My Swing (saevel25)

[saevel25]

Hitting a ton of hooks tonight. Overall the contact was just poor. I tried slowing the swing down and I would still hit way too far from the inside.

Distance wedges were kinda heavy. Similar contact sometimes, scoopish feel the swing. Like the swing bottoms out about half an inch behind the ball but I yank the club up right before impact.

Pitching was actually pretty good tonight, thankfully.

Went to the range after the round, trying to figure things out. I would take slow swings to the top, stop at A5-A5.5 and do a slight pump and then just turn with the left hip, straightening that left leg and the ball would be struck well. It would go straight, no curve, maybe sometimes a slight fade. Like the first video my previous post above.

Then I would try to take a full swing, slow backswing, not overswinging, and try to turn through, crashing that left hip and I would hit these really bad feeling hooks just like on the course.

I am a bit stumped. Clearly I am not translating what I want to do to my full swing, even at slow speeds. Its not good if I can't even get the good contact I was getting on Monday. I could slow my swing down, shorten it and hit functional shots. Now that has gone away. I can't even get close to hitting the sweet spot on the club even with my shorter slower swing.

Back to the range tomorrow. Its just getting tiring when I don't see any consistency sticking to the swing. It just boggles my mind I could hit these really good strikes in Erie. Actually hit the ball, then the ground, and the strike felt crisp and I got nothing on my own.

[Jakester23]

Hitting a ton of hooks tonight. Overall the contact was just poor. I tried slowing the swing down and I would still hit way too far from the inside.

Distance wedges were kinda heavy. Similar contact sometimes, scoopish feel the swing. Like the swing bottoms out about half an inch behind the ball but I yank the club up right before impact.

Pitching was actually pretty good tonight, thankfully.

Went to the range after the round, trying to figure things out. I would take slow swings to the top, stop at A5-A5.5 and do a slight pump and then just turn with the left hip, straightening that left leg and the ball would be struck well. It would go straight, no curve, maybe sometimes a slight fade. Like the first video my previous post above.

Then I would try to take a full swing, slow backswing, not overswinging, and try to turn through, crashing that left hip and I would hit these really bad feeling hooks just like on the course.

I am a bit stumped. Clearly I am not translating what I want to do to my full swing, even at slow speeds. Its not good if I can't even get the good contact I was getting on Monday. I could slow my swing down, shorten it and hit functional shots. Now that has gone away. I can't even get close to hitting the sweet spot on the club even with my shorter slower swing.

Back to the range tomorrow. Its just getting tiring when I don't see any consistency sticking to the swing. It just boggles my mind I could hit these really good strikes in Erie. Actually hit the ball, then the ground, and the strike felt crisp and I got nothing on my own.

Keep working and remain positive.  You will get there.

[saevel25]

Keep working and remain positive.  You will get there.

Thanks Man!

[saevel25]

Ok now that I stopped being all moppy about my golf game I can sit back and think about my actual swings from my round instead of being pissed off at the results of the swing and getting down on myself. I can say for certainty that not one of the full swings made tonight, especially the driver, were at a slow enough pace for good contact.

I am deluding myself on how slow I need to go to make this work. So yea, when I said I was using my slower swing, no I wasn't. I might have thought I was in a few cases, but when I actually think back to my lesson in Erie. My swing tonight wasn't even close to what I was doing during the lesson and then out on the course in Erie.

During the round I wasn't concentrating enough on making a PROPER slower swing, and not concentrating enough on getting that left him back at impact.

I'm going to just going to put how my ball striking was for this round behind me and move forward with my downswing piece and working on my slower paced swing.

I actually had some really good contact with my pump drill where I pump the club at A5-5.5 and then making a good slow downswing just turning that left hip and straightening that front leg. I am feeling the spine tilt more now and how the left hip stretches and straightens that left leg. When I doing it really good the ball just goes straight at the target with very little spin, maybe a slight fade.

Practice

1) Keep doing the downswing drills

2) Mix in a few backswing drills to keep that piece fresh

3) Swing Slowly, keeping proper turn rates

Play - I know same old same old. I got to keep saying it.

