My Swing (RossOliver)

[RossOliver]

Hello,

It's been a while since I've posted anything - I've been working hard to get back on plane on my downswing after suffering from being too much from the inside. The video below I took today - only a down the line view I'm afraid, hopefully get a face-on video tomorrow.

Current shot is generally between straight and up to a 5-yard pull fade that ends on-target. In improving my downswing with more hip unwind I've gone from barely being able to get over the top to struggling to get confidently to the inside. I believe this is partly due to my alignment being slightly open and by backswing marginally too shallow - I've just recovered from being rather laid-off and open at the top.

If anyone has any input on how to shallow my downswing and improve my release (head has always been a bit stuck looking at the ball after impact), which appears to go hard-left (slight chicken-wing action!), I would appreciate your input! Also, are my shoulders too closed relative to my hips at impact? Finally, my head appears to drop quite significantly in the downswing - I've read mixed things about this, is it a good thing? If it makes any odds I have a late, snap release into the back of the ball (which I can hopefully illustrate with another video tomorrow).

Sorry the video is a wee bit jumpy - I don't think my SD card can keep up with my camera

Thanks for your time/input,

-Ross

[chrisutpg]

Originally Posted by RossOliver

Hello,

It's been a while since I've posted anything - I've been working hard to get back on plane on my downswing after suffering from being too much from the inside. The video below I took today - only a down the line view I'm afraid, hopefully get a face-on video tomorrow.

Current shot is generally between straight and up to a 5-yard pull fade that ends on-target. In improving my downswing with more hip unwind I've gone from barely being able to get over the top to struggling to get confidently to the inside. I believe this is partly due to my alignment being slightly open and by backswing marginally too shallow - I've just recovered from being rather laid-off and open at the top.

If anyone has any input on how to shallow my downswing and improve my release (head has always been a bit stuck looking at the ball after impact), which appears to go hard-left (slight chicken-wing action!), I would appreciate your input! Also, are my shoulders too closed relative to my hips at impact? Finally, my head appears to drop quite significantly in the downswing - I've read mixed things about this, is it a good thing? If it makes any odds I have a late, snap release into the back of the ball (which I can hopefully illustrate with another video tomorrow).

Sorry the video is a wee bit jumpy - I don't think my SD card can keep up with my camera

Thanks for your time/input,

-Ross

Honestly, I think the swing looks good. I could see how you pull it from time to time, not a big deal however.

As for the drop of the head, its ok. As long as you keep your height going back, and you do. The shoulders do appear a bit closed at impact, probably part of the release you feel stuck sometimes.

As for the release, it is tough to tell without a FO view. But it looks fine. I don't think you need to shallow the plain anymore. Just work on getting the shoulders turned more at impact.

[EverythingGolf]

Oliver, the card could be the problem. I needed to get an Extreme SDHC Card for my camera, here is a link.

http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-EXTREME-Class-SDSDX3-8192-Package/dp/B0018M256G

[RossOliver]

Originally Posted by chrisutpg

Just work on getting the shoulders turned more at impact.

Do you have any pointers on how to do this? I really struggle to get my shoulders to open by impact, no matter how hard I rotate my hips they never seem to turn enough to pull my shoulders around. Also, if I concentrate on just opening my shoulders independently they have a tendency to go very steep and my right shoulder goes down under plane - so I get into a reverse 'C' position when viewed from face-on at impact (hips well ahead, shoulders stuck back and left shoulder very high).

Originally Posted by EverythingGolf

Oliver, the card could be the problem. I needed to get an Extreme SDHC Card for my camera, here is a link.

http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-EXTREME-Class-SDSDX3-8192-Package/dp/B0018M256G

Yeah I think you're right - ordered this earlier today:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item;=120687697876

Seems like a value range, but if it really is class 10 SDHC it should do the job I hope!

Cheers,

-Ross

[senorchipotle]

i think your shoulders look great at impact, actually. they're square to the hitting zone at impact, imho you can't ask for anything better than that. the problem it seems to me is, if you're not trying to play a cut of course, that your hands are coming inside to quickly instead of going farther(for the lack of a better word) down the target line.

[RossOliver]

Originally Posted by senorchipotle

i think your shoulders look great at impact, actually. they're square to the hitting zone at impact, imho you can't ask for anything better than that. the problem it seems to me is, if you're not trying to play a cut of course, that your hands are coming inside to quickly instead of going farther(for the lack of a better word) down the target line.

From my understanding, slightly open shoulders is preferable - is this not always the case (perhaps this is only with longer irons)? As for the release, if I understand correctly, there are two types of release; down the line (like Els, Nicklaus etc) and left (Hogan, Garcia, McIlroy? etc). I would prefer a left-release much like Hogan and Garcia as it seems to protect against the snap-hook that I used to have when I was drastically under-plane - unless my swing is more suited to a down the line release style?

Thanks,

-Ross

[mdl]

You and everyone else who's commented are better than me, so take this FWIW.

Things look great until just before impact, then you start pulling back away from the ball.  To me it looks like it's almost an armsy thing, maybe left over from all your work trying to stop coming too far in-to-out?  Maybe if you just try to let your arms continue through the ball and on the same plane as most of your downswing you'd get rid of the pulls and fades?

