My Swing (wildebeest)

[wildebeest]

I hope it's not too soon on my part to ask for swing analysis, but I've seen so much good advice here that I can't not take the opportunity :)

Anyway, this is me and my driver at the range last week. Sorry that the camera is aimed a little low, I didn't realize that my tripod was a little saggy until I was done.

Let me explain how I feel when I make this swing and maybe somebody could tell me what I'm actually doing.

When I first started, I was hitting a MASSIVE slice... like slicing it completely over the net and off the range. I took some video and it looked like my hips and shoulders were all the way open and the clubhead was so far behind that it couldn't stay square at impact. Since then I've slowed down my takeaway and backswing and concentrated on bringing my hands down to hip-level before I started rotating on the downswing. After taking this swing from 10% speed to about 80% speed, I've straightened everything out (like dead-straight, not a draw) and I'm consistently hitting the back netting at the range, which is listed at 250 yards, on a hop or two.

I'm satisfied with the results so far, but I'm wondering if this is a fundamentally-sound swing or if it's the kind of swing that can blow up and lead to some sort of problem I've never experienced or considered.

I'm not exactly a small guy, 6-2 and 210 or so and I've played baseball and hockey all my life, so being able to torque down and hit the ball hard hasn't been a problem, but it seems like in golf, the harder you swing the easier it is to blow up and deposit the ball 2 fairways over.

Here's the view from behind:

and caddy view:

Thanks in advance, and I don't mind a little "tough love".

[applejr]

Not a swing coach but taking your driver that far past parallel on your back swing isn't a good thing, and can lead to inconsistencies. If you can hit a driver 250 and straight, then you should keep doing what you're doing.

[dawnRwright]

practice makes perfect, they say.. well could be applied somehow... but the thing is you seek improvements in yourself.. that's good.. hope I can have that "will" to learn more... keep it up.

[Nole77]

I agree with the below.  Try feeling like your making a 3/4 back swing.  Concentrate on keeping that left arm straight and you should see an increase in distance and consistency.

Originally Posted by applejr

Not a swing coach but taking your driver that far past parallel on your back swing isn't a good thing, and can lead to inconsistencies. If you can hit a driver 250 and straight, then you should keep doing what you're doing.

[kcgolfa1]

Posture and Set-Up looks excellent. Like the other users said, you do take it past parallel a little bit. Try to slow your swing down a little and start your downswing right after you arms pass your shoulders. Like Nole77 try to take a 3/4 swing. It wont feel like a full swing but it is if you look at it on tape. Good Luck!

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by wildebeest

I hope it's not too soon on my part to ask for swing analysis, but I've seen so much good advice here that I can't not take the opportunity :)

Anyway, this is me and my driver at the range last week. Sorry that the camera is aimed a little low, I didn't realize that my tripod was a little saggy until I was done.

Let me explain how I feel when I make this swing and maybe somebody could tell me what I'm actually doing.

When I first started, I was hitting a MASSIVE slice... like slicing it completely over the net and off the range. I took some video and it looked like my hips and shoulders were all the way open and the clubhead was so far behind that it couldn't stay square at impact. Since then I've slowed down my takeaway and backswing and concentrated on bringing my hands down to hip-level before I started rotating on the downswing. After taking this swing from 10% speed to about 80% speed, I've straightened everything out (like dead-straight, not a draw) and I'm consistently hitting the back netting at the range, which is listed at 250 yards, on a hop or two.

I'm satisfied with the results so far, but I'm wondering if this is a fundamentally-sound swing or if it's the kind of swing that can blow up and lead to some sort of problem I've never experienced or considered.

I'm not exactly a small guy, 6-2 and 210 or so and I've played baseball and hockey all my life, so being able to torque down and hit the ball hard hasn't been a problem, but it seems like in golf, the harder you swing the easier it is to blow up and deposit the ball 2 fairways over.

Here's the view from behind:

and caddy view:

Thanks in advance, and I don't mind a little "tough love".

Maybe you should get a rangefinder and confirm that fence is actually 250. Just sayin' . . .

[wildebeest]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Maybe you should get a rangefinder and confirm that fence is actually 250. Just sayin' . . .

It seems to jibe with what my GPS says my drives are when I hit the course.

