My Swing (saevel25)

[LuciusWooding]

I need better Key #1 myself; it really takes the worst misses out of play when you do it properly. I may need to practice taking the club from A1 to A2 properly about a billion times as well. I think we all wish our priority piece were something sexier but the basics are probably the hardest part of this game.

[saevel25]

Went out and played golf today. Shot +7, pretty short easy course, so not overly impressed about that score.

As for the swing, didn't have the backswing piece going on the front nine. Snap hooked the first drive. Then I had a few holes were I just blocked the ball way right. Finally started to get it better once I made the turn. Concentrating on that steady head is really helping shorten the swing. It's tougher to overswing if you don't let the head move. I am catching the irons slightly thin. I think I am flipping every so slightly. Its like maybe 2 grooves too thin. When I do catch it better, the irons are tad too high for me in ball flight. So I took a few extra shots, course was open, and I really focused on getting the left hand more forward and that got it down better and less thin.

Priority piece is still that backswing piece. Just need to keep the reps going to get the timing down for the swing. Just feels like I need a bit more flex in that left leg for a tad longer in the downswing, just a bit too early with the extension sometimes.

[saevel25]

So today, played 9 holes in 55 degree weather and 20+ winds, FUN!!!!

All shots in order

Driver: Little all over the place. One shot really cost me with a lost golf ball.

Full swing approach, one thin shot, no chunks, mostly pushes and push draws. Actually pretty solid.

Pitch Shots: I am pretty good when I actually use some strength on the shots. I get too tentative too many times.

Putting, not too bad. Still stuck between using the old putting stroke and just letting the putter due the work. Need to spend more time on my stroke and not try to guide the ball were I want it to go.

[saevel25]

Video 1,

A bit too close to the ball, with the weight too far on my heels

clubhead behind the hands at A2

Club needs to be a bit more vertical at A3

Need to stop overswinging the club, THINK HALF SWING DAMNIT!!!!

Hips are not open enough at impact

Video 2,

Still need to be a bit more over the ball, and further away.

Clubhead is less inside, still would like it going just outside the hands, not just inside at A2

At A3 would like to see the hands more towards my right shoulder, less deep. Would like to see more of my right shoulder at the top of the swing.

Still a tad too much overswinging there.

Hips still too square to the target line at impact

On a good note, it was much easier to get that backswing to change this time around. I think set up will help because it seemed to allow my shoulder to turn on a more natural steeper plane, which allows my arms to work more up and less round. Just need to do more work.

[Hammer 4]

Matt, aside from the little things you mentioned, your swing looks good. I'd trade you swings any day of the week..

[iacas]

You're doing a lot better than you're wanting to give yourself credit for. :)

[saevel25]

You're doing a lot better than you're wanting to give yourself credit for. :)

Yeah I know. The harshest critics are usually ourselves.

Mostly I wanted to have the notes relative to where I think I should be. Yea I do see the improvement. I do like where things are progressing.

[saevel25]

Went out and played 9 holes today. Shot a +8, blah!!!

Off the tee was so-so. I get too armsy and flippy at the ball with the driver, and it gets erratic.

Approach shots were not too bad. Still can't get a consistent ball flight I want, but contact is pretty good. I really like the angle of attack with my irons. Just can't put keys 4 & 5 together yet. Though I played the last hole really well. I tried something out. I know, no practicing while playing, but my round was shot so screw it.

So, I was thinking back to what Erik had me do in Erie with getting the turn rates better in the follow through, getting my hips more open at impact, and get that belt buckle pointed more towards the sky. I think I've been doing it wrong. When I try to do that move originally I would spin out, and sometimes fall away from the target, instead of getting the left hip to go around and up. So what I tried to do on the last few shots was really focus on keeping a bit more flex in that front leg to start the downswing, then rip that left hip around and up, while maintaining my steady head. When I did that I hit some very solid shots. Just something I wanted to experiment with, and I'll have to get the camera on it later this week.

Putting was pretty bad. Greens were a bit slower today, and I am having a hard time hitting my lines. I can aim my putter, the problem is the stroke. So, I need to figure out a good drill to do. I think most of the time, I am trying to guide the ball instead of just stroking the putt. So I end up trying to micro adjust the face in the stroke, which is not good. I keep missing them left and right. I need to spend about and hour to refresh my Aimpoint skills. Just need a bit of a refresher on reading slope.

[saevel25]

Ok I am working on that coin drill with the putter.

Just some notes on what is working for me. I modified the grip a tad. I moved my right index finger that use to extend more down the grip to wrapping around more. I also moved my right thumb off the top of the grip and just have it laying over the left thumb more.

My set up is still the same. Ball slightly forward in the stance. My hands inline with the golf ball, so a slight forward press. I also like to feel that my arms are more turned under. So having good slack in the elbows, where they are tucked in to my side. So the inside of my elbows facing more upward than inward.

