My Swing (gordo865)

[gordo865]

I'm a newbie to the site. Just thought I'd see if I could get a few tips from some more experienced players. I've been playing for about 2 years now and struggle with some minor things here and there I feel like which add up to a big mess sometimes. I went back and watched these videos and spotted my horrible shoulder alignment and ball positioning right away but can anyone else spot some glitches in my swing?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by gordo865

I'm a newbie to the site. Just thought I'd see if I could get a few tips from some more experienced players. I've been playing for about 2 years now and struggle with some minor things here and there I feel like which add up to a big mess sometimes. I went back and watched these videos and spotted my horrible shoulder alignment and ball positioning right away but can anyone else spot some glitches in my swing?

Too much awesome?

[gordo865]

Haha I appreciate it. I probably need to go to the range and just record for a little bit so ya'll can see the bad shots too. The ones with the hybrid both took a pretty bad fade. The down the line angle went well to the left of that furthest tree and the second one faded maybe about 20 or so yards left. Drives me crazy all these little things I don't spot.

[gordo865]

Just to give people an idea of what I'm struggling with I'll go ahead and just tell you. When I miss on a shot I definitely favor a miss to the left. I like most beginners play a fade. For the past 4 months or so that hasn't been a problem. When I first started it was probably the world's worst slice. We're talking 70 yards or so here. I got that fixed and recently I've been hitting them much straighter and I've actually been shaping my shots more or less. The only problem I had left after fixing the slice was an extreme lack of consistency with contact. When I made contact it was on the center of the face almost every time but I would come up too thin or too fat on a lot of shots. And then yesterday when I played I was fading everything pretty bad. If anyone can help me with my swing so I can develop more consistency it would be much appreciated. If I can just get my swing down then I can focus on my putting. I'm averaging a 3 putt every time just about .

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by gordo865

Haha I appreciate it. I probably need to go to the range and just record for a little bit so ya'll can see the bad shots too. The ones with the hybrid both took a pretty bad fade. The down the line angle went well to the left of that furthest tree and the second one faded maybe about 20 or so yards left. Drives me crazy all these little things I don't spot.

You basically need some tweaking. Maybe your swing isn't as good as my layman's eyes are interpretting it, but it looks above average and for a lefty, that's rare. Not saying lefty's are poor golfers, but when I see a lefty swing that looks good at all it's usually on television.

Familiarize yourself with the ball flight laws (search this site) and maybe move your ball position back toward the middle of the your stance - assuiming that face on video is an 8-iron as listed. Too far forward and the pulls and pushes starte creeping in.

[mchepp]

Let us know what you typical miss is. Is it a pull? Overdraw? That will help to provide more specific info.

Plus if you are going to get serious about golf invest in a high-speed camera to take video. It will be the 15th club in your bag and maybe the most important in helping you get better.

[gordo865]

It's usually a fade. I don't think I really push it too much. Most of the time if I miss it's just a fade.

[gordo865]

I fully welcome the lines and stuff if someone can help me out haha.

[RC]

Most of the time (not all the time) a slice comes from not clearing a path for you to return to the ball from the inside to down the line.  This can happen when you take club inside on the backswing, then up.  Now you have little choice but to compensate by coming over with an open clubface to your swing path.  So one fix to try is to keep the club outside the hands longer, as well as above the hands as it is at address.  By that I just mean keeping the same angle as the hands move inside and deeper on the backswing.  The club does not drop below the angle set up at address during this phase.  Then you have room to get the hips forward and clear the hips on the downswing while swinging the club down from inside.  At first it might feel like you take the club outside and up and then drop inside and down on the downswing.  Feelings are not always real but if you are a slicer, it is not ususual to feel this is what you have to do..

I've always thought the best way to learn the swing plane is to hit push draws and to do this not by hooding the club face but simply swinging so the body clears forward as the hips open up to give you room to swing out on the downswing.  A few words of warning.  Don't loop the club up and under so that you get the club trapped behind you and have to flip at the ball. Just go out and hit push draws 80 to 100 yards or so until you can start the ball right of the target and know it will come back to the line.  From there, hitting it straight is a lot easier.

I can't see your grip, but make sure your right hand (as a lefty) has the heel pad on top of the grip and the grip well down in the fingers.  This will free up the hands to work better through impact.  A lot of slicers get the hand nearest the end of the club too much into their palm.

[gordo865]

My grip I believe is alright. I'll record another video here soon and let y'all get a look at it. I was taught to have my right hand on the club in the same position you would have it as if you were just standing and letting your arms hang and to have my right thumb at 10:30 on the club. Then the left hand should be pointed at the target. That's the way I was told and it usually works without much of a hitch. I think I did notice that the club comes back on a slightly different path on the down the line swing with the hybrid.

RC I appreciate the comment. Are there any drills you can tell me about? A video preferably as I'm a bit of a visual learner. Thanks for the input guys keep it comin' I wanna get this 20 handicap down haha.

[gordo865]

Extreme inconsistency in both videos. My slice has gotten even worse since the time of those last videos. If you watch the last swing at the end of the first video you can see how far my head turns tracking the shot....pretty nasty power fade on that one. I have a shot or two I believe in one of these videos where I completely lose balance and a few where I completely sky the ball. Someone.....tell me what to do.

[RPMPIRE]

Very nice swing. Try not to let your left heel lift as much on the downswing. Lifting that foot to your toes can cause you to come off your stance or let's you "stand up" in a way. That would lead to shots to the right.

[gordo865]

Do you mean left? Remember I'm left handed now lol. Literally all of these shots cut left.

[Beachcomber]

With my untrained eye - it looks like you have a solid golf swing.  I would like to see more head on video of you to be able to give better advice.  Your DTL videos look like you have a nice turn - but I can't see clearly.

[gordo865]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

Very nice swing. Try not to let your left heel lift as much on the downswing. Lifting that foot to your toes can cause you to come off your stance or let's you "stand up" in a way. That would lead to shots to the right.

By the way do you know of any drills to help with that? I have noticed that before but I didn't know what kind of effect it could have on my swing.

[RPMPIRE]

I have the same problem and what I try to do is feel as is my trailing knee (your left knee) slide towards the target or more towards your lead knee.

This thread was very helpful to me and also has a drill by Erik you can work on.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/29616/the-biggest-secret-slide-your-hips

Originally Posted by gordo865

By the way do you know of any drills to help with that? I have noticed that before but I didn't know what kind of effect it could have on my swing.

[Beachcomber]

In the head on shot - with the 8 iron... It looks like your right shoulder is open to the target line... It is much higher than your left shoulder.

Look at Robert Rock's shoulders at address.  Get in front of a mirror and address the ball - and check and see if you can get a better setup... That may explain why you're fading/slicing the ball too?

[Taylor Johnson]

To my untrained eye, you have the best swing I've ever seen for a 20 handicap.

How is your short game?