My Swing (carpediem4300)

[carpediem4300]

This swing was from around a week ago, this backswing is what i have been told for years is to flat, as i have been trying to swing rotationally, weight on to right then back to left or "classic swing"

Im now trying the stack and tilt swing, which i appear to prefer, any advice? could the backswing from above be applicable to S&T;?

PS: really sorry for such shoddy video, its my phone,

[carpediem4300]

UPDATE: Current swing. Duck hooking the hell out of my irons 😞

 

 

[iacas]

Right hand in particular too strong, face pretty closed coming down (resulting in you trying to push the ball right with the path).

[carpediem4300]

10 hours ago, iacas said:

Right hand in particular too strong, face pretty closed coming down (resulting in you trying to push the ball right with the path).

Yeah I've been trying to weaken that hand (at the time I was also consciously trying to match clubface to spine)

 

I've found though weakening that hand kind of exacerbates the hook, I'm guessing a compensation from somewhere else creeps in 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

I've mentioned in my grip post that when I take my grip at address it is square, but if I stand up out of address and relax my arms it holds the hell out of the club, I have a lesson Tuesday hopefully to help but I just can't fathom why soft arms would hood the club, I would of thought it would open it 🤣

[iacas]

6 hours ago, carpediem4300 said:

I've mentioned in my grip post that when I take my grip at address it is square, but if I stand up out of address and relax my arms it holds the hell out of the club, I have a lesson Tuesday hopefully to help but I just can't fathom why soft arms would hood the club, I would of thought it would open it 🤣

Because you're twisting it to hold it open. Forearms, etc. shouldn't be all that tense at setup.

[carpediem4300]

19 hours ago, iacas said:

Because you're twisting it to hold it open. Forearms, etc. shouldn't be all that tense at setup.

Ah makes sense, so setting up tense means as my arms relax it hoods the club

 

So doing the opposite of setting up soft would likely keep square or open the face when tense, as opposites attract and all that

 

 

[carpediem4300]

Update, baby fades

 

 

[Stryper]

Geez I love seeing improvement like that. Well done. As someone whose "natural" swing is out to in 2-3 degrees I have to really stay on my front side (like 80%) to get that back to closer to 0 or even + for a draw. A big backswing also makes the path even worse. On the contrary a really short backswing with heavy front foot creates a hook. And to clarify, I feel that weight through my foot, knee and hip, it's not just leaning to the front side, it's almost like winding the coil in that front leg.

That's probably the exact opposite of what the textbooks say? Perhaps because the textbooks are for guys who hit the ball well with an in to out club path struggle taming a hook??

For some reason ANY conscious weight transfer to my back foot exacerbates everything and stops me getting through the ball and I stand up off the ball. When I'm trying to hit a cut I don't consciously hold weight forward (but I make sure I don't transfer back) and it works. I have very bad hips, knees, shoulders from decades of (falling off) motorbikes and (falling off) surfboards so I can only do what I can do      

I have found this "weight" approach works better for me than "try to swing in to out" using any method as I then lose impact angle and distance. With say an 8-iron I will lose 20m from my best shot even if it's a +2 path, because I just cannot get everything to work together.  

I don't know if any of that helps - I am certainly a trial and error guy and not a coach with any kind of theory to back up my ponderings - but I am learning what works for me by making weight my number one swing thought.

Edited April 8, 2025 by Stryper

[carpediem4300]

Weight shift is next on the list but I need to groove this new feel and then work it back to a better shot shape.

I started with a path +5 degrees out and a clubface -8 degrees. Hook city

Ended with a path -0.5 and clubface +5. Straight fade/slice

 

So now just to dial it back a touch. 

[Stryper]

3 minutes ago, carpediem4300 said:

Weight shift is next on the list but I need to groove this new feel and then work it back to a better shot shape.

I started with a path +5 degrees out and a clubface -8 degrees. Hook city

Ended with a path -0.5 and clubface +5. Straight fade/slice

 

So now just to dial it back a touch. 

Nice mate, very nice. I'd say forget about weight until what you're doing stops working and go win some beers from your mates while you're in the zone! 

 

Edited April 8, 2025 by Stryper

[iacas]

Good news.

Now you can get the grip out of your palm… 😄 

[carpediem4300]

6 hours ago, iacas said:

Good news.

Now you can get the grip out of your palm… 😄 

Small hand syndrome, I said to the coach it felt palmy but he checked for me at the top of the backswing and said it was fine, still under the fat pad etc.

 

It will become less pronounced the more I strengthen it as I bring it a little stronger bit by bit until the ball flight straightens out

[iacas]

I disagree.

[carpediem4300]

Latest lesson, game is a struggle at times 🤣 early extension troubles, flat shoulders on backswing. It's not going great with the big stick.

 

Any attempt at maintaining spine angle on downswing causes the club to crash into the ground.

Hate this game 🤣

On 4/9/2025 at 12:28 PM, iacas said:

I disagree.

I won't disagree with you as your knowledge far exceeds mine, but I literally can't get the grip more fingers without it resulting in a strong left hand. Any advice/tips I'll happily try them 🙂

[mdl]

12 hours ago, carpediem4300 said:

I won't disagree with you as your knowledge far exceeds mine, but I literally can't get the grip more fingers without it resulting in a strong left hand. Any advice/tips I'll happily try them 🙂

I've got pretty big hands but I've also felt the challenge of ensuring the grip is in the fingers resulting in a not on purpose stronger grip. I've been making some swing changes that was resulting in the natural feeling at impact being a closed face. My grip has always been fairly strong. Not trying to sound like an asshole or anything, but the answer for me at least was just to start taking the grip from a weaker starting point! I have a pretty ingrained hand and wrist setup when I take my grip. I just started turning the club to have an open face when I start my getting the grip in the pinky routine. Has been working nicely. Lets me have the grip in my fingers and achieve a more neutral grip.

