Please help me on my swing

[erwintrace08]

Hi Guys,

I've been trying to fix my swing. At impact, I know my elbows aren't together and I should finish with the club head near my right butt rather than across my neck. Also, I need a straighter back.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, I've always had a bad habit of dipping my head. I've tried to keep my spine straight. I downloaded a Nicklaus iPhone app and he said to visualize my head through my butt is nailed to the ground. It's been working, but if you see, I still have the same problems.

I have a head that must weigh 20lbs and it may be the reason but in all seriousness, how do you guys keep your head from dipping? Any swing thoughts or tips? Also, what else am I doing wrong. Am I way to fast at impact?








Thanks so much!!!
Trace

[senorchipotle]

first thing, you can never be ''way too fast at impact,'' but you can be out of control of your speed. the biggest thing i notice is that you're throwing all your weight to your left side. it's good that your hips are rotating back left, but your lower body weight should be going at the target, and the hip turn is simply a byproduct of this. as far as your head goes, you're dipping your head because you lift it up in your backswing. it should stay steady both back and through. right now, you're lifting up, and if you don't dip back down, you're not gonna hit the ball.

[erwintrace08]

Thanks so much for the feedback. I would love more.

I definitely see what you mean on the dips. Is there any way you suggest training someone to avoid the dipping? I try to think of keeping my body and head like it's anchored to the ground, but it still doesn't work. Any training tips or swing thoughts?

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/asset.p...2&d;=1265358574

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/asset.p...2&d;=1265358570

Trace

[jamo]

You do dip, but it really isn't your primary problem. When you get to the top of your backswing, your right elbow absolutely collapses. From the back and from the front, the 90* angle disappears. Also, you've got too much space under your right armpit. If you fix those up, you wont have the overswinging move, and you wont spiral out of control. There are more things, but i think this one is pretty important.

[iacas]

A1 is the top left, C4 is the bottom right.

As you can see A2 you roll the club away a little bit with the driver. Just a little - but look down at the iron C2. You're closer to it so to get the club around you, you flip and roll it behind you. Not a problem with the driver because you give yourself more room A1, C1.

Your head dips in all A, B but it isn't because you've risen dramatically on the backswing - it's on the downswing only. Laterally (B1-4) your head stays pretty well in position. The head dipping is causing what I think you'd agree is the terrible left arm position at impact B4.

Finally, your swing is way too long, and your shoulder plane is a bit flat. Those are subtle things, but also somewhat easy to fix, typically.

So here's the laundry list...

1) As you can see A1 you're not looking at the ball out of the center of your vision. No doubt you've heard "keep your chin up" so you can turn your shoulder under it. I don't like that advice, and I think you should look at the ball from the center of your vision and turn your shoulders on a steeper angle. So drop your chin a bit.

2) Your hands don't go in and immediately get high (towards the top green line). A steeper shoulder turn - think about your left shoulder going DOWN and not just "around" - can help there.

3) Give yourself a bit more room with the irons so you aren't forced to flip the club around behind you. See how much of the back of the glove we see in B2? That's from the flipping and rolling (and that's your driver swing - it's worse in C2 where we can see the back of your glove from down the line!).

4) Your right elbow collapses (A3) which causes the left arm to fold (B3). It lifts, too, but I think you can eliminate a bit of the over-swinging and collapsing by getting the shoulders working on a steeper plane (A3, C3) and by using the Swing Extender.

5) Your weight is well back into your heels. That's why you're fairly upright and also why you move forward into the ball at impact - your weight moves off your heels and towards your toes. Your head dips and goes towards the ball, which cramps your left arm - it has to bend or else you'll hit a foot behind the ball. Move back an inch or two from the ball and get your weight a bit more towards the balls of your feet.

6) Note the spine in A3. See how straight it is? Try this without a golf club... take your address position. stand up. tilt to the left from your hips to your head, and then rotate back 90 degrees. Yes, it's completely a "stack and tilt drill" but the truth is that everybody's spine tilts left. If your spine remained straight as yours has done, you get a much more level shoulder turn as you've gotten. Look at A4 for the corresponding right side tilt at impact (and into the follow-through) - it's tough to see there but take a look at http://iacas.org/f/chuck_quinton_spine_angle.jpg if you want. Not to pick on Chuck Quinton, but he's a good example of how people say you need to "maintain your spine angle" when that's not even true. That screenshot even comes from a video where he's demonstrating just that technique. For obvious reasons the best place to see the side tilting at the top of the backswing is from a down-the-line view but in front of the golfer, not behind them, so we don't have much video of that angle.

So to simplify:

a) Move away from the ball, get your stance more balanced, and bend a bit more from the hips (and don't hold your chin up so much). That'll help both the head dipping (it won't "dip" because it'll be a bit lower already and your weight won't be sliding towards the ball on the downswing) and the club rolling in (you'll have more room to take your hands in without flipping the club around your hip).

b) Steepen the shoulder turn. In reality it'll be by a bit more side tilting, but if you want to think of it as just driving your left shoulder down (which will also help your hands go back more in rather than out), that's probably fine.

c) Cut off the backswing when your right elbow hits 90°. Don't let that arm collapse. A full swing may literally feel like a half swing to you, but do it. Buy the Swing Extender if you'd like - it's great and simple and it works.

[jav]

eric that was a fantastic breakdown! well done!

[erwintrace08]

WOW!!! Thanks so much Eric, SenorChipotle and Jamo. I truly appreciate it so much and thank you for your time. You guys are awesome. I totally understand what you are saying.

Eric- That's more than I was expecting, but if I probably would do the same for someone in need of golf help (assuming I was a low HC). Anyway, I did a full color print out and took note of what you said. It totally makes sense too and the reason I do certain things. Let me just show you how much sense you guys make. Here is what you mentioned:

1) Shoulder plane is a bit flat: I do notice my hands are low at the top and far from my head. This is the reason my 90* with my right arm breaks down. Also, with the flat plane, this is why I have a hard time taking more divots. My bad shots are hitting it fat.

2) Need more room so I don't flip the club: I do see this and also know it's because I don't extend my arms out enough. I attached another breakdown and added a few things. When club is parallel to the ground on the take away, my hands aren't fully extended = flipping the club and another power leak. This is another reason why the right elbow collapses.

3) Move weight from back on heels to toes: I noticed I'm not close to the ball. I was watching Dustin Johnson hit the Ace today and it was like he was on a building ledge looking down. You said also I dip and the head goes towards the ball, which cramps the left arm. You are totally right. I do get closer to the ball and that's why for probably over 1 year, I was fighting the "SH@N_s" and it was so frustrating.

It totally makes sense now guys. Again, thank you so much from another golf fanatic who wants to improve badly. I will send you a before and after shot in 2 months

Have a great weekend,
Trace

[erwintrace08]

Hey Erik, I tried that "glove under the armpit" drill and have never hit my irons that precise. I remember you and the others said my right elbow collapses as the top. The "glove under the pit" specifically fixes that, right? Thanks, e