Downstroke pressure points for hitting?

[greyguy]

After recently converting to hitting, the one thing that continues to elude me is the applicaton of pressure points through the downswing.

My understanding is that for hitting, one establishes #3 pressure point at address and keeps that pressure throught the swing. At the time of release of the right forearm straightening, the force is against pressure point #1.

My question is this: When practicing I find that if I concentrate on applying pressure against pressure point #1 only, I tend to push the ball right. Is there an equal amount of pressure against pressure point #3 and #1 through impact?
Is the image of a "frozen right wrist bend" through impact enough?

Thanks,
Jim

[O.B.Left]

Hey Jim

Of the three pressure points located in the hands (1,2,3) only pressure points 1 and 2 are "direct drive" pressure points. The hitters thrusting right arm connects to the club at 1 , the swingers left wrist cock and uncock at 2. These pressure points should be held firmly in terms of grip pressure.

Pressure point number 3 on the other hand is not a direct drive point of contact but rather the point at which the golfers senses the lagging condition of the clubhead vis a vis the hands. The lag pressure point is not held snugly but lightly and can not be established at address unless you are wagging the club around in a manner that causes a lagging clubhead to press against that part of the right index finger.

These pressure points are key to TGM so you are focusing on the right things. Try the search function for loads of information on the pressure points. Pressure point awareness becomes golf "concentration" as the hands replace the clubhead as your main focus. In fact it is the pressure points that are driven or swung on plane. #3 is also used to trace the straight line base line. So Geometry and the Physics. The only points at which we make contact with the club and through which all information is passed to the club by the golfer or back from the club to the brain. The brain's command post etc. Note also they are all on the aft side of the grip.

Sensing lag at #3 during the impact interval is the objective. The ball responds nicely. Try it out for yourself with a focus on the point and see what your results are like. You'll learn to love Lag. Homer called it Golfs secret. As a hitter
lag is created by pressure at #1. To ensure a sense of lag pressure at #3 through impact, the pressure at #1 must be maintained through impact as well. Requiring a long, steady application of pressure, no quiting. The swinger on the hand employing centrifugal force to throw out the left arm can sort of coast a bit. We hitters get no free ride. To stop thrusting is to allow the clubhead to pass the hands......with the resulting loss of lag pressure. The clubhead should , indeed must overtake the hands (no holding on or off for full power) but the ball must be hit before it does.

Hope this helps. Hit the search function for more info.

Oh in terms of going right. Are you going all the way to both arms straight? Right shots are normally associated with a lack of full extension of the right arm. Left shots normally an over pivot. The bent frozen right wrist with the Right Forearm Flying Wedge intact will be the hitters primary concern. It drives the left arm and club (the primary lever assembly) into the ball.

Ted Forts Alignment Premium video is great for a look at what a hitter is doing with his lever assembly. Or the Alignment Golf DVD of course which does a superb job of describing basic and acquired.

[greyguy]

OB Left,

Thank you for your comprehensive response to my question.
I have some practice with clubhead lag with pressure point #3. I got a PBS from Jeff Evans and finally felt clubhead lag as a swinger. (passive pressure created by the weight of the shaft on pp#3-at least that is the way I felt it). I was very encouraged by the results.
However I have read a few hitters say that in hitting pp #3 is more active. That it is established at address (whereas it is established in swinging at the end of the backswing). And that in hitting, pp#3 is pushed into impact. I am glad you cleared that up for me.
I went out today after viewing Ted Fort on the Alignment download and had a good experience. The part that was helpful was the waggle (small pushing out over the ball with pp #1 to right field keeping my right wrist bent). It really helped program that critical move for me prior to hitting the ball.
I do have one more question. Does hitting tend to produce lower trajectory on all shots. My 7 iron looks more like a 5 iron.

Jim


Thanks,
Jim

[O.B.Left]

OB Left,

Thank you for your comprehensive response to my question.
I have some practice with clubhead lag with pressure point #3. I got a PBS from Jeff Evans and finally felt clubhead lag as a swinger. (passive pressure created by the weight of the shaft on pp#3-at least that is the way I felt it). I was very encouraged by the results.
However I have read a few hitters say that in hitting pp #3 is more active. That it is established at address (whereas it is established in swinging at the end of the backswing). And that in hitting, pp#3 is pushed into impact. You seem to be saying that is wrong.
If you can clerify any of this, I would be grateful.

Thanks,
Jim

Not sure how a hitter can feel sustained lag at address if the club is not moving. Certainly the pp #3 is awake during the address routine, sensing the clubheads moves during waggles etc. An on/ off of lag pressure as the club moves briefly in various directions. Is this what you are referring to when you mention "establish", maybe?

Normally the grip pressure at #3 is light so that you dont try to direct drive it. Hogan called the right thumb and index finger " the swing wreckers" for this reason and is on record as suggesting grip pressure be loose for these guys. His other pressure points were more than firm however. Luke advises to leave your finger prints in the grip for instance when hitting.

The hitter has to create lag pressure by directly driving the #1 pressure point. This lag is sensed at pp#3. To push against pp #3 directly is to create throwaway, or to push the clubhead past the hands, a lag killer. The grip end of the club speeds up which sends the clubhead end into a lagging position vis a vis the hands which is sensed at pp #3.

Here is a Luke post.

http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/a...d=124175884 7

[bambam]

However I have read a few hitters say that in hitting pp #3 is more active.

I wonder if they were referring to the downstroke? Since hitters load behind the shaft and have a simultaneous release (uncocking and rolling at the same time), they feel the weight of the clubhead lag in pp#3 sooner than a swinger who's pp#3 is under the shaft and using a sequenced release (uncocking first, then rolling). The swinger's pp#3 in that example would be in more of a supportive role until the hands swivel into impact, when the full force of the clubhead lag pressure is against it.

