Impact position...

[$2 Nassau]

Do any of you actually work on this?? Or is it something that is achieved by doing other things correctly, that lead up to impact?

What I mean is, I see these tips about impact position online. Usually in a 1 minute video or something with some teaching pro showing you the position you want be at for impact. That's fine and dandy, but it's not like you can then just walk out to the range and suddenly mimic that position. My left arm folds right at impact and on the follow through. For the life of me I can't keep that arm straight throughout the swing. Can usually keep it in decent position right up to impact, then suddenly it folds - no matter how hard I try to keep it straight (something mental maybe?)

I'm sure I'm approaching this wrong, and practicing the wrong things. I want to go see a pro but I'm am worried he/she will simply just tell me the correct position to be in(like the guys online do). I dunno, maybe I should have more faith in a pro.

I've done every drill in the book(and continue to do them), to the point where it is becoming obsessive(I tend to be that way about golf and my golf swing). But after seeing my swing on video a month ago this has consumed me. Seeing how cramped and ugly I looked at impact made me want to puke and it also shed a lot of light on where my consistency problems are coming from.

I can do drill after drill and start really feeling the correct position...then I try to hit a normal shot and go right back to the same old same old. Thought I was making progress, then put my swing on video again and threw up all over the place.

Help.

(okay breathe....breathe...in out in out....deep breaths)

[MPS67]

Do any of you actually work on this?? Or is it something that is achieved by doing other things correctly, that lead up to impact?

Yes, I've been working on this for the last four months with my Golftec instructors. And yes, the impact position is achieved by a set of correctly enacted movements that lead up to the critical moment of impact.

My left arm folds right at impact and on the follow through. For the life of me I can't keep that arm straight throughout the swing. Can usually keep it in decent position right up to impact, then suddenly it folds - no matter how hard I try to keep it straight (something mental maybe?)

It could be something that is subconscious. My Golftec instructors noticed that I would tend to stand up a little on my toes and straighten my knees right at impact to subconsciously help lift the ball up. For a long while, they were saying I was guilty of swinging or throwing down at the ball with my arms. I had a difficult time accepting this as truth because I tried so hard in using my big muscles and thought that they were wrong with their analysis. But the videos didn't lie, and there I was, in the same impact position that you mentioned above with the broken left elbow, the wrists flipping, etc..

To remedy my faults, the instructors gave me countless lessons and drills to help me achieve the correct positions and motions, and I performed them all pretty well, but was getting frustrated because I could still not achieve a decent impact position during a full speed swing. I was almost ready to throw in the towel, but couldn't because my love for this game of ours. Then one day, my instructor started to introduce foot work in regards to weight shift, and down swing initiation. And most importantly, he also wanted me to keep my feet grounded, leading up to impact. At first, I was skeptical thinking that simply moving weight from one heel to another would have little benefit, if any. But to my surprise, after some practice, everything started to click and fall in place. The resultant effect was great and I was then able to hit the ball extremely well with little effort. I could feel a positive change in my overall swing and confirm it in the videos as well. I like to supplement my Golftec instructions with carefully selected web instruction so that I can utilize it for reference. I found this excellent source of instruction that coincided with my instructor's footwork lessons that I'm happy to share with you, if you're interested. Weight at set up Weight shift in the back swing Weight shift during the transition Weight shift during the downswing Weight shift during the follow through But keep in mind, the footwork portion of instruction is just a part of the overall equation. A great drill that I practiced before the footwork was called the punisher drill using the Chip & Pitch aid . Finding a good PGA trainer is hit and miss. I went through five of them before I stuck with my current Golftec instructor. And I even got to a point in the past where I wasn't sure about him either. Best of luck.

[Avid Golfer]

Do any of you actually work on this?? Or is it something that is achieved by doing other things correctly, that lead up to impact?

In my view good impact is achieved by doing other things correctly, and that most impact drill aren't worth doing. I do think it is worth understanding what has lead to the impact position, and how it differs from setup. The general difference between setup and impact is that the hips have cleared and the lead shoulder has risen. If you're going to do any drills to simulate impact moving from setup to impact, or swinging back to hip high and then down to impact may be useful (to illistrate how little difference there is between setup and impact). Other drills like hitting an impact bag, or bracing the club against objects and pushing are of little to no benefit.

Below are pictures of pros at setup and impact (illistrating the difference between the two). I wouldn't be too worrried about not having a straight lead arm at impact (as you can see Goosen in the image below doesn't either).

[tm22721]

Impact position is the only instant of the swing where all pros look alike.

That being said, I think that it is a destination, not a beginning. In other words, get rid of all of your flaws, and the correct impact posiiton will emerge in the end after the dust clears.

In my opinion Bobby Clampett's 'The Impact Zone' is the best book on the subject.

[$2 Nassau]

Thanks for the replies. I think I am finally starting to realize, as mentioned above, that it is the result of a solid setup, swing, etc etc

Played last night and just tried to concentrate on establishing the most solid, fundamental setup position possible, with proper alignment, spine angle etc and then maintaining that posture throughout the swing.

Hit the ball as solid as I ever have. I wasn't trying to achieve a certain position at impact, just tried to put a good swing on the ball and not rush anything.