Staying Connected - Pitch vs Full Swing

[spentmiles]

Until recently, I've always pitched (20-75 yards) with my arms, which led to a lot of consistent ball striking.  In trying to improve, I've been working on the pitching technique recommended in Golf Magazine's "The Best Short Game Instruction Book Ever."  The key, they say, is keeping the body turn, shoulder turn, and arm swing connected - don't let one out race the other.  I've never taken to heart the phrase, "Stay Connected," until working on this.  I've also had past instructors say that a pitch shot is just a shorter full swing.

On my fill swings, especially my long irons and driver, I often find my shoulders racing way ahead of my hands.  This leads to an over the top swing with an open club face.  On my worst shots, I hit my driver straight up in the air, way way left.  Frustrating enough to make me run into the woods crying.

After working on the pitching motion and staying connected, I took it out to the course this past weekend.  I was really pleased.  Instead of making solid contact on 40-50% of my pitches, I was hitting the ball well on 75-80%.  On full swings, though, I could feel my shoulders outracing and my swing coming way over the top.

It didn't occur to me to try the "staying connected" on full swings.  I've always swung too much with my arms, though "staying connected" like that seems like it would cause you to swing much slower.  Which may or may not be a bad thing...

So, do you feel as though you stay connected in your full swings in the same way as you do in your pitch swings, though varying the amount of turn and back swing?

I'd love to take this out to the range right now.  Dang work.

Thanks for your insight,

Jim

[stoverny]

Are you familiar with Geoff Jones (slicefixer)?  Well-respected instructor (out of Texas I believe).  He is a big proponent of keeping arms and body in absolute sync on the full swing.  May want to take a look around, lots of good information about his swing online.  Also a very good YouTube vid titled "Swing it Like Slicefixer" which sums up the basics of his swing.

Basically if your arms outrace the body you are losing leverage and power.  Absolutely nothing about keeping everything in sync that results in a loss of swing speed or power, in fact the opposite is true.

Jones promotes a 9-3 drill which is great at ingraining the connected feeling you are talking about.   Basically an abbreviated version of the full swing (lead arm goes back to 9 o'clock and trail arm extends to 3 o'clock).  Once you've got the pivot/sync down pat from 9-3 you can gradually extend to a full swing.  Again you can find some good examples of the 9-3 drill on youtube etc.

[saevel25]

Your probably rotating on to a shallow of an angle with your shoulders. Meaning your left shoulder is pointing more towards the horizon than the golf ball. This motion will pull the club over the top because your right shoulder is getting way out infront of you instead driving down towards the ball. With a pitch, you have less shoulder turn, so the effect is less pronounce.

[iacas]

Your backswing is likely too long, and you rotate rather than sliding with your arms coming down "late."

This video is related to this:

[CrazyD3]

Hi Erik,  I do not fall into the two extreme but when my shaft is parallel to the target in the downswing, my hands are not in front enough in front of the hip or more, resulting in losing the angle and not hitting as far as wanted.   Should I push more with my right palm coming down to keep the angle, or slide more allowing the arm to come down more?