Maverick's swing

[Maverick]

Let me have it..fire away!!

[StrmStlkr]

It was kinda hard to tell and as you can see from my handicap I have no reason to give advice. But it looked as if you were comeing over the top a bit and that the ball started out left (guessing that it ended right). Now, wait for the real golfers to give you the correct answer.

[Cizzle]

Your stance looks good but a frontal shot would help more at that. If anything I would suggest a little more knee bend. I'll try to help with what I see.



From what we see here, your club is pointing to the right of your target. It should be parallel to your target line.



Look how steep you're coming down! Try to feel your right elbow drop into your side. Also, don't come down with your arms, instead just feel your body turn the club for you.

Another thing to look at (I think from the second pic you can see) you lose your entire posture in your swing. You get very tall in your backswing (very common) and it looks like you just stay tall. I don't know a tip I can give, try to have someone watch you and focus on staying in your same posture throughout the entire swing.

Hopefully someone else can come and give you more pointers, best of luck!

-I just watched again, and you do keep your posture in your backswing. But let us look at the moment of impact.



We do see you are standing taller. It could be a "fear" on hitting the ground so you accidently rise and you swing. Try to stay down in your posture during your downswing, you will become much more consistent.

Also, it looks like at impact you still have some extra weight still on your right side. Make sure you transfer your weight before your downswing starts, this also should bring your steep downswing flatter.

[popey]

From what i can see it all starts from a bad posture. I have exactly the same problem as you. You are very hunched over the ball. Try to find a picture of Tiger or another pro and compare what there posture is like just before they start to swing.

You need to bend your knees a little more and try to lift your chin a bit higher away from your chest. It will feel strange to start with but will enable you to get a more complete shoulder turn meaning you should hit the ball further.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I would say generally what popey said, you are a little huncnhed over at address. But what i dissagree with is dont bend your knees more, from the video it looks as if you are already bending them too much after the swing begins. Unless you're 6'2 or taller, we should want to maintain as much of out height as we can. I use only a very slight bend at the knees, which I achive by just bumpin out my rear a little. And I keep that flex througout my whole swing.

There is a lot of things moving around in your stroke too, which is would make it hard to be consistant. Cizzle's advice about flattening your downswing thorough a hip move is good as well. I used to be very steep myself..(still am sometimes) and that hip move from the top of the backswing just puts my arms in a better spot without me having to do anything.

[Maverick]

wow..good stuff..keep it coming..

--

As far as my club pointing way right of the target. Should I just get my swing more compact? It looks good up to a certain point, but then I seem to just brining it up which just messes it up.

I'll try to keep the elbow more tucked in to the side.

Yes, I see how I seem to be standing up at impact,try to remain in same postion..

Yeah, I see I'm hunched over..

Do you think I'm standing too close to the ball?

[DavidFehertysBike]

I would definatly work on getting the stroke more efficient. Most of the time, i have found that when i point right of target at the top it is usually because of a cupped left wrist. Keeping it flat throughout the swing at least puts me on a half way decent plane.

[allin]

Posture aside, I wonder if your backswing / armswing is to long. Notice how after your right arm has turned as far as you can, with your shoulders, your left arm keeps going. I suspect that this is narrowing your swing. Some call this maintaining the triangle, I believe. You might want to experiment by treating that point when your right arm can't go any further as the top of your backswing. (wrist cock or set OK) You would keep more depth in your swing, come through on a shallower path, probably hit the ball farther and more consistently. Improved posture (shoulders back, back staighter) would let your turn you shoulders a bit farther as well.

[JKilgore44]

One pointer I will share with you would be to tone down the backswing just a little. In your full swing, You're way past parallel once you reach the top. Try to keep the club from reaching that far. Think John Daly vs. Adam Scott; John Daly gets way past parallel and tends to spray the ball everywhere. Adam Scott get's TO parallel then makes his transition, and hit's the ball fairly straight every time. To practice this, take what feels like a 3/4 swing to you. Swing as hard as normal, but don't take it back quite so far.

Aside from what everyone else said, your swing's not bad at all. With a little bit of work, it has the potential to be pretty solid. Keep up the work and you'll see the results in the end!

I wish I knew how to take pictures from your video like Cizzle did because I could really elaborate on what I'm saying. If someone tells me how, I will be happy to show you.

[Maverick]

what's strange is I feel that I'm not getting past parallel..but pictures don't lie. Yes, I was working BEFORE to get a more compact swing ala JB Holmes and Zach Johnson.

[Cizzle]

I just use print screen and paste it into paint, then save and upload it to imageshack, takes a minute

Looking at your stance, you should try taking more of a "ready" position. Here, look at Tiger's swing in slow mo and see if you can find the differences.



