John Lucas
Efficiency is key in your golf swing
Published on Wed, Jun 9, 2010 by John LucasRead More Lucas
This exercise is all about visualization.
Visualize three dots on a 78 rotations-per-minute record (remember those?). These dots have been painted in a straight line moving out from the center of the disc. One is on the extreme outside edge, one in the middle and the last dot in the center.
When the record is playing (rotating), all the dots stay in a straight line. Are all three dots moving at the same speed? No, they are not. The outside dot is moving faster than the middle dot that is moving faster than the center dot. All three dots are moving at different speeds because they are rotating on different circumferences.
If we recognize the dots move at different speeds, how do the dots stay in a straight line? The answer is they are all moving at the same rate of rotation. In this case, 78 rpms. One of the real secrets of motor skill action is the rate of rotation. When a sound swing is transporting the club 100 mph, the hands are moving l5 mph and the body 2-3 mph.
Visualize a dot on your hands, a second dot on your left shoulder and a third on your midsection. You want to build a swing that feels like these three dots are moving at the same rate even though they will be moving at different speeds.
The swing becomes less efficient when your visualization has different body parts moving at different rates. You don't want one body part to out-race the others. The most common habit I have seen is players trying to speed up their hands at impact, when in fact, the hands no longer are accelerating at impact in sound swings, as their momentum is transferred out of the club head.
A very efficient way of changing the power and energy of a swing is to change its rate of rotation. When rotation is at a low rate, the swing will have less power. Try to develop different turning rates to hit different length shots.
Do not try to put more or less effort in or out of your swing. Rate of rotation is a natural and efficient approach to more or less power.
Rules teaser:
In match play, while a player is addressing his ball, his opponent plays a stroke hitting his ball, moving it. Ruling?
Answer to last teaser:
On the putting green a player marked his ball but didn't remove his marker. A gust of wind blew his ball to another spot. Ruling? The ball must be played where it came to rest.
John Lucas is the professional at Sky Ridge Golf Course and can be reached at john98382@olypen.com.
Visualize three dots on a 78 rotations-per-minute record (remember those?). These dots have been painted in a straight line moving out from the center of the disc. One is on the extreme outside edge, one in the middle and the last dot in the center.
When the record is playing (rotating), all the dots stay in a straight line. Are all three dots moving at the same speed? No, they are not. The outside dot is moving faster than the middle dot that is moving faster than the center dot. All three dots are moving at different speeds because they are rotating on different circumferences.
If we recognize the dots move at different speeds, how do the dots stay in a straight line? The answer is they are all moving at the same rate of rotation. In this case, 78 rpms. One of the real secrets of motor skill action is the rate of rotation. When a sound swing is transporting the club 100 mph, the hands are moving l5 mph and the body 2-3 mph.
Visualize a dot on your hands, a second dot on your left shoulder and a third on your midsection. You want to build a swing that feels like these three dots are moving at the same rate even though they will be moving at different speeds.
The swing becomes less efficient when your visualization has different body parts moving at different rates. You don't want one body part to out-race the others. The most common habit I have seen is players trying to speed up their hands at impact, when in fact, the hands no longer are accelerating at impact in sound swings, as their momentum is transferred out of the club head.
A very efficient way of changing the power and energy of a swing is to change its rate of rotation. When rotation is at a low rate, the swing will have less power. Try to develop different turning rates to hit different length shots.
Do not try to put more or less effort in or out of your swing. Rate of rotation is a natural and efficient approach to more or less power.
Rules teaser:
In match play, while a player is addressing his ball, his opponent plays a stroke hitting his ball, moving it. Ruling?
Answer to last teaser:
On the putting green a player marked his ball but didn't remove his marker. A gust of wind blew his ball to another spot. Ruling? The ball must be played where it came to rest.
John Lucas is the professional at Sky Ridge Golf Course and can be reached at john98382@olypen.com.
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