Banzai's Battle with Bracing

[Dan Ensor]

The best thing for my bracing was working on loading my rear hip. As much internal rotation as I could stand; until I was pretty much forced to go forward. After I was loaded properly, it just kinda happened.

 

[sidewinder22]

This should help you stop swaying:

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

This should help you stop swaying:

The butt wipe.

we need to talk about a new name. LOL

 

[sidewinder22]

The butt wipe.

we need to talk about a new name. LOL

What if I was to say I can show you how to wipe your own butt... is that something you might be interested in? The itchy butt was another name I was thinking about.

 

[banzai7]

I sign on ... and what has happened to my thread? Butt wipe?

I don't have much of an update, since I played in a tourney over the weekend and so had no time to think about my form or drills, etc. Played pretty well, well enough that my partner and I took home the trophy. I was definitely driving differently off the tee, feeling much better balanced, and crossed up and more braced in the follow through. No idea how it looks on video though. Hoping to get some video here soon; I'd like to see this hip swaying thing on video.

The new drill seems pretty cool! Thanks for putting it together SW22. I knew that I was supposed to keep my butt back --- I think it was from a Shawn Clement "clearing the hips" video where he talks about maintaining a protruded position. I have no clue if I'm doing it, but it looks like this drill will help me learn how.

Not really clear on the "inside swing" part of the video, though. Is that supposed to help stop rounding? Is that something I need to work too?

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

How about the vertical structure backside slide? Rolls right off the tongue.

 

[banzai7]

The Protruded Posterior Drill ... uh, then again maybe not.

 

[sidewinder22]

 

[sidewinder22]

Not really clear on the "inside swing" part of the video, though. Is that supposed to help stop rounding? Is that something I need to work too?

Yes.

 

[sidewinder22]

The Dingleberry! :doh:

 

[banzai7]

I've tried the first drill a bunch. Keeping my butt protruded against the wall throughout feels normal. But I've got a question. Do you really keep your rear hip/butt in the same position laterally once you've finished the backswing? There's no more sliding your butt forward along the wall during the weight shift/heel down part of the throw?

If that's right, then I have been doing the backswing all wrong.

What I thought / how I was doing it:

• backswing: internal rotation of the rear leg in the hip joint, so that my weight is over a vertical rear leg. Butt slides a little (halfway)?
• weight shift: heel down starts weight shift, butt slides laterally even more until it can't any more, which starts the hip rotation.
• forward swing: rear hip rolls off wall, front hip rolls onto wall and slides back.

What it now seems like / how it should be (?):

• backswing: internal rotation of the rear leg in the hip joint, so that my weight is centered with an angled rear leg. Butt slides all the way forward with rear hip as far toward the target as possible, at which point the weight has already mostly shifted forward.
• weight shift: heel down completes weight shift and starts the hip rotation, butt stays laterally forward.
• forward swing: rear hip rolls off wall, front hip rolls onto wall and slides back.

Trying this now feels pretty different, and makes me feel like my rear leg is almost totally extended with my weight on my rear heel at the top of the backswing. Is that right?

 

[sidewinder22]

Remember this is a drill to feel things and exaggerate things. Sounds like you are starting to get it. You may feel pressure in the rear heel, but you should still be able to push/leverage from the instep(knee extended, but still flexed, not locked out). Your rear hip may move forward because it's turning, but the lower spine stays in place to rotate about. There's some overlap between this and crushing the can which is all backswing/transition drill.

 

[slowplastic]

I don't think that the first point in your 2nd list (how you're wondering if it "should" be) is correct. When you rotate back so your butt faces the target, you load up internally on your rear hip and should feel all that pressure on your rear instep. The shift happens from here, not "at" this time. If I try to feel like my weight has "already shifted forward" at this point I feel like I have nothing more to give the throw with my lower body.

I think the main point is that the hips should rotate, not be thrown forward or have a bunch of forward momentum at the target.

 

[banzai7]

This is precisely what I am asking. Do you really slide you rear hip/butt all the way forward in the backswing? Or does some of this slide happen during the weight shift.

