My Swing (Stretch)

[Stretch]

From the putter to the driver today.

Long session on a FlightScope X2 with video and impact tape. Good news and bad news.

Good news: Hitting it dead nuts center of the face almost all the time. Eight shots with impact tapes -- only one outside the center ring. Confirmed on the monitor, average smash factor for the session was 1.49 and over half of the individual shots were reported at 1.50. Impact is good -- seeing between 10 and 11 degrees of spin loft, AoA averaged around +0.5 degrees -- and the pattern is not a problem. Swing direction around 2.5 degrees right, path around 2 degrees right, face slightly open to roughly square. Average spin axis tilt was -0.5 degrees. Hard to get in too much trouble with that little curve.

Bad news: Averaged only 90 mph club head speed. Have lost almost 10 mph, and I didn't have much to spare in the first place. Mother****er! There are 90-year-old men who hit it harder than that, I'm sure. The funny thing is that I haven't seen any distance loss on the course. In fact, if anything, I hit it further now than a few years ago -- because my power transfer is so much more efficient. I was way down and way left before, for a very glancing blow. Smash used to be around 1.42, which is dismal.

Anyway, the takeaway is this, I'm optimized for where I am. 90 club, 135 ball, perfect launch gets you about 220 carry at best. And I'm right around there on the box and in actual play. The only way I can hit it significantly further is to get the club head moving faster. So that's going to be my focus for the rest of the year.

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Quick session on SAM Puttlab today. Worked on getting the little loops out of the backswing (Before left, After right. The path average is skewed in the second series by a big fat pull on the third putt.):

And on getting a bit more natural rise, back and through.

I used to have a face angle issue to go along with my path problems, but that's now sorted quite nicely!

Really cool stuff!

[colin007]

would you rather hit it 270 with a smash factor of 1.39?  because thats what i do.  i am terrible.

[Stretch]

And yet I'm pretty sure it will be easier for you to learn to hit it more out the middle than it will be for me to pick up the 15 mph or more I would need in order to hit it 270 at 1.50.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by Stretch

From the putter to the driver today.

Long session on a FlightScope X2 with video and impact tape. Good news and bad news.

Good news: Hitting it dead nuts center of the face almost all the time. Eight shots with impact tapes -- only one outside the center ring. Confirmed on the monitor, average smash factor for the session was 1.49 and over half of the individual shots were reported at 1.50. Impact is good -- seeing between 10 and 11 degrees of spin loft, AoA averaged around +0.5 degrees -- and the pattern is not a problem. Swing direction around 2.5 degrees right, path around 2 degrees right, face slightly open to roughly square. Average spin axis tilt was -0.5 degrees. Hard to get in too much trouble with that little curve.

Bad news: Averaged only 90 mph club head speed. Have lost almost 10 mph, and I didn't have much to spare in the first place. Mother****er! There are 90-year-old men who hit it harder than that, I'm sure. The funny thing is that I haven't seen any distance loss on the course. In fact, if anything, I hit it further now than a few years ago -- because my power transfer is so much more efficient. I was way down and way left before, for a very glancing blow. Smash used to be around 1.42, which is dismal.

Anyway, the takeaway is this, I'm optimized for where I am. 90 club, 135 ball, perfect launch gets you about 220 carry at best. And I'm right around there on the box and in actual play. The only way I can hit it significantly further is to get the club head moving faster. So that's going to be my focus for the rest of the year.

I remember you saying you are like 6'7" right?  What are your plans to increase swing speed?  Have you tried to get AoA up another degree or two on the positive side?  I think that would help your initial launch condition as well.

What degree driver are you using?  With a 90mph ss... I think you should be using something at 10.5 or greater.

[Stretch]

Yeah, the lack of club head speed isn't due to any physical limitation -- it's a mechanics issue. Very little loading of the #1 and #2 power accumulators (i.e.. right arm doesn't fold that much  -- or, at least, doesn't fold in the correct orientation) and left wrist hardly cocks at all. Left arm is pulled too deep across the chest, restricting the amount it can travel. Basically I go to just past P3 and never reach the top -- what most people would think of as a "half swing" -- then reverse as hard as possible from there to create some loading. If I didn't have such long levers, I wouldn't even get what I do manage to squeeze out of it.

