Swinging too hard

[LyndonReid]

I am just getting into golf.

I have a tenenacy to rip at the ball.  I think I hit well generally and have an okayish swing (i am not delisiounal and i don't think I am a scratch golfer lol).

I believe I should slow it down, especially with my irons.  I think that I will become more consistent and that I won't lose that much distance.  When ever I try to slow it down, I seem to pull it or shank it.  I just don't get good contact.  My driver, I think I slice it when I slow it down.  I havne't worked at that much though as I panick and speed it back up.

Any advice?  Is it important I slow down.  I would say I am swinging at 95-100%.

[Hacker James]

with all the backyard practice my swing is improving. I am getting a fairly repetitive swing and striking the ball well. I was concerned with trying to get a faster swing speed, but reading posts here, and trying various techniques, I find (with no surprise) that when I try to just swing smoothly without trying to swing harder, the speed is coming up but naturally.  I was watching Phil Mickelson practice swings yesterday and how he just easily swung with very little effort and I noted how far back he was getting. It seemed a little past parallel but his swing is a lot flatter than mine.  I then started swinging loose and began to feel the club head's weight at the end of the shaft . As I developed a good rhythm, I also noted that my wrist hinge took place naturally without even giving any thought to it. The result was, my impacts were very solid and predictable.  I did not "slow" it down any, but just got the feeling of staying relaxed and loose. My grip is neutral, not tight, yet has a little firmness to it.   Sometimes, I find that when you intentionally try to slow down, you try also to "steer" it, which causes a tenseness in the arms which is not good.  I just let the weight of the club head pull the arms and shaft around.  Anyway, that's how it went FOR ME.

[saevel25]

Originally Posted by LyndonReid

I am just getting into golf.

I have a tenenacy to rip at the ball.  I think I hit well generally and have an okayish swing (i am not delisiounal and i don't think I am a scratch golfer lol).

I believe I should slow it down, especially with my irons.  I think that I will become more consistent and that I won't lose that much distance.  When ever I try to slow it down, I seem to pull it or shank it.  I just don't get good contact.  My driver, I think I slice it when I slow it down.  I havne't worked at that much though as I panick and speed it back up.

Any advice?  Is it important I slow down.  I would say I am swinging at 95-100%.

The problem is, most amateurs are so out of sync with there upper and lower body turn rates that they lash out at the ball. When i am swinging good, everything feels in sync, and power is effortless. If i had to describe it, my current good swing, gives me slightly more distance, but it feels like 70% effort of my old swing.

Work on the first three keys, check out the swing thoughts thread, dozen good videos on the 5 key's system. Master the 1st three and you'll realize what your missing out on.

[Dabzy]

I'm funny, because my most natural, workable swing with irons is trying to tear the ball a new a**e (Woods, erm... No, same approach would kill me)

I used to play a pitching wedge from 150 yards, its a big shot... 4 iron would be my choice if a mate used a 3 wood!

But, learnt, big hits arent the answer... I had to learn how to calm my swing, its really hard to go from a big pitching to a steady 8 from 150, totally wrecked my mojo... But, its paid off countless times, especially when windy.

Controlled swings are the way to go, I'm learning all the time, I'm a 24 handicapper, and now seeing different things I should be doing, this will help me get that handicap down... I need control, take control of the ball on the course and just not give it a huge whack and see what happens.

We'll get their bud... No doubt! ;)

Dabz

[saevel25]

Actually he doesn't. Do you ever see him falling over (well except when he's trying to hit out of knee deep rough in the british open)?

There's the difference, he has such balance, body control, and fundamentally sound in keeping his head still, his weight forward, that he's able to tear into the ball. Just because it looks like he's swinging hard at the ball, doesn't mean for him its swinging hard. We just associate what we see with what we experience in our own golf swings. We don't step back and think, maybe for him, that's swinging 80%

[kw purp]

Swing aggressively. Don't try to destroy the ball just swing aggressively.

[Hacker James]

Originally Posted by saevel25

Actually he doesn't. Do you ever see him falling over (well except when he's trying to hit out of knee deep rough in the british open)?

There's the difference, he has such balance, body control, and fundamentally sound in keeping his head still, his weight forward, that he's able to tear into the ball. Just because it looks like he's swinging hard at the ball, doesn't mean for him its swinging hard. We just associate what we see with what we experience in our own golf swings. We don't step back and think, maybe for him, that's swinging 80%

Who?  Mikelson?  I did not think he was swinging all that hard, just getting back behind his head. Of course, it was at the practice tee with Harmon looking on (in shirt and tie no less). It just seemed so free and fluid. I know that image helped me a great deal. I could actually feel the head weight swinging back as if I knew exactly where it was all during the swing (not factually, but it just felt that way) noted the wrist cock and unhinge coming back down and through without me consciously thinking about it. Still hitting my target dead center 15 feet out.

[saevel25]

No woods

[Hacker James]

oh okay, I misinterpreted the previous post. I thought he was talking about not using his "woods" and is why I thought you were referring to my response.  In any event, you are most certainly 100% correct.