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My Swing (bplewis24)


bplewis24
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I know it's not video, but I wanted to give a minor update:

I've been practicing probably 4-5 times per week over the past couple months.  Working on things like hip slide, club lag, secondary tilt, etc.  Even when I make progress, it seems to be at the expense of remembering to release the club.  So when I take it to the course, I end up either hitting good shots or completing shanking the ball 90 degrees right of my target line, often off the hosel.  The past 1.5 weeks I've been working exclusively on releasing the club, and noticed some real progress that I've been able to take to the course.  Good timing, too, because I had a tournament coming up this week.

Today I played in my club's 3rd tournament of the year, which also happened to be an NCGA qualifier, with 4 spots open for qualifying.  Because I've been struggling with these swing changes/tweaks, my handicap has ballooned from a 12 to a 16.  In the first two tournaments of the year, I posted scores in the high 90s.  Today, I posted an 86 and ended up 2nd in my flight, and won a spot in the NCGA qualifier.

This is the first time I've posted anything under 90 in a tournament setting.  I actually drove it pretty good and hit my wedges well, which I had been struggling with.  In fact, I hit my first ever legitimate 310+ yard drive today.  It was downwind of course (about 1 full-club length worth), but the only other two times I drove it that far was once when the fairway was about 75 feet below the tee box, and another time when I got 2-3 cart path bounces.  This time I just nailed it, downwind.

I drove it pretty well all day, but the irons were still pretty average/below-average.  But much better than they have been lately.  I'm looking to buy a camcorder within the next 6-8 weeks, and my goal is to post some video before the qualifying tournament on May 10th.

Brandon

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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Originally Posted by bplewis24

I'm looking to buy a camcorder within the next 6-8 weeks, and my goal is to post some video before the qualifying tournament on May 10th.


Thanks for the update.  Do you have any sort of camera?  Even a camera phone would be something.  I know it's tough setting up some time, remembering to take it to the range, etc.  I use an ipod and a free app called SwingReader just to spot check.

Also, what do you mean by "release the club"?  What are you trying to accomplish with your hands through impact?  I remembered that you had an instructor tell you this a while back and question whether it is good advice or not.  It depends, but I need to know what you think "release the club" means.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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Originally Posted by bunkerputt

Thanks for the update.  Do you have any sort of camera?  Even a camera phone would be something.  I know it's tough setting up some time, remembering to take it to the range, etc.  I use an ipod and a free app called SwingReader just to spot check.

Also, what do you mean by "release the club"?  What are you trying to accomplish with your hands through impact?  I remembered that you had an instructor tell you this a while back and question whether it is good advice or not.  It depends, but I need to know what you think "release the club" means.


I have a camera phone, but I don't think it would be useful to set it up at the driving range.  The range I go to has sections for each golfer which makes it tough for a Face On video because there is a small wall/wire gate for each section.  And I think somebody would have to take the video for me, because there's no way to set up the phone and keep it stable.  I can actually do it at home, but I read the rules of "video posting" and I think one of the rules is to not take vids of practice swings without a ball, so I haven't posted any of those.  Plus they are in pretty low-light, so it's crappy cell phone camera video.

In terms of "releasing the club," I simply mean closing the club face on the down swing.  It's basically the most simple part of the swing IMO, but I get so caught up with the backswing and other mechanical items that I sometimes just simply forget to allow my right hand to take over.  I'd actually like to get some video of myself on the course doing it.  It results in an almost 90* shank/hosel rocket.

Brandon

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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Originally Posted by bplewis24

I can actually do it at home, but I read the rules of "video posting" and I think one of the rules is to not take vids of practice swings without a ball, so I haven't posted any of those.  Plus they are in pretty low-light, so it's crappy cell phone camera video.

Obviously the better quality the video, the easier time people have seeing what you are doing.

