Understanding the Physics and Geometry of Golf
A simple and Golfer friendly explanation of
Homer Kelley's "The Golfing Machine"
JOHN M. BAKER PGA, Certified STAR SYSTEM Instructor
A simple and Golfer friendly explanation of
Homer Kelley's "The Golfing Machine"
JOHN M. BAKER PGA, Certified STAR SYSTEM Instructor
HISTORY: Homer Kelley the author of "The Golfing Machine" was a self-taught engineer for Boeing Aircraft during World War II. He was considered a "problem Solver" by his peers and was responsible for correcting many design flaws in their aircraft.
following his first disastrous experience trying to play golf, Homer spent some time thinking about the relationships between the PHYSICS of striking a golf ball, the GEOMETRY of the golf swing, the ability of the human BODY and MIND to create a consistently dependable and repetitive golf swing motion. His second time playing the game was much more successful and Homer was hooked. He spent the next 24 years studying the game intensely, until he was ready to present his findings to the golfing world in the spring of 1963.
Homer's book "THE GOLFING MACHINE" is subtitled "The Computer Age Approach to Golfing Perfection." It is a very detailed, precise and scientifically accurate golf textbook, a veritable encyclopedia of the golf swing, written in engineering language with complex ideas and explanations involving physics, geometry and math. Very few average golfers want all that complex information.
They just want to play better!
That's where I come into the picture.. The following pages are my way of making Homer's work available and understandable to recreational players.
JOHN'S FIRST LAWS OF G.O.L.F.
The laws for having fun
I must BE:
Where I want to be.
Doing what I want to be doing.
With the companions I want to be with.
Doing whatever I am doing to the best of my ability!
The Laws for scoring my best
I must:
Acquire a thorough knowledge of swing mechanics. (Physics & Geometry)
Develop the physical skills to execute my swing properly. (Balance & Coordination)
Master the mental side of the game. (Cognition & Motivation)
Obtain equipment that suits my abilities. (Weight, Length, Lie, Loft & Flex)
Within the pages of Homer Kelley's "The Golfing Machine" The Golf swing is broken down into 24 components and each component is further divided into 3 to 10 variations. Any combination of these component variations can be used alone or together to create a golf swing. You do the math... Our universe has physical properties that allow for billions of possible ways to move a golf ball from one place to another, using a golf club and a human being. Obviously this is far too complex for an average player to sort through. The important thing for a recreational player is to play golf at a level of proficiency that is enjoyable for you.
My goal as your teacher and coach, is to help you to define YOUR perfect golf swing. As you practice and refine your skills, you will be able to consistently repeat your perfect swing.
BUT... Is there a perfect golf swing? YES... In fact there are TWO perfect golf swings.
The Centrifugal Force Swing, uses Centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the body around a stable axis and multiplied by levers created by the golf club and the players hands and arms. The force is stored and released into the ball during impact as a linear thrust that propels the ball toward your target.
The Muscular Force Swing, uses the muscles of the right arm to generate force and deliver it to the ball through a set of levers created by the golf club and the players arms and hands, as the right arm unfolds. The force is stored and released into the ball during impact as a linear thrust that propels the ball toward your target.
Either one of these swings can be used alone or combined with specific aspects of the other, and each can be modified by adopting any of the multitudes of possible combinations. The key is to find the simplest swing that YOU can utilize to produce the power and accuracy you need to play the game of golf with skill.
What's the difference?
A "Swinger" creates club head acceleration and impact speed by centrifugal force, multiplied by the leverage of the hinging and unfolding of the arms and wrists. (Conservation of Angular Momentum) Maintaining a stable center of gravity within the body (Centripetal Force) creates an axis of rotation for the golf swing.
A "Hitter" creates club head acceleration and impact speed through the muscular force of extending the right arm. This thrusting of the right arm is a pushing motion against the club shaft. Maximum force is applied to the golf ball by applying right arm thrust to fully extend the left arm and club shaft and release the stored energy during impact. In simple terms,
The "Swinger" pulls the club head down and through impact, while the "Hitter" pushes the club head.
BALL FLIGHT LAWS: What causes a golf ball to go where it does?
FUNDAMENTAL ONE:
Every force produces an equal and opposite reaction... The ball MUST MOVE when energy is applied to it.
The Golf Ball will follow one of NINE POSSIBLE PATHS when impact with your club head occurs near its center of gravity.
following his first disastrous experience trying to play golf, Homer spent some time thinking about the relationships between the PHYSICS of striking a golf ball, the GEOMETRY of the golf swing, the ability of the human BODY and MIND to create a consistently dependable and repetitive golf swing motion. His second time playing the game was much more successful and Homer was hooked. He spent the next 24 years studying the game intensely, until he was ready to present his findings to the golfing world in the spring of 1963.
Homer's book "THE GOLFING MACHINE" is subtitled "The Computer Age Approach to Golfing Perfection." It is a very detailed, precise and scientifically accurate golf textbook, a veritable encyclopedia of the golf swing, written in engineering language with complex ideas and explanations involving physics, geometry and math. Very few average golfers want all that complex information.
They just want to play better!
That's where I come into the picture.. The following pages are my way of making Homer's work available and understandable to recreational players.
JOHN'S FIRST LAWS OF G.O.L.F.
The laws for having fun
I must BE:
Where I want to be.
Doing what I want to be doing.
With the companions I want to be with.
Doing whatever I am doing to the best of my ability!
