Continuing on with KH's golf lesson, it was now time to address his swing problem. K was deep and laid off at the top of the backswing. He had improved from his last lesson in that he was less deep with the short clubs. Unfortunately, as the clubs got longer, the extra weight and momentum was pulling him deeper and more laid off. There was also another issue to deal with. In the transition, he was every now and then getting a little loop. The loop also increased in size and occurrence as the clubs got longer.
K, as I pointed out yesterday, has the ¾ length backswing down pat. He has the wide knees and limited knee movement also correct. What he has trouble with is limiting his upper torso turn and standing the club up to 12:00 0'clock and light at the top of the backswing. What he also is now having problems with is controlling the club shaft angle in the transition. He is letting it fall back too laid off and causing the loop rather than fighting and keeping the lay off to a minimum.
The point to remember here is that in a good transition that starts with the lateral left shift, or BUMP as I call it, of the forward knee and hip, the spine and head always tilt slightly backwards a little. Dr. Ned calls this the 'Secondary Spine Angle Tilt.' This also causes the arms and club to be pulled a little backwards, more laid off. The key is we have to fight this by trying to keep the shaft as vertical as we can in the transition and down to impact. If we let the shaft fall back it will lay off as much as to parallel to the ground or more and also fall more inside. This will cause getting trapped behind the body approaching the ball, causing a big inside out swing path that will hit big blocks. To stop the blocks, big time over rotation of the arms hits big pulls. This is the dilemma Sergio battled a few years ago.
So I had 3 swing problems with K to correct. 1. Too much turn and getting the arms and club deep into the SBG. 2. Club getting laid off. 3. The loop and laying the club off more and getting deeper behind the body in the transition.
K is well aware of and understands the concept of vertical 12:00 o'clock and light at the top and the limited turn to only the forward arm over the toe line. No explanations were needed, so I immediately wrote on his lesson prescription sheet in the drills section the one he needed.
Butt on The Wall to stand the club up was the first. He knows this drill well as I have written it as a drill many times and he knew he would bang the wall if he did it. The drill is to back up to a wall in your address position until your butt touches the wall. The make your takeaway into the mitt and lift your arms and club up to the top of your backswing. Make the limited turn and lift your arms and club vertical and the club head will never touch the wall with all clubs, including the driver.
Then I added two tests he needed to do quite often when practicing, even playing, to check his shoulder turn. The first is the 'See the Back Toe Test.' This test is simple. At address, turn and lift your arms and club to the top of your backswing and stop and hold your arms in place. Then look from the ball down to your back foot. If you see any part of your toes you are too deep. A PPGS limited turn of the forward arm turning only to the toe line will have the forward arm ALWAYS covering the toes so you should NEVER see them. So actually the test is really 'Don't see your toes.' K saw his foot every time and with the longer clubs was seeing all the way up to his knee, as he was getting so deep into the SBG.
The second top of back swing test is the 'Shoulder Tap Test. Swing to the top and stop. Then, while maintaining the position, slowly open your top hand and let the club slowly fall downward until it touches your shoulder. A correct limited turn and vertical club will have the shaft tap you in the soft fleshy part of the center of your shoulder. Too much turn and the shaft will tap your bicep. Getting way too much shoulder turn and the club will fall outside of your arm and never touch it. If you let go, it would fall to the ground never touching your hip or leg.
The transition drill to fight the club being pulled back and laid off is called the 'Vertical Pull Down.' Swing to the top of your backswing, stop and hold the club vertical. Turn your head to see your hands and the shaft. The drill is to hold your torso still, so you can only feel your hands and arms move. Pull them and the club slowly and deliberately straight down, 4 to 6 inches max. The key is to focus in on both wrists and forearms and feel the firmness needed in them to pull the vertical club straight down, keeping the club as vertical as you can. Do this slowly and smoothly down then up and down quite a few times until you have figured out the firmness you need to hold the club vertical. (Note: in a dynamic swing, the transition will cause the club to be pulled backwards. The point of this drill is to experience the extra effort, energy, power and force you need to exert to fight this and keep the club as vertical as you are able to do.)
Now, when you have a good feel for the extra force needed to keep the club vertical as much as possible, we go to part 2 by adding transition in with a little forward hip bump. You will now have a little spine tilt and feel more force pulling the shaft backwards. You will need to add more power and energy to counter this extra force to keep the club as vertical as you possibly can. The extra force you feel in this little transition will be considerably increased in a real swing. The key with this 'Pull Down' drill is your brain and muscles are being made aware of the pull back force the transition places on the club and the counter force you need to have to fight it to keep the shaft as vertical as you can. I had K do at least 20 to 30 pull downs and he said he could really feel the difference of the weight of the club being lighter and more controlled and easier to swing when he powered up and worked to fight the pull back and keep it vertical.
I told K I had done this 'Pull Down' drill what feels like a million times and I still do it quite often today. I believe you can never do it enough to be made aware of the change of forces placed on the body, especially the club during the swing, and the firmness and power you need to have to control your body and club. This is the basis of my Surgism for swinging the club that states; 'I must swing the club'¦the club does not swing me.'
K got the message and the feelings in this lesson as to what he needed to have for a proper limited turn backswing and a vertical shaft, especially the energy and forces he needed to have to fight to maintain the shaft vertical in the transition. Do these tests and drills and you too, like K and me, will know where your body and club are at the top of your back swing and the energy and effort needed to control your club in the transition.
The Surge!