Left or Right???

Just a quik question. I don't know if this is unique to me only or do many people face this problem.

On the down swing, my instructor always told me that all the "power" comes from the ride side inorder to strike the ball. I have recently tried something different by relaxing my right hand and instead create the feeling that on the down swing, I feel my left hand "pull" down instead of using my right hand. I have created the feeling htat the left hand does more work than the right. The only work the right hand does now is striking down on the ball.

I also know that if the right hand becomes "re-dundent", you end up hitting the ground first.

Anyone feels the same as me???

PS: sorry if I am not able to explain it better...

No need to clarify. Your pics say it all.

Erm....what that you asking?!

Oh, I think I am more right in gripping and swinging with left as guiding.

I think by far, these are the best shots of the day by Winston

Winston wrote:

Just a quik question. I don't know if this is unique to me only or do many people face this problem.

Oh, this is far from a quick question, it is a highly relevant and very interesting question indeed. But what exactly is your 'problem'?

Winston wrote:

On the down swing, my instructor always told me that all the "power" comes from the ride side inorder to strike the ball. I have recently tried something different by relaxing my right hand and instead create the feeling that on the down swing, I feel my left hand "pull" down instead of using my right hand. I have created the feeling htat the left hand does more work than the right. The only work the right hand does now is striking down on the ball.

OK, so you just did something opposite to what your instructor told you, and you still hit the ball. Won't be the first time that has happened in the history of golf instruction, and won't be the last. So... I'm just wondering, what is the problem? Confusion over what your instructor said?

Winston wrote:

I also know that if the right hand becomes "re-dundent", you end up hitting the ground first.

What do you mean by redundant?

I look forward to an interesting discussion.

[quote="Lee36328"]

Winston wrote:

Just a quik question. I don't know if this is unique to me only or do many people face this problem.

Sorry for leaving out some important parts.

If all the power an speed is generated by my right hand, My ball flight goes all over the place. Ball striking is out of sync. fat, thin. Basically very very inconsistent. He says the left hand is only used to "guide" the club path on the down swing. When I do the opposite, the results are slightly better with more consistencies. However, if i exert too much from the left hand only, I either hit fat shots or I can't "close" the club face in time hence casuing a push.

Therefore, when I say the right hand becomes redundant, i think I am trying to say that I dont "release" the right hand in time. which causes me to hit ground first.

[quote="Winston"]

Lee36328 wrote:

Winston wrote:

Just a quik question. I don't know if this is unique to me only or do many people face this problem.

Sorry for leaving out some important parts.

If all the power an speed is generated by my right hand, My ball flight goes all over the place. Ball striking is out of sync. fat, thin. Basically very very inconsistent. He says the left hand is only used to "guide" the club path on the down swing. When I do the opposite, the results are slightly better with more consistencies. However, if i exert too much from the left hand only, I either hit fat shots or I can't "close" the club face in time hence casuing a push.

Therefore, when I say the right hand becomes redundant, i think I am trying to say that I dont "release" the right hand in time. which causes me to hit ground first.

Winston,

What your coach said was just one of several different ways to power the swing. You have just discovered another way, a different way, that works for you. So, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you want to consider changing your coach for insisting his way is the only way. The dogma of hitters vs swingers are too long to get into here unless someone wants to start.

I haven't seen your swing before, so i'm going by what you described, therefore do correct me if I am wrong.

From your description, it seems to suggest that there is a lot of sway in your hips in the backswing, with possibly quite high hands as well. (Is your right armpit quite disconnected from your body at the top, aka the flying right elbow?) Therefore, you need to sway back to the left in the downswing.

What that means is that you maintain a good connection with your left shoulder, and it is kept pretty much on plane, as opposed to your right. So, you find it easier and more consistent to power the swing with your left.

However, the sway in the hips means that the right hand has to come in late in the downswing to help the club face to square, since there is insufficient rotation to help square it.

If your swing is working for you, then I guess it's not a problem, notwithstanding what your coach said, which is just one part of the picture, not the entire picture, and certainly not mandatory.

The left arm and the right arm have two different functions. You can pull from the left (and to some extent the right - pitch elbow) or you can push from the right (punch elbow). Or for those really talented, both. Note I said arm, not hand. By the way, if you prefer the left, the power should come not from the hand, but from your pivot.

Even better if you could eventually remove the need for the hands to square the club altogether, and just let the pivot do that naturally for you.

Left , right , center, all of the above

Sorry for the but its not my fault !!!!

This is too complicated a topic for me to write down ... Winston when r u coming to Singapore again??

Your two arms need to work together , and for each individual the "feel" is very different ... Shadow swing and see what it takes for your hands to fall into the "slot" on the way down ...

Post a video!!!

I know exactly what you mean.

About a year ago, I discovered the left arm pull and redundant right hand swing with good effect. I had power and most of my shots were draw and misses with a push. It felt like back handing a racket. Discovered absolute raw power. I felt like i was hitting down on the golf ball.

