My Swing (MattM)

[MattM]

I've been playing golf for 1.5 year

My current Handicap index is 15.7

My ball flight is piercing with a slight draw (not to high or low)

My misses have to do more with inconsitency.  I'll start off blocking then typically hooking then by the end of the round I'm finally hitting that nice lazy draw.

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This swing was from the first tee and was long but a small block.  Today my drives were much better though. The last five outings I've had I have had at least one drive that tops 300!  Very excited for that!  Any help would be appreciated!

Videos:

[MattM]

I think I answered my own question as to consistency. I looks to me as if my head is moving several inches back and then forward.

[poser]

yea your shoulder turn is to flat and causes the move off the ball you see.  Left shoulder should work more down to keep everything more centered.

[Subaroo]

I think you have a pretty good looking swing. I don't know enough to give you any tips, but I think higher quality video would help.  For all those guys on here that know enough (technically and golfnically) to draw all those fancy lines on your body next to a pro with lines on his body, higher quality video please.  I like those line drawing posts, I like to learn :-)

[MattM]

So what is the fix do I just need to bend over more?

[meta87]

I'm working on this right now also. I think basically, you allow your upper body to tilt to the left as you are rotating back. Here is a video that I found really helpful:

[FuzzyB1]

when your at the top and you start your follow through, you look like you lunge at the ball a little and your upper body/arms take over as opposed to your lower body/hips turn and then letting your shoulders and arms uncoil.

You look like a powerful guy with a powerful swing but I think you try to 'overpower' the swing with your upper body too much.

[rebel27]

hard to tell but it looks like your coming a bit out of the zone on your backswing, try to be as squared up as possible, do you have a rear view?

[MattM]

Here are some more swings from today at the driving range.  They look a tad different from my first swing at the golf course.  Maybe I was just not loose at the course?

Another side view

Back view

Back view two

Another

[Twopiece]

Hi MattM,

Just my 2c looking at the Front On videos - I read and heard a while ago that as soon as the shoulders stop moving so should the arms. In your case it appears that the shoulders have stopped rotating but your arms are still going up and around. You have good timing and coordination to return to a good impact position, if it were me I would be spraying hooks quite a lot due to flipping to save the shot. I can imagine that if the movement was more compact, you would find the centre of the clubface a whole lot more but that is just speculation on my end. Perhaps the experts can chime in here.

Please take the above as my mere observation and not dispensation of swing advice. Other than that, I really like your impact position.

[MattM]

So. I take it my swing is pathetic because none of the instructors want to waste.their times even looking at it!

[dcahill2]

Matt,

Actually alot of good stuff happening.  A few simple adjustments one of which you already see for yourself by watching your video.

1. Picture three center of gravity points on your body throughout the back swing:  head center between your eyes,  Sternum center, and pelvis center at your belt buckle.  Turn you torso perpendicular to your established spine angle without moving the three center of gravity points away from their starting positions.  The three points will not move laterally or up and down.

2.  During the back swing, up to the point where your club shaft is parallel to the ground,  keep the clubhead moving down the target line.

Using the v-1 app you can record and send your swing to me.  Type in CAH at he send button   I can show you model videos.

[MattM]

Just a quick update..... I've noticed it seems that the longtime members or every admin may play favorites with who they check out as I have pm'ed a few and no one wants to waste their time I guess.

Anyway I went to buy a new driver.... Dick's where I am out now has a launch moniter so I went in witht he r11s and took some cuts.  It appears with the stock stiff r11s shaft my ss was 110mph with a carry of 268 and a total of 287 yards.  When I took out the 70g x type shaft for the r11s my ss dropped to 106 and total drive to 270.

Does an extra stiff shaft actually drop your swing speed some?  Anyway I went with the stock r11s and I couldn't be happier!  It definately feels alot hotter than the r11 I gamed, and I was using a prov1x yesterday in 45 degree temps with wind gusts of 15mph and I did not see much of a difference in distance over my r11 when it was warmer.  This leads me to believe that I should see more distance when it's warmer for this club.  In addition my numbers on the par 5s have actually dropped to PAR!  Which is awesome for a 15 handicapper.

Yesterday I had an eagle putt on a long Par five then three putted myself to PAR.  Go figure!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MattM

Just a quick update..... I've noticed it seems that the longtime members or every admin may play favorites with who they check out as I have pm'ed a few and no one wants to waste their time I guess.

Your most recent post included videos and little else. You did not say what you were working on, what your current shot shape was like, what your "miss" was or what shot you hated, etc.

The only two admins here are also professional golf instructors, and while we contribute quite a bit to the site in terms of instruction, at the end of the day we don't have as much time as we'd like to give out free advice, so yes, we often put people with whom we have a bit of a relationship - people who contribute to the site, people who have been on our online lesson system or a golf school, etc. - ahead of those who post a series of videos with no commentary to interest us. I think other members feel similarly (except without the parts about online lessons or golf schools).

If you're here and an active participant, you get more help, especially if you do more than just post a series of videos. If you just post a series of videos, you come off as a moocher of free help. Six of your last seven posts dating back to June 9th have been in this very thread. People don't know who you are. So it's unsurprising to me that asking them for free advice hasn't gotten you very much.

Look at the rates of turning. You turn to 135° (more than you need, by far) and then when you reach that point prematurely you lift your left shoulder and flatten your shoulder plane to complete your backswing without adding any more turn at all. Consider how the trail knee and hip should work and the rates of turning versus arm swing.

