My Swing (Beachcomber)

[Beachcomber]

I want it to look like that too!  That's a great video of you working with Grant, Shawn (and myself helping a bit).  Some really good info, right arm pressure point but there is still space with the elbow and rib cage.  Notice how Grant was always adjusting you to give you more space between your right hand and right shoulder at P4 to keep it more in front. Best part is at 10:25 ;-)  (sorry)

Ha! I love that... I laugh every time I see that. Tight to me is 4 to 6 inches.:~(

[mvmac]

Just want to add, to really get it down you have to practice it every day at home, do it slowly and hold it.  Also when you practice, try to exaggerate it as much as possible, see what happens to the picture.  Shots may suck because it feels awful but lets you know, if you check it on the camera, that you're on the right track.

This is how Grant made his changes, he did what he felt was right, looked at the camera and it wasn't enough.  Did it more and checked the camera, not enough, more... and so on.  He has told me that he had no idea how he was going to make contact but he was going to get it right.  Very disciplined guy.

Very much what these threads talk about

http://thesandtrap.com/t/53575/improvement

http://thesandtrap.com/t/54840/simple-specific-slow-short-and-success-the-five-s-s-of-great-practice

[pholmes]

Thats funny, I was watching a clip today of Grant following around Charles Howell.

[Stretch]

That's a brilliant video. Thank you for posting it!

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by pholmes

Thats funny, I was watching a clip today of Grant following around Charles Howell.

What clip is that?

[pholmes]

It looks to me like the Tavistock cup, I saw it on youtube.  The  caption says Grant Waith, Ch111's swing coach, going to try to find.

Sorry I dont know how to embed, and my fiance is asleep.

[bunkerputt]

Good stuff.  I felt like I lost control too when I got my left hand grip in the right spot.  Reality is for me now, PP#3 almost makes the left hand irrelevant.  Need it for hinge and feedback, but other than that it's just along for the ride.  Without PP#3, I required way too much of my left hand in terms of pressure and control.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by mvmac

I want it to look like that too!  That's a great video of you working with Grant, Shawn (and myself helping a bit).  Some really good info, right arm pressure point but there is still space with the elbow and rib cage.  Notice how Grant was always adjusting you to give you more space between your right hand and right shoulder at P4 to keep it more in front.  Best part is at 10:25  (sorry)

9:10 to 9:12... OVER... AND OVER... AND OVER AGAIN.  That tiny movement in geometry is what I'm working on. STILL.

[Beachcomber]

Swing Update from today's range session...  Didn't have anyone to video me so I used my iPing cradle and attached it to an alignment stick - and filmed with my iPhone.  Meh, quality of video is suspect... But I really wanted to see if I was hitting my geometries at P4.  Nope.

[Beachcomber]

Here is a swing video from my practice session last night.  Using the ProtoSports holster I can get some nice landscape videos off of my phone now.

Things I'm working on...

(1.) P4 Geometry (right elbow placement)

(2.) Left Arm Straight - maximizing my extensor action and PP#1 (also helps me with eliminating the bowed left wrist)

(3.) Steady head - my head moves toward the ball on the back swing - then pulls off the ball through impact.

I also received my updated handicap for the 15th of the month... I'm currently playing at a 4.6 and been hovering around the same number for the last month or so.

[bunkerputt]

What causes the goat humping look?  Is it a lack of regaining flexion in the downswing?

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

What causes the goat humping look?  Is it a lack of regaining flexion in the downswing?

From what I've gathered in my instruction with mvmac and Grant is that my left side it too active.  In particular, on my back swing... My left hip moves back laterally - away from the target (which is a no-no).  Only slightly - but even moving off the line is bad.  Because then this forces my hips on the down swing - to fire harder which causes my left side to get a little wonky and out of sequence.  And because I'm firing so hard with my left hip - it pulls my right leg through and forces that reverse-c (which also explains why it's so hard for me to bank my right foot properly).

This point of my left hip moving away from the target - versus hip bumping it toward the target on the back swing... Could also explain why I look like I 'lean' into the ball on the back swing (from the DTL position)??... And then pull off the ball on the downswing (lose flexion) which in turn causes my left shoulder to lift a little too quickly (pre-impact)?

Ultimately, this could explain my misses of shots thin off the heel / near the hosel.

Watch this video at 2:50ish to 3:30ish range.  It hits on what I'm doing...  Grant also makes note of it in the video from March.

[Beachcomber]

Tilt head a little more right at address.  Slide hips forward at P4 - and straighten my right leg (loose flex)?  Hmmmm.  I was smoking my 5i tonight at the range! High draws!  Unbelievable.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Tilt head a little more right at address.  Slide hips forward at P4 - and straighten my right leg (loose flex)?  Hmmmm.  I was smoking my 5i tonight at the range! High draws!  Unbelievable.

How's the shoulder path and inclination?  If you caught it on video and it looks better, maybe those are the swing keys you need...  I like the video you posted, except I'm not sure how effective it will be for everyone.  Honestly my only swing thought is to take the shoulders down on the same circle I took them back on.  Keeps the low point and inclination consistent.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

This point of my left hip moving away from the target - versus hip bumping it toward the target on the back swing... Could also explain why I look like I 'lean' into the ball on the back swing (from the DTL position)??... And then pull off the ball on the downswing (lose flexion) which in turn causes my left shoulder to lift a little too quickly (pre-impact)?

I think getting that arch out of the lower back will help lessen the head movement towards the ball on the backswing.  Gets the right hip to keep turning and extending.

