Ever wonder why tour players’ heads move “Down” through impact? Pretty simple. They are trying to create maximum ball speed by delofting their clubface with shaft lean. We have limited options on how to get there. In fact, we have one option – Move our swing-complex closer to the ball with motion.
In any case, the resulting movement is just as I wrote in my original The Open Stance: Save Your Game. Flip to the pages that talk about vertical shoulder rotation and power. You’ll see the movement of the shoulders coincides with the weight distribution at impact, which is on the leading heel.
Please also read how flattening your swing is necessary to mitigate the steepening an Open Stance initiates. A flatter plane leads to an earlier release, unless… drum roll, please… your head, et.al. moves downward through impact to aid a delayed release. Eventually, your trailing elbow tucks in front of the trailing hip, allowing the clubface to stay open fractionally longer.
All effort to create solid impact and power is alleviated when we set up open to begin with. We don’t have to set up any particular way to move down through impact. Many do it from some pretty jacked-up set-ups. However, I find it funny that when the movement accompanies a square or closed stance, we call it by another name. No longer a reaction to an efficient set-up – the dip becomes a thing… to think about… and manage.
I’ve seen kids, who have no bleeding clue why they’re doing it, making the same dumbassed motion they see pros make as if there is some kind of secret in it. Oh man! LOL I laugh my ass off every time. They just saw Molinari or Rose do it, so they do it too. For instance, I heard a college golfer say he is trying to “Exit Left” … I can’t write anymore… rotfl… ahhahhha ha ha ha ha…
Okay, I’m okay. A few minutes ago, I left you and thought of why the confusion is so hilarious. My opinion boils down to this – it’s the shortcut delusion. A shortcut to efficiency does not exist. Efficiency requires time and effort reacting to the proper set-up philosophy. Therefore, fooling ourselves into believing that we can solve our swing problem with one movement idea, here or there in our swing, is fantasy.
“College golfer” couldn’t answer ONE of my lazy questions about what his body parts were doing while he was working on this move. However, I made sure he knew, before he left, what was really going on. You should have seen the look on his face. He couldn’t stop looking at his legs and leading arm to make the connection. It was as if he just noticed, for the first time, they were attached to him. Poor kid.
Of course, I’m more than a little upset about the distraction institutional instruction is using to keep everyone confused and doubting themselves. Especially when the solution is SO. SIMPLE. The golf swing is where intention and reaction meet to discuss philosophy. Your Open Stance philosophy makes sure their discussion is focused and cooperative.
Open your stance, and play golf.
John Wright – Founder
The Open Stance Academy
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