Drill: How to Feel Powerless Arms – Tight Grip Loose Grip
By Paul Wilson at December 11, 2012 | 10:59 am |
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RonCalabrese, 6 months ago
Paul, I think the average golfer is very prone to tightening the grip and using the arms as the main source of power because of a feeling of being IN CONTROL. Powerless arms requires giving up that sense of control and BELIEVING THE CLUB HEAD WILL FIND THE BALL. After watching your videos and practicing the techniques, I’m finally relaxing the arms and wrists and not forcibly steering the club head to the ball.
Like many correct techniques, it’s somewhat counter-intuitive to give up your initial sense of control until the new sensations and habits take over. This explains why my practice swings, without a ball, have always looked much better than the real ones. There’s no need to control or steer when there’s no ball. I sure wish I had found your website 40 years ago when the “mind was weak” and the body was strong!
Best Regards, Ron
Paul Wilson, 6 months ago
Ron,
Giving up control is a huge part of it. Plus, there is a ball sitting in front of people and human nature is telling people to hit it and hit it hard. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to get to give up this control. I’m glad you are starting to get it.
This is one of the reasons I teach the follow through first. If you are thinking of the ending you are not thinking of hitting. Hope everyone is hearing this.
TIMADAMS, 6 months ago
Paul,
Ive been working on Powerless Arms&Axis Turn for about 2 months and slowly I’m starting to hit the ball online(wow)instead of 40yd pulls or block slices.I believed that the more I worked on this the more solidly my contact would become.Yesterday at the range I had a Major Setback.Irons were shanking low right or low bladed pulls.driver was slicing big time.I tried to fix this but the more I tried the more over the top I swung.depressing to say the least!Later i started to review the videos.The best I could figure I seemed to be swinging too hard w/a forward tilt?,maybe a little sway?Any thoughts?Its always frustrating when you think your improving and somthing like this happens
Paul Wilson, 6 months ago
Tim,
Glad you are getting it. 2 months is a good time frame. You should be seeing some great shots now and it becomes crystal clear that you must keep going and learning how to swing this way.
Set backs are all part of it. Just when you think you’ve got it you will lose it. This is why I tell people to never say “they’ve got it.” This is you try to hit the ball too hard. As soon as this starts to happen you must immediately slow down. Get it back. Then speed up only the rotational speed of the lower body to get more power.
Watch:
Lose Your Swing: http://ignitiongolf.com/lose-your-golf-swing
Once you slow down you will get it back in no time. Also, keep doing lots of practice swings working on the swing positions. This takes the ball out of the picture.
Watch:
Work On The Movement: http://ignitiongolf.com/work-on-the-movement/
RalphGrapentine, 6 months ago
hi paul. i was conversing with you a few months back about my incredibly flat back swing, but now i think i have corrected that, or at least, it is much better. when i watch my swing on video now, i am much higher, but i dont drop into the slot no matter how much i try. i’m not over the top, just on the same plane coming down. how can i fix this. thanks. ralph
Paul Wilson, 6 months ago
Ralph,
If you are on the same plane and you are hitting it straight there is no problem. Just keep doing it. If you are pulling it you need to stay behind it more. As you do your upper body will tilt more right. The more the body tilts right the more the club will swing right.
Watch:
Body Tilt – Left Right: http://ignitiongolf.com/cure-pulling
Also:
Flatten Plane 1: http://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-flatten-plane
Flatten Plane 2: http://ignitiongolf.com/downswing-flatten-plane-2
dominicmacedonia, 6 months ago
Paul,
You talk about the hips powering the powerless arm. Do the legs play a role in hip speed, or if if you use the downswing cue of straighting the left leg and actively turning the hips, is that suuficient? I feel like it’s mainly coming the hip turn and I’m making no effort to “drive” the legs
Dom
Paul Wilson, 6 months ago
Dom,
The legs and hips are powering your body rotation. Your arms are connected to your body so they will move when you use your legs and hips. You need to be using both the legs and hips. You should be working on loading into the right instep/heel going back. This will put you in a position to use the lower body properly. If there is no weight loaded you will not feel the legs.
paulelliott, 4 months ago
Hi Paul
I was playimg some great golf swinging with my hips now ive lost my swing my arms have started to take over the downsing
HELP
Paul Wilson, 4 months ago
Paul,
Everyone loses their swing at some point. This is due to wanting more and more power. Slow down. Swing easier. Take the power out of the arms then gradually build up the speed of the lower body.
Watch:
Lose Your Swing: http://ignitiongolf.com/lose-your-golf-swing
I also get the feeling you are working on way too much at once. Stick to working on one thing at a time.
paulelliott, 4 months ago
Hi Paul.
You are correct I think I have been practicing way too much , if that makes sense I was just very keen to improve but quickly!
I started shanking the ball with wedge again For some reason Paul I am finding it very difficult to hinge the wrists fully at top of backswing it is very stiff ( i normally was only hinging the wrists a wee bit and my grip was pointing at a angle to the ground not to my right ear)also my follow through feels very stiff and mechanical not easy and smoooth the way it used to be.
I have become very disheartened with my progress I seem to have went backwards I havent shanked a ball in 2 years and then all of a sudden loads of them
I think the reason im shanking them is as I start the downsing with my lower body i seem to sometimes spin out of the shot and the face is open on impact!
Basically Paul I was doing fine working on my downswing with lower body
As soon as i tried to incorporate the fully hinging of my wrists at the top of my backswing it all went pear shape.
I have been not fully hinging my wrists for 20 years! Hence I find this very unstable and I lack confidence at top of backswing.
Sorry for being a pain in the backside but i really want to improve once and for all
Regards
Paul
Paul Wilson, 4 months ago
Paul,
AS I said, you need to do lots of practice swings (preferably in a mirror) working on this position. Forget hitting balls. Just do practice swings every night until you feel you are getting it. Once you feel you are doing it, add the ball but tee it up to make it easy.
Swing at 50% for a while focusing on the change not where the ball is going. If you are making a change it is not about the shot it is about the change. I don’t care if you top or shank every ball right now. I care if you are making the change. The logic is that you are working on one thing you are not working on the whole swing. If you are working on one thing how do you expect to hit perfect shots? So focus on the one thing. Make the change. Then go back to incorporating this change into your whole swing.
Does it not make sense that you would be hitting some shanks if you are solely thinking about your hands and arm and how the are hinging and re-hinging? Yes, you could also be over-doing the lower body and trying to think of the hinging action at the same time. Once you start to focus on coiling and uncoiling with the arms powerless you will get it back. So do the practice swing for a few days. Stop playing and hitting balls. Work in a mirror and you will get it in no time.
paulelliott, 4 months ago
Thanks Paul
I noticed that i am not hinging my wrists early enough at waist height hence i couldnt hinge them fully at the top of my swing?
what are your views on the Nick Faldo’s method in the 1980s of early wrist hinge?
Thanks for all your hard work.
Paul Wilson, 4 months ago
Paul,
I don’t like the early wrists hinge. This activates the hands in the backswing and narrows the arc. I prefer a later set ala Tiger, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus etc. This way you get power and consistency.
At waist high there is no wrists hinge yet. From the setup there is an angle between the shaft and your arms. If you turn the shoulders with no use of the arms this angle rotates to the halfway back position. This causes the hands to be about 1 foot from the right hip from the front view. If your hands are closer than this you have used the hands to take the club back.
Watch:
Halfway Back: http://ignitiongolf.com/halfway-back
DRILL: Half back and up: http://ignitiongolf.com/half-back-and-up
paulelliott, 4 months ago
Thanks