My Swing (Dornenglanz)

[Dornenglanz]

I've been Playing Golf for: 4-5 years

 

My current handicap index or average score is: 41
My typical ball flight is: Straight Fade
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: various mis-hits - duffs / tips / blades

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Videos: 

[Delete this, Embed Videos Here - https://thesandtrap.com/how-to/embed-videos/]

[Dornenglanz]

So... I've been playing for I think about 5 years, but not consistently - with lots of breaks of more than a year between spurts of enthusiasm, or times when work has made it hard for me to play at all.  I got my first handicap last season, and then didn't play much at all.  Since lockdown has cancelled a lot of my business travel, and I now work from home, I'm able to play and practice much more.

When I started, I had some lessons, but I didn't get on with my teacher, and stopped.  Then in browsing the internet came across S&T, which made a lot of sense to me.  I've had four lessons (two each with two instructors).  The first three were probably at least two years ago, if not more.  I had one about 7 weeks ago.

 

I'm now playing 2-3 times a week, and am committed to putting in practice time.  My immediate target is to break 100 repeatedly, and ultimately I'd like to get to an index of 28 or below by the end of the year.

I've just invested in the Arccos Smart Caddie system, so I now have some real data on what is happening when I play, which is proving to be illuminating!

I wouldn't say I have any particular strengths or weaknesses - I'm just bad all over!

I do perceive a number of changes, though, in the last few weeks.  I just started playing with longer clubs - until recently I was playing with only irons - up to 4 or 5I, because I was afraid of missing fairways.  I'm now hitting drivers and woods and hybrids.  I'm missing fairways (I'm hitting 4 or 5 at the moment) but when I do hit fairways I'm advancing the ball.  And I'm hitting woods and hybrids off the fairway, and advancing the ball much further than I was.  I don't have the stats for before, but I sense that when I don't get in trouble - eg hit a duff shot that means I am already at minumum shot off a nGIR, and sometimes more, or hit a shot into rough, under trees, or out of bounds, and again, fighting for double bogey, I'm actually getting to greens and getting pars or bogeys, and putting at 2.4 per hole at present.  Unfortunately the blow-up holes, or trouble holes happen three or four times a round, and cost me 2-3 shots a hole at least, and suddenly I've thrown away 10 or more strokes.

On recent performances I'm hitting around 36, but today was a bad day, and I hit 41.  Reducing those blow-up holes, and I feel like I'm within a shout of breaking 100 regularly.

I'm going to read through the TST instructional section, and come up with a practice plan.  I'll also try to get some video of my swing.

Also my signature says this:

Taylor Made R7 Quad; Callaway Big Bertha 3W; Ping Carsen 4H; Macgreggor V-foil M455 Irons; Taylor Made ATV 50*, 60*, 64*; Odyssey White Hot #1

But that's years out of date, but when I updated my signature in my profile it didn't seem to take effect.

 

 

[iacas]

13 minutes ago, Dornenglanz said:

But that's years out of date, but when I updated my signature in my profile it didn't seem to take effect.

You have to hit "save".

[Dornenglanz]

18 minutes ago, iacas said:

You have to hit "save".

Fixed! Thanks!  My bag looks like a random club picking algorithm was let loose on ebay.  Which isn't far from the truth.

[Dornenglanz]

Actually I'll record my equipment journey for posterity, as it's interesting to look back.

When I started playing I bought a set of Macgreggor V-foil M455 clubs from ebay - with a regular steel shaft.  My friend gave me a Taylor Made Quad driver and a Callaway Big Bertha Steel Head 3W.  I couldn't hit either.  I added a Ping 4H and a Oddessy putter, and some Taylor Made ATV wedges (60 and 64, and then a 50).  I used this lot for a while until my son got too big for his junior clubs, so I gave him my irons, and bought myself a set of Cobra F-Max irons.  I bought my son a Taylor Made Burner and 3W American Golf, gave him my 4H, and then bought myself a matching Cobra F-Max Driver, 3W, 5W, 4H.  I kept the 60 and 64 in my bag.  I quite liked the Irons, but couldn't get on with the 4H up to the driver, so stopped using them.

