[O.B.Left]

Is a ground/up backswing mutually exclusive with "hands to pivot"? Id say no! The intention is to move the hand somewhere.... the rest of the body complies , facilitates. Th actual sequence of the components varies for the task at hand. When you stoop to pick up some dropped car keys on the ground your primary intention is to reach for it , with your hand! But that doesnt preclude your forward foot loading and then your knees a bending first sequentially, prior to any reaching of the arms and hand.

For me I had to train my right hip to clear in startup (it having been trained to be frozen, stuck in the mud) then I had to forget about it as my intention changed to the primary task at hand. The taking /flinging /swinging of my right hand up plane towards right shoulder high. Theres a momentum to the hand and arms so you dont need to muscle it the whole way up there... it sort of floats the last bit of the way. A prerequisite IMO to being able to "go in both directions at the same time ". Drag load , float load etc. The free flowing swing up sets up the swing down in other words.

The intention is on plane hand (#3pp) travel. The divergent vectors of the arms and pivot are best thought about during re training only . We have no thought to this thing (divergent vectors) during every day motion even though its there! The intention is to reach for the keys so to speak. You dont reach outside of the keys and let your pivot bring the hand back to its target. This is where with all due respect I think Mr Tommessello went a little wrong with his advice to throw the club straight down, vertically into the ground from top. Your intention should be the net result of the divergent vectors ! The intention should be to throw the club down plane which is what he actually displayed when hitting a ball. Even though his arm motion if seeen in isolation (isolated from pivot motion in a drill say ) would be more down than out. If you know what I mean. The intention is to reach for the keys! Or glass or whatever.

No disrespect for TT intended ... one of the greats.