In the early phase of the downswing, the club itself doesn’t carry much energy compared to the body. The energy builds up gradually… At position 6, the power is transferred into the shaft and then released through a whip-like effect into the clubhead—and finally into the ball at impact.
If this whip effect happens too early—or doesn’t happen at all—you lose the entire energy transfer. That leads to shorter shots, and even more importantly, to a lack of consistency. I say "lack of consistency" because when the energy is released too early, all the key body angles begin to break down before impact. But these angles are essential to stay compact and connected through the swing. When they’re lost too early, it’s almost impossible to move through the impact zone in a stable, efficient way—and that leads to inconsistent results.
If you’d like one of those drills—something that helps you feel the right movement without overthinking— just comment “Level Up”, and I’ll send you a link to my training community, where LPGA Tour player Sandra Gal and I share the exact exercises that make your swing more effortless. Best Sigmar
The revolution in swing technique credited to Byron Nelson occurred when he switched from Hickory to steel shafted driver in the 1930 and realized that the steel shaft could be bend ) and loaded like a leaf spring then released EXPLOSIVELY )..|..( o —> into the ball BUT only if the hands dropped and were able to keep accelerating faster than the inertia in the club head mass which had been moving forward ==> allowed.
In the video here that bend in the shaft which stores the kinetic energy from the reversal at the top which bends the shaft is being lost a bit prematurely. Once one is aware of that )..( cause and effect and the timing is perfect with it occurring WHILE THE BALL IS COMPRESSING / RELEASING on the club face there is a HUGE difference in feel in the hands. Those shot than feel at impact as smooth and a hot knife slicing through butter? That’s caused but the ball being on the face if the club as the shaft is doing this ) ( —> o
The underlying cause and effect is easy to see if using a swing aid like the ‘Orange Whip’ I have a plastic covered spring gizmo which is designed to exercise the chest muscles I swing to demonstrate this and how I learned the technique of holding the bend in the shaft until the face of the club strikes the ball. The keys to doing that are: 1) side bending to keep the hands moving faster than the shoulder turn, and; 2) a very controlled timing and action in the lifting of the back foot which frees the hips, shoulder and hands to keep up with the speed of the club head as it whips around the hands.
Whenever the club head is seen bent forward ( before impact the kinetic energy is already lost and impact with the ball will have result in the impact straightening the shaft (..|…) and bending it backwards instead of the ball literally springing ( / up off the face. The root cause is always the hands moving too slow.
The key to getting the hands to move faster in addition to side bending is how the trail arm it is unhinged from this 🤷🏼♂️ at the top to straight. The best ball striker have trail palm supinated upwards to the sky at the top of backswing like a waiter holding a tray over the shoulder with leverage, but on the way down the forearm rotates the palm DOWNWARDS at the ball not slapped 🫲 forward at the target like playing handball or hitting a flat trajectory shot with tennis racket. The action is bio-mechanically more like chopping wood with and 🪓 or a downward hockey “slap’ shot not sweeping 🧹 the ball up off the ground.
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In the early phase of the downswing, the club itself doesn’t carry much energy compared to the body. The energy builds up gradually… At position 6, the power is transferred into the shaft and then released through a whip-like effect into the clubhead—and finally into the ball at impact.
If this whip effect happens too early—or doesn’t happen at all—you lose the entire energy transfer. That leads to shorter shots, and even more importantly, to a lack of consistency.
I say "lack of consistency" because when the energy is released too early, all the key body angles begin to break down before impact. But these angles are essential to stay compact and connected through the swing. When they’re lost too early, it’s almost impossible to move through the impact zone in a stable, efficient way—and that leads to inconsistent results.
If you’d like one of those drills—something that helps you feel the right movement without overthinking—
just comment “Level Up”, and I’ll send you a link to my training community, where LPGA Tour player Sandra Gal and I share the exact exercises that make your swing more effortless.
Best
Sigmar
The revolution in swing technique credited to Byron Nelson occurred when he switched from Hickory to steel shafted driver in the 1930 and realized that the steel shaft could be bend ) and loaded like a leaf spring then released EXPLOSIVELY )..|..( o —> into the ball BUT only if the hands dropped and were able to keep accelerating faster than the inertia in the club head mass which had been moving forward ==> allowed.
In the video here that bend in the shaft which stores the kinetic energy from the reversal at the top which bends the shaft is being lost a bit prematurely. Once one is aware of that )..( cause and effect and the timing is perfect with it occurring WHILE THE BALL IS COMPRESSING / RELEASING on the club face there is a HUGE difference in feel in the hands. Those shot than feel at impact as smooth and a hot knife slicing through butter? That’s caused but the ball being on the face if the club as the shaft is doing this ) ( —> o
The underlying cause and effect is easy to see if using a swing aid like the ‘Orange Whip’ I have a plastic covered spring gizmo which is designed to exercise the chest muscles I swing to demonstrate this and how I learned the technique of holding the bend in the shaft until the face of the club strikes the ball. The keys to doing that are: 1) side bending to keep the hands moving faster than the shoulder turn, and; 2) a very controlled timing and action in the lifting of the back foot which frees the hips, shoulder and hands to keep up with the speed of the club head as it whips around the hands.
Whenever the club head is seen bent forward ( before impact the kinetic energy is already lost and impact with the ball will have result in the impact straightening the shaft (..|…) and bending it backwards instead of the ball literally springing ( / up off the face. The root cause is always the hands moving too slow.
The key to getting the hands to move faster in addition to side bending is how the trail arm it is unhinged from this 🤷🏼♂️ at the top to straight. The best ball striker have trail palm supinated upwards to the sky at the top of backswing like a waiter holding a tray over the shoulder with leverage, but on the way down the forearm rotates the palm DOWNWARDS at the ball not slapped 🫲 forward at the target like playing handball or hitting a flat trajectory shot with tennis racket. The action is bio-mechanically more like chopping wood with and 🪓 or a downward hockey “slap’ shot not sweeping 🧹 the ball up off the ground.
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