Crazy swing problem has ruined my game.

[=3][/] I've had some good golf up till last November, my handicap was coming down nicely and I was winning competitions within my league then all of a sudden I started shanking my ball so I arranges a lesson with a PGA pro and he showed me on video that I was opening my club face on the backswing so we spent a long time correcting this, BUT! Because I spent a long time watching my backsing I now can not play my backswing without looking at my club head and it's really annoying because I know it's wrong and I am really self conscious of this and try not to do it and now I'm playing rubbish and have also developed a really bad habit. Anyone got ideas or has experienced this. Thanks in advance for all replies.

Mind you im not on of the best players around, or have had experience in giving people instructions but...I had the same type of problem. I would over analyze parts of my swing WAY to much. Though it sounds stupidly simple...just slow your mind down, don't think about whats happening with your head on your back swing. Just be aware of your problem (in a non "crap crap crap, get the head square ASAP" way). You know you normally hit the ball how you would like, so you KNOW you can swing how you want. Just don't think about it so much. I always thought when people told me to "clear your head", they were being as cliche as "keep your head down", but it is quite a huge factor. My game was horrendous in the past. I fixed little parts of my swing, but was still duffing the ball, and getting SUPER slices. With just a tweak or two, and not thinking about it so much in my setup, im hitting the ball better than id ever dreamed. Give it a shot I guess and see if it helps. I know it helped me alot, even when I thought something so simple couldn't mess up my ball striking so dramatically.

Hi and thanks for your reply. What your saying makes so much sense and I will give it a try. I have tied myself up in so many knots that I think I've changed so much about my swing and yet the one thing I've been concentrating on is to moot look at my club. I think I need to go back to basics and also at the same time I will take your advice on trying to clear my mind. Thanks again for your reply.

This video may help.

Hi, thanks for your reply but I can't see the video link.

its there now, thank you.

Been there done that. I worked on my takeaway and worked in a move where my eyes trailed the clubhead going back. Only way to get rid of it is by hitting balls, lots of balls, where you focus on looking at the ball or wherever you want to look. There is really no other way out. You have ingrained a move by practicing something and has to do the same thing again the other way. When it comes to your swing, it's impossible to tell what you should work on first without seeing it.

Hi zeph, I have been doing that but I am struggling with it, how long did it take you to get out of the habit?

Indeed. Ive been hitting almost 500 balls almost daily for the past month. Got my swing in good shape, that is for sure

Not sure, but I did hit a lot of balls. I got a net at home, so I could stand there for hours and hit balls. There was a period where I focused on nothing but where I was looking. In time it started getting ingrained and I could combine the pratice with other swing thoughts. Don't think I have this problem anymore. I'm working a bit on my takeaway at the moment, but never by looking at the club. I use a mirror to find the feeling of when I get it right and then hit balls just by using that feeling. If I'm not sure if it's right, I'll check in the mirror and make adjustments, but never look at the club on the takeaway. I've been down that road before and don't want to do it again.

Zeph is exactly right, you have to un-ingraine that habit by brute force - just get out there and hit tons of balls while keeping your eye directly on the ball.

BTW Zeph, I do exactly the same with a mirror. I will do the takeaway repeatedly with a mirror behind me to look at my position at the top, make adjustments, and capture the feel, and then take that feel to the range. Works nicely.

I had this same problem as a kid.  IMO instructors should never teach their students to follow the club back with their eyes.  It took me a long time to unlearn that and even longer to trust my backswing again.  Golfers need to feel the club in the right spot, not see it there.

My fix was lifting my chin more at address.  Then I concentrated on rotating my shoulder under my chin without losing my focus on the ball.  What's also funny is I found that glance back during the backswing was also a major culprit in the shanks I was hitting.

Despite my HDCP, I'm fortunate to only face a day of shank s about once a year.

I just go back to my basics on setup, stance, and takeaway, and the shanks disappear.

Make sure your shanks aren't triggered by swing thoughts which overemphasize one part of your takeaway. This can disrupt your rhythm and natural flow.