Guess the Handicap

[uttexas]

He hits about half an inch behind the ball. However, he has great arm extension at impact. Unless he has an incredible short game and putting skills, I couldn't place him lower than a 10.1

Work on
1. Swing at the line drill so divots in front of line, not behind it.
2. Stay centered in the backswing--his head and body move forward during the backswing (he's over side tilting as his back extends on the backswing)
3. How to properly cock the wrists during the backswing so that the right hand bends back toward the right forearm and the left wrist flattens (this guy does the opposite)
4. I'd then work on elbows together

[tws1098]

I'll go with 8.7

[delav]

2.3. As terrible as some of the voodoo at the top looks, it's obvious he hits it solid. I think Iacas is trying to pull a fast one on us here. What I'd have him work on? If he's willing, I'd try and correct his position at the top and remove all the crazy wrist action at his transition. I can only imagine how bad things might look on an off day.

[Kellfire]

I'll say 7.9.

I'd tell him to try to keep the club more on one plane as he's giving himself a lot to do from that finish in the back swing, try not to lean forward and down so much and to try and quieten down his wrists.

[Smith285]

He's a scratch golfer and I wouldn't change a thing.

This coming from a baseball player, I've seen too many good hitters with funky swings get messed up by trying to obtain an aesthetically pleasing swing. And for a free license I'm hoping the golf swing is the same.

[iacas]

Thus far one person is within 0.5 of the right handicap index.

[DBeane]

I'll say he's a 2.0, that POS looks pretty ingrained.

As far as tips for improvement, I would say take up hiking, or learn to play in the dark so there is no chance I will ever see that in person.

....and if he is a friend of yours and swings the club that way because of an injury he sustained in "nam" serving his country, I dont care...its still ugly.

-Beane

[Stretch]

It's the proverbial octopus falling out of a tree!

He seems to get back to the ball just fine in these videos, but surely consistency is going to be a problem? Love to see him hit a driver. Wild guess, 12 handicap.

[iacas]

I'm expanding the range to anyone within 1.0 of his index. We're still at less than three people within 1.0, so new people can still guess.

I will say that at least one person (but again, less than three) people have gotten it right. > 0 but < 3.

[Shanks A Million]

I'd say he's an 18, but I have the feeling it's a trick. He flys the right elbow, yeah, but that's not as important as other factors. The plane is very steep, and the club is between the two forearms, not in line with the rear forearm, so his margin for error is small. Even more crucial, his plane shifts constantly through the swing, so it must be timed just right. The lag is expended far too early in the swing, and the hands at impact could be farther forward for sure. The hips are way to square at impact, so the hands have to go over the top, and he pulls it. His plane on followthrough is incredibly steep.

What I'd do, I'd work on him pulling his right elbow into his right pocket, and sliding the hips forward. He also needs to get the club to release, or cross his hands, well past the ball, not over it. He has swing issues I've dealt with often, though. Whenever my plane gets steep, I'm in dire straits. I know when I get that way, I'll play to about a 18 or more!

[sean_miller]

I'd say he's an 18, but I have the feeling it's a trick. He flys the right elbow, yeah, but that's not as important as other factors. The plane is very steep, and the club is between the two forearms, not in line with the rear forearm, so his margin for error is small. Even more crucial, his plane shifts constantly through the swing, so it must be timed just right. The lag is expended far too early in the swing, and the hands at impact could be farther forward for sure. The hips are way to square at impact, so the hands have to go over the top, and he pulls it. His plane on followthrough is

My first thought was 16 to 18, but I didn't want to look foolish.

[Hollister]

Hmm, 15.8 - but one can not access it w/o info on ball flight, divot flight distance and sock color.

If I would swing even crazier, would I get free tution? Hey, you got a few interesting swings around Erie...

[ET-Taylor]

2.1 is my shot in the dark

[gogolfing]

I'll go with 1.8.

[rudygu]

+0.5 - 1) bring hands in deeper
2) stop picking up the right arm...keep the arms more attached to the chest
3) Maintain inclination to the ground...there's a pretty pronounced dip at the top of the backswing

[rasilva]

Definately a 0.9 handicap! lol

[k14]

I'll go for 2.4

[JetFan1983]

I doubt I figure this out, but I'll try.

Now, he's definintely a student of stack and tilt. How recent, I'm not sure. Since I've watched a lot of swings on this site, I know now that the way a person's swing looks and his handicap don't always make sense. There are some funky swings on these boards (and the world at large), but you guys make them work and work well for you. This guy could be a scratch golfer for all I know, even with his chicken wing thing that he does.

I'm going to guess 19.1 but as he continues to practice stack and tilt, that number should decrease as the summer months roll along.

For all I know though, this guy is like a 7 cause he can produce that swing consistently and his short game is good. But I'll stick with my call that he is a 19.1.