Post by imperfectgolfer on Aug 13, 2015 10:59:06 GMT -5
I have often wondered what changes Chris Como was going to make with respect to Tiger Woods' golf swing, but I have never previously discovered any golf forum thread or blog commentary piece on this topic that I deemed to be either informative or plausible. However, I recently discovered a you-tube video by Wayne DeFrancesco that showed differences between Tiger's 2015 golf swing and his early 2000's golf swing (which I will call his "old" swing). I not only believe that these golf swing changes are "real", but I believe that I can discern the likely underlying influences from Kwon/Nesbit that apparently form the conceptual basis of these changes - based on theories relating to alpha, beta and gamma torques and the "rotation-about-the-coupling point" hand release action. I can therefore also now understand why Brian Manzella is so emotionally invested in Chris Como's success in changing Tiger Woods' swing - because I believe that he (and other golf instructors like Mike Jacobs and Richard Franklin) are using the same approach to teaching the golf swing. In examining Tiger Woods' 2015 swing, there is substantial evidence to suggest that Chris Como may have converted Tiger Woods from being a TGM swinger (lead arm swinger) who previously used a full-roll hand release action to becoming a swing-hitter (switter) who uses a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action. I will provide a detailed analysis of Tiger Woods' 2015 swing and explain how I came to this conclusion.
So, let's start off by examining the swing changes that Tiger Woods is manifesting in his 2015 golf swing action.
Here is Wayne DeFrancesco's you-tube video.
WdF points out that he noted that Tiger Woods drops his hands very fast at the start of the downswing and that he ends up with his club in this position at the P6 position.
WdF drew those red lines and he correctly claimed that when Tiger's clubshaft is parallel to the ground at the P6 position, that his clubshaft is directed to the right-of-the-target and that it not parallel to his foot stance line (and ball-target line). WdF claims that it will predispose Tiger to pushed/push-sliced shots. He states that this represents a "stuck position", but I disagree with his claim because I do not believe that Tiger is "biomechanically stuck". His right elbow is well positioned in front of his right hip area and I don't believe that he has any problem with the right elbow clearing/bypassing the right hip area. WdF couldn't understand why Tiger was getting to this suboptimum P6 position where his clubshaft is inside his hands (rather than being parallel to his stance line/ball-target line). I therefore decided to analyse Tiger's swing using a VLC media player played at slow speeds (eg. 0.06-0.12X normal speed) and I subsequently made these capture images of his P4 to P6 downswing action.
Image 1 is at the P4 position. That end-backswing position looks like his "old" golf swing where the left arm is across the shoulder turn angle, and he has an intact LAFW (like his "old" swing). His clubface is marginally closed relative to the back of his left forearm, but that is due to the fact that Tiger is using a slightly stronger left hand grip. He has an AFLW (as seen in his "old" swing). His right elbow is slightly below the level of his left elbow (as seen in his "old" swing).
Image 2 is at the transition (start of the downswing). Note how fast Tiger adducts his right arm towards the right side of his torso and that drops his right elbow (see red line) well below his left elbow. That biomechanical action will cause clubshaft-shallowing and one can see how he has already shallowed his clubshaft at the P5 position (image 3) - note that the clubshaft cuts across his lower right upper arm (and not the mid-upper part of his upper right arm as seen in his "old swing). He still has an intact LAFW and AFLW, and he is "on-plane" (butt end of the club points at the ball-target line).
Image 4 is at the P5.5 position and image 2 is at P6, and we can see "something" new/different! Note that he has i) an overtly arched/bowed left wrist and note that the iii) clubface is becoming more closed relative to the back of his left lower forearm and that his iii) clubshaft is moving underplane (and not moving down the elbow plane as the club starts to release). These three changes are new/different (compared to his "old" swing, which I will show shortly) and one has to explain why they are happening. Before I proffer an explanation for these new/different elements, let's first look at his "old" swing - using the same swing video example that WdF used in his swing analysis video.
Here are capture images from the P4 to P6 time period of his "old" swing.
Image 1 is at the P4 position, which is very similar to his 2015 swing - in terms of the orientation of the left arm, club, LAFW/RFFW, except that his left arm was marginally steeper than his shoulder turn angle. Note that his right elbow is below his left elbow. WdF drew a red line from his hands to the ball and that line goes through his right shoulder, so it is the TSP.
Image 2 is at the transition. Note that he drops his right elbow due to a right arm adduction maneuver, but both elbows are dropping down at roughly the same speed so the difference between the levels of the two elbows (that existed at the P4 position) is maintained. Note that his clubshaft therefore doesn't shallow-out as much - note that it crosses the mid-upper right arm area at the P5 position (image 3). Note that his clubshaft is on-plane (butt end of the club points at the ball) at P5, but the clubshaft is on a slightly steeper plane (compared to his P5 position in his 2015 swing).
Image 4 is at P6. Note that his clubshaft is parallel to his stance line and ball-target line, and not inside his hands (as seen at the P6 position in his 2015 swing). Note that he has an AFLW, and not an overtly arched left wrist. Note that the clubface is parallel to the back of his left lower forearm in all 4 images to the same degree, and his clubface is not becoming more closed (relative to the back of his left lower forearm as he approaches the P6 position).
So, there are 4 major changes in his 2015 swing that are different to his "old" swing between P4 and P6 - i) clubshaft is shallowed-out more during the P4 => P5 time period; ii) left wrist becomes overtly arched/bowed during the P5.5 => P6 time period; iii) clubshaft is oriented more inside and slightly underplane at the P6 position and iv) the clubface becomes more closed relative to the back of the left forearm between P5.5 and P6.
What is causing these changes?
I strongly suspect that they are directly due to Como's golf instructional teaching, that is apparently significantly influenced by Kwon/Nesbit's scientific theories relating to alpha, beta and gamma torques. I don't know to what degree Brian Manzella has influenced Chris Como's golf instructional teaching with respect to Tiger Woods' swing, but I have reason to believe that BM's influence could be substantial because they frequently communicate with each other.
To follow my explanatory argument, you need to understand what's an alpha, beta and gamma torque, and I recommend that you watch this Brian Manzella video called the "Science of Smash (which I will refer to often in this post) because Chris Como is presumably basing his golf instructional teaching on the same set of "beliefs" about these alpha/beta/gamma torques that BM apparently derived from Kwon/Nesbit.
Basically, alpha torques are applied parallel to the plane, which means that between P4 and P6 it is applied parallel to the inclined plane on which the LAFW lies, and any applied alpha torque will cause the club to release (representing a PA#2 release action) within the plane of the LAFW if the intact LAFW lies on the inclined plane (parallel to the inclined plane) - if the alpha torque is positive. Negative alpha torque will promote the retention of lag or even increased lag (as happens when a golfer uses a float-loading technique). If an alpha torque is applied parallel to the plane when the golfer's hands/club are near-impact it will cause left wrist extension/flexion motions if the golfer has a weak/neutral left hand grip and if the back of the left hand is perpendicular to the inclined plane. A positive alpha torque will cause a left wrist extension (flipping) motion and a negative alpha torque will cause left wrist arching/bowing. Although BM doesn't mention this fact, alpha torques will operate in the plane of left wrist radial-ulnar deviation (plane of an intact LAFW) near impact if the back of the left wrist/hand is parallel to the inclined plane (as seen in golfers who have a very strong left hand grip like Jamie Sadlowski).
(* I will not discuss the alpha torque further in this first introductory post because it is not relevant to this particular discussion about Tiger Woods' 2015 swing, but I will discuss alpha torques in a subsequent post when I compare the mechanics/biomechanics of TGM swinging to swing-hitting)
Beta torques work perpendicular to the plane, and they cause off-plane (over-the-plane and under-the-plane) motions of the clubshaft if they happen between P4 and P6. A positive beta torque will cause the clubshaft to move over-the-plane so that the butt end of the club points inside the ball-target line, and a negative beta torque will cause the clubshaft to move under the plane so that the butt end of the club points outside the ball-target line). In other words, a positive beta torque steepens the clubshaft if it is applied between P4 and P6, while a negative beta torque shallows the clubshaft. Beta torques applied near impact would affect the club's VSP and also affect the golfer's accumulator #3 angle (= RYKE angle).
According to BM, a gamma torque causes the clubshaft to twist about its longitudinal axis. For example, if the clubshaft is held stationary at the P5.5 position, a positive gamma torque will cause the clubshaft to rotate counterclockwise and close the clubface (and that clubface-closing effect represents what BM calls a twistaway maneuver) while a negative gamma torque will cause clockwise rotation of the clubshaft and open the clubface.
Here are capture images from BM's video showing him demonstrating a twistaway maneuver at the P5.5 position.
