This is a very subtle physics law to be utilized to gain driver distance. The theoretical implication is that by increasing very slightly the velocity of the body away from the target, a great increase in the velocity of the ball toward the target can be gained.

velocity of ball increase = Mass of body divided by the mass of ball times Velocity of body increase in the opposite direction.

Since the Mass of the body is hundreds of times more than the mass of the ball, a very small increase in the Velocity of the body in the opposite direction will be amplified hundreds of times to the increase in ball velocity.

In real life, the body also has to swing the arms forward, so that the amplification factor has to be decreased:

v of ball increase = Mass of body / (mass of ball + mass of arms) times V of body

The theoretical concept is to shift the body slightly back to make the ball (and arms) go faster forward by using the much heavier body moving relatively slowly to make the much lighter ball to gain much faster increase in speed in the hitting zone. This concept can be imagined as like when swinging on ice.

The trick to getting more distance is not to be obsessed with distance. Being obsessed with distance tends to encourage a golfer to make gross changes in the swing to promote distance that can decrease accuracy and consistency, if not ruining the swing all together.

The trick is to decouple distance getting from consistent accuracy. My book “Golf Slow Motion Picture Swing Secret of Effortless Long Shots”, which is available on Amazon at a greatly discounted price, and a free eBook version is available for free from me if asked, discusses how to increase and to control distance-getting by trying to swing the clubhead not harder, but to swing easier the clubhead closer to a third of the “imaginary” distance to the target. By swinging one-third of the distance, the swing becomes more mentally effortless to both actually increase distance, while increasing consistency and accuracy at the same time. It is say time and again that golf requires players to do the opposite to what their instincts want to do. Swinging closer to increase distance is opposite to swinging farther to lose distance. In the book, it is discussed how the average drive should swing the clubhead to an imaginary distance for the clubhead to 70 yards. This will generate adequate distance, while promoting great control and accuracy for the drive. After the swing is groove for consistency and accuracy, the clubhead can be swung from 70 yard up to 90 yards and further to increase distance, while not losing consistency and accuracy gained. Once it is understood that distance is achieved by swinging the clubhead in the range of 70 to 100 yards, rather than swinging the ball to 200 to 300 yards, it becomes more effortless and consistent to metally swing to lets say 90 yards than to mentally swing to 270 yards.

As to rotational speed, and physics, I have posted here many times the physics law of the Conservation Angular Momentum. Like the spin of a figure skater, when the arms are close to the body, the body rotates faster. The opposite also holds, when the arms are sticking out far away from the body, the body rotates slower. It is seldom seen on weekend golf television that the pros have their arms out 40 to 45 degrees during setup. A picture of Woods posted previously on this blog has his arms at 30 degrees at setup, and Woods tends to have the arms out more than many of todays players. Some top players today has the leading arm basically vertical with the trailing arm around 20 degrees at set up for the driver.

They swing the hands close, if not very close, across the lower body during the downswing rather than far out from their bodies. Some of the television videos of the current winner of Pebble Beach show this closeness.

When the arms and hands are closer to the body during setup, a “v” angle is formed between the club shaft, and the arms-hands. When the arms are closer to the body during setup, a greater “v” angle is formed, while when the arms are sticking far away from the body, a smaller “v” angle is formed.

A larger “v” angle coming into the hitting zone will move the clubhead more as the arms rotate in the hitting zone, while a smaller “v” angle in the hitting zone moves the clubhead less as the arms rotate. This can be seen by holding with both arms the clubhead off the ground with the club shaft close in line with the arms. Rotating the arms in this straight line configuration does not move the clubhead much with basically just the clubhead rotating more less in place. Holding the club with a “v” angle will move the clubhead more back and forth as the arms rotate. With more “v” angle, arm-hand rotation generates more clubhead speed from arm rotation in the hitting zone. With less “v” angle, arm rotation contributes less clubhead speed in the hitting zone.