Wow.

The book “How to Become a Complete Golfer” by Toski and Flick on facing pages 144 and 145 shows the complete slow motion swing sequence film frames of Tom Watson from setup to followthrough filmed in 50 frames per second.

From the top of the backswing, when the club shaft starts to move back towards the ball, to impact took about 13 and a half frames. 13.5 frames divided by 50 frames per second gives 0.27 seconds, or about a quarter of a second from the top of the backswing to ball impact.

Of the 13.5 frames showing the downswing to impact, they can be divided into two major phases: the initial phase of the down swing, and the release phase of the downswing. The initial downswing phase took about 8 frames, and the release phase took 5 and a half frames.

The 5 and a half frames of the release phase can be further subdivided into the initial release phase, and the final release phase. The initial release phase took 3 frames, and the final release phase took 2 and a half frames.

During the initial phase of the downswing of 8 frames, the hips return to about square with the legs returning to about the setup with the leading heel replanted, and weight shifting to the leading foot and leg. The upper body and arms appear passive, and they are unwinding only in response to the lower body and hips turning during this initial phase of the downswing. The shoulders remain closed and facing away from the target during this phase. The shoulders remain a quarter-closed at the end of this phase.

The three frames of the initial release phase show the trailing leg and kneed starting the bend in allowing the hip to start turning further to open, which turns the upper body, and the shoulders for the leading shoulder to pull on the leading arm to pull on the club handle to swing the leading arm down to about in front of the trailing hip. For the driver, the release is perform behind the ball in the vicinity trailing hip and trailing leg, rather than releasing later for iron swings. At the end of the initial release phase, the hands have swung down to almost in front of the trailing hip. The back of the leading hand remains facing to the front of the player towards the target line. This means the clubface remains fully opened facing to the front of the player. The shoulders turn to almost square as the hips start to turn to open, but the shoulders still remain fairly closed, even while the hips open up at this late stage of the downswing in setting up the lower body as a base for the upper body for the final release.

The last 2 and a half frames before impact show the final release phase of the downswing. This takes place in about a tenth of a second. The shoulders turn from slight closed to slightly opened with the leading shoulder pulling up and back fairly noticeably with the trailing shoulder turning downward as a result of the leading shoulder action. The leading shoulder, and trailing shoulder turning action swings the arms, the hands, and the clubhead into the ball from behind the ball with the clubface squaring from open to squared.

With brain in time can gain the ability to visualize semi-consciously the sequence shown in the book, so that if something is off, some midcourse adjustment can be made to save the downswing, even when the downswing to impact occurs in the short time of about a quarter of a second. Of course, if too many things are off, it may not be possible for the brain to visualize, and to adjust to so many problems. If the swing is sound, so that no more than one or even two things can be off, there is time for the brain to adjust them during the downswing, once the brain has been developed.

Visualization is not limited to the downswing. It can help prevent swing the driver too past parallel during the backswing, for example. It can be used for the followthrough like swing the clubhead toward a targeting point down the fairway.