Beginner looking for advice on swing

[cstorms]

So I have had a couple lessons but haven't played on the course too much. I am essentially a beginner, but I can get away with making contact most of the time. I was hoping to get some tips from you guys on here so here is a low quality video of my swing. Please give feedback if possible, thanks!

[iacas]

I think I've fixed it, but in the future, please don't post private videos. It's a pain.

[TigerWoodz]

I still cant view it??

[cstorms]

is it working now? first timer, sorry about that

[JetFan1983]

Since you've been a member since 2008, you likely know a lot of what I will post here, but since the title is directed towards beginners, there will be new members who could benefit greatly from this post- I know I would have:

No specific suggestions towards your swing, but I do have suggestions towards increasing your potential to learn and quickly understand the "golf-speak" all regular players and instructors use to describe things- something I struggled to understand in my first 1-2 years of golf.

1) Read Ben Hogan's Five Lessons . It's a nice place to start with grip, stance, posture stuff and the general workings of the swing. You may find as you improve your understanding of golf that this book could be obsolete in its language and teaching style, but that still doesn't take away from the fact that is full of great advice that can continue to help you throughout your golfing life- even if you make it to a + handicap. Many people seem to "grow apart" from this one, but that being said, this is THE golf book to start with I would think. If not this one, then this next one:

2) Order the Stack and Tilt book and DVD- you can start here too, but this is sort of an essential thing towards understanding golf- now you don't have to choose this style to be yours obviously, but you should know what its about.

3) http://thesandtrap.com/forum/entries/61-The-Big-List Read this blog post by iacas. If you don't understand it at first, that's okay- you will in time. When you do eventually understand what all this stuff is talking about, you can really begin to learn this game in my humble opinion. This guy does all the hard work for you over years of playing the game, so it's a good idea to just read this stuff rather than learning it the hard way on your own.

4) I really loved Stan Utley's Art of Scoring book. It has great advice about how to think your way around the greens- really helped me. I highly recommend checking out this book.

5) David Weznik has great Youtube videos on the Stack and Tilt swing- please give his videos a chance because they are well worth the time it takes to watch them:







In this Weznik video, in my opinion, he gives his customer great information on the proper takeaway- the very first move in the golf swing- so important- and for me, it's been incredible. I haven't played a round of 18 holes in over a year due to injuries and now just being too busy, but when I've gone to the range (6-7 times this year) this move alone I feel has worked wonders for me. Granted, it could just be because it was a vital missing piece in a swing that already had a couple decent pieces in it, but still, it was very helpful.



6) The following Sandtrap threads were very helpful for me:

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...LIDE-Your-Hips

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...d-Tilt-Pattern

7) Here's a nice piece on the Ball Flight laws if you'd like another take on it. Not great quality, but standard info:



And in this video, it shows the proper impact position every good golfer gets himself in i.e. forward shaft lean at impact and a flat (or bowed) left wrist:



****

Anyways, that's probably way too much information for one person to be force-fed in one sitting. I definitely do not recommend working on EVERYTHING at once or even half this stuff at the same time. But still, in your free time or whatever, read through this stuff, make the decision for yourself whether you like it or not- if nothing else, you are expanding your golf horizons.

Good luck and enjoy!

[cstorms]

thank you jetsfan for that incredible amount of information... any specific tips on my swing would be much appreciated tho

[squaddie]

thank you jetsfan for that incredible amount of information... any specific tips on my swing would be much appreciated tho

From your video:

1) I don't like all that bouncing around you do when you get into position - just bend over a bit and then unlock your knees - you should feel springy without bobbing up and down, the weight even between the heels and balls of the feet. As you unlock the knees it appears you straighten a bit and lose your spine angle. 2) Grip and club position: For a short iron it appears you are choking down too far on the club. If the club is the correct length your left hand should be gripping no more than 1/2" from the end. Sometimes for me it's a 1/4". Make sure you understand the proper ball position for each club, as that can't be determined here except with a video that faces you from the front-side. 3) On your backswing it appears like you start leaning into the ball, as your head moves forward and downward slightly, which could mean a weight-shift issue, or perhaps you are bending your knees in the backswing. Ideally in the backswing you should feel like your weight is getting over your right leg as your arms and shoulder turn, without losing the flex of your right knee at address. 4) The downswing weight-shift and the follow-through path of the club look pretty good. But to ensure you don't push the shot make sure you focus on watching the ball as you swing through it at impact, rather than lifting your head up to see where the ball is going.

[cstorms]

From your video:

Thank you! very helpful.. in response to number 2: I have been using my friends clubs, and he is a big guy... my clubs fit me better and I don't need to choke down on them, but for now thats all I have access to