How far should i bring the club back?

[flopster]

Flexibility and tempo will determine it usually

[JonMA1]

I didn't want to start a new thread so I thought I'd look through this one before asking my question.

My last couple of practices have felt like I've had some degree of control. I'm trying to keep the swing simple with the emphasis on key #2. Failing at this seems to be the main cause when my swing goes to #$%%. I think my arms out race the rest of my body - I guess that would be sequencing or timing??? - and I can feel the weight back at impact.

To avoid this, I've slowed my tempo considerably and after I get as far as I can with my shoulder turn, I've been loosening my wrists (cocking) at the top just a bit. I'm not bending my lead elbow or loosening my grip, but the club does start to get just short of parallel on the longer clubs. This kind of helps signal to start the weight shift and causes a slight delay for my arms to start down.

I don't think this is recommended by the pros here (see mvmac's avatar) but it seems to be helping to get everything back in order. Distance and direction seem to be ok (relatively).

What is the downside of (possibly) over-swinging besides what's listed above? Should I not worry about it and just go with what's working?

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Yikes! I hadn't shot video of my swing in quite a long time. But I had my wife record a couple quick practice swings the other day. Let's just say, it's much worse than I thought, and I will be starting a (my swing thread) as soon as I can shoot decent video at the range. Here are a couple stills from the video of the practice swing. I didn't realize I was going this far past parallel. It's a miracle I get the club face on the ball. Feel free to criticize the weight shift, the bent left arm and the insane backswing. Here is a still frame from the DOWNSWING, that I would like to stop my backswing at: I will start a My Swing thread ASAP and take any advice I can get. After seeing my swing on video, I have so much more work than I ever imagined.

[The Recreational Golfer]

Here's one way to think about it. If you were going to pound a nail with a hammer, you would take the hammer back only as far as you felt you could hit the nail with it again. You know where to stop instinctively.

When you take the golf club back, there is an instinctive spot up to which you feel a connection between the clubface and the ball. Beyond that spot, you are unconsciously guessing when you bring the club down.

This point is not fixed. It can vary from shot to shot, and day to day. As long as the feeling is the same, you're all right.

[onkey]

Once your shoulders stop turning your backswing should stop--any further and your swing will be "all arms".  When you swing a baseball bat/tennis racket, do you bend/wrap your arms around your body for more power?  When you continue on past your shoulder turn,you don't get any more power, you only make it harder to get your swing in synch.

[vangator]

Your swing looks close to parallel.....with your left leg! :-D I bet you hit it a mile when you make good contact.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Your swing looks close to parallel.....with your left leg! :-D I bet you hit it a mile when you make good contact.

I certainly don't hit it as far as I'd like. I'm working on it though. [VIDEO]http://youtu.be/YKfp-j7l7kU[/VIDEO]

[Lihu]

Your swing looks close to parallel.....with your left leg! :-D I bet you hit it a mile when you make good contact.

Wow, no joke. You'll get the same distances taking it back about half that amount! Maybe farther because it won't slice as much. . .

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Wow, no joke. You'll get the same distances taking it back about half that amount! Maybe farther because it won't slice as much. . .

Yeah. I'm really trying to stop my backswing at parallel. It's taking a while to change though. I'm so used to the tempo of my swing being where it is. It's very difficult to build rhythm in my swing stopping short of where I'm used to. Also, I don't really slice much, because I almost always get my club face square to path. A lot of straight pulls. I just recently started a my swing thread and posted some videos. I'm certainly hoping to get some insight from anyone. I'm open to any tips or drills to stop bringing the club so far back, and to get it in the right slot on the downswing instead of coming over the top.

[Lihu]

[quote name="Lihu" url="/t/72628/how-far-should-i-bring-the-club-back#post_1154456"] Wow, no joke. You'll get the same distances taking it back about half that amount! Maybe farther because it won't slice as much. . .