Then for a random reason I bought a set of Nike VR Forged Pro Combo irons.... because I wanted to make the game a bit harder, right?  Actually I got on with them - they didn't flatter me when I hit a bad shot, and when I hit a good shot, they felt amazing.

And then, at the club shop, there was a barely used set of Callaway Razr irons, with graphite shafts, for almost nothing.  I borrowed them, liked how they felt, and started to use them.  I liked them enough to give my Cobra irons to my son.

Then, at my lesson about 7 weeks ago, I took a Nike, a Callaway, a MacGreggor, and a Cobra... and asked him which he preferred.  He said he didn't like the Callaway or the Nike, but that either the Macgreggor or the Cobra were ideal.  So, I had the MacGreggors regripped, and used them for a few weeks.  They're heavy, and clunky, but with a semi-decent hit they go in the air.  But they feel a bit industrial, and they are very heavy.

This week, after I had a revelation at the range about how well I hit the ball with a smoother, slower swing, I decided to try the Callaways again, and they feel ok.

Now, I mentioned, until very recently, I hadn't played with anything above a 5I or 4I.  But reading LSW and thinking about it, I realised I need to knuckled down and get over my fear of the longer clubs.

I long since sold the old Quad driver, and having given the whole Cobra set to my son, I tried his old Burner driver (with an inch cut off the shaft).  I seemed to hit it ok at the range, so that went in the bag.  I also took the 4H out for a round, and hit it well, so that went in too, and I dropped the 4H.  I then took the old 3W and the Cobra 5W to the range, and then to the course just before sunset, and hit a few dozen balls.  The results were good enough to persevere, so I played a round with them, and hit them reasonably well.  I asked my son if I could "borrow" the 3W and 5W and he said of course, since he rarely plays and doesn't really care what he uses.  So they've crept back into the bag.  Finally I decided I'd try a 6H since i was hitting the 4H well, and picked one up from ebay.  I've been really pleased with it - it's solid for a ~150 tee shot, I can use it for bump and run shots, and I hit it straight - definitely feels like a keeper, and more reliable than my 6I.

So, the bag contains the old cut down driver, which I'm hitting about 190 yards.  The Cobra 3W and 5W, which I'm hitting 185 and 165 respectively (based on Arccoss), then the original Ping 4H, the new Ping 6H, the Callaway 7,8,9,P, and the ATVs at 52, 56, 60, 64.

I might try the Macgreggors again, and maybe the Cobra Irons.  The Ping Hybrids are keepers, and I wonder if I ought to try the Cobra Driver.

To be clear: I'm not thinking that clubs are a fix... and I'm not taken in by marketing toss.  I'm sure anything would do to get me where I want to get, but with a range open to me, I feel a bit unsure which way to go.

I also had an improptu "fitting" at American Golf at the weekend... at which I found I hit best with a very light graphite shaft, with a swing speed with a 7I of about 65-70 mph.  I had "orange" clubs and a standard length shaft.  Since I really like the Ping Hybrids, I might just shell out for a full Ping set, and be done with it.

Open to recommendations.

[Dornenglanz]

So I spent yesterday morning watching through the video content on key 1 - steady head.  I did a bunch of slow practice swings in front of a mirror, to A3, watching my shoulder and hip and head.  I'll try to get some video on this, but at present I'd say I get good shoulder and hip rotation on the backswing, and my head stays pretty still.

I did the "coke bottle" drill, albeit without hitting a ball, but with shadow swings, and my focus stayed on the front of the bottle.

I also watched the first of the covid training plan to validate my setup.  My grip is as described - in fact from day one I learned to take my grip in the air, and check I can support the club with my index finger and heel pad.  I noticed my setup tends to be a good inch or more space than a thumbs up from my belt.  And my trail arm is definitely not soft - it's straight and tense!

I went onto the left hand and right hand hinges, and again, they feel pretty ok.

I then played the front nine, with my partner as supporter / caddie / cameraperson.  She managed to take some videos of various swings.  Here is the first!

I then loaded it into Analyzr and had a play.  I'm a bit slow at using it, but I plan to write up my observations, but first things first, here we are, in all its horror.