Look carefully, and note that BM is keeping the clubshaft from angulating by holding it with his right hand. He then twists the clubshaft around its longitudinal axis using his left arm/hand. In image 1, he is rotating the clubshaft clockwise (as viewed from his eye-viewing position) - note that he has to cup (dorsiflex) his left wrist and pronate his left forearm in order to achieve that goal and it opens the clubface (relative to the back of his left lower forearm). In image 2, he is rotating the clubshaft counterclockwise (as viewed from his eye-viewing position) - note that he has to markedly palmar flex (arch/bow) his left wrist and supinate his left forearm in order to achieve that goal and that rotates the clubface closed (relative to the back of his left lower forearm). Note how he turns his fingers under the shaft while performing that action and he calls that biomechanical phenomenon a twistaway maneuver. Also, note how his left wrist moves more towards ulnar deviation during his demonstration of a twistaway maneuver.
BM implies that this twistaway maneuver can be applied at any time in the downswing (even during the early and mid-downswing) and he states that it will close the clubface (relative to the clubhead arc), and he seemingly implies that it will mean that the golfer doesn't have to use a PA#3 release action in his late downswing in order to square the clubface by impact. I believe that this "belief" is very wrongheaded and I believe that a twistaway maneuver may have significant negative (biomechanically harmful) effects if it is used during a skilled pro golfer's downswing action.
(* I will discuss the biomechanical consequences of using a twistaway manuever at a later stage during this introductory post when I demonstrate how Tiger uses a twistaway maneuver in his 2015 downswing action)
BM briefly mentions that a golfer can also apply a positive gamma torque to close the clubface in the later downswing near impact, but he doesn't elaborate on why it happens and he doesn't explain the underlying biomechanics. There is a key difference between the clubface-closing biomechanics of a twistaway maneuver and the clubface-closing that happens in the late downswing between P6.5 and impact (during a PA#3 release action) and understanding this difference (which I will explain in great detail later in this post) is very important.
Now, let's move to the topic of why BM believes that it is important for a golfer to shallow the clubshaft in the early downswing - by applying a negative beta torque.
BM states in his video that it important for a golfer to apply a negative beta torque at the start of the downswing so that the clubshaft can become shallower between P4 and P5. He believes that it will then allow the clubshaft to later steepen when the golfer subsequently applies a positive beta torque between P5.5 and P6, which he states is needed to move the club over-the-plane so that it can cause the hands/butt end of the club to move inside (in the direction of the target) as the golfer transitions between P5.5 to P6.5. He also believes that this clubshaft steepening phenomenon that mainly happens between P5.5 and P6.5 will allow the right hand to get on top of the club, which will then enable the golfer to *apply positive push-pressure against the back of the club with the right arm/hand during the mid-late downswing in order to increase swing power.
(* I believe that a skilled pro golfer, who isn't a swing-hitter, doesn't apply push-pressure against the aft side of the club between P6 and impact in order to increase swing power, and I think that he only uses it to synergistically help him to release PA#3 with greater efficiency - and I will discuss this issue in a future post when I discuss the difference between TGM swinging and swing-hitting).
So, how does BM think that a golfer should biomechanically achieve the goal of shallowing the clubshaft in the early downswing between P4 and P5?
Watch the BM-video between 3:58 - 4:20 minutes when BM describes how to shallow the clubshaft. He describes and demonstrates a pivot motion (which he calls "turning the chest to the ball") that is supposed to shallow the clubshaft. I think that he is wrong for two reasons. First of all, how can the upper torso pivot motion of "turning the chest towards the ball" shallow the clubshaft? Note that Tiger rotates his upper torso by the same amount between P4 and P5 in his 2015 swing (as compared to his "old" swing) and he is not "turning his chest more towards the ball" in his 2015 swing. Secondly, BM doesn't describe the "true" biomechanical technique that I believe that pro golfers use to shallow the clubshaft during the P4 => P5 time period - which is biomechanically due to an active right arm adduction move that causes the right elbow to drop groundwards faster than the left elbow. For interested readers, I have described this biomechanical phenomenon in great detail in topic number 7 of this review paper - perfectgolfswingreview.net/2014Revision.htm - and I will not spend time describing it further in this post. One can clearly see that Tiger Woods drops his right elbow faster than his left elbow between P4 and P5, and one can clearly see how it shallows-out his clubshaft between P4 and P5.5.
Now, consider BM's other claim that a golfer needs to shallow-out the clubshaft between P4 and P5.5 because the golfer will be subsequently applying a positive beta torque at the P5.5 time point, that he wrongheadedly claims will steepen the clubshaft as the golfer transitions between P5.5 to P6.2.
Consider BM's demonstration of the phenomenon of applying beta torque in the mid-downswing by looking at these capture images that I created from BM's video.
Image 1 shows BM at the P5.5 position. He has separated his hands to better demonstrate what each hand is supposed to be doing to create the positive beta torque. In the video, he states that the golfer should use the left hand to pull the handle downwards-and-forwards while the right hand simultaneously pushes against the aft side of club to "tumble" the clubshaft over-the-plane in a clubshaft-steepening direction so that it can end up as shown in image 2 where the club is now at the P6.1-P6.2 position. Does the clubshaft actually ever steepen between P5.5 and P6.2 in a pro golfer's swing and "tumble" over-the-plane? I have never seen a clubshaft-steepening phenomenon (an over-the-plane "tumble" phenomenon) happen in a pro golfer's mid-downswing - as demonstrated by BM - if the golfer is not coming OTT from the start of the downswing or exhibiting a swing fault. The reason why it doesn't normally happen in a "real life" professional golfer's golf swing is partly due to the fact that the club has already started to release between P5.5 and P6.2 and it usually releases down the inclined plane between P5.5 and P6.2 because the intact LAFW is lying on the inclined plane and the club normally releases within the plane of an intact LAFW - even though the golfer is simultaneously applying those positive beta torque actions (as described by BM). When the club releases, it also means that the left wrist is becoming more ulnarly-deviated and that will shallow the clubshaft's motion during the application of a positive beta torque action, so that the clubshaft will not "tumble" over-the-plane as seen in BM's demonstration - note that BM "artificially" keeps the left arm-clubshaft angle unchanged during his demonstration.
So, let's examine the downswing of a pro golfer who is definitely performing the biomechanical motions that BM asserts would produce a positive beta torque swing action that should result in clubshaft-steepening - by considering Sergio Garcia's downswing action between P5.5 and P6+.
Image 1 shows Sergio Garcia at the P5.5 position. Note that he has already shallowed his clubshaft in his earlier downswing so that it has come down to the elbow plane by P5.5. Note that his clubshaft is on-plane (butt end of the club points at the ball).
Images 2, 3 and 4 show the P5.5 => P6 time period. Note that he is pulling his left hand and the butt end of the club downwards-and-forwards (in a targetwards direction) and that causes the back of his left hand (which was parallel to the inclined plane at P5.5) to steepen and become vertical by P6 (image 4). That "back of the left hand" steepening motion requires a left forearm supinatory motion and it should theoretically "tumble" the clubshaft over-the-plane (as described by BM) - but note that Sergio's clubshaft doesn't steepen between P5.5 and P6.
Now, consider what happens to Sergio Garcia's right hand during that same time period. Note that Sergio's right forearm is supinated at P5.5 and his right palm is parallel to the undersurface of the inclined plane. Note how Sergio's right forearm becomes more pronated during the P5.5 and P6 time period, so that his right palm becomes more vertical, and also note that the lifeline of his right palm lies on the top of the shaft at P6.
In other words, Sergio Garcia is correctly performing the biomechanical actions needed to perform the positive beta torque action described by BM - but the clubshaft doesn't steepen between P5.5 and P6. Also, note that his clubshaft is parallel to his foot stance line and also parallel to the ball-target line at P6.
Let's consider another example of a pro golfer's downswing action between P5.5 and P6 by considering Henrik Stenson's mid-downswing action.
Henrik Stenson swing video
Here are capture images from the swing video.
Image 1 shows Henrik Stenson at the P5.5 position. His clubshaft is on-plane, but on a slightly steeper plane (just above the elbow plane) when compared to Sergio Garcia at the same P5.5 position. Interestingly, note that his clubshaft is on roughly the same plane as seen in capture image 3 of Tiger's "old swing" - being slightly above the elbow plane. Note that the back of Henrik's left hand (GFLW) is parallel to the inclined plane.
Image 2 is at P5.75 and image 3 is at P6 when his clubshaft is parallel to the ground. Note how the back of Henrik's left hand steepens between P5.5 and P6 so that it becomes vertical by P6 and that requires a left forearm supinatory action. Note how his right palm (which was parallel to the undersurface of the inclined plane at P5.5) becomes more vertical by P6 with the lifeline of his right palm positioned over-the-top of the clubshaft, and that requires a right forearm pronatory motion. In other words, Henrik Stenson is performing the same biomechanical actions between P5.5 and P6 as Sergio Garcia. However, look at the directional trajectory that his clubshaft took between P5.5 and P6. His clubshaft is marginally (insignificantly) shallowing-out between P5.5 and P6 and it is certainly not steepening in an over-the-plane "tumble" action manner (as predicted by BM) - even though he is applying the positive beta torque actions (recommended by BM).