However, the honeymoon ended in disaster after a few months later. The draw became hooks, uncontrollable. Then came the shanks especially on tight par 3s! I could not even hit a slice.

Then I remember that to fight a hook, learn to hit a slice. I, you and everyone slices when they started golf so I recall back all the lessons learnt back then.

Back to the present, I am now slowly trying to let the club swing down by the action of my lower body unwinding and upon impact accelerate my right hand for SPEED. This was what my instructor taught me when I learnt golf. This swing feels more natural, balance unlike the left arm pull. At the end of the day, speed creates the distance and swinging within yourself creates accuracy.

The old habits do comes once in awhile esp due to lack of range time. I also realise mishap was also created by being too erect which caused a flat swing.

Good luck with your experiment but stick to what is natural.

With those array, no wonder you got confuse. I would too hahaha

Lee36328 wrote:

Winston,

What your coach said was just one of several different ways to power the swing. You have just discovered another way, a different way, that works for you. So, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you want to consider changing your coach for insisting his way is the only way. The dogma of hitters vs swingers are too long to get into here unless someone wants to start.

I haven't seen your swing before, so i'm going by what you described, therefore do correct me if I am wrong.

From your description, it seems to suggest that there is a lot of sway in your hips in the backswing, with possibly quite high hands as well. (Is your right armpit quite disconnected from your body at the top, aka the flying right elbow?) Therefore, you need to sway back to the left in the downswing.

You are correct about the high hands which I am trying to correct now but I don't sway my hips actually. I use to have a very bad chicken wing when I first started but thanks to my pro, It got better. Almost non-existent now. This is becuase I am now turning my shoulders more.

It also dosent help that I have a very active left shoulder which tends to spin out ....haiz.....such a frustrating sport....but yet so addictive......

Thanks for the advice...will go have a pow-wow session with my pro.....

TourSwing wrote:

Left , right , center, all of the above

Sorry for the but its not my fault !!!!

This is too complicated a topic for me to write down ... Winston when r u coming to Singapore again??

Your two arms need to work together , and for each individual the "feel" is very different ... Shadow swing and see what it takes for your hands to fall into the "slot" on the way down ...

Post a video!!!

I know about both arms working because if I use a "dead" right arm, all sort of problems happen. I try to use both and when the timing is on, woohoo.....the feeling is orgasimc.....

But when the timing is off......

As for coming back to S;pore, might do it end of Oct. why???

rsenal wrote:

I know exactly what you mean.

About a year ago, I discovered the left arm pull and redundant right hand swing with good effect. I had power and most of my shots were draw and misses with a push. It felt like back handing a racket. Discovered absolute raw power. I felt like i was hitting down on the golf ball.

However, the honeymoon ended in disaster after a few months later. The draw became hooks, uncontrollable. Then came the shanks especially on tight par 3s! I could not even hit a slice.

Then I remember that to fight a hook, learn to hit a slice. I, you and everyone slices when they started golf so I recall back all the lessons learnt back then.

Back to the present, I am now slowly trying to let the club swing down by the action of my lower body unwinding and upon impact accelerate my right hand for SPEED. This was what my instructor taught me when I learnt golf. This swing feels more natural, balance unlike the left arm pull. At the end of the day, speed creates the distance and swinging within yourself creates accuracy.

The old habits do comes once in awhile esp due to lack of range time. I also realise mishap was also created by being too erect which caused a flat swing.

Good luck with your experiment but stick to what is natural.

With those array, no wonder you got confuse. I would too hahaha

With too active right arm, not following through with the left and a tendancy to spin out my left shoulder, i was alwasy borrowing the left fairways.....thanks for the advice....

Winston wrote:

Lee36328 wrote:

Winston,

What your coach said was just one of several different ways to power the swing. You have just discovered another way, a different way, that works for you. So, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you want to consider changing your coach for insisting his way is the only way. The dogma of hitters vs swingers are too long to get into here unless someone wants to start.

I haven't seen your swing before, so i'm going by what you described, therefore do correct me if I am wrong.

From your description, it seems to suggest that there is a lot of sway in your hips in the backswing, with possibly quite high hands as well. (Is your right armpit quite disconnected from your body at the top, aka the flying right elbow?) Therefore, you need to sway back to the left in the downswing.

You are correct about the high hands which I am trying to correct now but I don't sway my hips actually. I use to have a very bad chicken wing when I first started but thanks to my pro, It got better. Almost non-existent now. This is becuase I am now turning my shoulders more.

It also dosent help that I have a very active left shoulder which tends to spin out ....haiz.....such a frustrating sport....but yet so addictive......

Thanks for the advice...will go have a pow-wow session with my pro.....

You're most welcome.

Sounds like you're in good hands w your pro, esp if he could correct your chicken wing.

Just remember, it is equally valid to power the swing from the left as well as from the right. So you might want to decide whether to follow your pro's advice 100%, or adapt the necessary part to fit you.

Cheers.