My Swing (TDRKZ)

[Mordan]

Originally Posted by TDRKZ

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I was comparing my shoulder angle to Louis Ooosthuizen's in the image above and it does not seem too different. Here is what I am noticing:

See how Louis rotates around his spine angle but you seem to lift up a bit? It might not be your shoulders, it might be a bit of head movement, it's a little hard to tell.

While using pro swings as models for particular moves can be a big help, trying to copy his swing lock stock might not be a great way to go about it, especially as Louis has a pretty different build to you. You've got a lot of thoughts going on there at the moment, prioritising and focussing on the most important piece for your swing right now might be a good idea.

[TDRKZ]

Ya, I found it difficult to practice today because I lost all semblance of consistency. What would you say is adjustment I should target first. The low hanging fruit per say.

[Mordan]

Originally Posted by TDRKZ

Ya, I found it difficult to practice today because I lost all semblance of consistency. What would you say is adjustment I should target first. The low hanging fruit per say.

I like the 5 Simple Keys system, you can read about it here http://thesandtrap.com/t/55426/introducing-five-simple-keys. Rather than prescribing a particular way to swing, it gives you a framework to help identify swing faults and work out which ones should be your priority to work on.

So the first step would be working on reducing the amount your head moves. A little vertical movement is ok but we really need a front on video to see if you're swaying laterally.

[thanw]

To me this drill will help with the low hanging fruit. Get an old driver you don't care about or buy one at a garage sale for $2. An actual wood driver might be best. Find a tall straight tree with no low branches somewhere. Take your stance with your butt toward the tree but about 24" from it. Now practice your swing. If the club hits the tree on the backswing you will know it. The old driver will also help with your tempo. Lessons of course would be best if you can afford them.

[TDRKZ]

Sorry for the delay. Been hard to get out to the range. Here is a pair of videos showing my swing from the front and down the line.

[TDRKZ]

These are the 2 main things that that I see. Please let me know if you agree.

1) Head is generally steady until the overswing begins

2) Backswing is way too behind the plane that it should be on

It seems like my major issue stems from the fact that my backswing is not on plane. Because of this, I end up "correcting" or "finding" the swing plane by swinging further back leading to my overswing. I still have to get the top of the backswing in the right position which makes it difficult to shorten my swing since I would be starting my swing from behind my back. This then leads to the head movement.

I feel like my backswing is moving back and around correctly but now it seems as though I need to try to swing "vertically in my mind" in order to get my backswing on the right plane.

Does this sound like a correct assessment? Are there any drills that might help?

[thanw]

It looks to me like your feet are above the ball (uneven lie). It also looks like you are choking up which you need to do but then the lie angle is a bit too laid back even on that lie. Did you have those clubs fitted for you? It is tough to fit your swing to the clubs, I tried for years. My guess is that if you had a shorter iron that was a bit more upright your might be able to make your swing more upright too. Good luck.

[TDRKZ]

The lie is actually flat. The reason why it looks uphill is probably because I'm 5'5 and the guy filming me is taller. The clubs I have are standard off the shelf clubs which is why I choke down on them.

Why does the fit of the iron affect how upright my swing can be?

[thanw]

Originally Posted by TDRKZ

The lie is actually flat. The reason why it looks uphill is probably because I'm 5'5 and the guy filming me is taller. The clubs I have are standard off the shelf clubs which is why I choke down on them.

Why does the fit of the iron affect how upright my swing can be?

Having clubs that fit makes a big difference. A laid back lie if you try to hit it from an upright position the toe will dig in first causing shots to tend right. I had a set of wilson staff irons back in the late 70s. Lengthened them 2" so the lie angle was better for me but it didn't fix the problem and my address looked similar to yours even though I am 6'-1". What I needed was the lie angle more upright, lengthening them just made it harder to be consistent. I suggest you get professionally fitted. If that is price prohibitive try to find a cheap older middling Ping iron with an upright color code (white dot, silver dot, maroon dot) and shorten it until it fits you perfectly. My pro shop has tons of six irons that were demos for $10 each, you could get something like that in a forged club and have the lie bent more upright if you don't want a Ping. Then try a more upright swing and see how it goes.

edit: btm, a cheapie pipe cutter works for shortening irons if you are patient. Remove grip with knife, clean shaft, cut, then regrip. I don't know how handy you are but if you are going to be a golfer you might as well learn some clubsmithing skills too.

[TDRKZ]

I'm having trouble keeping my backswing from going behind my body. Any drills to help me with this? or tips?

[TDRKZ]

Apparently, my issue can be described as a "laid-off" problem.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2013/01/159_66533.html