Hi pnearn.

Some good questions in here. I have had something of a revelation in my golf swing over the past two days (and 500 range balls!). I shall attempt to answer the points individually as I see them. I'm a right hander playing off 5:

1. I would describe my lower body in a number of different ways depending on which body part I'm talking about. From the bottom up; I take my weight from inside my right foot to completely on my left foot (i.e. not favouring a particular portion of my left foot). I really move to stand on my left foot. When I didn't take this approach I lost balance. If I stand firmly to my left side, I won't lose balance. The fact that my weight was on the inside of my right foot means my right foot "rolls" target-wards as the weight moves onto my left foot. Moving upwards, this results in my right knee moving toward my left knee. With the hips, I feel it as if it is a combination of my left hip moving to the rear (as it must do for my left leg to straighten and be "firm" to take my weight and stand properly in balance) with my right hip moving toward the target, forward and down toward my left knee. One thing I have noticed with good ball strikers is that at impact their spine angle is more tilted than it was at address. To do this, my right hip has to move forward and down otherwise I'll give myself serious back problems!

2. Not really considered this before but I suppose I do. I would say, however that in relation to "degrees of openness to the target" it's probably more like 35. If I get too open, I have to flip my hands to make contact. That's a big no no for me.

3. I try to keep my balance on a line that would disect my foot equidistant between the balls and heels of my feet. Anything forward of that = shank/slice as my should has to come over the top and wrists flick to make contact. Anything back of that is hook/toe territiry.

4. I used to be a flipper/swatter. Very bad for distance, direction and consistency. I don't think of my wrists at all. As long as I make no effort to hit at the ball with my wrists, centrifugal force will result in the clubhead coming square at impact and releasing beoynd the ball. Just had to do a bit of experimenting with what grip resulted in a square impact for my swing.

5. In my case, losing balance is directly related to quick sharp, or even violent body motion. Not necessary. If I think of a wheel, the inside of it is moving slower and the outside is moving quicker to cover a greater distance automatically. I swing my arms as a separate unit to my body turn. After all, the swing is supposed to work best when the swinging of the arms and rotation of the body is matched up correctly. Body - slow, arms- quicker.

6. I think this relates to my point above. I swing my arms. I don't pull them down with my left side or push them with my right. My arms swing, my body turns. Two separate entities working in harmony.

Hope this is of some use to someone! Feel free to ask questions if I haven't explained it well.