My Swing (billchao)

[billchao]

I'm saying that when you try to lay the shaft down you just take your hands deeper, when in reality they should be coming OUT (losing depth) more in that phase.

So more like in the original swing when I wasn't trying to lay down the shaft? [quote name="iacas" url="/t/70666/my-swing-billchao/420#post_1142939"]Right, then don't - just keep working on that. Ignore that you're a little OTT and left right now. Don't worry about it right now. CEMENT the stuff you and Preston were working on, THEN when it is 100% natural, do whatever is next. [/quote]Right then, I'll do that. Really, you'd think I'd know better by now...

[billchao]

@iacas , sorry I'm an idiot. There was a downswing piece and I had completely forgotten about it. I kind of touched on it in my earlier post, but I'm supposed to feel like I'm hitting long arm pitches or long chips in my full swing. It was something I got rather easily, so we didn't spend too much time on it. Probably why I forgot it so quickly, too, and reverted right back to my old action. It was bothering me that my video showed I was so steep coming down, because I wasn't swinging like that at Metedeconk.

Here's what I did today:

I was going to share some videos of me practicing, but I had some difficulty uploading the longer videos for some reason.

[Ernest Jones]

That looks pretty good to my untrained eye Bill. Key#1 is rock solid! Nice work.

[iacas]

Here's what I did today:

Much better.

Worst case you can play a little cut for awhile. Clean up contact, play your pattern, then build from there.

[billchao]

That looks pretty good to my untrained eye Bill. Key#1 is rock solid! Nice work.

Thanks! Key #1 was something we cleaned up with the shorter swing. I had a tendency to overturn and pull my head away from the target right at the end of the backswing. [quote name="iacas" url="/t/70666/my-swing-billchao/420#post_1143265"] Much better. Worst case you can play a little cut for awhile. Clean up contact, play your pattern, then build from there. [/quote]Yea, that's what we decided, too. It didn't matter what pattern I was going to play, as long as I eliminated the two-way miss. That was hurting my game more than anything else.

[Ernest Jones]

Thanks! Key #1 was something we cleaned up with the shorter swing. I had a tendency to overturn and pull my head away from the target right at the end of the backswing.

Me too, I have to stop at what feels like a 3/4 swing or even less or I drift off the ball from A3.2 or so. I need to feel a fair bit of extensor action or I can get way out of whack with my arms running on and my head coming off the ball.

[billchao]

Me too, I have to stop at what feels like a 3/4 swing or even less or I drift off the ball from A3.2 or so. I need to feel a fair bit of extensor action or I can get way out of whack with my arms running on and my head coming off the ball.

Funny how different feels work for different people. I have to feel the pressure points on my right arm, almost like it's staying tight on my chest. And I'm almost embarrassed to say that I feel like I'm swinging to A2.

[nevets88]

[quote name="Ernest Jones" url="/t/70666/my-swing-billchao/420#post_1143275"] Me too, I have to stop at what feels like a 3/4 swing or even less or I drift off the ball from A3.2 or so. I need to feel a fair bit of extensor action or I can get way out of whack with my arms running on and my head coming off the ball.

Funny how different feels work for different people. I have to feel the pressure points on my right arm, almost like it's staying tight on my chest. And I'm almost embarrassed to say that I feel like I'm swinging to A2.[/quote] Don't be. I think a lot of people feel for a shorter swing, it has to feel way shorter. I feel a 1/2 even 1/4 to go 3/4.

[billchao]

Don't be. I think a lot of people feel for a shorter swing, it has to feel way shorter. I feel a 1/2 even 1/4 to go 3/4.

Yea I guess it's not that bad. The important thing is I'm doing things properly. It does help to explain why I get full distance on shots I'm trying to hit 3/4, for example. I wonder how this affects my partial wedge shots? Might have to map everything out again.

[nevets88]

[quote name="nevets88" url="/t/70666/my-swing-billchao/420#post_1143319"] Don't be. I think a lot of people feel for a shorter swing, it has to feel way shorter. I feel a 1/2 even 1/4 to go 3/4.

