My Swing (saevel25)

[saevel25]

Went to driving range tonight. found out slow-mo camera + twilight hours is not a good combination :p

Though I found out that a thinned 7 iron breaks a proforce V2 driver golf shaft in half. I had an old golf shaft in the ground about 10 yards infront of me. Nailed it right in the middle of the shaft, snapped it in half.

Overall, irons are coming along. Still working on the first three keys. There getting more and more consistant. I still get in trouble with loosing them when i am trying to swing the clubhead to the right. I just don't get that reverse motorcycle movement down with my left wrist. So i am trying to work on getting my right hand to do the movement. I found it works good when i feel like my right palm faces the ground through impact. Kinda like if i didn't hold a club, and i bring my hand down from the top, that my palm would sweep past through impact. This works pretty good so far.

As for the driver, i was so lost tonight. Pull, pull hooks, pull cuts, push slice. I am getting stuck with the driver. I can feel it to, when i swing down, my hips are so far out fast that i have to really rotate my upperbody forcing my hands to rotate over. Yet there is a silver lining. I don't know how i came upon this, but i need to verify this with a video camera later, but it worked tonight. I tried my hardest to get my weight forward and really keeep myself from spinning out. So i tried something, i focused on really keeping my right heel down. Not get weight over there, still have my feet flared, do the correct hip turn, but when i swing down, really focus on keeping that right heel down, forcing my right foot to bank. When i did this, 3 shots in a row, perfect push draws, hitting up on the ball, the swing settled down, it just felt very solid. I think what this does is, force myself to shift laterally more in the initial part of the downswing, instead of spin. When i have the proper incline for my hips gravity takes over, yet with the driver i am trying so hard to hit a push that i a lift up and spin out. So keeping that right heel down, and with the correct hip turn i think gravity forces the lateral shift i need, and then rotation kicks in. It also keeps my right knee from spinning out allowing my hands to drop down to go with an outward path.

Just my basic guess of what is happening. I think it goes to that one 5 keys video Dave did about banking the feet in the swing to get the feel for the lateral shift.

Oh, hitting balls in twilight is hard, hitting balls in twilight when the hitting area is torn up due to many people using the area is bad. My last 15 balls with my wedge were horrendous. I will discount them as being tired, poor lighting conditions, and standing in countless divots BLAH!!!

[iacas]

Practice at the edge of your ability. If that's 100-yard 7-irons, then it's 100-yard 7-irons.

I can't know, obviously, but it sounds like you're doing these at a speed and length that makes it unlikely that you'll have the "S" in the 5 S Words of effective practice.

[saevel25]

Originally Posted by iacas

Practice at the edge of your ability. If that's 100-yard 7-irons, then it's 100-yard 7-irons.

I can't know, obviously, but it sounds like you're doing these at a speed and length that makes it unlikely that you'll have the "S" in the 5 S Words of effective practice.

Yea most likely. I've never been a slow down type of guy, i think its time to learn to do that :)

[saevel25]

Been working on the swing. Went to the range thursday, found i wasn't nearly getting my weight forward or keeping my head still. Still need to work on getting my turn rates better, i still get very hands only in the initial part of the backswing, instead of rotating the hips more.

Also, i have this trend that is coming up in a few rounds. I will take the iron club back and end up with an extremely cupped left wrist at top, and i either have to rotate hard through or its going to be a shankish type shot. Its really bothering me because i can't feel how its happening. I will be at the top of the swing, and i can feel, "Uh oh, this is bad". Sometimes i don't do it at all. So i am confused at what i am doing wrong. I don't want to rotate my hands over that early in the backswing, it will get the clubhead way to inside.

[Wally]

Went to driving range tonight. found out slow-mo camera + twilight hours is not a good combination :p Though I found out that a thinned 7 iron breaks a proforce V2 driver golf shaft in half. I had an old golf shaft in the ground about 10 yards infront of me. Nailed it right in the middle of the shaft, snapped it in half. Overall, irons are coming along. Still working on the first three keys. There getting more and more consistant. I still get in trouble with loosing them when i am trying to swing the clubhead to the right. I just don't get that reverse motorcycle movement down with my left wrist. So i am trying to work on getting my right hand to do the movement. I found it works good when i feel like my right palm faces the ground through impact. Kinda like if i didn't hold a club, and i bring my hand down from the top, that my palm would sweep past through impact. This works pretty good so far. As for the driver, i was so lost tonight. Pull, pull hooks, pull cuts, push slice. I am getting stuck with the driver. I can feel it to, when i swing down, my hips are so far out fast that i have to really rotate my upperbody forcing my hands to rotate over. Yet there is a silver lining. I don't know how i came upon this, but i need to verify this with a video camera later, but it worked tonight. I tried my hardest to get my weight forward and really keeep myself from spinning out. So i tried something, i focused on really keeping my right heel down. Not get weight over there, still have my feet flared, do the correct hip turn, but when i swing down, really focus on keeping that right heel down, forcing my right foot to bank. When i did this, 3 shots in a row, perfect push draws, hitting up on the ball, the swing settled down, it just felt very solid. I think what this does is, force myself to shift laterally more in the initial part of the downswing, instead of spin. When i have the proper incline for my hips gravity takes over, yet with the driver i am trying so hard to hit a push that i a lift up and spin out. So keeping that right heel down, and with the correct hip turn i think gravity forces the lateral shift i need, and then rotation kicks in. It also keeps my right knee from spinning out allowing my hands to drop down to go with an outward path. Just my basic guess of what is happening. I think it goes to that one 5 keys video Dave did about banking the feet in the swing to get the feel for the lateral shift. Oh, hitting balls in twilight is hard, hitting balls in twilight when the hitting area is torn up due to many people using the area is bad. My last 15 balls with my wedge were horrendous. I will discount them as being tired, poor lighting conditions, and standing in countless divots BLAH!!!

