My Swing (Nuck81)

[delav]

No worries man, for 2 months you're obviously doing great. Hogans book is a good place to start. The sooner you can feel a strong impact position (having a lot to do with a straight left arm) the better.

Also, you can take an old athletic bag and create your own impact bag (you stuff either with clothes and towels). This will help your routine.

[nuck81]

Hello there!! Here is my latest swing from today. I'd really appreciate some help/tips. I feel that my biggest fault is my arms collapse too much at the top of the back swing and follow through. I feel like I have really straightened it out lately, but alas the video does not lie. Any drills that could help me would be very appreciated.

June 14 (There is a slow mo at the end. Sorry no DTL, I have to prop my camera against my bag)



To compare, here is my very first swing from two months ago, a few weeks after my first lesson.

[Kieran123]

Setup looks pretty good, but look at your right arm through impact, it's so cramped up.

[nuck81]

Yeah I'm having a lot of trouble straightning them out. Even though it feels to me like I am..

I'm also coming back off the ball on my backswing...

[iacas]

Push your hips forward coming down.

Why is your right thumb off the club on the backswing??

[nuck81]

Why is your right thumb off the club on the backswing??

It's something I practiced with after reading Hogans book, and it's become a weird habit....

[James_Black]

Your left arm at the top of the backswing is something to look at.
Swing is pretty good, you don't seem to be driving through the ball that much at impact though.

[nuck81]

Here is the DTL.

Sorry about the mat, but it started storming here this afternoon. I know there is one in here that would have been a pretty fat shot if it hadn't been for the mat. I can tell by the sound. Two Slo mo's at the end, but they are all different swings....

[alomar123]

From the slow mo shot it just seem to be to much lat movement as you are shifting your weight back. You might want to not shift like that, as it is hard to get back in position.

I am like you and have not been playing long, maybe only 15 9holes, and my swing can change a lot as my muscle memory hasn't taken over yet.

[tterrag]

Oh god, please don't do that nuck. Keep your right elbow close to your left elbow and relatively close to your body.

Lol Agree.

[nuck81]

From the slow mo shot it just seem to be to much lat movement as you are shifting your weight back. You might want to not shift like that, as it is hard to get back in position.

Yeah I noticed this a lot on my front view. I'll start working on maintaining weight on the left foot. I also need to maintain my straight arms through impact. I don't know why I'm bunching up like that...

[nuck81]

I read through the book last night ( I skimmed chapter 6 since I'm not quite there yet) and read chapters 2, 3, and 4 twice.

It was a good read, totally worth the $10 or so bucks, even if you don't apply the techique 100%. Interstingly enough, the info here is pretty much what I had been taught in lessons (circular swing path, hands to the inside, keep the weight forward) but the most interesting thing is the technique on how to achieve those concepts is laid out more clearly in the S&T; book. Dropping the shoulder to initiate takeaway, flexing the left knee toward the ball, keep arms tucked under armpit, are all concepts that are clear to understand and easy to imitate.

The inititation of Downswing wasn't so clear to me, pushing the hips forward when I already have my weight on the lead foot feels awkward to me, but just by practicing in my living room I found that simply straightning the flex in my left knee like stepping up a stair was giving me a good amount of forward hip thrust, and then tucking at the end was completing the rotation. Is this on track at all, or completely off base?

I haven't hit any balls yet, except yesterday afternoon only after briefly reading chapter 2, but will probably spend most of the day at the range today. It may be a week or two till I try to play a round, even at the par 3 course....

[Stretch]

The best advice I've had about the downswing is no matter how much you think you're standing up through impact, try and do it more. You want to feel like everything is extending as much as it can -- spine, both legs, left side. Point your breastbone at the sky!

[rudygu]

The inititation of Downswing wasn't so clear to me, pushing the hips forward when I already have my weight on the lead foot feels awkward to me...

I struggled with this too (and still do sometimes). The key is to remember that the weight distribution at the top is only 55/45 or maybe even closer to 50/50. By the finish of the swing it's supposed to be more like 90/10 - that's a good sized shift.

Also, make your backswing in front of a mirror (or video it) and pay attention to how much your hips move from address. If you don't get them shifted forward you are doomed to weak fat/thin contact with no directional control. That's been my experience anyway.

[saevel25]

The best advice I've had about the downswing is no matter how much you think you're standing up through impact, try and do it more. You want to feel like everything is extending as much as it can -- spine, both legs, left side. Point your breastbone at the sky!

Question about this... What do you mean by extending? Because if i stand up during impact then i hit the ball thin..

[sean_miller]

The best advice I've had about the downswing is no matter how much you think you're standing up through impact, try and do it more. You want to feel like everything is extending as much as it can -- spine, both legs, left side. Point your breastbone at the sky!

Like anything - too much of a good thing is bad for your back. You'll know when you're overdoing it - hopefully not 1 exaggerated reverse C too late!

[MMouse]

Question about this... What do you mean by extending? Because if i stand up during impact then i hit the ball thin..

I had this problem too at one point except I was hitting them fat and thin. I was able to correct it by focusing on the straightening of my arms and swinging through once I extended. It may be correct or incorrect to look at it this way, maybe someone else can chime in.

The extending or standing up is what really helped add the power and distance I was lacking at one point, so to me it was a CRUCIAL point .

[Leftygolfer]

Still entertaining. The jump up so to speak is a HUGE power move. Watch any PGA tour player on youtube and you will see this and when they do it.

I know where my money will go when I have it to spend on getting better. I have total faith that if I went to a clinic for a day in Erie I will be a much improved golfer.