HELP! Short game pro, ball-striking schmo

[bunkerputt]

Guys. I really need some help with my ball-striking. It's by far the worst part of my game. If it weren't for my short game, I'd easily be a 24 handicapper. For example, today at a par-3, I hit this skulled pull-slice that ran 20 feet past the green, followed by a chip-in for bird. I tried the shot a couple more times from the tee-box, same deal, only it landed shorter and ran into the fringe. I chipped one to 8-inches, the other hit the flagstick and bounced out for a net score of -1 on three attempts. This is how I've consistently played the game for the last year or so: get into trouble on my full swings, try to scramble in the short game. Probably 17 out of 18 holes per round.

Check out my swing and I'll tell your what my mis-hits are. Ignore the fact that I'm not hitting a ball, I've checked and they are almost identical. Probably because I'm trying to swing and let the ball "get in the way":



With the short clubs, i.e. anything less than a PW, I hit the ball pretty straight and relatively in the center on the face, though perhaps 1 in 5 are caught a little heavy. Once I get to PW, things start getting a little shaky. I hit a lot of shots off the toe, and when I try to compensate, shank it. When I try to compensate "less", back to the toe. Maybe 1 in 20 are in the center of the face.

At around 7-iron, I start push-slicing everything off the toe, roughly at where the grooves stop. Nearly every shot is very high.

My current theory is that, in an erroneous effort to obey the swing rule, "Don't start down with your hands", I've developed this little hand drop straight down during my transition. I'm really not actively trying to do it, it just happens when I stop applying force to lift my hands up in the air. This brings my hands closer to my body and moves the impact point to the toe. If I instead try to get the feeling that I'm trying to hold the up in the air at my transition, I feel like I'm coming over the top and leave the face open to compensate. But I don't know if this is correct or not.

I'm seriously ready to give up on this game because I'm trapped inside this completely vicious cycle of hitting the ball poorly, having it come up short, trying to swing harder to compensate, hurting my back, and not being able to swing well because my back is hurting. It literally feels like banging a pipe against monkey bars when I strike the ball.

[Elsfan]

If I were you I would focus on a more closed clubface on my backswing, limiting the handsiness of the swing. Make sure you hips move first, critical in getting you swing on the correct path also. I unlike you am a above average striker and below average short game player. You also might benefit from making a conscious effort to pause at the top of the backswing. You have a decent swing, one little fix could possibly be the key.

[Leftygolfer]

It doesn't look like a bad move. I am not a pro. I also had issues hitting off the toe, hitting alot of pull hooks. I recently saw a pro and he moved me farther from the ball so I could come from the inside. I was coming over the top and losing alot of power. I would get a lesson, it shed some light to why I was not striking it well.

[whip_it_out]

It looks like your getting very handsy at the top which can really compromise your timing.

[bunkerputt]

Thanks. I've seen a couple of pros and they all tell me to slow down during my transition. I feel like I've got a huge pause at the top, but it's obviously just a feeling I have. They say I'm "quick from the top", whatever that means. It feels like I'm starting with my lower body, but obviously my feelings don't always match reality. If you look at the video, to me anyway, it seems like there is a lot of initial lower body speed.

The high and right shots could just be an open clubface as well. My left wrist is pretty cupped in my backswing. I don't have a strong grip at all. I use the "stick out your hand like you are shaking hands with someone" method to grip the club, which generally puts me in a neutral position. From what I understand, you should gave a pretty flat left wrist with a neutral grip. The cupped left wrist is a self-defense compensation that I've developed over time to protect against a right wrist injury. I've hit so many not so solid shots off the toe with my left wrist flat and right wrist cupped at impact like it is "supposed" to be, that I started cupping so my wrist wouldn't hurt.

[bunkerputt]

It looks like your getting very handsy at the top which can really compromise your timing.

Thanks whip-it. I've heard this before, but I don't really know what it means. Does it mean my hands are doing something at the top? Or does it mean my arms are moving when they shouldn't be?

[cirem22]

just a thought, maybe its the grip strength your using. I know that i am able to use a very tight grip and chip/pitch just fine but using a tight grip doesnt let me release the club with a full iron swing.

