Swing with arms connected to body...?
For example, in a recent Golf magazine issue, there is a lesson showing Vijay practicing with a glove under his left armpit. I've seen others practice with headcovers under their right armpit.
So now I'm concentrating on softly squeezing both my upper arms against my chest (at the armpits) as I'm turning on my backswing - trying to keep my arms connected to my body as I am rotating my shoulders and hips.
My question is: is this the right idea?...and also, should the arms separate from the body at some point, e.g. at the peak of the backswing? or should you try to stay arms connected the whole time?
Answers: Just wondering, do you have any bad ball flights, i.e. slices or hooks? How is your swing path? Is it in-to-out or out-to-in?
Answers: I find that my swing in general is more "arms" than shoulders and body - this causes me at times to have a steeper swing path giving me an out-to-in swing, and therefore I am a slicer by nature.
Because of this I am finding that if I try to connect my arms with my body on the backswing rotation, this influences me to take a more inside path and also a flatter swing plane. I'm just wondering if this is the right fix though...
Answers: Well it is always a good idea to stay connected, something I oftentimes forget to do.
Answers: I saw a tip just like that on one of the golf tournaments on tv. So i have been keeping my right connected to my body and it has helped my swing a lot. i think that more then anything it has helped me be more consistant in my swing.
Answers: I must say, I find it terribly difficult to swing without my arms connected to my body.
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One might say it's almost impossible.
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actually, by going back flatter you create the likelihood of going over the top. It is a lot to explain. You need to learn how to make a backswing going steeper so you can then drop in to the slot, which will be flatter. If you are too flat then how can you drop into the slot. A lot/most of the pros go steeper on the backswing and flatten out a little on the transition/downswing. Also, by going back flat you make the club feel like it weighs more. because it feels heavier, THen you apply more force to begin the downswing and that is why you come over the top.
We have discussed this matter before and here is a drill that will help you if you have the patience to work on it.
I have been playing for 3 years and changed my swing plane in 2 weeks doing the preset drill. Ask your instructor about that one. here is how you do it
1. address the ball like normal
2. now without moving hands or arms back cock the wrists untill club is parralel to the ground and also parallel to your feet/target line. Your front hand and back hand should split the ball. meaning, when you are in this positions your lead hand should be ahead of the ball while back hand would be behind the ball.
3. make sure you pause for at least 3 seconds in this position while checking if club is parralel to the ground, target line, feet, and toe is pointing STRAIGHT UP OR A LITTLE CLOSED, not laying open
4. make your backswing with ALL SHOULDERS and proceed to hit the ball.
very easy drill and I have had very good results! I gained 20+yards in my drive and 3 iron
REMEMBER, where you are at the top most of the time dictates how you will swing down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Good question. Yes, in the beginning (while practicing) don't let the arms seperate untill mid to 3/4 of the way into the finish after the ball is well on its way. Then when playing just remember the feel of connection and make a jesture swing just before address that reinfores the connection.
For many people the thought of being connected will be the only thought for the rest of there lives playing golf that puts it together for them regarding swing technique.
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Great point. I had my lesson today and by focusing on "staying connected", I could ensure I had a in-to-out swing path (for the first time consistently ever), and could even hook it on demand occasionally.
Answers: shootin4par - thanks for the tip and the drill, I will try this on the range...so if I understand this correctly, you just cock your wrists first so that the club is parallel and butt of shaft pointing towards target, and then make a shoulder swing?
also one more ?...i was playing today and saw a guy playing that at address on his irons, his hands were way ahead of the clubhead making the shaft lean almost 30 degrees...now, I do play with some forward press, but how much of an angle should the shaft be leaning forward at address (some play it perfectly straight at address)
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when you do this drill, first of all GIVE IT TIME. also, make your hands split the ball once you cock the wrists, meaning your front hand is in front of the ball and back hand behind the ball. also, make sure the clubface is slightly closed when the wrists are cocked. and finally, from this cocked position try to take the club STRAIGHT UP/STRAIGHT BACK. The position you achieve, by doing this correctly, will make it MUCH easier to change your out to in path.
i forgot, 30 degrees might be way too much unless it was a specialty shot. for a seven iron I might go one inch in front of the ball with the hands and by the time i reach driver i would be straight up and down. By the time I reach a lob wedge i might be 2 inches in front
Answers: I find the idea of "close upper arms" a bit troublesome... and I believe that being "Connected" is a simple function of all parts of the body moving at the same R.P.M around the axis of the swing.
It is more about what you want to do with the club. Are you trying to use angular accelleration, or radial accelleration to create speed. Are you trying to create a steep angle toward the ball, or a circular motion around the axis.
If you keep the upper arms close to your body on the backswing, then you MUST use the angular accelleration method because you have already reduced the radius of the swing. Personally, I don't like the angular accelleration method because it takes great strength, timing, and tension to produce.
Just remember, if you have tension in the swing, you MUST release that tension at some point. If it isn't perfectly timed release of tension, then a poor shot is the result.
I believe you should make a "Back" swing that goes away from the target.. then a "Forward" swing that goes toward the target.
Answers: steve- you bring up some interesting points. Could you expound upon the differences between angular vs. radial acceleration?
My understanding is that in the beginning of the back swing (back to the 8 o' clock position) the upper arms and club go back together as a "Y" unit along with the shoulder turn (thus arms being connected). Then at 9 o' clock the wrists start to set.
From 9 o' clock to full back swing is when I am a bit confused as to if the shoulders still turn with the arms, or if the arms start to accelerate and break away from the shoulders during the last part of the backswing.
Is there a component of both angular and radial acceleration? Radial acceleration I understand to mean shoulders and hips rotating around the spine angle...
...angular acceleration?
Answers: Well, all velocity is calculated by speed AND direction. A change in direction leads to a change in velocity. When your hands move in linear motion, the club cannot go any faster than the speed of the hands. There must be force applied to change it's direction in order to increase the velocity. This sudden change of direction is "Angular Accelleration". It's the change of linear force to rotational motion through centripital force.
Radial Accelleration is where Centripital force is constant and thus so is a change of the clubs direction making for a greater velocity at the end of the radius than near the center. Speed is a calculation of both distance and time. So long as all parts of the swing ar moving at the same R.P.M., the distance the swing must travel is larger the further away from the center it gets. The circumference the hands must travel is smaller than the circumference the clubhead travels when being swung in a circular arc.
So there are two ways to generate velocity. Linear movement of the hands in a series of straight lines until a change in the clubs direction with centripital force (the golfing term "release" for a hitter). Or where the hands maintain a circular arc as far away from the center of the body to obtain the maximum speed allowed. The momentum of the club will cause the club to orbit outside of the hands arc once the hands loose their speed. (this outward movement of the club is the "release" for a swinger) Sometimes described as the "whip" motion.
You can either pull or push the club on a straight line on plane until the release, or you can maintain a large radius by the hands and let the inertia of the clubs momentum make it's orbit expand as the hands reach even with the ball.
With either proceedure, the "release" occurs through a rotation of the forearms. For a hitter, muscular effort produces a rotation of the forearms and produces a quick change from linear motion to radial motion of the club. The stronger a person in their biceps and triceps, the quicker they can rotate their forearms and thusly the later they can wait to make the "release" happen. For a swinger, it's a tad bit trickier as the rotation of the forearms is regulated by the intertia of the clubs momentum and our obedience to it's effect. Any muscular effort to rotate the forearms will tend to cause a poor release, however can be done effectively with enough practice.