Hitting with the right side

[alangbaker]

From the mouth of Paul Azinger:

"All these players hit it so hard with their right side. Anyone who's teaching you to pull with the left is telling you wrong. The left is firm, it's a nice firm left side, but they all hit it with their right side".

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by alangbaker

From the mouth of Paul Azinger:

"All these players hit it so hard with their right side. Anyone who's teaching you to pull with the left is telling you wrong. The left is firm, it's a nice firm left side, but they all hit it with their right side".

I've always hit with my right(dominant) side. I figured I was doing it wrong. Nice to hear someone who knows what he's doing agrees with me. I think I've heard Tiger say the same thing. That "pulling with your left side" never made sense to me. I'm not an aficionado of golf instruction. Does anyone know who holds different theories on this ?

[Bigvivec]

Hogan said his "secret" in controlling power was how hard he ran his right knee at the ball...Tommy Armour Sr. says that power comes from whipping the right hand through impact...it's been said for awhile...

[straightshooter]

It sounds OK to me. You position your left side, then power through with the right side.

[alangbaker]

Originally Posted by straightshooter

It sounds OK to me. You position your left side, then power through with the right side.

Just don't try telling you know who that...

[ringin]

does his name rhyme with barrysf??

[larryrsf]

Originally Posted by Bigvivec

Hogan said his "secret" in controlling power was how hard he ran his right knee at the ball...Tommy Armour Sr. says that power comes from whipping the right hand through impact...it's been said for awhile...

Hogan and all good golfers actually DRAG the clubhead through the ball. They keep the club handle ahead of the clubhead through impact and beyond. But since their arms are synchronized or connected with their torso and hips, as they lead their downswing with hips, their upper arms are pulled through impact. The clubhandle lags the hips and the clubhead comes last. In that way they contact the ball clean and make a long divot after the ball position.

It is worth working on the range to ingrain hitting the ball clean every time, make a loud "snick" noise. Work to prove you have kept the clubhead accelerating by making a long divot in front of the ball--NEVER allow the clubhead to pass the handle. Clean contact is vitally important. I recommend most amateurs play the ball in the middle of your stance for all irons and all fairway woods. I have moved the ball back to that position and seen much more accuracy and consistency.

I find I must rehearse the downswing sequence in slow motion, actually pose in the impact position, all weight on my front leg, my hands far ahead of the clubhead, my hips almost facing the target, leading my swing.

Really good players feel they "trap" the ball against the ground with irons. That is a very good swing thought. Worth working on.

Good Luck.

Larry

[alangbaker]

Originally Posted by larryrsf

Hogan and all good golfers actually DRAG the clubhead through the ball. They keep the club handle ahead of the clubhead through impact and beyond. But since their arms are synchronized or connected with their torso and hips, as they lead their downswing with hips, their upper arms are pulled through impact. The clubhandle lags the hips and the clubhead comes last. In that way they contact the ball clean and make a long divot after the ball position.

Apparently except for Paul Azinger and Ian Baker-Finch who both agreed that you had to hit hard with the right side.

Hint: the right side pushes the club.

It is worth working on the range to ingrain hitting the ball clean every time, make a loud "snick" noise. Work to prove you have kept the clubhead accelerating by making a long divot in front of the ball--NEVER allow the clubhead to pass the handle. Clean contact is vitally important. I recommend most amateurs play the ball in the middle of your stance for all irons and all fairway woods. I have moved the ball back to that position and seen much more accuracy and consistency.

So then your efforts to get left have failed? Because good players only play the ball in the centre of their stances for mid-irons and shorter clubs. Every good player I've ever seen plays long irons and fairway woods ahead of centre.

I find I must rehearse the downswing sequence in slow motion, actually pose in the impact position, all weight on my front leg, my hands far ahead of the clubhead, my hips almost facing the target, leading my swing.

Really good players feel they "trap" the ball against the ground with irons. That is a very good swing thought. Worth working on.

I'm sure a video of your swing would be very helpful in understanding the value of your advice.

[Wazmankg]

I've taken this concept a bit further. I know I grip the club a bit too tightly but loosening my grip always gave me the feeling I was losing the club on my backswing and at the top. So I've loosened my left hand some and kept the same pressure with my right hand. So far so good. I feel like I have more control of the club head and am hitting it straighter and more consistently so far. I'm even putting this way and it's helped both my line and pace. It seems to prevent any left hand breakdown when the left hand is only basically a guide. It makes sense to me too. We'll see if it holds up.

[Bigvivec]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

I've taken this concept a bit further. I know I grip the club a bit too tightly but loosening my grip always gave me the feeling I was losing the club on my backswing and at the top. So I've loosened my left hand some and kept the same pressure with my right hand. So far so good. I feel like I have more control of the club head and am hitting it straighter and more consistently so far. I'm even putting this way and it's helped both my line and pace. It seems to prevent any left hand breakdown when the left hand is only basically a guide. It makes sense to me too. We'll see if it holds up.

I would never tell you to change something that works for you, but convention is that the left hand would keep a more firm grip with the last two or three fingers than the entire right which is more or less along for the ride...power gets injected with the right hand when whipped through the hitting zone something like skimming a rock across a lake, but the left is the control hand and as such requires a good finger grip to keep a consistent plane and control at the top without regripping at the top or losing the club a bit...you can tell if this is a trait by swinging to the top and seeing if the club is perfectly controlled or if you find it wavering or need to tighten the grip at the top...these things will throw off your swing and destroy the even, constant grip pressure that is needed for a smooth swing...




I feel like I need to tell you to get over to your left side too but not sure why...

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by Bigvivec

I would never tell you to change something that works for you, but convention is that the left hand would keep a more firm grip with the last two or three fingers than the entire right which is more or less along for the ride...power gets injected with the right hand when whipped through the hitting zone something like skimming a rock across a lake, but the left is the control hand and as such requires a good finger grip to keep a consistent plane and control at the top without regripping at the top or losing the club a bit...you can tell if this is a trait by swinging to the top and seeing if the club is perfectly controlled or if you find it wavering or need to tighten the grip at the top...these things will throw off your swing and destroy the even, constant grip pressure that is needed for a smooth swing...

Well my right hand generally knows what it is doing... my left hand not so much. So I'm going to try this right hand dominant thing for awhile. I'll keep you posted.

[mr3856a]

When I start going at it with my right hand/side, bad things happen. Bad things.