Over the Top (Video)

[m11]

Hey, do you have an account on Swing Academy? The website allows you to analyze the videos. Draw lines and such at any point in the video with comments to go along with it. I really cant' make out what you wrote in the pictures. Thanks a whole bunch for the help. Hopefully I can read some of what you have wrote for me soon so I can get to work on it.

sent you a pm

[wrx_junki]

sent you a pm

So my updated videos show that I am still coming over the top.

It's really frustrating when I practice. I remember to not overswing but then forget to come into the slot on the downswing. Then vice versa. So many things going through my mind. I'm guessing I just need to practice A LOT more to get it ingrained. Thinking about setting something up so that my club can't go past parallel or even close to it. For now I think my main goal is fixing my overswing even though it feels so natural since I've been doing it since I started last year. UGHHHHH~~~ GRIPE: This isn't even the worst part of my game... Sand game has gone to trash!!! Short game in general is below average!

[m11]

So my updated videos show that I am still coming over the top.

haha the game is great isnt it?

sand game wise---check out dave pelz's and stan utley's short game books. after reading those, i couldnt wait to hit my approach shot into a bunker.

[m11]

but more constructively...worry about the backswing issue first. Shortening the swing will help you get in the slot.

[wrx_junki]

Definitely will be doing much practice of my golf swing. My next video will show a subdued overswing since I don't know if I can guarantee a total annihilation of the overswing.

Thanks all~! Will continue to accept advice from everyone!

[jambalaya]

I think m11 has things under control as far as fundamental problems but just a comment on the overswing. It seems a big part of it is not so much the shoulder turn, we all wish we had flexibility to turn the shoulders that well, but rather your arm action. You just seem to let your arms lift and lift and lift until they can't lift anymore. You drag your arms way behind your body without restriction. It would seem if you just kept your arms more connected to your torso the shoulder turn would not be an issue. One you get your arms lifted about shoulder height they should stop. You should not let your arms, let your hands be a marker, get behind your back shoulder. They need to stay in front of your body (back no further than the right shoulder). This should be established before your complete the shoulder turn. The arms stop and just the shoulder turns. You have to come over the top with your arms positioned as they are now because they are playing catch up to get back in line and in sync with the hip/shoulder turn.

Am I off base on this?

[m11]

I think m11 has things under control as far as fundamental problems but just a comment on the overswing. It seems a big part of it is not so much the shoulder turn, we all wish we had flexibility to turn the shoulders that well, but rather your arm action. You just seem to let your arms lift and lift and lift until they can't lift anymore. You drag your arms way behind your body without restriction. It would seem if you just kept your arms more connected to your torso the shoulder turn would not be an issue. One you get your arms lifted about shoulder height they should stop. You should not let your arms, let your hands be a marker, get behind your back shoulder. They need to stay in front of your body (back no further than the right shoulder). This should be established before your complete the shoulder turn. The arms stop and just the shoulder turns. You have to come over the top with your arms positioned as they are now because they are playing catch up to get back in line and in sync with the hip/shoulder turn.

sounds right to me. The idea is to stop your hand movement when your shoulder turn stops...pulling back with your arms once your shoulders stop isnt really creating more shoulder turn...it just pulling you off plane and off balance

[BCEagles722]

keep your head still!

[wrx_junki]

keep your head still!

Will try.

Another question, at impact are my hips suppose to be facing the target? I think from looking at my "face view", my hips aren't turned enough by the time of impact. I think Trevor Immelman is at a similar position at impact but he supposedly has some hip problems.

[m11]

keep your head still!

keeping your head down during the backswing allows you to maintain the center of your body and not pull you off the ball....however, when you swing through..moving your head with your body is probably a good idea.

Your body is a unit, and keeping your head down ruins the fluidity. This kinda started with annika sorenstam's national golf team (swedish i believe?) and this is what tiger is working on now. probably not a bad idea to allow your head at the proper time as well. My only question is: do you feel that your shoulder gets in the way and that is why you turn your head on your backswing? This could be a sign of a slight reverse pivot.

