Do The Opposite Series – Realities Versus Illusions

Episode 2b

“Discovering And Embracing The Realities Of Impact To Replace The Exact Opposite Of What The Mind Believes”

 

Here is a good kick-off video for how far we need to go with our intentions to compress the ball in order to get to ‘exactly opposite’ of what we are inclined to do.  Click the picture for the video.

For a condensed message, you’ll only need to view from 00:57 to 5:16 AND from 10:30 to 13:49.

 

“Reverse every natural instinct and do the [exact] opposite of what you are inclined to do and you will end up with a near-perfect golf swing.” – Ben Hogan

 

In Episode 2 (a) we covered ground zero for getting the mind to accept the hand and body movements that need to be trained in; that is, we now understand the desired interaction between the club face and the ball.

 

The mind accepts and allows those movements to be trained in because they are perfectly consistent with 

– what they need to do to produce the most effective interaction between the club face and the ball [which we established in a slow motion video of impact as narrated by my mentor].

 

We will now explore how and why to go to the extreme with our intention to compress the ball not just against the ground, but INTO the Earth,  so that we maximize the mechanical advantages that lead to maximum stability at impact for absolutely solid ball strikes. 

 

And maximum stability at impact is of critical importance to great ball striking.

> The hands and body will do things when the mind’s intention is to drive the ball into the middle of the Earth that go beyond what they are doing when the intention is to just compress the ball against the ground.

– With the exact opposite intention versus lifting the ball up and guiding it to its target, the kinesiology of the hands will reach their maximum range of movement so, for instance, the upper arms [in reaction to the hands]…

– really squeeze inward to mesh the upper arms to the upper body for maximum translation of mass from the body to the club head at the moment of truth, 

– the stability of the body is maximized from this hand-arm action, 

– and the club head’s stability is maximized as well.

 

For a video demonstrating how the stability described above is achieved, click on the picture below for the associated video; Watch especially from 5:37 to 9:44.

 

Now let’s look at the left arm’s reaction to the left hand’s full release; 

– the left arm stretches to its full length so that at impact the left shoulder is the maximum distance possible from the club head. 

 

The picture below from Ben Hogan’s “Five Lessons” and my markups speak to how the left hand’s full release works.

Click on the picture below for the associated video especially from 00:57 to 3:14.

– Note this is the exact opposite of a chicken-winged left arm.

– That maximum-length left arm creates maximum moment arm for maximum mechanical advantage at impact; 

– moment arm, as in lever arm…as in mechanical leverage; 

– we don’t push a swinging door from the hinge side of the door, but we push the side of the door opposite from the hinge side where there is maximum leverage [and we maximize the work being done by our effort].

– This maximum leverage at impact maximizes stability of both the club head and body at impact.

 

In addition to the mechanical advantages of maximum body mass transfer to the club head and maximum moment arm advantage at impact;

– that maximum downward hitting intention with the hands to really throw down at the ball, trying to drive the ball into middle Earth…

– creates a leg and body push-back reaction against the ground, so as to maximize ground force from the legs pushing back against that downward throw.

– the legs’ reaction to push against the ground to counter that downward throw maximizes the stability of both the club head and body at impact.

 

You see, maximum stability of both the club head and body at impact are the unspoken “secrets” to great ball striking… 

– for both maximum mass transfer from the body to the club head, and

– for maximum club head speed from maxed out centrifugal force [see below].   

 

Maximum stability actually frees your body up to move freely and gracefully and fastly because

– the Central Nervous System knows our body and the vulnerable joints of the hands-wrists-elbows are safest when the intention is to drive the ball INTO the Earth, not just compressing the ball against the Earth.

 

Watch or re-watch my video from the “Let’s Make Golf A Reflex Sport – Episode 1” 

Click on the picture below for the video.

I’ve talked a lot about the ‘Mass’ variable in the ‘Force = Mass x Acceleration’ equation; 

– and for good reason because its importance is grossly overlooked in favor of the easier to understand and “sexier” quest for the “Acceleration” variable.

 

But this maximum stretch of the left arm [that occurs when we apply our extreme intention of compressing the ball into the Earth]… 

– is also required to maximize acceleration in that the further that club head is stretched away from the shoulder, the more centrifugal force it has.

 

Let’s summarize why it is so crucially important to have a clear understanding of the desired interaction between the club face and the ball; 

> it is the first domino that needs to be tipped over in order to get the mind aligned with physical realities of that interaction so it can embrace the movements of the hands and body that need to be trained in so that this desired interaction can take place.

> And the importance of getting to the exact opposite by way of having extreme intentions, in this case, the intention to drive the ball into the Earth [vs just compressing it against the ground] 

– leads to maximum stability needed in both the body and club head for absolutely solid strikes.

 

>The proper compressive striking force imparts pure backspin on the ball that

a) gives the ball proper trajectory, and 

b) gives the ball a piercingly straight tight flight that keeps the ball on track to the target with minimal diversion from at least a steady moderate breeze.

 

Signing off for now. 

 

Questions?  Comments?  Reach me at TWilliams@MyGolfingStore.com

 

Kind Regards,

 

Ted Williams, Certified Instructor – Croker Golf System

https://myinstinctivegolf.com/