[MattM]

Thank your for your break down of my swing first and foremost.  After you mention it it definately looks like a turn too much.  I will try to work on that.

As to you initial reply.  If you read my FIRST post I say my typical shot shape is "Piercing with a slight lazy draw,"  My miss is inconsistent.  What I thought that to mean (and obviously I have not played long so correct me if I'm wrong) is that I have all types of misses.  Meaning I duck hook it on one tee and then hit a massive slice on another then 5 good drives then duck hook etc......

My follow up posts speak to that because I'm trying to point out how I'm inconsistent because of my head movement.  What you said makes sense to me. As far as the extra videos of my swing goes I posted those because someone asked about them and the video was taken two days after my first video so it was essentially the same thing.

Now as to the "mooching FREE lessons,"  you of all people should know that I am not "mooching free lessons,"  as I was the one who pm'ed you multiple times about an aimpoint seminar.  I EVEN had a company willing to host you and had over 15 students willing to attend, but they needed you to call them to set up the schedule which you would not do.  Now I harbor no grudges for that (even though it did make me look a bit dumb) because you were decent enough to get me in touch with Mike Dynda and he helped me alot.

About not being prevelant on this forum.....I have posted threads on aimpoint and how it helped me and other stuff about it.....I contacted you to add a book about Hogan which started a small discussion and I just posted a thread about my experience with my new club.  I don't understand what you want me to do because again I am new and probably cannot offer any help to other members, and I definately don't want to give the wrong advice.

Again thank you for your assessment I will work on it.

On another note I went back to Dick's today to tune my R11s.  It was very helpful.  Where on Thursday it took a 110mph ss to get a total of 285 yards.  After the tune I got with a 105 mph ss 305 yards.  He put my weights to nuetral becuase they apparently are setup with a draw and then kept the face neutral as well as lowered the loft to 8 degrees from 9.  My launch angle was 11.5 degrees and RPMS were from 1700 to 2800 rpms.  Carry was 280.  Very helpful!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MattM

Thank your for your break down of my swing first and foremost.  After you mention it it definately looks like a turn too much.  I will try to work on that.

Not turn too much necessarily. Turn out of sequence. Consider when your backswing should stop versus where your arms are at that moment.

Originally Posted by MattM

Now as to the "mooching FREE lessons,"  you of all people should know that I am not "mooching free lessons,"  as I was the one who pm'ed you multiple times about an aimpoint seminar.  I EVEN had a company willing to host you and had over 15 students willing to attend, but they needed you to call them to set up the schedule which you would not do.

I'm not getting into that again with you here, because you were demanding (and typing in all caps) that I call a place in December to set up a date and something for an AimPoint clinic the next spring. It makes as little sense to me now as it did then why I would call, and you attended an AimPoint clinic - alone - with an instructor nearer to you upon my recommendation. I was telling you how many might see your posts and requests for help, and why you might not be getting the help you think you deserve when you complained about it. It was just my opinion and advice - take it or leave it.

Good luck.

P.S. Read http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing too. Get the camera closer to you.

[Beachcomber]

Matt, I'd recommend that you take the advice already given in this thread.

1.) Post #3 and #6.  You need to have more waist bend - and perhaps knee bend at address.  This will help you with your spine angle or inclination to the ground.

2.) Once you add more waist bend - and get your inclination to the ground consistent through the swing... You will notice that your left shoulder turn will be more vertical - steeper - going under your chin.  Currently in your face-on views - your shoulder turn is far too shallow - horizontal - or flat.  Again, getting the proper inclination to the ground at address - and maintaining that inclination will greatly improve your turn and takeaway.  Helping you get the club shaft on plane in both the backswing and downswing.

3.) Again - going back to Post #6... Watch the video.  Listen to the instruction.  It is very sound advice.  And highlights the left shoulder and how it should turn down and under your chin in the takeaway.

4.) As Erik pointed out... Your upper torso turns too far. The biggest issue with this in your swing is that it leads the club to cross the plane at the top of the backswing.  When you cross the plane - that means that on the downswing - you are going to have to work harder with timing and adding compensations to get the club back on plane - so that you can make clean contact.  Ultimately, this leads to inconsistent golf.

Here is a video by Michael Breed which talks about crossing the plane - again - you're turning too much which leads to the club crossing the plane at the top.

You really should not complain about the advice given here... It is free advice.  And the fact is - the advice prior to Erik stepping in was sound advice.  But you have ignored it.  My advice is that you take some of the free instructional tips here... And put them to work.  Film yourself working on these changes, which leads to more discussion.  Don't just come on here looking for guys to engage in formal instruction without showing you are working on incorporating some of these changes.

Lastly, you look like a pretty athletic, healthy, strong guy.  So I think you could play some decent golf - but you gotta put the work in.

[MattM]

Hey Beachomber thank you for the reply....... I actually did TRY to take that advice in my second set of videos, but what I keep hearing on this website is feel aint real and I think that's what happened here.  I did really FEEL like I was doing that but obviously not.

I think I may get a full body mirror and really try to feel more bend.  I really don't care about losing some distance as long as it makes me more consistent.

I definately see what you guys are talking about on the back turn.  Problem is I don't know if I will be able to get more video because of the weather.....I was very spoiled last winter with the mild temps.....