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Tom's Featured Tip: Quarantine Practice - Transition With Power
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Tom's Featured Tip: Quarantine Practice - Transition With Power
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
The "transition" in the golf swing is that point in time when your backswing shifts into your forward swing. It initiates the downswing sequence.
When it's done properly, there is an accumulation of power in the transition, and that power is then applied at impact.
When done incorrectly - which is commonplace - power is not accumulated and released efficiently. Instead, power accumulation is "dumped" early in the downswing and a less than optimal force is applied to the ball at impact.
This is called a power leak.
What counts most in generating maximum clubhead speed through impact is a progressive application of power (swing speed) from the top of the swing through the ball. The club starts from an essential stop, then must accelerate to achieve maximum clubhead velocity just past the point of impact.
At the top of a "traditional" or "classic" backswing, you would have coiled or turned your body with a sequential backwards extension of your arms, which turns your shoulders, which turns your hips and shifts some of your weight to the inside of your right/back foot. It feels as though there is a slight pause at the end of your backswing so that you can reverse this entire action.
I teach that the first move from the end of the backswing should be a slight lateral slide (or bump) of your hips to get your body core stacked over your left foot. This move will cause your hands and the club to drop slightly inside, so that your upper right arm is close to your side.
Shifting some weight to your rear foot then forward is the "traditional" method to get the club back and through. A "non-traditional" method is to leave most of your weight over your left foot as you execute your backswing, but still executing a slide or bump of the hips to initiate the transition. I used to be a "traditional" shifter, but as my game matured, I changed to a "weight stacked on the left side" type of swing method. It works exceptionally well for me with my irons, but with the driver I do allow some shifting back and forward.
ergo: Golf is a game of discovery.
Either way is totally valid, it's a matter of personal preference. The critical aspect is the lateral slide or bump to shift the weight forward ahead of the turn to initiate the transition sequence.
When I teach, I often hold the shaft at the top of the backswing during transition, so that the student doesn't turn or open their shoulders before the lateral move.
The bump or slide must precede the turn, and when a student gets really good at it, it appears to be simultaneous, but it's not. The bump or slide must precede the turn, albeit fractionally so with better players.
Throwing the shoulders into the turn too early is the bane of most amateurs. It's the cause of a weak outside to inside swing path that will result in pulls or slices.
With a correct backswing, you can leverage the immense power that is stored in body core for your downswing by sliding/bumping your hips first, then rotating your hips and shoulders with speed and your mass stacked over your left foot.
The arms and hands, then the club are pulled down and through the impact zone in that sequence.
I use the analogy that the golf swing is a pulling motion because in effect you have a chain with several links. And you cannot push a chain, it needs to be pulled!
The club is a fixed link, as are the forearm, upper arm, and chest.
The connection - wrist, elbow, and shoulder joint - all are variable.
If you pull this chain through impact, from your torso, the other links will follow.
If you want to add power to your golf swing quickly and easily, first of all get a correct grip for your personal swing and keep your hands soft and your wrists "oily", so that you can easily square the face through impact when swinging fast.
Hold the grip in the last three fingers of the left hand (not the palm) , and pull the club through impact. Resist getting the right hand releasing (squaring the face) too early in the downswing.
Thinking and swinging this way will encourage your body to lead that entire action, and you will generate more clubhead speed with less effort than you would think.
Effortless power, instead of powerless effort is really what the game is all about.
To get the feel of this, try it out with 8 iron punch shots. Get your 8 iron and make half swings, feeling the end of the backswing. Initiate the downswing by shifting your weight to your left/lead side then turning your body core through.
Let the body lead the arms, the arms lead the hands, and the hands lead the clubhead. Hold on lightly and just let it happen. You'll feel the sensation of effortless power. That's an intoxicating feeling, and once you feel it you'll be motivated to practice more.
Truly a win-win for the body and the mind.
Try it, you'll like it.
Comments: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Tom
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