The Laws for scoring my best
I must:
Acquire a thorough knowledge of swing mechanics. (Physics & Geometry)
Develop the physical skills to execute my swing properly. (Balance & Coordination)
Master the mental side of the game. (Cognition & Motivation)
Obtain equipment that suits my abilities. (Weight, Length, Lie, Loft & Flex)
Within the pages of Homer Kelley's "The Golfing Machine" The Golf swing is broken down into 24 components and each component is further divided into 3 to 10 variations. Any combination of these component variations can be used alone or together to create a golf swing. You do the math... Our universe has physical properties that allow for billions of possible ways to move a golf ball from one place to another, using a golf club and a human being. Obviously this is far too complex for an average player to sort through. The important thing for a recreational player is to play golf at a level of proficiency that is enjoyable for you.
My goal as your teacher and coach, is to help you to define YOUR perfect golf swing. As you practice and refine your skills, you will be able to consistently repeat your perfect swing.
BUT... Is there a perfect golf swing? YES... In fact there are TWO perfect golf swings.
The Centrifugal Force Swing, uses Centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the body around a stable axis and multiplied by levers created by the golf club and the players hands and arms. The force is stored and released into the ball during impact as a linear thrust that propels the ball toward your target.
The Muscular Force Swing, uses the muscles of the right arm to generate force and deliver it to the ball through a set of levers created by the golf club and the players arms and hands, as the right arm unfolds. The force is stored and released into the ball during impact as a linear thrust that propels the ball toward your target.
Either one of these swings can be used alone or combined with specific aspects of the other, and each can be modified by adopting any of the multitudes of possible combinations. The key is to find the simplest swing that YOU can utilize to produce the power and accuracy you need to play the game of golf with skill.
What's the difference?
A "Swinger" creates club head acceleration and impact speed by centrifugal force, multiplied by the leverage of the hinging and unfolding of the arms and wrists. (Conservation of Angular Momentum) Maintaining a stable center of gravity within the body (Centripetal Force) creates an axis of rotation for the golf swing.
A "Hitter" creates club head acceleration and impact speed through the muscular force of extending the right arm. This thrusting of the right arm is a pushing motion against the club shaft. Maximum force is applied to the golf ball by applying right arm thrust to fully extend the left arm and club shaft and release the stored energy during impact. In simple terms,
The "Swinger" pulls the club head down and through impact, while the "Hitter" pushes the club head.
BALL FLIGHT LAWS: What causes a golf ball to go where it does?
FUNDAMENTAL ONE:
Every force produces an equal and opposite reaction... The ball MUST MOVE when energy is applied to it.
The Golf Ball will follow one of NINE POSSIBLE PATHS when impact with your club head occurs near its center of gravity.
The golf ball will start to the RIGHT of the target (Push) if the club head comes into the impact zone from the inside (under the swing plane).
- It will then move to the right if the club face is open and remains open to the start line through ball separation.
- It will then go straight if the club face has closed to square to the start line at ball separation.
- It will then go left if the club face has closed past square to the start line at ball separation.
- It will then move to the right if the club face is open and remains open to the target line through ball separation.
- It will then go straight if the club face has closed to square to the target line at ball separation.
- It will then go left if the club face has closed past square to the target line at ball separation.
- It will then move to the right if the club face is open and remains open to the start line through ball separation.
- It will then go straight if the club face has closed to square to the start line at ball separation.
- It will then go left if the club face has closed past square to the start line at ball separation.
Many factors influence Distance, Direction, Curve, and Trajectory. The Mass or weight of the club head, it's speed and the direction of the impact are primary factors that affect Initial ball flight. Other factors are; the angle formed between the ball's center of gravity and the club head's center of gravity and the angle of the club face, loft and lie both at impact and when the ball leaves the club face. The particular coefficient of restitution (compression) as well as the aerodynamic features designed into your ball also influence it's flight characteristics and of course the weather and the terrain where it lands will influence it's roll out.
A golf ball goes straight, because the force (Center of Gravity of the club head) passes through the center lower portion of the golf ball. This impact energy (Geometrically Oriented Linear Force) causes it to leave the club face and begin it's line of flight with backspin. Your backspin is caused by the loft of the club face and the center of gravity of the club head. The lower the center of gravity the more backspin applied to the ball, the higher the ball will go. Most of the time you will try to strike your shot so that the Line of flight and the target line are the same and ideally your backspin will be aligned with the direction you want your shot to go.
LEFT BALL FLIGHT (HOOK / DRAW)
A golf ball moves from right to left, because the Geometrically Oriented Linear Force (Center of Gravity of the club head) imparts its energy outside the center of gravity of the golf ball causing counterclockwise side spin.
RIGHT BALL FLIGHT (SLICE / FADE)
A golf ball moves from left to right, because the Geometrically Oriented Linear Force (Center of Gravity of the club head) imparts its energy inside the center of gravity of the golf ball causing clockwise side spin.
HEIGHT OF THE BALL FLIGHT
The Height a golf ball reaches is determined by speed of the club head through impact and the squareness of the club face through impact. The higher the speed of the club head and the squarer the impact of the club face the more back spin you will apply and the higher the ball will go. The more loft angle your golf club has the quicker the ball will reach it's optimum height. The height of the flight of the golf ball can be manipulated by the speed of the club head, squareness of the impact and by increasing or decreasing the loft of the club face.
A golf ball goes straight, because the force (Center of Gravity of the club head) passes through the center lower portion of the golf ball. This impact energy (Geometrically Oriented Linear Force) causes it to leave the club face and begin it's line of flight with backspin. Your backspin is caused by the loft of the club face and the center of gravity of the club head. The lower the center of gravity the more backspin applied to the ball, the higher the ball will go. Most of the time you will try to strike your shot so that the Line of flight and the target line are the same and ideally your backspin will be aligned with the direction you want your shot to go.
LEFT BALL FLIGHT (HOOK / DRAW)
A golf ball moves from right to left, because the Geometrically Oriented Linear Force (Center of Gravity of the club head) imparts its energy outside the center of gravity of the golf ball causing counterclockwise side spin.
