My Swing (Ernest Jones)

[Ernest Jones]

Consider yourself lucky.  That sounds like fun.

It is a fun piece and when done properly, the ball flight is nothing short of majestic. If I could consistently get my start lines to split between target and path I would have to start a "I'm turning PRO, what are my chances?" thread. :-P

[iacas]

@iacas Erik, do you think opening my stance might help?

No. Just do your shoulder piece. The swing is good… just nail that piece like we worked on when you were here.

[Ernest Jones]

No. Just do your shoulder piece. The swing is good… just nail that piece like we worked on when you were here.

I have been hitting the ball pretty well. Lots of height and power. Directional issues from a lack of face control but getting tighter minus the outliers. Seems like I do better when I just think UP with the shoulder piece. The FORWARD, UP and LEFT gets me thinking to much and that reduces the speed and sharpness of the move. Trying to start my BS with the thought of driving my left shoulder STRAIGHT UP as soon as I reach the limit of the straight right arm sensation.

[iacas]

I have been hitting the ball pretty well. Lots of height and power. Directional issues from a lack of face control but getting tighter minus the outliers.

Seems like I do better when I just think UP with the shoulder piece. The FORWARD, UP and LEFT gets me thinking to much and that reduces the speed and sharpness of the move. Trying to start my BS with the thought of driving my left shoulder STRAIGHT UP as soon as I reach the limit of the straight right arm sensation.

That's okay for now… but if the left shoulder starts to actually work "up" and not "forward/left" as well… big problems.

[Ernest Jones]

Ugh. Back to OTT. Just hit a bucket focusing solely on the shoulder piece. Was hitting incredibly solid shots but very pushy (as God damn usual), looked at video and everything was tipping way out again.

[Stretch]

Courage. It's a process.

[Ernest Jones]

Working on swinging to the right. Key#4 is my forever piece. :-O still using the thoughts/feels from the previous post. Contact's a little iffy. Pushed the heck out of this wiffle ball but pretty happy with the positions. From the top. Any thoughts?

[quote name="iacas" url="/t/54175/my-swing-ernest-jones/1100_100#post_1138076"] No. Just do your shoulder piece. The swing is good… just nail that piece like we worked on when you were here. [/quote] [quote name="iacas" url="/t/54175/my-swing-ernest-jones/1100_100#post_1140053"] That's okay for now… but if the left shoulder starts to actually work "up" and not "forward/left" as well… big problems. [/quote] My Stupid Monkey is in need of some intellectual nourishment to get me through a bit of a mental disconnect. When working on swinging right by visualizing a second ball forward and outside of my actual ball, I have managed to get some good inside-out strikes both at partial and full speeds. When working on the shoulder piece I'm back to tipping out and cutting across the ball. Unfortunately I'm not quite capable of working with both thoughts during the DS so I need to get this down conceptually so I can commit and by appropriately stupid. So, for the benefit of my understanding, I'm I correct in believing that by getting my shoulder to go FORWARD, UP and BACK, I am trying to get my hips very open and shoulders slightly open so that I HAVE TO come from the inside or miss the ball? Just trying to get my head wrapped around why I should work on the "shoulder piece" when the "swing right" seems to be doing a better job of getting the club head inside the hands at A6. To be clear @iacas , I am certainly not doubting you, I'm doubting me and my ability to stay stupid. I think I'm in a spot where I need some "why" which may help me with the "what" if that makes sense. For example, my previous comment about liking the feel of just UP, maybe that's where I'm ****ing up. If the goal is open hips and slightly open shoulders the maybe I should experiment with more emphasis on BACK?

[Ernest Jones]

Some new video. Spent some time just trying to swing right AND go FORWARD, UP and BACK.

Definitely coming from the inside, but my legs are so slumpy looking, I'm a little worried that it's going to be a problem. I feel like I won't be getting a decent height on these shots.

FO

Again, the knees and legs don't seem to be extending enough, it's like I'm collapsing into the shot in an effort to keep the clubhead moving outward.

Here's a super boring video of me trying get feels that pull this path together for me. I still don't go slow enough, but it's hard to slow the shoulder piece down because it requires speed to execute properly.

[iacas]

So, for the benefit of my understanding, I'm I correct in believing that by getting my shoulder to go FORWARD, UP and BACK, I am trying to get my hips very open and shoulders slightly open so that I HAVE TO come from the inside or miss the ball?

No.

It's a weird disconnect: you want your shoulders and hips going left but your hands out to the right. That seems divergent (because it is).

Let me see if I can simplify this…

Some new video. Spent some time just trying to swing right AND go FORWARD, UP and BACK.

Definitely coming from the inside, but my legs are so slumpy looking, I'm a little worried that it's going to be a problem. I feel like I won't be getting a decent height on these shots.

Again, the knees and legs don't seem to be extending enough, it's like I'm collapsing into the shot in an effort to keep the clubhead moving outward.

You're right about all of that. Now, here's the thing (or two things):

• This version of the swing is better.
• A lot of amateurs who shoot in the 70s are closed at impact. You may as well be one of 'em.

In other words, yeah, the legwork is not great in those swings, BUT WHO FRIGGIN' CARES if so much else is better. Get those working, THEN work on the legs in a year or whatever.

