Difference between a left arm flying wedge (LAFW) and a left forearm flying wedge (LFFW) 

 

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If a golfer has his hands on, or near, the TSP at the end-backswing position, and if his hands descend down the TSP during the early-mid downswing between P4 and P5.5, then he will often not be shallowing his clubshaft during that early-mid downswing time period. If he doesn't shallow his clubshaft during that P4 => P5.5 time peiod, then that means that he will likely have a biomechanical situation where his left radial bone (at the level of his left lower forearm) remains straight-in-line with his left ante-cubital fossa, which means that his left forearm remains neutral (relative to his left upper arm) during that time period. If he has a neutral left forearm (relative to his left upper arm) during that time period, and if he also maintains a GFLW during that time period, then the clubshaft will be straight-in-line with both his left forearm and his left upper arm, and he will have an intact LAFW. However, if a golfer significantly shallows the clubshaft during that P4 => P5.5 time period, then that clubshaft-shallowing phenomenon will require a finite amount of left forearm pronation to enable the clubshaft to come down a shallower plane. If a golfer maintains a GFLW during that P4 => P5.5 time period, then the clubshaft will remain straight-line-aligned relative to his left lower forearm, which means that he has an intact LFFW - but it will not remain straight-line-aligned with his left upper arm, because the left lower forearm is slightly pronated and not straight-line-aligned with his left upper arm, and under those conditions the LAFW will not be intact.

Here are capture images from my part 5 video.



Image 1 shows Jim George (my model golfer) simulating Phil Mickelson's swing where he doesn't shallow the clubshaft during the P4 => P5.5 time period, and where both the left hand and the clubshaft descend down the TSP. The blue arrow shows the path of the hands/clubshaft as they descend down the TSP during the early-mid downswing. Note that I am holding a red cardboard wedge against the back of his left upper arm/forearm to show that he has an intact LAFW - where the left upper arm, left lower forearm, GFLW and clubshaft are all straight-line-aligned.

Image 2 shows Jim George at the same positional situation, but I have removed the red cardboard wedge so that one can clearly see his left arm/forearm. I have drawn a short blue line along his radial bone at the level of his left lower forearm, and I am pointing at the middle of his left antecubital fossa. Note that they are both straight-line-aligned, which means that he has a neutral left forearm. If a golfer has a GFLW that means that the clubshaft is straight-line-aligned with his left lower forearm, and if he also has neutral left forearm, then that means that the clubshaft is also straight-line-aligned with his left upper arm - and that scenario defines an intact LAFW scenario.

Image 3 shows Jim George demonstrating his regular swing action, where he usually shallows the clubshaft during the P4 => P5.5 time period, while maintaining a GFLW. Note that his clubshaft is lying on a shallower plane (compared to image 1). I have placed the red cardboard wedge in line with the radial bone of his left lower forearm. Note that the red cardboard wedge is also straight-line aligned with his clubshaft because he has a GFLW, and if the clubshaft is straight-line-aligned with his left lower forearm, then he has an intact LFFW. I have drawn a blue line down the longitudinal axis of his left upper arm, and one can clearly see that his clubhaft is not straight-line-aligned with his left upper arm (represented by the blue line) from an angular perspective, so he does not have an intact LAFW. The degree that his clubshaft (and left lower forearm/GFLW) is not straight-line-aligned with his left upper arm can be discerned by looking at the angular difference between the angle of the red cardboard wedge and an imaginary red cardboard wedge that would be perpendicularly oriented relative to the blue line (that goes straight down the longitudinal axis of his left upper arm). The angular difference is small, and of no biomechanical/mechanical significance, because it is a temporary phenomenon that only exists in the early-mid downswing. By impact, when the clubshaft has caught up to the left arm secondary to the completed release of PA#2 and when he has also successfully completed the release of PA#3 so that his GFLW is straight-in-line with his left upper arm and clubshaft, then he will again have an intact LAFW scenario if he maintains a GFLW throughout his entire downswing action.


Jeffrey Mann.

January 2017.