The Golf Swing is a Type of Lever
The Longer the Lever the Longer the Shot
The golf swing is a type of lever where a weight is on one end of a beam, a fulcrum is on the opposite end of the beam and a force is applied to the center of the beam. All levers possess these elements of a weight, a beam or rigid rod, an applied force and a fixed hinge or fulcrum but how they are arraigned determines their advantage and therefore how they can be used. There are three types of levers:
A form 1 lever has a fulcrum somewhere in the middle of a beam, a force on one side of the fulcrum and a weight on the other side of the fulcrum. This can be a crow bar and depending on where the fulcrum is placed can have a mechanical advantage less than or greater than one. After all it has been said that if one had a lever long enough and somewhere to place the fulcrum it is possible to lift the world.
A form 2 lever has a weight in the middle, the force on one side of the weight and a fulcrum on the other side of the weight. This can be a wheel barrow or a nutcracker and will always have a mechanical advantage greater than 1. Here we see a form 2 lever albeit with added wheels to support the weight.
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A form 3 lever has the force in the middle of a beam, the weight on one side of the force and a fulcrum on the opposite side of the force. Here is a batter in baseball or a golf swing. Now because of the long distance between the weight from the fulcrum, the weight is accelerated from the force applied to the center. This arraignment is used to create speed and the greater the length of the beam the more velocity is created from the force applied to the center.
With the golf swing the resistance or weight is the clubhead, the fulcrum is the left shoulder and the force is from the body applied to the center of the beam measured as the length of the left arm and clubshaft. By swinging the left arm across the chest into connection, in the backswing, the rotational and vertical forces of the body can be applied to the center, in the through swing, resulting in both clubhead acceleration and forward movement of the shaft as shown by Sam Snead.
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How to get better without trying Instant improvement with the golf swing is easily achieved from a correct set up and swing concept. Set up is the starting position of stance, posture, grip, ball position and aim & alignment. These elements determine how one swings the club and should facilitate and or offset what the body can or cannot do to hit the ball. Swing concepts happen between the two positions of address and finish and are what you do when swinging the club so as to hit the ball flush and square with power and direction. But nearly all of what happens between these two positions is naturally occurring and doesn’t require much involvement on the part of the golfer to make them happen. In fact most of the time if the golfer gets involved in trying to make certain things happen it is usually done at the expense …
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The Misleading Modern Golf Swing The phrase: The Modern Golf Swing has been used on more than one occasion during the season, usually in response to a spectacular shot from some extraordinarily pleasing swing such as a Charles Schwartzel or a Justin Rose; however, I feel that this remark could be quit misleading. The reason is that this comment comes with an implied that the golf swing should have a preferred look and motion, that it has arrived at some evolved state with both its appearance and function, one that all should copy. Copying The Professionals Modern Golf Swing On occasion I have seen golfers trying to swing like their favorite player, maybe an Ernie Els, Justin Rose or Tiger Woods. Also I have seen golfers being taught the same set of fundaments and swing concepts. A one size fits all program and that by achieving a collection of perfect or preferred …
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Swing Plane vs Path The purpose of this post is to show that swing plane and path are not the same thing and that it is very important for the development of golf to be able to seperate the two. Ever wonder why golf tournaments mostly show shots down the line. We don’t see many frontal or caddie views. This perspective does put the target in view which allows one to be more involved in the shot, but there might be another reason and that is we love to see the golf swing in terms of plane and not path. It is much easier to see swing plane anyway and we find this very pleasing to the eye. That is until we encounter a Jim Furyk a John Daley or Ryan Moore. How is it that these swings work at all? Here is how: Purpose of Swing Plane The reason we swing the club on …
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Golf Swing Connection
Posted on February 16, 2014 by Warren Raatz in About Golf, Golf Instruction, Newsletter | No CommentsGolf Swing Connection Leads to Power and Direction Connection in the golf swing is a very important ingredient for both power and direction. When connection is looked at in terms of power it is the three connections of grip to club, arms to body and feet to ground and with these any golfer can utilize their individual ground forces of either, linear, rotary or vertical. When looked at in terms of direction it is the ability to keep the club in what is referred to as front and center. Here the golfer has the arms in front of the body, the elbows are down throughout the motion and the clubshaft between the forearms. With this relationship the face is square the club cam be easily swung on plane and the need to catch the arms up to the body or the body up to the arms to impact is eliminated. …
