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Across The Line or Laid-Off

When thinking about the top of the swing, it is best to remember the following:

(1) An "across the line" position will require more timing and shallowing during the downswing. 

(2) A "laid off" position is pre-shallowed. That is, less timing and shallowing will be required during the downswing. 

Ultimately, there is no "perfect" or ideal backswing position. Instead, it is best to think about the backswing as it relates to transition and a solid delivery position.

However, if you struggle with shallow/steep contact or path control issues, you can use these (2) rules to refine your backswing and hopefully mitigate any of the issues you are experiencing in transition and at impact. 

Playlists: Keys To Transition, Find Your Best Swing Quickly, Fix Your Slice, Fix Your Hook

Tags: Poor Contact, Not Straight Enough, Not Enough Distance, Backswing, Concept

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This video is discussing across the line or laid off at the top of the swing.

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So I had a member question basically asking if being laid off at the top of the swing is

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okay.

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And I thought that would be a good opportunity to just discuss what's important with

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the top of the swing.

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Why is it why would it be bad to be possibly really across the line like this or why

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would it be bad to be really laid off like that?

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So in this video we're going to relate what's going on at the top of the swing and what

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we need to do in the downswing.

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One simple way that I try to work in the top of the swing is by going through rewind from

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delivery.

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So basically this is roughly where we're trying to get to in the downswing where the shaft

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is close to parallel to my body instead of perpendicular to my spine instead of parallel

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to my spine.

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Or it's basically parallel to the target kind of like this.

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Well, if I am across the line at the top of the swing and if I brought myself back to

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basically a setup position with my body you can see that the shaft is very vertical.

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If I was to go to the top of the swing get really laid off and I brought it back to where

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the top of the swing or the setup would be.

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You can see that it's very horizontal.

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So one way to think about the top of the backswing is more laid off is pre-shallowed and

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a more across the line position requires more shallowing.

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So if I'm going to be steeping across the line so if my arms are very vertical then I

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really have to have the kind of the temperament that I'm going to have a lot of waiting

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and a lot of patience as the club shallows during this phase here before applying speed

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down at the bottom where if it's already pre-shallowed I may be okay going at it a little

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bit harder earlier.

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So matching where I am at the top of the swing with the timing of how I'm going to

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create speed is not a bad way to look at it.

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The other way to look at it is if I tend to struggle with more of a steeping transition

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kind of either phase control or driver issues then I may be better working on trying to get

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a little bit pre-shallowed because I'm having a hard time balancing the amount of shallows

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at the top.

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Conversely if I'm more laid off at the top and I may be looking to get a little bit more

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distance I may be looking to possibly improve some wedge play.

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There are other reasons why I might want to get steeper but what I want you to start thinking

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of is there's no arbitrary just perfect top of the back swing position.

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It really relates to what's going on in the downswing.

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So if you think backward based on where you are in the downswing and how it relates to

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the top it'll give you a better idea as far as what to change.

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One other quick point is where the club is at the top also depends on how much my body

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has turned.

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If I have the club in this position here and I stop it like a three-quarter look this

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might appear like it's laid off.

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If I kept pivoting inside bending and went to the top of the swing from here, well there

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you might see that it's closer to on plane.

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That's another reason why you might want to not just arbitrarily chase some perfect

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top of the backswing position because the length of the swing, how you're creating speed

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all play a role.

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But if I could simplify it in the one classic rule, if it's across the line you have to

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shallow it a lot more.

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If it's laid off you have to shallow it less and you can use that to your advantage if you're

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trying to control certain contact misses.

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If you're struggling with lots of fat and thin shots, toe and heel or if you're struggling

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with path control on the downswing.

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So if you tend to get the path going really shallow or right word late, kind of more like

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this, you might do better getting a little bit more laid off at the top.

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If you tend to get really steep in a cross, you may actually do better having a little bit

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more shallow during the downswing so you could vary the top of the backswing position.

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It's a help make shallowing a little bit easier for you.

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But be sure to relate the top of the swing to transition and where you are in the downswing.

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Don't just chase an arbitrary, perfect top of the backswing feel.

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Okay, so now I'm going to try and demonstrate a few of these.

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The easier one for me, if I exaggerate this shallowness or laid off position at the top

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of the swing, then I can just swing a little bit harder with my arms straight away.

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It's not the worst position for me to play from.

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For me, the cross line is a little bit harder because I have a tendency to get too shallow

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late.

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So if I get really across the line, kind of like that, let me just dial in a few of those

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feels so if I get really across the line.

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Like I said, it's harder for me to make contact from there.

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I'll see if I can wait a little bit longer on this next one.

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I was a little bit early.

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I could feel myself resisting and pulling a bit too much on that.

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So let me get across the line again.

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There we go.

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So you can see if you have the tempo and the timing to wait for it across the line is not

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bad because it can give you a little extra speed.

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If you are airing more on, I'm going to pull on a quicker, then you might do better

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trying to get a little bit flatter.

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Always relate what you're doing at the top of the swing.

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It's a delivery position.

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