I came upon that right heel thing you mentioned months back by accident like you did. I was just trying things and figured out this worked for me to help my hip turn and be more stable and powerful throughout the swing. I was ripping the ball. I ended up hitting a PW 160 yards with a slight push draw that range session a few times. Obviously this is no easy swing, but I was like, "How in the hell did I just do that?!" I just stood there for a while and watched where it landed the first time I did it. Haha. It was a great feeling. I think there is a video from this practice session on my swing thread. I did some research after figuring out I needed to try and keep my heel down longer, and from what I understand this is a good thing to do. When I looked at slow-mo videos of Tiger and Rory's swings, I noticed that their right foot doesn't start going up onto the toe until after the ball is gone and the club is wrapping around them.

[saevel25]

At the driving range tonight. Things are coming along nice with the first three keys. Just keep chugging along with some very slow swings, intermixed with a few full swings. I found i have been laxing on keeping my head still. I tend to fall away from the target in the backswing. So must work on this more, also really keeping that front knee flexed more in the downswing. Its nearly impossible to keep it to flexed, especially when the left hip rotates back and up, because the upward movement will straighten the leg.

New problem though, full 56 degree wedge shot. Its scary right now. Its either a pull, or a shank or a quasi-shank. Sometimes i think i catch the hosel, other times i think the clubrface is just crazy open at impact. No clue what is going on right now. I can hit half wedges good, i nail down 40-60 yards. Getting father than that. Also accompanying this is hitting the wedge shots fat.

Try to get to the range more this week to see whats the problem, and get it sorted. I think on is standing to close to the ball. Cause even when i caught the ball first the divots were really really steep. I think i am to close and the only way to hit the ball is to come in steep. So i tried moving away, this helped out more.

[saevel25]

Really starting to get the swing down. Mikes advice at the golf outing to bring my chin closer to my chest, widen my stance a tad, and flair the feet more have really given me a good base to swing from. Its hard to implament other changes in the swing, fine tune the swing path, when your all over the place with the first three keys. But the chin closer to the chest has just helped me a ton.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by saevel25

Really starting to get the swing down. Mikes advice at the golf outing to bring my chin closer to my chest, widen my stance a tad, and flair the feet more have really given me a good base to swing from. Its hard to implament other changes in the swing, fine tune the swing path, when your all over the place with the first three keys. But the chin closer to the chest has just helped me a ton.

Great to hear!

[saevel25]

Rolled my left ankle last night. Will have to really flair that front foot now. I found that allows me to play golf with my ankle in not top form. This injury goes backs to highschool when i rolled it in Gym class. Then i rolled it again in college, and a few more times over the years. This past year hasn't been nice to me, i rolled it a few times this year already, the worst in Florida. Stepped on a sprinkler at the wrong angle, and went down.

[saevel25]

Ok, I'm getting steady head and weight forward. Now i am working on flat left wrist more.

I found out i was not getting my right elbow away from my body enough, it was getting trapped behind me. I get in trouble with this when i start my swing with my hands first. I've done this so many times, it takes a bit of work to get the timing down for the new motion, which is more hips first. When i got that working tonight, the swing was just compact and powerful. Really working on this with the driver as well, its tougher because its a bit more flatter swing, and i'm use to swinging very hard, so trying to shorten and compact the swing is a bit tougher.

I found when i get my elbow away from my body, or should i say less behind me, the clubhead comes from the inside better as well, don't have to work as hard to get the clubhead inside.

Now i need to do  a rework on my shortgame, it failed me tonight. I wasted at least 2-3 shots around the greens, that's unacceptable. I can understand the occassional bogey form a tough pitch. But from the fringe with an uphill, across the green pitch, to pitch it off the green is just not acceptable.

