How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Practice

[Zeph]

My Youtube account, with swings from summer and fall 2009

In the even of my swing being used as sample video in the Evolvr project, I decided to take up on the advice and start working better on the swing.

I will be taking it one step at the time, emphasizing staying in control. That way I can play golf at the same time without hacking all around the course.

First a list of things I know I struggle with, partly from watching my swing on video.

• Taking the club away too much on the outside, away from my body
• Rolling the arms and wrists open in the backswing, having to rotate them back in the downswing
• Too fast backswing, causing a long backswing where the arms break into my body
• Weight too far forward in backswing, result of the above
• Tilting the head to the right, also a result of the backswing
• Lifting the right foot on the downswing, knee moving towards the ball
• Swinging from the top with my arms and upper body
• Not getting enough hip slide forward
• Too much grip on the club, forcing it on the downswing, casting the club
• Head moving forwards on the backswing and downswing, partly a result of backswing speed and length

Looks like a lot, and it is, but a lot of the problems can be solved by fixing the same flaw. I think my setup is fine, I'm a bit too hunched forward on the video, partly because I used some shorter clubs. I've also gotten closer to the ball.

First fix on the agenda: Takeaway and wrists

I'm taking the advice of Dave and starting with the start. Will be using mirror and video to check it. Essentially, a on-plane takeaway with a on-plane clubface. Practiced for 30 minutes today and then played 18 holes the next 30. Granted, on a simulator. The result was incredible. With the occasional hook, probably because I use to roll the club open and have to roll it shut, I was very accurate, even with the driver, my worst club. I used a mirror to get the takeaway plane right and left the arms and wrists quiet. It felt like I was going to slice it all the time, but that never happened. I also shortened my backswing, which also made it slower. When swinging slowly, I lost 5-10 yards on each club, but when experimenting with keeping the wrists quiet in the downswing, I gained them again. I didn't work much on the quiet hands, as it'll be too much at the same time.

My 7i distance was 150-160 yards, with 10 yards difference up and down on each club.

The 18 holes on Bay Hill was great. My main problem today was fat shots, a problem I blame my head moving forwards. I sometimes move the ball back and focus on keeping the head back, even moving it further back. Still, I shot a 79, with a handicap 4, net 75. One of my best rounds ever on the simulator. My drives, which usually is sky high, were low and with good distance. Average 225, longest 250+. I know simulators are not always accurate, but this one is very good. Compared to my distances outside, it is dead on.

Very happy with the short session today. I will keep working on the takeaway and backswing length for some time now.