Over the top? (video included)

[I_Like_Turtles]

I am fighting the OTT move as best I can.. I feel like I am coming down in the slot..

http://www.swingacademy.com/SwingAna...ol.aspx?id=572

Can you see if that is what caused this ball to curve to the right.

Or if you see anything else.. Thanks..

[RC_GRAFXS]

In my humble opinion, I see three things that jump out at me right away.

First of try to keep you left foot on the ground watch Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and players like them, you will see they never lift that front foot off the ground. You are picking up that front foot to try in increase the back swing takeaway and I think it is causing you to loose you balance. You want to keep that foot planted so that when you come through and impact the ball you can post on that leg.

The second thing I see is it look like you are taking the club a little bit out side right off the go. Try taking that club straight back this will help you be on the correct swing path then making contact with the golf ball.

Last thing I see is that you are trying to force the issues when moving you hands at the top. In forcing the issue it looks like to me that is causes your hands to loop at top, causing you to swing on an outside-in swing path. You want to let your hands fall or drop from the top of your back swing. This will also help keep you shoulder square to the ball. When you let you shoulders come open you are bound to to one of two things hit a slice or hit a pull.

Let me know if you have any questions. Once the Snow break here I will be posting some video of my swing.

[Doctorfro]

The biggest thing that jumps out to me is your initial swing move. It's definitely outside. This could be because your shoulders are slightly open at address. Try this: after you have setup over the ball, stand straight up and get your shoulders even. Then bend at the waist and drop the club behind the ball and see if you don't feel different than you did at your original address. Also note that your arms don't look level either (this coincides with your shoulders slightly open). If you right arm is higher than your left arm at address, I have found that you will generally take an outside/in path.

I'm no instructor. I have spent hours dissecting my swing, good pro swings and instructional videos and articles. But there's no substitute for experience. Get out on the range and experiment with different setups. The main thing is you're coming over the top and you realize it. Good start.

[JonnyGolf]

The biggest thing that jumps out to me is your initial swing move. It's definitely outside.

That was my thought exactly. I think your takeaway looks fine (my PGA coach recommended an outside takeaway to leave room for an inside swing path), but your first move is a lunge toward the ball with your shoulders.

You have a classic 2 plane swing, so your first move needs to be to drop your right side into the slot. It's literally your right elbow dropping. Look at a pro swing like Davis Love for a great example of the right side dropping into the slot to initiate the swing. Have fun! jg

[Avid Golfer]

I am fighting the OTT move as best I can.. I feel like I am coming down in the slot..

(Comparison to Steve Elkington pictures linked below)

Your setup looks pretty good. What are you aimed at? From what I can tell your hips and feet may be aligned to the right (but that's not a big deal), and you may be a little bit further away from the ball than you could be (once again its not much, and shouldn't be a concern unless you feel like you can't clear your hips and legs well in the downswing, or you feel tension in your arms and shoulders). For comparison if you look at Steve Elkington his arms and hands hang down more under his shoulders, and his club shaft points at his belt (both of which make it slightly easier to take tension out of the arms and shoulders, and to drop the club on a shallower path on the way down). Your shaft plane half way back, and at the top look pretty good. Like RC referred to your front foot can be seen lifting up (its not that big a deal - Jack Nicklaus lifted his heel). Keeping your front heel flat will help make the down swing a little more of an automatic chain reaction, and produce more consistency. If you look at Elkington again you will see that we don't see day light between his legs, and his hips are turned less than yours going back and at the top (once again promoting more of an automatic uncoiling on the way down). Like you and other posters have mentioned the big area of trouble we see is on your downswing. On your swing we see the club shaft coming down steeply between your shoulder and your head. In contrast Elkington drops the club more behind him (it bisects his shoulder, and then his right bicep coming down). There are a number of different thoughts you can try to get the club dropping down behind you. You could think about lifting your left shoulder up, your right elbow dropping to your hip, keeping your back to the target, or holding your right shoulder back as your right hand separates from it. Each of those thoughts/actions could help shallow out the start of your downswing. I don't know what you're thinking on your down/through swing, but it almost looks like you are trying to extend down your target line after impact. It also looks like you may be falling toward the ball coming down, and that you are not turning through the shot. If you look at Elkington again you will see that the club and his arms are swinging around him after impact into a more balanced rotational finish. http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/9...nswingspc8.jpg

[TGMTeacher]

I am fighting the OTT move as best I can.. I feel like I am coming down in the slot..

There are some small things that can be adjusted out but first we need to address your two biggest problems before anything else can be fixed;

1) notice where your right forearm is pointing at address and about 1/4 of the way back. This is good. Now fast forward and look at where your right forearm is pointing hip high in the downswing. It's pointing outside of the white tee marker! That is known as an off-plane right forearm. It brings your hands into impact too high causing an outside-in motion. Notice how high your hands approach the ball compared to address. You want your right forearm tracing the target line from hip high through impact. 2) at address notice the space between your right hip and right elbow. Fast forward to when your hands are hip high in the downswing. Your right elbow and hip are colliding. Not only does this hip motion cause you to swing out and around the collision with your elbow limits the swinging of your arms causing you to throw the clubhead so you can reach the ball for impact. Believe it or not both of these problems are caused by your hip motion. Fix the problem and you kill two birds with one stone. Your downswing is two part and simple. 1) tilt 2) swing. In other words your first move is a slide of the hips towards the target keeping that right hip back. This gives you axis tilt dropping the club on plane and keeps the right hip out of the way. Than all you do is swing the club. It's going to feel odd at first because a change in procedure produces a change in feel. Keep practicing it until you acquire this new feel. Don't be surprised if that fade turns into a draw.