RIGHT BALL FLIGHT (SLICE / FADE)
A golf ball moves from left to right, because the Geometrically Oriented Linear Force (Center of Gravity of the club head) imparts its energy inside the center of gravity of the golf ball causing clockwise side spin.
HEIGHT OF THE BALL FLIGHT
The Height a golf ball reaches is determined by speed of the club head through impact and the squareness of the club face through impact. The higher the speed of the club head and the squarer the impact of the club face the more back spin you will apply and the higher the ball will go. The more loft angle your golf club has the quicker the ball will reach it's optimum height. The height of the flight of the golf ball can be manipulated by the speed of the club head, squareness of the impact and by increasing or decreasing the loft of the club face.
FUNDAMENTAL TWO:
YOUR GRIP is the most important aspect of your golf swing.
When most human beings stand with their arms hanging naturally from the shoulders, without any tension, and then raise their forearms to a position parallel to the ground, a line going through the knuckles of the fingers of the hands will be nearly vertical to the ground. The palms will be facing each other and can be brought together easily. As long as there is no tension in the hands and arms, their natural position will tend to be square to each other.
THE LEFT HAND GRIP: The Grip of the club should rest under the heel of the left hand and atop the index finger of the left hand. This position applies all the needed pressure to hold the club in a secure position in the hands. The back of the left hand is vertical with the ground and is square with the leading edge of the club face.
THE RIGHT HAND GRIP: The right hand is vertical to the ground and square with the leading edge of the club face. The shaft rest in the fingers of the right hand with the cup of the palm, pressing down on top of the left thumb.
YOUR GRIP is the most important aspect of your golf swing.
When most human beings stand with their arms hanging naturally from the shoulders, without any tension, and then raise their forearms to a position parallel to the ground, a line going through the knuckles of the fingers of the hands will be nearly vertical to the ground. The palms will be facing each other and can be brought together easily. As long as there is no tension in the hands and arms, their natural position will tend to be square to each other.
THE LEFT HAND GRIP: The Grip of the club should rest under the heel of the left hand and atop the index finger of the left hand. This position applies all the needed pressure to hold the club in a secure position in the hands. The back of the left hand is vertical with the ground and is square with the leading edge of the club face.
THE RIGHT HAND GRIP: The right hand is vertical to the ground and square with the leading edge of the club face. The shaft rest in the fingers of the right hand with the cup of the palm, pressing down on top of the left thumb.
There are THREE PRESSURE POINTS in the hands that monitor the position the club head and the speed of the club head. The autonomous motor cortex of your brain coordinates the muscles, tendons, and skeletal joints of your body to achieve the necessary rhythm of the golf swing and these three pressure points allow the nervous system to sense where the club head is located and how fast the club head is traveling during the swing.
The FIRST SENSING POINT is the last three fingers of your left hand. This pressure point feels the motion and force of your swing, as your fingers rest softly against the back of the grip. No pressure with these fingers is needed since the grip is held in place by the heel and forefinger of your left hand. These fingers sense the cocking and uncocking of the left wrist, but they do not add or contribute any force to this motion. The number one pressure point simply feels this motion and sends this information to the motor cortex of your brain.
The SECOND SENSING POINT is a sense of extending or stretching your left forearm with slight pressure from your right palm. The left thumb extends down the rear of the shaft slightly toward the rear of the grip. You fit the life line of your right palm over the left thumb with this sensing point pressing very lightly, in a straight line extending outward from the left shoulder, through the grip, down the club shaft, and through the center of gravity of the club face. When your right palm exerts this slight pressure against the left thumb extending the grip away from your left shoulder, you will not need to have any tension in your left arm to help it remain straight and your left arm will have the same radius around your left shoulder from start up, through your back swing, down swing, and through impact. The number two pressure point has another function as well, it monitors the cocking and uncocking of the right elbow and sends this information to the motor cortex. It only feels this hinging motion and should never add or contribute to the actual cocking or uncocking of the right elbow.
The THIRD SENSING POINT is the first knuckle of your right index finger. (your "Trigger Finger") The inside of the knuckle on your right index finger presses into the rear of the grip and senses the direction and flexing of the club shaft. The number three pressure point is critical to your control of the club as it monitors the position and the speed of the club head. The signals from this point go to your motor cortex, which coordinates the hips, telling them when to begin their forward rotation and how fast they need to rotate so that the swing achieves the proper rhythm.
REMEMBER. Only hold onto the club as firmly as needed to keep it from falling out of your grip. Both left and right hand grip pressure must be light to allow for a sensitive feel and to prevent tension in your arms and torso.
Understand the anatomy, physiology and kinesiology of YOUR HANDS
A proper grip with both hands aligned together allows you to sense and control the Golf Club, and limits the possibility of errors. Your Hands have many possible hinge motions which allow for many deviations in movement as you can see from this illustration.
The FIRST SENSING POINT is the last three fingers of your left hand. This pressure point feels the motion and force of your swing, as your fingers rest softly against the back of the grip. No pressure with these fingers is needed since the grip is held in place by the heel and forefinger of your left hand. These fingers sense the cocking and uncocking of the left wrist, but they do not add or contribute any force to this motion. The number one pressure point simply feels this motion and sends this information to the motor cortex of your brain.
The SECOND SENSING POINT is a sense of extending or stretching your left forearm with slight pressure from your right palm. The left thumb extends down the rear of the shaft slightly toward the rear of the grip. You fit the life line of your right palm over the left thumb with this sensing point pressing very lightly, in a straight line extending outward from the left shoulder, through the grip, down the club shaft, and through the center of gravity of the club face. When your right palm exerts this slight pressure against the left thumb extending the grip away from your left shoulder, you will not need to have any tension in your left arm to help it remain straight and your left arm will have the same radius around your left shoulder from start up, through your back swing, down swing, and through impact. The number two pressure point has another function as well, it monitors the cocking and uncocking of the right elbow and sends this information to the motor cortex. It only feels this hinging motion and should never add or contribute to the actual cocking or uncocking of the right elbow.
