I was practising in front of mirror (sliding glass door) and working on a right forearm pickup and noticed that if I started the takeaway with moving the right hip back slightly (losing just a little right knee flex in the process) that I seemed to me more on plane on the backstroke. My hands felt like they were moving in more of a direct patch up-plane (felt more vertical). I have heard somewhere else in TGM'dom about clearing the right hip and taking a more direct patch with the wedges to the top, but hadn't tried this before. Also, looking down the line my hands at the top looked a little more in line with the right shoulder instead of slightly outside the right shoulder line...not sure if this good or not.
I don't feel like I have a pivot controlled backstroke since my hands are still directing it, but it just seems like that slight clearing helps the hands/clubshaft stay more on plane instead of under or inside the plane.
This may not be the best of responses, but what you are describing to some extent but modified is the 'pre-turned' hip, something that is often used by hitters.
A couple of things to check just to make sure you know your alignments,
1. Stance line, is it open, square or closed? (10-5) I have been changing to an open stance line and have discovered that I am also aligning my hips sometimes on this line. Stance Line and Hip/Shoulder alignment do not necessarily match unless they are all square.
2. Hip alignment can track with shoulder alignment. I have noticed that with a square stance alignment and focusing on the right forearm takeaway that I have on occasion open my shoulders (hips follow) so that I can trace the line. This I have discovered is that I am still at times letting the right shoulder/arm try and do the takeaway instead of using the just the right forearm.
3. Don't know if you are set up at Impact Fix or Adjusted Address. Have noticed that Impact Fix you can feel that the forearm is pushed out initially cause of the location of the hands. Whereas at Adjust Address this feeling may not exist. In fact at Adjusted Address you may discover that you feel you are going to hit the hip.
I did learn that extensor action PP#1 does wonders for getting the right forearm to travel the plane up vs in.
Martee, thanks for your thoughts and I definitely agree with extensor action helping with staying on plane.
My stance used to be closed and pointing to the right of the target (I say "used to be", but this is something I still have to work on pretty hard). I now try to set up square (parallel to the plane/target line). I am using adjusted address.
Besides trying to take the clubshaft and hands right up plane, instead of under it, I am really trying to limit my backswing for hitting (instead of loading for swinging), and this seems a little easier if I conciously "clear the right hip".
Back to extensor action, I think this is the glue I need to both stay on plane and to limit my backswing to right shoulder height. When I really apply it is next to impossible to overswing, but trying to consiously apply it when actually hitting balls proves to be more difficult than when just practising with it...I guess its just 1 of those things you have to just keep working on till it becomes natural and suboncious.
I find it helpful to really 'hone in' on making sure that the right forearm is the what powers the dual agent (shoulders) in the pivot train. I usually concentrate on extensor action, balance and stationary head in conjunction.....
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