The Body Swing

Years ago I investigated Paul Wilson's Swing Machine Golf theory, which later became Ignition Golf and then The Body Swing. I liked his ideas, his book, the dvds, the YouTubes, etc. But for some reason, probably impatience, I did not fully commit and follow through. I still like this method and this is why.

Paul speaks about connection and using the body (core, hips, legs) to power the swing. I think this has been criticised by some traditionalists who say it is all down to the arms and shoulders. The irony is these 'old timers' tend to use the kind of fluid armsy swings that are similar to the powerless arms in The Body Swing. They perhaps don't realise that it is their coil and rotation that is actually 'powering' their arms.

The other development, which is particularly relevant in modern golf, is the rise of the super strong, athletic golfer, who often has a shortish swing, and who definitely use muscle strength in their golf swings. However, it can again be argued that they and many observers sometimes fail to credit the contribution of the core and the legs to the power (and distance) they generate. They still require good timing, good sequencing to hit the ball with any authority or accuracy.

The point is that the rotation of the body, with the connection of the lead arm in the shoulder joint, facilitate the swing of the arms and the speed generated in the clubhead. The flexible wrists that Wilson advocates, insists on in fact, contribute to the power of the swing by whipping the clubhead into the ball at impact. As Wilson points out, tension in the arms and stiff wrists slows the speed of the clubhead and causes other unwanted variations to the swing path and clubface.

According to Wilson the name of the game is consistency. Distance with a driver (and other full swing clubs) is less important. But distance will be maximised for any golfer who uses their body effectively, and avoids the 'power' leakages that come with manipulations, tensions, and compensations so common in the average golfer's swing.

I'm on a mission to recreate a body swing. Everything else I've worked on lately has not led to the level of consistency I would like. I'm fairly athletic in my set up, reasonably well connected, so I just need to stop trying to hit too hard by using my wrists and hands. I've observed some other golfers recently who seem to have lovely fluid swings. I doubt they have heard of Paul Wilson, but they seem to intuitively understand the principles of the body swing - more power to them - so to speak.

Short work

After my recent explorations of golf theories, including the use of the trailing elbow, the connection theory, weight on front foot, flat lead wrist, etc., I've decided to settle for something that comes naturally - a short / compact swing.

There are a number of tour players who fit into the category of short swingers, not just Kuchar and Zach with their peculiar swings, but Rambo (you know who I mean), Holmes, Hoffman, Finau, Quiros, Chappell and others. And some of these guys hit it BIG.

Clearly there is a requirement that you are either super strong or super long limbed, or actually both. But it doesn't mean that someone less strong, shorter limbed (like yours truly) can't benefit from some of the advantages of a short swing.

One advantage is that with a shorter path to the ball on the downswing there is less chance of deviation from the ideal swing path. No guarantees, there is lots that go wrong. But a short compact swing does work well for those without great hand-eye skills or great tempo.

Another advantage is that using the arms with the body, as is needed to generate any power, takes away some of the need for perfect timing. The whole thing is a package, just take it back shoulder high, with a decent turn and relatively straight lead arm, and power through the ball - according to one's strength.

That's enough on the subject. Just a final cautionary note - don't rush the downswing, add a little pause, otherwise the swing can get a little TOO short. We want 'short' to work.