The THIRD SENSING POINT is the first knuckle of your right index finger. (your "Trigger Finger") The inside of the knuckle on your right index finger presses into the rear of the grip and senses the direction and flexing of the club shaft. The number three pressure point is critical to your control of the club as it monitors the position and the speed of the club head. The signals from this point go to your motor cortex, which coordinates the hips, telling them when to begin their forward rotation and how fast they need to rotate so that the swing achieves the proper rhythm.
REMEMBER. Only hold onto the club as firmly as needed to keep it from falling out of your grip. Both left and right hand grip pressure must be light to allow for a sensitive feel and to prevent tension in your arms and torso.
Understand the anatomy, physiology and kinesiology of YOUR HANDS
A proper grip with both hands aligned together allows you to sense and control the Golf Club, and limits the possibility of errors. Your Hands have many possible hinge motions which allow for many deviations in movement as you can see from this illustration.
Hand and grip movements affect your control of the CLUB FACE:
You may cup your left wrist (LEFT hand Extended) so that your left hand points to the outside of your left arm, closing the club face. (Aligned to the left of your target) OR it can arch, (Flex) so that your left hand points to the inside of the arm, causing the club face to be open. (Aligned to the right of the target)
Ideally your LEFT WRIST SHOULD REMAIN FLAT, so that the back your left hand and left forearm form a straight line, keeping the club face square. (Aligned parallel to the target line) If your left wrist is arched (FLEXED) through impact, your club face will be open and produce a shot that flies and curves to the right of your target. If your left wrist is bent (EXTENDED) through impact, your club face will be closed and will produce a shot the flies and curves to the left of your target.
Your GRIP can only hinge in ONE WAY that effects your POWER or LEVERAGE.
Ulnar and Radial Deviation of your left wrist allows the club to cock and uncock properly on the plane of the swing. Your club is cocked, when your left thumb has formed an angle with your left forearm. (Ulnar Deviation) Your club is uncocked and has no leverage: when the top of the left hand, and your left forearm form a straight line. (Radial Deviation)
The more you can cock your grip (Left wrist) the more leverage (Power) you add to your swing. If you fail to cock your left wrist, or release the angle prematurely, you will loose the stored energy (Angular momentum) and loose the extra speed and power you gain from leverage.
The cocking of your left wrist occurs because you must fold your right elbow as your arms and the club rotate up to the top of your back swing. The uncocking of the left wrist automatically occurs when the club shaft moves past vertical to the ground during the downswing. The left wrist continues to uncock until it has been fully released as the ball separates from the club face after impact. Centrifugal force will simply uncock the left wrist and pull your forearms through to a balanced and comfortable finish position.
As your torso rotates around your stable axis of rotation, the grip of the club stays relatively parallel to the ground and moves HORIZONTALLY away from the target while the back of the left hand remains nearly Vertical to the ground. When the club is parallel to the ground and the club head is as far away from impact as possible, the back swing becomes a VERTICAL motion. Your club head moves upward, as your right elbow is cocked by centrifugal force and your left wrist cocks square to the plane of the club shaft.
Hinging Motion of the left wrist during impact can cause variations in ball flight.
When your left wrist remains vertical to the ground, is FLAT with the forearm and club shaft and SQUARE to the radius of the left shoulder circle, it allows the club head to travel on the natural rotation of the arc of this circle. This natural HORIZONTAL rotation allows the club face to move from open to closed, producing a slight draw if the upper left arm remains in contact with the chest. When you allow your left hand to arch away from the left forearm in an attempt to keep the club head moving toward the target, you prevent the natural rotation of the club head, opening the club face, causing the ball to curve to the right. (Fade or Slice) When you hold the club face open during impact by forcing a more vertical hinging motion and release your left forearm away from your side. You will extend the club head down the line of flight with the face open giving you a higher but much weaker shot. (Lob)
You may cup your left wrist (LEFT hand Extended) so that your left hand points to the outside of your left arm, closing the club face. (Aligned to the left of your target) OR it can arch, (Flex) so that your left hand points to the inside of the arm, causing the club face to be open. (Aligned to the right of the target)
Ideally your LEFT WRIST SHOULD REMAIN FLAT, so that the back your left hand and left forearm form a straight line, keeping the club face square. (Aligned parallel to the target line) If your left wrist is arched (FLEXED) through impact, your club face will be open and produce a shot that flies and curves to the right of your target. If your left wrist is bent (EXTENDED) through impact, your club face will be closed and will produce a shot the flies and curves to the left of your target.
Your GRIP can only hinge in ONE WAY that effects your POWER or LEVERAGE.
Ulnar and Radial Deviation of your left wrist allows the club to cock and uncock properly on the plane of the swing. Your club is cocked, when your left thumb has formed an angle with your left forearm. (Ulnar Deviation) Your club is uncocked and has no leverage: when the top of the left hand, and your left forearm form a straight line. (Radial Deviation)
The more you can cock your grip (Left wrist) the more leverage (Power) you add to your swing. If you fail to cock your left wrist, or release the angle prematurely, you will loose the stored energy (Angular momentum) and loose the extra speed and power you gain from leverage.
The cocking of your left wrist occurs because you must fold your right elbow as your arms and the club rotate up to the top of your back swing. The uncocking of the left wrist automatically occurs when the club shaft moves past vertical to the ground during the downswing. The left wrist continues to uncock until it has been fully released as the ball separates from the club face after impact. Centrifugal force will simply uncock the left wrist and pull your forearms through to a balanced and comfortable finish position.