With all due respect, I don't understand the idea behind not posting practice swings.  I understand their argument that nearly everyone does something a little different when they actually go to hit the ball, but from an instruction perspective, it doesn't make a lot of sense.  You have to practice a motion slowly and often enough before you can use it to hit a ball and not do something different.  You need the mental/physical patterns to stay in place in the presence of the extra movement your mind thinks you need to hit a ball and not break down because of them.  If your practice motions suck, there is no hope for your actual swing.  If your practice motions are solid, you at least know you need some work on the mental side of hitting the ball with that practice motion.  Separating the two does a disservice to the golfer.  I would say start your "My Swing" thread according to the forum rules out of sheer respect for the site moderator, then post a practice swing with the caveat that it is a practice swing and try to explain what you are working on, not necessarily soliciting advice for your full swing.  That's my 2 cents.  Iacas may trump that if he sees fit.

Originally Posted by bplewis24

In terms of "releasing the club," I simply mean closing the club face on the down swing.  It's basically the most simple part of the swing IMO, but I get so caught up with the backswing and other mechanical items that I sometimes just simply forget to allow my right hand to take over.  I'd actually like to get some video of myself on the course doing it.  It results in an almost 90* shank/hosel rocket.


I'd take a look at the thread http://thesandtrap.com/t/30392/advice-i-hate-release-the-club

If you want to be consistent, ignore what AJ Bonner recommends and don't roll the forearms.  I like to feel like the clubface is pointing at the sky on the follow through.  I hit draws all day long that way.  My guess without video is that the problem is an overly open clubface on the dowswing.  This is usually either a bad grip, or actively opening it on the way up to the top from address.  If you just check your grip, try hitting some shots with what you feel like is a strong grip (what is probably "normal" if you are coming from a weak grip), and try feeling like you are shutting the face a little on the takeaway so the face is pointing more at the ground than at the horizon.  Then just keep the left elbow pointing behind you on the downswing once your arms are brought into the hitting area.  Once you start hitting it left, just undo the advice a little until you find the sweet spot.  Rolling the forearms is what your brain wants to do because it knows the clubface is wide open.  Take out the roll and adjust the clubface and grip until you can make the motion and your brain gives the OK.  Almost any halfway decent golfer who's played golf for a few years knows intuitively where the clubface is pointing, whether it is open or closed.  Try to listen to your clubface intuition.  It's the first clue I get that a subtle compensation is working it's way into my swing.  Then I just check my grip and my pivot and usually find it's one or the other that got wonky.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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Brandon, I just reviewed your swing from last year to confirm my grip and takeaway suspicions...if that is still your setup and takeaway, that is.  Right hand grip looked fine to me.  Left hand grip was too weak.  This will cause a need for rolling on the downswing, which leads to timing inconsistency.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I'd take a look at the thread http://thesandtrap.com/t/30392/advice-i-hate-release-the-club

If you want to be consistent, ignore what AJ Bonner recommends and don't roll the forearms.  I like to feel like the clubface is pointing at the sky on the follow through.  I hit draws all day long that way.  My guess without video is that the problem is an overly open clubface on the dowswing.  This is usually either a bad grip, or actively opening it on the way up to the top from address.  If you just check your grip, try hitting some shots with what you feel like is a strong grip (what is probably "normal" if you are coming from a weak grip), and try feeling like you are shutting the face a little on the takeaway so the face is pointing more at the ground than at the horizon.  Then just keep the left elbow pointing behind you on the downswing once your arms are brought into the hitting area.  Once you start hitting it left, just undo the advice a little until you find the sweet spot.  Rolling the forearms is what your brain wants to do because it knows the clubface is wide open.  Take out the roll and adjust the clubface and grip until you can make the motion and your brain gives the OK.  Almost any halfway decent golfer who's played golf for a few years knows intuitively where the clubface is pointing, whether it is open or closed.  Try to listen to your clubface intuition.  It's the first clue I get that a subtle compensation is working it's way into my swing.  Then I just check my grip and my pivot and usually find it's one or the other that got wonky.


I'll check out the thread in a moment.  I'll also try and post some (possibly crappy) video today so you can at least get an idea of what I'm working on and feel comfortable with at this stage.

