Paul Henry wrote:
Don,
How quiet should your lower body be?
The other day I went out and tried to hit the ball very cleanly by keeping my lower body as still as possible so that I wouldn't dip into the ball or slide past it. It worked to the extent that I succeeded in making clean contact on virtually every shot. On the other hand, I felt that my lower body was not at all 'athletic' and I was probably swinging mostly with my arms and losing distance.
How can I involve my legs more and consistently hit the ball cleanly?
Paul,
You have a dilemma here, Paul. You got the ball striking you wanted but you feel like your swing is probably mostly arms and loosing distance and your lower body does not feel athletic and can you involve your legs more and still consistently hit the ball better. NO CAN DO! This is sort of like the dilemma of eating Chinese food. You like it, eat it and it is filling — but doesn't last. So, do you eat more? Another example is, 'I really want to save money, but I spend everything I make buying things I like, then ask my financial planner how can I save money?'
We first must look at the PPGS. The definition is the PPGS is a limited turn, ¾ length backswing. The PPGS setup trademark position is the flared feet with wide knees over the ankles in line with the hips. The swing thought in the backswing is to hold and resist the forward knee moving inward in the backswing as this is the way we minimize the shoulder and hip turn and, at the same time, keep the flex in the knees and make and keep them more athletically ready.
The point of the legs resisting movement in the backswing, limiting the torso turn, is that we are minimizing body and leg movement to increase arm swing speed. In other words, we hold the body more to swing the arms faster. This is the law of centrifugal force where when you swing a rock on the end of a string. The faster the rock swings, the less the hand moves, so the rock can swing in a stable and steady circle.
When hitting a golf ball, the rock is the club head, the string is your club shaft and forward arm, and the hand holding and swinging the rock and the string symbolizes your body. So, hold your body and swing your arms faster. That is the principle behind the consistency, efficiency and YES, the POWER generation of the PPGS. The world is searching for clean, efficient, alternative energy. The PPGS is the answer to efficient, powerful, body friendly swing energy.
During a lesson one day years back with a scratch player named Brett, I asked him what do we do using the PPGS when we want to hit the ball harder or longer. I mentioned that conventional instruction for the rotational swing says that you must widen your stance to have the extra stability needed for making a bigger shoulder turn, and a longer backswing needed for generating more club head speed. DJ was hitting balls around 30 feet behind us. Without even trying to think of an answer, knowing DJ uses the PPGS and is quite good at it, Brett turned and asked DJ this question. 'What do you do when you want to hit the ball farther?' DJ was just about to start a swing. He stood up out of his setup and looked straight at Brett and said 'I HOLD MY LEGS MORE and (pointing toward the target down the range) I swing my arms faster that way.'
DJ's definition says it all. The alternative swing power of the PPGS, which is also body friendly, is without a doubt, less body and leg action and more arm swing. I know it doesn't feel athletic as the body is less active, but it fits physics, works and is efficient and consistent, and is less stressful on the body.
So Paul, keep your legs quiet, and swing your arms FASTER and your clean and consistent ball striking will continue and get better, along with your distance.
The Surge!