As your torso rotates around your stable axis of rotation, the grip of the club stays relatively parallel to the ground and moves HORIZONTALLY away from the target while the back of the left hand remains nearly Vertical to the ground. When the club is parallel to the ground and the club head is as far away from impact as possible, the back swing becomes a VERTICAL motion. Your club head moves upward, as your right elbow is cocked by centrifugal force and your left wrist cocks square to the plane of the club shaft.
Hinging Motion of the left wrist during impact can cause variations in ball flight.
When your left wrist remains vertical to the ground, is FLAT with the forearm and club shaft and SQUARE to the radius of the left shoulder circle, it allows the club head to travel on the natural rotation of the arc of this circle. This natural HORIZONTAL rotation allows the club face to move from open to closed, producing a slight draw if the upper left arm remains in contact with the chest. When you allow your left hand to arch away from the left forearm in an attempt to keep the club head moving toward the target, you prevent the natural rotation of the club head, opening the club face, causing the ball to curve to the right. (Fade or Slice) When you hold the club face open during impact by forcing a more vertical hinging motion and release your left forearm away from your side. You will extend the club head down the line of flight with the face open giving you a higher but much weaker shot. (Lob)
FUNDAMENTAL THREE:
Balance and Stability are the result of your natural reaction to movement.
Balance and Stability are the result of your natural reaction to movement.
The proper stance will enable one to create an accurate, powerful and repetitive swing. It determines the direction and trajectory as well as any curve you may desire in the shot. Setting up properly establishes the angle of attack and imparts predictable spin on your ball.
AIMING begins with the stance. Your feet are positioned under your hips, with the heels, knees and hips forming straight parallel lines aligned to your target line of flight.
Your knees should be relaxed and bend slightly to position them over the balls of your feet. Your back must be straight as you bend from the waist so that your shoulders are over the balls of your feet as well. Your shoulder line should also be comfortably supported over the balls of your feet and your knees. Hold your head straight with your chin away from your chest. Your weight is evenly distributed between your feet and slightly back toward your heels (your toes can be patted without any lose of balance.) Your left foot is pointed 45 degrees toward the target. (This will enable the body to turn easily through to a balanced finish, without loosing your balance.) Your right foot is pointed 5 degrees away from the target. (This will help to restrict the lower body turn away from the target during the back swing and generate tension to power your downswing.) Your body aims parallel to the Target line. (Slightly left of the target.) Tilt the Axis of rotation slightly away from the target. (To assure an inside to outside club head path.)
While the hips are deliberately rotated around the axis, any deliberate action of the legs will produce no genuine benefit and can create many problems. There are many players who pick their left heel off the ground and/or point their left knee at or behind ball, but any deliberate leg motion tends to foster timing errors and inaccurate contact with the ball. When a motion isn't repeated precisely at the same point and at the same moment during the swing, things go wrong.
As your left hip rotates away from your target and moves the club head away from the ball, your left foot should remain flat on the ground, even though you may feel that it is not supporting any of your weight at the top of the back swing. As your back swing continues, your left hip will eventually turn approximately 45 degrees while your shoulders will turn nearly 90 degrees. Your right foot starts flat on the ground and stays flat on the ground through your back swing. At the top of your swing you will reverse direction and your left hip will begin to rotate back toward your target. Your right foot will remain flat on the ground during the downswing all the way through impact and until it is pulled up onto the right toe by the forward rotation of the right hip and the powerful centrifugal force generated by the golf swing.
Your knees remain flexed and positioned above the balls of each respective foot, without any intentional movement. Your left knee starts flexed and as the back swing progresses it may be pulled slightly away from the target by the rotation of your torso around your axis. Your right knee remains in its flexed position, reacting to and passively supporting your weight shift throughout the entire back swing. As your down swing progresses your left knee will naturally react to catch your weight as it shifts toward the target due to the rotation of your body and your right knee will remain stable and support it's share of your weight during the downswing. Your legs simply support the axis of rotation, keeping it in the same position in three dimensional space, remaining relaxed and supple, they are pulled forward by the rotation of your torso and the powerful centrifugal force generated by your swing.
The rotation of your hips around the axis pulls everything else into the proper alignment and creates the Geometrically Oriented Linear Force that propels the golf ball down the fairway in the direction you choose. This same force pulls your body forward toward the target until the right knee is above the left toes and your golf club may end up actually resting upon your shoulders. At this follow through position, your right knee and lower right leg are pointing down a line parallel to the target line and you should have been pulled into a balanced, relaxed and comfortable position, facing your target.
During the back swing, the left hip moves away from the target 45 degrees, around the axis of rotation At this position the left hip stops. During this motion your arms naturally swing up and your wrists hinge allowing the golf club to reach a sharp angle with the left forearm. These Hinges are the source of your power as they store angular momentum and release it at impact.
During the down swing the left hip rotates back and through it's original starting position. Centrifugal force is created as your hips rotate, your arms drop down, and your wrists unhinge. When your hands return to their low point, they are as close to the ground as they get. The left hip continues to rotate through the setup position until it is facing the target. This rotation of the left hip, through impact and to follow through left knee in line under the left hip so that the left leg can support the transfer of weight from the right side. As your left hip rotates through impact to it's finished position facing the target; the right hip follows the rotation of the left hip until the right hip has rotated 90 degrees toward the target.
Stated in the simplest terms; With the Golfing Machine, you don't have to do anything with your legs. A powerful and accurate golf swing is the result of the rotation of your body mass around a fixed axis. If the lower body and legs are positioned properly they will REACT NATURALLY to keep that axis stable and balanced in position.
Rotation of your body around a stable AXIS provides the energy and accuracy for a good golf shot.
Your shoulders during THE BACK SWING:
Your RIGHT SHOULDER is is pulled away from the target line as the torso rotates and your right elbow cocks your right forearm.
