Today I'm going to discuss the sternum and spine position at address through to impact. Larry Hink sent in a question asking how to keep a level sternum during his pre-loaded heavy right setup. But, the goal is not to keep a level sternum. In fact, it's impossible to swing with a level sternum and spine angle. You've got to have a slight tilt, which comes from being PLHR (pre-loaded heavy right).
Hi Surge,
So how can we keep sternum level and still pre-load heavy right?
Larry Hink
I didn't wear a hat today so you could see the top of my sunglasses. I also wore a shirt with multiple lines on it for reference points. This will allow you to see how the setup changes once I get into my pre-loaded heavy right position. The sternum and spine change from being level to having a tilted axis. We tilt the whole upper body because we need to have our weight on our back foot. We sink into the right side to the point that you should be able to lift up your front leg.
You can't swing level. You have to have the right loaded tilt. Once I set it in from takeaway to impact, the tilt stays the same. If I change it, it's going to take away any sort of consistent contact. Good luck!
Keep it vertical!
The Surge
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Comments
Good Topics
Couple of issues here that come to mind for me:-
1. As a trigger to commence the BUS, I have a slight press with the club into the ground and didn't understand what it was doing, found out that when I did this, I compressed my legs exactly the way Don described and now hit much cleaner.
2. I set up with the left hand holding the club and automatically initiate spine tilt when my right hand is placed, this ritual is paramount for me.
3. Be careful on too much spine tilt as this pulls or hooks the ball with an aggressive release. Sometimes I mentally try to feel more level to overcome this, but lots of practise in front of a large glass pane, will give you the proper feel and tilt.
Good Topics
NeilofOz,
Interesting re: your trigger comment! I too use the left hand to align the clubhead and then add the right hand. I have been guilty of standing too central or over tilting on occasions. As for the 'aggressive' release and too much tilt? hahaha, indeed. The full length mirror I used yesterday indoors spoke volumes to me on things needing more attention in my set up.
It was back to basics and the manual. It is amazing the things 'skipped' over when reading it previously : - ( Back to the mirror as our large glass panes are only accessible if wearing a wet suit and snorkel hahahaha~!
Keep on practicing in drier OZ Now up and practice my setup routine with more attention to detail. DH
Sternum and Spine
I just watched your video on the Sternum and Spine tilt. The light finally came on about being preloaded heavy right. I tried your tip and I started hitting the ball much better. Thanks for the tip.
Two Spinal Tilts
I've been focusing a lot on maintaining a constant spinal tilt toward the target line and have found a visualization, that helps me maintain my levels through impact. Thanks Surge, for this video stressing the importance of maintaining the spinal tilt away from the target, from address through impact. It is obviously necessary, to maintain that rearward spine angle, in order to keep the head behind the ball at impact, unless you are trying to hit the ball low with a cut off follow through. My next project is to find a visualization that helps me maintain rearward spinal tilt, until impact.
Sternal Angle
I expect that some who viewed the Spine Tilt video will question whether or not the sternum has a joint. Just in case you may believe that Don implied that there are no joints there is technically a secondary joint joining the sternum and the manubrium. Don's premise that "where the spine goes the sternum follows" is correct. The spine is capable of lateral bending but for all intents and Purposes the sternum follows as one piece. If there was any lateral movement available to us early in life it is has diminished with age.
A way of doing the bump that results in a truly effortless swing
I was trying on the driving range today to find a way to do the bump and maintain the rearward spinal tilt through impact. Making a lateral move with the hips, or the tailbone as I visualize, parallel to the target line has never been that consistent for me because it is easy to overdo. I found something today that does work for me and worked equally well with every club in the bag.
I said yesterday, that I needed a visualization to help me maintain rearward spinal tilt until impact. My mental picture now is that the tailbone is the leading point of a wedge with the spinal tilt away from the target being the angled edge connected to an imaginary line parallel to the ground. This helps me to think to moving the tailbone first and maintains or even increases spinal tilt through impact. Of course after impact my key thought is " UP " and the angle of the wedge becomes 90 degrees because the spine is straight up at the T-Finish.
The major discovery for me was that a movement of the tailbone on a diagonal away from the toe line was much more effective than moving it parallel to the toe line. I felt as if I was moving the tail bone on a line left of the target to the rear of the left heel . This is a much easier and more specific way of doing the bump than worrying about lateral hip or knee action and puts the hips in the correct slightly open position at impact.with a good spinal tilt.
While this was a discovery for me, there is nothing new under the sun and a web search today revealed that this is called a " closed hip bump." It was described as a major source of power in a Golf digest article. Their description is a bit different but the movement of the bump is the same.
I gave it a good test today, playing with it right from the driving range and on to the golf course playing in extremely windy, almost gale conditions. This was as close to effortless power as I've ever had with a golf swing and for once my shots were not at the mercy of the winds.