Posted by: tom.guerry (tom.guerry@kp.org) on Sat Nov 12 19:31:49 2005

> > Hi Tom
> >
> > I have always found a dialog with a gentleman to be enjoyable and constructive. And,
as
> I found from our past discussions, our differences are more a matter of definition than
> principle. I will give my conclusions regarding our discussion of “weight shift” for your
> comments.
> >
> > It appears the term “weight shift” can be used in two different forms. One form would
> generate linear momentum (or kinetic energy) and would therefore require linear
> movement of body mass. This form would occur when a batter shifts weight rearward to
> “load” or during the stride as the batter shifts the center of mass forward to a new
balance
> point.
> >
> > The second form that would constitute a “weight shift” would not require a linear
> movement of the center of mass and therefore would not generate linear momentum.
This
> form would occur during the swing as the body rotates about a fixed axis. At the start of
> rotation, more weight is supported by the rear leg. As the body rotates to contact, the
> responsibility for supporting the weight is shifted to the lead-leg
> >
> > Those are my conclusions
> >
> > Jack Mankin
>


Bobby Jones/golf/Weight shift continued:

USING THE BODY

"Motion pictures of numbers of our best professionals disclose three common characteristics that are important to a discussion of this particular point. First, the hips begin to unwind - that is, to turn back toward the ball - even before the club has reached the end of its backward travel; second, the left heel returns to the ground very early in the downstroke while the hands are at shoulder level or above [aside- while modern players focus more on keeping the front foot flatter,the 2 planers still lift the heel and do not get
the front heel back down flat until after the downswing has started as Jones describes it]; and third, at impact the hips have turned through the address position, and at this point the lower part of the body fronts almost to the hole. Thus, it is impossible to escape the conclusion that the unwinding of the hips in the correct swing is very rapid indeed.

"I have often observed precisely the same action in a baseball pitcher warming up close to the stands before a game. There is no doubt that the quick twist of the hips begining the throwing movement supplies important momentum that increases both speed and
endurance. If a pitcher were to eliminate his hip movement, or retard it to such a degree that it would be useless, he would be a very weary young man at the end of nine innings.

"The momentum obtained by the golfer, when the unwinding of the hips leads the hitting movement, is no less important to him than to the baseball pitcher. For one thing, it makes it possible for him to attain a much greater speed at impact with appreciably less
effort ["hips lead hands"].

"I tried many times, in testing this idea, to turn my hips too rapidly in hitting a full drive. I found this to be impossible so long as I observed the rudiments of good form. Indeed, I was able to trace many errors to slowing down or stopping the hip turn too quickly.

"The average golfer usually experiences trouble for one of two reasons. either he omits the forward movement or shift of the hips that must precede and blend in with the beginning of the unwinding, or he moves his whole body, including head and shoulders, in a sort of lunge at the ball. he cannot hope to do other than cut across the ball if he holds the greater part of his weight upon his right [back] leg, or falls back upon it as he brings his club down.

"In the correct swing, starting down, the hips should shift forward slightly before any noticeabe unwinding takes place. I like Abe Mitchell's expression that 'the player should move freely beneath himself'. In other words, the head and shoulders should not accompany the hips in this initial movement.

"I have often referred to the stretch that I feel up the left side and arm, from hip to hand, as the result of leading the downswing with the hipturn as the club is still going back. Now the hands drop almost vertically downward, starting the right [back] shopulder moving below the left, from which point the swing is able to pass through the ball on a line approximately straight toward the objective.

"Handling the several movements this way, I have not found it possible to turn the hips too quickly. Whenever a player gets his body into the shot in any way greatly different from this, he is wrong..."

HITTING DOWN ON THE BALL

[Note- this is how to keep the hands ahead of the clubhead to make contact before the clubhead reaches the bottom of its arc - equivalent of hitting the baseball before the bat lines up with the lead forearm.this prevents deceleration in a flail type swing]

".......Of course, in order to explain fully how any particular shot may be played correctly, one must describe the whole of the correct swing, But here are the main points which directly effect the direction of the blow.

"The first should be to see that the distribution of the weight at the top of the swing is such that in hitting through, the player will not have to fall back upon his right [back] foot in order to maintain his balance...

"Aftr the windup of the hips has been completed in the backswing, the unwinding must start before the clubhead begins its return to the ball; and at the same time, the hips must shift slightly forward in order to move the center of the swing in that direction. In no case must this center be allowed to move backward, for then the ball must be struck upward, or very much across.

"This much, done properly, gives a fair assurance that a descending blow can be delivered; but it can be undone in an instant if the hands begin to move the club too soon. the angle between the left arm and shaft of the club has been made more acute by the pull of the left hip, as it began unwinding, against the club still swinging up. If, in overeagerness to hit, the player should throw the clubhead from the top, and thus straighten out the angle at which his wrists have been cocked, his hope of hitting down passes immediately. The arc of his downswing moves straightway beyond its proper groove, [so called "hitting over the top"] and the only chance of bringing it to the ball lies in a sort of lifting, shoveling action, performed mainly with the shoulders and arms. This is what a great many players do when they try to hit unusually hard.

"The cocking of the wrists must be retained through the early stages of the downswing; the momentum must come from the unwinding of the hips. At the same time,the right [back] elbow must move down close to the side [slot] of the body, and the swing must remain on the players side of the ball ["keep hands in"/clubhead approaches ball from inside target line], from where it can direct the club in hitting approximately along the line of flight."

and,finally:

CAUSE AND EFFECT

"Two very important things for the average golfer to remember are: First, it does not help to throw the clubhead into the ball ahead of the hands; and second, that the right arm {back arm] should not begin to rotate nor the right wirst to turn or climb over the left until after the ball has been struck. To attempt to get the clubhead in first, or to roll the wrists, are two favorite ways of trying to correct a slice [swinging over the top/cutting across the ball/clubhead not staying inside target line prior to ontact/hitting around ball/clubhead approaching contact from outside in not inside out]. The trouble is that neither ever works.

"To hit a golf ball correctly, the player must move toward the ball [linear "shift" of body mass along/prallel to target line], not away from it as his club gathers speed. At the instant of contact, he must be over the ball where he can perform consistently and accurately the job of hitting; and above all, he must be in a position to utilize the pull of the left side. he cannot expect to get results by standing back and throwing the club at the ball.

"The correct stroke causes the clubhead to approach the ball from inside the line of play. the factors making this possible are the forward shift of the hips during the downstroke, maintaining a bend in the right [back] arm that keeps the right elbow close to the side of the body [slotted], and the backhand nature of the stroke dominated by a strong pull from the left [front] side. These are the factors that make it necessary or inevitable that at the instant of impact the hands should be on a line with or ahead of the club head, and that the left hand should carry through the ball without beginning to turn [no wrist roll before contact]...........

"The effort to hold everything back to allow the clubhead to get in front prevents the completion of the forward shift of the hips, and assures that the stroke must cross the line of play from the outside, precisely the thing sought to be avoided..............."




Summary/how this applies to hitting:

1-Well timed forward weight shift is necessary to produce adequate front side stretch to power swing and prevent rushing out of sequence due to top hand dominance

2- front to back location of contact point will be important in how much weight can shift.

3-less forward weight shift will result in the swing plane cutting more across the ball and within this plane the bathead will swing up/line up more with forearm at contact ("ball will be struck upwards or across").