[12 piece bucket]

Tong posted this on another forum. But I felt like this was EXCELLENT and needed to be viewed over here as well.

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TONGZILLA POST:

First, work on your Pivot without a club and with arms hanging down or behind your back.
Follow all the photos in 9-1.
Do it slowly in front of the mirror stopping at each station. Then slowly but continuously -- a free flowing turn in both directions. Then at "normal" speed. Notice it's almost impossible to go too fast.
All Pivot motion moves parallel to the selected Delivery Line (the Plane Line for Swingers).
Make sure your Right Shoulder remains On Plane at Start Down via the Hip Slide.

Pivot Lag is ensuring that your feet initiates the Downstroke, then your Knees, then your Hips, etc ("Gear Train" effect). Halting the Backstroke motion with the Feet and letting this same tension pull the Downstroke through Impact is "swinging from the Feet" and gives the Stroke maximum Swing Radius (7-17).

Now I will tell you about a 2-step drill I've invented. Let me know if anyone has discovered this already!

Step 1: Pivot Controlled Hands
With a club in your hands, make a full swing continuously back and forth from Address (8-3) to The Top (8-6) and then to Finish (8-12) then immediately to The Top of the Backstroke again -- never restarting at Address after Finish. Do this continuously and very smoothly. (I know some guys out there will say this is "rebound" and Ben Doyle will go crazy if he sees this, but it's a drill.)

While you're doing the above, keep you minded totally focused on your Pivot or Body. Think of all the things you've been working on with the Pivot, per the first part of my post. Your mind is in your Pivot (which is everything except your hands and arms). So continue going back and forth with that smooth swing, and really ingrain that wonderfully correct Pivot motion. All the time, you are Monitoring the Pivot.

Step 2: Hand Controlled Pivot
This is the heart of my drill. Now while making that smooth swing continuously, without making any conscious change to your Pivot motion, put your mind completely into your Hands. This means focus on the Delivery Path of the Hands, its Clubhead Lag Pressure Point, and its Plane Line Tracing (with the Right Forearm). All motion is focused on driving the Hands -- not the club -- toward that imaginary ball. Maintain Clubhead Lag relationship to the Plane Line, not to the Body. Learn to swing the Hands and Monitor the Hands.

I said quite a few things in that last paragraph. Lets clarify what I did not say. I did not say you should start to tighten up or stiffen your Wrists. I did not say you should start the Downstroke with your Hands. I did not say you have to take the Club away with your Right Forearm. I did not say you should restrict your Pivot and use your Hands to hit the ball.

You never stop when doing this drill. It's always a continuous motion even when you're making the transition from Step 1 to Step 2. When you've mastered this drill, Step 1 and Step 2 should look exactly the same to the naked eye. But the Ball can tell the difference.

END TONGZILLA POST *********************************************