Vertical Hand Path

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Well maybe we should all get on the same page. If I've ever used it, I've honestly meant "more vertical" from the DTL view or just not as horizontal. The steepest hand path I've ever seen is Nick Price, and his isn't straight vertical. I do apologize if this has been confusing regarding terminology, which we all know can get lost in translation.

Lifter, shouldn't you be most, if not all, concerned with your own hand path and what would work for you??

This has helped me a lot. It's "more vertical" for some, especially those who have trained to thrust at the ball for so long.
 
Just trying to visualize......

Well maybe we should all get on the same page. If I've ever used it, I've honestly meant "more vertical" from the DTL view or just not as horizontal. The steepest hand path I've ever seen is Nick Price, and his isn't straight vertical. I do apologize if this has been confusing regarding terminology, which we all know can get lost in translation.

Lifter, shouldn't you be most, if not all, concerned with your own hand path and what would work for you??

I've just always wanted there to be more discussion of this subject. From my perspective, when I read Brian and Kevin on hand path, it's like two trains passing at night. Brian has always taken care to say that in most cases, he doesn't like the hand path to be too concave.

Kevin, on the other hand, has very rarely discussed concavity. It's just always vaguely been "vertical hand path vertical hand path." And yes, I know you mean from DTL view.

Right now, I actually think that my own personal hand path immediately from the top is too vertical and I'd like it to be more horizontal. So I'm curious what exactly it is that Kevin has been trying to accomplish by saying "vertical hand path" so frequently. It's just hard for me to visualize what specific body / club movements he wants happening and at what point in the downswing.
 
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Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
Trust me, when we're in the same room, it's not like two trains passing at night. How we type things out may be different, but we are not at odds on this concept even a little bit.
 

ZAP

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I would say that in my readings of Kevin's posts I took him to mean less horizontal and not strictly vertical. The hands are basically over your rear shoulder at the top so they have to go out towards the target line some out else you could never hit the ball.
 
Another thought:

Say you're dealing with a 25-handicapper who hits huge 200-yard slices with his driver. His hand path from the top might very well be horizontal, ending up with a sweet spot plane that is too steep.

Could "vertical hand path" be the right fix for this golfer? On the one hand, I can see how trying to do that from the top might shallow out his swing plane. But on the other hand, couldn't he end up with his right elbow stuck way behind his right hip coming into impact?
 
This is what I understand from this topic, please clarify if I'm wrong:

Hands going out toward the ball or horizontal, aka tugging can lead to the body figuring out some compensation somewhere else just to hit the ball. Like early extension, standing up the handle, backing up the shaft... all these tend to lead to the shots Kevin described earlier.

A "more vertical" handpath can therefore be utilized to limit the above.
 

Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
Another thought:

Say you're dealing with a 25-handicapper who hits huge 200-yard slices with his driver. His hand path from the top might very well be horizontal, ending up with a sweet spot plane that is too steep.

Could "vertical hand path" be the right fix for this golfer? On the one hand, I can see how trying to do that from the top might shallow out his swing plane. But on the other hand, couldn't he end up with his right elbow stuck way behind his right hip coming into impact?

I would say almost positively not a fix. Why would you think it is?
 
.......and where do you think your hand path is too vertical? Holy shit!

Yes, just compare the start of my downswing to Sergio's.

When my downswing starts, there is a small vertical movement of my hands before they move diagonally. Sergio doesn't have that vertical movement. Yani doesn't. I'd like to get rid of mine.

If you disagree, that's OK. Free country!
 
I would say almost positively not a fix. Why would you think it is?

I'm trying to imagine cases where "vertical hand path" might be a useful fix. Because as I said, there's always the risk that the golfer could get right right elbow stuck way behind his right hip. There's one popular method out there that runs into that particular pitfall very, very frequently.......
 
This is what I understand from this topic, please clarify if I'm wrong:

Hands going out toward the ball or horizontal, aka tugging can lead to the body figuring out some compensation somewhere else just to hit the ball. Like early extension, standing up the handle, backing up the shaft... all these tend to lead to the shots Kevin described earlier.

A "more vertical" handpath can therefore be utilized to limit the above.

It would be especially useful to see a YouTube video of someone's swing that could benefit from a more "vertical hand path".......
 
No.

Me and Kevin agree nearly 100% on this subject.

He does NOT like straight down hands.

Fair enough. But there have to be reasons why in some cases you want golfers to feel like their hand path is more vertical (maybe not perpendicular to the ground but still)......
 
I'm trying to imagine cases where "vertical hand path" might be a useful fix. Because as I said, there's always the risk that the golfer could get right right elbow stuck way behind his right hip. There's one popular method out there that runs into that particular pitfall very, very frequently.......
Wouldn't the hand path be a result of the motion made with the right elbow. So if your trying to just jam your hands down and your elbow gets stuck you would not be doing it correctly.
 
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Kevin Shields

Super Moderator
Yes, just compare the start of my downswing to Sergio's.

When my downswing starts, there is a small vertical movement of my hands before they move diagonally. Sergio doesn't have that vertical movement. Yani doesn't. I'd like to get rid of mine.

If you disagree, that's OK. Free country!

Hmm, I'll have to look again
 
Wouldn't the hand path be a result of the motion made with the right elbow. So if your trying to just jam your hands down and your elbow gets stuck you would not be doing it correctly.

Maybe you're right that I'm visualizing this wrong. But right now, I definitely think that horizontal hand path promotes right elbow more forward at impact and vice versa.
 
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