1) Shorten the swing, and crash that left hip

2) SWING SLOWER

3) SWING SLOWER

4) SWING SLOWER

5) SWING SLOWER

6) Mentally, don't get down during a round. Move on to the next shot and remember to swing slower and go for good contact. Remember the tempo from Erie, PA.

[saevel25]

[VIDEO]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NKVfRY53qIY[/VIDEO] Substitute buy stupid :censored: for no reason with, I will not make stupid swings for no reason. :-P

[mvmac]

Back to the range tomorrow. Its just getting tiring when I don't see any consistency sticking to the swing. It just boggles my mind I could hit these really good strikes in Erie. Actually hit the ball, then the ground, and the strike felt crisp and I got nothing on my own.

Do you think you were exaggerating the feels more in Erie? It can be harder to hit the same level of exaggeration as when an instructor is coaching you.

[saevel25]

Do you think you were exaggerating the feels more in Erie? It can be harder to hit the same level of exaggeration as when an instructor is coaching you.

On the course I'm not making the swing slow enough, and not doing the hip piece right. it is way off from when Erik and I did some shotmaking stuff on the course after the lesson. I think in practice I'm probably not exaggerating enough as I was in Erie. Also I'm not getting that same slower tempo as I did in Erie. In Erie, I could hit my 6 iron 125-150 yards doing the piece much better. When I practice now i struggle to tone it down. Which probably doesn't help what I need to be doing. Tonight after my round at the range, I was able to do that pump drill from A5, turn that hip, straighten the leg sooner and hit the shots 125-150. I was getting the ball flight I was getting with my lesson in Erie, a straight shot, sometimes with a slight fade at the end. Which makes me happy. I wasn't seeing that similar ball flight that. I'm just struggling to slow down the swing with proper tempo when I try to do the move with a complete swing.

[saevel25]

Had a very good range session tonight.

I worked on my downswing drill. I am liking that pump drill from A5. It seems to give me the best results in terms of getting the hips open and feeling the hip turn.

I also worked on shortening and slowing down the backswing. If I slow down the backswing then I don't turn as much because It takes longer to get to the top and my body is use to a faster backswing. Also I think I can sense the top of the swing better with a slower backswing as well. I just got to make sure I don't get lazy on the downswing or I end up stalling and hitting chunky shots.

DTL - Slower Feeling Backswing, could still be shorter, about as long as I want a backswing to be at its max. Could still get the hips a tad more open, but still better.

FO - shorter, slower backswing.

DTL - Driver. This golf club I need to feel slower and like half backswing length. This club can get way too long of a backswing. I made a few changes to my set up. I was standing too close to the ball at address. I ended up too upright to being with. So I decided to stand a bit further away from the ball to get the weight more on the center of my feet. This helped me stay down on my spine angle because I was focusing a bit more on maintaining that leaned over feeling. This might be the best swing I've made all year.

I REALLY REALLY Liked the positions in this swing. #BOOM!

Just for fun I have this picture from A5 from August 2014, #ChangeThePicture :)

A7 from 2014 versus today :)

DTL - Pitching, still driving my nuts. I got the softer elbows going and that has helped a lot with the overall motion of the swing. I just got that clubface square to target line thing going on.

DTL - Distance Wedge. Trying to get the same feel with the full swing. Slower backswing that allows me to feel the club better and it's position in the backswing for the correct swing length. Then just turning through the ball. This swing is almost like, backswing, make left leg straight.

[iacas]

Had a very good range session tonight.

Glad I could watch from your shoulder.

#printmeout

[saevel25]

Well apparently I couldn't carry over my good fortune from last evening to today's round

http://www.gamegolf.com/player/saevel25/round/363281

Went to the range before hand to warm up. Hitting some great shots on the first few strikes, then as I got more loose things unraveled. I started to hit a lot of fat shots. Mostly because I didn't turn. I would do a slower, shorter backswing and then just thump the ground about an inch behind the ball. Then the next shot would be hit great. Then the next would be fatted, and the next would be great. Then throw in a thin shot as well.

I didn't want to get into practicing. So I thought, I would just go to the course, swing slower and if I have to club up more so I would be forced to swing easier and shorter.

Well first swing wasn't slow enough. Hooked driver into the water. Hole 2 I hooked another into the water on the left.

