Shoulder retraction vs scapular retraction

I think I may have been confusing just pulling my shoulder back in its socket(movement 1) with true scapular retraction (movement 2). One feels like a country and the other like a continent. Does the first motion have any place in the STS model, or is it just part of the second, larger move?

TIA,
Zach

Shoulder mechanics are a little tricky. It's easy to define the movements, but then in practice the movements are often blurred together. I'd say both versions you demonstrate are scapular retraction. One has more depression and the other might even have a slight amount of elevation. The first move is more what the lead shoulder would likely do, the second is better for the trail shoulder.

Happy Golfing,
Tyler

Ah that’s so crazy, because they feel so different to me(I’ll let you guess which one was harder for me to isolate).

Shoulders are kind of a final frontier for me, I think, in terms of gross consistency. When you said thoracic extension is easier to feel when the trail scap is retracted- that was a revelation; I had no idea the shoulder stayed back so long. I’m coming to think premature trail shoulder protraction is at the root of maybe even most of my issues. That kyphotic look I get, the linkage breaking down, I’m believing is up in my trail shoulder from delivery on. My trail shoulder comes out early, my arms lengthen, my rotation stalls, and low point and face control are a guessing game. When Tom Watson said his swing was like smoothing out a rug, I feel like I have my wrinkles all pushed into a corner and that corner is from about T6 up.

But just to clarify, the trail scap should stay depressed until after impact, correct? Should I maybe try and feel it forever? On course pic included for reference.

Faithfully,
Z