[MizunoJoe]

You can indeed "clown the backswing" if you can re-Align yourself at Station 2, the Top (12-3-0), but why make it more difficult than it needs to be. The problem is that a poorly executed Backstroke can indeed affect the Top and Start Down Alignments. Clowning around is only for the golfers that understand how to rediscover their Hands at the Top. Hogan knew how to do it. He started with a shoulder turn takeaway, but re-aligned himself. For us mere mortal, the longer we can keep the club on Plane the better.

Re-alignment isn't necessary if the left shoulder swings the left flying wedge up on plane while the turning the shoulders flat. It isn't hard to do at all. In fact, it's a much easier assignment for educated hands than directing a great big right shoulder to drive a dime-sized sweetspot to one dimple inside aft. My definition of a clown BS would be one which didn't maximize the range of shoulder motion and core torque.