Setup change = Much improved ball striking

[Walther]

So we all love how we find a band-aid fix that dramatically improves our golf game!

During my last round, I was hitting the ball all over the course. However, on the 16th hole I found myself thinking that I needed to play the ball just a little bit forward in my stance, and forward press my hands. I just had the picture in my mind, tweaked the setup and hit the ball to 12 feet from about 160 out.

For the remaining holes, the ball striking was consistently good, with GIR's, all shots within 20 feet of the hole, and one near ace on a par three.

Assuming that this was some phantom fix for me that wouldn't "keep working", I went out and played nine holes last night. Everything worked just as well, and I had my best nine hole score ever, a 41.

I was totally intrigued, so I had my wife take a picture of the setup change just so I could remember what I've been doing.

I'm fairly sure I must be compensating for some other issue in my current swing. Any ideas?

[Walther]

New Setup:

[Walther]

Original Setup:

[mdvaldosta]

I think you'd find better consistancy by keeping your hands in the middle (like they were originally) and shifting your hips foward a bit to get more weight on your left side and your hands in front of the ball that way.

[wrx_junki]

Haven't checked the mirror lately but I'm pretty sure I'm more like your first set of pics than the second set. When I first started, I used to setup like your second set.

[iacas]

New Setup:

I don't like how strong your grip is at all, and I think you've got a bit too much bend. Your arms should hang freely, but they still need a little room to operate, and you look crowded there.

That strong grip is going to get you into trouble eventually. That's stronger than I've seen on any half-decent players. The left hand may be okay (still strong), but the right seems way under. P.S. If possible, please use photobucket or another of the many free web hosts out there. It's so much easier to see your pictures inline (right in the post, full size) rather than having to attach them.

[saltman]

I don't like how strong your grip is at all, and I think you've got a bit too much bend. Your arms should hang freely, but they still need a little room to operate, and you look crowded there.

Agreed, hands to close to the body and the grip is crazy strong, what are you compensating for?

[ddalet]

I think you'd find better consistancy by keeping your hands in the middle (like they were originally) and shifting your hips foward a bit to get more weight on your left side and your hands in front of the ball that way.

this is awful advice for 90% of golfers. no offense.

but hands towards the zipper (versus a slight press) encourage cupping of the wrists at impact rather than a firm left wrist.

[Zeph]

I like a little forward press, but not as much as you are putting in. That strong grip will, as pointed out, probably cause you trouble later on. It is very easy to get a strong grip when having that much forward press. It will give you lots of balls hooking out left. I've been cupping my wrists and casting for some time, but I want a bit of forward press and left wrist closer to flat than cupped. With some changes I started hooking until I noticed how strong my grip was. Well, not so much strong actually, it's weak if anything, but what looked square at adress was really a shut clubface when I tested it.

Try this: Take your new address, ready to hit the ball. Then stand up, club still in your hands, with grip and everything. Close your eyes, shake the club around a bit, feel lose in the hands, but don't wriggle it around in your hands, just move the hands around. Hold the club straight in front of you and open your eyes. It is probably pointing left. You may also feel that the grip is not neutral. The hands are not equal in pressure. With one hand stronger or weaker, the grip feels like it's under pressure. You have to keep a hard grip to keep the clubface square. One hand will try to turn the club one way, the other hand turn it the other way. This can cause a lot of different shots on the course. Many play a strong grip, I prefer a neutral one where the hand fold naturally around the club and are not twiched and turned in any way.

Hands slightly forward so they are past the clubhead, but not the ball.

[ddalet]

I like a little forward press, but not as much as you are putting in. That strong grip will, as pointed out, probably cause you trouble later on. It is very easy to get a strong grip when having that much forward press. It will give you lots of balls hooking out left. I've been cupping my wrists and casting for some time, but I want a bit of forward press and left wrist closer to flat than cupped. With some changes I started hooking until I noticed how strong my grip was. Well, not so much strong actually, it's weak if anything, but what looked square at adress was really a shut clubface when I tested it.

His grip looks stronger because his right hand grip is severely strong. I can only see 2 knuckles on the left... that is more neutral.

