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My Swing (baw1)


march11934
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On video 2. Try freezing at the 11th second. Please understand I'm not criticizing. Do you see how your folding over your left side. I think your trying to generate power but you're not. You're loosing tension. You should be building tension on your right side but balanced on your right leg. Instead your spine is folding over. You then have to unravel back over to get the club head back to path. Its not a clean path back to the ball.

Try keeping your left arm straighter one th back swing and all the way through the forward swing. This will give you a better chance of clean contact with the ball. One less variable coming back to the spot the club has to get to. You're folding your arm to increase the amount of backswing you're creating but in actuality you're not. Keep it straight if you can. Let your wrist create some hinge. It will create some lag and increase speed through the swing.

Fire with your hips. Notice how your shoulders and hips are facing the same angles almost all the way through the swing. When you get to your set on your backswing your hips should fire. That is where the left knee is a trigger. The knee thaws out a little. The hips follow and the upper body then gets pulled through. Your hips are what should move forward. Your head stays back and you end up with the reverse C finish.

At impact try to imagine your left leg, left arm and club all lined up. From the front view like you filmed if you froze the screen at impact all three should be lined up with your hips open and forward.

I hope you find this helpful.

Regards.

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On video 2. Try freezing at the 11th second. Please understand I'm not criticizing. Do you see how your folding over your left side. I think your trying to generate power but you're not. You're loosing tension. You should be building tension on your right side but balanced on your right leg. Instead your spine is folding over. You then have to unravel back over to get the club head back to path. Its not a clean path back to the ball.

Thanks for your analysis March11934. I am not aware of this "folding over" at all. I am simply trying to execute my backswing. Just to be clear though, there needs to be some inner rightward bend of the left knee (as is shown in the Ben Hogan video). Correct? Are you referring to the fact that my left body shifts right as well though?

Try keeping your left arm straighter one th back swing and all the way through the forward swing. This will give you a better chance of clean contact with the ball. One less variable coming back to the spot the club has to get to. You're folding your arm to increase the amount of backswing you're creating but in actuality you're not. Keep it straight if you can. Let your wrist create some hinge. It will create some lag and increase speed through the swing.

Will do at next practice session. I believe I actually had a straighter arm at one point. I was too upright though and in the process of trying to flatten out more, I think left arm became not as straight.. I do notice that when I get proper hinge and pause at the top, I hit much better shots.

Fire with your hips. Notice how your shoulders and hips are facing the same angles almost all the way through the swing. When you get to your set on your backswing your hips should fire. That is where the left knee is a trigger. The knee thaws out a little. The hips follow and the upper body then gets pulled through. Your hips are what should move forward. Your head stays back and you end up with the reverse C finish.

:) Well, it feels like I am doing the hip fire, but I know that will require much more practice to get better at. Of course if my arms and backswing are flawed than everything else is probably going to be broken too...

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I've been Playing Golf for: 4 months

My current handicap index or average score is: ~35 handicap

My typical ball flight is: not quite established yet

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Driver is weak spot


Ok, I have posted 2 videos below. They are taken indoors with rubber balls and shooting at a net about 12-feet away, but I think these should suffice. When I say good or bad below, I am referring to how it felt coming off the club, the sound of the ball at impact with the bulls-eye (assuming it hits the bulls-eye), and the potential trajectory/distance perceived.. Fire away.

This is in reference to the following thread:

http://thesandtrap.com/t/71638/newbie-driver-problems/18

video #1: Driver, 2 shots. 1st shot is bad. 2nd shot is much better.

video #2: 3-Wood. Decent shot

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Key #1 stuff to help get the weight more forward at impact.  Hips slide back on the backswing making it hard to get the weight forward.  Red line was drawn on left hip at address.

Here's what I recommend.

Turn both feet out, will help with the pivot.

And feel like the left shoulder, left hip, left knee go down on the backswing

Notice how level your shoulders are, can't keep the head or hips steady.  Makes it very hard to then get the weight forward at impact.  Wouldn't worry about the left arm straighter or anything like that, fix the cause not the effect.

This video will also help

Mike McLoughlin

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Are the heels of your shoes hanging off the back of the mat? It's not your fault but that will cause some serious issues, not sure mvmac noticed this so that's why I brought it up.

Rich C.

Driver Titleist 915 D3  9.5*
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Thanks for your feedback mvmac. I think I am over compensating now on my backswing in anticipation of the weight-shift/downswing. However, as you and March pointed out, I am actually losing power, tension, stability.. If I am following the recommendation/s, I need to stay put as much as physically possible, keeping head stationary as well. The backswing should be all (or mostly) shoulders/back (not lower body/hip) rotating on center of axis (spine). That's where the tension/coil come from. Then, at set point, initiate hip slide/rotation/bump for weight transfer and downswing. Is this about right??

I will focus more on proper backswing at my next session (keeping in mind the tip to lower left shoulder..as I rotate back). If my backswing is wrong then my weight transfer & downswing will never be right. With the driver, I think I have to be conscious of not rotating too upright though (been down that path).

By the way, what do you think of her swing? I came across this and was blown away..

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Are the heels of your shoes hanging off the back of the mat? It's not your fault but that will cause some serious issues, not sure mvmac noticed this so that's why I brought it up.


:-) Yes, unfortunately on this particular practice area, the mat is not quite long enough (I think). I practice at a couple of domes as well and outside of course when its warmer. Same swing pretty much everywhere. I will see if I can extend the mat or even go without it to eliminate any balance issues...