One thing I will say is that I may not be rolling the wrists or overcompensating on the downswing as much as I'm making it sound.  I probably shouldn't have used the term "release the club" or whatever, as I wasn't aware that was an overused expression.  Typically what I tell myself just before the shot is "hit the ball."  I know that probably sounds stupid, but it's a trigger to remember that the point of the swing is to swing at (and down on) the ball, and sometimes I forget that.

I'm not saying my left hand is too weak, because it may be.  However, I'm pretty sure my club face isn't wide open at the top of the swing because I've never had much of a problem with that.  And I think I'm pretty sure that I'm not over-rotating the wrists/forearms on the downswing, simply based on the flight of the ball when I make good contact.

What I do think I struggle with, at times, is taking the club too far to the inside, and then focusing too much on my hips and producing lag on the downswing which doesn't allow me to rotate my upper body properly.

I can't explain it well, but as I said before I'll try and get some video up tonight.  I'll be at the range anyway.

Brandon

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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Originally Posted by bplewis24

I can actually do it at home, but I read the rules of "video posting" and I think one of the rules is to not take vids of practice swings without a ball, so I haven't posted any of those.  Plus they are in pretty low-light, so it's crappy cell phone camera video.


They're the "rules" but they're more like guidelines. You simply will not get as much feedback if you post a practice swing. Almost nobody makes a practice swing the same way as their full swing, so it's almost pointless unless you're exaggerating a feel and swinging at 10% speed or something to post any kind of practice swings. And again, a lot of people won't even comment on a practice swing.

So they're more "guidelines" (though the naming conventions are "rules"). Hope that clears things up.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

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Originally Posted by bplewis24

I'll also try and post some (possibly crappy) video today so you can at least get an idea of what I'm working on and feel comfortable with at this stage.

Cool.

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I'm not saying my left hand is too weak, because it may be.  However, I'm pretty sure my club face isn't wide open at the top of the swing because I've never had much of a problem with that.  And I think I'm pretty sure that I'm not over-rotating the wrists/forearms on the downswing, simply based on the flight of the ball when I make good contact.

I couldn't tell clubface orientation from the video, honestly.  Remember the goal with the grip is to just get the hands on the club in the way that gives you the best combination of a free and natural lever and the maximum possible control of the face.  I like a grip that has a relatively strong left hand and a right hand that is a little on top of the shaft.  One check I use for the left hand is to grip the club like I would hit the ball, then take my right hand off and lift my left hand up in the air like I'm shaking someone's hand.  The clubface shuts maybe 30 degrees or so.  45 is too strong.  This is especially important with the irons.  The right hand really depends on the motion through impact.  I like to push hard with my right index finger crooked around the shaft.  I find I can get a better push with the right hand more on top of the club.  Having the right hand turned over this way also has the benefit of making it unnatural to roll, which with a strong grip and inside path will send the ball left at worst and cause timing issues at best eventually leading to shutting the stance and flipping it to keep it straight.  Some people, Boo Weekley for example, use the kind of right hand grip the Golf Galaxy instructor recommends.  It requires that you disengage the activity of the right hand through impact in my opinion.  I think for righties this is tough, but certainly possible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bplewis24

What I do think I struggle with, at times, is taking the club too far to the inside, and then focusing too much on my hips and producing lag on the downswing which doesn't allow me to rotate my upper body properly.

I thought the golf galaxy lesson was pretty good honestly.  Get those knees and hips sequencing properly, get the belt buckle pointing at the target and get the arms down just a little more aggressively.  You need all of them.  Also, brush some thick grass to instruct your hands on the feeling of hitting something with forward shaft lean and a clubface that isn't over-rotating.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, new video.  For perspective, this was my swing at the beginning of this thread, about 1.5 years ago:

And fastforward to today.  I was going out for a round with my brother, so I asked him to bring his camcorder so he could film us.  Well, the battery died before we could even fire it up, so I had to use my crappy phone.  I almost didn't post this video, just because I was so depressed when editing it to see how little progress I've made on the areas that I've been trying to improve.  Anyway, here it is.

6 Iron FO:

6 iron DTL:

And this is what I would classify as my bad driver swing (it was a low draw that probably carried 215 yards and rolled out to 240.  This was characteristic of my entire round, because I drove it horribly all day.  Worst in a couple months by about 6-7 fairways.

