The Sweep
This is the third part of a regular series in which Maggie Ewen, one of America’s top putters, will break down her technique step by step.
Time to talk sweep!
I’ve included 3 pictures because the sweep is a long movement. In my entry, though it may not look like it, I feel two distinctly different moments during my sweep:
- In the initial phase I am working to get the right leg high and out over the back of the ring.
- In the second phase I am initiating the forward movement or drive into the ring.
It should also be noted that through the sweep phase of the throw the left foot and torso basically do nothing. I’ve already set up the torso and left leg in previous positions. Therefore, the sweep phase is all about being patient and letting my right leg go from being stretched out behind me to leading me into the middle. With that disclaimer in place, let’s get into it!
As I explained in my last post, in the position you see above, I have turned the left foot/ hip as far as it will go without picking up the right. As I continue to turn the left foot (dragging the torso with it), the right leg will get to a point that it cannot stay grounded any longer. I do not think of flicking or pushing off the ground to initiate the right leg. It happens naturally because of the stretch reflex I have created across the hips. This begins the first phase of the sweep.
My initial goal with the
right leg is to get it high opposite
the direction of the sector.
If I do it right, you’ll see above that I find a position resembling a South African drill with an elevated right leg. At this point my left toes will be pointed in the direction of the sector and that is where I want that foot to stay planted for the rest of the sweep. Since the left foot is what encourages the torso to rotate, the torso should also stop rotating.
This is where we begin the second phase of the sweep. Now that I have a high right leg, planted left foot and a torso that is no longer rotating, I squeeze the right adductor. This causes the right leg to go from straight out to the side to moving in front of me. This is the drive. It’s letting the right leg go from dragging to leading. As the inside of the leg drives into the direction of the sector, I want to keep it high so it can naturally arc down to its low point aka the middle of the ring.
The upper body has not changed.
I am still hinged at the waist.
Some techniques say the athlete should be tall as they come around the corner and drive into the ring. My technique does not. I want to stay bent at the waist through the entry so my center of mass is pitched forward slightly.
Tune in next time to find out why that’s important!
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