Why did this drill work so well?

[bcoak]

Had a lesson recently and some drills the pro had me do was to drop my right foot way back and balance my right foot on my toes and hit balls. The other was a normal setup but aim right and hit big draws/hooks. Worked great then but have not been able to get it out to the course. After playing 9 holes tonight I hit balls using one of my own swing thoughts (constant light grip pressure thru whole swing) and the right foot back and tried to hit draws.
I hit the ball perfectly. Nice high draws with solid contact and more distance than my normal swing. Usually my shots are thin, weak and to the right.
Why can I hit the ball perfectly in a funky setup but not in a normal position? I think I know what the drill is doing (better backswing with more room for arms to drop down the line) but I would like to know for sure why I hit it better like that so I can hopefully translate it into a normal setup and swing and take it to the course.
Thoughts?

 

[mrodock]

I agree with your thought. Also, from that stance it is easier to get the right shoulder far behind you on the backswing that it is easier to drop it down on plane in the downswing. Closed stance, keep that head behind the ball (face-on) axis tilt, and with a little more practice you will likely be ready to take it to the course.

 

[holeout]

Maybe you should work on getting your right hip turned farther back in the backswing with a regular set up.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Thoughts?

You stopped your hips more, allowing the SEQUENCING to happen better.

 

[bcoak]

You stopped your hips more, allowing the SEQUENCING to happen better.

So what is the proper sequencing or What sequence did this produce that I should try and replicate?

 

[puttmad]

bcoak,

A few years back, when sufferring a bad back, I used this setup exclusively, as it allowed me a full unstressed back/right-hip-joint backswing...hit some very nice shots and drove it a long way...

I figured, as Brian has stated, that the hip movement is curtailed/slowed more efficiently and also, it is very hard NOT to transfer your weight correctly to the left side from this position..(try hitting off your back foot and you will miss the ball...)
It is a setup that seems to give you "more room" on the downswing and the feeling that you are in a very good power position at the top and you can really fire your right hip around..

You will also find that it prevents "ass wiping" with your left butt cheek on the downswing, with the hips doing more of a lateral movement initially, THEN turning....
All in all, a good exercise....I always feel (when I use it in practice) I can really unload at the ball without fear of pulling it left...

 

[Leek]

I used to do this drill all the time. It does pretty much the same thing that Brian describes in his "Firm Left Side" video. Brian's way you can take to the course AND use as a drill.

 

[puttmad]

bcoak,

Just watched a senior long driver on the box...called Bram Churchill..

He stands with (he's left handed so I will adjust) his left toe pointing BACkWARDS, right foot is dropped back (away from the target line) 12" further than his left heel..
Shoulders normal, but the rest of it EXTREMELY closed...

Hit drives of 356, 334 and 319......WTF?.....

 

[shootin4par]

if you set up on your left side and stay there how can you lunge? you can not go forward a whole lot more, but in a normal set up you have room to lunge if your sequence is off. Maybe you had a lunge, maybe not
just thoughts

 

[daz]

Old hips

A lot of senior players use this closed stance (10-5-C) as it allows them to still make a full backswing with old hips that normally wouldnt permit this. This results in the short pivot (10-12-B) free backstroke turn with a restricted follow through.

There is the trade off close the stance to permit more backswing or open the stance to permit more follow-through. Watch the seniors and you wont see too many square-square.

Not saying youre old Bcoak maybe this drill helped you clear your right hip or stopped you spinning out on the follow through?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

bcoak,

Just watched a senior long driver on the box...called Bram Churchill..

He stands with (he's left handed so I will adjust) his left toe pointing BACkWARDS, right foot is dropped back (away from the target line) 12" further than his left heel..
Shoulders normal, but the rest of it EXTREMELY closed...

Hit drives of 356, 334 and 319......WTF?.....

The closed stance allows him to hit more of a draw consistently from for his swing speed and the closed toe on the left foot will slow the rotation of the hips which some big swingers need. Hank Keuhne had this in his setup as well.

 

[bcoak]

The faults we were trying to cure were:
1. Was not making a great turn back, more right over the ball, stack and tiltish
2. In forward swing I was moving forward ahead of the ball, hitting it thin, but also taking a divot. My swing center had moved forward.
The drill helped me make a bigger turn and not move forward. I understand how the foot back allows for more room and why it stops the move forward but I do not understand where the power is coming from and if anything, this would be more stack and tiltish as all my weight stays on my left foot.

 

[bcoak]

Still confused about this. How can you hit it so well and far with almost no pivot?

 

[hcw]

Hmmmm...

Still confused about this. How can you hit it so well and far with almost no pivot?

a) i'm guessing you are pivoting more than you think (or rather more than you feel)

b) i believe the closed stance allows one to get the clubface good with less axis tilt and therefore helps those of us who have problems "tilting the teacup"

-hcw

 

[puttmad]

...

Still confused about this. How can you hit it so well and far with almost no pivot?

In probability, you are possibly making a better backswing pivot (don't you feel you have made a nice BIG turn away?..). Even tho your forward pivot (after impact) is curtailed by the nature of the setup, you must be making a quite a good pivot move thro impact, to bring the BIG turn back to the ball...

When I use this in practice, I add a toe-drag (right toe) which allows a full "to-the-finish" forward pivot...
If you leave the toe back and try for a normal high finish it will put pressure on your right hip joint and right lower back (I'm getting on a bit too...)...

 

[bcoak]

I was looking at some pictures on RG's site, in particular Phil Taturangi and Johnathan Byrd. At the top of their backswing they look like I felt in the toe back drill. Just need to copy that feeling.