Technical aside: the legs don't really need to start extending until around 6, so by then the path of the club is pretty well set. You're not gonna go from swinging out 4 to swinging left 6 just by adding some "jumping" pieces from 6 to 8. Know what I mean?

Quite honestly, for now, I'd keep going down this path (no pun intended). The left arm is still too far in at 5, so play around with the feeling of, from 4, throwing your hands out toward the ball. The clubhead should want to lay down behind it.

Feel like your hands go more on this arrow than "down":

Be aggressive with it too. Really move those hands out there. Use your arms - swing them down faster (note: I'm not saying practice this at full speed, I'm saying that relative to the rest of your body, "get your arms down faster." And get them out, too. Down and out faster.)

Worry about the hips and shoulders being open later. When you're a 10.

[Ernest Jones]

Thanks Erik.

[Ernest Jones]

I've been travelling a lot but I've managed to find time to do a fair bit of slow mapping and 1/2 swings with and without a foam ball. Starting to get a handle on some feels that blend the lead shoulder snap and arms/hands swinging more out to the ball. Haven't seen a huge difference in where my left arm is at A5 dtl but I have been seeing good club head position at A6, also pointing a little past the ball at A5. Looking forward to trying this at the range to see how it translates to full speed swings. I'll probably miss the ball, ha ha.

[Ernest Jones]

Couple stills of my A5, trying to get the arm farther out. No ball, just working on identifying the right feels. First pick is from a half-speed swing. Second pick from a 3/4 swing at about 80%. Both swings produced a nice inside approach. I'll try to get some decent outdoor video this weekend. Added bonus is that my ass is staying on the wall, which seems to just be a side effect.

[RussUK]

Some new video. Spent some time just trying to swing right AND go FORWARD, UP and BACK.

Definitely coming from the inside, but my legs are so slumpy looking, I'm a little worried that it's going to be a problem. I feel like I won't be getting a decent height on these shots.

FO

Again, the knees and legs don't seem to be extending enough, it's like I'm collapsing into the shot in an effort to keep the clubhead moving outward.

Here's a super boring video of me trying get feels that pull this path together for me. I still don't go slow enough, but it's hard to slow the shoulder piece down because it requires speed to execute properly.

Can i ask what the practice ball on a string is  that you are using. That would be ideal for me as i have a small garden. Is it something you made or available from retailers?

[Ernest Jones]

Can i ask what the practice ball on a string is  that you are using. That would be ideal for me as i have a small garden. Is it something you made or available from retailers?

I made it. It's just a whiffle ball that I passed a piece of string through and knotted. The other end is tied to a tent peg. Ball only lasts a few sessions before it's pretty smashed up and cracked but they're cheap as dirt so I just replace when needed. It does what it needs to do. You can buy the same thing retail, but given the lack of durability and the fact that it cost almost nothing to make your own, I wouldn't recommend the retail ones.

[Ernest Jones]

New DS swing thoughts: - lead shoulder moves forwad and back, almost a horizontal feel. Just trusting the UP to be pretty automatic now. - lead arm (and hands) move out over the ball. Filming all my slow practices (all I've been able to do lately) and I seem to be getting pretty consistent inside-out patterns. Really want to film some full speed swings to see if it sticks. Maybe this afternoon, although I left my camera and tripod at the office so I'll need to MacGyver something with my iPhone.

[Ernest Jones]

So after a couple of weeks of not being able to go to the range because I didn't have any tokens and no one is there till 10 am :bugout: I finally had a chance to stop by as I was picking up the kids. Figured I'd buy a pile of tokens so I could hit balls in the AM after dropping the kids off. The new management doesn't want people hitting balls when there's no one there. Refused to sell me tokens. I was dumbstruck. The old management, who own the course next door had no problem with it, that's why the have two "range servant" machines. I can understand them not wanting people to hit balls in the dark with a couple six packs, but really? You own a driving range and want to sleep in? How many potential early morning clients are they losing from this policy??? And why have range servant machines if I can't just pop a token in and get some balls at 7am before work? FML. I guess it's wiffle balls or nothing for me. EDIT. First world problem, sorry for the whine...lol

[Lihu]

So after a couple of weeks of not being able to go to the range because I didn't have any tokens and no one is there till 10 am I finally had a chance to stop by as I was picking up the kids. Figured I'd buy a pile of tokens so I could hit balls in the AM after dropping the kids off. The new management doesn't want people hitting balls when there's no one there. Refused to sell me tokens. I was dumbstruck. The old management, who own the course next door had no problem with it, that's why the have two "range servant" machines. I can understand them not wanting people to hit balls in the dark with a couple six packs, but really? You own a driving range and want to sleep in? How many potential early morning clients are they losing from this policy??? And why have range servant machines if I can't just pop a token in and get some balls at 7am before work? FML.

I guess it's wiffle balls or nothing for me.

EDIT. First world problem, sorry for the whine...lol

That's ridiculous. . .

[billchao]

Maybe they're just afraid you'll run off with their range balls. I'm assuming that all Canadian driving ranges dispense Pro V1s ;-)