[Yoda]

yoda, i see the bold 'start down' statement. do you mean it should be this way at end of backswing? or something else? especially seeing he is still on his backswing...i understand the geometric relationships that this 'position' would be perfect up AND down, is that what you are saying?

I think Yoda's statement was misapplied to the plate number.

Powerdraw and Colonel 12 Piece,

Have ye no faith in 'ol Yoda?

What I said was that Plate 45 is a model Start Down, and that is exactly what I meant. Clearly, it is a Start Down with the leading Downstroke Body Turn having already Loaded the Power Package Lag. It is not a Backswing, despite the label erroneously applied by the editor and the accompanying analysis by, presumably, the author. As proof, compare the left thigh pant creases in Plate 43 ("Start of the Backswing") with those of Plate 45. As they do in other sequences in the book, the creases should have become more 'slack' as the Hip Turn increased and the Knee moved further into the Backstroke. Instead, the creases were stretched out in Plate 45 by the leading Hips and Left Leg in the Downstroke. [These photos are not of the same Stroke but the principle is the same.]

Colonel, please scan in Plate 35. That is a Backswing photo. Then, put Plates 35 and 45 side-by-side in comparison mode. The Top (long iron) and the Start Down (mid-iron) will be obvious.

Also scan in Plate 37, which is a front view of this exact alignment. Here the Hands similarly have already re-traced from the End of the Stroke to the Top (Hands Right Shoulder High and On Plane). It is with a long iron, but the comparison is still relevant. Especially with regards to the Pivot Lag -- Hips leading Shoulders and the Loaded Power Package in the Downstroke.

By the way, how about that Ball Boy out in the distance (just under Byron's forehead)? A forgotten part of the Game. I used to love watching the legends at Augusta -- Snead, Hogan, Demaret and Nelson -- firing directly at their caddies. In the case of that group, the caddies deserved Hazardous Duty Pay!