Advice on rebuilding swing

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by blaylock6502

The main things I notice that I think cause my slice is sliding my hips forward and the club releases too late if at all.? Any thoughts or suggested drills?

For most golfers who slice it would be the opposite, not enough weight forward at impact and the club releasing too early.  Hips going forward and hands forward would have the path OUT to the right.  Weight back, releasing too soon, path across the ball.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/29616/the-biggest-secret-slide-your-hips

I would suggest you check out drills for Key's 2 and 3

http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread

[nighthawk31]

A slice is hit with a path outside in and an open club face. realize this, and slow down until you can feel it all the way takeaway through finish. Go smaller and slower. To experience a straighter path with a squarer clubface, do it slow. The whole thing I think is the long shaft, so maybe you would like to use a 3 wood instead of the big dog in the beginning.

Experience your move when you slice it. I am kind of: when you know how to slice, you don't need to do it anymore. You only slice when you try to hit it hard and far, I'd believe you easily squeeze. So make sure to try it tensionfree.

[blaylock6502]

I had a feeling it was because I was trying to hit it was too hard! And looking at my my swing videoat impact to me it looks like there is too much bend in my right arm and wrist and the outside of my left wrist is facing the the target instead of the top or logo on my glove ive that makes sense. I think I am gettin the club to the ball by sliding my hips forward. Keep in mind these are the ramblings of a man knows next to nothing about golf.

[blaylock6502]

So should I be trying for a very inside out swing path or the flatter the better?

[Hacker James]

You are doing okay. As mentioned, one thing at a time. Don't make your practice sessions too long. I find that I can be working on something and it seems to be working very well as swing after swing produces what I want, but if I keep it up too long, I lose it and cant hit anything. That, or it is working so well, that I automatically start swinging faster or harder until it becomes a train wreck. Now that I think of it, that's not a bad analogy in that a train can be speeding along, but eventually if the speed keeps going up, that train can derail!

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by blaylock6502

So should I be trying for a very inside out swing path or the flatter the better?

inside or outside, either extreme is equally bad. Usually, if you can identify what and where your misses are, you can apply the right fix. It might be something as simple as ball placement. Identify the problem - fix it. then move on to the next.

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by blaylock6502

So should I be trying for a very inside out swing path or the flatter the better?

A flatter swing generally tends to come more from the inside because the clubhead is inside your hands coming into the ball (viewed DTL) so the clubhead will be swing outwards as it comes into the ball. A steeper swing can cause the club head to tip out or come over the top resulting in the clubhead being outside your hands coming into the ball, from there you have no way to hit the ball except to come from the outside and cut across it leading to a pull, slice or pull slice depending on where the face is pointing when it contacts the ball. I'm just learning all this myself so there may be some errors in my explaination but if that's the case I'm sure someone will chime in.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

Just my thought but how is your grip? If it is weak or neutral try to strengthen it because that can cause a slice. Actually when I am trying to get out of trouble on the course and need to slice the only thing I change is my left hand grip to a weaker position and aim left of course. If you haven't had any lessons you need to realize that a strong grip has the left thumb a lot further to the left of the shaft then you might suspect. Mine is probably between 1 and 2 O'clock on the grip. After that I would say try to think hit the inside of the ball. I will sometimes put a basket or plastic bottle about an inch or two to the outside of my ball while at the range. If I don't hit it I can feel pretty sure I am not coming OTT.

I don't get the slow the swing down thing. If you hit a slice and you slow your swing down without fixing it all you are going to do is hit a shorter slice. I would say hit the range and do quarter to half swings paying attention to your wrist being flat, hands in front and hitting the inside of the ball. Don't break your wrists when doing it until you are comfortable hitting the key spots. At the same time though don't overwhelm yourself. You aren't going to build a flawless swing over night.

[blaylock6502]

Maybe im not slowing down as much as swinging the way I should. Just not trying to kill the ball. I have had a couple of very short lessons and been told that I have a strong grip. Looking straight down the shaft I can see at least two knuckles and my left thumb is at about 1:30 to 2 o'clock. I just had a vasectomy yesterday so I have spent the morning calling around asking about lesson rates.

[blaylock6502]

[VIDEO]http://youtu.be/kOdV64TzvMg[/VIDEO] Ive been working on not trying to overdo the back swing and keeping my knees bent but my clubface is still open at impact and im not sure y. I feel like its because I am sliding forward instead of opening my hips and my wrists are a problem. If this were your swing how would you approach it and what would you address first?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by blaylock6502

Ive been working on not trying to overdo the back swing and keeping my knees bent but my clubface is still open at impact and im not sure y. I feel like its because I am sliding forward instead of opening my hips and my wrists are a problem. If this were your swing how would you approach it and what would you address first?

Yeah would not say you are sliding the hips forward too much.  Again, the feeling of closing the clubface or releasing it more could lead to swinging more across the ball.  When you slice it, does the ball start straightish and slice or is it a block slice?

Originally Posted by nighthawk31

A slice is hit with a path outside in and an open club face. realize this, and slow down until you can feel it all the way takeaway through finish.

To clarify, club face open to the path, not necessarily open to the target, most slicers have the face LEFT of the target.

[blaylock6502]

It starts straight most of the time and starts to slice about 100 yds out.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by blaylock6502

It starts straight most of the time and starts to slice about 100 yds out.

Yeah so clubface isn't really the issue, it's the path.  Clubface determines initial start line and the ball curves away from the path.

[Hacker James]

Although I have not been working on it lately, I sometimes have problems with swing path. I will set up with face a little open to target, closed to swing path. Ball starts out to the right as it should, but somehow or other the swing path must be changing as the ball does not want to curve back.  or, I am coming across it.  I often times can not hit the draw as you are supposed to. I can however, hit a draw fairly consistently if I set up open but keep my shoulders square to the target as suggested by Ledbetter awhile back. I think his reasoning was that some people automatically do some sort of swing path change without being actively aware of it.

[blaylock6502]

So if it is swing path does this indicate and inside to out path or outside to in??

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by blaylock6502

So if it is swing path does this indicate and inside to out path or outside to in??

Yes.     (outside to in  is normally associated with a slice, but just as easily can be a dead pull to the left).

Sometimes it is best just to make half or 3/4 swings making solid contact and getting ball to go straight, then gradually increase your arc until you are doing the same thing at full swing You have already experienced this. Draw on your own experience. You can be told all about face angle, target path, swing path, but it is what happens at impact is what counts. You may think or feel you are aiming your clubface at the target, right of the target, or left of the target, but it does not  mean that is what is happening at impact. Here is another drill that may or may not help: Take a nice easy swing and then just drop your right hand on the downswing using only your leading arm to complete the swing. You may be surprised at what you learn. (not unlike passing a "medicine ball" to the person on your left).

BTW, "straight is a good thing".....working a fade can easily become a slice, and a draw a hook, or if hit too far, not unlike putting through the break.

[blaylock6502]

Straight is definitely my goal at this point! Good advice as always guys! Thanks again!

[mvmac]

Straight can be a tough goal, not even the best players in the world hit it straight

Originally Posted by blaylock6502

So if it is swing path does this indicate and inside to out path or outside to in??

Yes would typically be outside to in path.  Check out these drills to fix that path issue.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread#post_785397

http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread#post_791160

http://thesandtrap.com/t/61376/5sk-video-thread/90#post_836200