Morgan Pressel's Driver

[tm22721]

Friday during the LPGA telecast Judy Renkin remarked that Morgan Pressel was losing distance with driver. They showed a video where Morgan's hips out raced her hands and blamed that as the source of the distance loss.

I thought that faster hip rotation creates more power. Anybody understand this ?

[iacas]

Friday during the LPGA telecast Judy Renkin remarked that Morgan Pressel was losing distance with driver. They showed a video where Morgan's hips out raced her hands and blamed that as the source of the distance loss.

Her hips have to be moving the fastest (or near to it) at impact, not a second before impact.

In other words, if she's using up her speed too early (relative to impact), I can see how they'd be slower. For example, swing to the top, open your hips and clear them as fast as you want, but don't swing the club down. When your hips are through, then swing down. Probably won't hit the ball very hard.

[play4him]

I agree with Erik on this. I didn't see the video, but I've seen players who struggle with this. It's all about timing, if you're opening too early, it throws off your timing.

[Avid Golfer]

Friday during the LPGA telecast Judy Renkin remarked that Morgan Pressel was losing distance with driver. They showed a video where Morgan's hips out raced her hands and blamed that as the source of the distance loss.

Her hips out racing her arms can leads to a slow down in many ways.

Power loss one: as the body slows down the arms get blocked, the body blocking the arms can cause the arms to slow down in their movement. Power loss two: as the arms get blocked and slow down they can force the arms and club into a position that isn't as scientifically quick nor as driect a path as they otherwise could have been approaching the ball. Power loss three: this change of direction the club is traveling on can change the direction energy will be transfered when it makes contact with the ball. Here is an example of what often happens when the body out races the arms: The body blocks the arms. The arms raise upward (steepen) to get around the slowing body. The wrists uncock as a result of the steepening angle of the arms, and the wrists are lost as a power source. The shaft steepens its angle of approach (following the arms in their steepening). The steep path of the club directs the club downward (toward the ground). The desending angle at impact increases spin and raises launch angle. The increased launch angle and spin rate cause the ball to travel more upward and less forward, and that translates to less distance.

[Craig Mac]

Her hips have to be moving the fastest (or near to it) at impact, not a second before impact.

Doesn't this flaw also tend to produce a hook as well?

[iacas]

Doesn't this flaw also tend to produce a hook as well?

It actually produces a big slice. After all, it's tough to come from the inside when your hips are blocking the way. A lot of people with an early hip spin-out complicate the problem by casting and throwing their shoulders out. They come over the top and REALLY have no power.

Heck, try this: 1) swing to the top and stop 2) clear your hips all the way (as if through impact) Notice how your shoulders have suddenly jutted out? If you just turn your shoulders now, you're gonna massively slice the ball. It's only if the timing is SLIGHTLY off (as with Tiger Woods and "getting stuck") that you hook or block the ball. If your hips clear so early that you lose a bunch of power, I think a fade or slice is the more likely result. Morgan probably isn't THAT bad off, and she's skilled enough to compensate in ways most average golfers aren't for the slice/hook stuff. But she could still be losing power, of course.

[tm22721]

A lot of people with an early hip spin-out complicate the problem by casting and throwing their shoulders out. They come over the top and REALLY have no power.

Is it better to just shift the hips instead of trying to rotate them with perfect timing ? When I shift my hips correctly the lead hip eventually rotates back out of the way and the trailing hip and shoulder never jut out.

But it's harder to maintain posture when I shift my hips, for some reason.