Note that Henrik Stenson's clubshaft is parallel to his foot stance line and also parallel to the ball-target line at the P6 position - as seen in Sergio Garcia's P6 position and also the P6 position of Tiger's "old" swing.
So, why is Tiger's clubshaft positioned more "inside" at the P6 position in his 2015 swing (as shown/described by WdF)?
Here is my personal explanation.
Here are close-up images of Tiger's hands and club during the P5 to P6 time period of his 2015 swing (the same swing used by WDF in his swing video).
Image 1 shows Tiger Woods at the P5 position. Note that he has an AFLW (slightly palmar flexed left wrist). Note that the clubshaft is inline with his left arm, which means that he has an intact LAFW.
Image 2 shows Tiger Woods at the P5.5 position. Note that he is starting to use a twistaway maneuver, that causes his fingers to curl inwards so that his curling finger-torquing action can twist the club about its longitudinal axis, thereby providing the positive gamma torque needed to close the clubface (as demonstrated by BM in his video demonstration of a twistaway maneuver). Note that Tiger has to markedly palmar flex (arch/bow) his left wrist when performing the twistaway maneuver, and that causes the clubshaft to be angled downwards (under-the-plane) and also slightly more rearwards (away from the ball-target line) - see image 3.
Images 3 and 4 show how Tiger is actively performing the twistaway action between P5.5 and P6 and that causes the clubshaft to move under-the-plane, and not over-the-plane (as predicted by BM) - even though he is also simultaneously applying a positive beta torque force by supinating his left forearm between P5.5 and P6. Note that Tiger has supinated his left forearm between P5.5 and P6 in such a manner that the back of his left hand moves from being parallel to the inclined plane at P5.5 (image 2) to being vertical at P6 (image 4). Although Tiger is supinating his left forearm in a similar manner to the left forearm supinatory action performed by Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson between P5.5 and P6, his clubshaft doesn't become parallel to his foot stance line and his ball-target line at the P6 position and it is directed slightly inside - and that "real life fact" happens because he has a markedly palmar flexed (arched/bowed) left wrist that angulates his clubshaft rearwards (away from the ball-target line). Note also that Tiger's clubshaft has released more between P5.5 and P6, which means that the left wrist is becoming more ulnarly-deviated and that will also promote an underplane motion of the clubshaft if the left wrist is simultaneously being palmar flexed.
If you are not convinced that Tiger is using an active twistaway maneuver in his mid-downswing, here is further visual proof.
Image 1 is at the P4.5 position. Note that he has an AFLW (slightly palmar flexed left wrist) and note that his clubface is parallel relative to the back of his left lower forearm and open relative to the clubhead arc.
Image 2 is at the P5 position. Note that he still has an AFLW (slightly palmar flexed left wrist) and note that his clubface is parallel relative to the back of his left lower forearm and open relative to the clubhead arc.
Image 3 is at the P5.5 position. Note that his left wrist is much more palmar flexed and note how the black stripe on the back of his left hand's glove is curling inwards/groundwards due to his use of an active twistaway maneuver. Note how much more closed his clubface is relative to the back of his left lower forearm and also relative to the clubhead arc (compared to image 2) and that is due to the positive gamma (clubface-closing) torque that Tiger is applying during his twistaway action.
If you want to understand why an active twistaway maneuver causes a significant degree of left wrist palmar flexion, you can view my video on the twistaway maneuver ( see www.youtube.com/watch?v=85vqJpWIan0 ) and you can also read topic number 4 of this review paper ( perfectgolfswingreview.net/2014Revision.htm )
I will later show how Tiger's use of the twistaway maneuver may adversely affect his PA#3 release action, which is the next subtopic that I am going to discuss in this introductory post.
WdF commented on Tiger's "2015" late downswing hand release action where he gets his hands ahead of the ball before his performs his PA#3 release action.
Here are capture images from the WdF you-tube video.
Wdf drew those red lines to show what Tiger is doing in his 2015 swing action.
Image 1 shows Tiger at the P6.8 position when his hands have got ahead of the ball, but he has still not yet performed his PA#3 release action. Note that the back of his left hand is still partly facing the ball-target line (look at the black logo on the back of his glove) and note that his clubface is still significantly open to the clubhead arc even though his clubhead is a mere 12" away from impact. That means that Tiger has only 12" of clubhead travel remaining to perform his PA#3 release action before his clubhead reaches impact.
Image 2 shows Tiger's hands at impact. Note that his hands are ahead of the ball position with the back of his left hand facing the target, but note that his clubface is not perfectly square to the target, which suggests that Tiger couldn't quite complete his PA#3 release action (which is needed to square the clubface by impact) in that short period of clubhead travel time between P6.85 and impact.
Here are capture images from the original swing video that will allow us to follow the motion of Tiger's hands and clubface between P6.5 and impact.
Image 1 is at P6.5. Note that the back of his left hand is facing the ball-target line (and camera), and his clubface is significantly open relative to the clubhead arc - even though his left hand has almost reached the ball position.
Image 2 is at P6.75. Note that his hands have reached the ball position, but the back of his left hand is still facing the camera and his clubface is still significantly open to the clubhead arc.
Image 3 is at P6.9 (6" away from the ball). Note that his hands have bypassed the ball position, but his clubface is still significantly open to the clubhead arc because he has not yet completed his PA#3 release action.
Image 4 shows that he may not have perfectly completed his PA#3 release action by impact so that his clubface is perfectly square.
Let's compare Tiger's very late (and possibly incomplete) PA#3 release action in his 2015 swing action to his PA#3 release action in his "old" swing.
Here are capture images from the famous Nike commercial swing video of Tiger Woods' swing, and this swing video best represents his "old" swing (which many golf commentators/instructors regard as his "best-ever" swing).
Image 1 is at P6.5. His clubface is significantly open to the clubhead arc and the back of his left hand faces the ball-target line (and camera).
Image 2 is at P6.65. Note that his hands have not yet reached the ball position, but the back of his left hand and clubface is starting to rotate counterclockwise, which means that Tiger is starting to perform his PA#3 release action.
Image 3 is at P6.8. Note that his hands have not yet reached his ball-position, but note that he continues to slowly/progressively rotate the back of his left hand (AFLW) counterclockwise and that controlled PA#3 release action is slowly, but progressively, closing his clubface relative to the cubhead arc.
Image 4 is at P6.9. Note that his hands have still not reached his ball position, but he has nearly completed his PA#3 release action that will get the back of his left hand and clubface to face the target by impact.
Image 5 shows that Tiger's hands eventually reach the level of his ball position by impact, and one can clearly see that he has successfully completed his PA#3 release action that successfully squares the back of his left hand (AFLW) and clubface by impact.
I think that his PA#3 release acton is much better (much more efficient) in his "old" swing. His hands are moving towards the ball position between P6.5 and impact at a steady rate and his hands don't prematurely reach (or bypass) the ball position before impact. During this same time period, he performs a flawless PA#3 release action (representing a positive gamma torque action) that efficiently squares his clubface by impact. Note that the PA#3 release action happens gradually/progressively over a longer time period of clubhead travel, and it doesn't happen just before impact (in the last 12" of clubhead travel). In a future post, I will describe the mechanics/biomechanics that underpin his superbly performed PA#3 release action, which likely involves a passive left forearm supinatory motion due to the RYKE effect, that is synergistically modulated by push-pressure applied by his right palm at PP#1 that occurs secondary to his efficiently performed right forearm paddlewheeling action.
I have previously shown that Tiger seemingly fails to efficiently supinate his left forearm during the P6.75 to P7 (impact) time period (PA#3 release time period) in that particular example of his 2015 swing action (that was recorded by Terry Rowles). Could it be due to the fact that his left forearm's supinatory action is less than optimally efficient? I suspect that his left forearm muscles (in the ventral compartment of his left forearm) are still too contracted at P6.75 secondary to his active use of a twistaway maneuver, and that his left forearm can be considered to be "functionally-stiff" from a rotary perspective and that "functionally-stiff" condition impairs the ability of his left forearm to passively rotate counterclockwise in a supinatory direction under the influence of the *RYKE effect.