I don't know how to make it show in the forums.

[bflat450]

Awesome. When is this from?

[bflat450]

Let me have it..fire away!!

Hey as for your swing... I think you have a good fluid swing, but your backswing is WAY too long. This is where a lot of mistakes in the swing can occur because the longer backswing makes more room for error. Try taking half swings at the range, and working your way up until you feel like you are hitting it 100% with a shorter backswing.

[bflat450]

Also if you look at Tiger's swing notice the different angle of his arms at the top of his backswing compared to yours. Also the club shaft is further away from his head while yours is kind of close to your head. Hope this helps... practice makes perfect!

[Avid Golfer]

Let me have it..fire away!!

Ok Maverick you asked for it, and I'm going to give it to you.

Below are screen captures comparing your iron swing to the iron swing of Ernie Els. http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/2...ckvselsrq6.jpg In the top left corner we see the address position. Notice where the arms are relative to the red balance line. Ernie's armpits are right in line with the line. While your armpits are hanging closer to the ball (more to the right of the line). We'll come back to this again at impact. In the top center frame there is a white circle where the hands were at address and a red circle where they are at hip high. Notice where the circles are relative to one another and relative to the original shaft angle plane (blue line). Ernie's hands and club are directly above the white circle and next to the original shaft angle plane. Your hands have moved away from the body and well above the original shaft angle plane. These positions are responsible for the next positions we see. In the top right frame we see that Els shaft points just inside the ball to target line, while your shaft points well away (and outside) the ball to target line. This position is a result of the earlier position, and will effect the next position we see. In the left middle frame we have the top of the swing positions. Since you took the club outside on the backswing you have ended up in a steep position (look at the angle of the arms), and Els has is in a shallow position from which he can drop the club behind his body on the downswing (his left arm is parallel to the original shaft angle plane, and his right is parallel to his spine angle). In addition make note of the differences in the lower body at this stage. In your swing your hips have turned a large amount and your back leg has straightened, but Els has turned his hips far less and maintained his knee flex. The smaller hip turn will provide Els more coil, a more reactionary downswing, and more consistency than your lower body will provide from its position. In the center frame we see that your steep position has promoted a steep downswing where the arms and club have swung above your right shoulder, and Els has dropped the club behind him (below his right shoulder) and on to a shallow angle that will give him the ability to retain his right wrist hinge (for power), and deliver a sweeping blow at impact. Also notice the position of the knees at this stage compared to at address. Your knees and balance has moved toward the ball, but Els knees have stayed the same distance from the ball that they occupied at address. We'll see the effect of this at impact. When the hands drop down to hip high in the middle right frame we see that your club is continuing to swing down on a steep angle that will deliver a glancing blow, and Els continues to approach from behind him on a shallow path. Next we compare the impact positions. Notice where your armpits are now (on the red line). Els armpits are also on the line, but they were there at address to showing that his posture and balance have changed very little (which promotes consistency). You approached from a steep angle and your body (which had moved toward the ball on the downswing) has risen up. As a result of your body rising up your arms have risen in response (to get past your body), and that combined with your steep approach angle have you with your club shaft pointing steeper than at address, while Els (who maintained his body posture, and approached from a shallow angle) has his club close to the original shaft angle plane. In the final two frames we see that the cramped posture at impact and steep angle are continued in the follow through of your swing, and Els who maintained his posture and had a shallow angle continues that in his follow through. In summary : At address get your shoulders stacked above your knee caps and the balls of your feet for good posture. As you start the backswing turn the body back instead of lifting your arms (and maintain the distance between the grip and belly button/belt area). Keep your lower body stable to add consistency, and promote a more automatic downswing rebound. Starting down maintain your balance to promote a shallow downswing and room to release through the shot. Hopefully you'll find some benefit from that analysis.

[Maverick]

Oh my..that was stunning..I'm still going over your post. What a great analysis..appreciate all the effort..and you happen to put me side by side with one of my favorite players. I think there's an uncanny resemblance in the first frame thought...but that's about it..lol..Awesome..thank you!

[Dub]

Things I really respect about your swing:

• nice full turn...left shoulder gets behind the ball
• smooth takeaway...under control....no "snatching" it back
• great pass through the ball...healthy swing at it
• good weight transfer
• full follow through
• maintain great balance

I'll trade you my quirky swing right now!!!!!

You seemed very consistent in tempo and plane. Balance was maintained nicely.

[Maverick]

Things I really respect about your swing:

wow, thanks. One of the things I've worked on has been tempo and balance. Now, I just need to stop going back as much..I think I'm not that far back but looking at it my shaft goes way past parallel and points right of the target.