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Thanks for your feedback mvmac. I think I am over compensating now on my backswing in anticipation of the weight-shift/downswing. However, as you and March pointed out, I am actually losing power, tension, stability.. If I am following the recommendation/s, I need to stay put as much as physically possible, keeping head stationary as well. The backswing should be all (or mostly) shoulders/back (not lower body/hip) rotating on center of axis (spine). That's where the tension/coil come from. Then, at set point, initiate hip slide/rotation/bump for weight transfer and downswing. Is this about right??

I will focus more on proper backswing at my next session (keeping in mind the tip to lower left shoulder..as I rotate back). If my backswing is wrong then my weight transfer & downswing will never be right. With the driver, I think I have to be conscious of not rotating too upright though (been down that path).

Yeah you have no "tension" because you turn level to the ground.  I would disagree that you should have no hips on the backswing, lower body is very important.

The head being steady, not stationary, is a result of a good pivot, so focus on the left shoulder, left hip, left knee going "down", right side stretching up and the head being steady will take care of itself.

By the way, what do you think of her swing? I came across this and was blown away..

Kind of your standard LPGA swing, hips spin, not much transfer, left knee straighten too soon.

Mike McLoughlin

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Quote:
focus on the left shoulder, left hip, left knee going "down", right side stretching up and the head being steady will take care of itself.

I spent a couple hours today shooting at the net again. I tried to incorporate the above, but struggled quite a bit with it. Most of my shots (when contact was made) were skyballs. Body posture/positions didn't feel right(or comfortable either). I alternated between a a 6-iron and a driver. I was still "folding in" on my left side so that's part of the problem.

However, I tried something with the driver that may be a small breakthrough for me. I did a very simple backswing (extend arms/club to parallel with ground and in line with body/target and then wrist hinge up...  "L shape"). At the same time my swing thought was to resist folding in on left side and offer resistance to backswing motion. I felt some tension there and when I proceeded with weight-shift and downswing, it felt like the power was coming more from body. Don't know how far the ball would have traveled or if it would have sliced (hitting into net), but it sounded pretty good.

Video below:

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Yeah better, don't forget to turn both those feet out, will allow the knees to be a little "bowed" out so the left knee doesn't "fold in".

Mike McLoughlin

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Yeah better, don't forget to turn both those feet out, will allow the knees to be a little "bowed" out so the left knee doesn't "fold in".


Ok, thanks. When I was hitting today, I tried hard not to move my lower body, offering resistance as I rotated back with my upper body. However, I found it hard to go very far back and also felt some body/back pain. However, I was making a conscious effort NOT to move my knees. After looking at some more swings online and re-reading this thread, it seems that I may have misunderstood a bit and it's in fact ok (and necessary) to move left knee downward. Is this correct? Just need to make sure not to fold it inward though?

When I move the knee downward during the backswing it feels better and I seem to be able to go back further with the rotation. I guess the key though is not to go too far down as this will not provide proper tension (once again)? Am I on right track here?

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I was making a conscious effort NOT to move my knees. After looking at some more swings online and re-reading this thread, it seems that I may have misunderstood a bit and it's in fact ok (and necessary) to move left knee downward. Is this correct? Just need to make sure not to fold it inward though?

When I move the knee downward during the backswing it feels better and I seem to be able to go back further with the rotation. I guess the key though is not to go too far down as this will not provide proper tension (once again)? Am I on right track here?

Yeah don't do that lol  Yes the left knee moves down and inward.  Since you've already got the inward portion, too much of it, you should only focus on feeling the downward part.  Yes, the knees changing flex allows the hips to turn and turn on a slant.

Mike McLoughlin

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  • 1 month later...

I decided to get some more structured one-on-one sessions and signed up at GolfTec. My swing flaws were identified immediatly with the slow motion cameras and sensors/software. I really thought my swing was much better than it was, but after seeing it in slow motion, I realized my fundamentals were way off. We sorta went back to the basics and rebuilt the stance, grip, backswing, and downsing.

Right now I am focusing hard on transition/forward-weight-transfer and inside-to-out path. Being able to practice with immediate camera replays in slow motion helps me stay on task.

Here is my latest 6-iron:

Latest Driver (no ball):

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Right now I am focusing hard on transition/forward-weight-transfer and inside-to-out path. Being able to practice with immediate camera replays in slow motion helps me stay on task.

Looks better, nice work

Mike McLoughlin

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You were right to get some hands on instruction.It's interesting how we perceive our own swings thinking we are doing what pros are doing.With regards to your left knee and hip on the takeaway,compare it to Tigers.Tiger's don't dip,look how level they stay.

"There is no reason to listen to me. I am merely voicing my opinion on certain aspects of golf mechanics that I have experimented with along with others I have read about and watched." - freedrop, on himself [Source]

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You were right to get some hands on instruction.It's interesting how we perceive our own swings thinking we are doing what pros are doing.With regards to your left knee and hip on the takeaway,compare it to Tigers.Tiger's don't dip,look how level they stay.

Tiger's hips don't stay level in the backswing, nor can you accurately measure hip slants in a face-on view (or, arguably any camera view, but some make it more obvious than others).

Look at Grant Waite's hips from the four views in the SwingCatalyst videos.

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Thanks Mike and everyone else for their feedback. I really appreciate it. Its nice to know that I am on a better path now (no pun intended :) ).

As far as the knee/hip action in the takeaway, I found that to be very helpful for me to get into proper position at the top. The swing thought/s being to come "down" on my left side (knee/shoulder) as I rotate backwards to the top. Perhaps I am over doing it at this point though.

As far as Tiger's swing (nice music btw), it seems that he elevates vertically quite a bit (just before impact, ~0:39 in video), which according to my current understanding, is not the best mechanics.

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Note: This thread is 3693 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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