The LEFT SHOULDER is pulled toward the target line by the rotation of your torso and the extension caused by the right palm's outward pressure against left thumb. As your hips rotate around your axis, the left shoulder will hinge across the chest due to the cocking motion of your right elbow. When your right elbow is fully cocked, your right palm should press down softly against your left thumb to create extension of your left arm and cause your left arm to be fully extended and ideally, your shoulders will have rotated fully 90 degrees.
Your LEFT SHOULDER acts like a hinge for the left arm and your grip acts like a hinge for your club shaft.
Your shoulders during THE FORWARD SWING:
Your shoulders have NO INTENTIONAL ACTION during the forward swing, That is; NO FORWARD MOTION independent from the pull of centrifugal force. Your shoulders should be passive and remain cocked until they are pulled forward by centrifugal force as the stored energy is released during and immediately after impact. The Path and swinging motion of the club head simply results from the movement of your hips and torso around your Axis of rotation.
Your arms don't make energy, they allow you to create leverage and store angular momentum. (Club head speed)
Your LEFT ARM is relaxed, extended straight, and pointing from the shoulder to a point slightly behind the ball, at both address and impact position. The hinge formed by your left shoulder allows your extended left forearm to lag behind the rotation of the torso.
Your LEFT SHOULDER is the first fulcrum or hinge for your left arm, and it allows leverage to store and release the centrifugal force generated by your rotating torso. As you rotate around your stable axis, momentum builds up because of the changing relationship between your left shoulder, your left arm and the club shaft. The swing forms an expanding circle. Your axis of rotation is the center of this circle. Your left arm and the club shaft form the radius of this circle. Your Club head moves outward along the arc of this circle and impacts the golf ball resting tangent to the arc, upon the line of line of flight.
The relationship between your hands on the grip is called EXTENSOR ACTION. Since your left arm is kept straight by the outward pressure of your right palm against your left thumb, the length of the radii created by your arm and the club remains the same. SO... as long as your body is properly aligned and you remain balanced and stable, your axis of rotation is positioned in three dimensions and doesn't vary as you make your swing. Therefore, your club must inevitably make good contact with your ball. Extensor action joins the hands together and allows the two arms to work together. As long as a steady outward pressure against the thumb is maintained, the left arm will remain straight and will be tension free, from address to the top of the back swing, returning to impact.
During the downswing into the follow through, CENTIFUGAL FORCE takes over and keeps the left arm straight until the increasing momentum of the club head causes the left elbow to fold. This folding action allows the club to swing over the left shoulder and behind the back. At this point the club can be used as a balance pole to help maintain good balance.
Whenever, the left arm returns to a position parallel to the ground, during the down swing, it should also be parallel to the target line. When the left arm is parallel to the ground, it will be pointing down the INTIAL FLIGHT LINE of the ball. If it is pointing right, the ball will start right. If it is pointing left, the ball will start to the left.
The FOURTH PRESSURE POINT of the golf swing is the contact point of your left arm against your rib cage. If your left arm is allowed to swing away from your rib cage prior to impact, rather than being dragged through impact by the rotation of your torso, power will be lost. To gain the maximum amount of leverage, your arms must be PULLED down and through the arc. This LAGGING action will store and release the maximum possible force at impact with the ball. You must create speed in your rotating torso that can be multiplied by the leverage in your swinging arms and the golf club. It should feel like you are pulling the your arms with rotating torso, and pulling the club with your grip at the end of your extended arms. Your club head should feel like a weight on the end of a rope as you swing it down and through your impact with the ball. If your left arm moves away from your chest during the downswing, you have lost some leverage and your arms will slow down prior to releasing their energy during impact.
Your RIGHT ARM at address will be slightly below your left arm and slightly flexed. The upper right arm is in contact with the chest and is vertical to the ground.
Both of your arms are moved away from the ball by the rotation of your torso around your axis of rotation. This initial movement of the chest, arms, and club should be smooth and coordinated (Often called a one piece take-away) and it should continue until the club is parallel to the ground and aligned with the line of flight you choose. at this point the right forearm is pointing directly away from the target. Both the right and left palms are vertical to the ground and the toe of the club is pointed nearly straight up. From this position, all the motion of the hands and arms to the top of the back swing is VERTICAL. This vertical motion of your hands and arms UP to the top of the back swing is created by hinging your right elbow to a 90º angle with your upper arm toward your right shoulder. As you cock your right elbow your grip will rotate to the right so that the back of the right hand is flat and the left wrist cocks at a 90º angle. The golf club completes a roughly rectangular shape, with the right forearm and the right upper arm. You can think of this as the POWER BOX where you accumulate and store the energy of your swing in one place so you can deliver it to the ball at impact.
Conversely, the downswing of the arms, hands, and golf club as you return them to the low point of your arc is simply allowed to happen and feels like it is a VERTICAL DROP.
When you cock your right elbow it causes your left arm to be raised. At the same time the extension exerted on your left thumb through your right palm rotates your shoulders around your axis to the top of your back swing. This position is 90º away from your target. At the top of your back swing your right forearm is vertical to the ground and your right upper arm is horizontal to the ground.
The down swing begins by releasing the tension in your rotated torso which pulls your shoulders around and begins to accumulate centrifugal force in the POWER BOX. As the force accumulates and multiplies it pulls on your arms and your right arm goes from a cocked position at the top of the downswing to a fully extended straight right arm shortly after impact. The right arm will fold naturally as centrifugal force carries the club over your left shoulder.
Your Spine is not your axis of rotation, but, depending upon your weight distribution. it is near to it for most people.
your spine is aligned naturally and not curved to any appreciable amount at address and remains straight throughout the swing.
