Are Pressure Points Active or Passive at Address?

[billchao]

I'm going to preface this by saying that I've never read TGM and I only have a basic understanding of pressure points and power accumulators, so I apologize if the answer to my question is explicitly expressed elsewhere.

I've been thinking about pressure points in my setup lately, and I'm unsure about whether I should be actively squeezing the pressure points. Right now, I'd describe them as feeling "passive." For example, I can feel PP#1 simply because my hands are touching each other, or PP#4 because my arm touches my torso, but I'm not squeezing them at all.

So, my question is, should I be actively squeezing them? Should I grip the club tighter so I can feel 1, 2, and 3 more? Should I squeeze the arms more to feel more 4 (and 5)? Is this one of those "depends on the individual" situations, or should everyone feel some sort of pressure (for lack of a better term) on the pressure points?

I'd describe myself at address as relaxed, even borderline lazy feeling. Is that too loose?

[dchoye]

I think TGM is not very complete in describing pressure points. I find in my swings there are more than 4 pressure points. But to answer your question the pressure in my hands can be passive or active depending if my intent is to hit thru the ball or swing/stroke at the ball

[saevel25]

Ummm, don't take this the wrong way. If you are thinking of each individual pressure point during or before the golf swing, that is way to much to think about. Keep it Simple!!!

[billchao]

Ummm, don't take this the wrong way. If you are thinking of each individual pressure point during or before the golf swing, that is way to much to think about. Keep it Simple!!!

Gods, no, I wouldn't be thinking about any of them at all. It would be a simple adjustment, really. By gripping a bit tighter and squeezing the elbows a bit together at address, you'd be able to cover all of them. I'm simply wondering if it would be necessary or even helpful at all. I don't think much about anything at all when I swing; it's probably why I'm prone to regressing to old swing habits. I only break this type of stuff down and analyze it when I'm learning or practicing something.

[MS256]

I don't think much about anything at all when I swing; it's probably why I'm prone to regressing to old swing habits. I only break this type of stuff down and analyze it when I'm learning or practicing something.

I don't think about much of anything when I'm playing okay. Of course when things start going badly I don't have much choice and have to try to figure something out. One thing you said reminded me of an ongoing dilemma I have. I hit my best shots when I am able to let the club rest on the ground and almost totally relax at address. Even to the point you described as being lazy. Problem is that I pay a price for that when I can't ground the club for one reason or another. Hard to say for sure if hovering the club just creates more tension than I would like or if I go by the feel I have at address to know where the club returns. Not a huge problem but just enough to aggravate me and make me feel less confident when I don't ground the club because it's in a hazard or in grainy rough.

[Etzwane]

You don't need to put squeeze the pressure point at address, it might even be counter productive. The will feel pressure when the corresponding accumulator gets loaded: left arm across chest for #4 and right arm bending for #1. Pressure on #3 is evasive for me except when I get good lag in my swing. I must confess I don't feel much #2 nor I understand how useful it is.

[Ernest Jones]

I just thought I throw this excerpt from one of Erik's articles out there, just to assist people unfamiliar with the terminology: Pressure Points in the Golf Swing 1: The heel of the bottom hand where it touches the top hand or grip 2: The last three fingers of the top hand 3: The first joint of the bottom hand index finger where it touches the grip 4: Lead armpit (or where the lead arm touches the chest) 5: Trailing armpit* * MORAD folks add this one. There's no corresponding accumulator but it lets them talk about the trailing elbow separating (or not) from the chest.

[David in FL]

I just thought I throw this excerpt from one of Erik's articles out there, just to assist people unfamiliar with the terminology:

Pressure Points in the Golf Swing

1: The heel of the bottom hand where it touches the top hand or grip

2: The last three fingers of the top hand

3: The first joint of the bottom hand index finger where it touches the grip

4: Lead armpit (or where the lead arm touches the chest)

5: Trailing armpit*

* MORAD folks add this one. There's no corresponding accumulator but it lets them talk about the trailing elbow separating (or not) from the chest.

Huh.....

......the only pressure point I know anything about comes when I'm standing over a 3-foot putt with all 3 ways of a $10 nassau on the line!

[billchao]

One thing you said reminded me of an ongoing dilemma I have. I hit my best shots when I am able to let the club rest on the ground and almost totally relax at address. Even to the point you described as being lazy.

Thanks for the input. I hit my best shots when I get lucky

But seriously, I'm not sure. I know I hit some pretty awful shots when I feel my swing gets too loose, so I was wondering if a little tension might counter that.

You don't need to put squeeze the pressure point at address, it might even be counter productive. The will feel pressure when the corresponding accumulator gets loaded: left arm across chest for #4 and right arm bending for #1. Pressure on #3 is evasive for me except when I get good lag in my swing. I must confess I don't feel much #2 nor I understand how useful it is.

This is part of why I asked the question, because it doesn't seem like it's just some natural phenomenon that occurs, but something that needs to be worked on. This is where my lack of understanding of TGM really shows, but is there an optimal amount of loading of the accumulators?

