Analysing Danny Maude's "turn-the-face-down" swing video

 

Watch the following Danny Maude (DM) video.

 

 

In this video, DM states that a "vital ingredient" must happen during the downswing in order to ensure that the clubface is square to the target at impact when the golfer has the physical condition of forward shaft lean at impact - and that "vital ingredient" is his "turning-the-face-down" method of closing the clubface relative to the clubhead path by impact.

DM correctly states that it is optimal for a golfer to manifest forward shaft lean at impact by ensuring that the hands are slightly ahead of the clubhead at impact, and he correctly infers that it can create an open clubface alignment at impact, which will predispose to push-sliced shots. He then correctly states that a golfer needs to use a counterclockwise rotation of the lead forearm, which is called a PA#3 release action in TGM terminology and that is due to a lead forearm supinatory motion happening between P6.5 => P7, in order to square the clubface by impact. However, when you examine his demonstrated clubface-squaring technique there are two strange facts -i) he squares the clubface without performing a PA#3 release action and he talks about "turning the clubface down" which is not a feature of a PA#3 release action. In the standard PA#3 release action, a lead forearm supinatory motion will cause the clubface to rotate counterclockwise relative to the clubhead path, but it will not turn the clubface in a downwards direction.

Here are capture images from the video showing DM demonstrating his clubface-closing methodology.

 

 

Image 1 shows DM manifesting a forward shaft lean alignment, which causes the clubface to be open. Note that his trail index finger is pointing at his lead forearm's lower radial bone, which is rotated clockwise in a pronatory direction, and it is not vertical and perpendicular to the functional swingplane. Note that the glove logo on the back of his lead hand is angled clockwise to the same degree as his lead lower forearm's lower radial bone, and note that his clubface is slightly closed relative to the back of lead hand, which is slightly bowed.


Image 2 shows how he squares his clubface so that his clubface is perpendicular to the functional swingplane, and directly facing the target. However, note that the back of his lead hand is still rotated clockwise to the same degree as it was in image 1, and it is not rotated more counterclockwise which means that he is not using a PA#3 release action to square his clubface.  


So, how is he squaring the clubface in his demonstrated clubface-closing maneuver? 


He is obviously performing a handle-twisting action - using the finger flexor muscles to his lead hand's 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers - that causes his clubface to become more closed relative to the back of his lead hand and that counterclockwise handle-twisting maneuver is the actual biomechanical basis of the reverse motorcycle move.


Why does DM call that reverse motorcycle handle-twisting action a "turn-the clubface-down" move when there is no evidence in that DM-demonstration that shows the clubface turning downwards?


The answer becomes very apparent during the later video - see the following capture images from the 10:02 minute time point of the video. 


 

Image 1 shows how he performs a shortened backswing action where he does not even get his lead arm to the P3 position where the lead arm is parallel to the ground. Note that his clubface is slightly closed relative to the back of his lead hand because he uses a non-weak lead hand grip. However, his clubface is still open relative to his clubhead path.


Image 2 shows how he closes the clubface by another ~20 - 30 degrees, which he calls a "turning-the-clubface-down" move, and which is really just the end-result of performing the reverse motorcycle move which closes the clubface slightly more relative to the clubhead path.


So, the question becomes - can a pro golfer use the reverse motorcycle move as the major clubface-closing mechanism needed to avoid an open clubface at impact (which is due to forward shaft lean) and thereby avoid having to use a PA#3 release action between P6.5 => P7?    


The correct answer is that it is physically impossible!!! It is obviously true that a pro golfer (who uses a non-strong lead hand grip) can optionally perform the reverse motorcycle move between P4 => P6, but it will not decrease the amount of lead forearm supination needed to perform a PA#3 release action between P6.5 => P7.


Here is the proof - using Jon Rahm, who adopts a weak lead hand grip at address and who uses the bowed lead wrist swing technique.


Here are DTL capture images of Jon Rahm.




Image 1 is at P4, image 2 is at P5, image 3 is at P5.5 and image 4 is at P6.


Note that JR bows his lead wrist during his backswing action so that it is already bowed by P4. However, note that his clubface is straight-line-aligned relative to the back of his lead hand at P4 and P5, which means that he is not performing the reverse motorcycle move between P4 => P5. 


However, he is obviously performing the reverse motorcycle move in image 3 and image 4 and his clubface is obviously much more closed relative to the back of his lead hand at P6. 


Now, consider what happens between P6.5 => P7.




Image 1 is at P6.5, image 2 is at P6.65, image 3 is at P6.8 and image 4 is at impact. 


Note that his clubface is minimally closed relative to the back of his lead hand in image 1, but not in images 2, 3 and 4, and that means that the clubface-closing effect of his reverse motorcycle move is dissipating in his later downswing and there is zero evidence of a reverse motorcycle move causing a clubface-closing phenomenon at impact - note that his clubface is straight-line-aligned with the back of his lead hand at impact. Why does the clubface-closing effect of a reverse motorcycle move dissipate in the later downswing? I believe that it is due to the centrifugal forces existing during the club release action (called the release of PA#2 in TGM terminology) that stretch the finger flexor muscles. I have never see any pro golfer who can keep the clubface closed relative to the back of his lead hand at impact as a result of performing the reverse motorcycle move technique during a full golf swing action, and I will happily donate $100 to any person who can provide any "evidence" that contradicts my claim!  


So, how does JR square the clubface at impact seeing that he has lot of forward shaft lean at impact?


Here are close-up views of his lead forearm/lead hand during his PA#3 release action.





Image 1 is at P6.5, image 2 is at ~P6.7 and image 3 is at P7.


I have drawn a short green line over his lead forearm's lower radial bone and one can clearly see how much it is rotating counterclockwise between P6.5 => P7 secondary to a lead forearm supinatory motion, which is the biomechanical basis of the counterclockwise rotation of the lead hand that happens during a PA#3 release action. That is the only biomechanical technique that pro golfers (who use a weak or-neutral lead hand grip) use to square the clubface by impact when they manifest forward shaft lean at impact (which has a clubface-opening effect)  - irrespective of whether they use, or do not use, the reverse motorcycle move during the earlier downswing between P4 => P6. 


Danny Maude is free to teach the reverse motorcycle move technique, but he is not correctly demonstrating that the clubface-closing phenomenon that is always needed to avoid an open clubface at impact (which is due to the presence of forward shaft lean) in a golfer who uses a non-strong lead hand grip must be due to a PA#3 release action (which is biomechanically secondary to a lead forearm supinatory motion that rotates the clubshaft counterclockwise during the later downswing) and it is not due to the reverse motorcycle move.   

Jeffrey Mann.

https://newtongolfinstitute.proboards.com/thread/1206/analysing-danny-maudes-swing-video