How I re-built my swing and gained accuracy.

[jonanthans]

This worked for me so well, I started showing a few of my high-handicap friends this approach, and suddenly they are throwing darts! I am starting to realise I may have really stumbled onto a seriously simple but effective method of teaching someone an easily repetetive, accurate swing without involving all the complicated terminology. No expensive teaching pro, no books or Tiger Woods-how to videos, etc, etc..

Ready?????


I chip everything from my 5 iron though my wedges. Seriously. I rarely use more than a 70% effort on my swings. I approach every iron shot setup exactly like i'm going to hit a 40 yard chip, and then I swing about 65-70%, nice, easy and smooth, and hit down on the ball. Since going to that approach, my accuracy is usually within 10 yards either way. And, I only lost about 10 yards of distance. I now hit my 5 iron 180-185, but now I know where it is going. I don't know who I heard it from or even when I heard it, but somewhere I heard "swing like a girl", started really watching Annika and the girls on the LPGA, and realized they really have much better swings than the guys. I would recommend anyone that struggles with accuracy to try this approach. Go to the range, lay down a club parallel with your target (this is a huge help in teaching you alignment), place your toes even with the club, and start hitting chip shots with your 8 iron, at about 50% effort, with a conscience effort on hitting down on the ball. Once you start hitting those sweet shots, increase your effort to about 70%, no more. You will be surprised how many of those sweet-sounding "click" shots you find suddenly jumping off your club and going straight at your target. It definetly has worked for me, I have been playing less than 5 years and am down to an 8 hdcp. My friends who have been playing 10-20 years longer than I have have always commented on how fast I picked up the game. I think the reason is as simple as just finding the right "visual" to make me understand how to approach my shot. Instead of trying to "man up" like they do and hit a 7 iron on the par 3, 165 yard hole at our local course, I hit a 70% 6 iron, and am almost always on, while they are usually 30 yards left or right of the green.

Hope this helps anyone who is willing to give it a try, it certainly has helped me.

[Jayel]

Always seemed to be a good way to be accurate. I'm definitely going to try it out a little bit next time I'm at the range.

[Brakkus]

I found the same thing with length of swing.I have only just started playing 18 months ago,and found the one-plane teachings interesting.

My problem came from feeling that I wasn't turning enough,but after using a mirror,and knowing that I was never going to have an arc swing like the tall guys,I have what you would call a leverage swing getting towards a width swing.

I noticed that my club still went to just shy of parallel when I stopped turning when my left shoulder came under my chin.I would often keep turning until my head started to turn to the right in an effort to get more power.

Now just feeling out a tightness with a shorter turn,I get better timing and the same distance,and my natural shot shape is a very slight draw,I slice once in a blue moon.

[grantc79]

Pretty much every teacher that I have met or every great golfer who truly understands the swing says the same thing and starts teaching people the same way.

You can and should learn 80%+ of the golf swing through chipping the ball.

That's why when my ball striking gets bad I don't hit the range as much as I hit the practice green then lo and behold I'm striking better.

[bradpet]

This worked for me so well, I started showing a few of my high-handicap friends this approach, and suddenly they are throwing darts! I am starting to realise I may have really stumbled onto a seriously simple but effective method of teaching someone an easily repetetive, accurate swing without involving all the complicated terminology. No expensive teaching pro, no books or Tiger Woods-how to videos, etc, etc..

Very interesting. I'll try it on the range next time. One question though, what is the situation with hitting your woods (whether from the tee or fairway)? Also, what is the situation with your weight. With a chip shot, I understand it is predominantly on the front foot. Do you the same for all of your iron shots (as described above)?

[JYB]

you're basically describing DRILL 2 swings, which is a tried and true method. I dig it.

[jonanthans]

Very interesting. I'll try it on the range next time. One question though, what is the situation with hitting your woods (whether from the tee or fairway)? Also, what is the situation with your weight. With a chip shot, I understand it is predominantly on the front foot. Do you the same for all of your iron shots (as described above)?

I hit my woods with the same approach as before. I play them almost in the middle of my stance, and hit down on them. I actually find that I rarely use them. However, I love my Ping G2 18* hybrid, which I hit 215-225 yards. I have always hit my driver well, for some reason. I learned early not to try to kill it, and I can pretty much keep it in the fairways. Also, I really play course management well, for example, today I was on a 345 yard par 4 hole, everyone else hit Driver. To me it made less sense to hit Driver/Sand Wedge, and more sense to hit my 18* hybrid 220 into the middle, setting my self up for a pitching wedge shot into a large green. I prefer a nice, full (70% is my full) shot into a soft green. I was also the only one of our group to make par on that hole. I shot a 79, without carding a single birdie, but I hit 14 GIR, making 12 Pars, 5 Bogeys and 1 Double Bogey that could have been easily avoided had I taken a bit more time. I came soooo close to 5-6 birdies, they just weren't falling, but I also only 3 putted once (on the double bogey hole). As far as my weight, I still hit the ball with a normal stance, knees slightly bent, so my weight is pretty much distributed evenly. I just use the mindset and approach that I am going to chip it, and be sure that I hit down on the ball. I am still amazed at how accurate I can be with my irons. What I need to work out now is the EXACT yardage I consistently hit each of my clubs, down to the foot. I am actually considering going to a 5 wedge setup, with a 60*, 56*, 52*, 49* and 46* all in my bag to really have a club for every distance in from 125 yards, using my full (70%) consistent swing. Again, this may not work for everyone, but so far I have seen dramatic improvement in everyone I have showed it to. Good Luck!

