The Image Worth A Thousand Words
 

Thanks, mb. The 'Airplane Wing and Strut' has long been my favorite image of the Flying Wedges, especially at the Top of the Stroke. In fact, I use it with every new student.

Demonstrating the Wedges at the Top, I'll make this analogy:

"The Right Forearm Wedge supports the Left Arm Wedge like the strut of an airplane's wing."

Then, I'll suddenly collapse my right elbow toward my left, bringing my elbows very close together.

"How would you like to be on an airplane with a strut that looked like this?"

"Or this?" [Poking my elbow way out.]

'Nuff said!

I did it !
 

Since that "Pressure point #3" video alot of major major concepts have hatched from my incubator. That incubator has been working overtime lately. My swing is all I can think about during the day, and I am even getting golf dreams and waking up in the middle of the night with a random line in my head like: "extensor action provides an indespensible control to all strokes."

Anyways, I spent some time hitting because it was working and the angled hinging was pretty simple. Lately I have been finding my swing, actually swinging has been just presenting itself to me...so I take it. The one thing that helped my hitting stroke was the Tommy T video about hitting vs swinging. While demonstrating the hitting procedure he says something like 'the clubface just keeps looking at the ball.' I found this to produce nice angled hinging which worked well with the right arm driving the club. This hitting gave me a good feel for my right forearm flying wedge. I really focused on maintaining a frozen BLV right wrist. This is easier for me that flat left wrist, maybe because I am a righty.

Today, I was thinking about the longitudinal center of gravity. I was looking for it on my sand wedge (just hanging it by the end of the grip). Then I started to see how it behaves differently depending on how you move the club. I tried to visualize where the LCOG was at all times.

Then I started swinging...Basic and acquired motions. Trying to let that LCOG do what it wants to do and base all motion around it. Then it happened. At address, and impact fix, I visualized a line from the leading edge of the clubface (also extending out from the toe of the club directly from the leading edge) which went up through my left hand (on the top of the club...sort of inbetween my left thumb and forefinger.) I think this line goes through the hand and extends at some angle from 6:00, or the bottom of the shaft). From the spot where this line goes through the left hand I can sense a line that goes straight up to my shoulder. I tried to only move the club in compliance with that line. All of a sudden, my takeaway was pulling this line back (with the right forearm). I was able to maintain this line with all those funky swivels required for dual horizontal hinging that I never really got before. This line stayed in tact from impact fix to finish. After 2 swings the light bulb went on: "OOOOOh, THAT is the left arm flying wedge!!!"

:)

Now I have two wedges that assemble my power package. It took some time to develop those wedges.....alot of incubator time. I'm pretty sure they are there to stay. It actually feels exactly like the little yellow guy at the top of the page next to the 'LynnBlakegolf.com' logo.

I love the Golfing Machine. I love LynnBlakeGolf.com

Yoda is my Golfing Machine hero.

David Orr could give you a visual on this that would hook you up like a tow-truck.

D . . . could you be persuaded to put of the LCOG pics up??? huh what?

I think the actual origin of the term flying wedge is the football thing . . . as in returning kickoffs. Kind of like ducks flying in a V.

How is this ?
 

How accurate are these ?

They are at a perfect 90 degree angle.

Keep in mind, I am no graphic designer. I was inspired by Mathew. I just have all these 3D lines and pictures in my head that I just have to get out. Maybe animations will come some time in the future....way in the future. This stuff is time consuming.

Accuarcy is my goal here. I want to get the delivery line in there. Would that be parallel to the right forearm pointing at the plane line ? Where should it come from ? The center of the shoulders, or the right shoulder ?

Are there any other lines that I can add ?

Labels...
 

Hi KnighT,

You may want to label your beautiful diagram for greater clarity.

Flying Wedge Origins
 

The first mention of TGM's Flying Wedges came in 6-B-3-0 of the first edition (1969):

"Consider the Hands as the point of a 'flying wedge' composed of the Clubshaft and the Left Arm, driving toward the Aiming Point."

