My Swing (philcski)

I've been Playing Golf for: 26 years

My current handicap index or average score is: 3.0

My typical ball flight is: low, straight

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: not compressing the ball enough aka fan to the right

Videos:

So my focus this year has been to try and get the club out in front of me and more upright, which fixes the club getting "stuck" behind and inside. I think I'm making good progress on that but still could use some input on what to get to next. I have been without an instructor for about 2 years now.

Might be projecting, because I'm also a tall guy with similar tendencies, but to me you are carrying your hands too low at address. This is often a product of what you mention -- trying really hard to keep the club head "out" and in front going back. The more you want to do that, the more you tend to push your hands down at setup to create that big angle between the arms and shaft (left side of picture). Problem is you also tend to end up really cramped in the downswing -- look how your hands are actually brushing against your pant leg through impact -- with a tendency to be both steep (low ball flight) and to still have a left club path (cuts).

You've got a great swing and obviously own it if you play to a +3, but I've got a suggestion if you'd like to take it.

Your posture is way to bent over if you know what I mean. My posture a month ago looked very similar to yours (maybe my back being even closer to being parallel to the ground..) and I had huge trouble with my swing. Check out Louis Oosthuizen's address position (has arguably the best swing on tour) and notice how much more upright he is than you. Don't quote me on it, but I was told that it gets the hips much more involved in the swing (which generates power) and I've been hitting the ball beautifully in the past few weeks from when I switched it.

And disregard the lines for plane on the pic, it's the only one I could find

Great points guys. All things I've thought about trying to improve on, in fact the brushing the leg thing was a lot worse a few years ago where I actually would occasionally brush my leg on the downswing. At least now there's some space at impact. It's a fault I think due to being taught the Ben Hogan method of keeping the upper arms very tight to the body... which I think is probably more effective for someone of his build (short, shortish arms) vs someone like mine (tall, long arms).

So I'm gonna work on standing a little taller, getting the hands a bit farther away at address, which should increase the shaft/arm angle to the mid 140's from the current 137 degrees.

Louie O would be an ideal model for the modern golf swing IMO. Efficiency in motion.

PS... I only wish I was a +3. You meant a "regular" 3. I only know a few amateurs that have legitimate + handicaps, and I know a lot of golfers!

Haha, my mistake. But definitely post a progress photo or video once you've made a few changes and see how you're responding to them. Good luck with the swing

Put some work in today in the ridiculous cold. Tried to get a little more upright at address and reduce the angle between clubshaft and arms. Hitting it really good.

Best way to force yourself stand more upright is to move closer to the ball.

Making good progress (in short time!) with the tweaks I want and suggested here. Standing up taller reduced the angle between the arms and clubshaft, and getting the hands away from the body has made it easier to be more upright. Next steps I want to work on is setting the angle a little earlier and slightly less shoulder turn. Also need to reduce hip turn but I think some of that is the cold weather causing me not to be flexible enough to create hip/shoulder differential. Great help guys, keep it coming. Haven't felt this good about my game in a long time.

Posture definitely looks better!

Your arms could travel a little less far in the backswing, but please don't try and limit your hip turn. I'd think about the downswing next -- trying to get your hips moving more towards the target and less towards the golf ball. You have quite a bit of early extension, with the associated loss of posture.

Check this out, another member here who has some of the same things going on working with a really good instructor.

So I started working with one of the best instructors in Kentucky about a month ago and we have been working on some stuff. Really pleased with the progress. Scores haven't improved much but that's more due to lack of playing thanks to the lovely summer we have been having (i.e., every time I try to play it rains.) The two key points we are stressing is keeping the right heel down longer and keeping the width in the swing despite trying to steepen the angle of attack.

Didn't name him because I didn't know if that was OK, but he's Cory Kaufman out of Oxmoor CC in Louisville and he has an absolute STABLE of juniors that are tearing up the junior ranks. We both felt like the player that I could most match in terms of swing and body style was Justin Rose so he has been the model. As for the current work, we are trying to get the feeling of the club being pushed away from the body at the top without letting the right elbow chicken wing. It requires a lot of tricep strength that I didn't have that I have been working out to improve. As far as the heel staying down, it's a conscious thought during practice, almost feeling like there's gum stuck to my heel.

Comparison pictures: