help me stop spraying it all over the course

[vamosbarca]

Hello all. I'm requesting some serious help with this awful thing I call a swing. Some background: I started playing the game about a year ago, and although I have seen some slow improvement, I would really like to establish some consistency.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyC8cslaNNo

I struggle with the following:

• a wicked slice that I have battled since the day I picked up a club (this has been better as of late)
• hitting slightly behind the ball

There are probably a million other things that I am not aware of, so any would help would be greatly appreciated.

[asianpsuation]

the thing that helped me cure my slice was all in the backswing. try keeping the clubface "looking" at the ball (aka keep the face square) until nearly the top of the backswing. ive found this keeps my left wrist straight at the top, which is absolutely essential to hitting it straight. also to fix hittin the ball heavy, try aiming for the top of the ball. you may find this leads to more solid contact.
just my 2 cents,
good luck

[Shindig]

Hello all. I'm requesting some serious help with this awful thing I call a swing. Some background: I started playing the game about a year ago, and although I have seen some slow improvement, I would really like to establish some consistency.

How are you with your irons? I stuck to executive and par-3 courses for the better part of my first year of playing. I rarely spray it with the driver, since I've got the whole "controlled tee shots" in my mind and was forced to have accurate tee shots on such courses: who wants to miss a 100-yard par-3? My suggestion -- and notice my handicap before considering this, and only do this if it makes sense to you -- is to spend some time on executive courses, if your irons are OK. Then take that mentality to the full course. Now if only I could find an equivalent trick for the second and third shots...

[lamebums]

A trick with correcting a slice... when you tee the ball up, put another tee about one inch away from, and one inch to the left of the ball (assuming you are right-handed.) When you swing at the ball, think about trying to hit both the ball and tee lying on the ground. The resulting inside-out compensation should fix your slice (at worst, it would hook, in which case you know what's going on).

None

[sunchopper]

I've had the same problem as far as hitting right before the ball with my driver. According to my girlfriend's grandpa, who was a scratch golfer and plays at a 10 handicap or below in his 70's, it is because I drop my right shoulder on my downswing. Which I kind of visualize as making more of a scooping motion with my swing.

When it comes to slicing the ball, strengthening your grip may help. This makes it much harder for you to hold the club face open on your downswing. When I am hitting the ball well with my driver and irons, I can control a slice/hook with my grip and use it to shape my shots...

I am a newbie, but the physics of golf make sense to me.

Also wanted to add that as a skinnier guy with less muscle mass, it can be harder to control the club. This is a problem for me sometimes. You just don't always have the stability that you need for consistent shots.

[jb1982]

Take this for what it is since I am BY NO MEANS a pro or even a great golfer. But it looks like you take the club back and away from you, creating an outside in swing. I sometimes have to really concentrate on making my backswing straight back to a little inside so I can have an inside approach when I make contact.

[X20_Tour]

Take this for what it is since I am BY NO MEANS a pro or even a great golfer. But it looks like you take the club back and away from you, creating an outside in swing. I sometimes have to really concentrate on making my backswing straight back to a little inside so I can have an inside approach when I make contact.

You're absolutely right. What the OP is doing is hitting from the outside in. In your downswing, the club is not in the same plane as when you pull the club back. You're coming down too steep on the ball, which is forcing you to hit from the outside in on the ball.

Stand up straight with the club. Start making your swing, while keeping the club horizontal to the ground. Now do that at address. Keep the club in the same plane. Two other things: extend further through on your drives. Think of it as though you're pushing the ball out away from you (forward) along the ground, using the driver head to do so. This leads to the other: you're not extending enough on your follow-through. Correcting these will get rid of your slice and help your game immensely, and you will be able to stop aiming so far to the left.

[Dent]

One thing i notice is to try bending your knees a little more, and yes the outside backswing is definatly noticeable.

[beung]

It looks like you are a classic "caster"...

