Why Swinging? or Why Hitting ? list pros and cons

I would like to get everyones thoughts on both actions. Why do you hitters prefer hitting? and what do you feel you benefit from it. Ditto with swinging.

Best
Mac.
Originally Posted by macgolf I would like to get everyones thoughts on both actions. Why do you hitters prefer hitting? and what do you feel you benefit from it. Ditto with swinging.

Best
Mac.
I'll start.

I haven't had a chance to practice enough to determine what is best for me between hitting and swinging. It may even depend upon my aches and pains on any given day!

What I have found for me, is that hitting is a much more consistent pattern for the short game, both basic, and acquired motion, even for putting!

I can focus on that on plane right forearm and feel it is a VERY simple procedure. If I try to swing without a pivot, I flip. Those flying wedges stay in much better alignments when hitting... for me... your mileage may vary...



Kevin
Originally Posted by macgolf I would like to get everyones thoughts on both actions. Why do you hitters prefer hitting? and what do you feel you benefit from it. Ditto with swinging.

Best
Mac.
For trouble shots around the green, I swing with just the slightest "tipping of the teapot" or Axis Tilt. From 150 yards to the pin, I like the control of a slow, heavy, push shot because of the control to the green. And I need all the mustard I can get so Swinging is my thing beyond 150 yards.


ICT
I don't remember where this is taken, but here it comes:
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The general consensus is to master swinging before hitting. Swinging relies less on manual hand drive/manipulation and is the easier of the two, hitting can be more precise when done properly though. Hitting is the driving of the right arm, the basics of the motion are:

1) Club is taken back to right shoulder height (roughly, try to go no longer as you risk starting the downswing by pulling the club, which means you will be swinging)
2) When you take the club back, you will use an angled hinge (has the appearance of being a little shut)
3) From there it is a slow steady drive of the clubhead, using the right forearm towards the inside aft of the ball.

As good a teacher that Tommy Tomasello was, he got hitting all wrong. He talks about hitting being used for low wind punch type shots. This is incorrect, hitting or swinging do not control the height of the shot, rather the hinge action used and the angle of attack.

Finally to answer your number 3, I would recommend truely mastering one or the other (preferably swinging first) before trying to use both. It is quite common to find good TGM trained golfers who mostly use swinging, except from 130 in where they want the precision of hitting.



Swinging is what most people do, use centrifugal force to swing the club down through the ball. It produces a draw when used with the left wrist being allowed to roll closed throughout the shot.

Hitting is using the right arm to thurst hard through the ball. Hitting produces a controlled fade and is very accurate. But is not as powerful.

This is why some swing long clubs and hit shorter ones where power is not longer the most important factor.

If you are stronger than most, you can hit the whole way around, like a Trevino or Palmer.
I don't know the origin of this either (Copy of a copy from my lap top) If it deserves deleting - so be it.

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There are ONLY two ways you can move an object. You can either PULL it or PUSH it.

A swinger moves the club by PULLING it with the left arm. No right arm force applied.

A hitter moves the club by PUSHING it with the right arm.

Iron Byron doesn't have a right arm (I hope) so the club is not being PUSHED, so one must conclude that Iron Byron is a swinger because the machine is PULLING the club into impact.

Still not convinced? Below are a list of the differences taken from a post on another TGM forum to expand the obvious differences even further.

Swinger vs Hitter
Pull vs Push
Longitudinal Acceleration vs Radial Acceleration
Rope Handle vs Axe Handle
Centrifugal Force vs Muscular Thrust
Whirl back vs Muscular Carry back
Quick vs Strong
Stretched Muscles vs Contracted Muscles
Loose vs Stiff
Pitch Basic Stroke vs Punch Basic Stroke
Spin vs Drive
Right Shoulder Flywheel vs Right Shoulder Backstop (Launching Pad)
Pivot Thrust (Momentum transfer) vs Power Package Thrust
End vs Top
Top Arc vs Straight Line
Quick Start Down vs Slow Start Down
PP#3 Top Side vs PP#3 Aft Side
Standard Wrist Action vs Single Wrist Action
Sequenced Release vs Simultaneous Release
Right palm 'on plane' vs plane 'through' right palm
Wrist Action vs Hand Motion
Drag Loading vs Drive Loading
Throw Out vs Drive Out
Start up and release Swivel vs No Swivel (except after Follow Through)
Wrist Throw vs Right Arm Throw
Arc of Approach vs Angle of Approach
Wheel Rim vs Wheel Track
Horizontal Hinging vs Angled Hinging
Full Roll Feel vs No Roll Feel
Draw vs Fade
On-Line vs Cross Line
Plane Line Rotation vs Grip Rotation
Soft hands vs (Relatively) Firmer hands
Standard Address vs Fix Address
Accumulator #4 vs Accumulator #1
Physics vs Geometry
Let it happen vs Make it happen
Mike Finney (Mikestloc) vs Ted Fort (YodasLuke)
Elegant vs Not so elegant

A hitter will generally grip tighter than a swinger because a hitter is 'fighting' rotation, and a swinger is 'allowing' it.
Imagine you were to swing a hockey stick like object, but with a very long blade. All things being equal, the blade will align itself with the direction/plane of force (why people slice, in part). A hitter resists the blade rotation and must provide a firmer grip to do so. A swinger, by contrast, needs to create the 'throw out' force (rotation) that will square up the blade. You could also argue that a hitter might tend to be more upright, and a swinger more flat because of those conditions, although there are no hard and fast rules there IMO.
same here.
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Swinger

Passive Arms

Body Open at Impact

Shallow Swing Plane

Arms Deep at the Top

Upper Body Rotates throughout Swing

Like Low Maintenance


Hitter

Uses Arms

Body Square at Impact

Steeper Swing Plane

Arms more in Front of Body

Upper Body Quiet

Like to Work on Swing