[mdl]

Great thread Beachcomber!  The arms and hands vids on the last page are super instructive.  And it's cool you're putting the effort into sharing your attempts to improve from a good golfer (mid-singles) to an excellent amateur (scratch or near).  Clips and threads here are too often either demonstrations from people who are already WAY better and just playing a different game than I am (ie, already scratch or +), or from newer golfers with frankly ugly swings where I can't learn much from following their current journey.

On your swing, you're a better player than I am and obviously Mike's a better analyst and coacher of swings, so this is more of a question than a dig or anything.

To my eye, your swing looks super sweet down through about P6 or so.  Then it kind of looks like you're always hitting a cut, pulling in towards your body and sawing off the finish.  You've got such a smooth stroke and nice coiling and uncoiling I keep wanting to see that smooth uncoil whip all the way through a strong finish post impact and instead it looks sort of over-controlled and cut off at the end.

Am I just wrong?  If so, I'm definitely interested to know why, since that would def mean I'm going for something in my own swing that someone who's golf knowledge I respect isn't advocating.  If I'm not wrong, is that something you know you do and aren't concerned about, don't feel it's a negative?  Is it something you're concerned about a bit but it's not that big a deal and not on the top of the list of things to work on right now?

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by mdl

Great thread Beachcomber!  The arms and hands vids on the last page are super instructive.  And it's cool you're putting the effort into sharing your attempts to improve from a good golfer (mid-singles) to an excellent amateur (scratch or near).  Clips and threads here are too often either demonstrations from people who are already WAY better and just playing a different game than I am (ie, already scratch or +), or from newer golfers with frankly ugly swings where I can't learn much from following their current journey.

On your swing, you're a better player than I am and obviously Mike's a better analyst and coacher of swings, so this is more of a question than a dig or anything.

To my eye, your swing looks super sweet down through about P6 or so.  Then it kind of looks like you're always hitting a cut, pulling in towards your body and sawing off the finish.  You've got such a smooth stroke and nice coiling and uncoiling I keep wanting to see that smooth uncoil whip all the way through a strong finish post impact and instead it looks sort of over-controlled and cut off at the end.

Am I just wrong?  If so, I'm definitely interested to know why, since that would def mean I'm going for something in my own swing that someone who's golf knowledge I respect isn't advocating.  If I'm not wrong, is that something you know you do and aren't concerned about, don't feel it's a negative?  Is it something you're concerned about a bit but it's not that big a deal and not on the top of the list of things to work on right now?

mdl... I've been trying to clean-up my backswing (P1 to P4) so that it can lead to better impact - more consistent - positions in the downswing.  Therefore, most of the focus for me has been on the right elbow placement so that I can square-up the clubface at P4.  It's taken me longer to get the proper positions @ P4 due to physical limitations that I've been fighting through.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in this thread or not?  But I injured my rotator cuff in my right arm ~ 5 or 6yrs ago while weight lifting (doing shoulder presses with too much dumb bell weight).  I never went to the doctor to have it repaired, simply let it rest.  And the right shoulder has never been the same.  Don't get me wrong... My shoulder is strong enough to make the swings that you see in the videos... But maintaining the proper alignment with my right arm puts stress on that rotator cuff which creates a numbness in the shoulder.

I often hear a pop in it when I move it in various ways - especially early when I haven't stretched.  And sometimes during the golf swing.  So maintaining the proper elbow spacing has been a difficult journey for me.

Other than the weakness in my right shoulder / rotator...  I have weak wrists which I believe ultimately makes it challenging to hit the proper clubface alignments @ P4.  My left wrist bowes - I believe it may be to the load of the club??  These are things that I've been fighting through - and getting cleaned up.

But hopefully the work that I've put into strengthening my right shoulder - has helped me get closer to the proper alignments and geometry's - and can be seen in this thread?

The downswing will come my friend... But I won't really disect it until I get my arms/hands in the proper places at P4.  I do talk about hips and things like that - just so that I can continue to make solid contact and play decent golf.  But my swing is lightyears away from where I want it to be.  So I totally agree that my finish is far from where it should/needs to be.

[mdl]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

mdl... I've been trying to clean-up my backswing (P1 to P4) so that it can lead to better impact - more consistent - positions in the downswing.  Therefore, most of the focus for me has been on the right elbow placement so that I can square-up the clubface at P4.  It's taken me longer to get the proper positions @ P4 due to physical limitations that I've been fighting through.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in this thread or not?  But I injured my rotator cuff in my right arm ~ 5 or 6yrs ago while weight lifting (doing shoulder presses with too much dumb bell weight).  I never went to the doctor to have it repaired, simply let it rest.  And the right shoulder has never been the same.  Don't get me wrong... My shoulder is strong enough to make the swings that you see in the videos... But maintaining the proper alignment with my right arm puts stress on that rotator cuff which creates a numbness in the shoulder.

I often hear a pop in it when I move it in various ways - especially early when I haven't stretched.  And sometimes during the golf swing.  So maintaining the proper elbow spacing has been a difficult journey for me.

Other than the weakness in my right shoulder / rotator...  I have weak wrists which I believe ultimately makes it challenging to hit the proper clubface alignments @ P4.  My left wrist bowes - I believe it may be to the load of the club??  These are things that I've been fighting through - and getting cleaned up.

But hopefully the work that I've put into strengthening my right shoulder - has helped me get closer to the proper alignments and geometry's - and can be seen in this thread?

The downswing will come my friend... But I won't really disect it until I get my arms/hands in the proper places at P4.  I do talk about hips and things like that - just so that I can continue to make solid contact and play decent golf.  But my swing is lightyears away from where I want it to be.  So I totally agree that my finish is far from where it should/needs to be.

Ah.  That makes sense.  Maybe I missed this earlier in the thread.  Injuries suck...