The current drill is based on the former, and it seems like this is part of the point of the Hogan Power Move video by Shawn Clement. It also seems like it might be the most natural way to complete the weight shift from behind you at the top of the back swing.

So is that right?

Related question: how far toward the target does the rear hip/butt slide along the wall? Are we talking 2 inches, 6 inches, a foot?

 

[banzai7]

I don't think that the first point in your 2nd list (how you're wondering if it "should" be) is correct. When you rotate back so your butt faces the target, you load up internally on your rear hip and should feel all that pressure on your rear instep. The shift happens from here, not "at" this time. If I try to feel like my weight has "already shifted forward" at this point I feel like I have nothing more to give the throw with my lower body.

Maybe the better way for me to put it is that my balance is not directly over a vertical (internally rotated) rear leg, but my balance is centered with my (internally rotated) rear leg angled in that "reverse K" position. It seems like this way when my heel comes down I am already "braced" against the front leg, rather than the heel coming down and then having to shift into the brace.

Does that make sense?

 

[slowplastic]

In the maximum backswing I feel that my weight is 80% (standstill) into my rear instep with an internally rotated rear hip. My rear butt is rotated targetward as much as it will ever be. I then shift into my plant foot's instep/heel off of my rear instep, which rolls and causes hip rotation (clockwise). Since I'm thinking about this in a planted/standstill type throw or drill, my hips rotate with my rear hip rotating clockwise and not really moving forward laterally at all. I've been in a dynamic balance against my rear instep, and am maintaining the same physical orientation, just becoming dynamically balanced against my plant foot's instep. To me the weight shift doesn't necessarily mean that my torso/hips have to shift laterally, at least in a standstill position.

However, this is how it feels to my mind, and as well is from me going through the motions indoors and against a wall. If I look at video during an 80%+ power throw or with an X-step in there it may be a little different. But the push off the rear instep starts the hip rotation and the plant foot is allowing my body to rotate in place rather than being a soggy wall that allows me to drift (but you already know this).

Edit: What you said in your last post seems to be how it feels for me.

 

[sidewinder22]

This is precisely what I am asking. Do you really slide you rear hip/butt all the way forward in the backswing? Or does some of this slide happen during the weight shift.

Pretty much for the first part, you should move forward enough so you are then centered dynamically on the front leg. Crushing the can is to the top of the backswing. Second part is hard to answer, what do you consider weight shift?

The current drill is based on the former, and it seems like this is part of the point of the Hogan Power Move video by Shawn Clement. It also seems like it might be the most natural way to complete the weight shift from behind you at the top of the back swing.

So is that right?

Related question: how far toward the target does the rear hip/butt slide along the wall? Are we talking 2 inches, 6 inches, a foot?

Yes. From neutral I'd say I move about 6" along the wall, it will vary some by your width of stance.

 

[banzai7]

Thanks everyone for all your help. The new drill has been really enlightening. I haven't had a ton of time to work with it yet to cement it in my muscle memory, but I really wanted to get some video to see if this is on the right track. I was primarily focusing on "wiping the wall" in the backswing, which felt like I was loading the rear hip very differently. The throws this morning felt really good.

 

[sidewinder22]

You are still drifting to the left a bit and coming down over the top with your chest downward in the finish. Stay more upright and turn your shoulder inside your posture more and plant your front foot a couple inches to the right. You also bend your elbow too much too far and turn your head/upper body ahead of the release.

See here how my posture/rotational axis is tighter and how much wider/longer my whip/release is. Your head is to the left of your posture and you effectively throw with an alligator arm.

 

[Dr.Smooth]

You are gettin close.

I imagine you've been bombarded by help-both good and bad.

The first thing I see is that your arm is not being loaded by your hips, legs and torso.

As in get those three going and it will whip your arm around at a faster rate and with less effort.

Try letting your arm hang a little limp and use the big muscles to get it moving.

The hips should completely open up at the end swinging everything around past the point of the hit.