My Swing (billchao)

[billchao]

I'm going to put this video here so I'll remember it:

I'm still trying shorten the backswing. I think if I get the backswing shorter, it will be easier to do the downswing pieces I'm supposed to do. When I get long, the wrist angles get messed up and everything gets a little funky.

Started working on this yesterday, feels good. It's funny, I explored extensor action before, but I did it wrong, apparently. I focused on feeling more PP#1 and pushing the right hand into the left; all it did was make me feel like I was pushing my hands down towards the ground and hit it fat. This taut string, straight right arm feeling actually feels like a pulling motion, to me, like I'm using my right hand to pull my left thumb out of its socket.

Anyway, I've been doing the drill without a club by "pulling" on my left thumb. It was actually a pretty easy transition with the club in my hands, since I'm still doing the same motion. No video yet to confirm anything and probably not going to be for a while because I'm busy this weekend. Looks good in the mirror when I compare it with my old motion. Took a club with me in the yard for practice swings, and it feels (and sounds) like I'm swinging faster. Looks to tidy up a couple of other things, too, but I'll reserve judgement until I get real video hitting a real ball.

[boogielicious]

I'm going to put this video here so I'll remember it:

I'm still trying shorten the backswing. I think if I get the backswing shorter, it will be easier to do the downswing pieces I'm supposed to do. When I get long, the wrist angles get messed up and everything gets a little funky.

Started working on this yesterday, feels good. It's funny, I explored extensor action before, but I did it wrong, apparently. I focused on feeling more PP#1 and pushing the right hand into the left; all it did was make me feel like I was pushing my hands down towards the ground and hit it fat. This taut string, straight right arm feeling actually feels like a pulling motion, to me, like I'm using my right hand to pull my left thumb out of its socket.

Anyway, I've been doing the drill without a club by "pulling" on my left thumb. It was actually a pretty easy transition with the club in my hands, since I'm still doing the same motion. No video yet to confirm anything and probably not going to be for a while because I'm busy this weekend. Looks good in the mirror when I compare it with my old motion. Took a club with me in the yard for practice swings, and it feels (and sounds) like I'm swinging faster. Looks to tidy up a couple of other things, too, but I'll reserve judgement until I get real video hitting a real ball.

Wow, @mvmac 's latest video is making the rounds today!  It is a really good drill.

[Abu3baid]

Wow, @mvmac 's latest video is making the rounds today!  It is a really good drill.

I thought that was Stephan.. maybe I am wrong though.

[billchao]

I thought that was Stephan.. maybe I am wrong though.

Yup, it's @sk golf 's video. I got it from this thread [CONTENTEMBED=/t/35195/shorter-probably-better-swing-keep-the-right-arm-straight layout=inline]​[/CONTENTEMBED] that @Ernest Jones dug up. Quite the extensive network, we have here.

[boogielicious]

My bad.  Mike posted it, so I just assumed.

[sk golf]

I'm going to put this video here so I'll remember it:

I'm still trying shorten the backswing. I think if I get the backswing shorter, it will be easier to do the downswing pieces I'm supposed to do. When I get long, the wrist angles get messed up and everything gets a little funky.

Started working on this yesterday, feels good. It's funny, I explored extensor action before, but I did it wrong, apparently. I focused on feeling more PP#1 and pushing the right hand into the left; all it did was make me feel like I was pushing my hands down towards the ground and hit it fat. This taut string, straight right arm feeling actually feels like a pulling motion, to me, like I'm using my right hand to pull my left thumb out of its socket.

Anyway, I've been doing the drill without a club by "pulling" on my left thumb. It was actually a pretty easy transition with the club in my hands, since I'm still doing the same motion. No video yet to confirm anything and probably not going to be for a while because I'm busy this weekend. Looks good in the mirror when I compare it with my old motion. Took a club with me in the yard for practice swings, and it feels (and sounds) like I'm swinging faster. Looks to tidy up a couple of other things, too, but I'll reserve judgement until I get real video hitting a real ball.

Thanks @billchao , glad you liked the drill.  I would say a lot golfers over flex there right arm, so this a good drill for a lot of people.

[boogielicious]

Thanks @billchao, glad you liked the drill.  I would say a lot golfers over flex there right arm, so this a good drill for a lot of people.

It is a great drill @sk golf !  I added it to the other work I am doing with you and it made a huge difference yesterday in my round.  My only swing thought on the course was feeling the pressure of my right palm on my left thumb.  I made great contact all around.

