[chbkk]

chbkk

From my perspective, the biomechnaical movements of the torso/arms will be exactly the same if the clubhead has a width of 4", 8", 12" or 18" (presuming an identical club lie angle) because the essential need is to get the sole of the club parallel to the ground, and just touching the surface of the ground, at impact. In fact, if AK was swinging a dowel stick of the same length as his driver's clubshaft, but without a clubhead, his swing pattern (biomechanical movements) would likely remain the same as when he swings his regular driver. In all these cases, the hosel (and peripheral end of the dowel stick) would get to the same point at ground level. However, the distance of the hosel at its impact position from the sweetspot would depend on the width of the clubhead ( 50% of 4", 8", 12" or 18").

Jeff.

Jeff,

I always associate swing plane with swing force ... centrifugal, irrespective of the shaft, which can be crooked, bent. So in my thinking, AK should align his torso/arms to the force line linking the wrist swing center - PP#2 to the sweetspot X (the COM of the club should be on this line too) - I called this the virtual club shaft. AK should prepare to swing the virtual clubshaft not the real clubshaft.

Let's do a mental experiment with my high-school physics. Suppose we have access to a swing machine with a fixed swing axis and a fixed swing plane. Let's do two experiments with your golf club with the extra long-width clubhead:

1) Put the hosel of the shaft on the fixed swing plane; and
2) Put the COM of the whole club on the fixed swing plane.

In 1) the COM of the club will try to get on plane stressing the mechanical wrist joint to the point of breaking it. Unless they allow the off-plane hinging of the clubshaft, which is to allow the clubshaft to go off plane!

In 2) the swing will work out just fine except for the usual drooping of the clubhead and the associated bending of the clubshaft.