Finally -- a real answer to crossing the line

[Michael Lee]

In my biased opinion, I believe the key action of ensuring one is "laid off at the top",

is to rotate the forearms clockwise around each other during the backswing.

Try this at home, take an imaginary club in your hands and address an imaginary

ball.  Start your backswing in slow motion (that's why I chose an imaginary club)

and rotate the forearms clockwise around each other.

Stop when one's shoulder is either at ninety degrees or less depending on one's flexibility.

Turn your head to the right and look at your hands and which way the imaginary club is pointed.

It should pointing to the left of the target.  From that position, rotate your forearms around each other counterclockwise, examine your hands and where the imaginary club is pointed.  It should be across the line.

I tried this with a real club on the driving range and it seems to work quite well.

[Michael Lee]

Forearm rotation is key on the backswing and downswing and

at least one organization agrees with me.

[billchao]

@Michael Lee , you resurrected a two year old post and didn't quote anyone in particular, so it's unclear to whom you are addressing. Some of the members who posted in this thread aren't even active anymore... Just saying, if you feel like you are having a discussion with yourself, it's because you are.

[Michael Lee]

Sorry, I didn't know the thread was that old.  I was merely investigating

how to "lay off the club" and I thought I'd share my results.

No harm intended.

[dchoye]

Hey Micheal , dont know if you are still interested in this topic, but something I never thought about until I started to videotape my swing with a local instructor and found my swing does go past parallel and across the line much like John Daly's. If you stop at Daly's swing when his club is parallel to the ground it's " still across the line." I think for guys that have such a late set of their wrist (the only other player I can think about who does this is Sadlowski) then across the line is probably natural. I was reading "Golf my way" by Nicklaus and in first few chapters, he writes about having trouble with his swing in the late 60s and was so eratic he didnt win any majors for 3 years. He specificly states that his problem was that he was 'crossing the line" and didnt know why, finally figure out that his setup and head swivel to start his takeaway was causing his shoulders to align closed unbenknowst to him, as he like to setup up open and fade the ball but couldnt. Not sure if that solution would apply to Daly as Nicklaus backswing is more conventional , but I agree with the first post in this thread , shoulder alignment at address would probably a consideration if their is any concerns with laid back/or across the line shaft issues at the top of the swing.

[cutshot878]

Although, according to this short video of Daly's swing,  at the top

he is clearly across the line, namely his club points very right of the target.

Pretty funky at the top but I love his finish. I could honestly watch this swing all day. When you cross the line at the top, does it mean that you have to have a lot more lateral lower body movement (on the downswing) to avoid coming over the top? Is that what's happening here and allowing him to find the slot like a PGA Tour pro?  If he just rotated without lateral he'd be over-the-top?  Why doesn't he look as Hip Bumpy as say Tom Lehman?  He rotates more?