The only change to the set up I made was to stand slightly further away from the ball and make I am looking down at the ball through the center of my eyes, and not down the bridge of my nose. I use to get way too upright with my putting. This would lift the grip forward and make it hard to stroke the putt.

With these I feel more comfortable returning the putter to the ball the way I want, as well as use a more pendulum stroke.

Also a feeling I am liking is an under hand move with the right hand. I use to push the putter forward with my right hand. I think a more upward, like I am under hand tossing a ball type of feel. It just seems to feel really good right now. It also makes it feel like the stroke is less of guiding the ball to my target, just more natural feeling.

[Abu3baid]

Video 1,

A bit too close to the ball, with the weight too far on my heels

clubhead behind the hands at A2

Club needs to be a bit more vertical at A3

Need to stop overswinging the club, THINK HALF SWING DAMNIT!!!!

Hips are not open enough at impact

Video 2,

Still need to be a bit more over the ball, and further away.

Clubhead is less inside, still would like it going just outside the hands, not just inside at A2

At A3 would like to see the hands more towards my right shoulder, less deep. Would like to see more of my right shoulder at the top of the swing.

Still a tad too much overswinging there.

Hips still too square to the target line at impact

On a good note, it was much easier to get that backswing to change this time around. I think set up will help because it seemed to allow my shoulder to turn on a more natural steeper plane, which allows my arms to work more up and less round. Just need to do more work.

Matt.. I have been following for a while, but I am so confused now.. what is your priority piece if you don't mind me asking?

Surely you can't perfect all of these things at once that you mentioned above, and surely one of them stands out in importance?

You do have a stupid monkey badge, so I'm probably way out of line, but oh well.. just trying to help.

[saevel25]

Matt.. I have been following for a while, but I am so confused now.. what is your priority piece if you don't mind me asking?

Surely you can't perfect all of these things at once that you mentioned above, and surely one of them stands out in importance?

You do have a stupid monkey badge, so I'm probably way out of line, but oh well.. just trying to help.

Backswing all the way right now. More specifically getting the clubhead more inline to outside my hands at A2, and more vertical at A3. Making sure my right arm isn't stuck behind my body at the top of the swing.

I just like to list all the things I see there, doesn't mean I work on all of them at the same time. I'm not what I am working on all that stuff. Maybe I should just do write ups of my priority piece from now on to keep it cleaner.

The overswinging and set up stuff is for me to remember. It is something I am just trying to be aware of, not really out right practicing it. When I say aware of, I mean hardly thinking about it. The reason I still over swing too much.

No worries, when I am practicing it is all stupid monkey stuff, on my priority piece.

[Abu3baid]

I knew there was something to it.. That's great!

[saevel25]

Lets have it for the worst nine hole round of the year so far!!!

My consistency so far is probably ZERO out of 10.

Summarize my shot tendency right now!!!

Push, Push, Push cut, Push Cut, Hook, Push cut, Push, Hook, Straight Fade, Thin, Pull, Push

Putting is still not there. Pitching was so so. Bunker play was horrid, though the bunkers had that nice fluffy sand, and it was 5 inches thick. I would need about 50 degrees of bounce to have any chance of hitting a decent bunker shot.

Yep, rock bottom is getting close!!!

[Jakester23]

Lets have it for the worst nine hole round of the year so far!!!

My consistency so far is probably ZERO out of 10.

Summarize my shot tendency right now!!!

Push, Push, Push cut, Push Cut, Hook, Push cut, Push, Hook, Straight Fade, Thin, Pull, Push

Putting is still not there. Pitching was so so. Bunker play was horrid, though the bunkers had that nice fluffy sand, and it was 5 inches thick. I would need about 50 degrees of bounce to have any chance of hitting a decent bunker shot.

Yep, rock bottom is getting close!!!

Is your push push ect... with your driver or all of your clubs?

[dbrock504]

Backswing all the way right now. More specifically getting the clubhead more inline to outside my hands at A2, and more vertical at A3. Making sure my right arm isn't stuck behind my body at the top of the swing.

I just like to list all the things I see there, doesn't mean I work on all of them at the same time. I'm not what I am working on all that stuff. Maybe I should just do write ups of my priority piece from now on to keep it cleaner.

The overswinging and set up stuff is for me to remember. It is something I am just trying to be aware of, not really out right practicing it. When I say aware of, I mean hardly thinking about it. The reason I still over swing too much.

No worries, when I am practicing it is all stupid monkey stuff, on my priority piece.

Why? I have a very similar back swing to you. I was told by a PGA coach that it isn't a bad thing. If it helps you keep the club on plane, why mess with it? He explained it really isn't a necessity. Do as you will. It does look better, I guess.

