My Swing (jbishop15)

[mvmac]

Shot 80 today; one of the best rounds I've played in a long time. I've put in a LOT of work trying to stop my club from getting across the line, and it's finally, finally paying off. Frank and I worked on getting the club more laid off on Friday, as I was coming in a little too steep, and it was causing a lot of weird shots. 

Looks good dude. Tell Frank I said hi.

[jbishop15]

So, I walked five holes for the first time in months today. I had planned on doing a full nine (starting at #2, which is right outside my bedroom window), but physically struggled. My left knee is still hurting from when I fell a month or so ago, and it's only made worse by a poorly healed break/fracture on my left big toe (and possibly foot too) that I received playing volleyball when I was 17. 

The score is meh. Hit a really good drive on the second hole, putted fairly well, chipped okay. That double bogey on #4 (check my GAMEgolf) was just totally stupidity on my part. 

Fun to be out there, though. 

[jbishop15]

I practiced for the first time in a few months today. 

Started out working on pitch technique; specifically, feeling more float-loady, as well as keeping the speed through the ball. I changed my chipping motion slightly, moving the ball more forward in my stance and weakening my grip. Had some success. 

I went up to the range after that. Worked on keeping the club head outside of my hands at A2, and then feeling as if I flip the club over and lay it off at A4. Practiced that for about thirty minutes, and then started hitting balls for fun. 

Hit a few drivers that went 320+, flying the trees on the back of my driving range. Felt good to really go after one. Struggled with the three wood off the deck (it has thirteen degrees of loft, so I often struggle with it, lol), but hit everything else well. Towards the end I practiced using pitch mechanics to hit short wedge shots. 

Here's a video, though not the best angle: 

 

Also, I could've sworn I saw @Golfingdad at the range. The guy looked just like him. I kept creeping closer and closer, trying to get a good look, and I think I freaked him out because he left right after that, haha. 

[iacas]

So, I know what you're trying to do (I think), but you're not doing it at all…

Yes, you pick the club up quickly, but then you roll your wrists and forearms immediately after that. You may as well have just rolled them from the start and you'd end up in the same spot as on the right there.

Your shoulders are shallow, and then steepen in transition.

Just hinge the club more quickly and feel like you're standing the shaft up in the backswing. Your shoulders should be steeper and your right elbow will probably feel like it stays higher, longer on the backswing.

[Golfingdad]

1 hour ago, jbishop15 said:

I practiced for the first time in a few months today. 

Started out working on pitch technique; specifically, feeling more float-loady, as well as keeping the speed through the ball. I changed my chipping motion slightly, moving the ball more forward in my stance and weakening my grip. Had some success. 

I went up to the range after that. Worked on keeping the club head outside of my hands at A2, and then feeling as if I flip the club over and lay it off at A4. Practiced that for about thirty minutes, and then started hitting balls for fun. 

Hit a few drivers that went 320+, flying the trees on the back of my driving range. Felt good to really go after one. Struggled with the three wood off the deck (it has thirteen degrees of loft, so I often struggle with it, lol), but hit everything else well. Towards the end I practiced using pitch mechanics to hit short wedge shots. 

Here's a video, though not the best angle: 

 

Also, I could've sworn I saw @Golfingdad at the range. The guy looked just like him. I kept creeping closer and closer, trying to get a good look, and I think I freaked him out because he left right after that, haha. 

Coincidentally, I was at the range today and also coincidentally, I wore my NC outfit.  The exact one in my profile pic, except for a red Moon Valley hat in place of the Ping hat.

Not coincidentally, I did not go to a range in Georgia.  Traffic was looking ugly, so instead I just went to one down the street. 

[jbishop15]

56 minutes ago, iacas said:

So, I know what you're trying to do (I think), but you're not doing it at all…

Yes, you pick the club up quickly, but then you roll your wrists and forearms immediately after that. You may as well have just rolled them from the start and you'd end up in the same spot as on the right there.

Your shoulders are shallow, and then steepen in transition.

Just hinge the club more quickly and feel like you're standing the shaft up in the backswing. Your shoulders should be steeper and your right elbow will probably feel like it stays higher, longer on the backswing.

