What Really Matters? – Immutable Laws of the Swing

So, here are my thoughts for the day.

Most of the threads on here, quite naturally, deal with effect and immediate cause, e.g. what’s causing my slice, answer, out to in swing path, open face etc. But, what doesn’t seem to have been distilled very much are immutable laws of the golf swing, i.e. things which MUST be done to ensure consistency and good ball striking.

When I started playing golf, I was told two things as if they were immutable laws. These were; maintaining a straight left arm and keeping the head still. A few swings later, I realised that, while these may have been good things (not sure about an overly rigid head though), they are certainly not sufficient conditions, merely ingredients of the whole.

So, is there one thing above all else that we MUST do to swing well? I think so, and it is maintaining the spine angle throughout the swing. Without this, I believe it is impossible to gain any consistency or control.

Seems to me, so many other things stem from this. For example, it is impossible to maintain a good swing plane if the spine angle changes (again, many of the issues raised here relate in some way to swing plane – maybe it’s worth looking to the spine angle for the solution). Also, the constant spine angle promotes the proper rotation of the shoulders and significantly improves balance.

So, folks, here is my nomination for the essential ingredient of the swing. Perfect that first, and take everything else from there.

Interesting thread that will no doubt become quite protracted.

I will get in here before Martin and suggest Solid Contact with the ball as one of these laws.

Another must be the grip, a sound repeatable grip creates the sole interface between club and body, it is the contact to the information highway that links cerebral instructions and complex muscular movements required to propel the clubface to the ball. Faults with the grip require undesirable adjustments to be made to compensate.

Eh. I agree, Brian. I'll go with the grip on this one. It is, after all, the only interaction we have with the club. It's the only interaction we have with the ball, for that matter.

My point is slightly different Brian. I agree that solid contact must be a condition for a good shot, but it's an outcome of what's gone before, not the cause.

What I'm really trying to get at is what maximises the likelihood of making that solid contact.

A good grip is also a necessary ingredient, but there's no single method of gripping the club which must be used above all others.

You are correct regarding there being more than one way of making a grip, I was being a little more general about it though. I did suggest it was important that the grip was sound and repeatable, as long as you are able to repeat the grip you are able to measure the outcomes it produces, if these are not desirable you can change it. So I propose a repeatable grip is a necessary ingredient or input to sound repeatable ball flight.

Thinking on about this, is there any one thing that can stand alone as the essential ingredient? If you were to maintain spine angle but vary your grip would you be consistent at striking the ball? maybe we should be looking for the most important ingredient.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

Right.

For the grip, I like the wording 'a consistent, repeatable grip'. Like oldwease pointed out there's no 'one right grip' (although a very funky, unorthodox grip might be tough to repeat and may not function well).

I agree that spine angle should be maintained well, and that the left arm mustn't (boy, there's an ugly-spelled word) break down.

But rather than a 'still head', I prefer 'the head must stay behind the ball'. Most guys on Tour actually move their head away from target approaching and at impact - but they stay behind the ball.

I guess my view would be a perfect grip won't be able to compensate for a changing spine angle.

However, you're likely to still make decent contact if you change grip with a constant spine angle. So, for me, spine angle trumps grip as the most important ingredient.

On the more general note, there are of course many things other than just spine angle that will go into a successful swing; grip, left arm, timing, release etc, etc. To build long-term success, though, the most important building blocks should be put in place first. I can't think of one I'd put ahead of spine angle.

So, if the development of the swing inevitably involves some degree of compensation throughout the entire motion, it's better to minimise the absolute degree of adjustment that's needed. Just think of the compensations that you'd have to make if you changed spine angle by just 5 degrees during the swing, most of which would probably throw you off balance.

Got a feeling there is no unwaverable thing that needs to be in the swing. Trick shot artists can hit balls with upside down clubs through their legs while facing the wrong way.

I really like the "spine angle" nominee. My nominee is "balance". I think the reasons are obvious.

Yes, but watch the trick shot makers - what is it they keep constant?

Their bank balance?

Due to the fact that with timing and compensations you can see a duffer hit decent reverse pivot shots pretty straight. I'd say that the only thing that is constant is that the club is swung in a way that propels the ball forward.

I guess it is like a reverse pivoter who goes for a lesson and the pro rightly says, you are reverse pivoting and explains all about weight distribution and where it goes during the swing. The golfer then goes off and practices what the pro shows him and hits weak slices. believing the pro to be full of shit he never goes back. What he didn't know and what the pro maybe should have told him that isf he is maintaining a decent handicap with a RP he must have a bunch of other compensations in the swing to get the result he does.

This may bring up the question, "then why learn how to swing properly?".

A proper swing is not so much reliant on timing of a bunch of compensations so would not break down as easily as a band-aided swing in pressure situations. I guess the key for any golfer is to strip down the swing to a decent grip, posture, alignment and swing in balance while achieving a decent coil at the top and a lag and square (slightly open at separation) face at contact with a downward blow (irons).

Sounds easy eh?

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Personal bests:
18 holes - 92 (+21 02/08/06), 92 (+20 24/06/07)
9 holes - 43 (+7 02/08/06), 41 (+7 24/06/07)
Putts (18) - 30 (04/09/07)
Putts (9) - 12 (02/08/06)
Fairways - 11/14 ((02/08/06, 24/06/07, 01/08/08), 10/13 (09/06/07)
GIR - 5/18 (01/08/08)
Pars in one round - 7 (24/06/07)

Lifetime birdie count - 8 Latest - 03/09/08 - 7th hole Kingsway 318 yard par 4
Lifetime eagle count - 1 Latest - 15/06/08 - 4th hole Canadian G&CC 9 hole 481 yard par 5

Snowman that last paragragh made me laugh, how true..

I agree on the grip, and it's importance. After finding the correct grip, a simple swing thought will work wonders. "Front shoulder under, and past a (reasonably) stationary chin on the back swing, Then on the down swing, a rear shoulder moving under, and past the same (reasonably) stationary chin". Actually the shoulders moving under, and past the chin on the back, and forward swing create the swing thought, and not the other way around. If you see your back shoulder pass under your chin in the down swing you won't have to ever hear "you lifted your head" after an errant shot. Also, with a (reasonably) stationary chin that allows for the shoulders to move under and through will also help retain a golfer's spine angle, and or posture. As the shoulders go, so goes the golf swing.

Jack Nicklaus made more than a few dollars with that simple shoulder(s) swing thought. I had forgotten about it till I saw it posted on another forum. Probably why I hit a few fat ones today.....LOL GJS

hi
stance,
posture.
grip,
get all three right and you have a playable swing, from there you can then tweak and tune to your hearts content.
with stance i mean how you address the ball and the use of the legs.
posture, the spin angle and the ark of the swing, if a one or two plane swing.
without a good grip so many other things have to be done to compensate for a poor grip.
bill