Crazy Practice session- Please advise

[albatross]

Alright. I'm not going to go into all of my ridiculous struggles this season but the short version is I've been shanking everything and if not shanking, hitting things really high and short. Also been hitting the driver right and short.

I just got done with a practice session and I feel like I'm dreaming. I feel like I've tried every tip there is and I went back to all the fundamentals, but tonight I couldn't do much wrong.

I read a tip about curling your toes up in your shoes to get rid of the shanks and correct your balance, and bam! I must have hit 20 solid iron shots in a row. Then I would uncurl them and here comes the shanks again or a shot hit way out to the right.

Doing this with my feet also increased the distance of my irons and I was hitting nice drives for once! I had the excitement of a little kid. Anyone that has struggled for a long time can relate.

One problem. It only works when I curl the toes. I tried forever to get the same feeling standing normally, and I couldn't for the life of me hit a good one.

How do I recreate that feeling of no weight forward or would you say "screw it, curl your toes if you can play a good round that way?"

I have to say that my toes do hurt a little but I don't care. I feel like for the first time this year I might be able to actually play something that resembles the game of golf.

I have to take a half day and play in the morning now. Oh please, don't let it be gone already!!! I do love this game.

Thoughts???

[Spectrums]

That's a toughie...

Try getting your weight to balance inbetween your feet and maybe even lean back a bit. I just tried it and it could work.

[Three Putt]

Swing half speed, develop great contact, and increase speed. Spend more time at the range.

[bigphil]

maybe try to widen your stance if its too narrow (shoulders should be on the inside of the feet). maintain your spine angle throughout the swing and keep your knees flexed!!!! if you have a grass practice facility, put 4 tees in the ground 1" apart and about 1" away from the ball. dont hit the tees and you'll never shank it. get into a good grove and learn how you are swinging to correct your flaw.

[jambalaya]

Wow, never heard that one before. You've invented a knew golf swing techique. "Mangine Golf: The Curl Factor". You've obviously solidified your base and are getting better weight transfer. So work on all aspects of your set up. Posture, stance width, square feet, shoulder and hips. Do the toes stay curled all the way through the swing? Does it make for less hip turn? Then again, maybe don't analyze it just use it.

[sti23]

Wow, never heard that one before. You've invented a knew golf swing techique. "Mangine Golf: The Curl Factor". You've obviously solidified your base and are getting better weight transfer. So work on all aspects of your set up. Posture, stance width, square feet, shoulder and hips. Do the toes stay curled all the way through the swing? Does it make for less hip turn? Then again, maybe don't analyze it just use it.

+1.

if it's working, stick with it. that could be your "signature"!

[albatross]

Played this morning and it's still working great. I want to get away from it but I'm telling you, if you have the shanks, this WILL get rid of them.

Only problem now is that I am hitting my irons really short, but this happened even before I started "the curl". Surprisingly, I can keep my balance pretty good through impact. It's not working for my driver unfortunately. THat's still been a struggle.

I'm a taller player(6'3) and I wonder does this make not leaning forward on the downswing tougher than shorter players??? It seems like it might.

Do you think eventually my body will get used to this weight feeling and I'll be able to go back to a more normal swing??

[sti23]

Played this morning and it's still working great. I want to get away from it but I'm telling you, if you have the shanks, this WILL get rid of them.

did you get your clubs fitted to your height?

i'm 6'4" and i bought a set of irons that were lengthened about 1" and they are still too short. i need to get fitted soon. the main thing i focus on at address is trying to stand tall.

[albatross]

I have thought that might be the issue. I did get fitted and ordered a set that was +1 but it was kind of an over the phone fitting, so I have a feeling it's not right.

[sonicblue]

Let's be honest, we know there's no "magic" in curling your toes, so the quest is, what OTHER thing is that fixing? My guess is, it's not necessarily about your balance at setup or what part of your feet your weight is on. I think curling your toes just gives you worse balance, forcing you to swing very "within yourself." When they're not curled, I suspect you're "going after the ball," transferring weight to your toes, leading to hosel shots.

[albatross]

Let's be honest, we know there's no "magic" in curling your toes, so the quest is, what OTHER thing is that fixing? My guess is, it's not necessarily about your balance at setup or what part of your feet your weight is on. I think curling your toes just gives you worse balance, forcing you to swing very "within yourself." When they're not curled, I suspect you're "going after the ball," transferring weight to your toes, leading to hosel shots.

No, I am being honest. I'm not claiming any "magic", I'm just telling you that I'm hitting the ball better than I have all year and that changing this one thing has improved my ball striking 100%.

Obviously I realize that it must be fixing some fundamental part of my swing which is why in my original post I asked the question "how do I get this feeling without curling my toes?" I actually feel more balanced. I understand what you're suggesting, but if you read my posts in this thread, you'll see I'm not suggesting by any means that this is the way to swing a club. I wanted to get opinions on what this is fixing and I'm pretty convinced that it has stopped me from lunging forward.

[sti23]

I have thought that might be the issue. I did get fitted and ordered a set that was +1 but it was kind of an over the phone fitting, so I have a feeling it's not right.

i'm sure it has lot to do with it. 1" is not that much for me (and probably you too) considering that i am 6'4" and i like to stand tall in my stance. it just feels more comfortable than bending over too far. also, i'm about an inch taller with my golf shoes.

and as you go longer, you have to start adjusting the lies to a little more upright probably. i'd say get fitted asap, because it's the right thing to do and then work from there to improve your swing. getting fitted will give you a base to start improving from. i'm getting fitted asap too.

[sonicblue]

No, I am being honest. I'm not claiming any "magic", I'm just telling you that I'm hitting the ball better than I have all year and that changing this one thing has improved my ball striking 100%.

I think you misinterpreted my post. I wasn't scolding you for claiming "magic" or anything. I was speaking to the general topic, and trying to suggest the real issue you corrected, so you could concentrate on that, and get away from the toes thing.

[sti23]

I think you misinterpreted my post. I wasn't scolding you for claiming "magic" or anything. I was speaking to the general topic, and trying to suggest the real issue you corrected, so you could concentrate on that, and get away from the toes thing.

and getting properly fitted should keep you from leaning forward too far, thus lessening the tendency to jump on your toes at impact, right?!

[albatross]

That certainly makes sense to me. Is there a way to get an idea ahead of time how long my clubs should be for my height? Any round-a-bout online chart??

[iacas]

No, I am being honest. I'm not claiming any "magic", I'm just telling you that I'm hitting the ball better than I have all year and that changing this one thing has improved my ball striking 100%.

I think it's all in your head. I once told a guy his hat was on crooked and that was affecting how he hit the ball.

He straightened his cap (actually he didn't appear to do anything to it except move it around and back to where it was), and since he THOUGHT he was going to hit better shots suddenly, he did. Same reason people will get a new club or putter and play great for awhile, then regress right back.