A couple of weeks ago I was watching the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. It was doubly interesting for me because I was fortunate enough to play the course last year. Coming down the stretch with Phil Mickelson pounding Tiger into the turf was pretty interesting to watch too!
One thing that caught my attention and that I think needs to be evaluated is the fact that some of the better amateurs out there were professional pitchers and quarterbacks. This doesn't surprise me one bit because as I have argued in the past, the swing is very much like throwing. There is a complete connection between using the trailing leg in throwing and in swinging. In both motions there must be storage of energy and release at the right time and in the right direction.
So many amateurs watch golf and take away the idea that there is some sort of violent spinning of the lower body to get the ball to go farther. This could not be further from the truth. To prove this point to yourself, set the club on the ground at address and then spin your hips to the target as fast as you want. You will notice that the club is still at address but the hips are rotated. You've gotten NOTHING out of turning the hips (except possibly a back ache!).
So then take a look at some major league pitchers or NFL quarterbacks throwing a ball. You'll notice that while there is some initial rotation of the hips as the energy is transferred from the legs, the hips generally stay steady near the release of the ball. The same goes for the swing.
For amateurs this is a sequencing issue. Spend a little more time on your trailing leg before releasing the energy of the hips and you'll be rewarded with much better contact and distance.
One thing that caught my attention and that I think needs to be evaluated is the fact that some of the better amateurs out there were professional pitchers and quarterbacks. This doesn't surprise me one bit because as I have argued in the past, the swing is very much like throwing. There is a complete connection between using the trailing leg in throwing and in swinging. In both motions there must be storage of energy and release at the right time and in the right direction.
So many amateurs watch golf and take away the idea that there is some sort of violent spinning of the lower body to get the ball to go farther. This could not be further from the truth. To prove this point to yourself, set the club on the ground at address and then spin your hips to the target as fast as you want. You will notice that the club is still at address but the hips are rotated. You've gotten NOTHING out of turning the hips (except possibly a back ache!).
So then take a look at some major league pitchers or NFL quarterbacks throwing a ball. You'll notice that while there is some initial rotation of the hips as the energy is transferred from the legs, the hips generally stay steady near the release of the ball. The same goes for the swing.
For amateurs this is a sequencing issue. Spend a little more time on your trailing leg before releasing the energy of the hips and you'll be rewarded with much better contact and distance.
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