My Swing (simland)

[simland]

Hey All,

I was just looking for some general advice around swing mechanics.  I've been actively trying to get better for about 2 years now.  Mostly self taught and tuned.  If I avoid blow up holes, I can shoot high 80s.

Appreciate your input.

[boots1302]

Right off the bat i see two things that i think could improve your game tremendously. #1 your left foot on the takeaway, and #2 the beginning of your downswing. If you try to keep your left foot planted it will result in more accurate shots, in the 9 iron face on section of the video, you can see the heel raise off of the ground, then re plant itself in a different position, this creates consistancy problems. try keeping your heel planted, less of a sway in backswing.

and another small issue is you come over the top on your downswing. Focus on letting your hands fall on your downswing, then feeling like you swing across the ball more to the right. it will create a little sidespin and give you a nice 5 yard draw, as well as make it easier to make crisp contact every time.

[senorchipotle]

because of your angles it's hard to really diagnose, but phil mickelson, bobby jones, vijay sing, etc. have no problem with you lifting your heel slightly on the backswing as long as it doesn't throw you off balance. in your takeaway you're rolling your hands open instead of just pushing your arms back with your shoulders and lifting the club. usually this is indicative, at least in my experience, of a grip that is not sound.

your downswing move looks good, and you are coming over the top of your backswing plane, but you're still hitting from the inside. so if that's not broke then don't fix it just yet. but there are some problems with your stance and you've got a little bit of alligator arms going on.

so do this, grab a club and point it at your target. grab a separate club and put it a foot and a half to the left of the first one. they also have reflectors at lowes which i use and they work great for many different purposes. anywho, line your feet up parallel to the club closest to you and use the farther one to line up your clubface with the target. this will give you the idea of what it's like not to have to swing so much across your body and give your arms more space. you might start out pulling the ball since you've been used to swinging closed off, but if you remember to keep your momentum going at the target it should be hard to get reoriented.

one more thing i noticed. your super strong right hand grip might be causing you to pull the ball so you compensate by swinging closed off. for the grip, youtube the perfect golf grip, it's quick and simple.

[simland]

Thanks for the advice.

seniorchipotle:

I certainly agree that I look cramped.  While at address I feel that is the position I need to be at for my arms to hang straight down and the club bottom to lie flat.  I sometimes wonder if I'd benefit from a club fitting.  But that's the whole Indian vs Arrow debate.  I'll try the technique you described to get a different perspective.

I also notice that my left leg/foot get a little washy the more "tired" I get.  For whatever reason it's more mobile on the short irons.

I honestly rarely, if ever pull the ball.  These days 50% of my shots are push fades, 5% slices, 30% straight, 10% draw on target and 5% hook.  I think my grip is certainly an issue. I started out this season (2 weeks ago) strangling the club.  I tried to loosen the grip.  That helped the club face come around easier and removed some of my push fade issue.  I've tried the "perfect grip".  I don't think I understand it well enough as when I rotate my hands as instructed it doesn't feel natural at all and usually results in a snap hook.

boots:

What is this feeling of the hands dropping?  I try to start the down swing with my body and let my arms/hands react like a whip.

If the weather cooperates, I'm going to try to make some of these changes and get some more vid this weekend.

[senorchipotle]

based on your current setup, the only way to hit it toward your target is to pull it. if you are pushing the ball that means your clubface is pointing right of the target on impact. the fact that the majority of your shots are pushes is further evidence that you are closed with respect to the target, but i don't think it's so much a push as it is you're hitting it relatively straight but your stance is orientated such that if you make a good swing your shots start out right off the bat. this is further evidenced by you tending to fade and slice. you're not extending your lead arm through impact thus shortening your swing arc and catching the ball on the front part of the arc, effectively swiping across it and imparting side spin. i think if you were properly lined up it would give your arms more room in front of your body and you can extend your lead arm into the shot without fear of losing your balance or hitting the ball from the outside. but as always, this is my humble analysis and i could be completely wrong.

[simland]

I'll take it to heart.  It makes sense.  If I'm catching it a shade early and I'm lined up right.  It means that my club face is going to be a shade open and I'll push it right every time.  The push fades are not very drastic which means some small changes and some repetition should go a long way.  I think a little basic flexibility work would also help.  (Could just be the winter rust.)

Once again thanks.  Which camera angle tells more about the swing?  Rear or side?  A few samples of each?

[simland]

OK, I have new video but not the ability to post for some time.  The video above is a very stiff version of my swing about 2 weeks ago.  I've learned and had confirmed what was said here: I was taking it too far inside too soon.

I started consciously trying to take the club straight back for the first few feet in a one piece motion.  I also tried to get my hands higher.  Gone is the duck hook.  However, now I have a fade to giant slice ball flight (essentially where I was when I started 2 years ago).  I'm not certain if I am letting my arms get away from my body, if the club face is open or if I'm getting slightly stuck on my back foot.

I know not much help can be given unless I post a video of my changed swing, but here are the symptoms:

1) 20% of the time I'll hit a shot fat

2) 70% of the time the ball flight will be a fade to push fade.  (no pull slices)

3) When I swing out of my shoes, I either get an amazing draw/straight/fade (ends up on target line) bomb or a giant Slice.

Any insight would be appreciated, I know to take it all with a grain of salt until video can show the error of my ways.

Thanks!

[RyderJ]

Originally Posted by simland

boots:

What is this feeling of the hands dropping?  I try to start the down swing with my body and let my arms/hands react like a whip.

If the weather cooperates, I'm going to try to make some of these changes and get some more vid this weekend.

Way back in H.S. my coach taught me to "throw" my hands down at the ball, almost simulating a karate chop I guess...I'm pretty sure that's what boots was referring to about dropping your hands....

Another way of saying it would be to pretend your downswing is a race between the club and your hands...and you want your hands to win.

[simland]

Ok new video.  This was taken today and it looks like I'm still rotating around my body quite a bit.  The take away is more smooth so there is progress.  The video uploaded oddly, I'm not that squat looking.

Should I be more bent over?  My hands don't want to seem to go higher than they do on the backswing.

[simland]

Tried again to get a steeper swing (more neutral).  At the top it seems to work fairly well, but I've noticed that even though it feels weird on the take away I am still taking it back inside of plane.

The other big issue I've notices is that my first move on the downswing puts the club outside the plane.

Also, my swing doesn't look very smooth or fluid.  Can't pin point why.  Too rushed?

Any advice?

[senorchipotle]

your grip needs work. the stronger you take your grip the more you're going to slice it if your wrists are staying cupped and not flattening out. all you're going to do is cut across the ball. weaken your grip a whole lot and practice letting your left wrist flatten out. try chipping with your pitching wedge on to a practice green and feel that left wrist leading the downswing while your upper body turns to square the club.