[wrx_junki]

keeping your head down during the backswing allows you to maintain the center of your body and not pull you off the ball....however, when you swing through..moving your head with your body is probably a good idea.

I think its due to a stiff neck most of the time. I just tried some practice backswings at home and stopping it at the top and I can stop it way before parallel but at the range/course its a whole different story.

[m11]

I think its due to a stiff neck most of the time. I just tried some practice backswings at home and stopping it at the top and I can stop it way before parallel but at the range/course its a whole different story.

you wont be able to do it until you can trust that you dont need that kind over zealous move at the ball to create power.

it'll come...you just need to learn to trust it.

[wrx_junki]

Another question, at impact are my hips suppose to be facing the target? I think from looking at my "face view", my hips aren't turned enough by the time of impact. I think Trevor Immelman is at a similar position at impact but he supposedly has some hip problems.

Any comment on this?

[TinCupTampa]

I dont think your overswing is that big of a problem now that I see the face view. If you can just concentrate on knee then hips and let your club head drop into the slot... the club head will follow. You have to trust that it will. Your power doesnt come from how fast you can pull it from the top. Your power comes from the whip of the club created during the lag. You are right about your hips not facing the target at impact... this is purely because you are starting your hands before your hips. If you go knee then hips before your hands... your buckle will face the target at impact.

How do you like the 3 wood?

[m11]

I dont think your overswing is that big of a problem now that I see the face view. If you can just concentrate on knee then hips and let your club head drop into the slot... the club head will follow. You have to trust that it will.

If your backswing is off plane, it takes additional movements to bring it back on line. Like any other mechanism, the fewer moving parts the better. Shortening his backswing to a proper length allows him to maximize on the potential power from his coil and not leak power by having to great compensatory movements. More so, the majority of the swing flaws that he has that occur after the backswing will have a lesser influence on his shot.

From the position he puts himself in, it is much more difficult to get the club on the right plane time after time than a backswing with a proper length. The goal is to create a golf swing that is repeatable and easy to execute. You can see that he is at a level where he has the general concept down. He now needs to trim away that overswing and in turn, he'll be able to develop a swing that he'll be execute day in and day out. My opinion is that there is nothing more important at this point than learning to correct the overswing.

[TinCupTampa]

If your backswing is off plane, it takes additional movements to bring it back on line. Like any other mechanism, the fewer moving parts the better. Shortening his backswing to a proper length allows him to maximize on the potential power from his coil and not leak power by having to great compensatory movements. More so, the majority of the swing flaws that he has that occur after the backswing will have a lesser influence on his shot.

If he were straining to get to that point I would agree with you... but he isnt. Anywhere from 90* to 110* turn is considered a full turn. He fits into this category. With a proper hip turn his club will be on plane. His overswing isnt causing the over the top move. Starting his downswing with his hands is.

[m11]

If he were straining to get to that point I would agree with you... but he isnt. Anywhere from 90* to 110* turn is considered a full turn. He fits into this category. With a proper hip turn his club will be on plane. His overswing isnt causing the over the top move. Starting his downswing with his hands is.

Heres a pretty good golfer to emulate his positions. He's pretty flexible as well. Notice, however, where he has trained himself to stop his backswing. He stops his backswing when his shoulder turn stops...he doesnt continue pulling with his arms. and heres the video as well. http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...02052788150445 I agree that he isnt straining himself. However, he isnt generating more power with that backswing...he's actually doing the opposite and leaking power because he isnt able to maintain his wrist angle long enough to create effective lag. In order to physically get the clubhead at the ball from the position he is at, he needs to heave the clubhead at the ball ...which in turn, causes him to come over the top. Its also almost impossible to get his hips around from that position. A shortened backswing will allow him to turn his hips much more effectively. It isnt entirely impossible to play from the position he is in. If i were to look at that swing, and then he was to tell me he was a +4 touring pro...then i'd give my congrats. Thats not the case---he is having issues. Therefore, I think it would make sense to put him into a position that has been proven to work.

[wrx_junki]

Haha... I wish I was a touring pro. Only if I had started the game earlier!!!