This morning, on the lesson tee, I found myself explaining the value of an Open Stance from an economic point of view. However, before you start to think in terms of economies of scale or the Phillips and Laffer Curve, this economic discussion has to do with minimizing waste within a system. Economy, in this sense, implies building efficiencies into our golf swing.

When we set up open, we create a kenisiological formula to solve. Our brains tend to confuse, at first. Then, we start considering movement options, as well as understanding kinetic, adpative differences. Of course, no changes occur without committing ourselves to a specific intention with our golf ball.

Once we push off the shore into the open ocean of stroke possibilities, we don’t change our craft. We just teach ourselves to row with the tides and wind to conserve energy. The conservation which forestalls Entropy, which is the energetic inverse of systemic efficiency. The higher the entropy, the lower the economy and unavailable energy.

Well, it just so happens, that the Open Stance lowers the amount of unavailable energy due to athletic, adaptive necessity. When our movement becomes more economical, the energy requirements go down, and we conserve energy. When unavailable energy goes up, entropy goes down. Therefore, we believe that an Open Stance helps fight “Climate Change”… Just kidding.

Notwithstanding the science talk, the Open Stance forces the trailing elbow into correct, repeatable striking position to keep the club on the target plane. That position alone eliminates excesses in arm swing and rotation – bringing them into balance. Moreover, our Open Stance economies affect our lower body, as well.

Due to our need to keep our club open to our foot line, we have to keep our elbow inside our trailing hip. IF we hit this position, then we have replaced a lower-body inefficiency and further lowered our entropic state. We no longer snap our lead leg into a posting dynamic consequent with a rotational strike. Instead, we transfer our weight onto a flexed lead leg – saving the damage caused by rotational swings.

Our new “Leg drive” keeps our club from closing, flattens our downswing, and with the assist of our trailing elbow, creates lag. Lag creates power without the effort of rotational swings. When we lower our effort to get the same result, we LOWER?… ENTROPY! That’s right! Conservation of energy, economy, and building unavailable energy are all the same thing. However, they all mean just one thing – Improvement.

Once we improve our strike structures, we can tap into that reserve of unavailable energy to generate more speed. However, trying to build speed without structural controls is like slapping a new 650 horsepower, Corvette LT-1 engine into a Model T Ford chassis. That frame could never control that power. Therefore, we need to build your swing frame into one that supports all the power you can muster. We do that with one intention and one philosophy – an Open Stance.

Open your stance, and play golf.

John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy

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