My Swing (mvmac)

[mvmac]

Don't want to jinx it but in the last week have hit several shots that just sounded different, more flushed. Doing a better job of creating "tension" at address and in transition of "spreading the ground" and working through those hip joints.

With Mario today, working on an important piece that I've been drilling in the gym and at home with breathing and corrective exercises. Keeping the scaps "down" allows the torso to tighten and the shoulders to connect and ride on top of the upper ribs. Basically it makes it easier to rotate on top of the pelvis. Also when that clubhead banks inward at 2, that's when those shoulders shrug and the rotation is just coming from the shoulders and not the ribs/spine. I think this is going to be more of something I train and not a cue. Going to stick with the "turn sternum" cue or "turn sternum all the way to the top" image.

 

 

[JetFan1983]

Hey Mike, great job with your game over these last few years. Really awesome to see your improvement and follow along from time to time. Can't emphasize enough how impressive this is having followed you for, wow, ten years now.

I had a question about impact for you. Your lead arm seems pretty pinned to the torso and you don't seem to have the shaft lean a tour pro might have at that same point in the swing. 

I was wondering your thoughts on this. Arms seem to be late in the downswing relative to pivot.

[iacas]

Ball flight right now, Mike?

[mvmac]

On 11/14/2020 at 2:33 PM, JetFan1983 said:

I was wondering your thoughts on this. Arms seem to be late in the downswing relative to pivot.

My thoughts are that it sucks and I need it to be different. Everything I do is related to changing this, getting the arm to separate from my chest, creating more lean, sliding the hips less and "posting" up more on that lead leg. A lot of it is a domino effect of moves or compensations happening well before impact.

16 hours ago, iacas said:

Ball flight right now, Mike?

Draws with the misses being pull draws. Every once in a while a big miss will be a thin push.

Some recent swings dialing up the "scaps down" feel.

 

[JetFan1983]

Lol, perfect response. Thanks, Mike 😅

Keep at it, man! You'll get it. 

[mvmac]

Giving TRUE shoes another try, these feels pretty good. I like how my left foot is given more freedom to pronate on the backswing.

First couple swings are focusing more on the foot torque and creating as much tension as possible at 1 (glutes, core, feet) and keeping it during the swing. Spreading the ground on the backswing and downswing, hips can't get spinny if I maintain that stability. Hit some really solid shots working on that today.

Then the last two swings are more on the play feel of turning the sternum.

 

[mvmac]

Updated Nevada rules, have to start wearing a mask on the range, went into effect yesterday 👎

Doing a lot of slow reps, taking it to 4 withe knees staying over the feet and then breathing into it. Legs are looking more stable, matching up well with the handle being more forward/shaft steeper on the downswing. When I can keep the femur "spread" it feels like the club works "straighter" into the ball rather than under and out to the right. 

 

[mvmac]

Latest, after working on a good amount of "structure" and good tension the past couple months, adding some dynamics back in and seeing how that goes. Keeping an eye on the belt buckle and trail hip on the backswing, don't want to see the femur spin around or the pelvis turn as one unit. 

 

Seeing more IR work being done with the lead hip.

Continuing to see the club pitch more out here, still gets too shallow but overall better.

[ncates00]

On 11/8/2020 at 1:25 AM, mvmac said:

more torque with the feet), neutral neck. Goal is to keep the torque feeling during the whole swing.

Can you describe how you’re doing this? I’ve been researching the 3 forces measured by swing catalyst, and it appears that I also need to work more on torque. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you are working to achieve more torque with your feet and hips. (Chime in @iacas or any one else, too!) 

[mvmac]

11 hours ago, ncates00 said:

Can you describe how you’re doing this? I’ve been researching the 3 forces measured by swing catalyst, and it appears that I also need to work more on torque. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you are working to achieve more torque with your feet and hips. (Chime in @iacas or any one else, too!) 

I'm talking more about the torque created by the body to keep myself engaged and doing work at the lower body joints. I wouldn't worry too much about the Swing Catalyst stuff, especially if they aren't tracking body center of mass. Remember it's a reaction force and by far the most important of those would be the shearing forces or basically just friction. 