Have a guess what happened to this shot?

 

[iacas]

You appear to have popped it up.

The Key #2 stuff might be more important right now for you.

[Dornenglanz]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

You appear to have popped it up.

The Key #2 stuff might be more important right now for you.

 

Yep - so when I looked at the videos, the weight massively back was a common feature.  I'll process and upload what I have.  I think I also need to train my partner to be more face on (we did some down the line ones too).

When I had my lessson a couple of months ago, my teacher said he thinks I lean pack and heave up because my swing is steeply down, and if I didn't, I'd bury the ball in the ground, so I sway back, delofting the club, opening the face, and spraying the ball short and wide.

 

I'll have a look through the key 2 material and make a plan.

 

 

[Dornenglanz]

Here are some more footage from Tuesday:

1) 5W tee shot, hole 4, 180 yard par 3...

 

See the club head tracing a steep path on the backswing:

 

And at A5, look how far "out" my hands are, and how steep the club is.

Now at A6 - clearly the club is massively over the top of the hands plane:

 

This picture shows me at the top of the backswing - the blue circles mark the club path on the downswing:

Here are some more examples:

and

and

and

and

 

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, Dornenglanz said:

Here are some more footage from Tuesday:

1) 5W tee shot, hole 4, 180 yard par 3...

 

See the club head tracing a steep path on the backswing:

 

And at A5, look how far "out" my hands are, and how steep the club is.

Now at A6 - clearly the club is massively over the top of the hands plane:

 

This picture shows me at the top of the backswing - the blue circles mark the club path on the downswing:

Here are some more examples:

and

and

and

and

 

You are swinging pretty flat. At the top, A4, your arms are below your shoulders.

Here is Rory.

With the flat takeaway, it is harder to get your right elbow in front of your shirt seam (or side of torso). It basically gets stuck behind you and the only way to get to the ball is to throw the club head at the ball. That is part of the OTT issue.

Try taking the backswing higher. Think “high hands” and do backswing drills slowly. Erik discusses it in Day 2, shoulder pitch.

 

[Dornenglanz]

Quote

Try taking the backswing higher. Think “high hands” and do backswing drills slowly. Erik discusses it in Day 2, shoulder pitch.

Brilliant - I was literally just starting to look at that exact video, and I'm heading to the range this afternoon for some practice.  Will report back with footage and feedback.

[iacas]

You've got your work cut out for you. Make swings a foot off the ground trying to swing higher up and back and then out to the right.

[Dornenglanz]

12 minutes ago, iacas said:

Make swings a foot off the ground trying to swing higher up and back and then out to the right.

Sorry for asking dumb questions, but I have no shame 😉 Can I just clarify what you mean here?

"a foot off the ground" -- I take this to mean imagine the ball is on a 12 inch high tee

"higher up" -- relative to what? I think you mean start the swing hovering 12 inches above the ground, but I am not sure what higher up means - relatively higher than the backswing?

"and then out to the right -- I think I understand out to the right - I can imagine that by thinking of the vision track thing.  But "and then" suggests that there was a preliminary swing that wasn't out to the right.  Do you mean first swing straight along the target line, like croquet?

Again - sorry for not quite understanding, but I figure better to ask the questions than get it wrong, or suffer in silence!

[iacas]

• Hover your club a foot off the ground.
• Swing back, taking your hands higher up (left shoulder down, right shoulder up, hands go back and up).
• Swing down and out to the right.

[Dornenglanz]

I tried the aeroplane wings drill:

I found this incredibly hard... my coordination and balance are all over the place.  Very revealing, and... humbling 😕

[iacas]

You're doing that wrong. You don't have to go from horizontal to vertical.

You just set up at 35° or so of forward tilt and then turn so your arms are perpendicular to that.

[boogielicious]

13 minutes ago, Dornenglanz said:

I tried the aeroplane wings drill:

I found this incredibly hard... my coordination and balance are all over the place.  Very revealing, and... humbling 😕

Do it like the Day 2 video. Try in front of a mirror too.

[Dornenglanz]

Pretty sure I misunderstood this, when I compare:

 

I'll try again.