Downswing clubhead paths

[gmbtempe]

I know I tend to get below plane in the downswing so I wanted to compare it too some other premier ball strikers, I have put together the following crude photo of splines of clubhead paths. The yellow is the backswing path and the blue is the downswing.

I am not understanding this at all, Jeff looking for your input as you have analyzed this in depth. In the two unidentified players on the left you see that the backswing is the left part of the spline and the downswing is the right, to me it clearly looks steeper but is on plane.

On mine its completely reversed, I am steeper going back but way well below the same spline on the way down.

The divot on my shot was to the right of the target, I would imagine this spline shows how that happens?

[imperfectgolfer]

Greg,

You have a standard slot swing style while the other two golfers are using the reverse slot swing style. It is optional which type of slot swing style a golfer can use - and the major cause of the difference is the backswing clubhead path (and not the downswing clubhead path). Most professional golfers use a standard slot swing style, although I prefer the 3rd variant - a single plane slot swing style.

Note that your clubhead arc crosses your toe line just above the level of the right knee - and that is a sign of a shallower clubshaft plane (not an underplane movement).

Here is Tiger Woods' clubhead arc.



Note that the clubhead arc (colored in red) crashes through an imaginary glass wall placed just in front of the toes (yellow line) just above the level of his right knee. It is acceptable for the downswing clubhead arc path to crash through that yellow line anywhere between the right knee and the right hip joint - presuming an average amount of spinal bend. Golfers who swing down the TSP will have the clubhead arc intersect that yellow line near the right upper thigh, while golfers who shallow the clubshaft to the elbow/hand plane will have the clubshaft intersect that yellow line nearer the right knee.

I discussed this "slot swing" issue in my review paper on Jim McLeans' "Slot Swing" book.

perfectgolfswingreview.net/slotswing.htm

Jeff.

[gmbtempe]

Thanks Jeff, I think part of it is tied to that right shoulder.

[gmbtempe]

ha...35 degrees...i got 45 to go then....I might just aim my shoulder 45 degrees left....hey it worked for Trevino.

[imperfectgolfer]

Denny,

You wrote-: "Shoulders should be 35 degrees open at impact Greg yours and Tigers pt to for rt .Then your left with wrist roll to sq. face. Mac likes the pivot and fireing of the rt arm to sq face."

I think that's good advice. I think that having open shoulders at impact allows the right shoulder to go further downplane and it allows the right forearm to more easily/naturally be "on-plane" with the clubshaft.

Jeff.

[imperfectgolfer]

Greg,

I see that you are participating in this WRX thread - www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/346191-underplane-swing

I have noted that a WRX forum member has stated with respect to that golfer that "You need to initiate your downswing by rotating your shoulders and releasing the club instead of allowing your hands to drop".

I think that it's a major error to separate the downswing movement into separate torso and arms motions, and then state that a golfer should not use one of those motions. I believe that two biomechanical motions occur simultaneously in the early downswing - i) the upper torso rotates relatively horizontally and ii) the right upper arm adducts thus moving the entire power package downwards into the "slot". These two motions have to be synchronously blended to ensure that the clubshaft shallows-out at the optimum rate for a particular golfer. If the torso motion dominates, then a golfer will more likely go OTT, while if the right arm adduction motion dominates then the golfer will more likely get "stuck".

Jeff.

[gmbtempe]

Whats funny is did you listen to the lesson audio on Youtube, I am no pro but I would go about fixing this guy completely different.

I don't agree with some of Monte's thoughts.

[imperfectgolfer]

Greg,

I did listen to the golf instructor's comments, and I think that he first needs to correct his reverse pivoting problem so that he can create "space" under his right shoulder - for the right elbow to descend into during the club "slotting" procedure.

Jeff.

[gmbtempe]

Feb 22, 2010 11:27:48 GMT -5 imperfectgolfer said:

Greg,

I did listen to the golf instructor's comments, and I think that he first needs to correct his reverse pivoting problem so that he can create "space" under his right shoulder - for the right elbow to descend into during the club "slotting" procedure.

Jeff.

I agree, how can anyone come close to doing anything bio mechanically correct from that poor of a pivot position.

This is where I think hands leading the pivot might help him, if he could learn to guide the hands correctly the pivot might come naturally.