The Spine ANGLE and TILT that you set up at address must be maintained throughout the back swing and down swing until well past impact with the ball.
During the follow through the spine angle and tilt will straighten naturally as your center of gravity shifts toward the target after impact with the ball.
THE SWING PLANE:
In Golf we consider the ground as a HORIZONTAL PLANE and your body when you stand upright can be considered a VERTICAL PLANE.
As you swing, your golf club will describe an INCLINED PLANE somewhere between HORIZONTAL and VERTICAL.
The longer the club, the flatter the plane (more horizontal) and shorter clubs will describe a steeper plane. (more vertical) Each club has it's own swing plane which is determined by the angle formed between the club head and the shaft, when the club head is soled properly on the ground (The LIE) The shaft should follow this plane due to centrifugal force as you rotate your hips and torso about your axis of rotation.
AIMING begins with the stance. Your feet are positioned under your hips, with the heels, knees and hips forming straight parallel lines aligned to your target line of flight.
Your knees should be relaxed and bend slightly to position them over the balls of your feet. Your back must be straight as you bend from the waist so that your shoulders are over the balls of your feet as well. Your shoulder line should also be comfortably supported over the balls of your feet and your knees. Hold your head straight with your chin away from your chest. Your weight is evenly distributed between your feet and slightly back toward your heels (your toes can be patted without any lose of balance.) Your left foot is pointed 45 degrees toward the target. (This will enable the body to turn easily through to a balanced finish, without loosing your balance.) Your right foot is pointed 5 degrees away from the target. (This will help to restrict the lower body turn away from the target during the back swing and generate tension to power your downswing.) Your body aims parallel to the Target line. (Slightly left of the target.) Tilt the Axis of rotation slightly away from the target. (To assure an inside to outside club head path.)
While the hips are deliberately rotated around the axis, any deliberate action of the legs will produce no genuine benefit and can create many problems. There are many players who pick their left heel off the ground and/or point their left knee at or behind ball, but any deliberate leg motion tends to foster timing errors and inaccurate contact with the ball. When a motion isn't repeated precisely at the same point and at the same moment during the swing, things go wrong.
As your left hip rotates away from your target and moves the club head away from the ball, your left foot should remain flat on the ground, even though you may feel that it is not supporting any of your weight at the top of the back swing. As your back swing continues, your left hip will eventually turn approximately 45 degrees while your shoulders will turn nearly 90 degrees. Your right foot starts flat on the ground and stays flat on the ground through your back swing. At the top of your swing you will reverse direction and your left hip will begin to rotate back toward your target. Your right foot will remain flat on the ground during the downswing all the way through impact and until it is pulled up onto the right toe by the forward rotation of the right hip and the powerful centrifugal force generated by the golf swing.
Your knees remain flexed and positioned above the balls of each respective foot, without any intentional movement. Your left knee starts flexed and as the back swing progresses it may be pulled slightly away from the target by the rotation of your torso around your axis. Your right knee remains in its flexed position, reacting to and passively supporting your weight shift throughout the entire back swing. As your down swing progresses your left knee will naturally react to catch your weight as it shifts toward the target due to the rotation of your body and your right knee will remain stable and support it's share of your weight during the downswing. Your legs simply support the axis of rotation, keeping it in the same position in three dimensional space, remaining relaxed and supple, they are pulled forward by the rotation of your torso and the powerful centrifugal force generated by your swing.
The rotation of your hips around the axis pulls everything else into the proper alignment and creates the Geometrically Oriented Linear Force that propels the golf ball down the fairway in the direction you choose. This same force pulls your body forward toward the target until the right knee is above the left toes and your golf club may end up actually resting upon your shoulders. At this follow through position, your right knee and lower right leg are pointing down a line parallel to the target line and you should have been pulled into a balanced, relaxed and comfortable position, facing your target.
During the back swing, the left hip moves away from the target 45 degrees, around the axis of rotation At this position the left hip stops. During this motion your arms naturally swing up and your wrists hinge allowing the golf club to reach a sharp angle with the left forearm. These Hinges are the source of your power as they store angular momentum and release it at impact.
During the down swing the left hip rotates back and through it's original starting position. Centrifugal force is created as your hips rotate, your arms drop down, and your wrists unhinge. When your hands return to their low point, they are as close to the ground as they get. The left hip continues to rotate through the setup position until it is facing the target. This rotation of the left hip, through impact and to follow through left knee in line under the left hip so that the left leg can support the transfer of weight from the right side. As your left hip rotates through impact to it's finished position facing the target; the right hip follows the rotation of the left hip until the right hip has rotated 90 degrees toward the target.
Stated in the simplest terms; With the Golfing Machine, you don't have to do anything with your legs. A powerful and accurate golf swing is the result of the rotation of your body mass around a fixed axis. If the lower body and legs are positioned properly they will REACT NATURALLY to keep that axis stable and balanced in position.
Rotation of your body around a stable AXIS provides the energy and accuracy for a good golf shot.
Your shoulders during THE BACK SWING:
Your RIGHT SHOULDER is is pulled away from the target line as the torso rotates and your right elbow cocks your right forearm.
The LEFT SHOULDER is pulled toward the target line by the rotation of your torso and the extension caused by the right palm's outward pressure against left thumb. As your hips rotate around your axis, the left shoulder will hinge across the chest due to the cocking motion of your right elbow. When your right elbow is fully cocked, your right palm should press down softly against your left thumb to create extension of your left arm and cause your left arm to be fully extended and ideally, your shoulders will have rotated fully 90 degrees.
Your LEFT SHOULDER acts like a hinge for the left arm and your grip acts like a hinge for your club shaft.
