Sliding - tips/drills to combat

[opie]

Worked with my coach today and I'm sliding. he gave me some thoughts and drills to work it out. Sometimes I hang back on the right side though when I'm trying not to slide so I'm combating two things at once.

One drill I'm working is using the island counter in the kitchen against my left hip and using a nerf football to simulate the arm portion and making a swing. Concentrating on not sliding and making sure my right shoulder comes down and through so I don't hang back

Any other simple thoughts or drills I could use to work this out?

[lumpuckeroo]

I have the same issues, I try to think of swing inside a barrel. One other thing I have done is narrow my stance, you can't slide when your feet are pretty close togehter or you fall down.

[CarlSpackler]

I had this problem. My teacher gave be a drill where I hit a ton of 5i shots from a tee with feet together. It will take some time to get used to, but this will train you to rotate and not slide your hips. I also took an old shaft and stuck it in the ground outside my left foot making swings with a normal stance (credit given to whoever recommended that for me on this forum that I can't remember your name). When you swing, don't hit the shaft. I do this as a check to make sure that I am not starting the old habit again.

Word of warning, after doing the first drill countless times, I was not sliding, but was off balance. I had another pro widen my stance a bit to stabilize my base.

That's my 2 cents worth at least.

[Ryanrocksfender]

Stick an old shaft in the ground at an angle then set up with a club with your left heel against the shaft make swings and make sure you dont bump into the stick... my teacher taught me this and it has helped me a ton

[RC]

This is a complex question, no doubt. If there were a magic solution to exactly how to clear your left side perfectly, everyone would play much better golf. This assumes you have a good grip, set-up, etc.

The problem is likely not the slide. Your hips do move forward, you do slide, but (and this is a huge BUT) the left hip must not just slide -- it has to post around quickly so the turn leads the swinging arms and your weight shifts to the left leg. You need to be in the "two cheeks visible from behind" postion at impact. If you cannot see your left pocket from behind at impact, you have not cleared.

My thought is all this starts on the back swing -- if you don't do the coil correctly, you cannot swing correctly. If your right hip slides up on a straight right leg, then as you start down, you will slide, but lose your ability to turn the left side out of the way unless it is a "hangback, over the top" swing, mostly turning on your right leg. You have to coil into a firm, flexed right leg and not allow the right hip to over-rotate behind you nor to move over your right foot -- both are killers. Keeping the club outside the hands and on plane (not jerking it inside and under) will help you get the feel of how to coil. Frankly, it feels like you coiling to throw a shot put or a baseball 3/4 underhand, and you must feel a strong resistance to turning in your lower body. Your upper body and shoulders do the backswing turning. (yes, the hips do turn a little, but don't focus on that, resist it.)

The only drill I know that will help you get the feeling is to hit short shots off a tee (such as an 8 iron only 80 yards) and actually try to counter rotate your hips (keeping a flexed knee) on the backswing. This will force your right hip into the power position where you can then start the down swing turn with your hips. You need two things to happen from a proper coil -- the weight shift to the left leg, and the left hips turning back so you finish with the right hip ahead of the left one--proving you have generated rotational power.

Seriously, assume the shortstop position, then go through the motion of how your body coils as you power up to throw 3/4 underhanded. You will not over-turn your right hip behind you, you WILL shift your upper body and turn it while keeping the right arm out in front of your chest (not wrapped around behind your back,) you WILL start sliding forward to throw, and you WILL post up on your left side with a strong hip clearing move. Otherwise it would be a very unathletic looking throw.

I think the most effort in a golf swing is building up the coil in the backswing -- that is where strength is required. From there, releasing the downswing is all done by the lower body -- and the good stuff; lag, release, and power, flow naturally and almost effortlessly. But you cannot do that if the club is trapped behind you, if your have a hip slide to the right on the backswing or an over-rotated right hip, or if you start the downswing with the upper body turning early.

See... there is no magic pill. But you can try the drill. My guess is you will hit your 8 iron about as far as your normal swing -- because the mechanics will be better. Try to hit it 80, and watch it go much further.

N.B: disagreement and discussion invited.

[JackLee]

You could try lead shoulder control (The Golf Swing and Its Master Key Explained).

If it works for you, your slide problem will be gone.