My Swing (Taylor Johnson)

[Taylor Johnson]

I started taking lessons at GolfTec (Westminster, CO) in November 2010. My coach left in January of this year and I feel like we made a ton of progress in the 13 or so months we worked together. I switched over to the other coach at that location in essence by default. After my first couple swings with him, he asked me "do you always swing so smooth?" (in a bad way). He told me I need to stop trying to hit the ball, swing to the target and let the ball get in the way. He wants my hips and shoulders more open at impact.

Here is a 7i from February:

and a wedge from last week:

As I have been working with this new guy, I feel like I have lost all sense of tempo.  I know I have been struggling with taking the club back below the shaft plane and as you can see in both videos my downswing comes way under the shaft plane. This has been resulting in some nasty, weak hooks. When I first started playing and trying to improve my swing I would take the club back way above the shaft plane and I guess I've over corrected the problem.

I've decided to move on from GolfTec and I've been looking into other options. I value the input of this forum.

Some other things I struggle with: dipping my head and moving it forward in my backswing (even when I tell myself to keep it freaking still), casting, taking divots (I tend to pick the ball), left arm breaking down too early & coming out of my posture. I've been working on the drill mvmac suggested, placing tees in each armpit. I've been really struggling with my driver, hitting a lot of shots off the heel and even some drop kicks since I started working with this new guy. I'll post some driver swings soon. I'm also working on getting a higher quality camera to take video outside.

I hope this can be an ongoing thread.

Thanks for looking. I appreciate any feedback.

[mvmac]

Here is what I think Taylor.  To me it looks like there is too much flex in the right knee and that you're staying too much in forward flexion on the backswing.  This would be a good thread that gets further into that http://thesandtrap.com/t/55080/myth-of-maintaining-address-flexion-in-the-rear-knee

[Taylor Johnson]

Excellent. Thanks for the insight.

I've read quite a few of your posts and I definitely value your opinion.

I think this cements my decision to move on from GolfTec. My new coach has been trying to preach maintaining knee flex. I even tried bringing up some of the points in the thread you mentioned and he always tries to mutter something about "needing something to push off of." He's a dinosaur...

I'll work on this and post some new video and let you know the results.

Thanks again.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by Taylor Johnson

Excellent. Thanks for the insight.

I've read quite a few of your posts and I definitely value your opinion.

I'll work on this and post some new video and let you know the results.

Thanks again.

My pleasure, thanks for taking the time to learn some new things.  Good luck with the practice

[Motley01]

Nice looking swing Taylor. Your impact position looks great though.

I live in Broomfield also. Went and played Highland Hills last weekend. First time out for the year.

Let me know if you want to go play a round some time.

[TheShark]

Originally Posted by mvmac

My pleasure, thanks for taking the time to learn some new things.  Good luck with the practice

IMO Taylor is simply picking the club up too much. There's little upper body rotation because of this and its little wonder his right knee flex is static. It is confusing though because in the second video he does turn much better and it all looks better. I say work on better rotation and the knee should take care of itself.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by TheShark

IMO Taylor is simply picking the club up too much. There's little upper body rotation because of this and its little wonder his right knee flex is static. It is confusing though because in the second video he does turn much better and it all looks better. I say work on better rotation and the knee should take care of itself.

I think what you're seeing is Taylor working on what he said one of his faults was, "struggling with taking the club back below the shaft plane"

[Taylor Johnson]

TheShark, thanks for joining in.

The two elements are definitely related. GolfTec had me doing drills where I would maintain my knee flex from address and make shoulder turns. I think this has obviously limited my should turn as mvmac stated and needless to say, I won't be doing that drill any more.

I tried allowing my right knee to straigten more yesterday when I was warming up before I played at Buffalo Run.  I felt like my swing had been trapped in a dark basement and mvmac, you may have just unlocked it. I felt effortless power again, or as you described it, a much more dynamic pivot. Excited to see how this develops. I ended up shooting 85, but I think with more range time I'll trust the move more and not have to think about it, like with anything.  My driver felt better than it had in weeks on the range, I just wasn't quite able to transfer it to the course but I'm confident this is a step in the right direction.

Thanks

[Taylor Johnson]

Well when I said "soon," I wasn't thinking 3 months.... but that's how it goes sometimes.

