Rotary Weight Shift

[Cadbury1]

I’m new to this forum so this is my first post.

I just finished reading a golf instruction book that advocates what the author calls a “Rotary Weight Shift”. The author claims this concept is nothing new, but I’ve never heard it before and it is definitely not Stack & Tilt. For now I want to focus on the backswing weight shift. Here’s the concept I want opinions on.

During the backswing weight is transferred across your stance, not laterally. There is a rotary quality to the weight shift as weight moves into the right heel. Weight that remains on the left foot shifts forward to the front inside portion of the foot. So it’s almost a countering action. Weight on the left foot goes forward, weight on the right foot goes back and due to primarily the coiling action of the body whatever weight transfers to the right leg/foot is the result of the coiling action of the upper body against the dynamic resistance of the lower body.

Most of the weight shift to the right leg during the backswing is said to be the result of displacement created by the coiling action of the body rather than a conscious effort to shift the weight laterally.

This makes sense to me. At address the left side of the upper body is over the left leg. During the backswing the left half of the torso coils to a position roughly somewhere inside the brace of the right knee. That coiling action is the weight shift, but is also supplemented by the momentum of the swinging arms.

Have any of you heard of this concept? What do you think? If it is old, as indicated by the author, why have I not heard of it before? Where did it come from?

Cadbury1

[MusicMan]

i believe this to be natural "old school" swing concepts... like the old bobby jones videos.

look at his feet.



personally i like thinking about the X Factor in the swing, rather than the rotray weight shift.



but i could be completly wrong with what your trying to explain

PS Welcome to the site

[leftylucas]

Played with Inthezone and he seemed to have this old school weight shift. He was hitting the ball beautifully but the timing involved to coordinate with the arms seem to cause him much trouble later in the round.

[Cadbury1]

Nice looking swing Jarred Perl. In fact, your position at the top matches perfectly with the illustrations in the book. I'm probably not doing a very good job of describing the concept, but it looks like you're doing just what the book advocates.

Do you feel there is a lateral weight shift during your backswing. It sure looks like your weight has moved across your stance rather than sideways. I like the tight and simple coil into your right side rather than a big drift to the right. Your swing has a lot of the stuff I'm looking for in my swing.

[MusicMan]

thanks


i dont find i move my weight back and forth on my feet. i just move the weight from the front foot to the back. my weight is always on the heel on my back foot and always on the toe on my front foot. but it doesnt change, only the pressure does. is that what your asking for?

[Cadbury1]

That helps a lot.

[MusicMan]

wicked awesome...

[Cadbury1]

I don't get the Croce quote. What's that all about?

[MusicMan]

its a Corce song... time in a bottle.

[ironmaster15213]

When it comes to the weight shift all you have to do is turn around your spine, more weight will shift to your right side because most of your mass of your upper body is in front of the spine your turning around so the weight of that mass is transferred more to the inside of the right leg during the turn. If you do anything physical or mechanically to transfer weight rather than what happens naturally you will add another movement that will have to be dealt with on the downswing.....not the way you want to go.....keep it simple and repeatable.

[BC MIST]

When it comes to the weight shift all you have to do is turn around your spine, more weight will shift to your right side because most of your mass of your upper body is in front of the spine your turning around so the weight of that mass is transferred more to the inside of the right leg during the turn. If you do anything physical or mechanically to transfer weight rather than what happens naturally you will add another movement that will have to be dealt with on the downswing.

Why is a weight shift to the back foot necessary, at all? Some may say that in order to shift forward it is essential to move the weight back, first. This is traditional thinking but the S & T concept shows that by keeping the weight on the forward foot at the top, a shift to the back foot is NOT necessary.

I agree with ironmaster that if one starts with a 50/50 balance of the weight at address, that the majority of weight will move to the back foot, INCIDENTLY. If the golfer thinks, "Hit down on the ball, " then the weight will shift forward and this also will happen INCIDENTLY. Therefore, it is unnecessary to think about the weight shift. The weight shifts forward to allow the leverage angles created in the backswing to be put into a position where they will straighten at the right time for maximum power and accuracy.

There are those who believe ( I don't ) that turning the upper body against the conscious resistance of the lower, is a major source of power. If nothing else, it is a major cause of back problems and it is totally unnecessary to do this for power. This "X" factor is a perception, not fact, and is characteristic of those who posses better than average FLEXIBILITY. The shots of Jarred above, show his amazing flexibility, but he does not have to do this to hit the ball far. He is obviously young, strong, flexible and has a superior golf swing. His left arm appears to be on the shoulder plane at the top, his right arm is more or less pointing down, and while his left wrist is slightly cupped, the club face is dead square. From these ideal positions comes his power and accuracy, not the "X" factor.

Now, it is OK NOT to make a weight shift and leave most of the weight on the left foot at the top. What is essential, however, is that at the start of the downswing, that there is a weight shift forward. That's all that matters. The weight must GET shifted forward. The problem with some golfers having their weight on their left foot at the top is that they then shift it to the back foot coming down. This "reverse pivot" is disasterous. What often happens is that the golfer lets the right hip slide right while the right leg/knee straightens, causing the weight to go left. Keeping the right leg flexed going back prevents this and the shot of Jarred above shows exactly what it should look like.

Lastly, while it is certainly not traditional, if golfers were to start their swings, addressing the ball in their IMPACT position, not their normal address position, they would hit much better shots, as the mind would make it easier for them to return to the same position from which they started, than to a different one.

[Cadbury1]

The book I referenced in the original post indicated there is no need for a conscious weight shift during the backswing. It also indicated there should be very little, if any, lateral motion of the upper body to the right during the backswing, but it also cautioned the reader about leaving too much weight on the left leg.


Over the weekend I spoke to a couple of knowledgeable golf buddies about the concept of a rotary weight shift. One suggested I pick up a copy of “Newton on the Tee”, by John Zumerchik. He said the book is about applying physics to the golf swing and that the author also advocates a rotary weight shift. Is anyone familiar with this book?

The other friend told me Dr. Jim Suttie wrote an article in one of the golf magazines that indicated a rotary weight shift was desirable and consistent with the latest finding from hi-tech biomechanics studies. He called me later in the day and said he could not find the article. I searched on the internet and came up empty. He thought it was within the past 1 to 1.5 years, but could not be sure. Has anyone seen this article?