Moving the clubshaft down the TSP without shallowing the clubshaft

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When a golfer moves the clubshaft down the inclined plane between P4 and P5.5, he can either shallow the clubshaft during that time period, or he can avoid shallowing the clubshaft. To shallow the clubshaft during that early-mid downswing time period, a golfer needs to actively adduct the right arm so that the right elbow drops groundwards faster than the left elbow. This clubshaft-shallowing motion is not mandatory, but optional, and some golfers (like Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau) do not shallow their clubshaft during their driver swing action.

Consider capture images from a swing video of Phil Mickelson's driver swing.

Image 1 is at the end-backswing position. I have drawn a red line between the ball and Phil Mickelson's rear shoulder and that line represents the TSP (turned shoulder plane). Note that Phil Mickelson's hands are just above the TSP at his P4 position.

Image 2 is near the P5 position, image 3 is just past the P5 position and image 4 is at P5.5. Note that Phil Mickelson's clubshaft descends down the TSP and he doesn't shallow the clubshaft during his early-mid downswing. Note that he doesn't aggresively adduct his rear (left) upper arm during his early-mid downswing and his rear (left) elbow doesn't drop groundwards faster than his lead (right) elbow. Note that his rear (left) elbow is still far above his left hip area at P5.5. Note that he also doesn't drive his rear (left) shoulder far downplane (using a lot of secondary axis tilt and left lateral bend) during his mid-downswing and that his rear shoulder is still high at P5.5 and also at impact.

Image 5 is at impact. Note that Phil Mickelson's clubshaft is just below the TSP at impact. Note that his lead arm is outstretched away from his body and that he has a small accumulator #3 angle at impact. Note that his shoulders are square to the ball-target line and that his rear (left) shoulder is still high due to the absence of a lot of secondary axis tilt combined with a lot of left lateral bend.

Phil Mickelson has a single shift swing action because he shifts his clubshaft from the hand plane at address to the TSP at his end-backswing position, and he then brings his clubshaft down the TSP without any planar shift happening between P4 and impact.

By contrast, Bryson DeChambeau has a zero-plane shift swing action, because he doesn't shift planes in either his backswing or his downswing.

Bryson DeChambeau atypically uses a mid-palmar left hand grip pattern that gives him a small accumulator #3 angle at address. Because he doesn't shift planes during his backswing or downswing, and because he doesn't shallow his clubshaft during his downswing, he still has a small accumulator #3 angle at impact.

Capture images from a Bryson DeChambeau swing video.

Image 1 shows Bryson DeChambeau at address. I have drawn a red line down the longitudinal axis of his left arm. Note that there is a very small angle between his clubshaft and that redline, thereby showing that he has a small accumulator #3 angle at address (secondary to the fact that he i) uses a mid-palmar left hand grip and ii) has his left arm slightly outstretched at address).

Image 2 shows him at the P3 position. Note that he brings his clubshaft up a steep plane during his backswing.

Image 4 shows him at the P5.5 position. Note that his clubshaft is coming down the same steep plane and he is not shallowing his clubshaft during his downswing.

Image 5 shows Bryson DeChambeau at impact. Note that his clubshaft is on the same plane as it was at address, and at the P3 position, and at the P5.5 position and he didn't shallow his clubshaft during his downswing action.

Jeffrey Mann.

January 2017.