(* See this NGI forum thread if you want to understand what's the RYKE effect - newtongolfinstitute.proboards.com/thread/569/ryke-effect )
There is another (very plausible) alternative explanation that can potentially better explain why Tiger is manifesting a very late PA#3 release action, and that explanation is based on my suspicion that Tiger could now be using a swing-hitting technique (and not a TGM swinging technique), and I suspect that he is actively releasing PA#3 by using an active PA#1 release action that causes his right palm to apply push-pressure against PP#1 during the right forearm's paddlewheeling action, and I suspect that his right arm/hand may be the dominant factor inducing his PA#3 release action. In other words, I suspect that Tiger is not using the supinator muscles in his left forearm to execute his PA#3 release action, but he is using his right forearm's pronator muscles to execute a very late PA#3 release action just before impact. My reason for suspecting that his right arm's straightening action may be the dominant biomechanical force inducing a PA#3 release action is based on my observation that Tiger is now using a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action.
Let's consider the nature of Tiger's hand release action through impact.
Here are capture images from his 2015 swing video that show his post-impact (followthrough) action between P7 and P7.5.
Image 1 is at impact, and image 2 is a few inches after impact. Note that he has a FLW and note that the clubshaft has not bypassed his left arm. Note that he still has a slightly bent right wrist.
Image 3 is at P7.2 and image 4 is at P7.5. Note that his clubshaft is bypassing his left arm at P7.2, which means that his left wrist is moving toward extension even if it is not definitely visually-evident - considering the "fact" that he has no biomechanical evidence of left wrist rolling, which can also cause the clubshaft to bypass the left arm post-impact. Overt visual evidence of left wrist extension (bending) becomes very apparent at P7.5 (image 4). Note how he straightens his right wrist fully between impact and P7.5, and I suspect that his right wrist straightening action may be active (rather than passive) if Tiger has converted to becoming a swing-hitter (switter).
I think that Tiger's 2015 hand release action post-impact is very different to his "old" swing when he used a full-roll hand release action.
Here are a series of capture images from the upline version of his Nike commercial video that shows Tiger Woods using a full-roll hand release action.
Image 1 shows Tiger at impact where the back of his FLW faces the target.
Images 2 and 3 show how he rotates his FLW counterclockwise between impact and P7.5 with no/minimal left wrist extension, and that rotary biomechanical phenomenon is very typical of a golfer who uses a full-roll hand release action.
Why is Tiger using this new hand release action?
I strongly suspect that Chris Como (possibly under considerable influence from Brian Manzella) has taught Tiger the methodology of how to execute a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action.
What is the coupling point?
The coupling point is the point on the grip midway between the left and right hand. When a golfer uses a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action through impact, he will pull the handle of the club backwards (away from the target) with his left hand while pushing the clubshaft below the coupling point forwards (towards the target) with his right hand, thereby causing a rotation of the handle around the coupling point.
To see a video demonstration of this rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action, watch this Richard Franklin video between the 12:22 minute and the 13:24 minute time points.
Here is a capture image from the Richard Franklin video that shows certain features of a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action.
The green graph represents left wrist extension-flexion. Note that the green graph goes steeply downwards through impact (impact = black vertical line), and immediately after impact, and that represents a left wrist extension action. Note that the red alpha torque graph goes steeply downwards just before impact (impact = vertical black line) and it becomes negative (going below the horizontal black line) immediately after impact, which means that the alpha torque is negative after impact. A negative alpha torque means that the club handle is being torqued backwards (away from the target) as seen in the accompanying photo in the lower-right corner of the image.
Although BM and RF are promoting a left wrist flipping action immediately after impact (which Kelvin Miyahira labels a pro-flipper hand release action), they are not recommending left wrist flipping before-or-through impact because they want the golfer to have a FLW at impact (as seen in Tiger's 2015 hand release action images above). The problem with using a rotation-about-the coupling point hand release action relates to the timing-of-the-flip and how to ensure that the left wrist flipping phenomenon happens post-impact, and not before/during impact. BM/RF don't explain how a golfer is supposed to perfect his timing of the left wrist flipping action, so that golfer can avoid flipping-through-impact.
Richard Franklin shows a drill (which he calls the "hockey shot" drill) between the 12:03 minute and 12:35 minute time points of his video, that demonstrates the biomechanics of how to perform a rotation-about-the coupling point hand release action.
Here are capture images showing the starting point and endpoint of that "hockey shot" drill.
Image 1 shows Chip Beck at the P6 position with his two hands positioned apart on the handle of the club. He then performs the "hockey shot" action where he first pulls upwards on the grip with his left hand while extending the left side of his body (called "going normal") and where he then subsequently pulls the handle backwards (away from the target) while he simultaneously pushes the handle of grip (below the coupling point) forwards with his right hand. Note that this "hockey shot" action implies a very active right arm straightening and right wrist straightening action that pushes the handle actively forwards between P6 and P7.5. If a golfer performs that "hockey shot" action, then that means that he is basically using a swing-hitting (switting) technique between P6 and P7.5.
Is Tiger Woods using that active "hockey shot" swing action between P6 and P7.5 in his 2015 swing action, or is his right arm/right wrist straightening action passive? I don't know the answer - because I have not heard any "news" from either Chris Como or Tiger Woods as to whether his right arm/right wrist straightening action is active (or passive) between P6 and P7.2+.
It certainly seems to me from viewing the "hockey shot" drill that Richard Franklin (and possibly Chris Como) are promoting/teaching an active right arm/right wrist straightening action that starts at the P6 position and continues all the way to the P7.5 position, which is well beyond impact (as demonstrated by Chip Beck).
So, based on Richard Franklin's demonstration of the biomechanics of a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action, I then have the following series of questions for Richard Franklin (and other advocates of this rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action) -:
Question number 1: Tiger Woods has been very erratic with his driver during the past year and he tends to suffer from misses to both the left-and-right. Considering the problem of a miss-to-the-left, could it be due to the fact that he is mistiming his right arm/right wrist's straightening action during the performance of his rotation-about-the coupling point hand release action so that he flips the club (about the coupling point) immediately before impact or during impact (rather than post-impact) thereby producing a closed clubface at impact? How can a golf instructor ensure that this flipping problem doesn't happen during the execution of a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action if the golfer is swinging a driver at clubhead speeds of 120+ mph - if the right palm's push-pressure is being applied below the coupling point at PP#3 during the rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action?
Question number 2: Tiger Woods has been very erratic with his driver during the past year and he tends to suffer from misses to both the left-and-right. Considering the problem of a miss-to-the-right, could it be due to the fact that he is mistiming his right arm's straightening action during the late downswing and that he is therefore applying too much push-pressure with his right palm against PP#1 (which is above the coupling point) and thereby actively driving his left hand/club handle forward too fast, so that his hands get ahead of the ball before impact, which also means that his hands get to impact before he can complete his PA#3 release action (positive gamma torque action) that is needed to square his clubface by impact?
Question number 3: A positive gamma torque obviously needs to be applied pre-impact (representing the biomechanical phenomenon that the TGMers call a PA#3 release action) in order to square the clubface by impact. How is this positive gamma torque actually accomplished biomechanically during the execution of a "hocket shot" type of hand release action?
Until I get satisfactory answers to those questions, I will personally continue to strongly favor the use a TGM lead arm swinging action that isn't dependent on such an active use of the right arm to i) apply positive alpha torque between P5 and P6 in order to induce the club release action (PA#2 release action) and ii) apply an active right arm/right wrist straightening action during the execution of the rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action (as demonstrated by Chip Beck in Richard Franklin's "hockey shot" drill).
Consider a "pure" example of a TGM lead arm swinging action - as performed by Sasho MacKenzie during his one-arm swing action.
Face-on view video
DTL video
Note that Sasho can hit 250 yard shots with great ease using only his lead arm, and he doesn't require any assistance from a rear arm. He obtains sufficient swing power from his pivot-induced sequential release of PA#4 => PA#2 => PA#3 to hit the ball 250 yards, and he has no problem completing his PA#2 release action so that the club catches-up to his lead arm by impact, and he also has no problem completing his PA#3 release action by impact so that he can ensure that he has a square clubface at impact. A great advantage of a lead arm-only swing action (if well performed) is that it allows a golfer to use a drive-hold (DH) hand release action through impact.
Consider these capture images of Sasho's DH-hand release action.
Note that his clubshaft never bypasses his lead arm during the followthrough, which means that he cannot be flipping or rolling through impact. That type of hand release action is called a no-roll DH-hand release action.
I think that many pro golfers use a TGM lead arm swinging action, where the rear arm only plays a synergistically helpful role in optimising the sequential release of PA#4 => PA#2 => PA#3, and many of those pro golfers also use a no-roll DH-hand release action through impact, which ensures a very stable clubface through the immediate impact zone between P7 and P7.2. A perfect (protypical) example of this type of hand release action would be the golf swing of Jordan Spieth.
Jordan Spieth swing video
Here are capture images from the swing video.
These four capture images show Jordan Spieth's followthrough action between impact (image 1) to P7.5 (image 4). Note that the clubshaft never bypasses his lead arm, which means that he cannot be flipping or rolling through impact (or during his early followthrough) when he executes his no-roll DH-hand release action. Note that he maintains a slightly palmar flexed left wrist and bent right wrist throughout his entire no-roll DH-hand release action.
