! Scigolf presents Scott Hazledine Answers Your Golfing Questions On Your Golf Game.

Question 132

Scott,
OK, I've got the full swing video and Don sent me an IMA seven iron. I found the video very helpful in clarifying some backswing problems and the club is super; I'll be ordering a set.
My question has to do with set up. I seem to hit good shots more consistently from the pre set impact position like in your drills. When I set up "normally", my shots are less solid and I don't get my head over the right knee as well.

SH: The head over the right knee is a result of biomechanical effect of the correct start down. The first move down consists of moving the arms down on plane, e.g., Is the humerous/elbow moving in front of the hip. When this action happens you have the three muscles on the side of the hip contract. They are the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and the tensor fasciae latae. This puts you into the impact position. When you drop your right/rear shoulder and you stay in balance you will move your lower body in that manner. The setup should have your upper body back, but your lower body centered in my swing. The impact is with the lower body forward and the upper body counterbalanced back.

My question is: is there any downside to playing from the pre set position?

SH: Not really if you have the adequate trunk rotation to give yourself room to move the arms down on plane.

What am I doing from the normal set up that might cause the inconsistency?

Thanks,
Bill

SH: the things that can cause this problem are --

lack of trunk rotation,
loss of the brace of the right leg angle,
failure to straighten your right arm through impact, and
backswing too upright causing the left shoulder to drop and the right elbow to move away from the body. This throws the right hip out and does not allow you to make the correct move down.

Click on images for larger view.
Photo #1	Photo #2	Photo #3	Photo #4

Follow the sequence of photos to correct all of these problems. From both sides you will see the movement of the arms down and the move of the hips forward to the forward foot.