My Swing (Golfingdad)

[mvmac]

So after getting home last night and watching my videos then realizing my backswing was so shallow,

It could be better but I don't think it's a huge problem right now.

Maybe do some practice at home with your butt a few inches away from a wall. Make slow practice backswings not hitting the wall. In a real swing the clubhead would hit the wall, this is just to exaggerate the feel.

And my feeling to get the hips to keep moving is to feel like they are what is guiding everything back - rather than my arms doing any of the work.

Still really have to work on the bowing wrist and shallower downswing, but this alone is helping me make a lot more solid contact in the meantime.

I like that. Good to hear contact is better.

[Golfingdad]

I'm very encouraged by the latest on course developments with my driver.  I've started to see a trend towards a one-way miss.  Here are my driver stats from all rounds since I've started using Gamegolf:

It's so perfectly bad, I'm almost proud of it ... close to hitting it left, straight, and right exactly a third of the time for each. But as I narrow the sample size down to the most recent rounds, a different, and much more encouraging trend seems to be developing:

Not only have I been consistent with the left miss but I've hit more fairways to boot.  And now that I can (apparently) trust that it's not going to go right, I have the luxury of aiming everything further right to give myself more room to the left.  And that's only going to lead to more fairways and a more playable miss on the missed fairways.

And, to top it off, I have a new custom fit driver on its way.  Things are looking up from the tee area.

(The focus still must be on the bigger turn with the hips, flexed over, bowing the left wrist on the downswing, and also a hard turn left [not up] with the hips and shoulders through impact)

[Golfingdad]

No new video but I've been hitting it pretty well at the range the last few days.  I've added a little swing thought to my backswing to try and combat the movement @mvmac highlighted below:

Basically, while still trying to feel like my head is going backwards (not really, just trying to prevent it from tipping forwards) I'm also trying to feel like the left knee flexes towards the target instead of away from it.**  It's an odd thought, because I'm almost intentionally trying to pull my body in opposite directions at the same time, but it's working.  I'm not hitting push cuts right now at all .  Good shots are push draws, mediocre shots are straight draws and bad shots are pull draws.

My practice routine has evolved slightly such that I don't practice hitting "full" shots anymore with my short irons.  I spend 7 or 8 balls near the end trying to knock down a flag with 3/4 "flighted" 9 irons and I'm getting better with that shot as well.  When I do miss, though, it's a severe pull or pull-hook with that shot, so I have to remind myself to consciously try and hit out to right field.  I also try and have a Patrick Reed or Zach Johnson finish.

As far as contact goes ... I've noticed (especially with the driver or 3 wood) that my miss is way towards the heel.  (Like, I almost missed it and it went 30 degrees left and never left the ground. )  With the irons I'll hit an occasional shank.  The current solution appears to be two-fold ... remember to have less weight in my toes and more in my heels at address, so as not to fall over coming into the ball, and I'm simply addressing the ball with the toe of the club.

**I'm still also working on softer back/right shoulder and bowing the left wrist at the top. ;)

[mvmac]

I'm not hitting push cuts right now at all.  Good shots are push draws, mediocre shots are straight draws and bad shots are pull draws.

Good news, that's a biggie.

As far as contact goes ... I've noticed (especially with the driver or 3 wood) that my miss is way towards the heel.  (Like, I almost missed it and it went 30 degrees left and never left the ground.)  With the irons I'll hit an occasional shank.  The current solution appears to be two-fold ... remember to have less weight in my toes and more in my heels at address, so as not to fall over coming into the ball, and I'm simply addressing the ball with the toe of the club.

You know this, but if anything you have a tendency to "stand up" a little too much on the downswing and that can shove the sweetspot out, normal to see it happen more on the longer clubs. I like the weight check at set-up but the rest of it is just working your priorities. "Flexed over" backswing pivot, open up with a bowed left wrist on the downswing.

[Golfingdad]

Here are a couple of videos from yesterday.  First a couple of full swing 6 irons:

And this a a "flighted" 3/4 9 iron at that black and white barber pole 150 yards out:

[mvmac]

I like the way the backswing is coming along, especially from the face on view.