[TourSpoon]

Not bad...

Start with you shoulders square, they look a little open and by squaring them you may start taking the club straight back which will set you up to hit down the line instead of across it. The advice from the top is right on, but I think that if you fix that move back, you will be closer on the way down.

[sonicblue]

Everyone is spot on above, but I'll add one thing. I wish I could show you the frame, but it's the second frame I can get the video to freeze on after impact. Your hips are in a decently open position, as is your torso, but you can see how your hands have flipped HARD, and are almost completely across your midline already. So, your transition is starting with that lunging shoulder move, putting your swing plane outside and your hands too far from your body. If you continued pulling through with a strong shoulder move, you'd be hitting a really crisp fade, but instead your hands are "slapping" across hard. If I was a betting man: usually you can square the club up, though the casting motion reduces your distance and you hit weak leaking fades; however, every so often, you can't hold on and the club keeps closing, and you probably pull-hook the stink out of it.

My advice (may not be unique, necessarily): find a much stronger, balanced position at the top of your backswing. Concentrate on starting the downswing "connected" and keeping that balance. The result should be the club dropping straight down into the slot. From there, keep using the bigger muscles to get through impact and extending the club away from your body AFTER impact.

[limoric]

I think if you just brought the club back instead of straight up, you would flatten your swing out a bit. I had this problem a few years ago, but worse. The pros at my club would just laugh and say, thank good you have a short game.

To bring your club back instead of up, bend your right elbow more at address, this will bring your elbow closer to the ground and inside. Imagine pushing a golf ball back.

The only other thing is you're clearing your hips too late. Imagine your belt buckle pointing to your target on follow through. I also had a problem with this as well...I think they are related.

If you work on those two things, I think the rest will figure itself out.

[mrconsistency]

I am fighting the OTT move as best I can.. I feel like I am coming down in the slot..

Um, keep your foot on the ground. That helps with your balance in the shot. And it looks as though you are falling away from the ball causing the ball to slice as the clubface is open. Keep your head still through the shot and stay on top of the ball. There is nothing wrong about your swing path.

[tm22721]

your first move is a slide of the hips towards the target keeping that right hip back.

That is what Ringer teaches

in this video. Extremely difficult for me to do with a ball. Extremely easy for me to do without a ball. Why ????????????

[zmzman]

A lot of god advice so far…my 2 cents

(1)I feel your set up is a little too bent at the knees and that you’re set up a bit too far from the ball, good spine angle just a little less bend will prevent any “casting” and allow you to make a strong solid descending blow at the ball. I’d like to see you be a little more up right. (think Adam Scott)
(2)Your take away is a slightly to the outside, I’d like to see you bring the club in a little but I really like your head position throughout the back swing.
(3)I think this is where the swing gets a little out of whack so to speak…Your transition is much too quick, you started your back swing out to in and you’re reinforcing that with a quick “reverse lay” out to in swing that is a bit too quick. Outside in on the back swing is ok if you bring it back down on the inside (think Sergio, Furyk)

(4) Here lies the classic problem, your head and hands know what need to happen but they’re just not fast enough to keep up with your body…. This is apparent with your follow through as your leaning back as you finish your swing.

You have a very good swing, your ability to keep you head position throughout the swing and the fact that you’re not over swinging is a very good sign. You just need to work on path and balance. Picture the back of a golf ball that you want to hit. Split it into four quadrants…. At the top of your swing, picture hitting a golf ball off of home plate at Fenway. You want to hit it to right field so you need to hit the ball in the bottom left section of the quadrant right? Make that descending blow at the lower left portion of the ball with a stroke towards right field and hit into the bullpen…you won’t, slice, fade or push…guaranteed! *Guarantees will not be honored

[BASHERBAKER69]

Hi

1-keep your left foot on the ground

2-rotate your body and transfer weight on to your right side on backswing

3-try to develop an in to out motion. When you thing about the swing, think about a clock!

But having said that, the swing isnt that bad...but i don't think you are generating as much power as you should be doing.

bb

[beung]

How for to the right does the ball curve? Are we talking 10yrd or are we talking like 50 yrds?

Your swing isn't al that bad, it's a little upright but there are plenty of people who would take your swing.

But now the bad part:

Not sure if it is the camera angle or what but you look like you are aimed too far to the right and your club face looks like it is closed and aiming to the left.

The problem is that your body and mind are competing with each other. Because your body is misaligned to where your eyes and mind are aiming, your mind will usually always win. Your mind will make your body swing to the line your eyes and mind see. If you were to hit on the line your feet are lined up on your would hit it dead right, it would look like a push but really the ball is just going on the line your feet are on.

So here is what I would try, put some clubs on the ground. One that is behind the ball, on the line you want the ball the travel on, and then one near where your feet would be. Make sure these clubs are parallel with each other. Make some swings and see how that works out for you.

Also what you can do is address the ball as you would normally, then take the club in your hand and place the club on the ground so the both your heels touch the shaft. The step away and see there your feet are lined up vs where your ball is aimed.

As for swing tips, I only have one because like I said before, your swing is pretty good. I would try and keep your arms more connected to your body, especially your right arm. Your left arm is just going to follow where ever the club takes it. Try and keey your right elbow tucked into your body just a little longer during your back swing. This should flatten out your swing a little and keeping your right elbow tucked will give you a reference you can feel, that feeling is going to help you grove a swing that is repeatable. If your arms are floating out in space it's hard to know if they are an inch or a foot away from your body.