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SWING TENSION FREE WITH GRAVITY!
By
Deb Vangellow
LPGA Teaching Professional

Issac Newton's 1st Law of Motion states that an object will continue to travel in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force. Therefore, in the golf swing, if a club is accelerated back and then allowed to "free fall", without applying any additional force via the body to change the arc of the swing, the club would automatically return to the starting point through centrifugal force and strike the golf ball. On this basis, a repeatable swing from a repeatable set up position would be the one that minimizes the amount of applied force during the swing which might deflect from the perfect arc.

Balance is the underlying theme in the ability to execute a swing that is in fact working with gravity and is tension free. We all marvel at the smooth rhythm and tempo of the tour professionalsit seems they hit it twice as far with half the effort. Yet the speed generated is obvious because the ball travels so far. Tension causes a loss in clubhead speed and directional control problems often result. There is no doubt that tension destroys motion. In fact, the effect of tension on the forward swing is similar to putting ankle weights on a sprinter. The weights slow down the movement of the legs and the sprinter will run slower in the same way tension will hamper the movement of your muscles and slow down the clubhead. It is indeed a game of "opposites"you must reduce your effort to hit the ball farther. Additionally, you will reduce the risk of injury and will also be able to play without unnecessary fatigue.

I am a "motion" teacher. My instruction is fundamentally based in terms of a good set up position. In fact, I am pretty strict in this area with most of my students as I believe a good set up will promote a smooth order of movement in the golf swing as the body is balanced and prepped for motion. From here, more often than not, I do a lot of drilling with motion activities as I am a believer that "motion to motion" is easier to feel and understand than "static to motion". It is easier to hit a baseball and tennis ball than it is to hit a golf ball because both are moving, not static, and you are too.

Most of us have a lot of tension in the swing because we are "ball bound". We focus on "the moment of impact" and "hitting the ball" versus swinging the club that will hit through the ball in motion, working with gravity. In fact, one of my favorite phrases in teaching is to "watch the collision"

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