Spine

[lagster]

Let us hear (read) some ideas about how SPINE POSITIONS at Address... Face On and Down the Line can influence a golf stroke. Include degree of tilt, bend, posture, etc..

[EdZ]

IMO Hardy's so called 'one plane vs two plane' book is 'actually' not about plane at all, but a quite solid description of the differences between spine angle/tilt at address and the resulting swings/compensations they each require.

[loubert]

Let us hear (read) some ideas about how SPINE POSITIONS at Address... Face On and Down the Line can influence a golf stroke. Include degree of tilt, bend, posture, etc..

Lagster,

Your question appears to be a solicitation of opinions, so here is mine:

For posture relating to the spine, in golf and in life outside golf, it is in your best interest to learn to maintain what is called "neutral spine." This is crucial to protecting your lower back. In my recovery from back surgery, every physical therapist I've seen (including the golf-specialist PT I am currently seeing), has made this priority number 1.

Here is a link to some descriptions and visuals (see "Club behind the spine" and "Address Posture").

www.athletico.com/services/GolfExerciseTips.pdf

To ground a club properly while maintaining a neutral spine will require a significant forward tilt, As mentioned by EdZ, this is the hallmark of the Hardy* one-plane swing (BTW, Peter J's posture in the Golf Digest excerpt leaves a lot to be desired). The degree of bend will depend on your height, arm length etc. Basically, you want your hands to hang straight down from your shoulders such that your hands are under your chin. Hardy recommends little side bend.

You will need to have a strong core (back and abs) to maintain the neutral spine throughout the swing (the back will want to flex (i.e., "round") on the downswing. However, I think that everyone should have this level of strength if they want to have a happy back for life in general.

Lou


*I reference Hardy here to give proper citation for the information in the context of this post. I am not an advocate of his methods.

[birdie_man]

Yoda what do you think about this? More erect posture vs. more bent.

Say David Toms vs. Vijay.

[lagster]

IMO Hardy's so called 'one plane vs two plane' book is 'actually' not about plane at all, but a quite solid description of the differences between spine angle/tilt at address and the resulting swings/compensations they each require.

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I agree... Mr. Hardy's book is not really dealing with shaft plane.

I believe he said Freddy Couples is actually a One Planer(by his definition), with a flying elbow. I believe he says someone like Davis Love would be a Two Planer.

He is looking a golf swing in a different way... than most have recently, it seems to me. Some of the information looks pretty good.

[armourall]

Let us hear (read) some ideas about how SPINE POSITIONS at Address... Face On and Down the Line can influence a golf stroke. Include degree of tilt, bend, posture, etc..

Here's something new I'm trying... at Address, I try to feel as if I am creating as much distance as possible between the Clubhead and my Swing Center (the stationary Head, or perhaps more accurately, the base of the Neck). This encourages two things for me: Extensor Action and a straight posture.

[6bmike]

Build your stance around the right forearm and shaft to facilitate the Right Forearm Take-Away.
Build an A frame not a K frame.
The RFT puts control of the take-away in the hands and creates better than any shoulder take-away a truer geometric circle required for the swing and impact.


This is what Yoda taught our class. It works. When I set at address, I feel like I'm ready to put a dent that little pro-vee. I call it the stance of a warrior.

[vj]

From face on build the "Tripod" that lynn talks about. THis would have the head basically between the feet at address. In fact, Mr. KElley says "exactly between the feet" if I remember correctly from Lynn. So from face on have the head between the feet. This will have the spine basically vertical to the ground from a face on view.

From down the line bend from the hips. Upper arms (biceps and tripceps) hanging straight down, butt of the club pointing to the belt line or belly button, a basic "L" between the spine and shaft of the club.

During the swing I feel it is necessary for the bottom of the spine to stay put and not work into the target line. The swinger's spine moves down the line and the hitter's spine moves across the line, however there should not be a severe movement of the lower spine into the target line.

Often overlooked is the role of the knees in the maintenance of the spine angle. If the knees gain flex in the downswing with the right knee firing toward the target line the lower spine will move in. So just as MR. Kelley says, maintain the flex in the knees through the golf swing, all you need is just enough flex for the right forearm to be on plane.

Those are my thoughts.

[lagster]

Originally Posted by lagster

Let us hear (read) some ideas about how SPINE POSITIONS at Address... Face On and Down the Line can influence a golf stroke. Include degree of tilt, bend, posture, etc..

Lagster,

Your question appears to be a solicitation of opinions, so here is mine:

For posture relating to the spine, in golf and in life outside golf, it is in your best interest to learn to maintain what is called "neutral spine." This is crucial to protecting your lower back. In my recovery from back surgery, every physical therapist I've seen (including the golf-specialist PT I am currently seeing), has made this priority number 1.

Here is a link to some descriptions and visuals (see "Club behind the spine" and "Address Posture").

www.athletico.com/services/GolfExerciseTips.pdf

To ground a club properly while maintaining a neutral spine will require a significant forward tilt, As mentioned by EdZ, this is the hallmark of the Hardy* one-plane swing (BTW, Peter J's posture in the Golf Digest excerpt leaves a lot to be desired). The degree of bend will depend on your height, arm length etc. Basically, you want your hands to hang straight down from your shoulders such that your hands are under your chin. Hardy recommends little side bend.

You will need to have a strong core (back and abs) to maintain the neutral spine throughout the swing (the back will want to flex (i.e., "round") on the downswing. However, I think that everyone should have this level of strength if they want to have a happy back for life in general.

Lou


*I reference Hardy here to give proper citation for the information in the context of this post. I am not an advocate of his methods.

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The NEUTRAL SPINE idea is interesting!! The stretches for golf look good also.

Mr. Hardy seems to indicate that the One Plane Swing(by his definition) is easier on the back and shoulders.

It seems to me, however, that if one is bent over more, and has more aggressive rotation of the hips and shoulders... this would be more strenuous for the back. I can see where the One Planer could be easier on the rotator cuffs, however, since the arms are not lifted much.

[birdie_man]

I've found that I'm pretty much OK if I just stick my arse out more. And the ladies love it.