============================================================== [ TomTuckerGolf.com Tips ] Issue 27 - Date 08/22/12 ============================================================== IN THIS ISSUE: - Tom's Featured Tip: Hitters, Swingers, and The Right Knee - Tom's Bonus Tip: Lag Pressure - Lesson Comments: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html - Sponsors: The Batavia Country Club, Chestnut Hill CC If you want to respond to this newsletter, PLEASE DO NOT hit reply, email sent via reply gets auto-deleted. Instead, please FORWARD your reply to ttucker@rochester.rr.com and I'll get it directly. It's set up this way to avoid spam replies, which were clogging up my mailbox. Thanks! Tom Tucker http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ If you like this newsletter, please do me a favor and forward it to your friends so that they may subscribe: Subscribe - http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/signup.html The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. For the sake of simplicity, all advice on swings and drills is provided from a right handed perspective; lefties .... well, you know what to do :-) ============================================================== Tom's Featured Tip - Hitters, Swingers, and The Right Knee ============================================================== This week I was going to address the flex in the right knee in the backswing, pro's and con's. Coincidentally, a student of mine had an experience which motivated more towards addressing this issue. This is also a good example of how well intentioned advice, or a golf tip you see in a golf magazine, could actually do harm to your swing. This particular student has dropped six strokes off his handicap since last fall as a result of lessons where we made a couple of changes to get him hitting the ball more solidly, more consistently. Recently he was playing at a course near his home, and their new pro mentioned to him that he needed to keep some flex in his right knee in his backswing. My student told him politely that he had dropped six strokes off his handicap through lessons that taught that knee position differently, but thanks for sharing. Apparently this new pro has not learned to not contribute unsolicited advice, a lesson I learned years ago. It's also a good idea to keep your lip off other players' swings unless you are asked for an opinion. He should also have known that there are many swing variations that position the right knee on the takeaway completely differently. I know that some "standard" boilerplate instruction actually labels straightening the right knee in the backswing a fault.  I respectfully submit that those authors need to educate themselves more. I have had remarkable success with teaching a method that involves letting the right knee straighten in the backswing. Let me explain. There are hitters and swingers in golf. It's been my personal observation that hitters usually have a larger percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers in their body, and that swingers usually gravitate towards a predominance of slow twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitch body types usually have a stocky, muscular physique, slow switch types are usually more slender. Most of the population falls somewhere in between the extremes. Both hitter and swinger swing methods can be very successful, but swing methods should be geared towards natural inclinations whenever possible. Hitters can gain a little extra swing speed by getting more coil in their backswing, and utilizing a little more arm thrust and hand motion at impact. Swingers can gain speed from more centrifugal force, which can be generated by not limiting their backswing length. This is where the right knee flex in the backswing comes very much into play. For a pure hitter, I would have that player retain significant flex in the right knee in the takeaway and backswing in order to retain maximum coil, with a shorter, tighter backswing. Coil is acquired because the hips are limited from rotating back, which creates coil between the shoulders and hips. This backswing limitation prevents a pure hitter's naturally aggressive tendency to make their backswing too long, with resultant power leaks and inaccuracy. Most hitters also utilize a lateral weight shift towards the rear foot in the backswing, then a properly sequenced lateral weight shift forward during the impact sequence. They also need to have active hands in their release. Timing needs to be practiced relentlessly. When done correctly it's a fine swing. For a pure swinger, I would have the player straighten the right knee significantly in their takeaway and backswing, allowing the hips to rotate more to create more centrifugal force on the down and through swing. Allowing the right knee to straighten this way also starts transferring weight laterally to the left side early, which takes some of the timing out of the equation for getting the correct amount of weight laterally forward during the impact sequence. This type of swing is a bit less reliant on timing, because it's a more fluid swing, and the weight starts moving forward early. It also doesn't require extremely active hands at release, because the speed is generated more from the swing length, not muscular power. When done correctly it's also a fine swing. My personal observation is that most people generally would benefit more from a swinger method of swinging than a hitter method. It'd easier to repeat the swing, it generates good swing speed, it's easier to get the weight positioned correctly for impact, and it's a swing that one can use late into life with less fear of injury. With the hitter method, retaining flex in the right knee places a lot of stress on your knee, and more importantly your back. It's fine for young strong players, but they need to take care to stay very fit if they want to carry this swing method into their later years. Even if they do stay fit, that swing won't produce maximum results later in life simply because of the loss of muscle elasticity that goes along with old age. As we get older, centrifugal force becomes the power source of choice by necessity. Last but not least, hitters can function very well with a swinger swing method, whereas swingers will not function nearly as well with a hitter swing method. Some players are able to attain the best of both worlds, but that would have to start with a swinger's knee position. A player who combined the swinger's right knee position on the takeaway, with a hitter's explosiveness at impact was Ben Hogan. Google "Ben Hogan Backswing Photo's" and you'll see that his right leg is almost completely straight in his backswing. Arnold Palmer also had a swingers right leg position at the top of his backswing, so did Sam Snead. So .. make an educated choice when you decide how you want to swing a golf club, and don't believe every tip you read.  It might work with your swing. Enjoy your golf, Tom ============================================================== Tom's Bonus Tip - Lag Pressure ============================================================== The best in the world try to retain their lag through impact, to not release it too soon. Lag pressure generates power, releasing too soon dissipates the stored power too soon. Maintain the correct angles in your hands and wrists, and transport those angles through impact.  The pressure created by holding the angle translates directly into power. Enjoy your golf, Tom ============================================================= Golf Lessons ============================================================= I conduct lessons at The Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility there's a link with info here: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/ Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or at ttucker@rochester.rr.com for more information. Rates: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/lessonrates.html Testimonials: http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html ============================================================== Sponsors ============================================================== Batavia Country Club - http://www.bataviacc.com Need a new pair of golf shoes or a new Callaway Wedge? Great Pricing ! Puma /Callaway /BCC Logo Shirts/Wind/Caps. Chestnut Hill CC - http://www.chestnuthillcc.com Low greens fees, great course! ============================================================== All the best, Tom Tucker Teaching Pro, Plum Creek Driving Range & Practice Facility WGTF "Top 100 Golf Teacher" USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional Cell: (716) 474-3005 Email: ttucker@rochester.rr.com http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com http://www.usgtf.com/top_100_wgtf.html Success Loves Preparation ~ Anonymous