Post by imperfectgolfer on Nov 1, 2023 11:49:57 GMT -5
Watch this video by Eric Cogorno where he expresses his opinions on how a golfer should lower the arms during the early-mid downswing time period.
In this video, EC states that to avoid an OTT move in the early downswing where the hands move too much outwards, a golfer should develop a golf swing motional pattern where the arms move mainly downwards between P4 => P6. He uses Adam Scott as an example and he shows that AS's hands have moved ~80% downwards between P4 => P6 and only ~20% outwards by P6.
I can agree with EC that the arms should mainly move downwards between P4 => P6 and I can agree with his opinion that the "feel" of hand motion is of directing the hands slightly backwards towards the trail ankle area, but that the hands will actually end up ahead of the toes (= closer to the ball-target line) at P6 due to the fact that a golfer is naturally turning the upper torso counterclockwise simultaneously as the arms are being lowering.
However, I harbor many different opinions than EC on the precise methodology of performing the arm lowering phenomenon.
Starting at the 3:57 minute time of his video, EC describes three trail arm motions that a golfer should perform during the arm lowering action when the hands move down from the P4 position to waist level - i) the trail upper arm should move closer to the side of the trail mid-upper torso; ii) the trail arm should straighten a lot; and iii) the trail wrist should become less extended by P6.
I agree with opinion i) but I disagree with opinion ii) and opinion iii).
Consider Dustin Johnson's arm lowering motion during his early-mid downswing.
In this video, EC states that to avoid an OTT move in the early downswing where the hands move too much outwards, a golfer should develop a golf swing motional pattern where the arms move mainly downwards between P4 => P6. He uses Adam Scott as an example and he shows that AS's hands have moved ~80% downwards between P4 => P6 and only ~20% outwards by P6.
I can agree with EC that the arms should mainly move downwards between P4 => P6 and I can agree with his opinion that the "feel" of hand motion is of directing the hands slightly backwards towards the trail ankle area, but that the hands will actually end up ahead of the toes (= closer to the ball-target line) at P6 due to the fact that a golfer is naturally turning the upper torso counterclockwise simultaneously as the arms are being lowering.
However, I harbor many different opinions than EC on the precise methodology of performing the arm lowering phenomenon.
Starting at the 3:57 minute time of his video, EC describes three trail arm motions that a golfer should perform during the arm lowering action when the hands move down from the P4 position to waist level - i) the trail upper arm should move closer to the side of the trail mid-upper torso; ii) the trail arm should straighten a lot; and iii) the trail wrist should become less extended by P6.
I agree with opinion i) but I disagree with opinion ii) and opinion iii).
Consider Dustin Johnson's arm lowering motion during his early-mid downswing.
The red splined path is his hand arc path.
Image 1 is at P4, image 2 is at P5, and image 3 is at P5.5 (when his hands have lowered down to waist level).
Note that his hands are no closer to the target at P5.5 than they were at P4, which demonstrates how much his arm lowering action is lowering his hands between P4 => P5.5 (by a vertical distance of >3 feet).
Note that DJ is actively adducting his trail upper arm so that it becomes fully adducted against the trail side of his mid-upper torso by P5.5. However, he is only straightening his trail arm by a minimal amount between P4 => P5.5 - and that allows him to maintain a clubhead lag angle of ~90 degrees at P5.5. If a golfer straightens the trail arm a lot between P4 => P5.5 then it will make it impossible to maintain a clubhead lag angle of ~90 degrees at P5.5. I think that it is acceptable to lose 10 - 30 degrees of clubhead lag between P4 => P5.5, but any large degree of trail arm straightening between P4 => P5.5 will cause casting and an excessively large loss of clubhead lag.
Look at DJ's trail wrist at P5.5 - note that it is still very extended and there is no trail wrist straightening (as recommended by EC). Why is it important to have a very extended trail wrist at P5.5? Having a very extended trail wrist at P5.5 allows a golfer to more easily maintain a high degree of clubhead lag and it also allows for a clubshaft shallowing action. If the trail wrist straightens significantly between P4 => P5.5 it may promote casting (loss of clubhead lag) and it may also promote a clubshaft steepening action (= "tumble action" that will move the clubshaft from an "on-plane" position to an "over-the-plane" position).
What forces are in play that cause the arm lowering action between P4 => P5.5?
EC states that a golfer should "feel" the arms passively falling downwards between P4 => P5.5 and he does not imply that they should be actively lowered by active muscular activity. I disagree!
We know that most pro golfers are likely using a pivot-induced TGM swinging action involving the release of PA#4 where the lead hand reaches its maximum speed by ~P5.5. I believe that the lead hand cannot reach its maximum speed by P5.5 by simply allowing the two arms to passively fall groundwards between P4 => P5.5. I believe that two active lead hand lowering actions must be in play in a pro quality TGM swinging action so that the lead hand can reach its maximum speed at P5.5 - i) the kinematic sequence should start with a pelvic shift-rotation motion followed immediately by an upper torso rotational motion (with a variable degree of torso-pelvic separation) that moves the lead shoulder socket mainly targetwards between P4 => P5.5 and that will catapult the left arm mainly downwards causing the lead hand to actively move down the hand arc path and ii) the trail upper arm must be very actively adducted towards the trail side of the mid-upper torso (while maintaining a bent trail elbow) to ensure that the trail hand moves as fast as the lead hand.
Finally, I disagree with EC's opinions that it is the counterclockwise rotation of the body that is causally responsible for moving the hands from their P6 position to their P7 position where low point will be located roughly under the lead shoulder socket and roughly near the lead foot area.
Consider DJ's late downswing lead hand motion between P5.5 => P7.
The red splined path is his hand arc path - note that his hands move targetwards between P5.5 (image 1) => P7 (image 3) while remaining roughly level to the ground. Note that they move a distance of >18" targetwards between P5.5 => P7.
What causes the lead hand to move targetwards by >18" between P5.5 => P7 while remaining rougly parallel to the ground? It is due to the continued motion of the lead arm in a targetwards direction where the lead arm mainly moves in the plane of lead arm adduction => abduction and where the lead arm is sliding across the front of the rotating mid-upper torso. Note that DJ's trail arm must partially straighten and that the trail wrist must partially straighten during the P5.5 => P7 time period so that the trail hand can keep up with lead hand. The upper torso is obviously still rotating counterclockwise between P5.5 => P7, but it does not cause the lead hand to move from its P5.5 position => P7 position.
Jeff.