Yesterday, we discussed how 7 of the 8 students had poor to bad alignment and were aimed no less than 20 plus yards outside wide or closed to their target, to the right for righties and left for the lefties. Inside wide or open to the target would be aiming left of the target for right handers and right for left handers.
Today, we will look at the other major alignment issue: that the aiming outside wide and closed causes a setup position I term 'BAD'¦Back Arm Dominant.' BAD means the back arm is higher than the front or target arm and quite straight if not straighter than the forward arm. This has the upper torso, from the waist up, aiming open and inside of the target and the lower torso, starting with the feet and the toe line, is aimed outside wide or closed to the target. Thus we have the shoulders and triangle of the arms open and the feet and knees closed, placing the torso in what I term X'ed out because the toe line and shoulder lines cross, forming an X. The hips in an X'ed out body alignment are usually open. The back shoulder is always very high because the back arm is higher than the front/target arm.
An X'ed out body not only looks like an X, but is also X'ed out in power, as the upper and lower body is facing or aimed on opposite sides of the aiming line. The torso setup in this X position is out of dynamic balance. Since the upper torso and arms are open, the swing motion will be a weak outside to in swing path. The swing is made weaker by the fact that the closed lower body will cause a reverse weight transfer toward the back leg in the transition. This further causes more of an outside to in swing path and more of a glancing blow at impact and bigger fade to slice.
The Foundation Swing Manual in Chapter 11 on Page 96 in the 'Picture Yourself Setup' in the 'Face On' section states:
3a. Arms and shoulders form a triangle.
3b. Shoulders tilted from left to right'¦ (for a right hander) or we can say front to back.
4. Right (back) arm relaxed and below the left (front) and inside of the elbow points up at 12:00
What this is saying is your back arm must always be below your forward arm. When in this position I call it the FAD, 'Forward Arm Dominant' or higher position. This can be checked by just simply looking down at your arms to see that your forward arm is slightly higher than your back arm. Your shoulders will likely be square and over your toe line. If your back arm is higher you can bet the farm that your shoulders and upper torso are open.
Now, I must throw in a CAUTION here! The back arm can be forced down too low under the forward arm and this will close the shoulders. You not only can see this, but you will likely feel the back shoulder is pulled too far down and back and you will feel and be close to almost falling backwards.
The point here is simple. When the back arm is high (BAD), the club is forced outside in the takeaway and the lift into the mitt is limited because the back hand and arm are on top of the forward hand and arm, slowing and reducing the lift. The back shoulder rises causing a reverse tilt backswing. The on top back hand and arm cannot lift the club up the tree because they are straight. At around shaft parallel to the ground, the top arm has to snap at the elbow to allow lift. When it does, the hands and club are flipped and swing up to around 10:00 o'clock and will end up behind the toe line in the Sacred Burial Ground (SBG), deep and laid off and heavy.
With the back arm slightly below the forward arm (FAD), the takeaway is on line. With the back arm bent and slightly below the front forearm almost dead level, the shoulders turn level and the triangle of both arms lifts the club up into the mitt. Then, most importantly, both arms continue rising almost dead level as they lift the club up the tree, over the toe line to the ¾ length vertical 12:00 o'clock light shaft position at the top of the backswing. NOTE: This FAD (right arm lower than the forward arm in the setup) is a 'must' setup position. It is a 'crucial' and 'has to be' setup position to achieve the PPGS ¾ vertical shaft position backswing.
The slightly lower back arm is the key to a level shoulder turn. It is the key to a straight back into the mitt takeaway and lifting of both arms to swing the club up to the 3/4 vertical 12:00 o'clock limited turn, with the forward arm over the toe line top of backswing position.
So, to lift the club to the ¾ vertical and light top of backswing shaft position to make the PPGS, your arms must have 'FAD' arms in the setup, not BAD.'
The Surge!