A "Good" Swing - What Is It?

What attributes make up a "good" swing in your mind? For most people, words like 'graceful', 'fluid', and 'effortless' come to mind when this topic is discussed. Nobody would ever dispute the fact that most professionals on the Tour possess these qualities, but there are some exceptions (i.e. Jim Furyk, Raymond Floyd, etc.). But what about your friend who has a great-looking swing, only to consistently shoot higher scores than he/she is capable? How is that friend different than the pros? Well, to discover the answer, you may need to change your thought process. To this point, all of the descriptors of a "good" swing have been visual inputs by the beholder. The REAL answer is revealed by a computerized process developed by Phil Cheetham, known in the golf world as the 3D Guy, called the Kinematic Sequence.

The Kinematic Sequence is monitored by sensors placed on the player at strategic points that allow the capture of key components of the swing. The technology captures components such as hip turn, shoulder turn (and the maximum difference between the two = "X-factor"), hand involvement in the swing, etc. It maps the amount of involvement of each component, and the point in the swing at which the particular component is most active. The result is a series of charted graphs that show your Kinematic Sequence, and it is revolutionizing the way in which the golf swing is analyzed. It answers the question as to why Jim Furyk is so good and your buddy with a "good" swing is struggling. Jim Furyk's swing is goofy-LOOKING, but his Kinematic Sequence is perfect.

For more information about the Kinematic Sequence, here is a link to an article written by Phil Cheetham http://www.mytpi.com/images/pdfs/Kinematic%20SequenceTransitionDownswing.pdf. If you have plateaued in your quest for the perfect golf swing and traditional teaching approaches have not helped, search out a person in your area with a K-Vest(one of the tools used to capture the Kinematic Sequence). If you are in the Memphis, TN area, Germantown Golf Fitness would be happy to map your Kinematic Sequence with the K-Vest, and work with your golf professional to help you continue to improve your swing.

All the best,

Dr. Nathan Williams, DC