A few days back I did a post called Is Your Golf Swing Causing Back Problems? where I referenced Henrik Stenson and his teacher Pete Cowen. In the comments Peter Cheng left a link to a video of Cowen's "Ax Drill" and asked what I thought. Here's the video:
You see, the Ax Drill teaches you to curve your forearms -- a move that I am lifeless set against. In truth, my primary Basic Principle of the Game (and that link offers just one region wherein I've stated it), whether it is a pressure or a putting stroke, is:
The clubface should remain rectangular to the stroke course; the forearms should NOT rotate in the course of the execution of the stroke.I guess my teaching is unusual just because of that one thing. But please note that Cowen actually says in this video that the swing would be so much simpler if we didn't need to twist our forearms!
It's been some time considering that I've finished a tutorial series, but that appears the nice way to reply Peter's query. We DON'T should twist our forearms, and this post collection will explain why. It's basically all-new material and I'm guessing it will take 3 posts.
- The first post will deal with the physical reason that we don't need to twist our forearms.
- The second post will explain how this physical reason works in the modern golf swing, where the arms don't do a lot of work until the hands reach the impact zone.
- And the third post will explain how it works in a classic swing, which is basically what Cowen teaches (very well, I might add) and in which the arms play a much bigger role in the swing.
I'm not surprised if you're skeptical about the idea. Our swing plane is very clearly tilted at an angle during a golf swing. But don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm not saying there is no rotation during a golf swing, just that our forearms aren't what create that rotation.
And that, my pals, is a totally unique issue.
You see, most people don't have a clear understanding of how their bodies work. But that's very important knowledge if we want to build a repeating golf swing because our natural simple moves are easier to repeat. And in this case, your lead shoulder joint plays a vitally important role in how your swing works.
Just test this drawing:
Because the "arm bone" is slightly offset in the joint -- and in fact angled forward a little, as you can see in the following two images from shoulderdoc.Co.Uk -- the arm would not flow quite the manner we would anticipate.
Because of this uncommon production, our shoulders have a range of movement that boggles the thoughts. But that offset can also have some surprising aspect consequences -- like sudden rotation.
A few paragraphs down I've added a crude drawing that shows a couple of positions we typically take when we move our arms. In both of the positions in this diagram, the lead thumb is pointing upward. In the first position (A) the man is just standing straight and holding his lead arm out in front of his lead shoulder, parallel to the floor. In the second (B), he's taken a typical golf address position, again with his lead arm out in front of his lead shoulder to hold a club. In both cases, he keeps his lead hand and forearm relaxed while he moves his lead hand until it's opposite his trailing shoulder (no shoulder turn, just moving his arm).
Try each position for yourself. Here's a quick tip: Your lead thumb probably WON'T point straight up in the air when your wrist and forearm are relaxed. That's because most people's hands naturally turn inward slightly when they're relaxed. That's also why most people play better with a slightly stronger grip -- it's the most natural position.
Keep your lead hand and forearm relaxed at the same time as you pass your hand from its beginning position in front of your lead shoulder to its finishing role in the front of your trailing shoulder.
Here's what will happen. In the A position, unless you have a large chest, your hand will stay at roughly the same angle it was when you started. But in the B position, your hand will rotate noticeably toward your trailing side. That's because the offset design of your shoulder joint causes your tricep (the big muscle on the back of your upper arm) to roll across your chest as your arm moves. That's because your tricep and chest stay connected during the move. (How many times have we talked about the importance of connection in your golf swing?)
That's also why the large-chested character gets a few rotation from the A function. When a thin person attempts role A, their tricep and chest get disconnected -- there's no rolling motion. The man or woman with the thicker chest (and possibly thicker palms as well) nevertheless receives a few diploma of connections
The rotation that happens during your golf swing should happen at your lead shoulder, not in your forearms. If you maintain that lead arm-chest connection throughout your swing, you will get a controlled rotation that is consistent on both the way back and the way down. You won't even have to think about it.
In evaluation, whilst you create the rotation together with your forearms, you need to consciously attempt to healthy the amount of rotation at the backswing with the amount at the downswing. And that rotation is brought to the herbal rotation at your shoulder! Furthermore, if you don't maintain that connection in the course of your complete swing -- a very actual possibility while you're twisting your forearms (reflect onconsideration on all the ones pros sticking gloves among their lead arm and chest throughout exercise!) -- if you do not keep that connection, the shoulder rotation will become inconsistent as nicely and makes the guessing sport even trickier.
It's definitely much simpler to let the natural design of your shoulder, along with proper connection, create a consistent rotation at your lead shoulder rather than by twisting your forearms.
But accept as true with it or now not, the character of the golfing swing itself makes this shoulder roll a higher pass. And we're going to speak that the next day while we have a look at the modern swing.
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