Before we dive into the tip for the month, let me give you a recap of my educational experiences in January. The Golfing Machine Teaching Summit on January 25 and 26 was two full days of physics and geometry and its application to the golf stroke. One of the highlights of the summit was on the subject of putting, and I will share the facts I learned about the putting stroke with you later this year. As a small hint, I will tell you to work on your touch! My online coursework as a current Class 'A' PGA Member is complete and my final exam for certification is scheduled for Friday, March 19.
Following the summit, I headed to the PGA show in Orlando where I met Royce, our golf club technician. We did three full days of R&D, and confirmed that all of our technology, components, shafts, club fitting procedures, etc. are up to date. Over the course of the three days, we hit all of the latest and greatest in golf club components. The shaft is still the engine of the club no matter the head. Graphite shafted irons go further than steel because they are lighter. Hybrids are here to stay because the Moment of Inertia (MOI) is so high that you cannot replace their forgiveness. Also, the center of gravity is moving higher in the driver so everyone could benefit from a driver with a higher loft.
To continue with the moment of truth topic discussed in January, let's look closer at the impact position. In January, we highlighted the lower part of the trunk and the need to keep the hips back, down, and turning. For February, I will highlight the upper part of the body with specific detail to the back shoulder.
At address, the back shoulder is set lower than the front shoulder because the corresponding hand is lower on the club. At the top of the backswing, the back shoulder rotates around the spine, and if possible, completes it's rotation behind the ear. Therefore, flexibility in the lats, traps, deltoids and chest are helpful for a good turn. So what does this all have to do with impact? The answer is that you want to increase your tilt into the ball from the top of the backswing. Imagine that your trailing shoulder is dropping down into your hip pocket in the start down. At impact, the back shoulder should be lower than it was at address. This keeps your head behind the ball.
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