Since leaving GolfTec, I've continued to struggle with my game. I've taken 3 lessons at Buffalo Run. I can't help but cringe when my teacher talks about releasing the clubhead and firing the hips without sliding them laterally. I've read enough on here to know those are two red flags. I'm starting to think that I'm going leave traditional teachers behind and essentially use TST as my primary resource. I can't overstate how much I value the way you guys talk about what you do, WHY you do it, and HOW it works. I'm disgusted by how many people in the world of golf just blindly follow things they hear and then aggressively defend them without any logic.

I've been working hard on my game, but I'm afraid sometimes I get caught up in working on the wrong things.

This is a 5 iron from a couple days ago.

After watching that video while on the range, I took another. What I saw in the video above was getting my hands too deep (getting too flat), and extreme cupping of the left wrist. In my practice swing in this second video you can see me try to feel getting my hands much higher and keeping the left wrist flatter. I hit it dead right but I think the swing is more in the direction I'm trying to go.

Does my right leg look like it's straightening more in my backswing? Mike, do you think that's enough?

These days my most common miss is hitting it off the heel and pushing it dead right.  Please ask me any questions.

Thanks,

Taylor

[mvmac]

There are some adjustments you need to make at set-up.

I think the right hand is too weak on the grip.  Want to see the index finger, the part just above the knuckle, on the side of the shaft.  I think yours it too much on top and that's why the club is so "flat".  Check this video out and copy where he's placing his fingers.

Also, there is too much arch in your lower back (too much sticking your butt out) check out this thread to help with the pivot.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/56069/good-golf-posture

[Taylor Johnson]

Mike, I greatly appreciate all your help. I played Buffalo Run today (before reading your new post) and was +4 through 12, feeling like I had a chance to shoot a low score. Bogeyed the last 6 holes to finish at 82, but the early part of the round (and a number of other 6-9 hole stretches I've had recently) give me hope.  Your advice reaffirms my belief that I can play scratch golf one day. Everything you're saying makes a lot of sense and answers a handful of concerns I had floating around in my head. Looking forward to putting this into action.

Thanks again

[pholmes]

Agree with mvmac, I would imagine you have a really low ball flight to, and maybe trouble with the driver, sorry if you told us that and I missed it. I like what you are trying to do though, with that compact swing and early wrist set.  Sometimes my swing gets to leggy and I work on what you are doing.

[pholmes]

I think your body stops rotating at impact, and soon after you hit the ball you roll the club, I think with a more body driven swing, your body would work more through and after impact for more power.

[Taylor Johnson]

Thanks pholmes, I have noticed that and I agree I need to work on continuing to rotate the body through and after impact.

I'm definitely struggling with my driver, hitting it at least 25% shorter than last year. Right now it's by far the biggest weakness in my game.  I've been hitting of fairways (57-78%), but leaving myself way too long to the green (especially in this thin Colorado air), and my GIR stats show it. Here is a driver swing from today.

Mike, I'm trying to set up without sticking my butt out, I'm tucking my tailbone under, and I'm keeping the right hand stronger. I definitely feel the arms hanging more naturally. I have noticed for a while that my address position with my driver (from down the line) you can see too much of my left arm compared to any pro swing I've watched. I'm ashamed to admit my driver is not fit to me at all and I'm starting to wonder if this is causing me a lot of issues. I'm 6' 1" but I have pretty long arms for my height.

Here is a follow up:

I feel like I do a better job of finishing my backswing and allowing the right knee to lose flexion in the bs.

Here is a wedge from today:

Again trying to get that curve out of my lower back at address. Seems like my arms are very close to me, but feels more comfortable. I swear there was a time when the grip of the club pointed to the ball or inside the ball at the top, but right now I feel like I can't get into that position and hit a ball to save my life.

As you can see I'm hitting a lot of shots off the heel, throughout my bag. Please let me know if you have any questions or if anything needs any clarification.

Thanks for watching

[Beachcomber]

While you fixed your S-curve in your back... And more rounded posture as Mike pointed out above... Your hands look very close to your legs at address.  I believe you need to add some spacing or you're going to hit some hozzle rockets.

[mvmac]

Yeah give yourself some more space, just back the feet up some more, then it may like there is a little more pressure or weight towards your toes.  Looks like you're are sitting back on your heels  a bit, probably just due to the address change with the lower back.  Keep that up but have the pressure more even in your feet, not on the heels.

And this

And do this making a full turn at home, left shoulder under the chin