[billchao]

I was practicing in my yard this morning, before work. Still working on that extensor action. It's beginning to feel normal. I started incorporating the Dustin Johnson feel, too. One thing I noticed, I still move my upper body away from the target a bit as I'm coming into A4. I don't know if I'm not getting a deep enough hip turn or right side extension? I flared out my right foot a bit more and it seemed to resolve the issue. @iacas or @mvmac , do you think I could do with a bit more rear foot flare? How much becomes too much?

[billchao]

Practiced this morning, worked on some of the drills highlighted in Lowest Score Wins .

Around the World

I started from 4' and I was awful, so I quickly switched to 3'. It took 22 putts to make 12 in a row, which I thought wasn't terrible, until I realized that I set the balls up from 2-2.5' from the hole. Then I remembered I had a 33" putter, so I stuck that in the hole and placed balls 3" from the end of the grip. I repeated the game from 3', took 30 putts, was nowhere near completing the game and quit.

Then I decided to repeat the 3' game putting with my right hand only; it took 12 putts. I'm doing something with my left hand that I shouldn't be doing, because the RH only putts were dying into the hole. Even slight misses and rim shots fell in because the speed was much better.

3 in a Row

I went back to putting with 2 hands, but I wanted to reduce the effect of my left hand on my stroke, so I switched from a single reverse overlap to a double reverse overlap. I focused on feeling like I was still putting RH only. Sequence went like this:

3' (2 made) - 6' (3) - 9' (0) - 6' (2) - 9' (0) - 6' (1)

I stopped after that because it was apparent I wasn't going to finish the game anytime soon. The misses weren't bad; they were all within 1' from the hole. Tendency was to miss long, rather than short.

Short Game 50

I wasn't sure what target I was supposed to pick. I thought I remember reading about 1' per handicap, so I went with 19'. I started with my 60°. Score was 0 after 4 rounds of 3 balls. I put that club away.

Switched to my 56°. Scored 24 after 4 rounds. I would have finished the game, but the practice green got inundated with people, so I just got out of there.

Conclusion

My putting and short game both need work, duh

Long Game

I'll upload videos later in the day, but judging by the flight, it was looking pretty good.

I started working on keeping my elbows together more at the top of the backswing earlier this week. I think this will help with my overswing and wrist cupping issues. What I ended up doing was bringing the club up to A4, and the squeezing the elbows together more. Then I brought that feeling back to A1. It felt like my right shoulder was tilted down a lot more than my left shoulder with a little bit of right side bend at address. The right elbow was more in front of my body.

I started taking that preset stance at address by standing over my ball and making that right side bend. Without arching my lower back, I let the bend take my clubhead to the ball. Overall, it felt like I was standing taller and my arms were able to hang out towards the ball a little more as opposed to hanging straight down from my shoulders. It was less bend at the hips than I'm used to, but really I think I bent too much from the hips, anyway.

Like I said, shots were really good. Even the driver. Videos to come.

[billchao]

Videos:

6i

Driver

[billchao]

I'm still trying to solve the wrist cupping. I was messing around with some static positions tonight, and it seems the only way I can bow my left wrist and keep it flat is if I feel like I'm downturning the wrist, as opposed to cocking it up. Back to Steve Stricker feeling, for me.

Here's a good picture of excessive wrist action (this is me at A2.5):

[14ledo81]

What feel do you use for the downswing? Edit: for the wrist bowing.

[Hammer 4]

I don't know if this will help, or not. What I did was make sure my wrist was flat as soon as the club was parallel to the ground, I can't tell you how many times I did this in front of the mirror..lol Then after doing that for a zillion times, I would check to see that my wrist was flat or slightly bowed at the top of my back swing, then I would check it again 1/2 way down, and again at impact, via a SLOW swing, until I got the feeling of how my wrist should feel.

Then I began hitting an impact bag, actually my dog's bed...lol, I did that a bunch of times. Then at the range I would wedge shots with the ball a couple balls more forward in my stance, and practice hitting 1/2 shots slowly, making sure my wrist was bowed, then went to 3/4 shots, and finally full shots. Now I can actually flight most of my wedge and iron shots. I now have to really concentrate to hit a sand shot where my wrist's break..sigh. Anyhow, I hope this helps you some.

[mvmac]

Bill I know you've worked with Dave and Erik and I'm basically just a casual observer but here's my take anyway If you want more of a "Steve Stricker" feel/look, I might experiment with raising the butt of the club a few degrees at A1. When the butt of the club is pointing below the belt (generally), the golfer is pre-loading some #2 Accumulator (wrists hinging up).

