One of the most significant tips for golf swing is how the club face rotates through various ball flight alignments in response to different body movements after the hands are gripped on a club.
Some of these tips for golf swing about how the club face rotates in response to certain body movements after gripping a club initially were addressed in one of my first books, The Locked-In Golf Swing.
What I failed to address in the book is what I now describe as the Club Face Rotational Circle.
Unless the alignment and path of the club face is locked in to a specific ball flight alignment, as addressed in most of my books, such as How Golf Works, How to Lock-In A Perfect Golf Swing and How To Hit A Golf Ball As Straight-As-An-Arrow, the alignment and swing path of the club face will rotate though a circle of ball flight alignments during the first half of the back swing.
For example, assume a comfortable stance and posture to your ball, center the sweet spot of your club face as near to the back of your ball as possible, align your shoulders parallel with either an imaginary or real target and then grip your club with either an overlapping, interlocking or baseball style of grip and, complete your grip by locking your right-hand lifeline squarely and securely on your left thumb.
This will cause you to begin your swing with an open alignment and an out-to-in swing path of your club face or, with a slice ball flight alignment
If you keep your left heel planted, maintain eye contact with your ball and do not intentionally manipulate the club during your golf swing, here is how your club face will rotate during the first half of your back swing.
The alignment and path of your club face will first rotate from the initial slice alignment to a straight ball flight alignment (only for an instant) and then rotate to a closed alignment and an in-to-out path to create a hook ball flight alignment. Were you to hinge (set) your wrists at this point you would hook your golf shot.
As you continue your back swing, your club face would then rotate to a straight ball flight alignment (only for an instant) before rotating to an open alignment and an in-to-out path to create a push ball flight alignment. Were you to hinge (set) you wrists at this point you would push your golf shot.
As you continue back swing, your club face would rotate to a straight ball flight alignment (only for an instant) before rotating to an extremely open alignment and a pronounced in-to-out path to create a push-slice ball flight alignment. Were you to hinge (set) your wrists at this point you would push-slice your golf shot and most likely lose it to the right.
As you continue your back swing, your club face would rotate once again to a straight ball flight alignment (only for an instant) before rotating to an extremely closed alignment and a most pronounced out-to-in path to create a pull-hook ball flight. Were you to hinge (set) your wrists at this point you would “duck-hook” your ball extremely to your left.
Next, as you continue your back swing, your club face would then rotate once again to a straight ball flight alignment (only for an in instant) before rotating to a closed alignment and an out-to-in swing path to create a pull ball flight alignment. Were you to hinge (set) your wrists at this point you would pull your golf shot.
Finally, as you continue your back swing, your club face would rotate again to a straight ball flight alignment (only for an instant) and, low and behold, complete the rotational circle by rotating to its initial open alignment and out-to-in path.
If you hinge (set) your wrists at this point or thereafter you will slice your golf shot because once the rotational circle is completed the alignment and path of the club face will remain in its pre-swing alignment and path.
It is impossible to detect to which alignment and path the club face has rotated during this circle.
This is the very reason that you should not hinge (set) your wrists until you have completed at least half of your back swing. Otherwise you will have no idea in which direction and pattern your ball will fly.
I was pleased to be the first to discover this Club Face Rotational Circle and have freely shared it with other instructors. However, very few seem to comprehend it.
Consequently some continue to coach their students to hinge their wrists during the first half of their back swings and then wonder why the ball flies in different directions.
They could and should take advantage of these tips for golf swing in the best interests of their students.
Copyright © 2013 by Gordon Jackson..all rights reserved