Post by imperfectgolfer on Apr 24, 2020 11:12:43 GMT -5
What are the advantages of right lateral bend and when/how should it be performed during the downswing?
Consider these capture images of Cameron Champ's driver swing.
Consider these capture images of Cameron Champ's driver swing.
Image 1 is at P4, image 2 is just passed P5, image 3 is at P5.5 and image 4 is at impact.
At P4, CC has no right lateral bend although his lumbar spine and upper torso are angled to the right due to the fact that he uses a rightwards-centralised upper torso loading pattern during his backswing action.
Note that he squares his pelvis by P5 and the right side of his upper torso looks "crunched". Part of that "crunched" appearance is due to right scapula protraction/depression combined with depression of the right clavicle, although he does have some right lateral bend involving the upper thoracic spine. Note that he has already fully adducted his right upper arm against the right side of his mid-upper torso by P5 while performing a pitch elbow motion of his right elbow.
Note that he has even more right lateral bend, which also involves the lower thoracic spine, by P5.5 (image 3). How does he achieve that high level of right lateral bend? Note that his pelvis much more open than his upper torso (which is slightly closed) at P5.5 and that allows him to more easily/comfortably side-bend the right side of his upper torso. What potential advantages does the combination of i) an active right arm adduction maneuver + ii) right lateral bend have between P4 => P5.5. I think that it allows him to i) hold his clubhead lag for longer, ii) shallow his clubshaft and iii) possibly increase the speed of the downward component of the release of PA#4.
Note that CC has a lot of right lateral bend between P5.5 and impact. What advantage does having so much right lateral bend have in the late downswing and early followthrough? Note that it allows him to steepen his shoulder turn angle so that his right shoulder socket moves more downplane (which means that his shoulder turn angle motion is more "ferris-wheel" than "merry-go-round" in its motional pattern) and that is conducive to a free motion of the right arm/hand in a targetwards direction without encountering any "running-out-of-right arm" problem, so that he can more easily perform a DH-hand release action through impact.
Here are capture images showing CC's DH-hand release action through impact.
Note that CC can maintain a bent right arm and bent right wrist to well beyond impact - and that is possible because his right shoulder moves very well downplane to prevent a "running-out-of-right arm" scenario. Note how the presence of right lateral bend makes it much easier for him to rotate his right shoulder socket downplane so that he does not have a "running-out-of-right arm" problem.
Now, let's compare another pro golfer's downswing action to Cameron Champ's downswing action.
The AMG instructors favor a re-centering phenomenon involving the upper torso during the backswing action and they use a pro golfer to demonstrate that phenomenon in the following video - starting at the 10:15 minute time point.
Here are capture images showing how the two pro golfers, who are featured in the video, perform their backswing action.
Note that both pro golfers have very little clockwise rotation of their pelvis by P3, and they both perform a leftwards-centralised upper torso loading pattern where the lumbar/thoracic spine is angled in a targetwards direction at P3, and also at P4.
What effect does it have on their downswing action and their ability to generate right lateral bend?
Here are capture images showing the downswing action of the pro golfer, who is situated on the right side of the above capture image.
Image 1 is at P4, image 2 is at P5, image 3 is at P5.5 and image 4 is impact.
I have drawn red lines along his lumbar and thoracic spine to show its general alignment.
Note that both his lumbar spine and thoracic spine are left-tilted at P4.
Note how his thoracic spine becomes less left-tilted by P5. However, note how far his right upper arm is abducted away from his upper torso at P5.
Note that his thoracic spine has a small degree of right-tilt by P5.5, but note that he has no right lateral bend and no "crunching-up" of the right side of his mid-upper torso. Note that his right upper arm is still abducted away from the right side of his mid-upper torso at P5.5. One of the major reasons why he cannot acquire any significant amount of right lateral bend by P5.5 is the "fact" that his pelvis not more open than his upper torso, which makes it biomechanically difficult to side-bend the right side of his mid-upper torso like Cameron Champ.
Note that he has no right lateral bend at impact (image 4), and that his right shoulder socket is positioned well back up-plane, which creates a "running-out-of-right arm" scenario that is not conducive to using his right arm to synergistically assist him in efficiently performing a DH-hand release action.
I personally much prefer the backswing/downswing action of Cameron Champ - compared to the AMG-featured pro golfers - and I think that it is much more conductive to maximising swing power and ball flight control (due to the execution of a DH-hand release action through impact).
Jeff.