about how humans move things in space makes it look like you aren't immediately doing what you are trying to do.

Great information. You deserve top teacher accolades. My only contribution would be that you might research right arm vertical thrust on the hand path you speak of. In other words straighten the right arm and hand as vertically as you can to the right of you into the ground along the tangential path. Its where I would throw a basketball to get it to bounce the highest. That has always worked best for me and I'd like your take on it. Thanks so much for your efforts in this regard.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Coop,

Thanks for the kind words.

The right arm is NO DOUBT doing something toward a "Throw"-ing direction.


But it is being overcome by all the normal force.


Good question for the scientists.

 

[coophitter]

Brian,

I asked a scientist, Dr. Zick, about this topic after he presented his findings from a 2D model that showed the angle between the left forearm and club was released faster via muscular force vs centrifugal reaction to centripetal force. His model did not have a right arm and hand so he could not answer my question as to whether the right arm and hand straightening against the left hand and club might be responsible for the muscular force that releases said angle faster. He said he was working on a 2D model that included the right arm and hand though, but this was years ago.

I personally think the right arm and hand can muscularly release the angle as well or better than centrifugal reaction, but I only infer that from Zick's 2D model and my own intuition, personal experience and research into Harry Vardon, Joe Norwood, Tommy Armour, Bill Melhorn, John Jacobs, and the Scotsman who hit that 500 yard drive whose name escapes me as I write this. I don' understand 3D

 

[coophitter]

Brian,

I asked a scientist, Dr. Zick, about this topic after he presented his findings from a 2D model that showed the angle between the left forearm and club was released faster via muscular force vs centrifugal reaction to centripetal force. His model did not have a right arm and hand so he could not answer my question as to whether the right arm and hand straightening against the left hand and club might be responsible for the muscular force that released said angle faster. He said he was working on a 2D model that included the right arm and hand though, but this was years ago.

I personally think the right arm and hand can muscularly release the angle as well or better than centrifugal reaction, but I only infer that from Zick's 2D model and my own intuition, personal experience, and research into Harry Vardon, Joe Norwood, Tommy Armour, Bill Melhorn, John Jacobs, Homer Kelley, and the Scotsman who hit that 500 yard drive whose name escapes me as I write this.

I don't really understand 3D models, normal forces, closing rates, tumbling, the D plane, FATS, swinging left, sequencing, ground forces, etc., so I'm ill qualified to comment on current scientific study regarding golf swings. I use a tetherball game example to explain to my students the role of their right arm and hand in the type of golf swing I teach. You wouldn't face the pole and drive or bat the ball toward it to win the game. You would turn 90 degrees to the pole and drive the ball tangent to the pole with your right arm and hand but on a downward angle so it would rise above the reach of your opponent. This is scientific enough for me, and I think this example is much like your video example that I like so much. I've actually replaced my tetherball example with yours this fall in honor of football season.

I hope science never really proves anything positively about the role of the right arm and hand in the downswing so I can continue to trust my intuition. Thanks again for your video. It's science I can understand.