My Swing (saevel25)

[saevel25]

That's so funny that's exactly what I feel especially with my irons when I'm hitting good iron shots. It's weird how it feels like its not a full swing but it really is. I'm happy to hear you found something at the range. I would love to be at the point you are. Like I said above you look very very smooth.

I am having an issue with taking what I can do on the range to the course , but I will figure it out!!!

[Jakester23]

I had that problem last year working on key 1. I just had to say to myself it's all the same hitting balls is hitting balls. What's funny is now I feel like I hit it better on the course. Golf is just so humbling. I think mentally I just concentrate more when I'm on the course. Fundamentals are so important and yours are really good.

[saevel25]

Just a few notes on shortening the swing. I must have proper turn rates to do this. I just can't think 3/4th swing and not rotate my hips. When I do this things get very bad. When I get the turn rates in a better position, with a much shorter backswing things just flow much better. So just a foot note to swinging shorter, remember proper turn rates!!

[JetFan1983]

Just a few notes on shortening the swing. I must have proper turn rates to do this. I just can't think 3/4th swing and not rotate my hips. When I do this things get very bad. When I get the turn rates in a better position, with a much shorter backswing things just flow much better. So just a foot note to swinging shorter, remember proper turn rates!!

I'm having a helluva time shortening my swing too. It's tough. My plan is to just keep at it and hope that over time it just gets better ....

Just wanted to throw that out there to let you know you aren't alone in this whole "shorten the backswing" battle.

[Hammer 4]

I'm having a helluva time shortening my swing too. It's tough. My plan is to just keep at it and hope that over time it just gets better ....

Just wanted to throw that out there to let you know you aren't alone in this whole "shorten the backswing" battle.

Maybe You Tube could help you...

[saevel25]

Tonight was a better, though the score didn't show it.

Par, Par, Double, Bogey, Par, Par, Bogey, TRIPLE!!! , Double

Triple was because I was in crappy wet sand, and I left it in the bunker. The double on the last hole was because I duffed a chip shot due to very thick grass. Some how that area didn't get mowed the same length as the rest of the course. The first double was because I ended up a foot right of a tree and had to punch forward 30 yards, and I three putted from 45 feet.

As for the swing, not too bad. It's slowly getting better. Just still need to really get that backswing automatic, especially the turn rates and how far I take it back. When I get that 3/4 swing feel going I really hit the ball well, when I don't its a crap shoot. Back to practicing!!!! Still get caught with a hook, especially longer irons off the tee.

Putting was so-so. I need to refresh aimpoint this week sometime, especially my slope readings. 19 putts tonight, yea it was pretty bad. I had 2 three putts, from distances over 45 feet.

At leas tonight I was able to make pars. Last few times it was the bogey train for every hole. Just some bad blow up holes!!!

[saevel25]

Ended up shooting +1 tonight.

Driver: Still a bit off. Mostly hooking the ball. I ended up with one good drive tonight

Irons are much better now. Putting and short game was on fire tonight.

[Jakester23]

Very nice round bud Im not surprised at your score with how good your swing is.  It is fun when your pitching,chipping and putting are good for me at least its a snowball affect.  Keep up the good work bud.  I love seeing guys like you and Cipher do well.  It gives everyone else something to shoot for.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

Your swing looks solid. I think I got some advice from your thread too so that's awesome. I don't understand though why you dont open your driver clubface some. It should stop you from hooking as much. At least start it more right and you can work on the same swing/path. Then when you come back about blocks right you can talk about that. But at least they fly and usually playable. Just my thoughts.

[Hammer 4]

Ended up shooting +1 tonight.

Driver: Still a bit off. Mostly hooking the ball. I ended up with one good drive tonight

Irons are much better now. Putting and short game was on fire tonight.

Dang, nice work Matt....

[saevel25]

Just because I was bored today, Pitch shot swings!!!!

On a side not, I really need to get that right hand more up on the left, not over top. I just get too much separation between the two hand.

[iacas]

Instead of so much wrist, feel that the right elbow hinges more on the backswing and the left elbow accepts more of the follow through.

[saevel25]

ARGH!!!

That pretty much explains it when it comes to my game on the course. Flashes of good stuff, but just way too inconsistent to score well at all.

Today was a +16 87.

Putts: 33, that's better than my average last year. So things are getting better. Should have been 30, 3 three putts on the front was just bad. Well one of them was from 70 feet, don't practice those much.

Besides that it was off the tee that killed me. I had 3 penalty strokes today. Luckily we read the card and it said anything besides marked in white stakes is considered a lateral hazard. So I had three tee shots that cost me a stroke.

Driver: Push slice, Push cut, Push hook, Push, Push, Draw (YAY!!!), Push Cut, Draw, Push, Snap Hook, Thin. When I mean push I mean 20-30 yard right blocked shots.

