[BerntR]

I understand what you say, Daryl. And I appreciate the explanation. This could mean that I am doing something that is outside the boundaries of TGM. But after having reread chapter 5 and some of the latest posts here, i don't see any reason why the pivot motion must be "habitual" except when a flip release is used just because it happens. I don't find the qualifications with regards to pivot controlled hands and plane shifting. 5.0:

The Hands are the "Command Post" for all Feel processing. As the Stroke proceeds, they dictate to the Feet as certainly as they dictate to the Club...

Anyway:


I may not be a ball-worker day in day out, but the workability is there in the basic stroke pattern I use. I can move my low point back and forth and I can adjust the timing of the release and I can manipulate the hinge action. With the pivot and with the arms. I have much better hands control over everything when I turn my hips trough the ball on the elbow plane than I have when I swing my ARMS through the ball.

I avoid taking the club under the plane on the way back by starting the back from a turned through position. The very start is with the feet, that partly rocks, partly turns the shoulder so the motion starts on plane. The arms start swinging almost at the same time. The good thing about the starting with the feet, is that it enables you to use a similar motion through the ball. And it is a very strong motion.

I meet the ball earlier in the downstroke than a stock TGM pattern does, so to speak. I do it by keep turning the pivot instead of letting the arms go from PP#4. That gives me more strength at impact and I don't lose any swing speed either.

The longer you can stay connected in the down stroke, the harder you can hit the ball. Not necessarily faster but certainly harder. But it takes a wider rangt of pivot motion, not least with the hips, to take this connectedness as close to impact as possible. Of course, starting with the hips and shoulders more turned through makes it easier to get there. And I can't do any of this without a plane shift. If I do a shiftless turned shoulder plane I have to release accumulator #4 early and from there on its mostly hands, or so it feels.

I've been experimenting for months now. I don't think I get one single mph extra with a stock TGM stroke. Basically the same distance. But I lose a lot of lag presure through impact and that translates to less consistent ball striking. Direction control may be better but distance control is far worse for me. As far as shot making goes: It just feels like I left the toolbox behind when the hands get to the ball. The closer the hands are to the pivot and the more connected it is, the more I feel like I can use the pivot to support the intended motion - all the way to impact.

Around the green, I usually reduce & freeze accumulator 4, hold on to the club and hit the ball with my feet, or my hip. I stand tall with my chin and my spine is very straight. And I have more bend in the knees than most. Lag pressure control at contact and separation is the key. On my best days I have great control of height and distance on those little shots. And I can feel the result in my hand before the ball has landed.

I never came close to this kind of lag pressure control with the TGM basic motion. To me, the essense of hands controlled pivot is therefore: Sense it through the hands, hit it with the pivot and use your arms and hands for fine tuning.