For example, you can load PA#4 too much and bring your elbow behind you, which actually makes me lose PP#3. Or if I bend my right elbow too much, I also lose PP#3. Also, if my wrists break down at the top, then all hell breaks loose. It seems like you need to limit how much you load any particular accumulator to get them all working properly.

I actually feel like I need to push my right hand away from me at the top to keep my right elbow from folding too much and my left arm from getting too far across my body. Is that countering the loading of the accumulators?

In retrospect, I'm kind of sorry I even asked the question. Maybe I should just stop this line of thinking all together.

[colin007]

. I actually feel like I need to push my right hand away from me at the top to keep my right elbow from folding too much and my left arm from getting too far across my body. Is that countering the loading of the accumulators? In retrospect, I'm kind of sorry I even asked the question. Maybe I should just stop this line of thinking all together.

No, not at all. Pushing out with the right hand at the top is a great way to feel number 1, as well as keep the left arm from collapsing, or possibly from over swinging.

[Mr. Desmond]

No, not at all. Pushing out with the right hand at the top is a great way to feel number 1, as well as keep the left arm from collapsing, or possibly from over swinging.

Yes, and

Yes

[Etzwane]

what colin said.  In TGM this is called Extensor Action that is applied on pressure point #1 but not in order to move the left arm (that would be an accumulator action) but to straighten the left arm.

[billchao]

No, not at all. Pushing out with the right hand at the top is a great way to feel number 1, as well as keep the left arm from collapsing, or possibly from over swinging.

what colin said.  In TGM this is called Extensor Action that is applied on pressure point #1 but not in order to move the left arm (that would be an accumulator action) but to straighten the left arm.

Thanks, that's good to know. I play around with different feels and positions when I practice just to get an idea of what body motions do what in the swing and this is one of the moves I've discovered for myself, but I wasn't sure it was something I was supposed to be doing. Now I know.

What about PP#2? If I squeeze the last three fingers of my top hand a little harder, it seems like my wrists don't break down at the top. Less break means less compensations, right?

[Etzwane]

The last three fingers of the left hand can be held firmly as long as tension does not built up in the forearm. As for the problem at the top, it's wild guess but have you established a flat left wrist (in TGM flat means in back of the *open* hand in line with forearm, or just wrist not bent and not arched) and a bent right wrist, and is the right forearm in support of the club ?

[billchao]

The last three fingers of the left hand can be held firmly as long as tension does not built up in the forearm. As for the problem at the top, it's wild guess but have you established a flat left wrist (in TGM flat means in back of the *open* hand in line with forearm, or just wrist not bent and not arched) and a bent right wrist, and is the right forearm in support of the club ?

When I'm swinging well, the left wrist isn't all the way flat, there is a slight cup to the wrist. When I break down at the top, my left wrist cups hard, like perpendicular to the ground. My wrist movements are basically reversed in this position, left wrist hinging and right wrist cocked. My right forearm isn't 100% supporting the club even when I'm swinging well, IMO, which is something I'm working on. When my wrists break down, it's the bent left wrist that supports the club. If I pose my top of backswing position and squeeze the club tighter, I seem to be able to get into that flat left wrist and bent right wrist supporting the club position. This is why I believe I need to hold the club more firmly.

[MS256]

When I'm swinging well, the left wrist isn't all the way flat, there is a slight cup to the wrist.

When I break down at the top, my left wrist cups hard, like perpendicular to the ground. My wrist movements are basically reversed in this position, left wrist hinging and right wrist cocked.

My right forearm isn't 100% supporting the club even when I'm swinging well, IMO, which is something I'm working on. When my wrists break down, it's the bent left wrist that supports the club. If I pose my top of backswing position and squeeze the club tighter, I seem to be able to get into that flat left wrist and bent right wrist supporting the club position. This is why I believe I need to hold the club more firmly.

I'm just the opposite. Any cup in my left wrist is the kiss of death for that swing and nothing but bad things are going to happen. I can get away with a little bow without a disaster but I try to keep it flat.

[billchao]

I'm just the opposite. Any cup in my left wrist is the kiss of death for that swing and nothing but bad things are going to happen. I can get away with a little bow without a disaster but I try to keep it flat.

You're a much better golfer than I am ;-) What I meant by the post is that I can't seem to achieve a flat left wrist at the top, even with my best swing, so it's something I need to work on. My swing gets too steep and I cut across the ball. I think one of the ways to fix it is to get more of a bow in my wrist, but anything I've tried so far to change that hasn't worked.

[colin007]

You're a much better golfer than I am ;-) What I meant by the post is that I can't seem to achieve a flat left wrist at the top, even with my best swing, so it's something I need to work on. My swing gets too steep and I cut across the ball. I think one of the ways to fix it is to get more of a bow in my wrist, but anything I've tried so far to change that hasn't worked.

A mental image or "feel" for this would be to picture a waiter carrying a tray over his right shoulder.