Dave-- To understand Alignment Golf vs. Position Golf:
1. Throw a coin to the floor three or four feet in frontof you.
2. Reach down to pick it up.
3. When you touch the coin, stop.
4. Examine your position: Your front leg has extended, your knee has bent, and your weight is now loaded on your front foot; your head and shoulders are down and forward from your standing position; your arm is extended; your fingers are touching the coin.
5. Reflect on the fact that at no time did you consciously assume that position. Instead, your entire focus was on picking up the coin. To do that, your hand correctly made a straight line path to the coin.
In making the motion, the Three Zones (Body, Arms, and Hands) each had their respective assignments. But, the Hands (under the direction of The Computer) were at all times responsible for the precision of the procedure -- in this case the movement to the coin -- and coordinated and controlled the entire action. And that is Alignment Golf.
Now all (!!) you've got to do is to teach your Hands the correct alignments for a given Stroke Pattern. Unfortunately, because many of those other pesky (but necessary) components have no clue as to what to do, and because their ignorance will sabotage the precision execution of the Hands, you'll have to educate them, too. [For example, if the Right Hip fails to clear (in a non-zero Pivot Stroke) then the Hands will simply go around it, and take the Sweet Spot off-Plane in the process.] But, in the end, the Hands control, and your Game will reflect the quality of their education and real-time ability to execute.
In both cases, the Pivot -- its Motion (7-12) and Action (7-15) -- is the same. The only difference is control.
Unfortunately, I don't think that was your intent. From your post, you clearly meant:
"Active" Pivot = Pivot leading Hands
"Reactive" Pivot = Hands leading Pivot
All of which begs the purpose of the Pivot itself:
Does the Pivot set up the circular motion of the stroke, and, coincidentally, Transport the Power Package . . . or does it not?
Does the rotor of a ceiling fan or heliocopter spin the blades . . . or does it not?
Does the body of the ice skater spin the arms . . . or does it not?
This argument has nothing to do with Power versus Accuracy. It has everything to do with Sequencing. And once the Body has entered the equation, its Components (Feet, Knees, Hips and Shoulders) must be sequenced within the overall Motion.
And that motion is sequenced Body-Arms-Hands -- Zones One-Two-Three -- NOT Hands-Arms-Body (Zones Three-Two-One).
Am I correct in assuming that this 'dynamic' weight shift is mandatory for full shots? Or in other words, when looking at video of me hitting a Driver, must there be a visible shift to the left 2-4 frames prior to the hands starting down, and if I'm not doing this, am I not shifting your weight properly?
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That's right, Andy. In Pivot Strokes, the Downstroke begins at the ground (the Feet) and sequences upward through the Knees, Hips and Shoulders. The Hip Action (Hips pull Shoulders) shifts the weight and maintains the On Plane Right Shoulder during the Start Down. This Body Action pulls the Arms, and the Arms pull the Hands (which have experienced a momentary static period that defines the Top).
Yoda
The downswing starts from the ground up. But how active are the hips? There is a hip slide, but the (delayed?) hips rotation is perhaps not something to (over) focus on? It happens naturally? More important is to get the right forearm and right shoulder on plane pointing at the delivery line in the downstroke? Or...?
The 'bump' is a Hip Slide with a Delayed Turn. Its purpose is to Shift the Weight and tilt the Spine -- the Axis for the On Plane Downstroke Shoulder Turn. Prior to the Downstroke Hip Turn, the Slide should be parallel to the selected Delivery Line, i.e., the true Geometric Plane Line (Swingers and Hitters) or the Angle of Approach (Hitters only) [7-12].
Both the Hip and Shoulder Turns are the result of the intent to Drive the Hands Down Plane (toward the Ball).
The Delayed Turn clears the Right Hip prior to or during the Start Up. The Slide clears it from the Top.
Yoda
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Originally Posted by Mathew
I wouldn't mind adding another layer into this conversation by discussing the feet and the roles that the hip and foot action play in regards to the Pivot Train.
One of the reason why the Right Anchor, Delayed Hip Turn, Flat Left foot action should be employed because it is the ideal variation, is that if you have standard Knee, Hip action and Foot action - if the backstroke is not halted with the feet, people using this variation cannot use that same tension in the feet that halted the backstroke to launch the pivot train in the downstroke. When good golfers say they like to 'use the ground', but can't explain it, this is what they mean.
The hip action in the downstroke is very much a reaction to this. You cannot think - right, im going to slide here an inch or two and turn... The correct way is to use that tension in your feet per 7-17 to launch the pivot under your stationary head. 'Swinging from the feet' gives your stroke the maximum Swing radius.
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Good post. Do you think you are "using" your feet or are you "feeling" the down-plane force of your hands and right shoulder going into the ground via your feet? 12 pb
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The swingers pivot drives and creates a pressure against acc#4 at its associated pressure point(#4). You launch the pivot from the tension in your feet, your pivot (power package transport) moves the hands - specifically monitored by the pressure points - to the aiming point.... Mathew
Originally Posted by Mathew
You cannot think - right, im going to slide here an inch or two and turn...
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Originally Posted by Yoda
Mathew is right on here. In my own case, unless I consciously monitor the situation -- which I rarely do -- I am totally unaware of the degree of Hip Slide. However, at one time I worked pretty hard on that Component and still do emphasize its 'parallel to the Plane Line' motion when I practice my Lag Loading via Downstroke Waggles. And here, there is enough lateral motion to transfer the Weight to the left side as the Body begins to Pull the Arms and Hands toward their Impact Locations.
What I am very aware of during the Stroke is being in position -- Centered and perfectly Balanced -- so that when I Drag my 'Wet Mop' down from the Top, the natural swinging DOWN of the Arms will (1) automatically put my Hands well in front of the Ball before Impact, and (2) automatically cause a definite Forward Lean of the Clubshaft all the way through Impact and well into the Follow-Through. I feel as though I am literally hammering the Ball into the ground. And I continue this Down Plane Thrust until both Arms are straight. Obviously, with the longer Clubs the Ball is located nearer Low Point, so the Down element is less dramatic, but it is still there.
All this includes the distinct sensation of my Lower Body and Left Shoulder returning to their Impact Fix alignments. During Start Down and into the Downstroke, I have a very strong awareness that I have moved into a rock-solid position from which I can "drive the Ball into the ground, not into the air" (6-E-2). Not just once in a while, but time after time. In fact, the feeling is that I really can't do anything else! From the Top, all I have to do is swing Down and through the Ball (and Plane Line!) until both Arms are straight, all the time dragging my Wet Mop -- the Clubhead Lag and its Pressure in my Hands -- along behind me.
I have worked diligently on this -- achieving automatically and without effort the Flat Left Wrist and 'Impact Hands' -- since my 'return' to golf two years ago and am happy to report that I am hitting the Ball better now -- by far -- than at any other time in my life.
And that's a good thing.
How good is this post? Amazing!
Enchiladas Verde, not to threadjack. But if one is to go to the Gallery of this here fine website, one will find some pictures of some decent players at Impact or Follow Through: Hogan, Nelson, Player, Buck, Mr. Kelley and a Lil' Green Man.
As you have so clearly stated above "the natural swinging DOWN of the Arms will (1) automatically put my Hands well in front of the Ball before Impact, and (2) automatically cause a definite Forward Lean of the Clubshaft all the way through Impact and well into the Follow-Through." Why are ball strikers of this superior quality in this "forward lean" position so DEEP into Follow-Through vs. some equally good players interms of resume who are more "in-line" at the same point in the Stroke?
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