Amateurs Vs Pros
For a visual representation of this hand path length concept at play here are 4 golfers, paused at the top of their backswing. The first golfer is an amateur that was unhappy with their club head speed and driving distance. After that we have Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, and Bubba Watson. These 3 are widely regarded as among the best drivers of the golf ball in their respective eras. They were all extremely long and accurate.
Imagine a clock face around each golfer. 6 at the bottom and 12 at the top. Now study the angle of the lead arm of each player, and how far their hands get “around the clock”.
You will notice that the amateur golfer has significantly less hand path length than the pro’s. This short hand path reduces the amount of time and distance he has to apply force. If your hand path is short, and you want to deliver high club head speed, you better be extremely explosive. Jon Rahm is a good example. Unfortunately, most middle aged or senior amateur golfers do not have good explosive capabilities. (We will be working on it in the Fit For Golf App though 🙂).
In addition to this, you will see very different body positions and degrees of rotation.
The amateur golfer’s lead foot has remained flat on the floor, the pelvis has not rotated much, the torso has not rotated much, which makes it extremely difficult to get the hand path a desirable length. It’s not just the lack of hand path distance that is an issue here.
Due to the lack of rotation, the amateur golfer has very little stretch in the muscles of the hips, trunk, torso, and shoulders. This is problematic, as muscles can contract more forcefully if they are stretched a certain amount first. Think of loading up a catapult.
While I am sure the professional golfers pictured here are more mobile than the amateur, they also make things much easier. You will see they all allow the lead heel to raise off the ground. This in turn makes it easier for the pelvis to rotate, which makes it easier for the torso to rotate, which makes it much easier to get the hands “around the clock”.
The hip, torso, and shoulder muscles are beautifully stretched, and they are wound up to deliver much more speed than the amateur.
In general, amateurs will need to work on their mobility and understanding of swing concepts to start working towards these positions. Note how I said “work towards”. I am not expecting you to get into the same position at the top as Nicklaus, Snead, or Bubba, I am simply using them as a model to work towards. The resemblances between them, and other greats, leave clues!