right forearm above plane
 

If I set up with my right forearm above plane, as in a conventional setup, what compensations are necessary to HIT (not swing) effectively? Help!
Thanks!

reasoning?
 

Is there a reason that you want to keep the forearm above plane? You must have support on the aft side of the shaft.

I guess you could check all of your alignments at Impact Fix, including the Forearm alignment. Then you could see how many changes you'd have to make to get back to the poor alignment of the Forearm. I see no reasoning for it, unless you're a glutton for punishment. ;)

Six years of playing with a conventional setup has made it very comfortable. Setting my right forearm on plane at address feels awkward, to say the least. Any thoughts?

If you are hitting, it is easier to start from impact fix. Thus the right forearm will be on plane.

It will not take as long as you think to become comfortable with the set up. I would suggest, as has Ted, you start there.

For hitting I made this change about 2 years ago. Just commit to it and trust it.

ldeit

trust it
 

It felt just as awkward for me, for the first week. It very quickly became a mandatory part of the Address Routine. I would HIGHLY suggest feeling awkward for a short time. You'll learn to love the feeling, because results will soon follow.

I'll start working on it today and I'll post later to let you know how I'm doing and maybe get some more help. Any tips for developing lag pressure would probably help a bunch. Thanks guys!

Well, after shanking a couple of chips on the practice green (I did begin to chip very well, however), I went on to strike the ball on the range better than I have all year. I still think I should be able to generate a little more lag pressure, though. Any ideas?

More lag pressure
 

Generating MORE lag pressure is not important - what is important is whatever lag you load - you maintain it by steady acceleration or increasing mass. Now, if you are losing some lag pressure before impact- then you will need to work on correcting that. So it's not so much generating more lag pressure but being able to better detect minor changes in lag pressure that's crucial.

However, I might have mis-interpreted the intention of your post- feel free to correct me. But I think if you really wanted to JUST increase lag pressure you could do that fairly easily by shortening the stroke and increasing the thrust.

Good Luck with your game and thanks for keeping us posted.

Yes sir. It is "SUSTAIN" the Lag . . . not increase the lag. Very subtle yet important point.

Lag Pressure
 

That's right bucket!

On the other hand- a constant increasing lag pressure from startdown through impact is also something that could be used as a reliable procedure.

A very 'heavy' feel indeed...

How does one learn to produce constantly increasing lag pressure from startdown through impact? I would love to know.

A big first step is to slow things down. Really get the feel of a true 'swinging' motion, letting gravity show you just how slow and smooth you need to be to begin to get the feel of lag pressure.

Start with chip, pitch, punch with your right thumb and forefinger off the club, then drill swings with your 160 club hitting it only 100 yards with a full motion.

Another great place to start is with the putter. Really focus on the swinging club and the pressure points keeping their smooth steady pressure and you'll start to hear a nice 'click' that you may have never heard before ;)

The HANDS do nothing but hold on. (as a thought for you)

Hit divots as if the "ball" were at your front toe...see how forward you can get it...(as a drill for you)...(btw if you hit your irons low after this start with your head no more forward than center...and KEEP it back)

Another drill...

Learn to hit something with a towel in your hands (swing it like a club)......sustain the lag! (lol)

...

And all this is null if your clubface is rolled too open in the backswing....

...cause having Lag will do nothing for you but leave the face too open for even longer. (and it might make you shank)

Good luck.

Soon enough it'll be second nature. (with practice and good mechanics)

Thanks EdZ and Birdie! I'll start work on this tomorrow! Question, though, EdZ. Does the right thumb and forefinger drill work for hitting? I've seen this drill, but always thought of it as a swingers drill.

2-m-2
 

If you have the book "The Golfing Machine"- look under the section 2-M-2- that's the section that will give you the principles for increasing lag pressure, or creating it, increasing it etc. If you're not creating or maintainging lag pressure currently - is it easy to do? NO. Off plane motion and or off plane loading will surely require you to lose lag pressure before impact otherwise you'd miss the ball- I don't say that to make it sound like you have to be perfect to accomplish it but I say it in that it's easy to try your best using some of the concepts and still not be able to accomplish it. Without video of your swing here, and assuming you've tried on your own and are still having problems, then a good instructor would probably greatly help. I'm assuming you've seen your swing on video to help you determine any issues.

Yes, a hitter will really get a good feel for PP#1 using this drill.

I find it helps me feel a heavier club (lag) if I feel like my hands travel at the same speed through the ball as they do on the backstroke. Not necessarily slow but constant. No speeding up to hit the ball. This dovetails nicely with the thought of tracing the plane line too.

Chris

Okay, I have another question. How can I tell if I have cocked my right wrist at the top of my backstroke?

The right wrist should bend and not cock in the swing. Only the left should be allowed to cock.
Alex

Just as a_c posted above.

The folding right forearm on the Take Away will cock the Left wrist. The Right wrist remains Level and Bent.
It may feel as if the Left wrist is "undercocked" but it isn't. Your Flying Wedge assembly is complete. From the top of the Back Swing drive the whole club (shaft and clubhead) through the ball to low point. You will notice that the sweetspot of pp3 and driving action of pp1 line up behind the shaft- a true weapon of mass destruction. Enjoy your divots.

I like that.. a good bumper sticker for the "Yoda" truck in your avatar......:D

Enjoy Your Divots
 

hmmmm....Photoshop time. (A real truck on Rt 130-Delran, NJ, btw)

But, yeah- a GREAT LBG bumper sticker.

It does feel as though my left wrist has not cocked, or as you say is "undercocked". I'll keep with it and try to get used to the feeling. I'll try to enjoy my divots. Thanks!