rockin out?

[ipseity]

hey guys.. this question is for my little brother... He has a problem where he rocks to his heels during his downswing... how can i help him without him feeling like im yellin at him? some family members tend to do that...

[iacas]

hey guys.. this question is for my little brother... He has a problem where he rocks to his heels during his downswing... how can i help him without him feeling like im yellin at him? some family members tend to do that...

Sounds a bit more like a communication problem than a golf problem... and I'm not sure we can help you with that. I mean, if your brother knows you're trying to help him, uhhh, and you're not yelling, it should be fine...

[Ben]

Try getting your point across using a "do" rather than a "don't." Keep your criticism and instruction on a positive plane.

[ipseity]

well, i really dont ever tell him what to do.. ive only been golfing for 5 months, so im tryin ta help me.. but my dad and my brother have a problem with it. And i cant stop em' so whatever. But how do i help his step? first, he goes onto the side of his feet... like he's gonna fall over his right sholder... so he leans on his right side of his feet, then when he swings down, he goes back to his heels.. you get a picture of this yet?

[Rafcin]

well, i really dont ever tell him what to do.. ive only been golfing for 5 months, so im tryin ta help me..

Don't want to sound like an old nag, but if you two are serious about this game - get a lesson from a PGA professional. They're trained to address the cause not the symptoms. If you're playing only 5 months I doubt you know enough about the "proper" mechanics to help anybody (including yourself

)

[ipseity]

thats why i was asking. We dont have the money for lessons. He's 11 and im 19.. we just play for fun. I was just asking on here so i can try to help him out. I actually play very well for as long as ive' played. If you would have read what i said, i said i dont know enough to help somone out so that is the reason i asked on here.

[ipseity]

Try getting your point across using a "do" rather than a "don't." Keep your criticism and instruction on a positive plane.

you know, people dont somtime's understand how big of a difference that word choice can make a difference... well, im gonna take the little guy golfing on saterday and im just gonna let him play how he wants. He just has a problem with trying to keep up with the older kids. Like if i hit a 7 off the tee then he thinks he should hit a 7. He doesnt realize that i can hit a wedge as far as he can hit a 7. O well, he'll learn in time i guess.

[Rickins]

Well, Saturday has come and gone and I hope you two had a good time.

Going back to your original question, oddly enough a balanced swing should keep the weight distributed over the heels rather than over the toes. Obviously, he shouldn't be throwing himself over backwards but...

My thought, for what it's worth, is to get your brother to "experiment" with taking more club than he thinks he needs for a given shot. Chances are that he'll be concerned about "over-hitting" and, therefore, may be less inclined to try to swing out of his shoes.

If he absolutely insists on trying to keep up with his big brother, you may want to take the lead yourself and see if he'll follow by example. Most high-handicappers tend to under-club anyway - we think we're better than we are - so this may serve the dual purpose of improving his balance and getting the ball closer to his target more consistently.

Might be worth a shot...

Rick

[ipseity]

Well, Saturday has come and gone and I hope you two had a good time.

well, i found out whats going on.. He just wants to play to get better, not really do better.. and he's so worried about messing up, that he tries harder. I asked him about it and he says he doesnt want to mess up because my older brother and my dad would mess with him.. anyway, i found a bit out about my drive now.. im excited..

[Rickins]

Ahhh... So if he hits his 7-iron as far as you do, he's gotten "better". Think I've got it.

So what about your drives? Anything you'd like to share?

I made a grip change at an outing on Saturday that has me wishing this were the beginning of the season rather than it winding down. I "strengthened" my left hand position (I'm a "rightie") on my driver and was absolutely amazed at the results. Showed it to my brother-in-law and the first time he tried it, he proceeded to clip off a really sweet 260+ yard drive to a beautiful position on the fairway. (He wanted to "foot-wedge" it into the rough where he's used to playing from but I stopped him. I told him to think of playing from the fairway as a new challenge. )

Rick