My Swing (euh)

[euh]

Hello!

This is a call for help from Sweden! My name is Fredrik and I'm 22 years old. I've followed this forum for quite a while and really enjoy the discussions and feedback you are offering people so I thought I should give it a shot.

The story is, after being forced to quit ice-hockey due to a knee injury two years ago I spent more and more time on the golf course. Golf, something that I only played a few times a year, has really grown on me and now I'm basically obsessed. So in a effort to become better I need some help... I've always struck my irons really well, especially short irons. The ballflight for my irons would be straight and the misshit being a straight fade the longer the club gets. But my driver is chaos, its pushes and push fades all over the place and no consistency. I cant play with it.

I really want to hit a high push-draw with all of my clubs and especially find some confidence with my driver. I've reached a hcp of 12.5 playing with my 5-wood basically. I consider myself a fairly long hitter but would love to trade distance for control. I've never had a lesson or instruction, only the things I've read from various websites like this one. Feels like I've tried everything in my search of a push-draw but it just wont happen without help. I know about the ballflight-laws but I can't just do it as it is right now and to improve my game I really need to know whats going to happen when i hit the ball, atleast to some extent.

Here's a video of Driver dtl/face on combined with a 6 iron dtl/face on in slow motion and the same one but in real time below.

[euh]

Just gonna bump it once, first and last time, in hope for some advice on what to work on :)

[Late4ttime]

Sorry to hear about your knee- I like watching hockey but never played. The hand-eye coordination necessary in hockey will help you in golf, as evident in your swing. You are starting from a good place, here is what I saw, that might help you improve.

Grip- Rotate your right hand clockwise a little bit, so its more on top of the club.

On the back swing- you should build tension on the inside of your right leg- if it gets to the outside of your right leg, you are losing coil. To give you an idea of the feeling- address a ball with both feet together- as you start your back swing- step towards the target with your left foot- you'll feel the stored energy in your inner right leg.

Here comes the real work! Watch the driver swing slow-mo from the top of your back-swing transitioning to the downswing- your first move is a little over the top- I'd work on taking it to the top- deliberately pausing at the top- bump your left hip towards your target- then feel your swing come from the inside. As a hockey player you probably have strong legs- use them- start the downswing from the bottom up. It is normal for people to come over the top when they want to hit it hard- like dragging something behind us with a rope- you put the rope over shoulder and we pull out and down- we don't drop the rope by our waist and pull up with our biceps- same principle- but in golf- its more efficient if you swing from the inside out.

Contact- stand in front of a left door jam or pole so it simulates a contact point- simulate your down swing with your right hand and slap the pole- if you hit it with the palm- it replicates straight, if you hit it with your pinkie first- that replicates an open club face, if you hit the pole with your index finger- that replicates closing the club face- it looked to me that your right hand would be coming through open ( pinkie first )  (Heard this nugget from Johnny Miller on some Champions Tour segment, but it clicked with me)

In the scheme of things- 2 years isn't a long time to be playing golf- if you are playing to a 12.5 after 2 yrs, you are way ahead of the learning curve!

There are plenty of people that know more about the swing than I do, but I hope what I talked about will help.

Late-

[euh]

Thank you! Going to the range tomorrow and try it out. But I know I've tried the hip-bump before but it felt a bit weird to just bump the hip? Could you describe the feeling when and how to bump the hip so that I have something to compare to? Maybe I just exagerrated it the last time!

I'll be back with results tomorrow! Thank you again!

[JackLee]

You might want to experiment with a stance that is closed to your target line.  That makes it easier to swing inside-out, especially with the longer clubs.

A hip bump is a key that is supposed to get your body movements to lead/pull your arms down and through impact.  Yes, a golf swing should be done with body and hands, not arms and hands.  The arms should be passive except for the forearm muscles controlling the hands.

The lower body must lead, and I suppose the hip bump works for some, but it never worked very well for me.  So, I use my lead shoulder as explained in the golf swing master key instruction.

[euh]

Uhm, so I aint supposed to really use my arms at all? Wow... that will take some time getting used to! I can really feel that im hitting it with my left arm now!

[Late4ttime]

Originally Posted by euh

Thank you! Going to the range tomorrow and try it out. But I know I've tried the hip-bump before but it felt a bit weird to just bump the hip? Could you describe the feeling when and how to bump the hip so that I have something to compare to? Maybe I just exagerrated it the last time!

I'll be back with results tomorrow! Thank you again!

Take your normal back swing and stop at the top- notice and feel the weight dispersion most will be on/over right leg- bump your left hip towards a target, and now feel the weight dispersion- you've probably moved 60% or more to your left side without uncoiling anything or even starting your downswing- as you uncoil and swing down- the rest should continue to shift to the left side. The way I "bump" my hip also slightly lowers my right shoulder and as I uncoil my hips it brings my arms and hands thru inside to out-- it would feel unnatural to swing over the top from this position for me.

JackLee mentioned above "master key instruction"- I've started reading about it- it seems centered around the left shoulder being the driving force behind the golf swing-

About the arms- passive arms will help create a whip effect that will help generate club head speed- if you power your swing with your arms- you are using smaller muscle groups and essentially isolating your lower body completely from the swing.

Remember- there are LOTS of swing theories out there- learn as much as you can, and use what is right for you.

Good luck!

Late-