| We all want more power and more distance in our | | | | right shoulder very nicely down the plane and down |
| golf swing. And very fortunately, there are several | | | | the target line. Yes, that has been said and observed |
| options for creating power. If one does not feel good | | | | thousands of times. But WHY? The right shoulder |
| or suit your body type, there are still many more that | | | | performs two functions - one is putting body mass |
| can be used. This report is about hitting. Hitting, as | | | | behind the piston movement of the right elbow. So |
| contrasted to swinging, is when the player accelerates | | | | connecting the body weight into the right elbow with |
| the clubhead by PUSHING ON THE SIDE OF THE | | | | put enormous more momentum into the contact with |
| GOLF CLUB. Technically, this is called a "radial | | | | the ball and transfer more energy to the ball. It is like |
| acceleration" of the club meaning the right elbow and | | | | being hit by a bicycle or a 10-ton truck both moving at |
| right wrist are pressing against the side of the club | | | | the same speed. Which is going to do more damage |
| (radius) to achieve club head speed. This is hitting like | | | | and transfer more energy? Obviously, the 10-ton truck. |
| with a hockey stick or tennis racket. In hitting, the right | | | | So get your body weight better connected and behind |
| elbow, right wrist, and right shoulder all play very critical | | | | the right elbow for more power. OK - that is easy to |
| roles. The right elbow - How is power created? How | | | | understand. But the second function of the right |
| is it used? When the right elbow is bent, energy is | | | | shoulder is more subtile. Imagine a dog leash. The dog |
| stored. This is the potential energy to open the elbow | | | | is free to move for a certain distance. But when is |
| and move the forearm forward. This is the same | | | | gets to the end of the leash, it is suddenly stopped. |
| action as a piston cylinder on an old steam locomotive | | | | The rigth shoulder is similar. IF the right shoulder moves |
| or the piston action in a car engine. It is the action of a | | | | down the swing plane and down the target line, the |
| hockey player standing still on the ice and shooting the | | | | right elbow can stay bent with all of its power for a |
| puck. It is a hard forward push on the club coming | | | | very late hit. That is the dog leash is still loose enough |
| from the right elbow. (As an aside, this is also probably | | | | to allow the right elbow to explode into the ball. |
| why we take a stand to the ball with our left shoulder | | | | However, if the right shoulder turns on a plane flatter |
| to the target. This stand allows us to use our dominant | | | | than the swing plane, the right elbow will start opening |
| right arm and right elbow with the best angle to hit the | | | | up - that is loosing power - before it is even near the |
| ball, like in tennis with the forehand swing.) The right | | | | ball. The right elbow is "leaking power" because the |
| wrist - The right wrist keeps pushing on the club during | | | | unconscious minds says "You must hit the ball!" and |
| the milliseconds while the clubface is compressing and | | | | the only way to hit the ball with a shoulder rotating |
| deforming the golf ball. The right wrist helps to resist | | | | more flat that the swing plane is by opening up the |
| the slowing down of the clubhead during impact. To | | | | right elbow. The right elbow cannot explode into the |
| keep it short, by resisting the clubhead tendency to | | | | ball because it is already opened up and can move |
| slow down throught the hitting zone, a player can gain | | | | only a short distance before it is at the "end of it's |
| up to 30% more clubhead speed WITH THE SAME | | | | leash." Don't believe what I am writing here. Try it |
| INITIAL CONDITIONS. So this is not trivial. Also, to be | | | | yourself. Do it now - even without a club in your hand. |
| clear, this is NOT flipping the right wrist at impact. It is a | | | | Am I right or not? And now you know why rotating |
| passive but strong resistance to the slowing down of | | | | the right shoulder down the swing plane allows a golfer |
| the club. (Resistance to deceleration of the clubhead | | | | to keep the power stored in the right elbow until the |
| through impact will be discussed in more detail in the | | | | last possible second before impact. Until the next |
| report - Swinging from your feet.) Aha!!!! The right | | | | report. |
| shoulder - We know that better players rotate the | | | | |