Driver FO:

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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One thing that irritates me is that I'm still going past parallel on all of these swings even though I've been trying to stop doing that.  It's symptomatic of other flaws.

Brandon

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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You really come out of your spine angle (check how much your head raises up), to the extent that you are actually on your tiptoes at impact.  It also looks like you are not getting over to your left side at impact.

I'm sure others have drills & stuff for you to do, but that's what it looks like to my untrained eye.

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I definitely wasn't transferring my weight.  I'm wondering if this was a bad day to record my swing.  All day I was hitting hooks off the tee, and that generally happens when I'm not shifting my weight.

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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Originally Posted by Harmonious

You really come out of your spine angle (check how much your head raises up), to the extent that you are actually on your tiptoes at impact.  It also looks like you are not getting over to your left side at impact.

I agree with both. Things will clean up if you keep your head on the wall and get the hips forward. Flare the left foot out slightly to help.

01.jpg 02.jpg

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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So, after being upset with my swing regression of yesterday I was considering cancelling my Sunday morning scheduled tee time.  Instead, I went out and convinced myself that if I went back to swinging the way I was a couple weeks ago, I would see the same shots I saw on the range.  The result was my first time ever breaking under 80! I shot a 78 on a day when I still was hitting my driver pretty poorly (especially on the back 9).

Without going to the range before-hand, I just made a mental note (similar to the one I had a few weeks ago on the range) to not rotate my hips so much on the backswing and feel the weight load on my right leg (so that I could push forward) throughout the swing.  This still didn't work with driver, but I hit many of my other clubs pretty well.  Other personal bests:

Highest GIR

Most birdies in a round

042212TheReserve.png

So, today was an odd day.  I lacked some confidence pre-round, during the round felt like I didn't play that well as I only hit about 3-4 iron shots great (meaning compressed ball, bottom of swing beyond the ball mark and it went on the line I was aiming), drove it bad in stretches, and still shot my personal best.  I feel like if I continue working at the range I can do even better.

Brandon

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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lol, this is awesome:

Quote:

This score is not within your usual score range. Press Post to post score anyway.

That's the first time I've seen that from the NCGA posting site.  I guess the fact that I shot 90 yesterday and in the high 90s a couple weeks ago probably threw it off .

Brandon

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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Nice round.  As far as the swing....what Iacas said.  Also, experiment with taking the club back shorter and shorter until you find the point at which you can control it and not flip it.  That's why your driver doesn't go very far in spite of the long backswing.  Point feet and knees out for stability and to clean up the leg work.  Try to keep the left knee pointed out and it will shorten your backswing for you.  Then work on the head-back hips forward drill.

[ Equipment ]
R11 9° (Lowered to 8.5°) UST Proforce VTS 7x tipped 1" | 906F2 15° and 18° | 585H 21° | Mizuno MP-67 +1 length TT DG X100 | Vokey 52° Oil Can, Cleveland CG10 2-dot 56° and 60° | TM Rossa Corza Ghost 35.5" | Srixon Z Star XV | Size 14 Footjoy Green Joys | Tour Striker Pro 5, 7, 56 | Swingwing

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  • 3 weeks later...

051012AncilHoffman.png

This felt so awesome.  It was an NCGA Tournament Qualifier that I was placed in for finishing in the top 4 of my club tournament a few weeks ago.  This round may send me to the championship round at Spyglass Hill golf course in June.  I'll find out in a few days.

Brandon

  • Upvote 1

Brandon a.k.a. Tony Stark

-------------------------

The Fastest Flip in the West

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I just watched your swing and it reminds me of Matt Every - how he jumps up on the down swing.  But Matt actually leaves the ground!

Just out of curiosity - what is your club head speed with the driver?  My thought is you could focus on tempo and eliminate some of the issues your having with going far beyond parallel - and it also may help reduce that squat/jump you have going on in the downswing.  And agree with modifying your posture at address.  It should help eliminate the loss of spine tilt mentioned above.

.

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