SWING TYPES
The full swing was divided into 10 discrete positions:
Position 1 — Address
Position 2 — Initial Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW)
Position 3 — Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW and Secondary Rotation CW)
Position 4 — Full Rotation to end of Backswing (Primary Rotation CW)
Position 5 — End of Backswing
Position 6 — Downswing (Primary Rotation CCW)
Position 7 — Release (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Position 8 — Impact
Position 9 — Follow Through (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Position 10 — Finish (Primary Rotation CCW)
These positions can be applied to all the swing types, namely: putting, chipping, pitching, the partial swing, and the full swing.
The game is played from the tee box to the hole. For example, you usually start with the driver to get onto the fairway. You then go to the fairway wood or iron to get on or close to the green. A good wedge shot puts you on the green before you finally pull out the putter. However, when learning golf, it’s more effective to reverse the order and start with the putter and work your way back through the clubs in the bag.
The swing model can now be understood in context with each swing type. The payoff for the muscle training in Step-
By-Step Training can be applied for each swing type using each club in the bag.
The distinction between chipping, pitching, partial, and full swing no longer needs to be defined in nebulous terms but can be understood in accurate and specific terms using the concepts of Primary and Secondary Rotation, and specific kinematic positions.
Putting
Putting is about distance and line —i.e., exerting enough force to get the ball to roll the right distance along the right path. The average first putt distance for a handicap golfer is 18.5 feet. As a result, the swing path of the putter is relatively short.
Putting uses the following positions:
Position 1 — Address
Position 2 — Initial Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW)
Position 5 — End of Backswing
Position 6 — Downswing (Primary Rotation CCW)
Position 8 — Impact
Position 9 — Follow Through
Chipping
A chip shot is a short game shot used around the putting surface with a low trajectory. It generally travels mainly along the ground. Chipping is usually done with a wedge (for example a gap wedge or pitching wedge) or a short iron (for example an 8 or a 9 iron).
The technique used to hit a chip shot is quite simple. The stroke is like the putting stroke, a back-and-forth rotational motion, with the length of the stroke varying by the distance of the shot. Your wrists should not break during the stroke. Like putting, the chip shot relies on Primary Rotation, which is all about the shoulders.
Chipping uses the following positions:
Position 1 — Address
Position 2 — Initial Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW)
Position 5 — End of Backswing
Position 6 — Downswing (Primary Rotation CCW)
Position 8 — Impact
Position 9 — Follow Through (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Pitching
A pitch shot is a short game shot with a higher trajectory and more spin, designed to keep the ball in the air more as it travels to its target. Unlike chip shots that employ a straight back-and-forth motion, pitch shots require Primary Rotation and some Secondary Rotation. Pitching usually is done with a wedge (for example a gap wedge or pitching wedge) or a short iron (for example an 8 or a 9 iron).
When hitting a basic pitch shot, think about taking the club back to about waist level, with some amount of Secondary Rotation. Start the swing by rotating your shoulders as if you were starting a full golf swing.
Pitching uses the following positions.
Position 1 — Address
Position 2 — Initial Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW)
Position 3 — Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW and Secondary Rotation CW)
Position 5 — End of Backswing
Position 6 — Downswing (Primary Rotation CCW)
Position 7 — Release (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Position 8 — Impact
Position 9 — Follow Through (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Partial Swing
The partial swing is usually completed using a wedge or any iron when you want to get limited distance from a given club.
When hitting with a partial swing shot, think about taking the club back to about waist level, with a slight amount of wrist hinge (Tertiary Motion). Rotate your shoulders as if you were starting a full golf swing along with the simultaneous Secondary Rotation of the leading arm (Straight Left Arm).
At the end of the limited back swing, there should be a brief pause, then start rotating back toward your target to strike the ball. The distance you’re trying to carry the ball will impact how big of a back swing you take and how much Secondary Rotation you use. Like with pitching, you can hit this type of swing with many different clubs.
The partial swing uses the following positions.
Position 1 — Address
Position 2 — Initial Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW)
Position 3 — Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW and Secondary Rotation CW)
Step 4 — Limited rotation to end of back swing (Primary Rotation CW)
Position 5 — End of Backswing
Position 6 — Downswing (Primary Rotation CCW)
Position 7 — Release (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Position 8 — Impact
Position 9 — Follow Through (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Full Swing
The full swing is used to get maximum distance from a given club. The full swing is usually completed using everything in the bag except the putter.
When hitting with a full swing, think about taking the club back to about waist level, with a full amount of wrist hinge (Tertiary Motion). As you rotate your shoulders back, there is Secondary Rotation of the leading arm (Straight Left Arm). After the take-away, you continue full shoulder rotation to the top of the backswing.
There should be a brief pause, then start rotating back toward your target to strike the ball. Hold the release to get the maximum distance for the selected club. Continue through impact and complete the rotation with a good finish,
The full swing uses the following positions.
Step 1 –Address
Step 2 — Initial Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW)
Step 3 — Take-Away (Primary Rotation CW and Secondary Rotation CW)
Step 4 — Full rotation to top of backswing (Primary Rotation CW)
Step 5 — End of Backswing
Step 6 — Downswing (Primary Rotation CCW)
Step 7 — Release (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Step 8 — Impact
Step 9 — Follow Through (Primary Rotation CCW and Secondary Rotation CCW)
Step 10 — Finish (Primary Rotation CCW)