Have an 11 degree driver. Off the numbers, I could go as high as 12.5 in loft, but would rather try and alter the swing. I have gone from 3.5 degrees down to half a degree up with the driver in the last year or so and am going to try and keep increasing my AoA. Can fairly easily produce +3 or +4 on the monitor by moving the ball forward of the left big toe and really exaggerating my axis tilt at setup -- but then I start having contact issues. Kind of a balancing act.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Yeah, the lack of club head speed isn't due to any physical limitation -- it's a mechanics issue. Very little loading of the #1 and #2 power accumulators (i.e.. right arm doesn't fold that much  -- or, at least, doesn't fold in the correct orientation) and left wrist hardly cocks at all. Left arm is pulled too deep across the chest, restricting the amount it can travel. Basically I go to just past P3 and never reach the top -- what most people would think of as a "half swing" -- then reverse as hard as possible from there to create some loading. If I didn't have such long levers, I wouldn't even get what I do manage to squeeze out of it.

Try doing the Clap drill with your head on the wall and mirror behind you.  Should help you get that right arm to fold correctly... And the best part is, you don't need a club to do it.

I don't know how to speak French, or whatever language this dude is speaking... And I hate his right elbow flying off his torso - but if you work on a pitched elbow... This type of clap drill should help get the proper PA#1 feels flowing.  I would say that is an easy way to get your speed back up into the 1xx mark.

[Stretch]

Thanks. I'll see how that feels. You know how it is though -- because you're sort of going down the same track with your EE -- even with good information and good understanding, some moves are just so deeply ingrained that shifting them is a matter of inch by inch by inch. There is no lightbulb or sudden quantum leap. I can make 100 perfect practice backswings in a row, but drop a ball and I am right back inside, under and across. As someone who shall remain nameless put it to me the other day: "Stretch, you have myelinated the **** out of that particular pathway!"

Hey, if it was easy, it wouldn't be interesting.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by Stretch

Thanks. I'll see how that feels. You know how it is though -- because you're sort of going down the same track with your EE -- even with good information and good understanding, some moves are just so deeply ingrained that shifting them is a matter of inch by inch by inch. There is no lightbulb or sudden quantum leap. I can make 100 perfect practice backswings in a row, but drop a ball and I am right back inside, under and across. As someone who shall remain nameless put it to me the other day: "Stretch, you have myelinated the **** out of that particular pathway!"

Hey, if it was easy, it wouldn't be interesting.

Hahha, hey I know what you mean.  I can swing to A4, with a perfectly square clubface in the mirror.  Then I go to the range and I'm closed as ****.

[JetFan1983]

Originally Posted by Stretch

From the putter to the driver today.

Long session on a FlightScope X2 with video and impact tape. Good news and bad news.

Good news: Hitting it dead nuts center of the face almost all the time. Eight shots with impact tapes -- only one outside the center ring. Confirmed on the monitor, average smash factor for the session was 1.49 and over half of the individual shots were reported at 1.50. Impact is good -- seeing between 10 and 11 degrees of spin loft, AoA averaged around +0.5 degrees -- and the pattern is not a problem. Swing direction around 2.5 degrees right, path around 2 degrees right, face slightly open to roughly square. Average spin axis tilt was -0.5 degrees. Hard to get in too much trouble with that little curve.

Bad news: Averaged only 90 mph club head speed. Have lost almost 10 mph, and I didn't have much to spare in the first place. Mother****er! There are 90-year-old men who hit it harder than that, I'm sure. The funny thing is that I haven't seen any distance loss on the course. In fact, if anything, I hit it further now than a few years ago -- because my power transfer is so much more efficient. I was way down and way left before, for a very glancing blow. Smash used to be around 1.42, which is dismal.

Anyway, the takeaway is this, I'm optimized for where I am. 90 club, 135 ball, perfect launch gets you about 220 carry at best. And I'm right around there on the box and in actual play. The only way I can hit it significantly further is to get the club head moving faster. So that's going to be my focus for the rest of the year.