Your back swing isn't bad up to the top of your swing but when you make your down swing you are "casting" or throwing your clubhead at the ball. This causes your clubhead to be ahead of your hands when you hit the ball. All your power you built up in your backswing in now used up before you get to the ball.

Your swing is very vertical as well, you are not putting the club in "the slot" on the way down which is causing you to come over the top.

Here is a simple drill to tell if you are a caster. Take a club and grab the shaft at the clubhead. Now make a normal swing and listen for the "swoosh" of the the shaft. Where is the sound? If you can't hear it or if it is not up by your front foot then you are casting your club and release your wrists too early.

You could also get an impart bag and make slow slapping swings into the bad. Try and hit the bag not with just the clubhead but with the shaft and head at the same time.

[Mikey]

you have great posture but you could bend your knees a little bit more. I agree with another post you are casting and what this means is that you swing the club from an outside to inside path and that will always either lead to a wicked slice or a dead pull.

The one thing I would say is that you are swinging more with your right arm because you are right handed. Try to swing with your left arm which is your leading arm and let the right arm just go along for the ride.

If you swing with your left arm than you will be more likely to drop the club back into the slot.

To practice go to the range and hit some balls with you left arm only and if you can make solid contact than you will be ok if you have trouble keep doing it until you can make solid contact.

It will improve your swing and consistency,

Hope this helps.

Mike

[mkoreiwo]

just curious... have you tried finding a good teaching pro and taken any lessons? Your swing doesn't look too bad IMHO, but yeah, two things pointed out I would agree with as well.... get a little flex in your knees, and try not to be so steep in your swing. This of course may not fit with your style of swing, but for me a flatter swing plane works better for me. If you look at your video, your left arm winds up well over your shoulder line... I prefer more of a bent over position and trying to keep my backswing in line with my torso rotation. I am an advocate of the Jim Hardy "one plane" theory.... Just so you are aware of my swing thoughts.... YMMV

Good luck....

[vamosbarca]

Wow guys, thanks for all the constructive tips...I really appreciate it. I too had noticed I was casting the club and thus attacking the ball on too steep an angle.

Are there any drills that would help me bring the club down into the slot? I also realize that I'm far past parallel on the backswing (working to fix that as well).

Thanks again, and any ideas on how to get my downswing worked out would be greatly beneficial.

[lamebums]

Are there any drills that would help me bring the club down into the slot? I also realize that I'm far past parallel on the backswing (working to fix that as well).

I think I'm going to disagree with just about everyone when I say that past parallel is a good thing, at least with the driver. I personally go way past parallel - when I started doing it, I added 40 yards to my drives.

(Going past parellel on irons is another story--it's a first-class ticket to losing control of your accuracy.)

[jb1982]

I think it's all about a controlled swing.. I don't even come close to paralell on any swing, and I have no distance issues. If you feel like you're losing control of your swing because it's too long, try to shorten it up a bit. There are some long hitters on tour with fairly compact swings. Villegas is one, JB Holmes is another. But if you're comfortable with that swing and can control it.... more power to you!! I've never been able to stay in control when I bring the club back too far. Our club pro talked me into shortening my swing a bit and it's helped me a lot. I guess, it's all about personal preference.

[lindsayplaysgolf]

Let's start with a pitching wedge

Try strengthening your grip, meaning turn those V-s way to your right shoulder, for a right handed golfer.

Then, this maybe weird...open your stance a bit.Then using an easy swing, hit balls toward right field.

Just try hooking the ball with a short club. Try to get the club coming from the inside.

When you comfortable, straighten out your stance and give that driver a shot.

Driver: TaylorMade R7 10.5
Hybrids: Taylor Rescue Dual 16, 19, 22
Irons: TaylorMade R7 4-PW
Wedges: Titleist Vokeys 54, 60
Ball: Precept Lady
Putter: Yes Putter Callie


www.thisismygolfswing.com