My Swing (Lihu)

[Golfingdad]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but no, it's not self deprecating. I watched three of my putts just magically go off line along a break I didn't see right into the hole. It was luck, pure and simple.

However, if I could just get down to 30-32 putts, and make more a couple more greens, I can say I would be very happy.

Of course.  Anytime somebody has a day of 27 putts, it means some are dropping.  That doesn't mean it's never happening again though.

Same thing with the score.  Sure, 80 is low for you, but that doesn't mean it always has to be low for you.  Have some confidence that you are getting better and that you can be that guy who shoots 80 regularly.

If you don't, then you will probably never be that guy.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but no, it's not self deprecating. I watched three of my putts just magically go off line along a break I didn't see right into the hole. It was luck, pure and simple.

However, if I could just get down to 30-32 putts, and make more a couple more greens, I can say I would be very happy.

Of course.  Anytime somebody has a day of 27 putts, it means some are dropping.  That doesn't mean it's never happening again though.

Same thing with the score.  Sure, 80 is low for you, but that doesn't mean it always has to be low for you.  Have some confidence that you are getting better and that you can be that guy who shoots 80 regularly.

If you don't, then you will probably never be that guy.

Thanks for the advice. I hope to be shooting in the low 80's, but I am just setting my expectations for tomorrow so I won't get pissed off with an 88 again. . .

The main thing is my shots are getting their distances back to what I now only vaguely remember. They are still a bit shorter, but I guess that might just be the colder weather.

Again thanks for the comments.

[Golfingdad]

Thanks for the advice. I hope to be shooting in the low 80's, but I am just setting my expectations for tomorrow so I won't get pissed off with an 88 again. . .

The main thing is my shots are getting their distances back to what I now only vaguely remember. They are still a bit shorter, but I guess that might just be the colder weather.

Again thanks for the comments.

And don't get me wrong ... I'm not advocating you set your expectations too high.  That is a recipe for disaster.  I'm simply saying if you continue to think of yourself as a 90's shooter who may occasionally get lucky and shoot in the low 80's ... then you'll always be a 90's shooter who can occasionally shoot in the low 80's.

[Jakester23]

I tried to capture some video of my swings, but was rushing a bit to finish my round. The ones I got are too dark as it was only 6:30am. After this it was a rush to get to hole 9 so that the starter would not put too many people on the back 9 so that I could still move quickly. I dumped on in the water on 8 for a double because I was rushing my tee shot. In any case, I will take some videos of my "neck straight" swing. My back is still in the comfortable "C" position, but I just straightened out my neck a little so it does not have to crane backwards at the top of the back swing. Much more freedom of movement this way.

Awesome round. Keep up the good work.

[chris3putt]

Really not a fan of the attitude there Lihu.  "I know I'll never putt like this again" and "I don't think I'll ever score this low again."

I hope that is just you being modest and/or self-depricating because if not ... WTF???

Don't be afraid of being good!  If you're capable of doing in once, then you're capable of doing it again, so ... and I say this with love ... shut you're damn mouth and keep at it.

That said ... congratulations!!

QFT.

[Lihu]

Okay, so I woke up this morning thinking I would be able to swing well. Nope. They sound "solid" but the feel is not right. I don't feel like I am "maximizing" the power stroke like I was on Tuesday.

It turns out I need to warm up my "hip firing" before starting to hit well. So, the "feeling of keeping pressure in the lead armpit works pretty well, but unfortunately my feet/legs/hip have to transfer the power to the upper torso in the correct sequence.

So, I started off with my PW, at first focusing on the key 1 movement with the neck straight. I hit a dozen balls with some takeaway drills interspersed. Then I start to hit them full speed until they are comfortable. Then I move on the the 9i, 8i, etc. all the way to the 3i. It was starting to feel powerful again.

I stopped hitting a little bit, then went back to it about 2 hours later, and the same thing. Needed to get the hip firing going again. . . Did a whole bunch of really slow motion golf swings with the "feet to hip power transfer feeling", and let the upper body just kind of follow it. I even used the resistance fan to get that feel again. This seemed to work, but can I do it, somehow, on the course before every swing?

The good news is that once I started to make sure I did this consciously, my contact was the most solid I've ever felt. Based upon the feel of the contact, I might get more yardage? Who knows, but if feels a heck of a lot more gratifying.

Key 1 is a real pain to get right.