[Daryl]

I wonder if they were referring to the downstroke? Since hitters load behind the shaft and have a simultaneous release (uncocking and rolling at the same time), they feel the weight of the clubhead lag in pp#3 sooner than a swinger who's pp#3 is under the shaft and using a sequenced release (uncocking first, then rolling). The swinger's pp#3 in that example would be in more of a supportive role until the hands swivel into impact, when the full force of the clubhead lag pressure is against it.

Pressure point #3 senses thrust. If the thrust pressure stays the same throughout the swing, then the acceleration rate was constant (but velocity increases dramatically). Less pressure (thrust) produces lower acceleration rates, thus less clubhead velocity. Greater thrust at start-down (starting pressure)which remains constant produces greater clubhead velocity (if you can Sustain the pressure). Swingers who want to hit the ball off the planet should swing at 80% and train the pivot to develop greater pressure on #3 and keep that same pressure constant (acceleration) until the finish swivel.

[Richie3Jack]

I've been working on the same thing. I think for me, I needed understand right forearm takeaway and keep my right elbow nearby my right rib cage. For whatever reason, I can feel the #1 PP and the right forearm flying wedge when I have the right forearm takeaway with the right elbow near the rib cage. When the elbow gets away from the rib cage, I can't feel it anymore.

Last night I was hitting the ball on the range the best I've hit it since I was 18 years old. Basically I would feel and sense the #3 PP on the backswing and then 'drive' the #1 PP on the downswing.

I had heard of the hitters action being like a boxer throwing a punch. But when I would try that, the right wrist would flatten and I'd have a big flip through impact.

So I worked on that flying wedge drill and tried to 'feel' my way about it. I could get the basic and acquired motion right, but when I would get into the full motion, I'd lose the right forearm flying wedge every time.

So I thought about it more and more. And then I realized that in the basic and acquired motions, I had maintained the #1 pressure point. That's when I felt that the pushing motion is not really like a boxer's punch for me, but more of a martial artists 'Palm Heel Strike.' (

)

Thus, I started to feel like I was using that #1 PP and thrusting it into the base joint of my left thumb all the way to the finish. And when I started to do that, I was hitting the ball better and better. And when I checked it up on the camera, the impact alignments looked better and better.

Come today I was really excited about getting on the course and I shot 68 (-3) on a 138 slope course. Hit 15 greens (hit the first 10 greens) and hit 11 of 14 fairways. However, I started to 'lose it' on the last 4 holes.

So back to the range and started to come up with a routine to feel what I needed to feel.

Basically I came down that for me I need to use the 'palm heel strike into the base joint of the left thumb' while keeping the right elbow close to the body (still a punch elbow, but not straying away from the right rib cage).

I then started to use a right forearm takeaway waggle before the shot. This helped me sense the #3 and the #1 Pressure point as well as the right elbow. And I was back to puring the ball again.

Can't wait to play again tomorrow.




3JACK

[O.B.Left]

Mr Kelley referred to right arm extension with the right hand held bent as golfs "unique move". The reason people from other sports feel golf is so unnatural. Right wrist flattening is Throwaway. The degree to which the right hand is bent is established at impact fixed for the shot at hand. A machine adjustment that is maintained throughout the swing by the Hitter except for a brief period during the Finish Swivel. This "frozen right wrist" is the hitters main tool. Mr Kelley wants us to be able to get to both arms straight with a variety of degrees of right wrist bend and with various hinge actions. This is key when training in Basic and Acquired. You can hit a higher shot with vertical hinging as opposed to angled all things the same, but by moving it up in the stance vis a vis low point, you will increase the loft even more. But with throwaway harder to manage as you remove more and more "down and out" the closer you get to low point. The Angle of Approach changes as the impact point approaches low point. The degree of right wrist bend decreasing as the ball moves up, etc. Machine adjustments. The shot makers tools of the trade.

Kenny Perry on his 72nd hole at Augusta had a tricky little down grade flop shot to an raised green and looked like he played it back in his stance a little , ensuring better contact but making it harder to flight it high and soft. Or so it looked to me anyways. Vertical hinging with the ball near low point when the hands are shaky aint easy. Flubbed one today in my mid am qualifier trying a high lob over a trap to tight pin off of a very bare lie. Lost my right wrist bend I bet.

[Yoda]

Mr Kelley referred to right arm extension with the right hand held bent as golfs "unique move". The reason people from other sports feel golf is so unnatural. Right wrist flattening is Throwaway. The degree to which the right hand is bent is established at impact fixed for the shot at hand. A machine adjustment that is maintained throughout the swing by the Hitter except for a brief period during the Finish Swivel. This "frozen right wrist" is the hitters main tool. Mr Kelley wants us to be able to get to both arms straight with a variety of degrees of right wrist bend and with various hinge actions. This is key when training in Basic and Acquired. You can hit a higher shot with vertical hinging as opposed to angled all things the same, but by moving it up in the stance vis a vis low point, you will increase the loft even more. But with throwaway harder to manage. The Angle of Approach changes as the impact point approaches low point. The degree of right wrist bend decreasing as the ball moves up, etc. Machine adjustments. The shot makers tools of the trade.

This is a very powerful post. It has been written with a deep understanding of the Golf Stroke and its underlying mission-critical alignments.

Thanks, O.B.!

[panman]

Hi All - new convert to TGM alert! please bear with me if this obvious!

Am I right in saying also, that applying PP#1, helps to promote Extensor Action?

Pan