And in the next paragraph:

"A 'flying wedge' using the Right Forearm instead of the Left Arm is equally effective..."

The #3 Angle is 'The Wedge'
 

You're on the right track, KnightT. However, I suggest you modify your drawing to include a little #3 Accumulator (Left Arm and Clubshaft Angle) in the Left Arm Wedge. Then, let that Angle illustrate the 'inverted' Wedge shape.

There still is a Left Arm Flying Wedge with Zero #3, but the 'Wedge' shape (the #3 Angle and Wristcock) itself has disappeared! Nevertheless, a basic illustration would not omit the identifying relationship.

Accumulator 3 mystery
 

Mmmm, I think I don't understand the difference between Accumulator #2 & #3!

The book is not helping much because picture 6-B-3-0#3 (this one is not clear!) is visually the same as 6-B-2-0#2.

As far as I understand, #2 is the left wrist coking & uncocking while #3 is the angle between the shaft & left forearm......so to me it relates to the same thing :scratch:!?

So, how is working the #3, how do you load it?
What does HK means in 6-B-3-A when he says "...unless it is "Zeroed Out" there must always be a definite Accumulator #3 "Overtaking" Action?

Thanks for your lights!

#3
 

Great, I have some work to do.

yodeli,

Accumulator #2 is velocity power.

Accumulator #3 is transfer power.

The sequenced power release is 4, 1, 2, 3.

Make sure you associate each pressure point with it's power accumulator. That is probably the reason why they are numbered so specifically. I remember when I first realized that, it was a nice big step.

Accumulator #3 is just turn and roll. Turn your left wrist (I think left wrist only...might be wrong) on the backswing, and allow it to roll on the downswing. Go to the Tom Tomasello vid on the hands (Also watch the one about arms, while you are at it). He clearly demonstrates the very specific job each hand has during the swing

I think in order to understand accumulator #3 you need to understand hinge action. Recognize the different rhythm associated with each hinge action at Stage 1. The full roll of horizontal hinging should give the longest distance because it is 'transferring' the most power.

Chapter 6 was a very big mystery to me for a while. I remember reading about turn and roll for the first time and having no idea how that could be considered power. Well, I'm sure you have figured out by now that Homer knew what he was talking about.

I know my pics above need refinement, but can you see the left arm flying wedge ? The red represents the plane of the left wrist cock and uncock. I think it was Bucket who posted a picture of a sail boat at the start of this thread (If you have the book, look up flying wedges in the glossary). That confused me for the longest time, but after making these pics I can see it now. Very clearly. The red is like a sail, it is a 2 dimensional plane (like a sheet of paper). Left wrist bend or arch breaks this plane, and makes it 3 dimensional. So you can see how the left wrist cock is up and down. Turn and roll would maintain this plane (as well as the right forearm's plane of motion) while rotating the left forearm/wrist. When you turn, the 'sail' catches wind....same when you roll.

Mechanical checklist: Delivery line prep, delivery line uncocking prep, DELIVERY LINE ROLL PREP. Are you prepared to roll down that line ?

Grab a club with your left hand only and visualize this plane. another good reference to actually see this in motion: go to the video series with Jeff Hull. I think it is the first one where Jeff is talking about grip pressure. He holds the club with only his left hand and performs almost an acquired motion. I think he uses accumulators #4,#2 and #3. #3 is easy to see.

You said you hit it long, so you are using power accumulators. You are just unaware of which one(s) you are using, how you are using them, and when.

As an 'outside the box' image - it can be useful to imagine the wedge with zero #3, as illustrated, regardless of the 'actual' #3 angle, zero or not

relate that image to the direction of extensor action, and delivery path tracing, and most importantly, to the plane PP#1 travels (fix location, top/end location and a spot on the ground straight down that 'imaginary' zero #3 line - for the sake of simplicity, straight down and extention of the left arm at address.

This allows you to 'trace' a line that is on the ground, parallel and between the stance line and the target line, where that extension of the left arm would intersect the ground, and use that line as your third point in the plane that PP#1 travels for a 'zero shift' motion.