Please critique my swing thoughts

**plugged** · November 5, 2009

Bolded items are those I am concentrating on.

And, BTW, I'm a lefty (should be obvious).

Setup
1.Arms drop straight down
2.Shaft pointed at belly-button
3.Slight bend of knees
4.Small of back pulled up (in tension)
5. Weight slightly forward and slightly on left foot (60/40 left to right)
6.Elbows turned in (not severely)
7.Grip neutral to strong

Back Swing
8.Rotate (not shift) hips
9.Grip doesn’t change throughout swing
10.Clubhead toe points up when shaft is horizontal
11.Right arm remains straight
12.Upper left arm never raises above horizontal
13.Right knee flexes in and forward
14.Weight shifts slightly to left foot during backswing
15. Head remains almost perfectly still during swing
16. Complete rotation
17. Right shoulder (not right upper arm) down below chin to achieve proper swing plane

Return Swing
18.Return swing begins with weight shift to right foot and hip “bump” to the right
19. Tuck left upper arm into body to promote inside-out swing
20. Wrist release should begin when shaft returns to horizontal
21.Head remains down (and still)
22. Clubhead should “gouge”, not sweep
23.Left foot ends up on toe
24.Body is turned towards target
25. Wrists turned over

**Clambake** · November 5, 2009

I believe there is a direct correlation of number of swing thoughts to handicap, and with 25 thoughts (25!!!) you're almost a 1:1 ratio. A scratch player may have 1 swing thought, and the pros often don't have one - they just focus on the shot shape they want, not all the mechanics to pull it off. If you're working through all of these thoughts (even just the ones you bolded) it's a minor miracle you can hit the ball at all! I think you're making this way too complicated.....

**Golf'nBiker** · November 5, 2009

Don't want to sound critical, but I tend to agree w/CLAM. Way too much. Now, when I'm in a other than perfest lie, severe uphill or downhill, I do think a bit more about mechanics, or perhaps a chip...how hard to hit to land it where I need it/want it to. The rest should and will come naturally with time. Hang in there.

**dozu** · November 5, 2009

dude you are making this so complicated.

try this - go to an open field, make sure nobody around... see if you can toss the club far and high down the target line.... now, put a ball there, repeat the same motion but don't let go the club.

you have a perfect golf swing.

Wayne Hudler · November 5, 2009

While on the range you may find your list very beneficial, particularly when working on a specific swing flaw.

But if you take those thoughts to the course, I think you're seriously over thinking. A long held golf axiom is to "relax". I believe in it.

How can one be relaxed (both physically and mentally) and at the same time checking a list of swing thoughts?

**plugged** · November 5, 2009

Maybe I should have clarified. Most of these are ingrained in my mind at this point (in fact, everything that is not bolded is almost muscle memory). Even the bolded items I don't try to focus on for every shot - I usually hit a few shots, think about what I did, and then refer to this list to see if I am not following one of them. If I spot something I either forgot or am not emphasizing enough, I focus on that one thought only for the next 30-50 swings until I feel comfortable that particular part of my swing.

This is more of a general question: do you see anything in this list that should come out, or that I should modify?

**plugged** · November 5, 2009

And, BTW, I haven't updated my HC lately and have no intention of doing so until I can get in some rounds of golf on a routine basis (too cold now). I have only played once in the last six weeks and shot an 81 then.

**Clambake** · November 6, 2009

Maybe you should add these.....

**plugged** · November 6, 2009

Well, I am an engineer.

**FortAsel** · November 6, 2009

Bolded items are those I am concentrating on.

Setup 2) Wrong, unless the toe of the club is sligtly of the ground. Usualy, it sould point at the beltbuckle. 5) Weight should be EXACTLY on the middle of the feet. Plus, you should only put more weight on your back foot if you are playing a driver, to help to hit up on the ball. Otherwise you won't be able to hit down and through the ball, compressing it. Backsing 10) Club face should match your spine angle. Follow through Your head must not stay down through your follow through. It should and must do what is natural. Take Double D: his head looks ahead to the target before he even hits the golf ball. Doing what is natural helps (alot) your rythm. Other than that, I think it's pretty PAR'fect

**wedge player** · November 6, 2009

you have to many!!!!!!i have like 2-3 swing thoughts

**denver_nuggs_15** · November 6, 2009

You should think about your swing when you're practicing, not when you're playing. It should be muscle memory when you're swinging. Think of other sports: you'd never think about keeping your elbow in when you're shooting a jumper in the game...you just do it.

**plugged** · November 7, 2009

Setup 2) Wrong, unless the toe of the club is sligtly of the ground. Usualy, it sould point at the beltbuckle.

You're right, I went back and set up with an iron and the shaft does point at my belt buckle.

5) Weight should be EXACTLY on the middle of the feet. Plus, you should only put more weight on your back foot if you are playing a driver, to help to hit up on the ball. Otherwise you won't be able to hit down and through the ball, compressing it.

That's interesting because I have been told by instructors at the Butch Harmon School to have my weight slightly forward during setup. I'll do more research on this.

10) Club face should match your spine angle.

Not sure what this means. I do know that the toe should be up.

our head must not stay down through your follow through. It should and must do what is natural. Take Double D: his head looks ahead to the target before he even hits the golf ball. Doing what is natural helps (alot) your rythm.

I probably didn't describe what I was thinking here. This was more a reminder not to lift up during the downswing.

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