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Sand Wedge Bounce Defined
Posted on November 2, 2014 by Warren Raatz in About Golf, Golf Instruction, Newsletter | No CommentsA new definition of bounce Sand wedge bounce defined with the elements of degree of bounce, sole camber, sole width, and the sole grind, contribute to a perfect fit. These variables are adjusted to match the turf conditions that you are playing, how you want to use the club as well as your angle of attack specific to how you swing the club. Lets take a look at these elements so that we can see how they can contribute to the bounce of any sand wedge and give the golfer a wedge that can both facilitate and offset how one swings the club. Bounce: This is the angle of the bottom of the club or sole, measured from the leading edge while including the other four elements of sole radius, sole camber, sole width and sole grind. Bounce gives this club a resistance to digging as it lifts the club out of the ground not unlike …
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A Cure for the Slice Clubface determines path meaning that when the face is closed, open, or square, the path will be in to out, out to in or down the line to hit the ball at the target. This can be demonstrated with any tennis racket or golf club as one can swing left of the target as hard as one wants too but as long as the face is at the target with the moment of impact, the ball will go to the target. One can also swing to the right but again as long as the face is at the target with the moment of impact, the ball will go to the target. Anytime one swings out to in it’s required to hold off the release so as to square the face, otherwise if one does release the club the ball will go left of the target. This results in a speed reducing cut shot as the …
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Keep The Club Front And Center Keep the golf club in front of you: a statement of extreme importance in every golf swing. Having the club front and center means that everything is happening between the lines of the right and left shoulders from address to finish. Here the arms are swinging on the line of the shoulders, the elbows are pointing down throughout the motion, the clubshaft is staying between the left and right forearms and the upper body is staying on top of the lower body. The arms swing very nicely on the line of the shoulders as they are attached to the shoulders. Doing this allows the club to swing on plane and since the arms are swinging the legs automatically coordinate. Having the elbows point down throughout the motion keeps the clubface square and on plane, opening to a neutral position as the right arm folds in the backswing and closing to a …
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Things are not always what they appear to be The language of golf needs to change from trying to capture a look, a position or a favorite golfer to describing what is actually happening in the motion. Things happen for a reason in a golf swing and mostly if one gets overly involved in trying to make them happen the motion ceases to be functional. Here are some notable examples: Keep the left arm straight: well it sure seems that way but in reality the left arm is stretched, not straight. The need for this is that at impact the left shoulder is higher than it is at address and so if the left arms is not stretched one is apt to hit the shot thin. The swinging motion of the club itself will keep the left arm straight just as a weight and string does when swung in a circle. Adding to …
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Every Golfer has a Postural Release Ground reaction forces in golf swing, vertical and rotary are seen as coming out of posture, one’s spine tilt and allowing the head to come up to a finish. But all too often advice is given to the contrary on all three accounts and anytime one does try to stay in posture or spine tilt or keep the head down these forces are immediately reduced or completely eliminated. Lets look at each one of these separately so one can see what is really going on starting with the posture. At address posture is created by bending backwards from the knees and forwards from the hips at the same time and same amount. By doing this one lowers down ideally placing the clubshaft at a right angle to the spine and into a balanced athletic position. From this starting position every golfer losses this forward tilt from the torso so as …
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Winter practice with indoor simulators gives any golfer the best environment possible for improvement in both the golf swing and short game. Here lie the elements for making the fastest and most efficient change possible. Mostly these elements are applied without one being aware that they are being used. Here is why: To make a change in any golf swing, it is necessary to have a moment of impact. This means that change is not possible with just a practice swing. But if one can remove the consequence or the requirements of a shot, while still having the moment of impact, change can be both quick and easy. Historically this has been done by putting the ball on a tee. Doing this removes any obligation of getting the ball air born and forward thus freeing one to focus on whatever one needs to focus on to make a change. Now one can have the impact from a changed motion …