I'll work on that, thanks!

 

38 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Coincidentally, I was at the range today and also coincidentally, I wore my NC outfit.  The exact one in my profile pic, except for a red Moon Valley hat in place of the Ping hat.

Not coincidentally, I did not go to a range in Georgia.  Traffic was looking ugly, so instead I just went to one down the street. 

What the hell, man! It's not THAT long of a drive from California to Georgia, even with the traffic!

[Golfer2223]

I see a lot of G-Mac in that swing! G-Mac has the same grip and also a shut face, maybe not as shut as you and DJ. If you would allow me to give my input. From what I can see you are the Tiger Woods of the backswing, no matter what you do or try to do you end up in a great position. I saw your first post and you were very inside going back, now you seem to be too outside. I'll leave the backswing to the others, my advice is to find somwhere between now and then. Since you're great at the top, try to find the most efficient path to the top, have your shoulders move from setup to top of backswing position in one smooth motion, without standing up on the way back. If you find the most efficient path with the arms you will find it somewhere in the middle, not too much in, not too much out, remember the swing is an arch, not straight lines, it's okay to get a little curvy with it. That's the best way I can explain in laymans terms. The reason you want to be efficient is to lessen the time of the swing. Most pros get the ball in the air in the time you take to get to the top. This is very common. The less time you take, the more repeatable it will be. Try to lay three balls next to each other, and rapid fire them. Do this a few times. Then hit one ball pretending you have to rapid fire three, but stop after one. This is a great drill. All this should help your backswing in no time!

 

Now I'm going to write what I think is a basic issue in your swing, which again has a lot of great positions in it. I strongly advise you work on the backswing first until you are so ewhat used to it (2 weeks) and then go onto this next part. You can have this next part in the back of your mind, allowing your body to toy with it without thought as you work on the backswing. Do yourself a big favor and DO NOT work on both at the same time. Remember the body learns better if it understands in the mind first, and then works on its own a bit, instead of trying to force feed new motions. From my experience the backswing part and this next part will take you a few months each to feel comfortable, but you will see the impacts very quickly. I think you will find solid contact if you choose to follow my advice. 

Here is the next part:

Your arms are swinging somewhat opposite of the direction of your body. This is a weight transfer issue. Golf instructors and books will have different opinions on how much weight you shoud have on your back foot on the backswing, some say 60% others say as much as 80%, some say 100%. I agree with the notion that you should have as much weight back as you can, without involving extra effort to go forward, like a rocking chair, it should be a load and release, not a pull and a push. In your swing your body is rocking back, but then it is leaning towards the target slightly, not much. The problem is your arms are swinging away from your body, completely on their own, there is little connection to the movement of the body. Then on the forward swing, your body begins falling back, and the arms begin swinging forward. Since you have the club face very shut, the body must also fall back to allow the club face time to square up, barring an insane hip turn. The result is at impact you are angled too much upward, the hands are pointing up and to the right, causing a high push, and more importantly adding loft to the club. This results in difficulty controlling distance, and shots that are weaker and higher than they can potentially be, given your natural power. So the fix here is to get the body and arms working more together. The first step is get that club face just a little less closed, maybe 5-10 degrees less, so that you don't have to strain yourself while not falling back. To do this just strenghten your left hand grip slighty, and try not to bow the left wrist as severely at the top. This is easier said than done, but once your clubface is more square/closed than closed/closed, it will allow some room for the body motion adjustment. The final step is getting the body to move forward with the arms, so you aren't falling back. You should notice a straighter left leg happening with this. There will be a lot less upper body tilt, and you will stay on top of your hips more. The hands forward part will have to wait until the body isn't falling back so severely, because part of the hands going forward is the body going left. You won't have a hard time with this because you already lag the club well. The best way you can get the body going in sequence going back and forward is to imagine throwing the club back as far as you can, and throwing the club forward as far as you can. If you have a lot of property and old clubs you can actually do this. The throwing the club forward part is practiced into nets by students frequently. The throwing back is important too. An impact bag will help as well. Remember if you wanted to throw a club far you would naturally put your weight into it, not against it, which is why the drill is so helpful. The only difference between throwing a club and the golf swing is two things. One you have to hold onto the club, for many reasons. Two* to get consistent contact you can't move laterally much off the ball. You want to feel as if you and the club are being pulled as hard as you can, without moving more than two or three inches off the ball, that is the real challenge. It's not easy to focus so much force while staying still, which is why the opposite weight transfer is a go to move for many golfers. Whatever it is, you must still use the same concepts as if you are throwing a club back and throwing a club upward, that is the best way for your mind and body will both understand where the ball is supposed to go. The last thing I will add is that when you imagine throwing the club, it does not have to be a straight line. The backswing throw should be up and behind you a bit, and the forward throw of course would be up and to your left a bit, since the swing is on an arch. 