[chris3putt]

Quote:

Key 1 is a real pain to get right.

Yup, agree totally. The only thing more painful is NOT getting it right.

[Lihu]

Doing some stretching and mirror work. Turns out my neck thing was only an indicator of the actual problem. My shoulders are too horizontal. While I was looking at some of the videos to see if there are any difference between my "neck straight swing"versus my "previous swing", I noticed that the only difference is the pressure on the neck was reduced only a little bit.

The reason why it was not substantial was simply to avoid "bottom eyes", and I could not keep my neck as straight as I wanted. This created pressure around the shoulders again. Less than before the straighter neck, but still created backwards torque.

Now I am trying to get to the heart of the problem, and it appears to be that I am flattening my shoulders at the top of the swing. This inhibits me from turning properly on the downswing. Thus, the observation that my swing was too flat and the fact that I am not getting what feels like the power I was getting a couple months ago prior to my shoulder injury.

I plan to post a series of progressive swings, if this is the actual fix. More to come. . .

[boogielicious]

Doing some stretching and mirror work. Turns out my neck thing was only an indicator of the actual problem. My shoulders are too horizontal. While I was looking at some of the videos to see if there are any difference between my "neck straight swing"versus my "previous swing", I noticed that the only difference is the pressure on the neck was reduced only a little bit.

The reason why it was not substantial was simply to avoid "bottom eyes", and I could not keep my neck as straight as I wanted. This created pressure around the shoulders again. Less than before the straighter neck, but still created backwards torque.

Now I am trying to get to the heart of the problem, and it appears to be that I am flattening my shoulders at the top of the swing. This inhibits me from turning properly on the downswing. Thus, the observation that my swing was too flat and the fact that I am not getting what feels like the power I was getting a couple months ago prior to my shoulder injury.

I plan to post a series of progressive swings, if this is the actual fix. More to come. . .

@Lihu

Try this drill that @Foursum Golf posted.  I've been doing it for a year and it really helps the shoulder turn and strengthens the obliques.  I make it part of my warm up before hitting balls or playing.  I also use it in the gym workouts.

4. One exercise for more flexibility and core strength.

This one move is not going to give you the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger but it will help in developing flexibility and core strength.

Get in your address position (with the proper posture that you’ve been practicing), hold your 5 iron at either end and lay it behind your neck, across your shoulders. From there, turn into your backswing, while keeping proper posture with a consistent spine angle, and hold the position at the top of your backswing. You should feel your core muscles being engaged at this point.

While you’re in this position, take note of the angle the shaft is in across your shoulders. When you make your downswing, make sure to emulate this same angle when you are at the point of impact. Your hands on either end of the shaft should be in the exact opposite positions that they were when you were at the top of your backswing.

Complete your swing to a balanced follow-through. Do this for 15 minutes a day and you’ll find you’ll have a little more core strength at the beginning of the season and a lot more flexibility.

[Lihu]

@Lihu

Try this drill that @Foursum Golf posted.  I've been doing it for a year and it really helps the shoulder turn and strengthens the obliques.  I make it part of my warm up before hitting balls or playing.  I also use it in the gym workouts.

Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds like a good exercise to do before a round, and I'll try it out.

On another note regarding my hip firing issue:

One of my major issues is trying to fire the hip muscles before my body naturally begins the downswing. I find that if I hold a really heavy club (PVC pipe with light weights and some rags to produce drag), then I naturally fire my hips first.

When I am holding a normal club in my back swing position, I feel like there is a spring ready to release in my upper body more so than my hips. When I had a shoulder injury, I noticed that it was more natural to turn with my hips first. Also, when I get tired, then I start firing the hips first. This happened to me on Wednesday after playing 8 holes where I started making really long drives.

I think this might be part of the key to getting those hips to fire first?

[chris3putt]

Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds like a good exercise to do before a round, and I'll try it out.

On another note regarding my hip firing issue:

One of my major issues is trying to fire the hip muscles before my body naturally begins the downswing. I find that if I hold a really heavy club (PVC pipe with light weights and some rags to produce drag), then I naturally fire my hips first.

When I am holding a normal club in my back swing position, I feel like there is a spring ready to release in my upper body more so than my hips. When I had a shoulder injury, I noticed that it was more natural to turn with my hips first. Also, when I get tired, then I start firing the hips first. This happened to me on Wednesday after playing 8 holes where I started making really long drives.