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Sergio Garcia Swinging Like Ben Hogan Sergio Garcia swinging like Ben Hogan is a much talked about comparison. In transition from backswing to downswing both Ben and Sergio are seen to flatten the club shaft and increase the angle. This is a fair likeness but there is something far more significant that makes their golf swings comparable and it happens in their delivery to the ball. In Hogan’s “Five Lessons the Modern Fundamentals of Golf” he talks of: “the turning of the hips inaugurating the downswing. This movement of the hips automatically lowers the arms and hands to a position just above hip level.” Essentially this is a tucking motion similar to baseball. The batter, starting with the hips, tucks the right elbow flattening the bat and leveling the hands to deliver the handle of the bat towards the ball. With this delivery the right elbow passes the right hip …
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I was listening to a golf instructor on TV the other night talking about what you should do if you are “over the top in your downswing.” He described and then demonstrated this as a condition where one is out and over the plan and therefore swinging left. A solution was then given by sliding the lower body toward the target thus keeping the club from inside and no longer over the top. What about looking at why this golfer is over the top and then fixing that instead. Otherwise aren’t we just replacing one error with another error – sliding. And aren’t we now dealing with the effect rather than the cause. Its important to understand that many golfers go back on one plane and then down on a totally different plane. Some come down below their backswing plane, some come over their backswing plane and some go back …
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How to fix the golf swing The logical way to fix the golf swing is to fix what controls the motion found between the two positions of address and finish. The first position of address is our starting position composed of the five elements of setup. We set up for success. The second position of finish is at the completion of the swing where we are posted on our left side facing the target and in balance. Between these two positions is a golf swing and since we are swinging the club, all can agree that the only part of the body in position to swing the club are the arms. That being the case it makes sense that the study or correction of the swing should start with the arms. Said another way, as soon as the arms do their job the body will do its job. So what do the arms do in a golf swing? …
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For Every Effect There is a Cause Golf swing cause and effects are born out a most cherished principle in physics that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, called conservation of energy. This fundamental law can be seen in all aspects or our lives from the heat one uses to make a pot of coffee, the gas put in our cars to make them run, the food one eats to keep oneself moving, the orbit that the earth takes around the sun and when one makes a golf swing. The principal of conservation of energy has been validated many time over by scientist, however it was put on very firm ground some 100 years ago from a German mathematician by the name of Emmy Noether, who observed that all conservation laws are based on symmetries of nature. Physical laws can be perfectly symmetrical. Example: the passage of time does not change the laws of nature for if one were to …
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Swing Simulators
Posted on January 26, 2014 by Warren Raatz in About Golf, Golf Instruction, Newsletter, Swing Analysis | No CommentsWinter Practice with Swing Simulators This artical is to bring to light the value of using the indoor swing simulators to effect a rapid change with one's golf swing. We have all witnessed the golfer who takes a perfect practice swing but then for some unseen reason when stepping to the ball displays some parody of what was once a perfect golf swing. How it is that such a small round object is capable of invoking such havoc?! The difference is that without the ball there are no consequences and so one is free to swing the club in a manner that is the most natural way one’s mind and body is meant to swing. Here the motion is relaxed, efficient and with perfect tempo. But when that same golfer is attempting impact they are now hitting a ball that demands results and with results a survival mechanism kicks in, which …
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Every Club is Toe Weighted Clubhead weighting facilitates fades and draws as all clubs from driver to wedge are toe heavy allowing any club to be released or to held off as dictated by the path. The following picture, with Brian Yamamoto, shows how the toe of the club naturally hangs down when held out in front. A toe weighted club when swung in to out releases quiet easily as it is trying to fly off on a tangent. The only reason it doesn’t do this is from the inward pull of the body turn. This is how one can arrive at hitting a draw, a shot that goes from right to left. With this the ball will go further but at the sacrifice of some amount of control. With the next picture we see Brian demonstrating a perfect draw release. Opposite to this is a shot that is swung more out to in relative to the clubface. This …
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A comment was made this week in response to a golfers shot going left of his intended target. It was said that, in his downswing, his body stopped turning, resulting in over active arms, wrapping, closing the face. This implies that the arms are doing more than they are supposed to and that they are at fault here in the shot going left, evil and in need of disciple. Such is NOT the case. The role of the arms in the golf swing is to swing the club and when they do this they close the face in the downswing. Closing the face in the downswing IS their job. It is not their fault if the body stops turning. The body’s job, (lower), is to bring the club forward and to OPEN the face in the downswing. This now becomes a match as the arms close the leg and hips …