[Stacey_E]

Congratulations. Sounds like you've found the secret. Effortless power, not powerless effort. I will honestly prefer being straight rather than long anyday. You know what they say about the shortest distance between two points. I just need to get this through my thick head while on the course!

Just have to ask. Have you considered a 47ish, 52, 56, 60, 64 setup?

[jonanthans]

Congratulations. Sounds like you've found the secret. Effortless power, not powerless effort. I will honestly prefer being straight rather than long anyday. You know what they say about the shortest distance between two points. I just need to get this through my thick head while on the course!

I tried a 64 degree wedge, but didn't feel comfortable with it. I try to avoid the temptation to hit the flop shots, even though I have hit them pretty decent. I am not ruling it out though...perhaps a 6 wedge setup?

Driver, 19* Ping G2, 5-9 iron and my 6 wedges, along with my putter...sounds tempting, although it's a big gap between the Driver and Hybrid....

[tonyy]

Good stuff man. I did the exact same thing and my strokes were dropping like flies. It's amazing how such a smooth and easy swing can go so far with such accuracy. Meanwhile, my golf buddies are trying to muscle their swing and getting 200 yard drives at most. They ask me how I do it and I say to swing nice, easy, and focus on getting good contact. They still don't take my advice to this day.

Also playing your own game is what makes you better. My buddies also try to hit the same club as what pros use. They think they can hit their PW on a 170 yard par 3. Then they laugh at me when i'm using an 8 or 7. I laugh at them because they're 25 yards short and I'm 3 ft from the pin. Funny huh?

[grantc79]

Also playing your own game is what makes you better. My buddies also try to hit the same club as what pros use. They think they can hit their PW on a 170 yard par 3. Then they laugh at me when i'm using an 8 or 7. I laugh at them because they're 25 yards short and I'm 3 ft from the pin. Funny huh?

Spent this weekend in a 4 man scramble going through this.

I'm shooting low 80's and my team mates are shooting in the 110 range. I'm 6'5 295, muscular as hell with a pretty good swing hitting an easy 7 iron 165 while they argue that they can wedge it to the green. God they are frustrating.

[GolferDot]

I approach my short Irons differently, I am usually deadly from 150 yards in, my sole focus during my swing is my hand location, where ever my hands are in my swing is where the ball is going to go. I practise once a week for a couple of hours just focusing on feeling where my hands are.

[immts007]

you're basically describing DRILL 2 swings, which is a tried and true method. I dig it.

What are you talking about? Is this a part of a some particular golf instructruction theory?

[brandon_mcg]

great advice. i really find this to be true when im at the range and start really stinking it up. i'll usually go grab my 64* and hit some on the practice green then go back and find that i'm making solid contact.

i also found that the smooth swing is great with the driver. i was trying to muscle up and hit it hard and was only getting around 260-265 yds out of it. i stepped back took a couple of practice swings and focussed on the mechanics and started hitting it around 290-300 consistently

thanks for the swing advice, it works really well when you take the time to step back and think your swing through!

[yeis20]

great advice. i really find this to be true when im at the range and start really stinking it up. i'll usually go grab my 64* and hit some on the practice green then go back and find that i'm making solid contact.

There is a reason for this...

IMO If you can hit a 64* consistently, you can hit anything else down to about a 7iron with ease

[hamletsdead]

This worked for me so well, I started showing a few of my high-handicap friends this approach, and suddenly they are throwing darts! I am starting to realise I may have really stumbled onto a seriously simple but effective method of teaching someone an easily repetetive, accurate swing without involving all the complicated terminology. No expensive teaching pro, no books or Tiger Woods-how to videos, etc, etc..

So what do you do off the tee on par 3s? Do you hit off the grass on the tee box, or do you tee it up?

[jonanthans]

If it is a flat, nice tee box, with nice grass, I play it straight off the ground when using anything from a 6 iron up. If I am using my 5 iron or a hybrid, or if the tee box is hardpan or beat up, I will put it on a tee, but just barely off the ground. I make absolutely sure of 2 things, swing in tempo and hit down on the ball.

[Baraethon]

Interesting...

Would this approach work for someone who hits the ball REALLY short?

I'd like the accuracy, but I'm not sure I can afford to lose the distance.