The two sides of the coin

[tongzilla]

A swinger moves the club open (leading edge 'on plane') in the takeaway, with the startup swivel (roll to 'toe up').

A hitter keeps the leading edge 'perpendicular' to the plane in the takeaway, toe about 45 degrees.

So while a swinger's clubFACE opens and closes like a gate hung from the left shoulder, so that it stays 'on the plane' above hip high back and through above hip high, a hitter's clubFACE stays as perpendicular to the plane as possible back and through. So even though it isn't really a 'closed to open' movement, a hitters move is fairly close to that. Trying to stay 'square' to the arc, unlike the swinger who rolls back onto the plane, and through to the plane - 90 degrees back, 180 through.

Given that closed to open motion, the farther back a hitter has the ball, the more closed the clubface. A swinger is the opposite, the farther back the swinger has the ball, the more open the clubface.


The geometry (of the line of compression) is the same at impact, but how you get there (the physics) is different.

Two sides of the same coin. You either come at 'ideal' from one side (open to closed - swinger), or from the other (closed to open - hitter).

Angled hinge is attempting to stay on the 'ideal' from a geometry standpoint, however the clubs design is such that the leading edge wants to move 'on the plane'.

You either go with physics, and 'let' things happen, or you go with geometry and 'make' things happen. There are advantages and disadvantags to both.

That 'thing' is the line of compression - the force you are putting 'through' the ball, the nail you drive through the inside back corner.

Take a look at the diagrams in chapter 2. It may also be helpful to reflect on hitting a cue ball at different points on the ball. Think of the cue stick as the 'line of compression' as you hit different parts of the cue ball and note the forces/spin you impart.

Hope this helps - EdZ

Cue ball and stick. If struck at the centre, cue ball will obviously go straight. If struck towards the right, it will spin to the left.
Back to golf. If the face strikes the ball on the outside aft, ball will spin to the left, known as draw/hook. If struck on the inside aft, ball will spin to the right, known as fade/slice.
Ok, I hope the above is correct.

I still don't get how with angled hinging, if the ball is placed further back, it will cause a draw (i.e. clubface needs to contact on outside aft, right?). That is because I don't get how it moves from closed to open. I was playing with my hinge toy today--yes, it's an uncentered motion and the rate at which it closes is slower than horizontal hinging and there's lay-back. But, at the end of the day, it still goes from open to square to close as far as I can see. I must be missing something here! Can someone explain this in terms of the real hinge model I’ve got?

Oh yes, by the way, I experience with the hitting motion today, with angled hinging obviously, and tried the above- moving ball back to draw, and moving ball foward to fade- and it does work. I just don't understand why.