My Swing (Golfingdad)

I've been Playing Golf for: 25 years

My current handicap index or average score is: 9

My typical ball flight is: In flux.  For the longest time, it had been a fade.  After seeing myself on video for the first time within the last year or so and doing some tinkering, I have seen myself hit some draws for the first time.

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: A straight push.  It's pretty consistent to the point of being playable, but I still want to fix it.

I would like to call these my "before" videos.  I started taking lessons through Evolvr about 5 or so weeks ago, and have a couple of setup issues and a couple of swing issues I am currently working on.  Setup-wise, I am trying not to hunch over so much and keep my weight spread evenly and not so much out over the toes.  During the swing I am trying to keep my head from coming away from the ball during the downswing, as well as trying to rotate my hips more.  Currently I am more prone to slide them too much "towards right field" helping to cause my path to go to the right and thus produce the push.

Have at it.

Videos:

GD, finally - you got a swing thread started!

You're going to improve a lot just by seeing your swing on video - and getting some of the geometries modded, which will in-turn put you in a better position for the downswing and through impact.

The first thing that I see that I would tweak in your swing is how you fold your right arm in the back swing.  If you can get that right elbow/arm fold properly - it really improves your chances of having the club return on plane, and in an ideal path for impact.  The right hand - needs to feel like it is pulling the left arm straight.  Check this video out.

Yeah, it took me long enough huh?  My thoughts are to try and do as you do ... keep it as sort of a journal of my progress.  But you are definitely right about how much I can improve just by seeing myself on video ... it' a real eye opener.

Thanks for the video too.  No doubt my right arm/elbow is going places it probably shouldn't.  I'll fiddle around with it next time I'm on the range.

These are a couple from a range session this morning.  My main issues lately have been trying to keep my head "on the wall,"  turn my hips open on the downswing instead of just sliding out to the right, and trying to get a straight left leg at impact.  Even just having 3 little things at the same time gets to be a lot swirling around in my head, so today I was concentrating solely on the hip rotation.  I don't know if the hips are rotating properly, but I was striking the ball pretty well, so I must be doing something better.

These are both 7 irons:

Thanks for taking the time to analyze these.  I appreciate it.

Yeah I know, the toe should be pointing at the sky at A2, huh?  I started doing that a few months ago, because when I took it back correctly, I just wasn't hitting it solidly ... certainly due to a myriad of other mistakes I'm making between that point and impact.  (Or maybe it is simply the grip?)

It's also funny that you mention my strong grip, because that is another thing that surprised me when I looked at myself on video for the first time.  I had always thought that I had a pretty neutral grip.  Another thing I will be experimenting with now.

The other biggest surprise was my ball position in the face on views.  If you look at my first video, which is a 6 iron, the ball is right in the middle, if not a little behind the middle of my stance.  I have already started to try and correct that, as you can see with this last video, its maybe an inch or so forward of center (with a 7 iron).  What makes it hard is that it always looked - to my eye standing over the ball - like it was further forward than center.  You would think that with my feet as a reference point, this would be a no-brainer.  Guess not.  (Maybe for some of us, Erik always says "Feel isn't real", maybe he needs a new axiom for some of us ... "Sight ain't right.")

Hopefully, one at a time, I will be correcting all of these issues, such that I can keep up with you out on the course.

I noticed the camera position immediately, which is why I re-shot the videos from further back for my Evolvr submission.

Oh, and hopefully soon any doubt that I have that some of my problems might be caused by ill-fitting equipment should be erased because I'm finally going to get new irons/wedges.  I have a fitting scheduled this week at a place that does them outdoors on a range and uses Trackman ... and I am pretty darn excited about it.

Sick!  You going to Cool Clubs or the Golf Fix or what?

I've been using this handy dandy reference for positions...  This is Mac O'Grady.  I'll put up another picture with you versus Grant at A2 with an iron.

Cool clubs.  Friday afternoon, Oak Creek driving range.  I am a teeny bit excited about this too.  (Just a teeny bit)

And thanks for the Mac O Grady swing sequence.  Reminds me of the old Golf Digest spread (86-ish?) showing him swinging right and left handed.

This is what I was talking about...

Here are a few drills for you to try...

Yes, that is exactly what I thought you were talking about.  It's really easy for me to get in that position, but for some reason, it feels so contrived and un-natural.  I'm really wondering if it's something as simple as my grip, like you said.

Thanks for the drills ... I will give those a shot at the range next time (hopefully tomorrow).

I think you got a good swing that you can definitely build on, one thing I noticed wich may or may not be a problem is you pull or fall away from impact from the behind views, but like I said that may not be an issue, keep goin man.

Thanks for the visual, Erik.  I guess I don't need to worry about it. (And I shant)

Thanks onesome.  And you are absolutely right.  One of the first things my instructor noticed, and has me working on, is keeping my head "on the wall" through impact.  That one is hard to do, because even if it's the only thing I'm thinking about when I'm swinging, it feels like like I'm not moving my head at all ... then I go watch the video and it's all over the place.  I got a lot of work ahead of me, but it's going to be fun!

Since I'm (apparently) computer illiterate, it took me a bajillion hours to figure out how to take this stupid screenshot.

I went for a fitting on Friday for new irons/wedges and got to experience Trackman for the first time.  (As sophisticated a machine as it is, I was expecting more than a little orange shoebox.)  The fitter started off by measuring the specs of my current 6 iron, and having me hit a few shots with it.  Then he picked out a few shafts and club heads that he thought would work for my swing.  (No blades, I hit the ball too low!)  He had a hunch I would end up in the Adams CMB, but also had me try the Mizuno 53's and 59's.  The Adams were OK, the 53's pretty good, but for whatever reason, I was not comfortable with the 59's.

Finally, I tried out the i20's and, bingo.  I loved the way these felt and looked.  (Surprising too, because going in I thought I wanted/would get 59's or AP2's ... never thought I'd like Ping's)  Then we also tried the i20's with a NS Pro shaft, but they weren't the same.  Ended up ordering a set of i20's with KBS Tour 120's  4-PW, as well as a couple of their new Tour wedges (wide sole, high bounce, thanks to my steep swing).

Now my current clubs look like junk and I don't know that I can wait a week or two for the new clubs to arrive!

EDIT:  My computer illiteracy is proven, because even though the screenshot of the trackman results appeared in my text window, it dissappeared when I hit post.  Oh well.