Hope you take this with you. :D

[saevel25]

@jbishop15, I know that backswing move really well ;) 

For me I couldn't get the club to hinge correctly right without first fixing the hand path. From A1-A2 it was basically just turn and hinge. Let the turn carry the hands more around you and less down the line. 

If my hands go down the line or push away from my body it causes the club to flip over inside. Just my insight on some issues I had with the club getting flat like that in the backswing. 

Good Luck!! 

 

[jbishop15]

Well, I decided to start hitting Snell balls. @saevel25, you still hitting them? 

[Golfingdad]

35 minutes ago, jbishop15 said:

Well, I decided to start hitting Snell balls. @saevel25, you still hitting them? 

Im still a big fan.  I'll play just about any of the premiums, but my two favorite are this one and the Chrome Soft.

[jbishop15]

4 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Im still a big fan.  I'll play just about any of the premiums, but my two favorite are this one and the Chrome Soft.

I'm taking these on the course this weekend; I'm excited to try them out.  

Im also a huge fan of the Chrome Soft. If it wasn't a million dollars per dozen, I'd play those. At 26 per box (if you do as I did and get six dozen), it's hard to pass up.

[DaveP043]

Just now, jbishop15 said:

I'm taking these on the course this weekend; I'm excited to try them out.  

Im also a huge fan of the Chrome Soft. If it wasn't a million dollars per dozen, I'd play those. At 26 per box (if you do as I did and get six dozen), it's hard to pass up.

I just had an opportunity to try out a dozen of these (don't tell anyone, but I have to write a review for another website).  I was really impressed, I can't see any real difference from the ProV1s I usually play.

[Golfingdad]

23 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I was really impressed, I can't see any real difference from the ProV1s I usually play.

Exactly.  This is the appeal for me, no real difference from ProV1 or any other premium, and like @jbishop15 pointed out, a considerable savings in cost.

[jbishop15]

Maybe the best thing about these balls is that nobody else that I know is playing them, so I don't have to mark my ball!

[Golfingdad]

Just now, jbishop15 said:

Maybe the best thing about these balls is that nobody else that I know is playing them, so I don't have to mark my ball!

100% yes.  When I'm playing the type of course where I can hit the wrong fairways, I definitely use the Snells because there is a heck of a lot less chance of anybody else mistaking it for theirs.

I think you're going to really like those balls. 

[jbishop15]

1 minute ago, Golfingdad said:

100% yes.  When I'm playing the type of course where I can hit the wrong fairways, I definitely use the Snells because there is a heck of a lot less chance of anybody else mistaking it for theirs.

I think you're going to really like those balls. 

I'm super excited. I've got them loaded up in my bag already; I'm going to the range in a few, and I'll be using them on the chipping/putting green. 

[Jeremie Boop]

3 minutes ago, jbishop15 said:

I'm super excited. I've got them loaded up in my bag already; I'm going to the range in a few, and I'll be using them on the chipping/putting green. 

I liked them just fine, but even at $26 they are more expensive than I can feel comfortable spending these days. That and I can't get myself to buy 6 dozen at a time.

[jbishop15]

3 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

I liked them just fine, but even at $26 they are more expensive than I can feel comfortable spending these days. That and I can't get myself to buy 6 dozen at a time.

I understand, man. I've been using fifteen dollar balls for the last few months, and most of those I've found on the course.