So, a fundamentally relevant question for an aspiring pro golfer is the following question-: Which golfer's swing action should he emulate - i) Jordan Spieth's swing action or the Chris Como-influenced Tiger Woods swing action (Tiger Woods' 2015 swing action).
Jeff.
Addendum: Note that I will expand on this topic in future posts, and I plan to demonstrate why I believe that BM/RF are "pseudoscientists" and I also plan to compare the basic mechanics/biomechanics of a TGM lead arm swing action (as performed by golfers like Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott) to the type of swing action recommended by Brian Manzella and Richard Franklin.
So, let's start off by examining the swing changes that Tiger Woods is manifesting in his 2015 golf swing action.
Here is Wayne DeFrancesco's you-tube video.
WdF points out that he noted that Tiger Woods drops his hands very fast at the start of the downswing and that he ends up with his club in this position at the P6 position.
WdF drew those red lines and he correctly claimed that when Tiger's clubshaft is parallel to the ground at the P6 position, that his clubshaft is directed to the right-of-the-target and that it not parallel to his foot stance line (and ball-target line). WdF claims that it will predispose Tiger to pushed/push-sliced shots. He states that this represents a "stuck position", but I disagree with his claim because I do not believe that Tiger is "biomechanically stuck". His right elbow is well positioned in front of his right hip area and I don't believe that he has any problem with the right elbow clearing/bypassing the right hip area. WdF couldn't understand why Tiger was getting to this suboptimum P6 position where his clubshaft is inside his hands (rather than being parallel to his stance line/ball-target line). I therefore decided to analyse Tiger's swing using a VLC media player played at slow speeds (eg. 0.06-0.12X normal speed) and I subsequently made these capture images of his P4 to P6 downswing action.
Image 1 is at the P4 position. That end-backswing position looks like his "old" golf swing where the left arm is across the shoulder turn angle, and he has an intact LAFW (like his "old" swing). His clubface is marginally closed relative to the back of his left forearm, but that is due to the fact that Tiger is using a slightly stronger left hand grip. He has an AFLW (as seen in his "old" swing). His right elbow is slightly below the level of his left elbow (as seen in his "old" swing).
Image 2 is at the transition (start of the downswing). Note how fast Tiger adducts his right arm towards the right side of his torso and that drops his right elbow (see red line) well below his left elbow. That biomechanical action will cause clubshaft-shallowing and one can see how he has already shallowed his clubshaft at the P5 position (image 3) - note that the clubshaft cuts across his lower right upper arm (and not the mid-upper part of his upper right arm as seen in his "old swing). He still has an intact LAFW and AFLW, and he is "on-plane" (butt end of the club points at the ball-target line).
Image 4 is at the P5.5 position and image 2 is at P6, and we can see "something" new/different! Note that he has i) an overtly arched/bowed left wrist and note that the iii) clubface is becoming more closed relative to the back of his left lower forearm and that his iii) clubshaft is moving underplane (and not moving down the elbow plane as the club starts to release). These three changes are new/different (compared to his "old" swing, which I will show shortly) and one has to explain why they are happening. Before I proffer an explanation for these new/different elements, let's first look at his "old" swing - using the same swing video example that WdF used in his swing analysis video.
Here are capture images from the P4 to P6 time period of his "old" swing.
Image 1 is at the P4 position, which is very similar to his 2015 swing - in terms of the orientation of the left arm, club, LAFW/RFFW, except that his left arm was marginally steeper than his shoulder turn angle. Note that his right elbow is below his left elbow. WdF drew a red line from his hands to the ball and that line goes through his right shoulder, so it is the TSP.
Image 2 is at the transition. Note that he drops his right elbow due to a right arm adduction maneuver, but both elbows are dropping down at roughly the same speed so the difference between the levels of the two elbows (that existed at the P4 position) is maintained. Note that his clubshaft therefore doesn't shallow-out as much - note that it crosses the mid-upper right arm area at the P5 position (image 3). Note that his clubshaft is on-plane (butt end of the club points at the ball) at P5, but the clubshaft is on a slightly steeper plane (compared to his P5 position in his 2015 swing).
Image 4 is at P6. Note that his clubshaft is parallel to his stance line and ball-target line, and not inside his hands (as seen at the P6 position in his 2015 swing). Note that he has an AFLW, and not an overtly arched left wrist. Note that the clubface is parallel to the back of his left lower forearm in all 4 images to the same degree, and his clubface is not becoming more closed (relative to the back of his left lower forearm as he approaches the P6 position).
So, there are 4 major changes in his 2015 swing that are different to his "old" swing between P4 and P6 - i) clubshaft is shallowed-out more during the P4 => P5 time period; ii) left wrist becomes overtly arched/bowed during the P5.5 => P6 time period; iii) clubshaft is oriented more inside and slightly underplane at the P6 position and iv) the clubface becomes more closed relative to the back of the left forearm between P5.5 and P6.
What is causing these changes?
I strongly suspect that they are directly due to Como's golf instructional teaching, that is apparently significantly influenced by Kwon/Nesbit's scientific theories relating to alpha, beta and gamma torques. I don't know to what degree Brian Manzella has influenced Chris Como's golf instructional teaching with respect to Tiger Woods' swing, but I have reason to believe that BM's influence could be substantial because they frequently communicate with each other.
To follow my explanatory argument, you need to understand what's an alpha, beta and gamma torque, and I recommend that you watch this Brian Manzella video called the "Science of Smash (which I will refer to often in this post) because Chris Como is presumably basing his golf instructional teaching on the same set of "beliefs" about these alpha/beta/gamma torques that BM apparently derived from Kwon/Nesbit.
Basically, alpha torques are applied parallel to the plane, which means that between P4 and P6 it is applied parallel to the inclined plane on which the LAFW lies, and any applied alpha torque will cause the club to release (representing a PA#2 release action) within the plane of the LAFW if the intact LAFW lies on the inclined plane (parallel to the inclined plane) - if the alpha torque is positive. Negative alpha torque will promote the retention of lag or even increased lag (as happens when a golfer uses a float-loading technique). If an alpha torque is applied parallel to the plane when the golfer's hands/club are near-impact it will cause left wrist extension/flexion motions if the golfer has a weak/neutral left hand grip and if the back of the left hand is perpendicular to the inclined plane. A positive alpha torque will cause a left wrist extension (flipping) motion and a negative alpha torque will cause left wrist arching/bowing. Although BM doesn't mention this fact, alpha torques will operate in the plane of left wrist radial-ulnar deviation (plane of an intact LAFW) near impact if the back of the left wrist/hand is parallel to the inclined plane (as seen in golfers who have a very strong left hand grip like Jamie Sadlowski).
(* I will not discuss the alpha torque further in this first introductory post because it is not relevant to this particular discussion about Tiger Woods' 2015 swing, but I will discuss alpha torques in a subsequent post when I compare the mechanics/biomechanics of TGM swinging to swing-hitting)
Beta torques work perpendicular to the plane, and they cause off-plane (over-the-plane and under-the-plane) motions of the clubshaft if they happen between P4 and P6. A positive beta torque will cause the clubshaft to move over-the-plane so that the butt end of the club points inside the ball-target line, and a negative beta torque will cause the clubshaft to move under the plane so that the butt end of the club points outside the ball-target line). In other words, a positive beta torque steepens the clubshaft if it is applied between P4 and P6, while a negative beta torque shallows the clubshaft. Beta torques applied near impact would affect the club's VSP and also affect the golfer's accumulator #3 angle (= RYKE angle).
According to BM, a gamma torque causes the clubshaft to twist about its longitudinal axis. For example, if the clubshaft is held stationary at the P5.5 position, a positive gamma torque will cause the clubshaft to rotate counterclockwise and close the clubface (and that clubface-closing effect represents what BM calls a twistaway maneuver) while a negative gamma torque will cause clockwise rotation of the clubshaft and open the clubface.
Here are capture images from BM's video showing him demonstrating a twistaway maneuver at the P5.5 position.
Look carefully, and note that BM is keeping the clubshaft from angulating by holding it with his right hand. He then twists the clubshaft around its longitudinal axis using his left arm/hand. In image 1, he is rotating the clubshaft clockwise (as viewed from his eye-viewing position) - note that he has to cup (dorsiflex) his left wrist and pronate his left forearm in order to achieve that goal and it opens the clubface (relative to the back of his left lower forearm). In image 2, he is rotating the clubshaft counterclockwise (as viewed from his eye-viewing position) - note that he has to markedly palmar flex (arch/bow) his left wrist and supinate his left forearm in order to achieve that goal and that rotates the clubface closed (relative to the back of his left lower forearm). Note how he turns his fingers under the shaft while performing that action and he calls that biomechanical phenomenon a twistaway maneuver. Also, note how his left wrist moves more towards ulnar deviation during his demonstration of a twistaway maneuver.
