"playing the game" is different. In tennis the court stays exactly the same. The only thing that changes is the opponent. Shot variation is reactive to the playing opponent.
I find in golf the shot variation is reactive to the type of course rather than the other player. In some ways it makes golf more of a congenial sport.

So comes this crazy twirl concept.
Tennis players twirl the racquet between point even in the middle of points.
I'm not entirely sure why but it may be due to the fact that the grip is different for backhand and forehand.
I have observe some golfer "twirl"

During the final round of us open, i was observing the set up routine of the golfers. Sometimes this was impossible because the camera would start just before the player hits the ball and was already at address.
But there was enough times when the camera would start when the player took out the club from the bag and looked at the target behind the ball then walked up the ball.
This was very interesting.
Of the final few groups on Sunday of the us open.
Ernie Els would start behind the ball, then twirl the club with his right hand in a counterclockwise manner AS HE WALKED SIDEWAYS to address the ball then gripped with the left hand at address EVERY SINGLE TIME on sunday.

Good observation with Erie Els and gripping the left hand first before placing the cup of the right hand over the left thumb. With that said, I recommend all that read this post to read 10-2-0 on page 138 of the 7th edition to make the connection why Erie puts his left hand on the club first. Or at the very least why it's a good procedure. Nothing better to make the connection through the golfing machine.

Good exchange dlam...

DG

Dlam I twirl in the manner you describe, dont know when or why I started to do it. Probably decades ago Id imagine. Sometimes people comment on how Im twirling the club at the end of a swing, its always a surprise to me as I have no idea that I am doing it.

Some TGM knowledge makes me want to point out the twirl's axis of rotation is the Longitudinal Center of Gravity, also know as the Sweetspot Plane. That entire axis is the sweetspot plane from the lowest point of contact on the handle (the #3 pp) all the way through to the face of the club. The #3pp is thereby attached to the Sweetspot Plane, making direction, aiming, tracing the #3pp an imperative for sweet contact. Imagine the longitudinal center of gravity as a plumb line bisecting a plumb bobbed club. The common notion of the sweetspot on the face is somewhat wrong as it is a point without dimension , like a balance point and a point that actually moves around as you choke down on the grip!

So maybe we are twirling the club to reveal the Sweetspot Plane? Maybe we are just goofing around with our pressure points and sense of touch. I dunno.

[nerd mode]

Actually, the twirl is centered around the longitudinal MOI center, not the COG. COG is a static concept, the balance point of an object at rest. MOI center is the dynamic "big brother". The MOI center will be the center of an uncompensated rotation. MOI equals mass * distance^2, while COG equals mass * distance, so MOI gives more credit to distance.

Homer took a short cut when he used COG for defining the sweet spot plane. He should have used MOI instead.

[/nerd mode]

Delaware...I tried sending a PM but I couldnt get it to go through. If you would be so kind..could you possibly send me the TT interview? My email is blockerchip@hotmail.com I would be very grateful!

Thanks Bernt

Are there any implications to the sweetspot or it's plane?

I think it makes a profound difference to club making but I am not sure whether it makes a difference that makes a difference to TGM. As far as the twirl is conserned, it means that the clubshaft side of the club will be further away from the twirl axis.