Your turn to help me!

Well, after commenting on a couple people's swings, I figured that I could use some help with mine. I only have a face-on swing ATM because that swing shot my ball so far right I can't find it.

So, my main problem is a push/push-slice. I still have my distances correct, but the push isn't helping my game much. Please help! Will get a DTL coming here a bit once I find my ball...

EDIT: Hang on, working on the video embed...

From my understanding a push is the result of an inside to out swing with the clubface open to the intended target line (but square to the clubhead path).

First thing I notice is that your right hand is very on top of the grip. As far as I know this promotes holding the face open. So if I were you I'd work on rotating the face through impact. Theres a very good video on youtube from an ex-member here dealing with the release: Here

Of course, your handicap is a 6 and I don't even have a real one yet. So take this with a large grain of salt...

A bit of a reverse pivot on your back swing, that could be causing your push/fade.

Your left wrist looks too cupped, I would try and flatten it out at the top of your swing.

Hehehe what did you hit? It made quite a sound!

Haha, sounded like an old guys head to me.

You have a solid swing man. My usual miss is a hard hook, but I tend to push the ball too sometimes. Thats usually a result when my hips don't clear which causes the release to occur later, causing a push. Also, sometimes ill try to compensate for the push by swaying a little to my front side, and so I come across the ball and hit a cut or the hard hook I was talking about, depending on what my stupid hands are doing. When I start hitting a push or a fade, Ill shorten the swing and try to get everything back in unison which includes the hip, shoulder, and weight shift, which will usually get the impact position back to the right place.

Your swing is really smooth and has good tempo. I like it. I honestly can't tell what would be causing it from this view. I'd need to see the view from behind so I can see what you are doing at the top of your swing and your swing plane.

I'll get a DTL and Face-On when I go to the range tomorrow (hopefully).

If not, I'll still get something tomorrow.

Thanks everyone!

You pick the club up pretty fast. Try and lenghten your backswing, you want to see how far away from your head you can keep your hands.

Other than that, it looks pretty good.

I was concerned about that. How much do I want to rotate my hands during that?

The main problem I see is overactive hip and leg action. The lower body out running the upper body and arms can get you in a stuck position, and that can lead to push and push-slice shots like you are reporting.

Look at your hip and lower body action in the screen captures below: Compare that to the less lateral (more rotational) lower body movement of the pros.

i cant believe nobody else saw this one! look at the hands during the first movement of the backswing...they are starting the swing, not the shoulders. doing this is causing all sorts of problems...quick backswing, picking the club up way to fast, possibly closed at the top (which would cause very open at impact). a good drill to fix this.....requires about a 8" piece of 2x4, with one end cut to about a 45º angle. pick a target line, place a ball directly in front of the piece of wood (cut side should be towards the ball, about 1" away), and using an 8 iron, take the club back and make a swing at the ball. the wood should slide straight back very smoothly. if you flip it back, or it flies away very fast, you are using your arms and hands to take away the club. if you do it properly with the shoulders, it should slide very smoothly. good drill that i use at the range all the time!

Check your arms at address. Push them as close together as possible. The pockets of your elbow should face the sky, but it looks like your left elbow's pocket is pointing to the right (and the elbow is pointing straight to the left). At address, the left arm should be straight, and the right arm should be slightly bent. Your right arm looks fully straight.

The reason for this is because you want your arms and hands to act as one unit, almost like one big arm. There should be a feeling of fixed jointness between the arms and wrists.

Another reason for this is because at impact, your left elbow should point directly to your left hip. This sets your hands in a position where they push as one unit, so that the right hand will never overpower the left hand. Right now if you point your left elbow to your left hip at impact your shots will fly straight to the left.

For your push/slice I think Avid Golfer is dead on on the result . But he doesn't tell you the cause. Looks like you have a medium/long iron there, and you are using a less than shoulder width stance (from the heels). I use the stance you are using for my 60 degree wedge... For the 5 iron, have your heels shoulder width apart, wider for the longer clubs and shorter for the shorter clubs.

The reason for a wide stance is this: it lets your shoulders and hips move freely and unbunched. the wide stance lets you manage correct hip turn easily. With a narrow stance you have to be careful with over active hips, but with a wide stance you can move your hips as fast as you can or want.

Plus,I don't see any need also to take the club back that far,Your trying to play catch up with that long back swing.

Avid, that's fantastic what you did!

But now my question is, do I want more shoulder rotation in my downswing or just less hip action?

Alright, here's some new videos. Here's the face-on:



And the DTL:



More comments please! I fixed my grip and weakened it which helped a bit yesterday and I was able to release the club better.