BM implies that this twistaway maneuver can be applied at any time in the downswing (even during the early and mid-downswing) and he states that it will close the clubface (relative to the clubhead arc), and he seemingly implies that it will mean that the golfer doesn't have to use a PA#3 release action in his late downswing in order to square the clubface by impact. I believe that this "belief" is very wrongheaded and I believe that a twistaway maneuver may have significant negative (biomechanically harmful) effects if it is used during a skilled pro golfer's downswing action.
(* I will discuss the biomechanical consequences of using a twistaway manuever at a later stage during this introductory post when I demonstrate how Tiger uses a twistaway maneuver in his 2015 downswing action)
BM briefly mentions that a golfer can also apply a positive gamma torque to close the clubface in the later downswing near impact, but he doesn't elaborate on why it happens and he doesn't explain the underlying biomechanics. There is a key difference between the clubface-closing biomechanics of a twistaway maneuver and the clubface-closing that happens in the late downswing between P6.5 and impact (during a PA#3 release action) and understanding this difference (which I will explain in great detail later in this post) is very important.
Now, let's move to the topic of why BM believes that it is important for a golfer to shallow the clubshaft in the early downswing - by applying a negative beta torque.
BM states in his video that it important for a golfer to apply a negative beta torque at the start of the downswing so that the clubshaft can become shallower between P4 and P5. He believes that it will then allow the clubshaft to later steepen when the golfer subsequently applies a positive beta torque between P5.5 and P6, which he states is needed to move the club over-the-plane so that it can cause the hands/butt end of the club to move inside (in the direction of the target) as the golfer transitions between P5.5 to P6.5. He also believes that this clubshaft steepening phenomenon that mainly happens between P5.5 and P6.5 will allow the right hand to get on top of the club, which will then enable the golfer to *apply positive push-pressure against the back of the club with the right arm/hand during the mid-late downswing in order to increase swing power.
(* I believe that a skilled pro golfer, who isn't a swing-hitter, doesn't apply push-pressure against the aft side of the club between P6 and impact in order to increase swing power, and I think that he only uses it to synergistically help him to release PA#3 with greater efficiency - and I will discuss this issue in a future post when I discuss the difference between TGM swinging and swing-hitting).
So, how does BM think that a golfer should biomechanically achieve the goal of shallowing the clubshaft in the early downswing between P4 and P5?
Watch the BM-video between 3:58 - 4:20 minutes when BM describes how to shallow the clubshaft. He describes and demonstrates a pivot motion (which he calls "turning the chest to the ball") that is supposed to shallow the clubshaft. I think that he is wrong for two reasons. First of all, how can the upper torso pivot motion of "turning the chest towards the ball" shallow the clubshaft? Note that Tiger rotates his upper torso by the same amount between P4 and P5 in his 2015 swing (as compared to his "old" swing) and he is not "turning his chest more towards the ball" in his 2015 swing. Secondly, BM doesn't describe the "true" biomechanical technique that I believe that pro golfers use to shallow the clubshaft during the P4 => P5 time period - which is biomechanically due to an active right arm adduction move that causes the right elbow to drop groundwards faster than the left elbow. For interested readers, I have described this biomechanical phenomenon in great detail in topic number 7 of this review paper - perfectgolfswingreview.net/2014Revision.htm - and I will not spend time describing it further in this post. One can clearly see that Tiger Woods drops his right elbow faster than his left elbow between P4 and P5, and one can clearly see how it shallows-out his clubshaft between P4 and P5.5.
Now, consider BM's other claim that a golfer needs to shallow-out the clubshaft between P4 and P5.5 because the golfer will be subsequently applying a positive beta torque at the P5.5 time point, that he wrongheadedly claims will steepen the clubshaft as the golfer transitions between P5.5 to P6.2.
Consider BM's demonstration of the phenomenon of applying beta torque in the mid-downswing by looking at these capture images that I created from BM's video.
Image 1 shows BM at the P5.5 position. He has separated his hands to better demonstrate what each hand is supposed to be doing to create the positive beta torque. In the video, he states that the golfer should use the left hand to pull the handle downwards-and-forwards while the right hand simultaneously pushes against the aft side of club to "tumble" the clubshaft over-the-plane in a clubshaft-steepening direction so that it can end up as shown in image 2 where the club is now at the P6.1-P6.2 position. Does the clubshaft actually ever steepen between P5.5 and P6.2 in a pro golfer's swing and "tumble" over-the-plane? I have never seen a clubshaft-steepening phenomenon (an over-the-plane "tumble" phenomenon) happen in a pro golfer's mid-downswing - as demonstrated by BM - if the golfer is not coming OTT from the start of the downswing or exhibiting a swing fault. The reason why it doesn't normally happen in a "real life" professional golfer's golf swing is partly due to the fact that the club has already started to release between P5.5 and P6.2 and it usually releases down the inclined plane between P5.5 and P6.2 because the intact LAFW is lying on the inclined plane and the club normally releases within the plane of an intact LAFW - even though the golfer is simultaneously applying those positive beta torque actions (as described by BM). When the club releases, it also means that the left wrist is becoming more ulnarly-deviated and that will shallow the clubshaft's motion during the application of a positive beta torque action, so that the clubshaft will not "tumble" over-the-plane as seen in BM's demonstration - note that BM "artificially" keeps the left arm-clubshaft angle unchanged during his demonstration.
So, let's examine the downswing of a pro golfer who is definitely performing the biomechanical motions that BM asserts would produce a positive beta torque swing action that should result in clubshaft-steepening - by considering Sergio Garcia's downswing action between P5.5 and P6+.
Image 1 shows Sergio Garcia at the P5.5 position. Note that he has already shallowed his clubshaft in his earlier downswing so that it has come down to the elbow plane by P5.5. Note that his clubshaft is on-plane (butt end of the club points at the ball).
Images 2, 3 and 4 show the P5.5 => P6 time period. Note that he is pulling his left hand and the butt end of the club downwards-and-forwards (in a targetwards direction) and that causes the back of his left hand (which was parallel to the inclined plane at P5.5) to steepen and become vertical by P6 (image 4). That "back of the left hand" steepening motion requires a left forearm supinatory motion and it should theoretically "tumble" the clubshaft over-the-plane (as described by BM) - but note that Sergio's clubshaft doesn't steepen between P5.5 and P6.
Now, consider what happens to Sergio Garcia's right hand during that same time period. Note that Sergio's right forearm is supinated at P5.5 and his right palm is parallel to the undersurface of the inclined plane. Note how Sergio's right forearm becomes more pronated during the P5.5 and P6 time period, so that his right palm becomes more vertical, and also note that the lifeline of his right palm lies on the top of the shaft at P6.
In other words, Sergio Garcia is correctly performing the biomechanical actions needed to perform the positive beta torque action described by BM - but the clubshaft doesn't steepen between P5.5 and P6. Also, note that his clubshaft is parallel to his foot stance line and also parallel to the ball-target line at P6.
Let's consider another example of a pro golfer's downswing action between P5.5 and P6 by considering Henrik Stenson's mid-downswing action.
Henrik Stenson swing video
Here are capture images from the swing video.
Image 1 shows Henrik Stenson at the P5.5 position. His clubshaft is on-plane, but on a slightly steeper plane (just above the elbow plane) when compared to Sergio Garcia at the same P5.5 position. Interestingly, note that his clubshaft is on roughly the same plane as seen in capture image 3 of Tiger's "old swing" - being slightly above the elbow plane. Note that the back of Henrik's left hand (GFLW) is parallel to the inclined plane.
Image 2 is at P5.75 and image 3 is at P6 when his clubshaft is parallel to the ground. Note how the back of Henrik's left hand steepens between P5.5 and P6 so that it becomes vertical by P6 and that requires a left forearm supinatory action. Note how his right palm (which was parallel to the undersurface of the inclined plane at P5.5) becomes more vertical by P6 with the lifeline of his right palm positioned over-the-top of the clubshaft, and that requires a right forearm pronatory motion. In other words, Henrik Stenson is performing the same biomechanical actions between P5.5 and P6 as Sergio Garcia. However, look at the directional trajectory that his clubshaft took between P5.5 and P6. His clubshaft is marginally (insignificantly) shallowing-out between P5.5 and P6 and it is certainly not steepening in an over-the-plane "tumble" action manner (as predicted by BM) - even though he is applying the positive beta torque actions (recommended by BM).
Note that Henrik Stenson's clubshaft is parallel to his foot stance line and also parallel to the ball-target line at the P6 position - as seen in Sergio Garcia's P6 position and also the P6 position of Tiger's "old" swing.
So, why is Tiger's clubshaft positioned more "inside" at the P6 position in his 2015 swing (as shown/described by WdF)?
Here is my personal explanation.
