Body Geometry at Setup

[jambalaya]

This is a quote from a thread in another forum:

To make all your clubs play more like the best one in your bag, an important procedure is to use the same upper body geometry for all the clubs, and hence, use the same backswing and downswing planes, in relation to the torso, for all your non-putting shots. Your arms will keep the same geometry in relation to the torso even though the clubs are varying in length. If you do this you will become more familiar with swinging in one and the same groove. If you want to try out this procedure, first decide which club you hit best. Take an address position with it and then measure the distance from your lower belly or groin area to the small finger on the upper hand on the grip. You might be able to measure this distance with your other (lower) hand taken off the grip and fanned out, putting the thumb against the groin and one of the other fingers against the left-hand small finger. If the gap is too great to span this way, use a tape measure or something else. Then with each of your clubs use the same measured distance and try a few swings. You will lean over less or more for the different clubs, but keep the same hand to groin distance. With a little practice, you should find your poorer clubs performing as well as your better clubs. Please let me know if it works for you. I don't know if anyone does this consciously but certainly some must be doing it unconsciously. Measuring it is the only guaranteed way to get it right. Regarding my own setups, I found that not only were my different clubs using different distances, but that each club would vary with itself. You have to be good at adjusting your swing planes when this distance changes. An exagerated example would be a severe sidehill lie, where you know for sure your swing requires adjustment, and the difficulty level rises. I call the relationship of the arms to the torso the arms-to-torso angle, or ATA. It could just as well be called the hands to groin distance or HGD, but that doesn't sound quite as nice. I don't know if anyone else has recommended this principle. I highly recommend it, based on my experience, and I would like to know if anyone else has recommended it.

Since there is not much traffic on the other forum there hasn't been as much discussion as I would like. What do you think about this method? In this method the arms have a consistent relationship to the torso. Spine angle and distance from the ball change with each club. What about wrist angle? Should that be the same for each club?

[PiKapp23]

It's all relative. For the most part the setup with all clubs should be the same - the hands and arms should 'hang' in the same location at address. From there, though, it can be a little different for different clubs (not to mention different swing theories, body types, etc.) For most players, the longer clubs mean the ball has moved slightly forward of next longest, the spine has tilted a little more and there is less forward press.

Personally, I have a forward press on all my irons (not drastic), ball in center of stance and my spine is a little more verticle. My hyrbrids have less forward press (basically none), ball moved slightly forward (depending on which hybrid) but my spine is tilted slightly to the right (away from target). With woods, the ball is further forward with clubhead ahead of hands, and spine tilted a little more away from target. As for wrist angle, I just let the rest of the setup dictate that. I try to be as loose and comfortable as possible over the ball.

What is described is essentially the traditional setup. Some of the more modern setups involve being a little more upright over the ball.

[uttexas]

There is some truth here, but I don't believe that the long game (driver-7iron) and short game (8-LWedge) are the same swing. Would you swing your sandwedge like you do your driver.....probably not. The long game has a power stance, power setup, power swing. The shorter the club, the more feel involved. The long game, in my mind, requires a stronger grip, more of a closed stance, and flatter swing plane. The short game, in my mind, requires a weaker grip, more open stance (relative to power game), and a more upright swing plane.

One swing for eveything sounds like a great idea...KISS (and I once believed it would work for me) However, I have been more successful by thinking different swing thoughts for the long and short game.

Of note, one swing does work for some---John Daly comes to mind. He used to rip everything from driver to lob wedge.

[wachesawgolfer]

Generally, I try to remember to move my weight back onto the rigth foot as the club gets longer and angle the spine right to flatten out the swing. On the shorter clubs, weight moves to the front foot so by a wedge, most of my weight is on the front foot to steepen the angle of attack. I also have the ball most forward for a driver and progressively back from there thru the wedge which is in the middle of the stance.

[1dayIllBaPro]

Don't make golf even harder than it already is. Use only one swing. Keep your swing, your thought as simple as you can. Different setup will be the trick.

For example, the longer the club, the wider the stance, the lower your right shoulder will be, and the more upward in your swing.

Another example, swinging wedge and driver is the same. When you want hit a wedge, you want to feel like you hit down to the ball. When you hit a driver, you still want to feel like hitting down to the ball. But a driver setup, your spine need to tilt away from the target, which will make your swing arc at the bottom be more upward.

Imagine you have a circle, and draw a line from the middle to the 7 o'clock position. Now, the end of that line is your club head. Rotate that circle a little bit counterclockwise, so the end of the line is now at 6 o'clock position. What do you see now? You see more upward swing arc right? Same thing happen to the golf swing.

I have a website explaining at bit more about how to setup. If you want a clear explanation, please go check yourself. I am not posting here because the mods gonna think I am spamming :P

And again, whatever you try to do, keep your golf swing and your thoughts as simple as you can.

[jambalaya]

Don't make golf even harder than it already is. Use only one swing. Keep your swing, your thought as simple as you can. Different setup will be the trick.

Your down-the-line sketch pretty much describes what I am looking for. I have heard a number of people say to let their arms hang down naturally from the shoulders to grip the club but you are not doing that if you use the method you illustrate. If one bends down further, the hands move further from the body. If you stand more erect the hands move closer to the body. The trick is to get that distance "X" consistent.

[yygolfnb]

Golf swing is a "long range" precision motion much like "art painting" on walls. What I found most helpful is to maintain smooth ramp up of rotational speed and suitable grip presure so that I feel maximum body and club balance. With that, execution of shot is much more successful. For whatever swing plane, arc, path etc. that suit you, I think you cannot deviate from those principles.

[Stacey_E]

I had to look at this thread and I tried my best to read it all. But body geometry, hands to groin, etc....whew. I guess I really should be paying more attention to what I'm doing on the course. I'm just too busy thinking about the target. But If I focused more on angles and such, maybe that would help.