My Swing (TomR13)

[TomR13]

I've been Playing Golf for: A couple times a year for 20 years but very regularly the last 2 years.
My current handicap index or average score is: 16
My typical ball flight is: Was a draw/hook, now its a fade/slice
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: fat and thin shots, make solid contact

I've been playing regularly for the last 2 years between 18 and 36 holes per week.  Driving range only once a month.  I recently went for my first lesson because I felt like a hit a wall with improving my handicap which has been 15-16 since the end of last season .   I told the instructor that my first goal was to just make better contact and eliminate fat/thin shots (as much as possible). My normal ball flight was thin draw or thin straight until the 2 weeks prior to the lesson when I had developed a somewhat frequent low hook.  

The instructor Nick asked me if I wanted to try for a quick fix or if I want something long term and I told him long term as I really want to continually set goals to improve.  After some swings, balance testing,  video, and swinging with a pressure pad and showing me the results, which were really quite obvious watching the video, he gave me three things to work on.

#1 My grip.  He had me move it more to my fingers, the line between thumb and index finger on my left hand pointing toward my right shoulder.

My previous grip was similar to this one. Diagonal across fingers/palm.  

The right hand change he had me make felt a LOT different from what I had been doing.  He had me move it counterclockwise from what I normally did with the thumb/index finger line pointing more toward my sternum or slightly to the right of sternum.   

 #2 My posture > I had a clear "C" shape, like hunched over.  He wanted me to try to straighten that out.  Also keep weight in arches of feet and find better balance.

#3 My weight needs to get to front leg and I need to turn > He tossed a ball with me to try to get my brain thinking about the normal weight transfer of throwing a ball and then translate that to my swing.  I dont know why this is so difficult for me as I've always been involved with sports and its a simple concept but so difficult when I have a club in my hands.

He told me that the ball will be going right after implementing this grip Change.    So far, he's correct.  What I didn't ask is what to do about that.   I have been really working on this for a week (at range and on course).   I'm developing new blisters on my right hand after the grip change (see photo).  The callous on my right index finger was previously on the side of the finger?  

I've read through a very nice post by Mike which helped me a lot to clear up my questions regarding the grip.  I hope that I am implementing them right. Putting the pad of the index finger on the side of the club is a big change.

As far as the swing feel since I took the lesson, I feel like I am not doing the weight shift and turn enough.  Yesterday and today I've experimented with a very slow (for me) backswing and I feel like it helps me keep my balance in the down swing and follow through.  And I feel like it helps me to start to sequence things correctly.   And I have tried feeling like my butt is much further out than my previous stance where I would be more upright and I feel like that is a counterbalance that helps me.  Those adjustments are not reflected in the videos I'm posting.

I still can rarely square the clubface with the new grip and honestly I'm at a loss as to how to do it. Maybe my problem is in the backswing.  I really have no idea at this point.  I played this morning and hit it OK.  When I hit it good it is a fade, but the misses are slice, especially with longer clubs like 5 iron, 4Hybrid, Driver.

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Videos: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[billchao]

I’d start with your posture. You are too bent over and your weight is too far into your heels.

As far as mechanical stuff, you don’t turn your hips or your shoulders much in the backswing. Actually I’m not certain if you turn your hips at all.

[iacas]

3 hours ago, billchao said:

I’d start with your posture. You are too bent over and your weight is too far into your heels.

As far as mechanical stuff, you don’t turn your hips or your shoulders much in the backswing. Actually I’m not certain if you turn your hips at all.

All of that.

Fix the setup. Then learn to use your lower body in the backswing. It won't go forward properly because it doesn't… go… anywhere.

[TomR13]

 

This is my posture as of right now.  I wanted to make a record of it here so hopefully I can see my progress soon.  

Looks like I need to get the butt line forward, which will get weight more to middle of feet, take some of the knee bend out?

I think I could bend slightly less at the waist and then the arms look like a mess.  Do they need to be straighter and forward a bit more?

[boogielicious]

You want the line from your hip center to be over your ankle. So get a bit less bent over and move your feet back so you feel like you’re on your toes.

 

[iacas]

Stand with your heels 2" from a wall and make your butt barely touch the wall - don't lean on the wall.