Hi, Surge.
The videos are great! I am hoping to save wear and tear on my back by using your method. One question: my clubs have standard lies. Should I look into getting them adjusted more upright by one or two degrees?
Thanks,
Bill Knox
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Mr. Knox,
Glad to hear that the videos are really helping you, and I am confident that they will help/reduce the wear and tear on your back.
Regarding your lie angle question:
Just because you are swinging more vertical/upright does not necessarily mean that you have to bump your lie angles more vertical/upright. Lie angle is determined by the length of your arms versus the height of your torso as to returning the club to impact so that the leading edge of the club hits the ground soled flat.
That is, not heel or toe up, which changes the launch angle and direction of the ball flight.
For example, I am 5′9″ and have an arm length of 35 inches which is usually the length associated with someone well over 6 feet.
My son, D.J., is 6′4″ and also has a 35″ sleeve.
For his height and arm length, his clubs are standard lie.
Whereas, with my long arms, relative to my shorter torso, my clubs are set 3 degrees flat. And, with my upright/vertical swing my clubs at impact are soled properly. That is, the leading edge is flat to the ground.
So, since you have changed your swing to a more upright plane does not necessarily mean your lie angles must also be upright, as is seen by mine being flat.
If your lie angles are too upright, your divits will be digging in the heel.
If they are too flat, your clubhead will dig in the toe.
And, if your divots are clean and level from heel to toe, your lie angle is likely correct.
I recommend that you visit your PGA Professional or local club fitter and have them check your lie angles of all your irons as they apply to your new upright swing.
Hope this answers your question!
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Dear Don
We just saw a clinic or some such program on the Golf Channel UK. We get it via satellite here in Spain. It appeared that you want the knees to far apart —- bowed outward if possible. What would you suggest for an old man with bow legs and bad knees? I really cannot push the knees further sideways and stay in any balance.
I swing approximately as you suggest and the results are not bad for a 77 year old. Hcap about 10 now but slowly still rising. My grip is stronger than you suggest but this may be hold over from old days as is my occasional real inside swing causing hooks of truly outstanding proportions.
Bruce
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Bruce,
I have studied physiology for almost 20 years now with my mentor, Dr. Ned Armstrong, an orthopedic Surgeon in Atlanta, Georgia.
We strive in the setup to be dynamically balanced.
That is having a setup that will produce a swing that is in dynamic balance also.
Regarding the knees:
Even though I teach a limited turn swing with a max of 3/4 length backswing, this little turn still needs to be done in balance and with limited stress.
The knees, even with a limited turn, should have a little external rotation, as the torso turns and the knees stay flexed. We achieve this dynamic balance, angle retention of the torso and knee flex, by having what I call a narrow stance (shoulder wide max) with wide knees which are directly over the ankles and thus ankle to knee is straight up/perpendicular to the ground.
Lastly, we also exert a slight outward pressure of the knees creating a little stretch in your upper and inner thighs.
The reason for this outward pressure is to help resist moving the knees in the backswing, which is the key to keeping the knees and torso level and balanced.
The final checkpoint for the width of the knees directly over the ankles is that when we exert the outward pressure your feet MUST remain flat. That is the feet must not roll outward to the outside edge of your sole which would have your weight now getting outside your feet/base and thus not in balance.
Lastly, being bow legged I believe should make the wide knees (riding a skinny horse as I label it) relatively easy to do.
And, with bad knees, this setup should be less stressful on your knees.
I can only surmise your balance problems with the wide knees is that you got them too wide and had your weight roll to the outside of your feet. I have had students with knee replacement and one with both knees and hips replaced that couldn't really swing until we got the feet flaired 30 degrees or more and got him into the wide knees with outward pressure.
I hope this answers your question.
I am confident that with the wide knees over the ankles, with the weight centered on your feet, you will be in balance and have a powerful swing with little to no stress on your knees.
Hope these answers help in your situation.
Talk soon,
Don Trahan
“The Swing Surgeon”