A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

[ManFromMoffat]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

http://www.golfwrx.com/305366/a-biom...tters-a-swing/

I picked up the book but haven't had to sit down and read it just yet

I read the WRX piece and found it a little obtuse. I usually note the WRX reader reactions and at this writing they're pretty negative (> 55% flop-ob-shank). My guess is that may have more to do with people being down on something that's contrary to conventional wisdom.

I watched the youtube video and thought it was good -- primarily due to its simplicity.

A swing key of late that has helped me is the sensation of going back vertically, with the goal coming down of dropping inside. I note in the WRX piece more shoulder turn -- which scares me due to my perceived lack of flexibility -- but was encouraged by the video's depiction of a shorter swing (my norm).

A couple of axioms come to mind: the definition of insanity and the adage that when you're behind in a sailing race you need to set your sails differently than the boat ahead of you. So I'm going to give it a try.

[Divot Tool]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

Flattening out the swing plane is easier for me with the A swing. The v plane uses gravity to help me flatten out more naturally than dropping my whole arm in the traditional sense. I don't find myself hitting the ball fat.

This is coming from a noob so take what I say with a grain of salt

Interesting. Club shaft is vertical going back and shallowing on the downswing. . . .sort of like Furyk? . . .but not quite like Furyk. I'm all for a shallower plane on the downswing, but I suspect going from steep to shallow (extremes) will require lots of practice to engrain that. I'm sure it can be done. It just seems to me that things are going to be flippy through the impact zone, as one can easily be under the plane coming through. If you fail to shallow it out. . it'll be over the top resulting in pulls/pull cuts.


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[TourIQ]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

I read the WRX piece and found it a little obtuse. I usually note the WRX reader reactions and at this writing they're pretty negative (> 55% flop-ob-shank). My guess is that may have more to do with people being down on something that's contrary to conventional wisdom.

Golfers may have supported it more if it was more conventional wisdom. The rate of A from 1 plane to the next seems like it would be hard to dial-in the same over multiple swings.

Will this define Leadbetter as the genius he is?

[bl8d]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

Leadbetter has taken some of the typical faults of the average player, combined and re-aranged them to cancel each other and become a positive.

The butterfly grip, where the strong top hand is effectively neutered by week bottom hand, sets the biceps on top of the pecs and keeps the arms in front of the chest in the back-swing.
The steep vertical back-swing, a hallmark of no shoulder rotation, is countered by a sharp inside takeaway that is encouraged by the closed stance whose only purpose is to preset a hip turn.


If you can think "baseball" on the downswing it should help you drop the clubhead behind you and shallow the swing.

[wookie]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

There is a fair bit in the A swing that has been taken from other theorists, like Martin Ayers. He also leads with the handle, picks it straight up then drops the club behind him and then flattens on the down.

There is this clip from the hickory era of Whethered ,Jones and Vardon that show the accent on the hip turn of the day, and an inside takeaway that keeps the arms on the body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivo0n49U3aI

I watched the A swing technique described by the Me and My Golf guys.

I also watched this link of the hickory era swing.

These are different swings, right? The A swing is more vertical on the backswing and the "hickory era swing" in the video when compared to the A swing is very shallow and very inside. Am I understanding the differences correctly?

[bl8d]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

I watched the A swing technique described by the Me and My Golf guys.

I also watched this link of the hickory era swing.

These are different swings, right? The A swing is more vertical on the backswing and the "hickory era swing" in the video when compared to the A swing is very shallow and very inside. Am I understanding the differences correctly?

yes they are, but there are some strong similarities.

1- the sharp inside takeaway the A swing is set up by the closed stance
2 -the closed stance was a carry over from the featherie ball period which wouldn't tolerate a steep swing and had to swept off with a full roundhouse swing.
Steep swing didn't start until the Gutty ball appeared and irons took prominence in the bag.
3-strong 3 knuckle top hand grip

4 -ball placement relative to stance

The Me and My golf guys didn't get the ball placement right. They were still playing it too forward in the stance. that why he thinned it.

[Tintin]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

IMHO this makes a lot more sense.

http://www.golfwrx.com/181715/biomechanics-and-how-they-affect-swing-plane/

Different strokes for different folks

[veryold]

Re: A Biomechanical Look at David Leadbetter’s “A Swing”

But i bet you that all three of them look more or less identical at impact, no ???
Cheers !

IMHO this makes a lot more sense.

http://www.golfwrx.com/181715/biomechanics-and-how-they-affect-swing-plane/

Different strokes for different folks