Here are close-up images of Tiger's hands and club during the P5 to P6 time period of his 2015 swing (the same swing used by WDF in his swing video).
Image 1 shows Tiger Woods at the P5 position. Note that he has an AFLW (slightly palmar flexed left wrist). Note that the clubshaft is inline with his left arm, which means that he has an intact LAFW.
Image 2 shows Tiger Woods at the P5.5 position. Note that he is starting to use a twistaway maneuver, that causes his fingers to curl inwards so that his curling finger-torquing action can twist the club about its longitudinal axis, thereby providing the positive gamma torque needed to close the clubface (as demonstrated by BM in his video demonstration of a twistaway maneuver). Note that Tiger has to markedly palmar flex (arch/bow) his left wrist when performing the twistaway maneuver, and that causes the clubshaft to be angled downwards (under-the-plane) and also slightly more rearwards (away from the ball-target line) - see image 3.
Images 3 and 4 show how Tiger is actively performing the twistaway action between P5.5 and P6 and that causes the clubshaft to move under-the-plane, and not over-the-plane (as predicted by BM) - even though he is also simultaneously applying a positive beta torque force by supinating his left forearm between P5.5 and P6. Note that Tiger has supinated his left forearm between P5.5 and P6 in such a manner that the back of his left hand moves from being parallel to the inclined plane at P5.5 (image 2) to being vertical at P6 (image 4). Although Tiger is supinating his left forearm in a similar manner to the left forearm supinatory action performed by Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson between P5.5 and P6, his clubshaft doesn't become parallel to his foot stance line and his ball-target line at the P6 position and it is directed slightly inside - and that "real life fact" happens because he has a markedly palmar flexed (arched/bowed) left wrist that angulates his clubshaft rearwards (away from the ball-target line). Note also that Tiger's clubshaft has released more between P5.5 and P6, which means that the left wrist is becoming more ulnarly-deviated and that will also promote an underplane motion of the clubshaft if the left wrist is simultaneously being palmar flexed.
If you are not convinced that Tiger is using an active twistaway maneuver in his mid-downswing, here is further visual proof.
Image 1 is at the P4.5 position. Note that he has an AFLW (slightly palmar flexed left wrist) and note that his clubface is parallel relative to the back of his left lower forearm and open relative to the clubhead arc.
Image 2 is at the P5 position. Note that he still has an AFLW (slightly palmar flexed left wrist) and note that his clubface is parallel relative to the back of his left lower forearm and open relative to the clubhead arc.
Image 3 is at the P5.5 position. Note that his left wrist is much more palmar flexed and note how the black stripe on the back of his left hand's glove is curling inwards/groundwards due to his use of an active twistaway maneuver. Note how much more closed his clubface is relative to the back of his left lower forearm and also relative to the clubhead arc (compared to image 2) and that is due to the positive gamma (clubface-closing) torque that Tiger is applying during his twistaway action.
If you want to understand why an active twistaway maneuver causes a significant degree of left wrist palmar flexion, you can view my video on the twistaway maneuver ( see www.youtube.com/watch?v=85vqJpWIan0 ) and you can also read topic number 4 of this review paper ( perfectgolfswingreview.net/2014Revision.htm )
I will later show how Tiger's use of the twistaway maneuver may adversely affect his PA#3 release action, which is the next subtopic that I am going to discuss in this introductory post.
WdF commented on Tiger's "2015" late downswing hand release action where he gets his hands ahead of the ball before his performs his PA#3 release action.
Here are capture images from the WdF you-tube video.
Wdf drew those red lines to show what Tiger is doing in his 2015 swing action.
Image 1 shows Tiger at the P6.8 position when his hands have got ahead of the ball, but he has still not yet performed his PA#3 release action. Note that the back of his left hand is still partly facing the ball-target line (look at the black logo on the back of his glove) and note that his clubface is still significantly open to the clubhead arc even though his clubhead is a mere 12" away from impact. That means that Tiger has only 12" of clubhead travel remaining to perform his PA#3 release action before his clubhead reaches impact.
Image 2 shows Tiger's hands at impact. Note that his hands are ahead of the ball position with the back of his left hand facing the target, but note that his clubface is not perfectly square to the target, which suggests that Tiger couldn't quite complete his PA#3 release action (which is needed to square the clubface by impact) in that short period of clubhead travel time between P6.85 and impact.
Here are capture images from the original swing video that will allow us to follow the motion of Tiger's hands and clubface between P6.5 and impact.
Image 1 is at P6.5. Note that the back of his left hand is facing the ball-target line (and camera), and his clubface is significantly open relative to the clubhead arc - even though his left hand has almost reached the ball position.
Image 2 is at P6.75. Note that his hands have reached the ball position, but the back of his left hand is still facing the camera and his clubface is still significantly open to the clubhead arc.
Image 3 is at P6.9 (6" away from the ball). Note that his hands have bypassed the ball position, but his clubface is still significantly open to the clubhead arc because he has not yet completed his PA#3 release action.
Image 4 shows that he may not have perfectly completed his PA#3 release action by impact so that his clubface is perfectly square.
Let's compare Tiger's very late (and possibly incomplete) PA#3 release action in his 2015 swing action to his PA#3 release action in his "old" swing.
Here are capture images from the famous Nike commercial swing video of Tiger Woods' swing, and this swing video best represents his "old" swing (which many golf commentators/instructors regard as his "best-ever" swing).
Image 1 is at P6.5. His clubface is significantly open to the clubhead arc and the back of his left hand faces the ball-target line (and camera).
Image 2 is at P6.65. Note that his hands have not yet reached the ball position, but the back of his left hand and clubface is starting to rotate counterclockwise, which means that Tiger is starting to perform his PA#3 release action.
Image 3 is at P6.8. Note that his hands have not yet reached his ball-position, but note that he continues to slowly/progressively rotate the back of his left hand (AFLW) counterclockwise and that controlled PA#3 release action is slowly, but progressively, closing his clubface relative to the cubhead arc.
Image 4 is at P6.9. Note that his hands have still not reached his ball position, but he has nearly completed his PA#3 release action that will get the back of his left hand and clubface to face the target by impact.
Image 5 shows that Tiger's hands eventually reach the level of his ball position by impact, and one can clearly see that he has successfully completed his PA#3 release action that successfully squares the back of his left hand (AFLW) and clubface by impact.
I think that his PA#3 release acton is much better (much more efficient) in his "old" swing. His hands are moving towards the ball position between P6.5 and impact at a steady rate and his hands don't prematurely reach (or bypass) the ball position before impact. During this same time period, he performs a flawless PA#3 release action (representing a positive gamma torque action) that efficiently squares his clubface by impact. Note that the PA#3 release action happens gradually/progressively over a longer time period of clubhead travel, and it doesn't happen just before impact (in the last 12" of clubhead travel). In a future post, I will describe the mechanics/biomechanics that underpin his superbly performed PA#3 release action, which likely involves a passive left forearm supinatory motion due to the RYKE effect, that is synergistically modulated by push-pressure applied by his right palm at PP#1 that occurs secondary to his efficiently performed right forearm paddlewheeling action.
I have previously shown that Tiger seemingly fails to efficiently supinate his left forearm during the P6.75 to P7 (impact) time period (PA#3 release time period) in that particular example of his 2015 swing action (that was recorded by Terry Rowles). Could it be due to the fact that his left forearm's supinatory action is less than optimally efficient? I suspect that his left forearm muscles (in the ventral compartment of his left forearm) are still too contracted at P6.75 secondary to his active use of a twistaway maneuver, and that his left forearm can be considered to be "functionally-stiff" from a rotary perspective and that "functionally-stiff" condition impairs the ability of his left forearm to passively rotate counterclockwise in a supinatory direction under the influence of the *RYKE effect.
(* See this NGI forum thread if you want to understand what's the RYKE effect - newtongolfinstitute.proboards.com/thread/569/ryke-effect )
There is another (very plausible) alternative explanation that can potentially better explain why Tiger is manifesting a very late PA#3 release action, and that explanation is based on my suspicion that Tiger could now be using a swing-hitting technique (and not a TGM swinging technique), and I suspect that he is actively releasing PA#3 by using an active PA#1 release action that causes his right palm to apply push-pressure against PP#1 during the right forearm's paddlewheeling action, and I suspect that his right arm/hand may be the dominant factor inducing his PA#3 release action. In other words, I suspect that Tiger is not using the supinator muscles in his left forearm to execute his PA#3 release action, but he is using his right forearm's pronator muscles to execute a very late PA#3 release action just before impact. My reason for suspecting that his right arm's straightening action may be the dominant biomechanical force inducing a PA#3 release action is based on my observation that Tiger is now using a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action.
Let's consider the nature of Tiger's hand release action through impact.
Here are capture images from his 2015 swing video that show his post-impact (followthrough) action between P7 and P7.5.
