My Swing (GolfLug)

[GolfLug]

Notes from last week's round.

Although the ball striking generally good, especially driver there were 4-5 iron hooks which cost me GIRs. By now I pretty much know it ends up being an path (shallow/under plane delivery) issue. Doing my practice last night I realized that shoulder plane needs to be steeper at set up and throughout the swing to keep the club on plane in the back swing. A flatter shoulder turn additionally causes me to rock off my left on to right at top of BS, which then in turn causes me to drop the club below the plane in transition. Even though I end up sliding over to left at impact the club head travels across the line (inside out) and the closed to path clubface causes it to hook.

Anyway, to simplify: continue with the with right palm rotation at start of BS (still priority piece), layoff club at top, BUT with steeper shoulder plane. I also noticed this helps with better maintaining of both Keys #1 and #2.     

 

[GolfLug]

Here's my pajama slow practice. Priority as has been, is to roll right palm open from address, with club only 45 degs (appx.) closed.

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by billchao
Embedded video

[iacas]

That's very good @GolfLug.

[GolfLug]

13 minutes ago, iacas said:

That's very good @GolfLug.

Thanks. Also, should mention that I do make sure right elbow also bends with palm roll, if not, I feel like my entire body COG shifts back to my right side and I loose both keys 1 and 2, (i.e. sway too far back and forth). Maybe because in effect since I am not so narrow the swing arc is bigger now with a proper turn. Beyond that, I think I am feeling things are as simple as they look in the vid.  

This is easier with shorter clubs but with driver I feel like that there is still that drop inside at start of DS move but it seems smaller and better. Anyway, driver is still a somewhat of a challenge. I have another backyard vid hitting sponge balls with driver which I will post later after putting it on youtube.

[GolfLug]

Haven't posted here in a while thought I post a quick vid of a full on driver swing. I am going to get a smartphone tripod for next time.

Priority is the same: Slow roll of right hand palm open to top.

Extra notes: FULL shoulder turn at top and club feel a bit laid off.

Extra credit: Setting up with club face only slightly closed - Big difference from an almost upside down toe early last year.

 

[GolfLug]

@iacas, so here are a couple of a full 7 irons today at the range. Sorry thought I was recording it in slow motion but I guess not. Also, I need lessons in setting up for a full swing frame capture . Club focus cutoff at top in BS but I think you will pick up on it. Was hurrying a bit before the ominous skies opened up.

Anyway, while it feels like I am really laying the club off at the top (trying to feel palm facing up as discussed), the video shows club still tiny bit across the line. I GOTSTA clean that up!!.. Although, I feel I am certainly doing better as far as not shallowing the shaft too much in the downswing. Making sure I don't let the right elbow drive into the ribs, which apparently is also making me do a better through turn impact.

Also finally I am setting club face much less than 45 degs closed now without feeling weird. That in itself is a huge change from last year. Ball flight is starting to come back to - mostly high and curveless to slight draw.

Full shoulder turn is also an added focus when doing full dynamic swings like this.

Self eval grade: P for progress. Over all loopiness has also gone down considerably IMO. Comments welcome.

 

[iacas]

I concur with your self assessments. A few points:

• Would love to see a full, big, slow motion rehearsal first. And then a full slow motion rehearsal where you chip the ball. Then a faster one.
• Camera angles. And height. And slow-motion. Yes to all three…
• Good on the face at setup. No reason you can't just grip it really strong at setup and have the face close to where you want it at impact.
• How's the flight? Contact?

[GolfLug]

7 hours ago, iacas said:

I concur with your self assessments. A few points:

• Would love to see a full, big, slow motion rehearsal first. And then a full slow motion rehearsal where you chip the ball. Then a faster one.

That's a good suggestion. Will work on it.

 

 

[GolfLug]

7 hours ago, iacas said:

• Camera angles. And height. And slow-motion. Yes to all three…

Yes, The tripod I bought is too short. Will improve upon it greatly.

7 hours ago, iacas said:

 

 Good on the face at setup. No reason you can't just grip it really strong at setup and have the face close to where you want it at impact.

Yes, bit of a trust issue and still working on getting left forearm used to it physically . Honestly, I haven't been able to bring it to the course yet (face not so hooded). Of all issues, this one might be last to go. I'm gonna have to be patient. 

