My Swing (Amazing Whacker)

I've been Playing Golf for: 3 years

My current handicap index or average score is: +18 (probably)

My typical ball flight is: Low

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Thins, pulls and hooks

Videos:

I few things I noticed looking at your swing... You come way outside at start up (beginning of the backswing).  And your knees look far too flexed at address (don't flex your knees that much).

Try practicing getting to A2 - shaft parallel to the ground on the backswing.  And try looking closer to Graeme McDowell.  The problem I see is that you look like you start your swing by extending that right arm straight (see red lines I drew on your body).  The right arm should have a soft flex/bend to it - and try to keep the right elbow close to the side of your torso in the backswing.  This will help you get the club more inside on the takeaway.

Your left arm should remain straight through the entire swing - even at address.  But the right arm should not become straight until after impact.  You can see that your arms are both straight right as soon as you start your swing.

Clean up your backswing at A2 and then repost a video.  I'll add more once I see you improve on that facet of the swing.

You are right - I have been working a ton on my backswing lately and really don't like 2 things about it.  The first part of the takeaway (to A2) and the laid-off-edness at the top.

Your tip to keep my elbow in to fix that part of the backswing was *money*.  Not only did it fix that but it also fixed my laid-off-edness at the top.  I am amazed.  It is actually not that easy for me to do and I still need to improve at it, of course, but I will keep practicing and feel like this is an awesome, awesome tip.  I also tried to bend my knees less and keep my back straighter.  Thanks!

Wow your backswing looks a lot better! Keep up the good work. I'm also fixing my backswing and I definitely have to focus on it a lot, but it's starting to get more natural.

Good to hear the tip worked for you.  If you don't mind... Please try and turn on the garage light directly above you so that it is easier to see your swing.  I'm guessing that uploading the video to Youtube darkens it a little bit?  But if you can get more light in your garage - it will be a lot easier to see your positions.

From what I can see - your shaft looks pretty dang good at the top - and you bring it back down on plane.  Looks much better - but again, if you can get more light above you - I'll be able to add more constructive criticism.

In the second video your swing looks alot better but try to keep a tempo.  Try to work out that little pause you have in the top and you will be good to go.  Keep a tempo and nice and smooth.

That second swing I posted was kind of a fluke.  I've been trying to repeat it but, so far, can't really do it.  It took all my flexibility to get into that position at the top so I guess I have my work cut out for me.  Most of my swings either don't quite get to the top and/or the club is laid off and/or goes in a slightly wierd path - a bit outside at the start and a bit flat at the top.

I will post an update once I can do it on a regular basis.    Thanks to everybody for the input.

Since Beachcomber's tip to keep my elbow in to fix my backswing to A2, I have been practicing a ton.  I still feel like I need to have my hands closer to the plane line at A2 but I can't seem to get it.

Here is a good, but not totally atypical 6 iron swing for me.  Lighting it tough in my garage but I added another light behind me to brighten it up.  Thanks for any comments or advice.

I've been struggling to get rid of what I call the "outside move" at the beginning of my takeaway.  I have a tendency to lift the club to the outside and turn my hands to the inside.  You can see this pretty huge in the first video I posted.  I've tried a lot of stuff to get it right - but I actually found something that helped by accident.  Around 2 years ago, I was watching a lot of Shawn Clement videos on Youtube.  I was doing his drills - but on my own and without video.  I made some improvement but I didn't really stick with it - going more towards a The Golf Machine style approach.  I still do Shawn's perpetual motion drill to warm up, though.  I saw myself doing this on video and realized -holy crap - that's exactly the backswing I'm trying to create.

It's not easy for me to get to that backswing position from address, but it's very easy if I'm swinging through, back and forth.  So I've been trying to capture that feeling - and also trying just to imitate the position and that has made a pretty huge difference in the feel of my backswing.  I try to feel like I'm dragging the club back in the takeaway - to kind of get my hands in the same position they would be if I was going into the backswing in the perpetual motion drill.  And then I'm also trying to stay very focused on an imaginary target in my mind (since I'm inside) - and trying to (sort of) whip the club at it.  I can actually see the "outside move" get bigger on video when I don't have target focus.  I'm very much working on that, though - I've heard about it since I started playing golf but it's always been so hard for me to understand and do.

I don't know how evident it is in the video - one thing I can definitely see is my hands turning to the inside less.  Also, I've been a lot more consistent as far as mis-hits go.  Here is a 3 iron swing from today.  Sorry about the sucky lighting - the garage windows make it very tough.  I actually have a halogen painting light turned on behind me - which is actually hot and distracting, lol.  I'm going to retool my area for better lighting and also to make face-on videos possible.  Thanks in advance for tips, comments, heckles, etc.

Had another lesson this morning (I've been going to this guy once every few months or so) and he was so stoked about my improvement with the backswing he decided I have graduated to learning the downswing.  I know it was a just a small tip and one I've actually heard before but BeachCombers tip to focus on getting to A2 correctly and keeping my right elbow in was a huge factor in my progress.

Now, it's going to take me *forever* to learn this hand move he wants me to do.  I don't really know how to describe except, if you've ever seen Manzella's video, Never Slice Again . .it's the "putting the club on the movie screen" move.  He had me hitting some nice draws with it, and from the feeling of it, I am sure it's a correct move - but it's going to take some serious time to groove in.

Keep working. You are only taking a lesson ever 3 months. I would total lose what I am working on. I am doing at least 3 a month and on the week I take of I regress. We just started working on the elbow down so a few weeks before down swing starts.

Ya - I work a lot on my own using video.  When I start to make a major change and want an educated set of eyes to look at it - or feel like I'm stuck and can't move forward on what I'm working on - I go in for a lesson.  Thanks for the encouragement - I most definitely will keep working on it - my goal is to become a low single digit player . .someday, of course.