My Swing (stb5089)

[stb5089]

I've been Playing Golf for: 10 years

My current handicap index or average score is: 5 handicap, 76

My typical ball flight is: low to medium trajectory, straight ball flight

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: pull hook or occasional block

Hi all I'm new to the site. I've been btw a 4 and 6 handicap for the past 7 years and this year I decided I really need to make some swing changes. When I'm playing well I have a straight ball flight. My go to clubs are my shorter irons.  I struggle the most with my driver and then struggle in cycles with my longer irons.  I have been recently working on limiting my head movement ( the video of my driver swing shows the limited movement).  The other 2 videos were filmed prior to this change (you will probably see some head sway backwards). I also have been working on the towel under armpit drill where it helps keep the club more square at the top and it helps shorten up the backswing. I have noticed in these videos mine is somewhat closed and not square at the top of the backswing.  All 3 of the videos were filmed prior to this drill.  I have had very limited to no success with either of the two things I have been working on.  Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I will also be offering feedback to other swings on the board (mainly higher or mid handicappers). Thanks so much!

Video 1 : Driver swing

Video 2 : 6 iron from 175 yards,

Video 3: 3 hybrid from 205 yards

---

Videos:

[stb5089]

bump. any help guys?!

[BirdieNumNums]

It's a bit difficult to give much useful advice. First video is blurry, the 2nd video isn't loading for me and the 3rd video is from a poor angle.

The only thing I can say is that it seems you start your swing with your right hand pulling the club. I'd work on eliminating that.  Like I said, not much I can give advice on due to video quality/positioning. Maybe others can pick up on something.

[BirdieNumNums]

2nd video loaded. Clubface seems very shut on the way back.

[jbishop15]

Personally, I would try and lower the arm position at the top of the backswing. I prefer it to be closer to the shoulder, or maybe a little bit underneath; being that far above requires a fair amount of compensations to get back on line.

The clubface looks shut to me as well, though I don't think it's a huge problem. I have a bowed left wrist and a shut clubface on my swing, and I usually do alright.

[theworldengine]

I have a hard time believing you can play to a 4 hcp with that swing, must have a tour level shortgame. Looks like you rely on your arms to provide power and square the face, not the best way to swing.

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by theworldengine

I have a hard time believing you can play to a 4 hcp with that swing, must have a tour level shortgame. Looks like you rely on your arms to provide power and square the face, not the best way to swing.

I don't have any problem believing it. Sure it's not the prettiest, but he's doing the stuff that counts.

Head has stayed pretty steady, hips and weight have gone forward (red lines mark address positions), left wrist is flat through impact. Now where have I heard about these imperatives -- perhaps we could even call them "keys" -- before?

OP, I would look at your right elbow action as a point of departure. It's flexing too early in the backswing and too much overall. Try and feel like that arm stays very "straight" all the way back, almost like it doesn't bend at all. (It will, of course, but the feel should be that there's almost no flex.) An alternate way to think about it, since everyone tends to have a different mental picture that works for them, is that you don't want to let your elbows separate (i.e. pull apart) the way they do now. Try making half swings where you feel like you're really pushing them close together on both sides of the ball. It'll look something like this:

[stb5089]

Originally Posted by jbishop15

Personally, I would try and lower the arm position at the top of the backswing. I prefer it to be closer to the shoulder, or maybe a little bit underneath; being that far above requires a fair amount of compensations to get back on line.

The clubface looks shut to me as well, though I don't think it's a huge problem. I have a bowed left wrist and a shut clubface on my swing, and I usually do alright.

Thanks for the advice I will be working on this!

Originally Posted by BirdieNumNums

It's a bit difficult to give much useful advice. First video is blurry, the 2nd video isn't loading for me and the 3rd video is from a poor angle.

The only thing I can say is that it seems you start your swing with your right hand pulling the club. I'd work on eliminating that.  Like I said, not much I can give advice on due to video quality/positioning. Maybe others can pick up on something.

Thanks! i do notice i slight pulling at the takeaway.

[stb5089]

Thanks a lot Stretch!  That video gives me a good idea how to tighten up my swing for sure. Also the mental idea of the elbows i think will help greatly. I will practicing this stuff as soon as i can.

[stb5089]

stretch I tried using the drill.  I feel more connected and def had some decent accuracy, but my power seems to be gone. any ideas?!

[stb5089]

update : tried getting more extension to keep arms from flexing so much.  I still can see driver is very closed in the backswing and at the top ugh haha. any ideas would be appreciated.

[BirdieNumNums]

I'd work on your right hand position.  Get it to more of a neutral position, rotate right your right hand knuckles counter clockwise.  Also, too much bend and pull from that right arm.

You seem to be the left image and need to look more like the middle.

[stb5089]

thanks birdie I will def try to get my grip in a more neutral position. I never knew I pulled my right elbow in like that until i videod myself.  This seems like its gonna take some time to fix

[stb5089]

I also noticed my right foot comes way off the ground during the backswing.  I tried keeping that right foot more grounded through the backswing and I started hitting some slight pulls with it.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by stb5089

Any help would be greatly apprecaited Mike, I feel like I semi know what I'm doing wrong, I just can't fix it for the life of me. Thanks Mike!

Yeah saw the swing and I don't think the right arm is a priority right now, I think you need to increase your turning rates on the backswing.  To fix it, flare the right foot out and keep the right hip turning.  Make swings at 30%, 50% to make sure the right hip keeps cranking back.  That will help the elbow position.  It has to over flex in reaction to what the pivot is doing.  Check out this post.  I also think the grip is too strong and may be the next step.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/69271/i-just-cant-find-the-right-backswing-takeaway#post_883401

[stb5089]

Originally Posted by mvmac

Yeah saw the swing and I don't think the right arm is a priority right now, I think you need to increase your turning rates on the backswing.  To fix it, flare the right foot out and keep the right hip turning.  Make swings at 30%, 50% to make sure the right hip keeps cranking back.  That will help the elbow position.  It has to over flex in reaction to what the pivot is doing.  Check out this post.  I also think the grip is too strong and may be the next step.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/69271/i-just-cant-find-the-right-backswing-takeaway#post_883401

Thanks for taking a look Mike. I will do this and let you know how it goes. Sorry for all the questions, but when you saying turning rate do you mean amount of turn and the speed at which I turn? so more degree of turn and a faster rate?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by stb5089

Thanks for taking a look Mike. I will do this and let you know how it goes. Sorry for all the questions, but when you saying turning rate do you mean amount of turn and the speed at which I turn? so more degree of turn and a faster rate?

More degrees of rotation.  With a lot of good players we tend to see them turned around 80-90 degrees(shoulders) by the time they get to A3 (left arm parallel to the ground on the backswing).  The guy in the right pic is hitting a sand wedge and you can see how much more turned he his than you, and you're hitting a driver.  Also note how much more his hips have turned, again the feet flare will help with this.  With you it's not an ability thing, more of just understanding how the pieces fit together.

[stb5089]

Thanks a lot Mike I appreciate it!  I learned more from you on here than I learned in a few lessons. I will be putting this to work ASAP.