My Swing (bunkerputt)

[bunkerputt]

Back from the holidays and trying to get into the swing of it.  Driver is giving me fits again with lots and lots of snap hooks and a really flat arm plane on the backswing when I try to stay centered left maintaining armpit pressure.  How does the armpit pressure thing work with the driver?  I can't really hit driver well unless I lift the arms (maybe an effort of 4 out of 10) on the backswing and then just forget about the pressure/connection thing and just swing the arms freely.  When I try squeezing the left arm against the torso my arms just end up with a too flat arm plane, the club has no speed on the downswing and everything is super-left.  I can make that swing work by trying to block the clubface some, but after significant measuring all I get is 256/273 average carry+roll with a very consistent push-overdraw. How much "lifting of the arms" is there with the driver on the backswing?

[iacas]

bunkerputt, I scrolled back to the last page but most of your videos are private or something. I didn't see a good DTL view. You should film one with the driver and add it to this thread so someone can help with your question. Be careful about camera positioning.

[bunkerputt]

Fixed the videos.  Need to grab some Driver footage when the weather is nice again.  I think I may have misapplied the term "armpit pressure".  If I focus on a creating and maintaining a lot of pressure in my armpits like I'm squeezing a lemon in there, I tend to keep my elbows pinned to my sides like the drill portion of this video and keep my arms pinned against the body on the start of the downswing:

If I try to hit shots like this, at 6'3"+ and +2 or more degrees upright on the irons with the driver., I just get a bunch of 180 yard hooks  When I go to the full swing and just try to hit a good shot, letting my arms swing freely some, there's actually some air in my armpits and it doesn't feel like pressure of any sort.  So two questions:

What is "armpit pressure"?

Is it something passively produced from proper sequencing, arm position, and body action on the downswing, or do you have to hold your arms against your chest on the start of the downswing?  Basically, is maintaining armpit pressure an active or passive thing?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

What is "armpit pressure"?

Is it something passively produced from proper sequencing, arm position, and body action on the downswing, or do you have to hold your arms against your chest on the start of the downswing?  Basically, is maintaining armpit pressure an active or passive thing?

Take 2 tees and stick one in each arm pit, keep them from falling out, that's upper arm pressure points

Depends on the player whether it's active or passive, for most it's something that needs to be practiced and conscious of.

[bunkerputt]

I took some really low quality video with my phone that I can't (and won't for your sakes ) post here.  It looks like my shoulder plane with the driver worked it's way back to flat, but the relationship of my arms to shoulders stayed the same, so the club is super flat on the backswing.  It's basically me from the very first video that I posted earlier last year with a lot less flip and better leg action.  Not sure how this happened because it feels like I'm still tilting some to the left, even with driver. I also don't know how this sudden onset of crapitude occurred.  Two weeks ago everything was rosy on the launch monitor with driver.  I'm hitting my irons more consistently than I ever had in my life with a slight push-draw instead of a fade now, but the driver either goes 75 yards left of the target or 150 yards right of the target.  Almost nothing in the middle.  Only 180 yard duck hooks or what looks like a 45 degree block with a lot of fade on it.  Pretty tired and frustrated from hitting something like 1000 balls with driver in the last week and only hitting 6 decent drives.  I'm obviously not controlling the clubface well and am trying to save shots.  I'm going to rest some clear my head and get back to basics.  Keep the head centered, turn the left shoulder down, don't rush the downswing and give your legs and hips time to sequence first.

[iacas]

I figured as much.

Just one quick thing: check your hip tilts too. 75% or so of the "left tilt" actually comes from the inclined plane of the hips.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by iacas

I figured as much.

Just one quick thing: check your hip tilts too. 75% or so of the "left tilt" actually comes from the inclined plane of the hips.

That sounds like a good clue.  In fact, today at the range, I noticed that I didn't feel the pressure in my right leg like I used to.  I didn't feel like I really had any leverage to push the hips forward on the downswing.  How much "inward" can the left knee bank on the backswing?  Does it vary irons to driver?  I used to bank it some and felt like I was able to really turn steep but keep my arms connected.  Since I started working on not banking it inward, but let it flex toward the target line, the backswing got much much shorter and I think my hips may have turned too level as a result.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

That sounds like a good clue.  In fact, today at the range, I noticed that I didn't feel the pressure in my right leg like I used to.  I didn't feel like I really had any leverage to push the hips forward on the downswing.  How much "inward" can the left knee bank on the backswing?  Does it vary irons to driver?  I used to bank it some and felt like I was able to really turn steep but keep my arms connected.  Since I started working on not banking it inward, but let it flex toward the target line, the backswing got much much shorter and I think my hips may have turned too level as a result.