7 hours ago, iacas said:

• How's the flight? Contact?

  Now this I feel good about. Contact not bad at all. Miss is thinnish contact. Ball flight is high fairly straight (not much curve), slight push if I drop club in 20% of time. Sprinkled in is an occasional pull hook if I come over and double cross. Usual suspects. Overall dispersion has tightened up considerably though.

 

[GolfLug]

In the last few rounds I had few occurrences where the swing would desert me completely for 6-7 holes where I would oscillate between push slices and hooks. Knowing my tendency I know I was getting narrow and shallow in the DS with very limited shoulder turn (I could feel it as I was not being able to layoff the club just before transition). Something didn't feel right. Even going back to my year long drill mid round, I just couldn't correct it. Of course, In an effort to reduce shallow DS, I would try to bring my arms down steeper and hit somewhat manageable low straight pulls with the driver. Could not for the life of me figure what was changing, as usually started the round and finished well.

Anyway, a small breakthrough yesterday. Mid round, I figured that I was loosing my shoulder incline (flat pivot which in turn flattened and shallowed DS). This made a difference and was immediately able to lay off club easily at top of BS for rest of the round and finished really well.  

So with 'palm facing the sky' at top of BS (priority 1), I need to ensure a more upright pivot (shoulder turn) in combination. @iacas has suggested that a few posts back but now I think I will be able to work it in and not loose it so often.

So now onwards two swing thoughts - 1. Palm facing sky. 2. Stay tall.

 

 

[GolfLug]

@iacas, apparently the trick to rolling the palm open dynamically during actual play, or allowing it to (still priority) A4 position with club laid off automatically is to let the left hand/arm hang softly from the sternum (a feeling) on the shaft at address and keep it really soft through BS. The shaft weight should be supported only by the right hand. Somehow it has been lost to me that supporting club weight with left hand at address ( a self defeating old habit) counters the right palm to open and face sky move- which always has caused the club to drop across the line at A4 and then a shallow DS follows. So, the left hand/arm hanging softness at address seems to allow the palm rolling open move easily/instinctively. I have been mindful of this and haven't hit a duck hook in the last 4 out of 5 rounds. Was not careful of this the one round last Friday with @DaveP043 down in PH and paid dearly, but cleaned up next morning really well.    

Still hitting some overdraws but gathering increasingly more confidence in addressing ball with less hooded face. Moving closer to a bankable swing. 2017 is seeming more promising than ever. Need to clean up chipping.

On ‎2‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 8:41 PM, GolfLug said:

Here's my pajama slow practice. Priority as has been, is to roll right palm open from address, with club only 45 degs (appx.) closed.

 

 

[iacas]

Sounds good.

[RandallT]

Sounds like progress, V.  Just compared our weather forecasts for the next week or so- I'm gonna come visit! You're 10 degrees warmer down there, even if you're in the same state. My dividing line for going to the range is right in the middle of our two temps.

[GolfLug]

1 minute ago, RandallT said:

Sounds like progress, V.  Just compared our weather forecasts for the next week or so- I'm gonna come visit! You're 10 degrees warmer down there, even if you're in the same state. My dividing line for going to the range is right in the middle of our two temps.

Come visit then!! I golf through anything. Let me know. Would love to get out there with you anytime.. 

[RandallT]

2 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Come visit then!! I golf through anything. Let me know. Would love to get out there with you anytime.. 

Can't be colder than our round at Stoneleigh! That's my benchmark for what is possible and what isn't!

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, RandallT said:

Can't be colder than our round at Stoneleigh! That's my benchmark for what is possible and what isn't!

At least there were no issues with slow play!  We were just about the only idiots out there.

[GolfLug]

Recent practice (week ago) in the backyard with foam balls. Sorry, should have truncated vids before uploading. Fast forward for action to at least past halfway through the vids...

Short iron still looks a loopy (steep to shallow in DS) but camera angle is too far across so not actually that bad. Of course I posted it twice thinking I was posting the hybrid at first.... I cant undo but maybe a mod can erase #3 below..

 

 

 

[iacas]

Getting better. Don't let it get too long.