To feel it, setup and imagine you're trying to spread the ground away with both feet, keep the bottom of both feet firmly planted as you do it. Like if you had cleats on and trying to rip the grass. Will also feel your glutes squeeze together. As you rotate back, keep spreading the ground on the backswing and during the downswing. This makes it easy for the lead hip to externally rotate and trail hip internally rotate on the backswing. Then for the center of the pelvis to work away from the trail hip in transition and work into the lead hip on the downswing.

Please understand this cue is good for someone like me that "pops" out of those hips joints and just rotates the pelvis without much hip rotation. Could be horrible for someone that slides their hips on the backswing.

Example fro almost exactly a year ago from how the lower body has changed, hit it further now by about 2-3 mph, most importantly lower dynamic loft. On the face on recent pics, notice how the knees are pointing towards the camera, so the body is pivoting rather than just turning.

Another way to do it, I also warm up like this. Like if someone was trying to push your legs together and you were pushing out to resist them. But that push should start from the feet and ankle joints, meaning the feet stay planted and not rolling to on side or the other.

The "look" would be more like the bottom swing. Femurs wider (knees over the feet), which helps you get the glutes and lateral rotators involved.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIj_hyiAyyz/

Latest from this week. Review stuff says it all. The cheat with the pitching is that I'm setting up with the right heel a little off the ground or feels like it.

 

Shaft getting steeper! Goal is to keep the com between the arms longer.

 

 

[mvmac]

@ncates00

 

[mvmac]

[mvmac]

Sticking with the left leg abduction and band feels. Experimenting with a floor slider to train it more at home. I'm sure I've posted this but tendency is to get "spinny" with the hips and the left leg/hip roundhouses around the corner (left hip flexion/IR). So the slider drill gets me to feel the opposite, ER, extension and abduction. 

Trying to "peel" away my midline away from my left femur, and then downswing would be reversing it.

When I do this I can work well into the right hip and maintain "stability" as I work out of the hip.

Downswing is staying good since I have more space on the downswing. Hitting it really good and farther.

 

[mvmac]

Sticking with the same stuff, left leg slider feel and maintaining the right ankle dorsiflexion. Hitting it well, taken a lot of the left miss out of play, misses recently have been pushes.

Went to PING last week to get fit for the new woods, some changes from my last trip which I think is reflective of the swing trending in the right direction. Don't need to tweak the loft lower with the driver anymore and they recommend I hard-step my iron shafts.

I like how stable the right foot is on the backswing and how the left foot is rolling to the outstep much less with the face-on.

 

[mvmac]

Got some new correctives, continuing with the theme of more of a pivot/piston move with the hips. Which helps get more into the hip joints so the upper body can move more like these pics, maintaining the tuck with good inclination. Tendency for me is to "pull" out of the right hip towards the end of the backswing. Training some good feels for the swing, better I can do this the less the left leg/hip will roundhouse in front of me.

Still liking that floor slider drill and feel on the takeaway. I know I'm doing the backswing correctly when my right foot stays firmly planted.

 

 

[mvmac]

Finished second in a club tournament this weekend. Crazy turn of events being tied for the lead with two to play, can see the post below.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Michael McLoughlin (@mvmac01)

 

Sticking with the same lower body feels, on the course being aware to keep up the arm speed on the downswing.

On the takeaway feeling the hands work straight back and up, then working the arm like this post below to "spiral" my upper body and while keeping the rib cage plugged in. Funny how it's similar to my swing thoughts in college when David Toms was my model. This is a video Rick did for me, have been talking with him a bit. Sees similar things to Mario but says them a little differently, great to get the opinion of someone with his knowledge and teaching experience.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Rick Silva (@movement3golf)

Sent this to a buddy today on some feels that have been working lately. Figured I'd share.

 

[mvmac]

What I'm working on in the video below. Push/abduction of the left hip with the arm lifting more in front of me and working the ribs under. Seems like a lot but they all work together, getting the good, gradual push helps angle the body (ribs) so the arms can work up and not against my pec. Important for me because then I don't have to shift the arms out on the downswing which causes me to shallow.

 

 

[boogielicious]

You literally have a net set up next to your bed! I’ve been cleared of a golfaholic charges by my wife after showing her this.😀