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In my first post in this forum, I postulated on the probability of a convex strike on the ball. I painted in broad terms the various factors that need to be considered for that to happen.
I am a student of golf from Malaysia. My main tutors are Ben Hogan and Mindy Blake. Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf set the ‘gold standard’ of the golf swing. Blake’s Golf Swing of the Future made the first serious attempt to modify the structure of the Hogan method.
My journey of a lifelong search of a reflex swing started with Hogan’s ideas. It took a deviation at Blake’s fork. But the path is towards the same destination of playing golf reflexively. My contribution is to take their ideas to their logical conclusion.
My first posting provides a broad sweep of the milestones. In my next few posts, I shall make some pit stops to explain my concept in greater detail. This is to help understand the new concept of a convex strike on the ball. And hopefully, lead to its wider acceptance.
To do a convex-bend strike, the backswing needs to generate and store as much energy as possible.
To start, let us assume a stance where the distance between the outer heels is the same as that between the outer edges of the shoulders. This fits into the image of the whole body as a cylindrical coil spring. The movements of the body occur within the confines of the cylinder. (This stance is six inches narrower than the Hogan’s but wider than Blake's. This allows rotary movement to take place while remaining stable.)
Hogan changed the then prevailing flared position of the right foot to square to the target. This is to try and hold the right foot and leg steady for the left shoulder to turn against them in the backswing. But the left shoulder while turning is always catching hips in motion, as shown in Hogan’s book p55 and 56 (latest edition, mine is an old one). Catching a moving object is not an efficient operation.
The energy generated in the backswing depends on how well and fully the left shoulder stretches the muscles of the right leg and side. It is the difference between the angle of the shoulder and hip planes that determines how much energy is generated. The maximum angle (sometimes referred to as the X-factor) is probably between 30 to 45 degrees depending on the flexibility and strength of the golfer.
If that is the objective, Blake suggested that the right foot be turned 10 degrees towards the target. That will hold the right foot, leg, and side better and steadier in place. And it requires the upper body and left arm to turn less around the axis of the body.
To that, I would suggest turning the right foot even more to 20 degrees (indeed, even 30 degrees). This is not difficult to do. I have done it ever since I started golf. A 20 degrees right foot will hold the right side even more sturdy.
At a 20 degrees right foot, the left shoulder stretches immediately and fully the muscles of the right leg and side; it stops turning until it is near the chin at the top of the backswing unless you are really supple. But the angle between the shoulder and hip plane is at a maximum when the left shoulder can’t turn anymore. Then, the energy generated in the backswing is maximized; this is the ultimate objective of the backswing. It is energy generated and not how long the backswing needs to be!
With a 20 degrees right foot, the upper body is turned even less around and the backswing is short and compact. This is achieved without compromising the maximum amount of energy generated. The components of the backswing are connected, the muscles of the right leg and glutes are taut and the backswing is compact. For most golfers, the 20 degrees right foot determines the left arm to be at about the 10 o’clock position at the completion of the backswing. I like to refer to this as the CTC top of the backswing position. The attached diagram depicts the CTC top of the backswing.
A cylindrical coil spring is a useful image to conceive the movements of the backswing described above. The bottom of the spring (namely the hips and right leg) needs to be held sturdy for the top (namely left shoulder) to turn against it to create torsion and energy in the spring.
The above details the conditions for the maximum amount of energy that can be generated and stored in the backswing. That maximum energy available is a prerequisite condition. The stored energy can then be transmitted into the downswing to produce a probable convex-bend strike on the ball.
It is useful to pause for a discussion to take place before we move on to discuss the downswing.
I am a student of golf from Malaysia. My main tutors are Ben Hogan and Mindy Blake. Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf set the ‘gold standard’ of the golf swing. Blake’s Golf Swing of the Future made the first serious attempt to modify the structure of the Hogan method.
My journey of a lifelong search of a reflex swing started with Hogan’s ideas. It took a deviation at Blake’s fork. But the path is towards the same destination of playing golf reflexively. My contribution is to take their ideas to their logical conclusion.
My first posting provides a broad sweep of the milestones. In my next few posts, I shall make some pit stops to explain my concept in greater detail. This is to help understand the new concept of a convex strike on the ball. And hopefully, lead to its wider acceptance.
To do a convex-bend strike, the backswing needs to generate and store as much energy as possible.
To start, let us assume a stance where the distance between the outer heels is the same as that between the outer edges of the shoulders. This fits into the image of the whole body as a cylindrical coil spring. The movements of the body occur within the confines of the cylinder. (This stance is six inches narrower than the Hogan’s but wider than Blake's. This allows rotary movement to take place while remaining stable.)
Hogan changed the then prevailing flared position of the right foot to square to the target. This is to try and hold the right foot and leg steady for the left shoulder to turn against them in the backswing. But the left shoulder while turning is always catching hips in motion, as shown in Hogan’s book p55 and 56 (latest edition, mine is an old one). Catching a moving object is not an efficient operation.
The energy generated in the backswing depends on how well and fully the left shoulder stretches the muscles of the right leg and side. It is the difference between the angle of the shoulder and hip planes that determines how much energy is generated. The maximum angle (sometimes referred to as the X-factor) is probably between 30 to 45 degrees depending on the flexibility and strength of the golfer.
If that is the objective, Blake suggested that the right foot be turned 10 degrees towards the target. That will hold the right foot, leg, and side better and steadier in place. And it requires the upper body and left arm to turn less around the axis of the body.
To that, I would suggest turning the right foot even more to 20 degrees (indeed, even 30 degrees). This is not difficult to do. I have done it ever since I started golf. A 20 degrees right foot will hold the right side even more sturdy.
At a 20 degrees right foot, the left shoulder stretches immediately and fully the muscles of the right leg and side; it stops turning until it is near the chin at the top of the backswing unless you are really supple. But the angle between the shoulder and hip plane is at a maximum when the left shoulder can’t turn anymore. Then, the energy generated in the backswing is maximized; this is the ultimate objective of the backswing. It is energy generated and not how long the backswing needs to be!
With a 20 degrees right foot, the upper body is turned even less around and the backswing is short and compact. This is achieved without compromising the maximum amount of energy generated. The components of the backswing are connected, the muscles of the right leg and glutes are taut and the backswing is compact. For most golfers, the 20 degrees right foot determines the left arm to be at about the 10 o’clock position at the completion of the backswing. I like to refer to this as the CTC top of the backswing position. The attached diagram depicts the CTC top of the backswing.
A cylindrical coil spring is a useful image to conceive the movements of the backswing described above. The bottom of the spring (namely the hips and right leg) needs to be held sturdy for the top (namely left shoulder) to turn against it to create torsion and energy in the spring.
The above details the conditions for the maximum amount of energy that can be generated and stored in the backswing. That maximum energy available is a prerequisite condition. The stored energy can then be transmitted into the downswing to produce a probable convex-bend strike on the ball.
It is useful to pause for a discussion to take place before we move on to discuss the downswing.