[saevel25]

Is your push push ect... with your driver or all of your clubs?

No the Push is a block. Its not like I am slightly leaving them out to the right. I am pushing them WAY out to the right. Example, tonight I was aiming to go over a fairway bunker. So I aimed so the ball would start over the left edge of it. I pushed it about 10 degrees to the right into a tree that was about 15 yards  away from the tee box.

Yes its with the irons as well, but to less extreme because they are irons and they don't go as far. Blocks and hooks, sounds like i am boxing, not good for golf.

Why? I have a very similar back swing to you. I was told by a PGA coach that it isn't a bad thing. If it helps you keep the club on plane, why mess with it? He explained it really isn't a necessity. Do as you will. It does look better, I guess.

Position A2 on the left, the clubhead is WAY too inside.

Position A3 on the right, the shaft is way too flat, and the hands are way

Top of the backswing. Which is better than before. Before my hands were far more inside to the point I could see my right shoulder to the right of my left arm. Now my hands and arms cover that up more.

Even Matt Kuchar, who has probably the flattest swing on tour, has the clubhead going inline with his hands at A2. Kuchar's swing is one of the EXTREME examples in golf. Probably the anti-Furyk swing.

Well right now this swing is causing me big blocks and hooks. So its clearly isn't consistent for me.

[dbrock504]

Lets have it for the worst nine hole round of the year so far!!!

My consistency so far is probably ZERO out of 10.

Summarize my shot tendency right now!!!

Push, Push, Push cut, Push Cut, Hook, Push cut, Push, Hook, Straight Fade, Thin, Pull, Push

Putting is still not there. Pitching was so so. Bunker play was horrid, though the bunkers had that nice fluffy sand, and it was 5 inches thick. I would need about 50 degrees of bounce to have any chance of hitting a decent bunker shot.

Yep, rock bottom is getting close!!!

You are either going to resent this, or agree with it.

I went back and read quite a few of your posts and I have come to a conclusion. Remember, I am not a pro nor a scratch golfer. This is only my opinion. You sir, are over-playing this game. You have a good swing from the videos and you seem to be a good player. The fact that you are so knowledgeable about each aspect of this game seems to be demolishing your game. This particular round is just a really bad day. We ALL have these. This game really is very simple. WE are the ones that make this game difficult. On a par 4, hit it twice toward the target and then putt it into the hole. Sometimes we forget that and make this game to be so unbelievably technical that it starts to erode at us. Did Arnold Palmer have a technically perfectly swing or putting stroke? No. He put the ball in the hole. The only part that matters of any swing is 1" before contact and 1" after. Everything else before can be as wacky as you can make it (Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk). Now you have developed a push and I bet 15 different possibilities to run through your mind. Am I pushing my arms? Is my swing plane good? Am I leaving the club face open? Are my hands behind my body on rotation? You keep adjusting, adjusting, adjusting your swing wanting to improve, improve, improve. To get to the level you are at (6.7C hcp), you have had to have had something correct at one point. If you keep changing things, how can you keep a good swing? Do you think Justin Rose tries to change things all the time? He does the correct things correct and practices those correct things to keep them correct. You seem to have the correct common aspects of the game correct (ie. smooth backswing, head down, tight V, rotating at the hips, weight transfer, rolling hands to make square face at contact, striking the golf ball first, taking a dollar divot, brushing putting stroke, etc.). I recommend you focus on perfecting the things that NEED to be there. The other things you do because it is comfortable for you. How far your back swing is doesn't matter. How bent over you are when you putt doesn't matter. Do those things affect play? Of course. I'm not saying that you can't try to improve and get better. All that matters is getting the ball in the hole. Some do it prettier than others.

I find that when I play 3 times a week and go to the range 2 times a week, I start "creating" weird little habits that throw my game off. Then I spend the next 2 weeks over-thinking stuff. I suggest taking a bit of a break. I know, I know. What are you going to do? Get back to playing golf. Relax, have fun, swing easy, put the ball in the hole. You know how to do it!

P.S. I love how you add videos and use this thread as a personal blog for your daily rounds. I will start doing this as well. Great idea!

[saevel25]

@dbrock504 , This is just growing pains, I know that. Right now I am struggling for consistency because I am caught between swing changes right now.

The reason I want to change my swing is because I want to get better. 6.7 is probably the lowest I can go with my old swing. It was consistent for that, but it wasn't a swing conducive to going were I want to be. For me the game of golf is a journey and I want to see how far I can go. There are few things in my life that I actually have a drive to strive for, my golf game is one of them.

The thing is I am trying to improve what I NEED to be there to get better. I am not trying to be technically perfect, but I want my swing to be better. This is my drive in golf right now. Its not showing up in the scores, but the image is slowly changing, which is fine.