It probably will move back more the longer the club gets but I think it's a good idea to keep it as centered as we can.

[bunkerputt]

Driver is getting straighter, just by focusing on pointing my shoulder line at a spot a yard or so to the right of the golf ball when viewed DTL.  Somehow it worked it's way to around 12 feet instead of 3 feet or less.  I think physical exhaustion probably has something to do with it.  Serious wind from the left at the range today, but I could tell I was hitting pretty consistent fades with just about every club.  Finding the magic recipe for arm line and shoulder line is my chore right now.  When I overdo the shoulder tilt and maintain arm pressure, I get serious slices and the club comes way across the line.  Hands probably not deep enough on the backswing in this case.

[bunkerputt]

Currently working on "More up with more in" with the arms on the backswing.  The tendency is to exaggerate either only up or only in, not apply them both for maximum width.  Also working on shoulder tilt and adding some power pieces.  Feeling more "down" on the backswing, a little like squating down, so the jump-slide is easier.  Requires just a touch more flex in the right leg.  Also pulling the arms down a little more aggressively and letting the right hand roll over on the follow through.  I used to squat and jump a lot along with a strong arm movement which gave me a lot of power in the past (~114 mph).  Current swing was too mechanical and around 95mph.  Adding in the arms and jump gets me back to 105.  That feels fast enough right now.  Not going to push it as I want to let it all settle in some.  Rhythm is improving greatly with the backswing squat, swing feels athletic.  Also modified the eye-line some so the eyes are square to shut instead of on the in-to-out path.  Head feels cocked to the left (eyes looking right) instead of to the right (eyes looking left).  That seems to help the shoulders turn on the correct plane some.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by mvmac

Again this is the feel

Crap, I've been doing this drill incorrectly.  I should have known.

I notice he has very little to no hip turn in the starting position of this drill.  I've been starting with my hips turned about halfway to the target, which makes it incredibly tough to get a decent backswing.  What a maroon!

Brandon

[bunkerputt]

The weight exaggerated left and knee forward restricts the hip turn here.  In an actual swing, the knee wouldn't stay so far forward and would come out a little allowing the hips to turn.  I don't think the amount of hip turn is the point of this drill.  It's just supposed to ingrain the feeling of weight left at impact and standing up pressing the belt buckle forward.

[bunkerputt]

Crap.  My glutes are still sore after taking 10 driver swings where I was focusing on the leg-loading pieces to get some power back.  That was 2 days ago.  This is in spite of working out the legs and glutes every week for the last couple of months.  I guess it's really been a few months since I've actually used those parts of my body.  More proof that exercise != golf specific muscle training.  Crazy how just changing your shoulder tilt and pivot can make your legs freeze like they're in concrete.  Also highlights part of the dishonest criticism of S&T; that it isn't a powerful way to swing.  Kind of like my lately-favorite variety of comment:  "I decided to try Stack and Tilt one day at the range and "

[bunkerputt]

Finally got some juicy video for you guys to disect...  I'll post it tonight when I can hook my camera up to my windows box.  Hit the irons decent, but not very far, maybe 160 yard 7-iron, fairly consistent push-draw.  Not completely warmed up, but a "good enough" swing.  Driver is another story.  I can almost hear Dr. Erik typing the prescription now, but I'm not going to say what I think it is.  I'll let you know if I was right, or if it was totally surprising to me....

[bplewis24]

What degree is your 7-iron?

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

What degree is your 7-iron?

The one I was hitting is old school:   37 degrees.  It's like a 15 year old club now.

[bunkerputt]

Alright guys, let me have it.  I could really use some help here, especially with the driver.  I know I need to lift the arms some on the backswing.  If I just lift them up, I'm going to feel like I need to drop them down to not come over the top.  I feel like a poor body action is at the root of the continuing cycle of swing changes I have:  flat and inside or lift the arms and drop them on the downswing.  I feel like I'm back to getting stuck on the downswing and hitting weak hooks.  I've lost quite a bit of distance with the driver, down to maybe 250 or so.  Most everything else is maybe 10 yards shorter, but playable.  Everything is a push-draw, but the driver is maybe 20 yards overdraw.  BTW, I threw a chip in there.  Wasn't the best day chipping, but I'm definitely committed to that technique.  I can still hit the ball solid even on my off days with it.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

The one I was hitting is old school:   37 degrees.  It's like a 15 year old club now.

Well, shoot, that's about as far as I can hit my 7-iron, which is 2* stronger.