I just think I get my driver way too inside right now. Just killing me off the tee.

Short game was hit or miss. I had some good shots in the front nine, and the back nine sometimes I forgot how to do anything.

Back to range I go!!

On a side note, I had a great time playing a round of golf with @CarlSpackler . I wish we both could have played better. Cassel Hills is a GREAT golf course, especially for the price. Just a fun layout, and challenging.

[saevel25]

Well tonight was a bit better. The short game let me down when I needed it the most. Taking 4 strokes to get on the green from 20 yards is just pathetic. Putting was so-so. Had some great reads, just left a few just a bit short. The ball was around the hole the whole night, just couldn't get one to drop for a birdie.

6 pars was going pretty good. Overall  more consistent, just when it was bad it was BAD!!! Got to tighten up the short game a bit. Keep getting that long game fine tuned more. Things are starting to get better. More pars, less bogeys. Things are looking up.

As for contact, the irons were a bit push clankish a bit. I was missing them slightly right. I would say they were slightly thin, I wasn't really taking any divots at all. The driver was better.

Overall I really need to stop OVERSWINGING!! My last drive was perfect and I went about 3/4 swing thought and fire through the ball. So, good things happen on a shorter controlled swing.

[saevel25]

Went to the range today. I was working on the length of my backswing. I was just trying different feels.

First I tried to just gauge where my hands where and tried to stop the backswing. This didn't turn out so well. I find I shouldn't try to feel what my hands are doing in the golf swing for a full swing.

So my other theory was, don't worry about the hands, don't even try to feel them move in the swing. Just worry about getting a 90 degree shoulder turn. Boy did this have amazing results. One thing I think it helps with my turn rates more. I am use to the one piece takeaway method, and feeling a lot of hands early. That is the old swing where I get my hands way too deep, and my body doesn't turn early enough. Doing just the rotation while letting my arms rise up really stops me from overswinging because once I get to 90 degrees I fire through the ball with my torso.

With my downswing I just focus on starting the turn down and everything just fires through at that point. Basically I just try to turn on the same incline as I turned up. Keeping that incline really helps in allowing that left hip to go up and around more, instead of loosing my posture and having my butt go towards the ball.

Another change I did was make sure my grip was not too weak. It tends to creep towards being weaker than I want. I also want to get my right thumb less on top and more laying over the grip on a diagonal. Just feels more connected that way. I think that helps keeping it stronger, just because I can feel where that right thumb lays overtop, and a more diagonal feel means the V is more towards my right shoulder.

The last thing I worked on was just how hard I was swinging. I really tried to take 70% swings. Just try to turn smoothly back and through. It is shocking how far you can hit the ball getting solid contact on a smooth firm swing, not overly aggressive. Don't get me wrong, I can still swing hard. When i just focus on turning and going at moderate fast swing, its just a compact repeatable swing. My divots were much better. Shallow divots with my 7 iron, I wasn't thinning them slightly like I was the past few weeks.

I tried the same thing with my driver, and it works awesome. Just felt really good, very stable.

I'll try to get a video of the swing sometime in the next few days. It's going to thunderstorm tomorrow, so maybe Thursday after golf league is over.

[saevel25]

Game is getting better. Shot 5 over 40 tonight.

Overall the swing is getting more consistent. That range session earlier in the week really helped out. I am finding my tempo much better now. Just concentrating on turning that my hands really helps out.

Just have to cut out those blow up holes. Just stupid short game mistakes are killing me.

[Jakester23]

Thats great bud. With how smooth you swing looks Im not all that surprised Im kinda having the over-swinging problem myself. Whats your swing thought to keep a consistent tempo?

[saevel25]

Thats great bud. With how smooth you swing looks Im not all that surprised   Im kinda having the over-swinging problem myself. Whats your swing thought to keep a consistent tempo?

For me it was really getting my turn rates better. I would check out the 5 keys video on turn rates for the backswing. When I finally figured out how to match my upper body with my hip turn that helped smooth things out.

Also what helped out was not worrying about what my hands were doing. I was so fixated on getting those hands at the right spot that It was counterproductive. Basically I had to trust that my practice is going to get them where I want in my backswing. Knowing that I just rotate my shoulder down and I focus on rotating my hips through impact. Really I don't try to feel much with my arms or hands.

So basically when my shoulders finish turning I start my downswing by rotating my torso and hips.

For example, I did this tonight on number 8, 165 par 3 down hill. Well I use to swing hard with my 9 iron and I would get middle of the green, but erratic shots. Well tonight I did what I described, and I hit a perfect push draw to the center of the green. This felt to me like I was swinging at 75% my max. I was also hitting into a slight headwind.

So for me its, forget the hands, trust the process. Just focus on nailing those turn rates for both the backswing and downswing.