Left wrist is better on the downswing, just keep hammering that opening piece on the downswing. It'll help the head steady (not tip back) which will help continue to improve your contact/low point control.

Flighted swing was pretty darn solid!

[Golfingdad]

I like the way the backswing is coming along, especially from the face on view.  Left wrist is better on the downswing, just keep hammering that opening piece on the downswing. It'll help the head steady (not tip back) which will help continue to improve your contact/low point control. Flighted swing was pretty darn solid!

Thanks Mike, I'll keep at it. (Also gotta keep remembering to turn!) :)

[mdl]

FO view looks so much better!

[iacas]

I like the way the backswing is coming along, especially from the face on view.

Left wrist is better on the downswing, just keep hammering that opening piece on the downswing. It'll help the head steady (not tip back) which will help continue to improve your contact/low point control.

Might help you to do that by feeling the right shirt seam going forward too. That will help you keep turning.

[mdl]

One question, have you backed away from the right leg extension into impact, or is it just not a priority right now?  Probably I shouldn't venture any guesses with both Mike and Erik commenting (!), but it looks to me like that encourages hips off the wall, some loss of spine angle, and probably the steepness of the early down swing, though without going back to old videos to confirm, it looks to me like that last piece has improved regardless.

Kinda reminds me of Jimmy Walker, so it surely doesn't prohibit good play.  Though I remember in his swing breakdown in GD there was a quote from his coach that he was trying to get Walker away from that, as he termed it, old school move.

[Golfingdad]

One question, have you backed away from the right leg extension into impact, or is it just not a priority right now?  Probably I shouldn't venture any guesses with both Mike and Erik commenting (!), but it looks to me like that encourages hips off the wall, some loss of spine angle, and probably the steepness of the early down swing, though without going back to old videos to confirm, it looks to me like that last piece has improved regardless.

Kinda reminds me of Jimmy Walker, so it surely doesn't prohibit good play.  Though I remember in his swing breakdown in GD there was a quote from his coach that he was trying to get Walker away from that, as he termed it, old school move.

No, that's definitely still something that I'd like to improve upon but it's not the highest priority.  Besides, usually the way it works with these guys is that you clean up something earlier in the swing and then the stuff that comes later on "magically" improves on its own.  So it's entirely possible - even likely - that the other things I'm prioritizing also will help that one indirectly.

We should make a commercial like the PGA Tour does for them ... "These teachers are good."

[Golfingdad]

Some new video from today.  A couple of slo-mo 7 irons, a couple of slo-mo drivers, and a full speed 3/4 9 iron.  It's evident that I should still be working on (and am) the same things - more turning through the backswing and more bowed left wrist into the downswing.  That said, even if it doesn't look that different here, I have been hitting it really, really well since the Newport Cup.  (Only range work though as I've not had a chance to play a round since. :()

EDIT:  Just looking at the stills for these videos its also evident I need to keep monitoring the shallowness of the backswing.  Gotta steepen it up a bit there, I think.

[mvmac]

Some new video from today.  A couple of slo-mo 7 irons, a couple of slo-mo drivers, and a full speed 3/4 9 iron.  It's evident that I should still be working on (and am) the same things - more turning through the backswing and more bowed left wrist into the downswing.  That said, even if it doesn't look that different here, I have been hitting it really, really well since the Newport Cup.  (Only range work though as I've not had a chance to play a round since. :()

Lots of good stuff going on but would keep focusing on the usual pieces with some modifications.

Head is still drifting forward, pivot stalls and the arm swing is pretty short.

Since the head is a bit forward, in order to swing out you tip the head back and keep the left arm too far in. This is where some of those drop-kicky iron shots come from.

So I'd recommend feeling like the head translates to the right little on the backswing as you make a BIG turn keeping the right arm pressure point in place. Then on the downswing bow the left wrist and open up with the body. The head staying centered or even moving back slightly will help this. Might almost feel like you're hitting cuts with the downswing motion but the ball will still draw. Priority is the backswing for now, the "translating" feel will help you turn all the way to 4 and lengthen the arm swing.