[Stryper]

2 hours ago, mdl said:

I've got pretty big hands but I've also felt the challenge of ensuring the grip is in the fingers resulting in a not on purpose stronger grip. I've been making some swing changes that was resulting in the natural feeling at impact being a closed face. My grip has always been fairly strong. Not trying to sound like an asshole or anything, but the answer for me at least was just to start taking the grip from a weaker starting point! I have a pretty ingrained hand and wrist setup when I take my grip. I just started turning the club to have an open face when I start my getting the grip in the pinky routine. Has been working nicely. Lets me have the grip in my fingers and achieve a more neutral grip.

Really interesting you say that. As my swing has improved I'm starting to struggle with pulling left. It looks like a "draw", but it has more to do with face than path, as I'm pretty close to neutral to slightly out to in most of the time. I've also moved the ball considerably further forward in my stance than I used to, so it makes sense the face would be further shut at impact than before. 

Now I think of it, I've been compensating by aiming by an uncomfortable amount to my right, which causes my brain to panic on the downswing. I might try opening face at address and get used to that.  

[Stryper]

15 hours ago, carpediem4300 said:

Latest lesson, game is a struggle at times 🤣 early extension troubles, flat shoulders on backswing. It's not going great with the big stick.

 

Any attempt at maintaining spine angle on downswing causes the club to crash into the ground.

Hate this game 🤣

I won't disagree with you as your knowledge far exceeds mine, but I literally can't get the grip more fingers without it resulting in a strong left hand. Any advice/tips I'll happily try them 🙂

Hard to see in the video, what is your miss? Is it slice? One thing that I am sure someone will shoot me down about, but it works for me.... if I was looking at your grip for me...

Your trail hand looks to me to not be over your lead thumb enough. I am not saying it is "too strong" I am saying the feel I would be getting from having my trail hand where you have it is I am using the right hand to muscle the club through like an off-side shot in cricket and that causes all sorts of problems.

It probably makes zero sense to a pro coach, but that feeling makes me stand up to release the club (or chicken wing). It tells my brain the club isn't going to ready in time, so start extending early and/or chicken wing). By having it more on top I find it makes me pull through the ball with the lead hand, and my brain says "yeah well the face is ready for that, go for it".

If my hand is open, it tells my brain the face is open, then I stand up and it sure as hell opens up when you do that! My absolute biggest issue at the moment is standing up/back off the ball at impact. When I change my grip it allows my brain to "stay down". It may mean you have to go a bit stronger on the lead hand as well. I also - cue more howling - have my lead thumb on the right side of the grip, not on top and snugly beside the lead index finger like so many people teach. It just does not work for me. 

Sorry for the long-winded confusing-as-hell response, but it works for me. Grip is so underrated and hardly gets discussed in the detail it deserves IMO. There is an amazing link between brain and hands/fingers.

[carpediem4300]

9 hours ago, Stryper said:

Hard to see in the video, what is your miss? Is it slice? One thing that I am sure someone will shoot me down about, but it works for me.... if I was looking at your grip for me...

Your trail hand looks to me to not be over your lead thumb enough. I am not saying it is "too strong" I am saying the feel I would be getting from having my trail hand where you have it is I am using the right hand to muscle the club through like an off-side shot in cricket and that causes all sorts of problems.

It probably makes zero sense to a pro coach, but that feeling makes me stand up to release the club (or chicken wing). It tells my brain the club isn't going to ready in time, so start extending early and/or chicken wing). By having it more on top I find it makes me pull through the ball with the lead hand, and my brain says "yeah well the face is ready for that, go for it".

If my hand is open, it tells my brain the face is open, then I stand up and it sure as hell opens up when you do that! My absolute biggest issue at the moment is standing up/back off the ball at impact. When I change my grip it allows my brain to "stay down". It may mean you have to go a bit stronger on the lead hand as well. I also - cue more howling - have my lead thumb on the right side of the grip, not on top and snugly beside the lead index finger like so many people teach. It just does not work for me. 

Sorry for the long-winded confusing-as-hell response, but it works for me. Grip is so underrated and hardly gets discussed in the detail it deserves IMO. There is an amazing link between brain and hands/fingers.

Miss at the moment is a big heel strike off the driver. Irons appear to be fine at the moment, miss with those is a big push.

My grip deffo needs to continue to be worked on. Something Else I also noticed by watching my swing over and over and watching Pro's setup I have noticed that I place my left foot fine, but then when I place my right foot out into position I move my whole body doing so, also moving my centre line and left shoulder back, creating a kind of Eiffel tower base looking effect with my legs, both shoulders are equal distance from the instep of my feet. when I look at most pro setups, their lead shoulder is inline with their lead foot instep, and their trial shoulder has a much bigger gap between the instep of the trail foot. This leads them to look more straight up and down on their lead side and more right knee kicked in on their trail side. if that makes sense AT ALL. I tried this at the range last night, setting up my left foot and then moving my right foot without the body, and the strike was way way better and consistent, turn felt better etc, didnt video it, but something I will likely stick with