Swing help (video)

[Dad-2-3]

Swing is used loosely in this thread, because I know it is ugly. I'm just a hacker trying to get some tips. My predominate miss is a hook. I've never watched my own swing. It looks like I'm taking the club WAY inside on the way back and almost crossing the line at the top. After viewing this I've decided to get some lessons, but in the mean time maybe I could get some tips here. First swings are 8 iron and last swings are a 5 wood. Thanks in advance

[Dad-2-3]

Just Damn...83 views and not so much as a "You suck!" Am I beyond help??? LOL

[Gordon McTavish]

You suck ;) Just kidding!

You look to be quite flat-footed through impact. Do you feel like you have any problems with balance at all?

[Dad-2-3]

I don't feel like I have a balance problem...hmmm? Are you saying I have to much weight on my heels maybe?

[RIduffer]

  Dad-2-3 said:

Just Damn...83 views and not so much as a "You suck!" Am I beyond help??? LOL

Swing looks good man. I think alot of us would just rather say nothing than offer poor advice. I do notice the club inside your hands early in the takeaway. Have you tried keeping the hands more passive in the takeaway?

Someone mentioned you look "flat-footed". I think maybe that's because your right foot is totally on the ground at impact. I do the same thing. Kenny Perry does too, so I think we're OK.

[senorchipotle]

you suck! jk. seriously though, you've got a pretty good looking swing man. i'd like to weaken your grip a little cause your clubface looks really closed upon impact to where your feet are positioned, that way you won't hook it. but your swing comes from the inside which is good. i'd like to see you stay down a little bit longer after impact and make sure you're getting ball first, then turf, which is kinda hard on mats, i know. so you might want to experiment with making a steeper descending blow on the ball instead of sweeping it like you're doing. i don't think you have a balance problem like the other guy says, but make you're always keeping that back knee bent and not straightening it on the backswing. and don't worry about your take away, that's much adieu about nothing, but it looks fine anyways so no worries. it's all about the downswing and your impact position. i bet if you worked on your putting and short game and kept your same iron swing you'd drop 8 strokes easy.

[iammpspeer]

I would like to see you hold your follow through a little longer, to make sure you stay on balance and not fall forward. Now, about your feet. Though it is hard to tell from that angle, it looks like you are opening both of your feet in your stance.

if these slashes were your feet, it would look like this staring down: \ / <---Feet.

Rather it should be like this: \ | <-Feet.

With your left foot slightly open, roughly 1/4 open. and your back foot should be closed so you do not over rotate your hips. Your belt buckle should point at your right foot at the top of the back swing.

Try to keep that left arm straight during your back swing.

EDIT: After watching again, you did hold your follow though on some, but not on all. You may have been rushed by the camera though.

[iacas]

  iammpspeer said:

With your left foot slightly open, roughly 1/4 open. and your back foot should be closed so you do not over rotate your hips. Your belt buckle should point at your right foot at the top of the back swing.

I disagree with that entirely. It's almost impossible to "over-rotate" your hips. Most people don't rotate their hips enough, and in most people, that leads to an over-the-top move.

Dad-2-3, your hip rotation on the backswing looks fine. You properly lessen the bend in your right knee as well.

[Parker0065]

OK, Here goes:

1) I agree with the guy who said that in your takeaway you have the clubhead too far inside of your hands from the camera angle you sent in. You could also work on staying better connected with your arms to your body. Put a towel under your left armpit at address and make backswings without the towel falling to the ground.

2) I tried to slow down the video as much as possible and a face on view would be easier to tell, but it looks like your weight transfer from your back foot to your front foot in your downswing is a problem. As you start your downswing you appear to begin shifting your weight forward but by the time your club reaches the ball you have not shifted enough weight to your front foot at impact. At impact you are flat-footed, then you finish shifting your weight forward after impact. At that point it's too late and you've robbed yourself of a gigantic amount of distance.

3) On your follow-through you have a little bit of a "chicken-wing" going on with your left arm/elbow. This shows your not properly releasing the clubhead after impact by allowing your right arm to roll over your left arm.

4) The best real advice is go buy Hogan's 5 Fundamentals and study them. It will help you understand the golfswing better and how to properly shift your weight through impact and release the club after impact.

On a positive note, your position at the top of your backswing looks pretty good!

Good Luck

[jamo]

Out of blind luck, the only place i managed to stop the video was just at impact. The one real thing that i saw was that your right foot is still on the ground. That isn't a killer move, but it would definitely lead to a hook, or at least a draw. Someone mentioned it above, and they mentioned Kenny Perry, who does that as well, but just watch Kenny Perry, every ball he hits is a draw, same with Rocco Mediate. They both struggle many times to hit fades, and it has hurt them in the past. I'm not saying its a bad thing, but if you want to hit it straighter, you could start to turn you hips earlier in the downswing.

[Dad-2-3]

Thanks again for the replies. You've given me food for thought.

[iammpspeer]

  iacas said:

It's almost impossible to "over-rotate" your hips. Most people don't rotate their hips enough,

I do it quite easily. It happens when my right foot is pointing right and not closed.

[R7Player]

I would try and keep your head still. Your grip might be a little tight. I watched this over and over, an easily corrected swing, start to think draw and fade, clubface open or closed, stay motivated.

[Dad-2-3]

  R7Player said:

start to think draw and fade

Interesting thought as I have been doing that very thing the last two times at the range. I have always just tried to hit it "straight" and was usually disappointed with the results. Having a target and attempting to shape a shot to hit the target has given me better results. Granted, this improvement came at the range. We'll see if it carries over to the course.