Golf, Choirs and Jumping Out of Swings

I've taken a break from worrying about my favorite topic (body/soul dichotomy) in order to worry about a physics problem related to golf. I've grappled with this dilemma since I was a freshman in college taking "Physics for Music Majors." You can imagine the level of physics in that class!

Actually, it was taught by the chairman of the department and I know the poor man tried so hard to reach us on any level. He dressed up as a gorilla for the first class; he filled a balloon with something and set it on fire so we got to see a suspended ball of fire; he would spin the rotating lecture area around and around like a carousel just because we would applaud that particular stunt. But he might as well have been speaking a foreign language.

 It wasn't made easier that he also sang bass in the University Choir and I sat either in front of him or next to him. (Basses and altos are on the same side in a choir) We soon got past that awkwardness by never, ever mentioning anything to do with science.

You might wonder where this is going. Well, one of the questions the prof asked us in lecture was this: when you throw a ball up in the air does it have a moment at the top of the toss when the ball is neither moving up nor down? I missed the rest of the lecture because I was transported into my rich interior life where a ball goes up and down.

Of course it doesn't stop--nothing can defy gravity. That's why it's called the LAW of gravity! Something is either going up or it's coming down--no suspension of the LAW of gravity for anything. Now, hang in here with me.

 I refer all such heavy topics to Mr T who majored in physics and is the ultimate authority on all things to do with science/math. He told me that there actually IS a point at the top of the ball toss when the ball is NOT MOVING UP OR DOWN.

Reality crumbled for me briefly. I couldn't swing the club. All I could do was focus on stopping the club at the top of my swing. There I was--forever frozen at the top of my back swing. What to do??

So, last Friday at Golf Clinic, Johnny the Pro was pointing out that my back swing is slow and I pause before beginning my downswing. In fact I believe he pointed out I had time to read Gone With The Wind by the time I actually got around to making contact with the ball. He said there should be no time between the back swing and the downswing.
http://toccatamundi.blogspot.com/2009/06/if-its-friday-it-must-be-golf-clinic.html

Enter Lady Pro. I begged her for help. I begged her to give me an example that I could relate to. I pleaded with her not to give me any sports analogies. She thought about it. She did not use the word 'hozzle.'


She simply said, "Did you ever jump out of a swing?"

YES!! YES!! I've done that!

"Do you remember that brief moment at the top of the swing arc when you 'knew' it was the moment to jump out?"

YES!! YES!! I remember that!

"Then that's the moment on your back swing when you start your hips moving with the downswing right behind."

That was beautiful. I understood. I can't do it but I understand! Right now I'm at the place where I bring the club back, think of my old physics professor, remember singing in the University Choir, jumping out of swings, forget to move my hips first, then take a whack at the golf ball. Progress is being made!