Clearing the Hips

[Fairway_CY]

Hey guys...

I just returned from the range where I felt something different on one swing and decided to keep trying it to see what the results would be.

Typically, I've felt like my hips clear pretty well without forcing them. I was hitting an 8 iron today and I was having trouble making crisp contact. I was hitting a lot of thin/bladed shots and some that were a little heavy. On one swing, the contact felt perfect and the flight of the ball was piercing. I noticed that it felt like my hips turned and cleared a little earlier on that swing... so for the next few swings, I just swung like normal and I was back to the inconsistant results. I decided to try to consciously clear my hips as I began the downswing and my shots were better and better. I moved up to a 5 iron and the same thing. There were a few shots that weren't crisp... but the ball stayed on line rather than tailing off. I then did the same with an 18 degree hybrid and had the same results.

When I switched to my driver... my shots seemed more pure... and they seemed to fly further (it's difficult to tell at my range because the last marked flag is at 185 and beyond that, there is nothing and it's tough to tell where the balls are ending up sometimes because of how deep the range is). The problem I had is that I was pulling a LOT of those shots with my driver. Not severe pulls... but enough that it was concerning to me (probably 15-20 yards left of my target... which keeps me in PLAY on most holes, but... can put me in some trouble too).

My questions are:

By clearing my hips, am I automatically creating more lag which may be leading to some extra distance? (I've had an issue with creating and maintaining lag in the past).

Are the pulls a result of clearing my hips too early and if so... is there anything I can do to continue clearing my hips like that but STOP pulling the ball?

Thanks for your help!

CY

[DavidFehertysBike]

Possibly, yes. If you pull too aggressively with your hips you can then pull your torso and shoulders in a wierd path across of the ball. You more or less leave your upperbody behind.

[Phil McGleno]

Possibly, yes. If you pull to aggressively you can pull your torso and shoulders across the ball with them.

Yeah, you can spin out. Spinning doesn't put the weight on the left side where it needs to be at impact.

Look, your hips spin on the downswing. I've yet to meet more than about 2% of my students who spin too little or too late. 98% could use more sliding forward. I will say this: feel isn't real, and you seem to have found a swing thought that worked for you today. But that's about all I'd say you've got. I'd like to see a good high-speed video of your swing. It could be that in thinking of spinning your hips you actually pushed them forward more.

[jamo]

It could be that in a combination of turning and pushing the hips more you gave your left arm more space to straighten, which would reduce any sort of chicken wing and/or flipping at the ball you had.

[mcfc_nick]

i think that if you conciously try to get your lower body to start the downswing too much/too quickly it can lead to shanking the ball, swinging normally will lead to a lower body start coming naturally, just my opinion

[Fairway_CY]

Possibly, yes. If you pull too aggressively with your hips you can then pull your torso and shoulders in a wierd path across of the ball. You more or less leave your upperbody behind.

It did kind of feel that way... like I was pulling across the ball with the driver. But, like Butch pointed out... feel isn't real. I'll have to video my swing as some point again in the near future.

Yeah, you can spin out. Spinning doesn't put the weight on the left side where it needs to be at impact.

I'll try and grab some video next week when I hit the range. It's funny you say that I found a swing thought that worked for me today. That seems to happen often. I find a swing or a thought that works and then the next day... no dice. It's why I've REALLY got to go see an instructor. I don't know enough about the swing to make necessary adjustments when my swing gets really bad (which happens more often than I'd like being a high handicap player).

It could be that in a combination of turning and pushing the hips more you gave your left arm more space to straighten, which would reduce any sort of chicken wing and/or flipping at the ball you had.

I never really had a chicken wing issue... but, I believe I've been flipping at the ball for awhile. I've had issues with casting in the past... but at some times, it worked for me and I'd poke the ball a decent distance even with that. Today, it just seemed like the ball was jumping off the face of the club.

i think that if you conciously try to get your lower body to start the downswing too much/too quickly it can lead to shanking the ball, swinging normally will lead to a lower body start coming naturally, just my opinion

I didn't use my lower body to start my downswing, per se... it was more that once I dropped the club I tried to clear my hips. Someone also mentioned spinning... which, it wasn't really that type of move... it was more of me sliding to the left and letting the hips turn naturally... but the feeling was of firing my hips and pushing with my legs. I'd venture to guess that my lower body isn't doing what it's supposed to on 99% of my swings... but as I said, I'm not familiar with what my swing is SUPPOSED to be doing and I have issues when I consciously try and make changes to my swing... so I 'stick with what works' which I'm sure is my biggest problem.

Thanks for your input guys. Very much appreciated! CY