Analysing Jon Sinclair's opinions

 

Watch this Golf Lab video featuring Jon Sinclair. 

 

 

In this video, JS is advising Cordie Walker, the owner of Golf Lab, on how to generate a higher clubhead speed at impact.

His golf instructional philosophy is very biased and it reflects the swing pattern often seen in long-drive competitors who are also reverse foot golfers.

Note that he specifically wants CW to maximize his vertical GRF under the lead forefoot by P5 - P5.2 and he also wants CW to be pushing backwards (away from the target) and not to be solely pushing upwards. What is the ideological basis for that type of advice? I believe that part of it is derived from Kwon's opinions that a golfer should generate a large moment arm about the body's COM in the early downswing in order to generate a counterclockwise rotation of the upper body about the body's COM. However, Kwon has never shown how that counterclockwise force (operating in the frontal plane), which could cause the upper body to move away from the target, can actually generate more clubhead speed. I can certainly understand an opinion that it can help a pro golfer maintain his balance in the later downswing and early followthrough when releasing the club in a targetwards direction. JS takes this "idea" further and he wants CW to push upwards-and-backwards using the vertical GRF generated under his lead forefoot so that by impact the lead foot is unweighted and has a tendency to spin backwards away from the target and not only away from the ball-target line - which is a foot motional pattern often seen in reverse foot golfers, who are competing in long-drive competitions.

JS has further opinions that I think are non-scientific and irrational. At the 1:17 minute time point of the video, he infers that the lead wrist angle wants to let go (representing the release of PA#2) and JS infers that it will not happen efficiently if the lead foot is only pushing upwards, and not simultaneously pushing away from the target. JS claims that the lead shoulder socket must move backwards away from the target, and not solely move upwards, in order to release PA#2 efficiently. I disagree with JS, because I believe that the major "force" causing the release of the club (release of PA#2) is due to the efficient timing and the large magnitude of the centripetal component of the MoF that is due to the underlying biomechanical factors causing the lead hand's motion between P5.5 => P7.


Here is Kwon's graph showing that club releasing force. 

 

 

Note that the torque causing rotation of the club changes direction at P5.5 so that the club is induced to rotate counterclockwise and the magnitude of that torque becomes increasingly positive in the later downswing. Note the direction of the black arrows - note how the black arrow becomes directed more centripetally (upwards) and it becomes greater in magnitude in the later downswing prior to impact. What causes that torque to be generated? It is due to the change in the hand arc path (hub path) where it is becomes directed more upwards, and not solely directed targetwards - and that is due to upward motion of the lead shoulder socket that happens between P5.5 => P7.

Here is Dustin Johnson's lead shoulder socket motion and hand arc path.




Image 1 is at P5, image 2 is at P5.5 and image 3 is at P7.

I have drawn a blue circular marker over his lead shoulder socket at P5, a green circular marker over his lead shoulder socket at P5.5 and a red circular marker over his lead shoulder socket at P7.

Note that his lead shoulder socket moves vertically upwards, and that it does not move backwards (away from the target) between P5 => P7. It is a fallacy to believe that it is mandatory for the lead shoulder socket to simultaneously move away from the target during the P5.5 => P7 time period in order to generate a large club releasing force (which I believe is secondary to the biomechanical forces causing a shortened hub path - where the hub path moves slightly more upwards between P5.5 => P7). What biomechanical forces are causing DJ's lead shoulder socket to be moving vertically upwards between P5.5 => P7? I believe that it is simply due to the straightening of his lead leg (which elevates his lead hip joint) combined with an increased degree of extension of his lead mid-upper torso. What causes his lead leg to straighten? I believe that it is mainly due to the muscular contraction of the lead thigh's vastus lateralis muscle that straightens the lead knee joint combined with the muscular contraction of his lead gluteus maximus muscle that decreases the degree of lead hip joint flexion.

Here is Gary Woodland's driver golf swing action.




Image 3 is at P5 and image 4 is at P7.

Note how he straightens his lead leg thereby elevating his lead hip joint and note how he stretches out the lead side of his mid-upper torso - causing his lead shoulder socket to move vertically upwards between P5 => P7 without moving away from the target.

Here is Gary Woodland's Swing Catalyst measurements.




Note that GW produces a very small magnitude of vertical GRF (cyan-colored graph) and that it happens in the later downswing just before impact.

Note how GW's lead heel is solidly grounded at impact and how his lead forefoot is slightly lifted upwards. That is a foot motional pattern frequently seen in front-foot golfers, who have no tendency for the lead foot to move backwards away from the ball-target line, and simultaneously away from the target (as frequently seen in reverse foot golfers).

Here is another pro golfer who is a front foot golfer - Luke List.




Image 1 is at P5.5 and image 2 is at P7.

Note that he only has 56% of his overall COP measurement under his lead foot at P5.5, and he is not following JS's recommendation to maximize the lead foot's vertical GRF before P5.5. Note that he has 79% of his overall COP measurement under his lead foot at impact - and it is mainly under his lead heel. That pattern is characteristic of front foot golfers.

Here are capture motions of Luke List's head motion during his downswing.




Image 1 is at P4, image 2 is at P5, image 3 is at P5.5 and image 4 is at P7.

Note that LL's head does not drop down in his early downswing (due to an exaggerated squat move) and it does not move away from the target between P5 => P7. As a front foot golfer, he shows no tendency to exhibit the foot motional pattern seen in reverse foot golfers (and as recommended by JS) where the lead foot moves backwards away from the ball-target line and simultaneously away from the target through impact. Note that his lead shoulder socket moves vertically upwards between P5.5 => P7 without moving away from the target (as recommended by JS).

Gary Woodland and Luke List are two of the longest drivers on the PGA tour and they definitely do not use the biomechanical actions promoted by JS. I think that JS's recommended swing pattern is optional and best suited for reverse foot golfers, and not well suited for front foot golfers. At the 8:43 minute time point of the video, JS states that he wants CW to move his lead hip with his lead foot (seemingly implying that the vertical GRF and braking horizontal GRF are causally responsible for moving the lead hip joint upwards and around to the right). I much prefer the option of using muscular forces (as previously described) to move the lead hip joint upwards and around to the right (away from the target) in a golfer who is a front foot golfer (like Gary Woodland and Luke List).

Here is Ben Hogan's pelvic motional pattern.




Note how he straightens his lead leg and simultaneously rotates his lead buttock away from the target between P5 (image 2) and P7 (image 4) and I strongly suspect that it is primarily secondary to muscular forces (contraction of his lead thighs vastus lateralis muscle to straighten his lead knee joint and contraction of his lead gluteus maximus muscle to rotate his lead buttocks away from the target).

At the end of the Golf Lab video, JS even gets CW to use his recommended swing pattern for iron shots, which makes no sense to me because it promotes a more uncontrolled release of PA#2 and a more uncontrolled non-DH hand release action (flipping subtype) through impact. It also increases the likelihood of a golfer having insufficient forward shaft lean at impact. 

Jeffrey Mann.

https://newtongolfinstitute.proboards.com/thread/1134/analysing-jon-sinclairs-opinions