Posted by: MB () on Fri Jun 4 06:31:28 2004

The point of the term "xfactor STRETCH" is to emphasize the importance of the last quick bit of stretch/coil before uncoiling starts and where in the swing this happens.
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> This is NOT the same as HOW MUCH separation there is, and it is an extremely important part of momentum transfer that powers all such rotational swing activities.
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> My belief is that if you do not successfully create this last quick bit of separation before uncoiling,any power swing is doomed to failure regardless of how much actual/absolute separation there is.Where the clubhead is and what the hinge angle is doing is best evaluated on the basis of where and when xfactor stretch is occurring.Until the uncoiling starts,the torso is not adequately energized and should not start powering the clubhead or momentum will not be efficiently transformed into clubhead acceleration with acceptable timing.Instead,momentum will be wasted overrotating other parts of the body (torso and hips)if the clubhead/bathead/center of mass swings out of the arc of the handpath(triggering momentum transfer out of torso) prematurely/while the hips are still accelerating themselves or the torso.
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> The center of mass of the bat/club should not release outside the arc of the handpath before the uncoiling has started.Once xfactor stretch has maxed out and uncoiling begins and the torso is energized and the hips have started decelerating,then the center of mass should fire out quickly.
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> At this time(end of xfactor stretch/beginning of reversal of coil),there will be reactive forces that can narrow the hinge angle and slow the firing out of the club/bathead.These forces need to be resisted by torque for best results.Reactive forces at the "top" of the swing (which,importantly, is NOT the point of xfactor stretch/reverse of coiling) are different in golf vs hitting because in golf,separation is created more via a backswing/reversal of club direction as opposed to the way the shoulders and arms cock and uncock/sweep the bat to keep the hands back(without taking a true backswing) in hitting.
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> For golf,you would want to keep the hinge angle narrow at the top of the swing and then apply torque at the time of xfactor stretch on the downswing/hands back down to about 10 o'clock.
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> In hitting,you apply this torque more steadily/earlier in the swing as demonstrated by Jack in the golf club drill.This gives a shorter,quicker swing.The golf swing is longer/keeps on going(relative to hitting) to the point of and past wrist roll so the wrists have rolled some then finish adducting as contact happens.In hitting,contact can be as the wrists adduct,but there should be no rolling until after contact.
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Tom,
Jack's method describes only one of many ways to successfully swing a club or hit a ball. The Axeman thrusting his axe into a tree vs. the puller pulling a rope into the same tree. In sports the shot putter vs the hammer throw. Depending on the hinging method used there can wrist roll or no wrist roll. The baseball swinger will roll his left wrist before contact to an uncocked flat postion and the right wrist will remain frozen/bent at impact. This is an imperative that every hitter and every golfer must achieve for maximum compression of the ball.
Shortening the swing can be acheived several ways. The easiest method would be no shoulder and no hip turn, and arms only swing. Although this would reduce power.