[Elsfan]

Thanks whip-it. I've heard this before, but I don't really know what it means. Does it mean my hands are doing something at the top? Or does it mean my arms are moving when they shouldn't be?

Handsy players try to control the clubhead consciously with their hands. If you take you backswing with a closed clubface, and keep it that way on purpose, if limits the hand domination of the swing. Players who are consistently have iron trouble should probably keep the face shut more often. Also when you are handsy, you rely on timing more which leads to a lack of consistency. From the look of your swing a decent pro could have you back in the game in a lesson.

[Scottydoint]

It looks like you come down with your hands too far inside.

[SpringBokVol]

Thanks whip-it. I've heard this before, but I don't really know what it means. Does it mean my hands are doing something at the top? Or does it mean my arms are moving when they shouldn't be?

Handsy at the top means you are using your hands to start your downswing and that will pull you off plane most of the time.

You want to set you club at the top with a full wrist cock...keep the club face closed and start your downswing with your left knee and hips moving back toward the target.

[bunkerputt]

Handsy players try to control the clubhead consciously with their hands. If you take you backswing with a closed clubface, and keep it that way on purpose, if limits the hand domination of the swing. Players who are consistently have iron trouble should probably keep the face shut more often. Also when you are handsy, you rely on timing more which leads to a lack of consistency. From the look of your swing a decent pro could have you back in the game in a lesson.

That's a really interesting point. I used to have the clubface a lot more square at the top, but a couple of wrist injuries have made me strengthen my right hand grip in a protective manner, which tends to make me open the face up.

I heard Johnny Miller talking about Geoff Ogilvy on NBC a couple of months ago and he mentioned that handsy players are usually great with soft, high shots around the green, but struggle with consistency in ball-striking. I thought, half-jokingly, "Yeah. That's me.". I don't ever remember struggling with a pulling off a flop shot; only on getting the direction and distance just right. I wonder if there's any truth in that... Regarding Scottydoint's point about coming to far from the inside, I went to the range yesterday and tried to focus on exactly three points of technique: 1. Hinge my wrists "back", instead of "up", to keep the club face more shut. 2. Give it a little pause at the top, don't drop the hands, let the lower body pull the hands down. 3. Make a good, non-reverse pivot shoulder turn (good upper back turn), don't let the left knee kick towards the ball, but inwards (good lower back turn). I tried all of this along with a "biggie" of playing within myself. I usually tend to get too aggressive early, expect too much distance out of range balls, etc. It adds pressure that makes my swing break down and turns my attitude south. I definitely made some improvements, but I've still got a ways to go. From 150 yards, I still missed most shots about 8 yards right, but I actually missed some left as well, which hasn't happened in a while. I also nailed the flagstick once, which felt nice. I haven't done that in a while. Probably the biggest improvement was in contact. I shanked a few and toed a few, but probably 80% were in the center of the face. The bad feel of mis-hit shots tends to get into your brain if you hit too many of them. I needed to gear it down quite a bit so that I could remember the feel of a solidly struck golf shot. Those are all good points, guys. Thanks for your inputs. I'll post an updated swing when I get a chance.

[bruce]

You want the clubhead speed through impact,a lot of your problem is that you are fast from the begining of the downswing,so your loosing that solid ballstriking,work on tempo,its hard to explain,if you can start slower and then accelarate,but not accelerate too quick. maybe somebody can word it better than I.

[bunkerputt]

You want the clubhead speed through impact,a lot of your problem is that you are fast from the begining of the downswing,so your loosing that solid ballstriking,work on tempo,its hard to explain,if you can start slower and then accelarate,but not accelerate too quick. maybe somebody can word it better than I.

I think I know the "feel" of that kind of shot. I definitely need to slow it down, if for no other reason than that it gives me time to compensate when my swing mechanics aren't perfect, which is pretty much all the time.

[Elsfan]

When you keep the clubface closed on the backswing and keep it close all the way till the top it will come open automatically even with you keeping it all the way closed intentionally. It will seem closed but if you look it will actually be open. Take your backswing keeping the clubface closed all the way and cock your wrist when they get to the top. Fire through leading with the hips.