I think this might be part of the key to getting those hips to fire first?

What I do is consciously try to really, really, REALLY slow down the whole swing, until I can have a slight pause at the top and then feel the hips start to release first.

Honestly, I'm probably still swinging at 70 - 80 %, but I think of it as a 40% swing.

I have the same issues as you if I try to do it any faster. That may be why you find you get the sequencing right when you're tired, because you are actually swinging slower and giving yourself time to nail the sequence.

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="Lihu" url="/t/71030/my-swing-lihu/270#post_1088623"]   Thanks for the suggestion. Sounds like a good exercise to do before a round, and I'll try it out. On another note regarding my hip firing issue: One of my major issues is trying to fire the hip muscles before my body naturally begins the downswing. I find that if I hold a really heavy club (PVC pipe with light weights and some rags to produce drag), then I naturally fire my hips first. When I am holding a normal club in my back swing position, I feel like there is a spring ready to release in my upper body more so than my hips. When I had a shoulder injury, I noticed that it was more natural to turn with my hips first. Also, when I get tired, then I start firing the hips first. This happened to me on Wednesday after playing 8 holes where I started making really long drives. I think this might be part of the key to getting those hips to fire first? [/QUOTE] What I do is consciously try to really, really, REALLY slow down the whole swing, until I can have a slight pause at the top and then feel the hips start to release first. Honestly, I'm probably still swinging at 70 - 80 %, but I think of it as a 40% swing. I have the same issues as you if I try to do it any faster. That may be why you find you get the sequencing right when you're tired, because you are actually swinging slower and giving yourself time to nail the sequence.

My exact thoughts. . .

[Lihu]

Okay, so I've been struggling with a power loss issue for the past month. One drill from Mike and Dana and I was hitting to my distances again. Next time, I get the lesson, first. Turns out to be a lack of loading the wrists on the takeaway. I didn't load the club enough and basically depended upon body rotation speed to get any kind of distance from my clubs. I'm at what Mike referred to as 10-20% effort swings, now. Too soon to tell as I was on a driving range, but it feels like I'm getting the distances I was getting at my "peak" performance two months ago.

My son is making progress from not having pickup up a club for months.

Mike will probably post some lesson videos. I am going to do the drill they gave me along with all the other things I have been doing for the past month or so.

[mvmac]

Great work today Lihu and Kaili! Will post the videos later tonight.

Before on the left, after on the right. Bending over from the hips less at A1, helps the turn and balance on the downswing.

Drill swing. Hinging the club straight up and then just turning. This drill will help the shaft shallow out on the downswing.

Same swing. Really nice here. Club head inside the hands at A6 which will help the sweetspot travel more outward. None of these shots were curving left, all draws. Keep up the work with this drill.

---

Before swings on the left, afters on the right.

A1 adjustment, making sure the shoulder are aimed "square" and not right/open.

Great work with A2. Feeling was that you loaded the left arm and club to A2, then it was "all pivot" to A4 to keep the elbow in front of the shirt seam and the left arm from over flexing.

More hip rotation to A4, arms are in a great position.

A3 before, left elbow starting to pull behind you and you're turning less. Right pic, hips have turned more, right shoulder has traveled further back with good elbow locations.

At A4, the lack of rotation caused you to tilt too far right. Awesome pic on the after A4. Again, the feeling was turning the hips more from A2-4.

As a result of a more "simple" backswing, the left elbow isn't trapped behind you and you can fire the arms down more efficiently.

Also much better leg/foot work, left heel isn't lifting early.

[mvmac]

[Abu3baid]

The change in just one session in terms of drills is nothing short of amazing.

Great Job!

@Lihu I expect to never see an outside-in swing out of you again

[Lihu]

The change in just one session in terms of drills is nothing short of amazing. Great Job! @Lihu don't blow it!  I expect to never see an outside-in swing out of you again :beer:

No pressure or anything, right? :-P Yeah, my sequence is all thrown out the window trying to make up for the speed loss of not loading the shaft with my wrists. Man, what a slump! :-( The best part about this is that I am learning everything explicitly, so that I can mentally put things together when (hopefully "if") they fall apart again. I just feel good that I can drive the ball farther than my playing partner again. The one who told me to use more wrist a couple three weeks ago. :-D

[bste]

@Lihu Lookin' good.

Well done and only one lesson, I'm sure you put in a lot of time, congratulations.