If anything, don't change the press, just weaken your right hand grip sigificantly. According to all the greats, Hogan, Nicklaus, Jones, your setup hand position is what you would like impact to be. If you are setting up with your hands cupped or behind the ball and translating that to impact, you will get weak compression and ball flight. Ideally, your hands should be leading the clubhead at impact, which is why a slight forward press at address is not a bad thing... look at Jack Nicklaus.

[Zeph]

A little press is good, but you can have too much. Jack looks like he's got a lot of forward press because he plays the ball of his left heel, which will put the hands much further ahead than someone playing the ball an inch or two inside the left heel. Effectively though, relative to the ball, his hands are not that far forward.
When we are one the subject of "look at", look at Tiger. He's got a slight forward press, not as much as OP here.

That much forward press is like setting an early wrist hinge. It may help getting the feel of where the arms should be at impact, but lag (which is what we are trying to get), is achieved by the proper motions, not setting the hands in a pre-determined position. A lot of forward press will during the swing feel like the wrists are already hinged and you'll hold that position all the way up and down. It puts stress on the hands, which makes it harder to swing smooth and get a proper release.

That's my opinion anyways.

[SpringBokVol]

I actually like your new set up:

Spine angle looks better.

Right shoulder is positioned well under the left.

Forward press and ball position are good for a descending blow.

[ddalet]

A little press is good, but you can have too much. Jack looks like he's got a lot of forward press because he plays the ball of his left heel, which will put the hands much further ahead than someone playing the ball an inch or two inside the left heel. Effectively though, relative to the ball, his hands are not that far forward.

you need firm wrists/hands to be able to release the club properly, otherwise you are cupping the ball and adding loft. this is the difference between the average golfer and the pristine golfer.

[mcfc_nick]

right so you found this out on the 16th and then you were hitting GIR's for the rest of the round......so you hit 3 GIR's, i wouldnt trust it definitely as it may have been a tad lucky if you know what i mean and may not always work, i do this a lot of the time where i try something and it works for a while and then suddenly doesnt work at all!

[Zeph]

you need firm wrists/hands to be able to release the club properly, otherwise you are cupping the ball and adding loft. this is the difference between the average golfer and the pristine golfer.

I'm not talking about firm wrists, but firm grip. As I said, you can play with both, but I prefer a grip where both hands are equal in pressure. If I take my normal grip and twist either hand either way, I'll put more pressure on it and my ball striking will suffer because of it. With neutral hands and neutral grip I feel much better and can swing more freely. It also makes it harder to change the grip or alter it in any way during the swing. I used to change the grip in some way and twist the club at the backswing because of a bad grip.

The wrists are still firm, but they can work independetly from the hands. If you are wimpy in the wrists, they will cup, it's what they naturally will do, I agree there.

[trumps4]

Your Cat and my Cat could be twins I swear! I mean it looks identical to mine. Back on point......
That grip looks really uncomfortable! The first thing I'd ask you to do is roll that right hand back on top a little. I think the ball position is fine and the press is a little much but you can work with it. The second thing I'd ask is for you to read Impact Zone by Bobby Clampett.

[CG031]

I don't like how strong your grip is at all, and I think you've got a bit too much bend. Your arms should hang freely, but they still need a little room to operate, and you look crowded there.

I agree, completely. A lot of good players play with a strong left hand, but like you said, the right hand being 'under' the club is going to get you in trouble eventually. I'd say change it now to a more conventional grip because it would help you out in the long run.

Also, is it me or does your posture look a little hunched over the ball? I could be wrong on this but that's what it seems to me. I think you need to pull your shoulders back a little bit.

[shankapotamus]

right so you found this out on the 16th and then you were hitting GIR's for the rest of the round......so you hit 3 GIR's, i wouldnt trust it definitely as it may have been a tad lucky if you know what i mean and may not always work, i do this a lot of the time where i try something and it works for a while and then suddenly doesnt work at all!

He said he went out and played another nine and shot his career low 41. But if he found out on the sixteenth, and he used it the rest of the round, wouldn't that only be 2 GIRs, or are we including the sixteenth here.