Image 1 is at impact, and image 2 is a few inches after impact. Note that he has a FLW and note that the clubshaft has not bypassed his left arm. Note that he still has a slightly bent right wrist.
Image 3 is at P7.2 and image 4 is at P7.5. Note that his clubshaft is bypassing his left arm at P7.2, which means that his left wrist is moving toward extension even if it is not definitely visually-evident - considering the "fact" that he has no biomechanical evidence of left wrist rolling, which can also cause the clubshaft to bypass the left arm post-impact. Overt visual evidence of left wrist extension (bending) becomes very apparent at P7.5 (image 4). Note how he straightens his right wrist fully between impact and P7.5, and I suspect that his right wrist straightening action may be active (rather than passive) if Tiger has converted to becoming a swing-hitter (switter).
I think that Tiger's 2015 hand release action post-impact is very different to his "old" swing when he used a full-roll hand release action.
Here are a series of capture images from the upline version of his Nike commercial video that shows Tiger Woods using a full-roll hand release action.
Image 1 shows Tiger at impact where the back of his FLW faces the target.
Images 2 and 3 show how he rotates his FLW counterclockwise between impact and P7.5 with no/minimal left wrist extension, and that rotary biomechanical phenomenon is very typical of a golfer who uses a full-roll hand release action.
Why is Tiger using this new hand release action?
I strongly suspect that Chris Como (possibly under considerable influence from Brian Manzella) has taught Tiger the methodology of how to execute a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action.
What is the coupling point?
The coupling point is the point on the grip midway between the left and right hand. When a golfer uses a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action through impact, he will pull the handle of the club backwards (away from the target) with his left hand while pushing the clubshaft below the coupling point forwards (towards the target) with his right hand, thereby causing a rotation of the handle around the coupling point.
To see a video demonstration of this rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action, watch this Richard Franklin video between the 12:22 minute and the 13:24 minute time points.
Here is a capture image from the Richard Franklin video that shows certain features of a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action.
The green graph represents left wrist extension-flexion. Note that the green graph goes steeply downwards through impact (impact = black vertical line), and immediately after impact, and that represents a left wrist extension action. Note that the red alpha torque graph goes steeply downwards just before impact (impact = vertical black line) and it becomes negative (going below the horizontal black line) immediately after impact, which means that the alpha torque is negative after impact. A negative alpha torque means that the club handle is being torqued backwards (away from the target) as seen in the accompanying photo in the lower-right corner of the image.
Although BM and RF are promoting a left wrist flipping action immediately after impact (which Kelvin Miyahira labels a pro-flipper hand release action), they are not recommending left wrist flipping before-or-through impact because they want the golfer to have a FLW at impact (as seen in Tiger's 2015 hand release action images above). The problem with using a rotation-about-the coupling point hand release action relates to the timing-of-the-flip and how to ensure that the left wrist flipping phenomenon happens post-impact, and not before/during impact. BM/RF don't explain how a golfer is supposed to perfect his timing of the left wrist flipping action, so that golfer can avoid flipping-through-impact.
Richard Franklin shows a drill (which he calls the "hockey shot" drill) between the 12:03 minute and 12:35 minute time points of his video, that demonstrates the biomechanics of how to perform a rotation-about-the coupling point hand release action.
Here are capture images showing the starting point and endpoint of that "hockey shot" drill.
Image 1 shows Chip Beck at the P6 position with his two hands positioned apart on the handle of the club. He then performs the "hockey shot" action where he first pulls upwards on the grip with his left hand while extending the left side of his body (called "going normal") and where he then subsequently pulls the handle backwards (away from the target) while he simultaneously pushes the handle of grip (below the coupling point) forwards with his right hand. Note that this "hockey shot" action implies a very active right arm straightening and right wrist straightening action that pushes the handle actively forwards between P6 and P7.5. If a golfer performs that "hockey shot" action, then that means that he is basically using a swing-hitting (switting) technique between P6 and P7.5.
Is Tiger Woods using that active "hockey shot" swing action between P6 and P7.5 in his 2015 swing action, or is his right arm/right wrist straightening action passive? I don't know the answer - because I have not heard any "news" from either Chris Como or Tiger Woods as to whether his right arm/right wrist straightening action is active (or passive) between P6 and P7.2+.
It certainly seems to me from viewing the "hockey shot" drill that Richard Franklin (and possibly Chris Como) are promoting/teaching an active right arm/right wrist straightening action that starts at the P6 position and continues all the way to the P7.5 position, which is well beyond impact (as demonstrated by Chip Beck).
So, based on Richard Franklin's demonstration of the biomechanics of a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action, I then have the following series of questions for Richard Franklin (and other advocates of this rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action) -:
Question number 1: Tiger Woods has been very erratic with his driver during the past year and he tends to suffer from misses to both the left-and-right. Considering the problem of a miss-to-the-left, could it be due to the fact that he is mistiming his right arm/right wrist's straightening action during the performance of his rotation-about-the coupling point hand release action so that he flips the club (about the coupling point) immediately before impact or during impact (rather than post-impact) thereby producing a closed clubface at impact? How can a golf instructor ensure that this flipping problem doesn't happen during the execution of a rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action if the golfer is swinging a driver at clubhead speeds of 120+ mph - if the right palm's push-pressure is being applied below the coupling point at PP#3 during the rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action?
Question number 2: Tiger Woods has been very erratic with his driver during the past year and he tends to suffer from misses to both the left-and-right. Considering the problem of a miss-to-the-right, could it be due to the fact that he is mistiming his right arm's straightening action during the late downswing and that he is therefore applying too much push-pressure with his right palm against PP#1 (which is above the coupling point) and thereby actively driving his left hand/club handle forward too fast, so that his hands get ahead of the ball before impact, which also means that his hands get to impact before he can complete his PA#3 release action (positive gamma torque action) that is needed to square his clubface by impact?
Question number 3: A positive gamma torque obviously needs to be applied pre-impact (representing the biomechanical phenomenon that the TGMers call a PA#3 release action) in order to square the clubface by impact. How is this positive gamma torque actually accomplished biomechanically during the execution of a "hocket shot" type of hand release action?
Until I get satisfactory answers to those questions, I will personally continue to strongly favor the use a TGM lead arm swinging action that isn't dependent on such an active use of the right arm to i) apply positive alpha torque between P5 and P6 in order to induce the club release action (PA#2 release action) and ii) apply an active right arm/right wrist straightening action during the execution of the rotation-about-the-coupling point hand release action (as demonstrated by Chip Beck in Richard Franklin's "hockey shot" drill).
Consider a "pure" example of a TGM lead arm swinging action - as performed by Sasho MacKenzie during his one-arm swing action.
Face-on view video
DTL video
Note that Sasho can hit 250 yard shots with great ease using only his lead arm, and he doesn't require any assistance from a rear arm. He obtains sufficient swing power from his pivot-induced sequential release of PA#4 => PA#2 => PA#3 to hit the ball 250 yards, and he has no problem completing his PA#2 release action so that the club catches-up to his lead arm by impact, and he also has no problem completing his PA#3 release action by impact so that he can ensure that he has a square clubface at impact. A great advantage of a lead arm-only swing action (if well performed) is that it allows a golfer to use a drive-hold (DH) hand release action through impact.
Consider these capture images of Sasho's DH-hand release action.
Note that his clubshaft never bypasses his lead arm during the followthrough, which means that he cannot be flipping or rolling through impact. That type of hand release action is called a no-roll DH-hand release action.
I think that many pro golfers use a TGM lead arm swinging action, where the rear arm only plays a synergistically helpful role in optimising the sequential release of PA#4 => PA#2 => PA#3, and many of those pro golfers also use a no-roll DH-hand release action through impact, which ensures a very stable clubface through the immediate impact zone between P7 and P7.2. A perfect (protypical) example of this type of hand release action would be the golf swing of Jordan Spieth.
Jordan Spieth swing video
Here are capture images from the swing video.
These four capture images show Jordan Spieth's followthrough action between impact (image 1) to P7.5 (image 4). Note that the clubshaft never bypasses his lead arm, which means that he cannot be flipping or rolling through impact (or during his early followthrough) when he executes his no-roll DH-hand release action. Note that he maintains a slightly palmar flexed left wrist and bent right wrist throughout his entire no-roll DH-hand release action.
So, a fundamentally relevant question for an aspiring pro golfer is the following question-: Which golfer's swing action should he emulate - i) Jordan Spieth's swing action or the Chris Como-influenced Tiger Woods swing action (Tiger Woods' 2015 swing action).
Jeff.
Addendum: Note that I will expand on this topic in future posts, and I plan to demonstrate why I believe that BM/RF are "pseudoscientists" and I also plan to compare the basic mechanics/biomechanics of a TGM lead arm swing action (as performed by golfers like Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott) to the type of swing action recommended by Brian Manzella and Richard Franklin.