Friday, February 2, 2007

How Spinal Tilt Rotation Contributes to Hard Hitting

Yes, again this article is an article about a very subtle effect which is almost never mentioned in standard golf teaching.

When a golfer addresses the ball, and places the right hand below the left on the club, a natural tilt of the spine to the right (meaning the right shoulder is somewhat lower than the left shoulder) happens automatically.

In the backswing, the upper body rotates around this spinal tilt. And on the downswing, the upper body also rotates back to the ball around this spinal tilt axis.

BUT then to add power, the professional players allow the axis of the spinal tilt ITSELF to rotate and move into the ball. (Technically, this is a precession of the axis. See the graphic at http://www.swingofchampions.com/spinal-tilt.htm )

Because the whole upper body is moving into the ball, the whole mass of the upper body is better brought to bear on hitting the ball. This places much more weight behind the advancing clubhead and supplies more momentum into the striking of the ball.

In addition, by the axis of the spine rotation rotating into the ball, the right elbow is allowed to stay "cocked / or bent" until a much later moment before extending down into the ball. This rotation (precession) therefore facilitates the so-called "late hitting."

Try it and see for yourself how much more weight and force can be brought into your hitting by allowing your spine to rotate into the ball on your downswing.