[Yoda]

This quotation suggests that one should begin the downstroke with the pivot and then begin swinging the arms as delivery of the power package. Is this to be understood as one pattern among many, or should this be a part of every pattern? The reason this interests me is that I have finally found consistency and power once I figured out how to accomplish the three imperatives by allowing my pivot to respond to the arm swing, rather than having my pivot drive my arm swing.

My friend and student, rprevost, is being very 'politically correct' here.

He visited me in The Swamp this past summer, and I taught him to 'keep the right shoulder back' (from the Top) and to 'swing the Arms' down and through the ball. He learned a true, Hand-Controlled Pivot and left striping shot-after-shot with many yards added to every drive. Now, here I am stating that the Pivot -- the Body's Rotation -- delivers the loaded Power Package from Start Down into Release. Is there an inconsistency here?

You bet!

And that inconsistency is between 'Feel' and 'Real'.

The BODY is Zone 1 -- PIVOT. It sets up the circular, centrifugal Motion of the Stroke.

The ARMS are Zone 2 -- POWER. Along with the Club, they supply the Force of the Stroke.

In the Start Down and Downstroke, the PIVOT leads and the Arms follow. Not the other way around. Otherwise, the Right Arm must begin its straightening immediately from the Top, and this can only result in Throwaway.

So...

The Pivot consists of the Feet, Knees, Hips and Shoulders. Lower Body and Upper Body. The Lower Body leads and the Upper Body lags.

Pivot Lag (6-C-0; 6-M-1).

When the Right Shoulder stays BACK -- ON PLANE -- as it should in Start Down (7-13), it feels as if it is doing NOTHING. But that is NOT the case! In fact, the Body is moving first -- from the Feet up -- and is actively transferring the Pivot Motion to the Arms and Hands. But that transference is not with a Right Shoulder returning to its Off Plane Address Position (and thus forcing the Hands to follow its ignorant lead). Instead, the Right Shoulder is Turning Down Plane and returning all Pivot and Power Package Components to their pre-selected Impact position. Thus, the Power Package is Delivered Down Plane to Release by the last and farthest moving Component of the Pivot, i.e., the Turning Right Shoulder.

The Arms and Hands feel as though it was their idea all the time.

Which, of course, it was.