[senorchipotle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdl

You and everyone else who's commented are better than me, so take this FWIW.

Things look great until just before impact, then you start pulling back away from the ball.  To me it looks like it's almost an armsy thing, maybe left over from all your work trying to stop coming too far in-to-out?  Maybe if you just try to let your arms continue through the ball and on the same plane as most of your downswing you'd get rid of the pulls and fades?

+1... this is what i was trying to convey, but mdl has said it better. i think in an attempt to open your shoulders to the target line your left arm is pulling the club away prematurely.

[walk18]

Try a more rounded back at set-up. Right now your upper body is a little too upright, you can see the indent in your lower back. I was doing the exact same thing and when I fixed that it made a big diference for me.

[tristanhilton85]

Swing looks good to me... I do agree that you need a faster card though...

This is what I use in mine and I haven't had any problems with it so far.

http://www.amazon.com/Transcend-Class-Flash-Memory-TS8GSDHC10E/dp/B003VNKNEG/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie;=UTF8&qid;=1301713908&sr;=1-2

[RossOliver]

Thanks for the replies - I agree my hands do appear to go low and left after impact; I think this is due to trying to 'stay connected' - I'll try and let my left arm loose and more down the line after impact to get rid of my stuck/awkward follow through.

I'm a bit hesitant to try a setup change as the last time I lost my posture my swing went all to hell, but I'll experiment with a more rounded back later today...

Cheers,

-Ross

[senorchipotle]

before you go changing your setup position and all, you might want to make sure it's not a simple matter of not moving your upper body forward  in the swing. i can't tell because of the view.

[RossOliver]

Hello,

I've returned to golf after a break for a few months and the swing has gone all to pot... I'm even shanking my chip shots. The full swing problems are a bit less dramatic though - I appear to have lost all my lag... before I took a break from the game I had a decent amount of angle retention in the downswing, however now I'm releasing it much earlier (wouldn't say it's a cast, but I'm certainly not hitting it as late as I was).

I think it is down to a problem I've always had in rotating my upper body through with my lower body to smoothly release the club head after impact. I manage to clear my hips well (I think), but the upper body seems to have a mind of it's own and gets held back - not following my lower body and as a result I finish in a reverse C with a fugly chicken wingy follow through. Needless to say, by the time I took these videos I was somewhat frustrated and trying to take out my anger on the ball, thus swinging out of my shoes (almost literally!).

If anyone has an opinion or any drills I can do to improve my upper body coordination on the downswing I would appreciate your input! Some insight into what exactly is wrong with my upper body movement (or any other of my movements for that matter) would also be useful - in my eyes, I'm just not clearing my upper body enough - but that may not be the main problem? :-/

Many thanks,

-Ross

[ChrisSP]

It looks like you really sway off the ball in your backswing, which leaves you having to compensate for that move in your downswing and in these clips the club looks like it gets stuck way behind you and you have to stand up at impact to create some room for yourself. That will make it tough to hit the ball consistently and also rob you of power.

[RossOliver]

Thanks for the reply - I watched the video you linked to, but I don't see my hips/right knee swaying during my backswing? Are you referring to my upper body?

Thanks,

-Ross

[ChrisSP]

The lower body movement doesn't look as dramatic because of how much you laterally move your head and upper body, but when you get to the top you can see how your right leg has moved back and straightened up. I just think that if you really stabilized your lower body throughout the backswing you'd stay a bit more centered, your swing plane wouldn't be as flat and you'd be less likely to get stuck coming down, which is why I thought of that particular tip. Just my $.02.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by ChrisSP

The lower body movement doesn't look as dramatic because of how much you laterally move your head and upper body, but when you get to the top you can see how your right leg has moved back and straightened up. I just think that if you really stabilized your lower body throughout the backswing you'd stay a bit more centered, your swing plane wouldn't be as flat and you'd be less likely to get stuck coming down.

I like the right leg losing the flex. It's what allows the hips to turn on their inclined plane (in a circle). As many know I could post a lot of pictures that would show people with steep shoulder turns, good hip tilts, and a very centered pivot. They'll all (the ones I'd post, that is) have a right knee that's "straightened" (lost flex from address to top of backswing).

If this player wants a centered backswing and doesn't want to translate off the golf ball, he simply needs to tilt left and extend (stand up) more.

[ChrisSP]

Good stuff Erik! While that's probably not a theory I would subscribe to it might be just what RossOliver needs to get back on track with his ball-striking. And of course one of the many beauties of this game is that there are numerous ways to skin the cat. We love the site -- thanks!

Originally Posted by iacas

I like the right leg losing the flex. It's what allows the hips to turn on their inclined plane (in a circle). As many know I could post a lot of pictures that would show people with steep shoulder turns, good hip tilts, and a very centered pivot. They'll all (the ones I'd post, that is) have a right knee that's "straightened" (lost flex from address to top of backswing).

If this player wants a centered backswing and doesn't want to translate off the golf ball, he simply needs to tilt left and extend (stand up) more.