By this same line of reasoning, we can show why short-game vertical hinge actions are more often than not unnecessary. As the stroke gets shorter and the plane angle steeper, your angled hinge approaches a vertical hinge - all without the deliberate conscious manipulation (and danger) that comes with it!

Homer's World On A String
 

Homer Kelley told the five of us in his January 1982 GSEM Class that Centrifugal Force automatically aligns the Clubface and Clubshaft for Horizontal Hinging through Impact. To prove his point, he took us out on his driveway one morning and brought out the string device you see here. By the way, that garage in the background was Homer's 'laboratory.' All the indoor photos in the book were taken just inside that door underneath the little G.O.L.F. sign.

The Clubhead was actually balsa wood painted silver with a little screw in the middle of the Clubface to give it a Sweetspot. Homer tried several times to get the string whirling about his body, but he kept getting tangled up in the string. That's why the fellows in the background are still smiling. I remember saying, "Having a little trouble with that Start Up, aren't you, Homer?" :lol:

He finally was able to get the little Clubhead whirling around, and on one of the passes through Impact, I was able to get a perfect 'shot' of the Impact alignment. As you can see, the Clubface is "Closing Only" (Horizontal Hinge Action) and the Sweetspot in perfectly in-line with the #3 Pressure Point (Right Forefinger). Years later, the phenomena of "Clubhead Droop" became the newest revelation in Clubfitting, but you can see it clearly here.

I sent a copy of the photo to Homer, and some 22 years later it re-surfaced in a Sports Illustrated article that included a brief sketch about him. Someone asked me then where the magazine got the photo, and I answered: "I don't know who gave them the photo, but I do know who has the negative." :cool:

Here is the photo of that blessed event and one more that no one has seen.

Those present in the photo are (from left to right) Steve Snyder, Greg McHatton, and Mike Holder. Behind Homer is John Fey. And behind the lens...

Matt,

Very astute observation...I can't tell you how many bladed shots I have seen people make trying to "hold the face open".:happy3:

Awesome!!!!!

Thanks for posting those pics . . . gotta love this place!

Question: You can't push a rope but you can pull it. With Axe Handle techinque you are actively thrusting against the Pressure Points and overriding CF. But with Rope Handle techique you DON'T actively thrust to accelerate . . . So what do the function do the pressure points serve? Aligning CF and allowing the intrinsic Horizontal Hinging?

Pressure Point Pressure Moves the Club
 

In every Golf Stroke -- Hitting or Swinging -- there must be Thrust to drive the Lever Assemblies and thus apply Force to the Ball.

The Swinger uses Centrifugal Thrust. The Hitter uses Muscular Thrust. In both instances, that Thrust is applied via the selected Power Accumulators through the employed Pressure Points.

Per 1-L #7:

"The Lever Assembly is driven by exerting pressure against it."

Lynn,

In post #19 you gave the following explanation:


On the Flatter Plane Angles, Angled Hinging approaches Horizontal Hinging. Hence your ability to produce Horizontal Hinging with the Feel of 'No Roll.'

On the Steeper Plane Angles, Angled Hinging approaches Vertical Hinging. Hence the necessity for a more pronounced 'Roll' Feel to produce the Horizontal Hinge Action.
__________________
Yoda


This idea may be way “outside the box” but some 6 months ago I thought of the following explanation for why slicing is so common among golfers.

Here goes,
Lie angles of golf clubs are measured from the horizontal up to the clubshaft. The range is approximately from 64* to 56*. Since an angled hinge has layback and closing, a 45* angle would be half layback and half closing.

Since the lie angle of golf clubs is greater than 45*, the tendency would be to under-roll the clubface (toward vertical hinging as you stated above) if you are feeling no-roll. Hence, this could be a simple explanation for why slicing is such a problem for golfers as they are attempting a no-roll feel when they should have some feel of roll to close the clubface because of the angle of the clubshaft.

Lee

Wow that is probably the best post i have read to date!
 

Thanks for this Yoda, it makes a HUGE difference in translating the 'feel into real'. This post has saved me a potential few months worth of frustration !!!