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TEACHING METHOD THOMAS T WARTELLE
TEA CHING
TEACHING
ATHLETIC MOTION
A THLETIC MO TION
By Thomas T Wartelle
WGTF Master Golf Teaching Professional
Washington, Louisiana
he golf swing is a series of movements that
Ttakes a PGA Tour professional approximately
0.75 seconds for the backswing and 0.25
seconds for the downswing, for a grand total
of 1 second! The interesting thing is the 3:1
ratio of backswing to downswing. Studies have
shown that the great players all had the similar
3:1 ratio. This certainly proves that timing and
sequencing of the golf swing plays a big factor
in long-term success. Interestingly, it has been
found that most amateur golfers’ backswings
are actually too slow and out of sequence to
be consistently successful at impact.
Now, from a biomechanics standpoint, this
is often caused by a backswing sequence that
is just not as efficient as a tour player’s. A major
flaw often overlooked in amateur golfers is how
the centers of their torso and pelvis move during
the swing. The tour pro moves his centers slightly
away from the target early in the backswing,
like all athletic motions of throwing or swinging.
This “early loading” occurs before the club
shaft is parallel to the ground. It is typically only
less than 1 inch. By the time a tour pro reaches
the top of the backswing, their torso and pelvis
re-center to their original position at address.
One of the most interesting things is early in the
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downswing, their centers have moved ahead
of the ball. This produces an optimal position to
deliver an efficient and powerful impact.
High-handicap golfers tend to be much less
efficient in their backswings. They do not do
these sequences properly, or they do them too
late. Often, they continue to try to load away
from the target late into the backswing. They
feel like moving away from the target and trying
to maximize their turn creates more power.
In reality, it just makes them later in getting
their torso and pelvis centers into the proper
downswing sequence. By trying to load too far
and too late on the backswing, they end up
working hard to try to “save” the shot. There
is just not enough time on the downswing for
them to deliver the club to a successful impact
position.
Now, how do we relate this to instruction?
Many instructors are using really great modern
technology to pinpoint the flaws of a golf swing.
Here is where instructors get it wrong: With all
of their technology, pressure plates, launch
monitors and metrics, they fail to convey the
proper message to the student. Remember,
the golf swing happens in a mere second from
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