Also recommend the medicine ball drill on page 82 of LSW. Video is in the Member's Content section on the website. Good for the feels on the backswing and also the early parts of the downswing.

[iacas]

You know, it's funny, and people wouldn't even believe it if we told them.

I watched your swings. In order, I thought:

• Head's drifting forward a bit.
• Backswing could be longer.
• Elbows soften in transition as the head begins to dip back.
• Left arm stays too far in on downswing.
• Pivot stalls. Clubhead overtakes hands fast.

And then I read basically the same exact thing from @mvmac .

So, like he said:

• Continue to work on the backswing and not extending. It may feel like you turn a BUNCH but your head drifts backward six inches, Barney.
• Pivot hard forward and then left while you throw the left arm out and down to the ball.

Honestly, this may be really fun, and it's one of the few times you get to hit a few balls with SPEED in mind (that could be a secret, hidden sixth "S"). Make the backswing slow, etc. and then SMASH it from there but doing it properly with fast arms and the weight going forward and left fast.

Your feels may differ. Maybe you don't have to feel a thing with your arms. Maybe you'll feel it all in the pivot. Play around. But start with the backswing. MORE, MORE, MORE, Drew. And I don't mean do the thing more, I mean do more of the thing.

I think you'll know what I mean by the last part.

[saevel25]

I think Drew and I need to split the difference between our backswings

[Golfingdad]

Lots of good stuff going on but would keep focusing on the usual pieces with some modifications.

Head is still drifting forward, pivot stalls and the arm swing is pretty short.

Since the head is a bit forward, in order to swing out you tip the head back and keep the left arm too far in. This is where some of those drop-kicky iron shots come from.

So I'd recommend feeling like the head translates to the right little on the backswing as you make a BIG turn keeping the right arm pressure point in place. Then on the downswing bow the left wrist and open up with the body. The head staying centered or even moving back slightly will help this. Might almost feel like you're hitting cuts with the downswing motion but the ball will still draw. Priority is the backswing for now, the "translating" feel will help you turn all the way to 4 and lengthen the arm swing.

Also recommend the medicine ball drill on page 82 of LSW. Video is in the Member's Content section on the website. Good for the feels on the backswing and also the early parts of the downswing.

So, like he said:

Continue to work on the backswing and not extending. It may feel like you turn a BUNCH but your head drifts backward six inches, Barney.

Pivot hard forward and then left while you throw the left arm out and down to the ball.

Honestly, this may be really fun, and it's one of the few times you get to hit a few balls with SPEED in mind (that could be a secret, hidden sixth "S"). Make the backswing slow, etc. and then SMASH it from there but doing it properly with fast arms and the weight going forward and left fast.

Your feels may differ. Maybe you don't have to feel a thing with your arms. Maybe you'll feel it all in the pivot. Play around. But start with the backswing. MORE, MORE, MORE, Drew. And I don't mean do the thing more, I mean do more of the thing.

I think you'll know what I mean by the last part.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback!  Even though you kind of already know what you need to do, hearing it repeated with even a slightly different wording sometimes helps with comprehension or with getting new ideas on other possible feels that may work.

You know, it's funny, and people wouldn't even believe it if we told them.

I watched your swings. In order, I thought:

Head's drifting forward a bit.

Backswing could be longer.

Elbows soften in transition as the head begins to dip back.

Left arm stays too far in on downswing.

Pivot stalls. Clubhead overtakes hands fast.

And then I read basically the same exact thing from @mvmac.

I don't remember the exact timeline, but I THINK it was almost exactly 3 years ago.  I started Evolvr in August of 2012, and then went to the 5SK clinic with you guys and Dave and, ahem, nobody else, and the information you gave me was exactly what Brian (or Stephan, can't remember at this point) had just given me on my video lesson.

So, others may not believe you ... but I do.

I think Drew and I need to split the difference between our backswings

LOL ... you got a deal!!

[iacas]

I think Drew and I need to split the difference between our backswings

Nope. That'd still be way too long.

[saevel25]

Nope. That'd still be way too long.

70/30 then