Yea I guess it's not that bad. The important thing is I'm doing things properly. It does help to explain why I get full distance on shots I'm trying to hit 3/4, for example. I wonder how this affects my partial wedge shots? Might have to map everything out again.[/quote] I think you give the human mind and body less credit than it deserves. Imho, you'll adjust faster than you think.

[billchao]

Just realized I forgot to post these from my lesson with @pcombs21 back on the 8th. Thanks again, Preston!

[pcombs21]

Looked good out there and keep me posted on the progress! Great to spend the day out there with you.

[billchao]

Looked good out there and keep me posted on the progress! Great to spend the day out there with you.

Thanks, it was cool hanging out with you as well. I hear you got your Trackman. Having lots of fun, I'd take it?

First round back wasn't so great, but yesterday I shot 98 on a new course. It's a step in the right direction, especially considering I've been shooting over 100 on familiar courses. Haven't had any contact issues with pitch shots and my AimPoint reads have been spot on, but I'm still having start line problems with the putter. I'll have to spend some more time practicing that.

Full swing contact is getting more consistently good. Starting them straight down the target line with a slight draw. Driver is drawing, too. I must be doing something differently since I saw you because I was hitting fades at Metedeconk. Only hit two pulls all day, though (one driver, one 9 iron).

I'm not really taking a lot of divots, though. Sometimes I'll hit a good divot and other times I'll just scuff the ground like when I hit a pitch shot. Is that something I should be concerned about? Wouldn't it be more forgiving to hit the ball more before the bottom of the arc rather than just at it? Mis-hit is thin.

[billchao]

Update on current swing progress:

Looks about the same as last time. I think I have a pretty good handle on the right elbow feel in the backswing. Contact looked toe-y. Still a little steep, but I know I can learn to play some pretty good golf with this swing, as long as I can drive the ball decently. Maybe I should film myself hitting a driver to see if there is anything else going on that needs addressing, or if I just need to learn to find the sweetspot better.

Played around with a feel at the end of practice, before the storm hit. I "practiced" this feel only as much as you see on video, so please don't yell at me for going off on tangents . I just wanted to see what it would look like on film.

[boogielicious]

@billchao ,

Were you going for the 'float loading' feel on the bottom two?  The top ones look pretty good to me.

[billchao]

@billchao , Were you going for the 'float loading' feel on the bottom two?  The top ones look pretty good to me.

I was going for that Ben Hogan sidearm pitch feel. Way too much movement the way I did it to be functional in a golf swing. Also a good reminder for me that I can't ever feel like I'm leading with my hips: too much separation between the arms and legs and I get all out of sync.

[billchao]

Spent a good amount of time today with video, trying out different feels to shallow the shaft with the shorter backswing. I'm confident about that piece, so I'm starting to explore the next step. I feel that coming down too steeply still causes me to do a lot of throwing with the hands and brings up a timing issue.

Minor setup change is, I flexed my knees more than usual. Thought I was standing with my knees too straight, not feeling athletic or using the ground well. Changed this by getting into my normal address position and squatting back a bit before doing my backswing rehearsal move.

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First swing, I was just trying to regain a little flexion in the right knee at transition to keep from spinning out with my hips. Basically felt like I was trying to keep my knee flex from address. Downswing is led by the right elbow, as opposed to the hands pulling down or a hip bump:

I like the way this looks, minus the Arnold Palmer leg thing at the end.

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Second swing is similar to the first swing, except I weakened the grip. Also sent the path more out to the right:

Looks like the hands stay too deep too long on this one. Pretty much the effect the last time I tried to send the path more right.

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Last swing (sorry it is dark), tried to go steep to shallow. Backswing felt like just turn, same downswing feel as the first swing:

Arm positions look pretty good, but it looks like I'm cupping the left wrist coming down and it tips the club over plane right at the end.

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I think I like the last swing, just need to do it with more wrist bowing.

[Lihu]

Image on the left is the takeaway, image on the right is the downswing. The yellow line on the right image shows the original position of the shaft.

This is at least the net effect of why you seem to be shanking the ball.