Your shoulders during THE FORWARD SWING:
Your shoulders have NO INTENTIONAL ACTION during the forward swing, That is; NO FORWARD MOTION independent from the pull of centrifugal force. Your shoulders should be passive and remain cocked until they are pulled forward by centrifugal force as the stored energy is released during and immediately after impact. The Path and swinging motion of the club head simply results from the movement of your hips and torso around your Axis of rotation.
Your arms don't make energy, they allow you to create leverage and store angular momentum. (Club head speed)
Your LEFT ARM is relaxed, extended straight, and pointing from the shoulder to a point slightly behind the ball, at both address and impact position. The hinge formed by your left shoulder allows your extended left forearm to lag behind the rotation of the torso.
Your LEFT SHOULDER is the first fulcrum or hinge for your left arm, and it allows leverage to store and release the centrifugal force generated by your rotating torso. As you rotate around your stable axis, momentum builds up because of the changing relationship between your left shoulder, your left arm and the club shaft. The swing forms an expanding circle. Your axis of rotation is the center of this circle. Your left arm and the club shaft form the radius of this circle. Your Club head moves outward along the arc of this circle and impacts the golf ball resting tangent to the arc, upon the line of line of flight.
The relationship between your hands on the grip is called EXTENSOR ACTION. Since your left arm is kept straight by the outward pressure of your right palm against your left thumb, the length of the radii created by your arm and the club remains the same. SO... as long as your body is properly aligned and you remain balanced and stable, your axis of rotation is positioned in three dimensions and doesn't vary as you make your swing. Therefore, your club must inevitably make good contact with your ball. Extensor action joins the hands together and allows the two arms to work together. As long as a steady outward pressure against the thumb is maintained, the left arm will remain straight and will be tension free, from address to the top of the back swing, returning to impact.
During the downswing into the follow through, CENTIFUGAL FORCE takes over and keeps the left arm straight until the increasing momentum of the club head causes the left elbow to fold. This folding action allows the club to swing over the left shoulder and behind the back. At this point the club can be used as a balance pole to help maintain good balance.
Whenever, the left arm returns to a position parallel to the ground, during the down swing, it should also be parallel to the target line. When the left arm is parallel to the ground, it will be pointing down the INTIAL FLIGHT LINE of the ball. If it is pointing right, the ball will start right. If it is pointing left, the ball will start to the left.
The FOURTH PRESSURE POINT of the golf swing is the contact point of your left arm against your rib cage. If your left arm is allowed to swing away from your rib cage prior to impact, rather than being dragged through impact by the rotation of your torso, power will be lost. To gain the maximum amount of leverage, your arms must be PULLED down and through the arc. This LAGGING action will store and release the maximum possible force at impact with the ball. You must create speed in your rotating torso that can be multiplied by the leverage in your swinging arms and the golf club. It should feel like you are pulling the your arms with rotating torso, and pulling the club with your grip at the end of your extended arms. Your club head should feel like a weight on the end of a rope as you swing it down and through your impact with the ball. If your left arm moves away from your chest during the downswing, you have lost some leverage and your arms will slow down prior to releasing their energy during impact.
Your RIGHT ARM at address will be slightly below your left arm and slightly flexed. The upper right arm is in contact with the chest and is vertical to the ground.
Both of your arms are moved away from the ball by the rotation of your torso around your axis of rotation. This initial movement of the chest, arms, and club should be smooth and coordinated (Often called a one piece take-away) and it should continue until the club is parallel to the ground and aligned with the line of flight you choose. at this point the right forearm is pointing directly away from the target. Both the right and left palms are vertical to the ground and the toe of the club is pointed nearly straight up. From this position, all the motion of the hands and arms to the top of the back swing is VERTICAL. This vertical motion of your hands and arms UP to the top of the back swing is created by hinging your right elbow to a 90º angle with your upper arm toward your right shoulder. As you cock your right elbow your grip will rotate to the right so that the back of the right hand is flat and the left wrist cocks at a 90º angle. The golf club completes a roughly rectangular shape, with the right forearm and the right upper arm. You can think of this as the POWER BOX where you accumulate and store the energy of your swing in one place so you can deliver it to the ball at impact.
Conversely, the downswing of the arms, hands, and golf club as you return them to the low point of your arc is simply allowed to happen and feels like it is a VERTICAL DROP.
When you cock your right elbow it causes your left arm to be raised. At the same time the extension exerted on your left thumb through your right palm rotates your shoulders around your axis to the top of your back swing. This position is 90º away from your target. At the top of your back swing your right forearm is vertical to the ground and your right upper arm is horizontal to the ground.
The down swing begins by releasing the tension in your rotated torso which pulls your shoulders around and begins to accumulate centrifugal force in the POWER BOX. As the force accumulates and multiplies it pulls on your arms and your right arm goes from a cocked position at the top of the downswing to a fully extended straight right arm shortly after impact. The right arm will fold naturally as centrifugal force carries the club over your left shoulder.
Your Spine is not your axis of rotation, but, depending upon your weight distribution. it is near to it for most people.
your spine is aligned naturally and not curved to any appreciable amount at address and remains straight throughout the swing.
The Spine ANGLE and TILT that you set up at address must be maintained throughout the back swing and down swing until well past impact with the ball.
During the follow through the spine angle and tilt will straighten naturally as your center of gravity shifts toward the target after impact with the ball.
THE SWING PLANE:
In Golf we consider the ground as a HORIZONTAL PLANE and your body when you stand upright can be considered a VERTICAL PLANE.
As you swing, your golf club will describe an INCLINED PLANE somewhere between HORIZONTAL and VERTICAL.
The longer the club, the flatter the plane (more horizontal) and shorter clubs will describe a steeper plane. (more vertical) Each club has it's own swing plane which is determined by the angle formed between the club head and the shaft, when the club head is soled properly on the ground (The LIE) The shaft should follow this plane due to centrifugal force as you rotate your hips and torso about your axis of rotation.