|
You are
an Arc Swinger
LEONARD KAMSLER |
This is the swing of the tall, flexible golfer. Couples, Love, and McGann -- all long hitters -- launch their arms, hands, and club high above their heads at the top of the swing, the result of standing tall at address with very little knee flex. This lets them make the most of their flexibility, swinging long and loose, even crossing the line at the top. Use your flexibility on the downswing, driving your legs and hips toward the target. The more you work your lower body, the faster your arms, hands, and club drop into the hitting area. But keep your head behind the ball through impact to maintain balance.
Address: Play the ball off your left shoulder. Close your stance slightly. Flex your knees just a bit to stand tall and promote an upright swing.
Set your right (back) foot perpendicular to the target line; keep your weight on that instep during the backswing. Turn your left foot out about 20 degrees, to square up the toe-line and promote clearing of the left hip on the downswing.
Set your left thumb in the "short" position along the center of the shaft. This weakens your grip, so the wrists and club don't set too early.
Your right hand is weak (the V pointing at your left ear) to encourage arm extension, a one-piece takeaway, and a higher swing.
| Arc Swingers |
|---|
|
Fred Couples
Payne Stewart
Phil Mickelson
Davis Love III
Scott Simpson
Al Geiberger
Michelle McGann
|
|
|---|
Backswing: Make an extra-wide takeaway (don't hinge the wrists). As weight shifts to the right foot and the club swings back, the right elbow folds and the wrists hinge naturally.
Don't lift the club with the arms. Swing it as a result of the long extension and hip/shoulder turn.
As the hips finish turning, the left knee is pulled behind the ball and the right knee straightens. Your weight is on the inside of the right foot and leg.
Your shoulders should have turned at least 90 degrees at the top, with the clubshaft pointing across the line. Your left wrist cups and weight loads onto your right side.
Downswing: Trigger the downswing by shifting your legs and hips toward the target. As the lower body moves laterally and weight shifts to the left foot, your right shoulder, arm, and club drop down. Hold the angle of the wrists as long as possible. The faster the lower body drives forward, the higher the clubhead velocity and the longer the shot.
Drill: Push the Plank
Place a 36-inch two-by-four flat on the ground along the target line, the forward end even with your left shoulder (your ball position). Take your address with the back of a 5-iron touching the front of the plank and the clubface square to an imaginary target.
Make a slow backswing, pushing the board straight back. Stop when the plank is six inches past your back foot.
Practice five minutes a day to groove a long, low takeaway, vital for creating a wide swing arc. Then incorporate it into your driver swing for more power.
a Width Swinger
LEONARD KAMSLER |
A thicker upper body and limited flexibility mean you're not going to get power from lower-body drive or unhinging levers. You must rely on a big shoulder turn and wide arc, which demand a solid base of supporta wide stance for stability and a strong grip for a shallow path through impact. Don't try to get your hands up, just far away: On the backswing, think of turning your left shoulder past the ball and extending your arms and the club as far from the target as possible. Swinging down, keep your feet flat and lower body quiet (stability) while letting the big muscles of the upper body do the work.
Address: Make your stance extra-wide, playing the ball a few inches behind your left heel (opposite the logo on your shirt). This position gets you to hit earlier on the downswing, with both feet planted on the ground. (Because you're likely to get lazy with the lower body, playing the ball forward will lead to getting way out in front and smothering the ball.)
Close your stance and turn both feet out about 30 degrees to facilitate a bigger shoulder turn. Bend over more at the hips so there's room for your arms to swing past your chest.
Take a strong grip, being sure to extend the left thumb as far as possible down the grip so it lays flat. This promotes an early hinging of the wrist on the backswing.
| Width Swingers |
|---|
|
Seve Ballesteros
Craig Stadler
Peter Jacobsen
Tom Lehman
Mark McCumber
Arnold Palmer
Jim Albus
Tom Wargo
Meg Mallon
|
|
|---|
Backswing: Your power comes from swinging the arms and club away from your body while turning the shoulders far more than the hips. Get the left shoulder behind the ball. Keep your backswing short, only halfway back (the arms just past parallel to the ground). If your shots are weak and off-line, widen your stance to stop overswinging.
Watch the position of the right wrist and don't let it over-hinge at the halfway point. That leads to a false sense of lengthening the swing, followed by casting the club on the downswing, which really cuts power.
Downswing: Trigger the downward motion by tucking your right elbow into your right side. Your upper body should remain centered over the ball and your head rock-steady.
Resist with the lower body while the trunk rotates and weight shifts to the left foot. Don't worry about generating power: The strong grip puts the club on a shallow path, with your arms slinging it into the ball at high speed.
Drill: Stretch and Set
Tie a four-foot-long piece of surgical tubing around your chest, the knot at your sternum and the rest hanging down. Leave enough tubing so you can hold it while gripping a medium iron.
Make a backswing, keeping the tubing taut. This drill encourages an early wrist set, a critical element of the width swing. Practice until you groove the quick-set action, which won't take too long. Once you are comfortable with the quick set and can feel the subtle difference between setting the wrists and over-hinging, try hitting your driver.
Having found your driver swing, study its characteristics on this page. If the moves are different than what you are doing now, your body and swing likely are at odds with each other, which may explain those poor shots and high scores. Start learning the proper swing moves for your size, shape, and flexibility, and work on the drills.
We've taught the LAW System to more than 15,000 students -- including Jim Albus, Loren Roberts, Michelle McGann, and other pros -- with great success. Unlike other swing systems, you don't have to get worse before you get better, because your body will be doing what comes naturally. You should see immediate improvement in ball-striking, distance, and accuracy.
Adapted from
The Laws of the Golf Swing: Body-Type Your Swing and Master Your Game by Mike Adams, Dr. Jim Suttie, and Dr. T.J. Tomasi © 1998. Published by HarperCollins.
| 