[saevel25]

Weight forward is good, hitting the ball first. Just having a bit of a problem with slight head movement, and getting my turn rates with my hips and shoulders lined up right. I keep starting my swing with my hands first, and not opening my hips up. This really causes me to move slightly right off the ball, and throws off the timing. When i get the hips open and get the hands not to work as far deep on there own, things go very well. Looks like its just alot of reps and slow practice, to get the feel of were i want the club to be.

we keep marching forward

[saevel25]

i tried to get the face on view, but the sun was directly into the camera, i'll post more this weekend

This one i had the ball starting right of the target line, and drawing back. Sloppy swing, too long, need to shorten it up. I think this is causing my problems with my head moving. I'm probably getting a full turn, but i go that extra few more degrees that are causing me to shift right, cause some swings i can see my head actually moving right, the ball moves in my vision.

Backswing needs work, clubhead is still behind the hands, not good.

[iacas]

Matt, don't replace the stuff you're doing and working on, but focus a bit more on the "teeter totter" things - right hip and shoulder go up, left hip and shoulder go down a bit. Things are getting a bit "rounded" or flat - it leads to a lot of the rotation early but flat, which helps the club swing around to the inside like you noticed.

But… looking better, and keep it up.

[saevel25]

Ok, will do, so rotate more on an incline, get a little steeper.

[saevel25]

Bit of an update..

Wedges are not crisp at all, when i try to hit more of the ball first, i hit week low cuts, not good. Shots are way to high. Having a hard time getting my left hand forward at impact. Pitching is getting a bit better, still catching everything slightly fat, nothing crisp.

Ok onto the full shots, two videos bellow.

I think my stance is to close together for a 6 iron. Still think I need to swing on a more incline, tough for me to get that going. Left leg could loose a bit more flexion, might be because of legs being to close together. Left hand is close to be ahead of the ball, can work on that. Weight forward looks good, steady head looks decent. It was a pretty solid shot, so something to work with.

Mike was trying to get me to get the clubhead less behind me at the golf outing last month, still can't get that going. I think my swing might just be a flatter swing. The issue I have is, if I end up trying to cock my wrist more in the swing, earlier, to get the clubhead outside the hands, I end up cutting across the ball. It FEELS HORRIBLE, nothing good comes from it for me. Still need to shorten my swing. I find it easier to hit draws with a shorter swing. This syncs up my turn rates better. When my hips stop turning I need to stop my upper body turn and initiate my downswing. So to get my complete turn, I need to get my hip turn faster.

Club head was working so so from the inside, I like to see the clubhead a bit more from the inside, but the ball did push for me. Still sure I need to swing on a steeper angle with my shoulder. I think I am standing to close. My arms just seem crowded through impact. I just don't know how to fix that little head dip and look up. My finish just looks like my head drops down and back. This does get me into trouble when my head actually drops away from the target.

[iacas]

Something for the interim while you work on your other pieces:

[saevel25]

Well I know I will be ripped for this, but I was trying to figure out my swing while playing in my league tonight. I know, smart monkey, not stupid monkey ;)

But, I did figure out a few things

1) Need to watch my set up, specifically my stance width. Its way to narrow, and I am getting off balance during my swing. Just something I need to be conscious of.

2) Need more weight forward, well more specifically properly creating weight forward with good hip turn. I had a few good iron shots today, a lot of them were effortless push draws. So the swing is in there somewhere, I just have to make it happen more often.

3) Still having trouble with my driver. So I got tired of hitting straight slices, and aimed my feet more left while keeping my shoulders and hips square, and just hit draws that way. It worked, it allowed my left side to block my hands from coming inside and hitting that crap of a slice. The left side would block my arms and allow me to swing more out, and it helped me stop from spinning out, and stopped me from ending up on my back foot, which helps the hands turn over a bit for me. Not sure if its something I need permanently, but I will due it for now till I figure out the damn driver. From what I think I am feeling, I will go to the range tomorrow and tape the driver, but it really feels like I am flipping the wrists. Though, when I try not to, I end up off balance, and bad shots happen. I have no clue why the closed stance works, but it allowed me two good drives when I needed something positive there.

4) Wedges, specifically half wedges suck. Nothing solid here. I hit them chunky, or on the toe, or just plain have the club slide underneath the ball and it comes up short. If I try to get my weight forward here, I have to hold on or  I will fall forward, being way off balance. If i try to keep my head super still, then I pull the wedges horribly. No clue WTF I am doing here. Its just killing my game. I have wasted about 5-7 shots in the last 27 holes from inside 70 yards. That is absurd.

Back to working on Keys 1-3, will have to look through the stuff Erik put together for me when I visited Erie last time. Good thing is, a lot of this stuff can be done inside, in slow motions :)

[saevel25]

Driving range tonight was much better. Took the pipe training aid with me to the range to help get my turn rate synced up better. It helped a ton. Started off the range doing some slow methodical movements. Really helped get the center turn better. Also focused on shifting my weight with out moving my head. Besides the first full shot, which was crap, i hit all my full shots tonight with a slight push draw, push, or a slight push fade. So, things are better, will keep working on that, and getting better at manipulating key 4 and 5.

Driver is still a bit iffy, the timing is a bit off. I found i was standing to close to the driver. I set up with the driver on the ground, and the ball set towards the toe. Wham, solid shot in the center of the clubface. I was standing about 1.5 inches to close to the ball.