[uttexas]

I mean this in the best way possible: you get into a really good P5 position (left arm parallel to ground in the downswing), from a difficult P4 (top of back swing position). You must have exceptional coordination, but you can make things simpler, more powerful, more efficient, and consistent. From P5 into impact and follow through, you can improve by pushing hips more forward and extending more, but the main issues I see are in the back swing. Back swing: your arms separate from you body early and club travels under hands early--search for the deep hands thread on thesandtrap.com You correct well and P3 looks good (left arm parallel to ground in backswing), but then you lose connection again and lift up with a collapsing left arm as you approach the top of the backswing. Your back swing basically has three loops. You go under, then go up onto a good plane, then you lift up and the left arm collapses at the top--leaking power. (as previously mentioned, you correct nicely going into the forward swing, but you have to make so many corrections, you have lots of variables that could go wrong. At the top of the backswing, feel that you are pushing the club grip as far away from your right ear as possible, while maintaining a right forearm vertical to the ground--this will put you is a very wide arc, connected position at the top. [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/image/id/186286/width/504/height/361][IMG]http://thesandtrap.com/image/id/186286/width/504/height/361[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/image/id/186285/width/467/height/700][IMG]http://thesandtrap.com/image/id/186285/width/467/height/700[/IMG][/URL]

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by wildebeest

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Maybe you should get a rangefinder and confirm that fence is actually 250. Just sayin' . . .

It seems to jibe with what my GPS says my drives are when I hit the course.

Good to hear - some ranges are way off.

[wildebeest]

Thanks ut! I knew that going past parallel at the top of the backswing could cause problems, but mentally it felt like stopping it short of that was rushing things. I'll definitely work on that (also, thanks for turning me on to the 10 Ps).

Neither guy in those pics has their club TRULY parallel at the top... is the hand position or the club position more important at that point? I went through that sequence slowly with a driver last night and it felt great, and it seemed like the club face came down dead-square every time. Pushing my hands away from my ear.... that's a great tip.

[uttexas]

You're welcome; please post some follow up face on and down the line views when you can. [quote name="wildebeest" url="/t/54524/my-swing-wildebeest#post_664316"] Neither guy in those pics has their club TRULY parallel at the top... is the hand position or the club position more important at that point? [/quote] Yes, the left arm and hand position (straight left arm, with hand depth...see deep hands thread) are much more important than having a club shaft that is "parallel at the top" Parallel at the top is one of the myths--you can have a club shaft parallel at the top, but be in a really bad back swing position.

[Tiger90]

Yup, a more controlled, short swing will be more accurate, and you are more likely to hit the sweet spot and will hit the ball further.

Originally Posted by Nole77

I agree with the below.  Try feeling like your making a 3/4 back swing.  Concentrate on keeping that left arm straight and you should see an increase in distance and consistency.

[sk golf]

Originally Posted by Nole77

I agree with the below.  Try feeling like your making a 3/4 back swing.  Concentrate on keeping that left arm straight and you should see an increase in distance and consistency.

Instead of focusing on keeping your left arm I would focus on keep your right arm more straight.  That way you won't have to much tension in your left arm and by doing some extensor action the left arm will straighten.  Try this.

[sk golf]

Here is another drill

[uttexas]

Really like those drills from sk. Yes, a good feeling is that the right arm stays straight in the backswing--it will naturally bend, but feeling that you keep it straight is good for extensor action. I'd recommend that you try some of the feelings and video your backswing. Different feelings work for better for some. Also, next time you video DTL, please do so that we can see your wrist positions at the top--from what I can see, they look good, but your hands go above the video frame at the very top in the current DTL video. Backswing keeping right arm straight. Vertical right forearm at the top while pushing the club handle as far away as possible (really feel the stretch in your lats and abdomen)

[wildebeest]

Originally Posted by uttexas

Also, next time you video DTL, please do so that we can see your wrist positions at the top--from what I can see, they look good, but your hands go above the video frame at the very top in the current DTL video.

Yeah, sorry about that. My tripod slipped a little while I was filming. I'll lock it down better next time (hopefully this evening).

[wildebeest]

I took the camera to the range last night, the video isn't great, but I'll see what I can get out of it. I felt like I had a lot of tension in my wrists at the top of the backswing and that was leading to me casting the club on the downswing and there were more fat shots than the season premiere of The Biggest Loser.

We'll see what the video says later.

[uttexas]

Keep working on it....you will feel tension in your lats, right tricep, and abdomen, but won't feel any in the wrists.