Cognates in Golf: Why Your Setup (Motion) Must Match Your Engine (Action)
Traditional golf instruction treats different setup positions as fundamentally different. Hands forward at address versus hands even, or hands behind at address. One is "correct," the others are "wrong."
But what if these apparently different positions are actually just different *geometries* designed to support different *engines*?
This is the core of systematic instruction, which distinguishes between "Motion" (Geometry) and "Action" (Physics). As Homer Kelley wrote:
"Physics of Hitting is Muscular Thrust, and of Swinging, CentripetalForce. Herein, “Motion” is Geometry — “Action” is Physics... The difference is in the players. If Strong — Hit; If Quick — Swing; If Both— Do either, as they are Mutually Exclusive." (p. 13)
The three address "cognates" are not just stylistic "looks"—they are distinct mechanical setups ("Motions") that pre-load one of these "Actions."
The Three Setup Cognates (The "Motion")
The key insight is that the three shaft positions at address—which TGM identifies as Drive Loading, Drag Loading, and Float Loading—are not "right" or "wrong." They are three distinct dynamic pathways ("Motions") designed to support a specific "Action" or "engine."
Drive Loading (Shaft Leaning Forward)
This is the "Hitter's" setup, actuated by **Muscular Thrust**.
- Player Profile: This pathway is mechanically ideal for the **"Strong"** player who powers the stroke with a "Hit" action.
- Release Type: The release mechanism is **predetermined at address** by the geometry.
Drag Loading (Shaft Leaning Backward)
This is the "Swinger's" setup, actuated by **Centripetal Force**.
- Player Profile: This pathway is ideal for the **"Quick"** player who powers the stroke with a "Swing" action.
- Release Type: The release mechanism is also **predetermined at address**.
Float Loading (Shaft Vertical)
This is a "Hybrid" setup whose "engine" is not pre-loaded.
- Player Profile: This pathway is for the player who is both "Strong" and "Quick".
- Release Type: The choice of "Action" (Hitting or Swinging) is **undetermined at address** and is only initiated by the player's intentional start-down dynamics.
Why This Matters
Traditional instruction sees these three setups, calls them "right" or "wrong," and completely misses the mechanical point. **They are three different actuators for two different engines.**
This is why copying a Tour Player's setup produces inconsistency. It's a classic **causal-correlation problem**. You might be a "Strong" player (a Hitter) copying the *effect* (the "Motion") of a "Quick" player (a Swinger) without replicating the *cause* (the "Action"). You are using the wrong setup for your engine.
The Key Question
Traditional instruction asks, "What position should I copy?"
The systematic approach reveals this is the wrong question. The Key Question is:
"What is my 'Action' type—am I a 'Strong' Hitter or a 'Quick' Swinger—and what 'Motion' (setup cognate) is required to power it precisely?"
But this raises a second, critical problem: How can you use a "Hitter's" setup or a "Swinger's" setup and still be **precise**?
What the Book Reveals
The Tighter Golf framework provides the answer. It is a complete systematic algorithm that separates *precision* from *power*.
The book provides the **`O(1)` calibration algorithm** that builds **precision** (repeatability) into your stroke *first*. This "balancing act" computes your unique, mechanically perfect impact geometry—what TGM calls the "Impact Fix"—which becomes the *target* of your stroke.
Once your precision is calibrated, you are free to learn the "Action" (Hitting or Swinging) that matches your body, knowing your stroke is already built on a foundation of repeatable precision.
You will learn:
- The `O(1)` calibration method to find your "Impact Fix" geometry and ensure precision.
- How to identify if you are a "Strong" Hitter or a "Quick" Swinger.
- The step-by-step procedures to build the correct cognate (Drive, Drag, or Float) that matches your "Action."
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does traditional instruction fail here?
Feel-based instruction doesn't have a framework for distinguishing "Motion" (Geometry) from "Action" (Physics). It can only say: "Do this." A systematic approach provides the `O(1)` calibration algorithm that ensures precision, *then* teaches you to match your "Action" to your "Motion."
Is Tighter Golf suitable for beginners?
Tighter Golf is designed for analytically-minded golfers—engineers, scientists, and systematic thinkers who want to understand *why* mechanics work. This framework is the fastest way for a systematic thinker, beginner or advanced, to build a precise, repeatable stroke.
Which cognate is best?
One is not "better"—they are different "engines." The best one depends on your attributes. "If Strong — Hit; If Quick — Swing". The `O(1)` algorithm in the Tighter Golf system ensures all three pathways can be precise. The book teaches you how to find the one that is right for you.