My Swing (Poser)

[poser]

We made a few changes in the backswing and downswing.  I think it is starting to exit it better.

[mvmac]

That looks solid, what are the different or more exaggerated feels?

[poser]

for the backswing trying to feel like the right arm folds faster then maintains the distance.  For the downswing I'm trying to feel my left arm sliding down my chest instead of staying so high and having to get alot of axis tilt to get down to the ball.  It feels pretty weird and timing isn't really there yet but, I think it's coming along.  It's weird when making changes because practicing I hit some horrid shots but, eventually it comes together lol

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by poser

for the backswing trying to feel like the right arm folds faster then maintains the distance.  For the downswing I'm trying to feel my left arm sliding down my chest instead of staying so high and having to get alot of axis tilt to get down to the ball.  It feels pretty weird and timing isn't really there yet but, I think it's coming along.  It's weird when making changes because practicing I hit some horrid shots but, eventually it comes together lol

Thanks for sharing, keep up the good work

[foretyniner]

OP, I feel like I've heard the name Spencer Huggins before. Is he local to the Ft. Bragg area?

[poser]

He is the pro at keith hills

[poser]

Well here is the latest from last week.  Not really where I want to be but, pieces are getting better.  It's weird how you can return back to your old tendencies so fast.

[bunkerputt]

That's nice.  You're a little further along than I am.  Just when I think it's coming together, the old me comes out to play.  Funny game.

[poser]

Driver

Still have so much work to do.  The more I watch my swing the more I dislike it lol.

[poser]

Here is the latest face on.  I'm kinda torn right now.  I'm hitting the ball alot straighter than ever with very little curve but, I have lost some distance.  I think I could use more #2 but, a little worried about screwing myself up.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by poser

Here is the latest face on.  I'm kinda torn right now.  I'm hitting the ball alot straighter than ever with very little curve but, I have lost some distance.  I think I could use more #2 but, a little worried about screwing myself up.

You've got more than 90 ° PA #2.  That should be fine.  I would say just a touch more loading and jumping action with the legs and work toward just a little more shaft lean at impact, but pretty good.  It's kind of a Luke Donald action from what I can see.  Not sure that I would go the "more distance" route from that point.  How much exactly did you lose and do you know if it is loss from speed or loss from trajectory and launch conditions?

[poser]

I've lost a couple yards with the irons but, with driver is the biggest difference.  I've dropped 5-10mph ballspeed.  Was able to get it to the 170s before now I stay around 158-162  I am in the fairway alot more though.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by poser

I've lost a couple yards with the irons but, with driver is the biggest difference.  I've dropped 5-10mph ballspeed.  Was able to get it to the 170s before now I stay around 158-162  I am in the fairway alot more though.

What is "before"?  Before your back surgery?  Before swing changes?  Barring physical issues, I'd say the slight throwing action that you do is the only thing that looks like a power leak to me.  What club are you hitting there?  Trajectory looks like my 9-iron....

[poser]

After back surgery I for sure lost some distance but, I lost some more when I made the swing changes.  I think I use to load the shaft differently that maybe the main cause and now that everything is different I really haven't figured out how to turn on the power.  I almost feel like I'm swinging in slow motion most days pretty slow and easy tempo.  Trajectory I would say is mid.  My 6 iron is around 17 degree launch 120-125 ballspeed.  Kinda hard to explain but, since making the changes I can't figure out when and how to add speed to my swing.

[bunkerputt]

That's about what I guessed.  You should be at 14 degrees or less with the 6.  That's a lag problem.  You have some very solid positions in your swing, but you lose the wedge a bit post-impact.  If I were you, I would make three very minor changes, all related, followed by a drill:

1.  Weaken your right hand grip so that your right hand trigger finger can really press the shaft forward.  I want you to feel a lot of pressure on the shaft in the main knuckle of your right hand index finger.  You are going to maintain this pressure into the follow through to where the club is horizontal with the ground with the face pointing at the sky.  Think "Pure Ball Striker"...

2.  Make sure you have enough weight on your right leg at the top so that you can still push the hips forward with your right side, not just post up left and rotate around left.  You're a touch too much on your left side, so you really can't do much from there except rotate.  That's why the club flips.  It's conservation of angular momentum.  Setup what feels like 50/50 and make sure you can feel your right hip engaged and ready to fire forward.

3.  Engage the arms a bit more on the downswing.  Get just a bit more of that feeling where the right arm tucks in front of your right hip

These three will help to fix the slight club throw which should bring the ball flight down and give you some more distance.  If you want even more distance, squat in your back swing and jump a whole lot in your downswing like Tiger.  It takes practice because it's a power piece that when overdone requires a lot of timing.   A little is easy to time, though.

Now the drill.  Take the "weight forward, hit and stop" drill from Nick Clearwater's and Iacas' video, but do "weight 50/50, hit and stop", and make one additional change:  take your right hand thumb off the shaft and hit some balls that way.

[bunkerputt]

I should clarify that you obviously shouldn't be hitting from a 50/50 position.  Just address the ball that way and then do the hit and stop drill.  You have to push your hips forward to get into position.  I guess that small changes actually makes it a half-swing with a hit and stop.

[poser]

Here is the latest in full speed.  Forgive the huge mess in the garage wife keeps buying shit and putting the old shit out there .  I'm working on weaking my grip a bit and really sliding more forward on the downswing seems to be working so far.  Still have issues where I want to flip the club at the top and lay it off / shutting the face and has been one of the hardest things to fix for me.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by poser

I'm working on weaking my grip a bit...

Just the right hand now.  Left hand should still be fairly strong.  Contact point on the grip with the right hand should be main knuckle of index finger and slightly outside rather than "in" the knuckle.  It's too weak if it's in.  You should be able to hit balls very easily with the right hand thumb off the shaft.  In fact, having it on just creates tension in the right hand.  I saw slow motion of Bubba Watson's hands through impact this weekend during the WGC Cadillac coverage.  His thumb comes off the shaft at impact.  It flies forward because everything slows down when the club hits the ball and he wasn't working to keep it on the shaft.  Whether you take it off, or keep it on, the point is, keep it disengaged.  It should play no active roll in the grip.  You have to commit to this grip philosophy.  With a bad pivot, it will tend to close the clubface down.  With a good pivot, the pressure is maintained, the grip end exits high and the hands don't really "roll" over.  To a roller, it will feel like a complete block release.  That's the feel of the clubface rate of closure being reduced.