Irons were back to where they were before last night. If i hit them with a solid feel, ball first, actually take a divot, then they start off left and draw or hook. If the ball starts off straight or right then it's clanky and scoopy feeling again. This was with slowing and shortening the swing. I took 1.5-2 clubs more on 90% of my approach shots. Didn't help. I know it is the same old swing that has plagued me the past month. Not properly turning the swing. When I tried to turn on a few shots I would lean back instead of turn. I had maybe 3 drivers that I actually swung the club good. I had 3 full swing shots that were actually good swings.

6 out of 25 full swing shots were decent. 24% success rate.

I know the round ends at hole 13. I ran into a road block, two groups backed up on a tee, I was the third group there. The douche in the first group decides to hit a 2nd tee ball after popping his up just past the ladies tee. #FACEPALM. Also the guys behind me finally caught up on the par 3 the hole before. They decided to tee off before I even started moving away from the green.I get in my cart and I hear a thud about 15 yards to the left of me.

I decided I would just get pissed off more at my game, and the group behind me being a douche where there was no where to go on the course. I went to the range afterwards. No luck. I couldn't even do the pump drill right. I would stop at A5, and try to turn through only to hit a flippy scoopy shot.

I'm done for the day. Maybe I'll practice my putting inside today. Something easier to work on.

[iacas]

So make your backswing thought just "turn." Arms do nothing. Elbows do nothing. Wrists do nothing. Of course they WILL but you know what I mean.

[saevel25]

So make your backswing thought just "turn." Arms do nothing. Elbows do nothing. Wrists do nothing. Of course they WILL but you know what I mean.

Will do.

I might have been just doing all hands, little to no turn.

[saevel25]

Played 18 holes. Struggled on the first few holes. The swing is still too far from the inside to out. I can play golf with the swing, I just hit big push draws, and some of the irons draw a lot, but I can account for it. That just means the hip piece isn't there yet for me. I think sometimes the clubhead can sneak to much inside the hands on the backswing sometimes.

After the debacle that was hole 3, I settled down a bit. I went +6 over the next 11 holes, and hit some good shots.

My SV 3 skills are horrible. My inside of 15 feet putting is way below standard right now. I need to spend an evening on aimpoint and putting. Just not making many putts outside of 5 feet.

After looking over some of the swings on the Vlog, I need to keep training myself on backswing length and slowing down the swing. I still swing way too far back on some swings, and swing to hard.

[saevel25]

Played some golf with Erik and George in Sunbury, Ohio today. So-So day hitting the ball. Got some good insight on what I need to do to move forward.

Grip

It got too strong, needs to be weakened a bit. Maybe toy around with a slightly more neutral grip. Could help with getting the path to the left more.

Full Swing

When practicing spend half the time on backswing, half the time on downswing. My backswing piece was not as solid as I thought.

When playing golf, focus on the backswing piece because even with out the downswing hip piece I can hit solid shots with a better backswing versus the bad one. Backswing piece will shorten the swing.

Distance Wedges

Retrain on getting the proper backswing length in the swing so I don't try to slow down the swing in the downswing. I tend to take too big of a backswing and try to finesse the downswing and hit a ton of thin shots. Take the proper backswing length and then be aggressive and hit the ball.

Pitching

Soft arms, take a longer SLOWER backswing. Let gravity do the work, the pivot will add enough power, TRUST IT!

Mental

GET OUT OF MY OWN HEAD AND PLAY SOME GOOD GOLF!

[iacas]

Grip

It got too strong, needs to be weakened a bit. Maybe toy around with a slightly more neutral grip. Could help with getting the path to the left more.

Or a lot. :)

Full Swing

When practicing spend half the time on backswing, half the time on downswing. My backswing piece was not as solid as I thought.

When playing golf, focus on the backswing piece because even with out the downswing hip piece I can hit solid shots with a better backswing versus the bad one. Backswing piece will shorten the swing.

Backswing              Downswing

Left arm stays out. Left hip pushes out.

Distance Wedges

Retrain on getting the proper backswing length in the swing so I don't try to slow down the swing in the downswing. I tend to take too big of a backswing and try to finesse the downswing and hit a ton of thin shots. Take the proper backswing length and then be aggressive and hit the ball.