[billchao]

What feel do you use for the downswing? Edit: for the wrist bowing.

The idea is I'm supposed to get flat or bowed at the top, and feel like I'm holding it there. Obviously, feel isn't real. Alternative feeling is to downturn my left hand to lead with the back of my hand. Feels like I'm dragging my knuckles on the ground (hence my moniker). I've been avoiding that feel because I hit crazy low hooks with it, but it's there if I need it. [quote name="Hammer 4" url="/t/70666/my-swing-billchao/150#post_1027961"]I don't know if this will help, or not. What I did was make sure my wrist was flat as soon as the club was parallel to the ground, I can't tell you how many times I did this in front of the mirror..lol Then after doing that for a zillion times, I would check to see that my wrist was flat or slightly bowed at the top of my back swing, then I would check it again 1/2 way down, and again at impact, via a SLOW swing, until I got the feeling of how my wrist should feel. Then I began hitting an impact bag, actually my dog's bed...lol, I did that a bunch of times. Then at the range I would wedge shots with the ball a couple balls more forward in my stance, and practice hitting 1/2 shots slowly, making sure my wrist was bowed, then went to 3/4 shots, and finally full shots. Now I can actually flight most of my wedge and iron shots. I now have to really concentrate to hit a sand shot where my wrist's break..sigh. Anyhow, I hope this helps you some.    [/quote]Definitely helpful, thanks. I love the impact bag btw :-) For me, I do things slowly and it all works, but once I start to speed it up, I don't know if it's the forces involved, but that's when my wrist conditions change. Maybe it is just a repetition thing. [quote name="mvmac" url="/t/70666/my-swing-billchao/150#post_1027963"]Bill I know you've worked with Dave and Erik and I'm basically just a casual observer but here's my take anyway ;-)   If you want more of a "Steve Stricker" feel/look, I might experiment with raising the butt of the club a few degrees at A1. When the butt of the club is pointing below the belt (generally), the golfer is pre-loading some #2 Accumulator (wrists hinging up). [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/102812/] [/URL] [/quote]Thanks Mike, feel free to make observations anytime ;-) This kind of confirms my speculation. I'm trying to feel a downcocking of the wrists because I'm hinging too much, so I need to hold it off. I didn't know about the preset, though, but maybe if I stop doing that, I'll stop loading it too much on the backswing.

[billchao]

Messing around with Google Earth today and created a rudimentary Shot Zone for my driver, based on memory. Found out that my driver Shot Zone is around 5-50 yards to the right of my intended target, with some outliers around 60 yards or so! I knew I hit some big pushes with my driver, but 50 yards seems like a lot. The courses I typically play have wooded areas lining the holes, and the open areas are around 45 yards wide, which makes my driver a poor choice for most of these holes. The woods are usually old growth with tall trees, underbrush, poison ivy, gullies or other small valleys, and other such hazards (did I mention poison ivy?). If you don't just straight up lose the ball, there is likely very little chance to advance it without putting more trees in play.

No wonder I'm so bad at this game! I'm throwing out any potential of low scoring right from the tee! Time to start teeing off my 3W more.

[14ledo81]

Messing around with Google Earth today and created a rudimentary Shot Zone for my driver, based on memory. Found out that my driver Shot Zone is around 5-50 yards to the right of my intended target, with some outliers around 60 yards or so! I knew I hit some big pushes with my driver, but 50 yards seems like a lot. The courses I typically play have wooded areas lining the holes, and the open areas are around 45 yards wide, which makes my driver a poor choice for most of these holes. The woods are usually old growth with tall trees, underbrush, poison ivy, gullies or other small valleys, and other such hazards (did I mention poison ivy?). If you don't just straight up lose the ball, there is likely very little chance to advance it without putting more trees in play.

No wonder I'm so bad at this game! I'm throwing out any potential of low scoring right from the tee! Time to start teeing off my 3W more.

Or aim the driver a bit more left???

[billchao]

Or aim the driver a bit more left???

Can't, puts the left side trees into play. I literally line up along the tree line, figure I'll hit a perfectly struck shot into the left rough. BTW I rarely hit the driver left, so that's why I can line up like that. If I pull it or hook it, I consider it an anomaly. I think what I should actually be doing is aiming more right, without changing the face orientation. That would alter my path to the ball and the face to path relationship.