Yeah. I'm really trying to stop my backswing at parallel. It's taking a while to change though. I'm so used to the tempo of my swing being where it is. It's very difficult to build rhythm in my swing stopping short of where I'm used to. Also, I don't really slice much, because I almost always get my club face square to path. A lot of straight pulls. I just recently started a my swing thread and posted some videos. I'm certainly hoping to get some insight from anyone. I'm open to any tips or drills to stop bringing the club so far back, and to get it in the right slot on the downswing instead of coming over the top.[/quote] Yeah, I know! I Look for some "natural" stopping point. My son just said use a mirror and try to get some "feel" for it. He's really flexible so it's even harder for him, but he did and is now starting to shoot low single digits.

[vangator]

That backswing reminds me of a guy (kid) I played with back in the 70's. I could hit the ball a long way, but this kid was 6'5 and just murdered the ball. There was a par 5 that was about 600 yards. We figured he hit his driver 405 yards on that one. Hit an 8 iron the remaining 200 yards. He was a scratch player.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

That backswing reminds me of a guy (kid) I played with back in the 70's. I could hit the ball a long way, but this kid was 6'5 and just murdered the ball. There was a par 5 that was about 600 yards. We figured he hit his driver 405 yards on that one. Hit an 8 iron the remaining 200 yards. He was a scratch player.

I'm 6'5" tall barefoot, closer to 6'6" in golf spikes. I certainly can't hit it 300 yards, let alone 400. But obviously my technique is quite poor.

[iacas]

Here's one way to think about it. If you were going to pound a nail with a hammer, you would take the hammer back only as far as you felt you could hit the nail with it again. You know where to stop instinctively.

When you take the golf club back, there is an instinctive spot up to which you feel a connection between the clubface and the ball. Beyond that spot, you are unconsciously guessing when you bring the club down.

This point is not fixed. It can vary from shot to shot, and day to day. As long as the feeling is the same, you're all right.

I disagree with that. People with long swings still have the feeling you describe… they just need to learn to make a shorter swing (often).

Your swing looks close to parallel.....with your left leg!

I bet you hit it a mile when you make good contact.

And I disagree with that, too… often longer swings have poorer sequencing and by shortening the swing and getting things to fire in the right sequence, clubhead speed and thus distance is gained.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I disagree with that. People with long swings still have the feeling you describe… they just need to learn to make a shorter swing (often). And I disagree with that, too… often longer swings have poorer sequencing and by shortening the swing and getting things to fire in the right sequence, clubhead speed and thus distance is gained.

I'm obviously finding this to be correct. As I'm struggling with both.

[inthehole]

To elaborate on what others have said ... I don't have a lot of flexibility, so I don't get anywhere close to parallel with my backswing (keeping my left elbow straight limits how far back I can get).    People are often amazed at how far I hit the ball with what looks like a limited backswing.     I focus on tempo, but do come down pretty hard on it.

Just logically makes sense to me that unless you have the time to practice ALOT like pro's & elite players do ... having a shorter in control swing will result in cleaner contact.    At least it works for me...

[Lihu]

To elaborate on what others have said ... I don't have a lot of flexibility, so I don't get anywhere close to parallel with my backswing (keeping my left elbow straight limits how far back I can get).    People are often amazed at how far I hit the ball with what looks like a limited backswing.     I focus on tempo, but do come down pretty hard on it.

Just logically makes sense to me that unless you have the time to practice ALOT like pro's & elite players do ... having a shorter in control swing will result in cleaner contact.    At least it works for me...

Not just for you, but anyone with a normal level of hand-eye coordination.

Unless you're like Daly, Dustin or Bubba. Here's a reference post on another site. . .

[SteveH]

Its hard not to overswing.  I have a real problem with that. I get too quick and the weight of the club takes it back past parallel, which then messes up my spine angle and so on to the downswing.  Usually results in a less than optimal shot. I don't even realize it's happening but spot the clubhead in my left peripheral vision. I find I have to think I am making a short backswing but don't lose any distance.

[Elmer]

I go back far enough that the club almost touches my shoulder.

I have tried to hit a ball with various take backs, but this seems to be the only way I can do it.

So what ever works!