Yes. Backswing doesn't have to be fast. Just the proper length.

Pitching

Soft arms, take a longer SLOWER backswing. Let gravity do the work, the pivot will add enough power, TRUST IT!

Hit some balls off near-concrete conditions. Builds the confidence and enforces SUPER technique. You can't throw it out and consistently hit it well.

[klund]

I have signed up to evolvr and making some good progress on the range just as you and also hitting some really solid shots on the course as well but I have caught myself almost every round since then focusing too much and mechanics/swing thoughts and not on playing golf/getting the ball in the hole. Maybe something to think about(or not think about) when on the course? I think Rotella writes it in one of his books "If one of my students must have a swing tought i will not stop him but i will let him have only 1 per round".

[saevel25]

I think Rotella writes it in one of his books "If one of my students must have a swing tought i will not stop him but i will let him have only 1 per round".

Erik was driving that home to me yesterday ;)

I played the whole round with my backswing piece thought, just because I have to have that better. The dowswing part will get better over time, but I can still play good golf with it not where I want it to be. My old backswing makes things very tough to play consistent golf.

Old backswing = Snappy Lefts, fats and thins

Better backswing = push draws to push cuts, much better contact. #TakeLeftOutOfPlay

Or a lot. :)

The underhanded strong grip doesn't work to well

[saevel25]

Went to the range today. Split my golf balls into groups of 4. Each four golf balls were dedicated to either my backswing piece or my downswing piece.

Backswing

Feeling the left arm staying the toe line going up. Swinging slower really helps this feel, and is good for my game since I overswing. I would make about 4 practice backswings without a ball. Then 2 practice swings over the ball, with the 3 being the slow swing. I would record so I can review if I got my backswing in a good place or not. Then I would go onto the next ball and do the same, keep trying to reinforce what I was doing with video confirmation. It would be 7 actual backswings per ball strike.

Downswing

I am liking the pump drill to strike the ball. I can struggle to combine backswing to full swing sometimes when working on my swing. When just working on getting the downswing piece, I like the pump drill to really get the feeling of solid contact.

Slow motion drill - make a good backswing, stop at A5, then slowly move the hands toward the ball as I open my hips up and start to straighten that left leg.

Certain feelings in the swing that work,

Hip feeling -  Just more open. Its tough to actually feel that movement happen. I think feeling that I am over the ball more helps out a lot better for me with actual swings. I think I will just have to drill the open hips with slow motion and use the spine tilt as a feel that I am turning correctly.

Hands out to ball - I am liking the feeling of my the base of my right palm driving the club down and out towards the ball. With the weaker grip this feels much better because the hand is more on the side of the club and I can really drive that club towards the ball with a good aggressive motion. Just got to make sure I do the hip piece or I hit more pushes and sometimes I can catch it a tad heavy.

Making Contact Swing - Hold the club at A5. Pump UP, not back around me. I get a bad habit of moving my hands deep in the pump drill. After pumping the club, smash that right hand down and out towards the ball and turn my left hip around and up, staying in the spine tilt. When I got those synced up right I just smashed the ball. The contact is just crisp. The ball would start straight, and not move much at all. Sometimes I would hit a slight push or push cut if the hips didn't open up enough to pull the path back to a more neutral path. Usually after contact my arms would be out in the "V" form going to about chest height in the finish. I was hitting these shorter so the finish would be a bit abbreviated. I wasn't trying to hold onto that finish, but the extension I got, and the better downswing turn rates got me away from the flippy move. Another check I got the hands out with the hip motion, solid contact + not an early release feeling.

Putting them together

I kinda wanted to wash out all that practice a bit. So I some shots working on my swing pace and backswing length, trying to marry those two pieces a bit. Taking a slow, shorter good backswing, then crashing that hand out towards the ball and turning through the shot. I hit 4 balls that were either straight or slight pushes. 3 of them were no divot shots, so I would say 1 or 2 grooves thin. 1 shot was just pure flushed

Driver

I used about 12 balls hitting driver shots, mostly working on a good backswing.

Question on the driver. Is the hands out to the ball a good move for the driver? It seems like a move that would cause a descending blow. Does ball position take care of that basically?