Understanding hinge action and how it relates to ball compression, spin, trajectory was a huge eye opener to me when I started to read the yellow book.
It literally changed the way I wanted to strike the ball. It set my impact thinking straight in a way that made long lasting improvements.
When the touch goes away and the stroke falls apart you start thinking about what you're doing and what you're supposed to do. If your stroke is accompanied by faulty beliefs the thinking can make things worse. If you really understand impact you can manufacture shots that works.
Hinge action is certainly one of the topics that differentiates TGM from the pack. And vital if you want to become a shot maker who knows what he's doing.
Thanks but my mind just can't see what hinge action does. I think I have read everything I could but I still don't understand it. Thats why I was wondering how important it is. I quess I need someone right in front of me to show me.
Thanks but my mind just can't see what hinge action does. I think I have read everything I could but I still don't understand it. Thats why I was wondering how important it is. I quess I need someone right in front of me to show me.
Please watch the below three video clips-
The first is critical for understanding what TGM is.
Clip two and three are hinge action presented by Yoda – He stands before you in these clips and teaches hinge action with precision. Because they are video clips he will continue to stand before you until you get it.
I don't get it either. The upper left arm (not the wrist) rolls naturally from the ball and socket joint at the left shoulder as it swings on an inclined plane, thus producing clubface roll on the plane. Rotating the torso, with no independent left arm swing, to swing the club on the plane, produces the same clubface roll effect. I'm not even sure that it is anatomically possible to manipulate the left shoulder joint to prevent that roll in a swing of any force, while keeping the shaft on the plane. But why would you want to anyway?
One of the easiest to understand, at least for me, can be found on The Golf Channel.
Watch a demo by Martin Hall. He uses hinges from Home Depot, affixed to his wrists. Almost too easy to apply.
One of the easiest to understand, at least for me, can be found on The Golf Channel.
Watch a demo by Martin Hall. He uses hinges from Home Depot, affixed to his wrists. Almost too easy to apply.
It is my understanding that hinge action is at the left shoulder.
The first step to understanding hinge action is to get the general 'picture' of what it is, then you can relate that to the body/arms/hands.
For starters - horizontal hinge
Go get a basketball/beach ball.
Put it in front of an open door, and then open/close the door to see how the door is 'open' as it contacts the ball, and 'square' (as it leaves). In this example, when the door is closed = separation.
In a golf motion, the door would keep moving through (if you have a door that does this, all the better)
That is the basic of a horizontal hinge.
The hard part for most people is relating that to the body, because we are talking about 'horizontal' to the ground, but are on the angled plane.
Hold your arm straight out at shoulder high and imagine it is the 'door'. That is basically the same as the door on this horizontal plane.
Notice, your left wrist STAYED VERTICAL TO THE GROUND
That is the key to understanding horizontal hinge on the inclined plane of a golf swing.
the hinge of the door is vertical to the ground, but your left wrist is swinging on an inclined plane, so to make it STAY vertical to the ground on the inclined plane, it must turn, and roll - again - relative to the ground the left wrist is still always vertical. the hinge is in the left shoulder
An angled hinge is perhaps easier to visualize, simply keeping the left wrist vertical to the inclined plane (image a roof). For that, there is no feel of turn or roll.
A vertical hinge - imagine a dog door - the hinge is in the left shoulder, so the left wrist must be manipulated to stay in that position back and through.
__________________
"Support the On Plane Swinging Force in Balance"
"we have no friends, we have no enemies, we have only teachers"
Simplicity buffs, see 5-0, 1-L, 2-0 A and B 10-2-B, 4-D, 6B-1D, 6-B-3-0-1, 6-C-1, 6-E-2
O.K., so if you hold your left arm out, inclined, and hold your left hand/wrist vertical, and swing your arm back, and then swing back through the impact zone, keeping the arm on the inclined plane, then if the hand/wrist stays square/vertical to the inclined plane, then this is angled hinging? Obviously, the hand represents the clubface. And to fairly evaluate the hinge action of the arm itself, then the wrist should not rotate (pronate/supinate) independently. Here's my "issue". The left arm doesn't naturally swing on an inclined plane without rolling. So to produce angled hinging with no wrist rotation, the left arm would have to be consciously rolled in reverse to offset the natural roll. Or adding the wrist, the wrist would have to be reverse-rolled. Why would we even recognize that as an option since it is so "un-natural"?
Now you can easily produce swing of the shaft on an inclined plane with no clubface roll using only the wrist... ideally with a strong grip. But as soon as arm swing and body rotation is added, there "should" be clubface rotation on the plane.
My understanding of clubface roll on the plane is gleaned primarily from "Search For The Perfect Swing", which explains that about 60* of clubface rotation in the backswing occurs naturally from the arm swing and shoulder turn. 30* of independent wrist roll added will rotate the clubface to the "traditional" parallel to the plane position at the top. But that can be partially or totally eliminated at the option of the player. Either way, the clubface will need to rotate on the plane to return to vertical at impact, and as a result, will continue to rotate on the plane after impact. With less wrist roll, the rate of clubface roll is slowed. These scenarios, I assume, are horizontal hinging.
Now I really do want to fully understand TGM hinge action and how I can add to my understanding of the "normal" possibilities. What am I missing? And how in the world do you produce vertical hinging?
O.K., so if you hold your left arm out, inclined, and hold your left hand/wrist vertical, and swing your arm back, and then swing back through the impact zone, keeping the arm on the inclined plane, then if the hand/wrist stays square/vertical to the inclined plane, then this is angled hinging? Obviously, the hand represents the clubface. And to fairly evaluate the hinge action of the arm itself, then the wrist should not rotate (pronate/supinate) independently. Here's my "issue". The left arm doesn't naturally swing on an inclined plane without rolling. So to produce angled hinging with no wrist rotation, the left arm would have to be consciously rolled in reverse to offset the natural roll. Or adding the wrist, the wrist would have to be reverse-rolled. Why would we even recognize that as an option since it is so "un-natural"?
Hey Max welcome to LBG
Yes I can see your point. But what happens when you swing the right arm? Id suggest its different, that it tends to not roll, "naturally". And so you have different hinge actions associated "naturally" with the left and right side dominated actions.
Why would you do this? It is a natural product of Hitting which can be compensated for at address by slightly closing the face to offset the slip and lost compression. Also Angled Hinging approaches Horizontal Hinging in characteristics as the plane angle approaches Horizontal. And vice versa as it approaches a truly vertical plane.
The 60/30 degree relationship you referenced is very limiting. While in the mechanical model of 1-L the hinge is mounted at the left shoulder you could recreate the three (basic) hinge actions entirely with just the hands or just the arms or just the body. (with some limitations, dual horizontal for instance) So theres a number of possible combinations available. Not all ideal mind you but ........Hinge Actions can be accomplished by any of the "Three Zones". If you're extremely stiff for instance and have a dead pivot you'll get it done with just the arms and hands .......the old man swing.
Another thing to consider is that given any angle at the left hand and club (#3 accumulator, gripping it under the heal pad) the roll you mention will add to the clubheads velocity. Reverse roll will do the opposite and angled neither add nor subtract. So not only is the balls behaviour affected by the variation in layback vs closing but its also affected by the associated changes in clubhead speed inherent in the different hinge actions.
Linear Mode