You haven't posted a swing in a while, so it'd be interesting to see it. I'm not saying I could help, but it would be interesting nonetheless. You've obviously been scoring great.

I'm surprised you only have 90 MPH of SS. Really surprised. Reminds me even more how important control is because of how good your scoring is.

Originally Posted by Stretch

Yeah, the lack of club head speed isn't due to any physical limitation -- it's a mechanics issue. Very little loading of the #1 and #2 power accumulators (i.e.. right arm doesn't fold that much  -- or, at least, doesn't fold in the correct orientation) and left wrist hardly cocks at all. Left arm is pulled too deep across the chest, restricting the amount it can travel. Basically I go to just past P3 and never reach the top -- what most people would think of as a "half swing" -- then reverse as hard as possible from there to create some loading. If I didn't have such long levers, I wouldn't even get what I do manage to squeeze out of it.

Have an 11 degree driver. Off the numbers, I could go as high as 12.5 in loft, but would rather try and alter the swing. I have gone from 3.5 degrees down to half a degree up with the driver in the last year or so and am going to try and keep increasing my AoA. Can fairly easily produce +3 or +4 on the monitor by moving the ball forward of the left big toe and really exaggerating my axis tilt at setup -- but then I start having contact issues. Kind of a balancing act.

You're still working with evolvr right?

[colin007]

Originally Posted by JetFan1983

Reminds me even more how important control is because of how good your scoring is.

reminds me how important it is to make good contact also, his smash factor is amazing.

[Stretch]

Well, I picked up a SKLZ Gold Flex (only because the Orange Whip isn't available anywhere near me as far as I can tell) and have started working out with it. I like the feel -- we'll see if it helps with the swing speed.

Also GPS measured some drives on the course today to get a real-world baseline. Best beat was 257 yards on a dead flat par 4 with wind off the right. Then I dumped my gap wedge into the front bunker, got a fried egg and made bogey. Yay.

[logman]

Character building!!!

[Stretch]

As requested, some DTL driver swings from today. First is three shots at full speed. All were more or less straight balls within 5 or so yards of the target line.

Some decent stuff. Balance OK, tempo OK, contact OK, ball flight and curve OK. Posture is better, less crouched down, arms hanging more naturally. Grip is better, not that you can see that. Original sins still very obvious: Rolling #3 at the takeaway, wrists not cocking, left arm pulling too far across the chest and getting "stuck" under the pec -- restricting the distance the butt can travel and, ultimately, the amount of club head speed I can generate. Here's a slower-mo look at 120 fps.

Anyway, this is my baseline and we'll see where I can go from here. Pretty clear that, from an overall feel perspective, I need to be more "up-and-down" and less "around". Left arm needs to stay "out" more and right elbow needs to fold faster. Easy to say, harder to do!

[JetFan1983]

First, I just want to say how much your swing shows me that control and accuracy trump power -- and I know that's not an absolute, nor is this the thread to debate that issue -- but as a constant overswinger, controlling what I do and keeping it in play is something I need more of -- so I guess, that initial statement is just more for my own education.

Anyway, yea, the first two words that come to mind for me are "more up." On the backswing. But you know this already. But yea, in terms of the low swing speed, I would think not having the "up" dimension is a major reason for that.

Thanks for posting up new swings. I'll join in later though after some more comments get thrown in here, when I have more time to comment.

[Beachcomber]

Stretch, good to see you're still working at it.  Question, have you done any TPI / fitness assessments?  I only ask as you look very fit - but find it interesting that you aren't able to trace more of a vertical arc on the backswing.  I'm curious if you have tried getting a baseline on your flexibility and strength?

[iacas]

Just lift your arms. Screw the pressure points, just cock the clubhead quickly, make the shaft vertical at A2.5, and then lift your arms straight up.

Get to here, then feel like your hands go right up the shaft (the thin red arrow). Of course, you know all this...

[Stretch]

I so do know why! So why I no do?