My Swing (MFillyaw)

[mfillyaw]

I've been Playing Golf for: 10+ years

My current handicap index or average score is: Not official but 6-8

My typical ball flight is: Draw

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Snap Hook, and Chunking it

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Videos:

This is a bit of a "new" swing for me. As I said above, last year my typical trajectory was a draw, I loved that but it required me standing very far away from the ball and a lot of sway in my upper body. Which I think was contributing to a lot of inconsistency. When I pure irons they are a beautiful sight, but I thought if I got closer to the ball and eliminated some of the unnecessary upper body movement I would be more consistent. This range session produced a lot of high cuts.

This is my 2013 swing that I describe above. As you can see there seems to be a lot of wasted movement, and I'm standing much further away from the ball.

Tell me what y'all see.

[gophinmedic]

I would prefer your 2014 swing. The 2013 one looks to be a little quick at the top and the newer one, you've created a nice tempo to the swing. your right, your movement has condensed and the swing overall looks better. Don't be deterred by the fade, a lot more tour pros play a power fade than you would think. If you can still draw the ball when necessary, the fade is a great ball flight to have. My novice eyes don't see much if anything wrong with the new swing. The fade is probably being produce, IMHO, from quick hips that are pulling you across the ball. From the full speed its hard to see for sure, but it looks to be out to in. Your older swing looks in to out. Assuming the clubface stays the same in both swings, the top produces a fade, the bottoms produces draw.

[mfillyaw]

I would prefer your 2014 swing. The 2013 one looks to be a little quick at the top and the newer one, you've created a nice tempo to the swing. your right, your movement has condensed and the swing overall looks better. Don't be deterred by the fade, a lot more tour pros play a power fade than you would think. If you can still draw the ball when necessary, the fade is a great ball flight to have. My novice eyes don't see much if anything wrong with the new swing. The fade is probably being produce, IMHO, from quick hips that are pulling you across the ball. From the full speed its hard to see for sure, but it looks to be out to in. Your older swing looks in to out. Assuming the clubface stays the same in both swings, the top produces a fade, the bottoms produces draw.

Agreed. I'm not worried about the cut, excited to have greater versatility now.

Thanks for your input!

[gophinmedic]

I love being able to work the ball how I want, most of the time, lol. When im at the range, I consistently work on shaping the ball, left and right, changing the trajectory up and down and so on. Theres a sense of pride when your buddies are ballooning in the wind and you can smack a low draw back to a flag.

[saevel25]

You can still hit draws and not chunk the ball. If you are inconsistent, switching to a fade doesn't mean you will gain consistency. Both can be equally consistent. It was probably something you were doing that was causing the problem, not the draw swing.

[mfillyaw]

You can still hit draws and not chunk the ball. If you are inconsistent, switching to a fade doesn't mean you will gain consistency. Both can be equally consistent. It was probably something you were doing that was causing the problem, not the draw swing.

I never said the draw was the reason for my inconsistency.

The #1 reason I believe, I was and am inconsistent, is the amount of wasted movement and sway I used to have in my swing. I also thought standing so far away from the ball was causing problems. So I decided I would tidy up my swing and stand closer at address, that resulted in a more upright, out to in swing, which obviously produced the cut for this particular range session.

I by no means would consider my natural shot type a cut after one day at the range, as you can see here in the northeast we are still a ways a way from golf season. Once I get out and play a few rounds I will see what feels more comfortable this year.

[saevel25]

Well post a face-on view when you can, then we can check if there is something going on to cause that much inconsistency. The backswing actually looks really good. So there must be something with your head movement, or your lower body weight shift that is causing the contact issues.

[mfillyaw]

Well post a face-on view when you can, then we can check if there is something going on to cause that much inconsistency. The backswing actually looks really good. So there must be something with your head movement, or your lower body weight shift that is causing the contact issues.

2014

2013

It's not night and day, but I think theres a noticeable difference between how much my shoulder move back and forth.

[saevel25]

Ok first thing

2014 swing,

You need to have less sway in the right hip. Right hip goes back and up, doesn't shift to the right. Maybe widen the stance a bit, and flare the feet will help out. The left knee should stay more over the left foot at the top of the backswing. Feel like you are stretching the right side of your back. Right hip goes back and up.

This video will help you understand hip turn.

This one will help you see that you need your weight more forward. Looks like you spin out a bit, and you can get your left hand a bit more forward at impact. Also widening the stance will help keep the weight on the front leg more. Don't go overboard, probably 1-2 shoe widths more wide. I say shoe widths because its easy to visualize over the ball, I can move my left or right foot that amount more wide.

Not bad, but you can clean up that sway and weight forward you will be doing good.

[gophinmedic]

Maybe try to keep that left heel planted firmly, you raise if off in the backswing and when you re plant it creates movement throughout the body, vertical movement which could lead to striking behind the ball. I agree with saevel, it looks like your knee are pretty close to each other and then the leg flares back out to the feet. It may just be the angle, but that's what it looks like. When you left knee is flared in, it creates lateral shift in the downswing trying to push off of it, like you were trying to get to, eliminate the excess movement. Good tips from Saevel, hes a boss! lol

[mfillyaw]

Definitely some good observations, Thanks Guys!

First thing I noticed was how narrow my base was. I think a wider stance will be a good start to a better weight balance.

I was really surprised to see how far back my weight and upper body were leaning at impact. I compress the ball like crazy and take some major league divots so I thought I would be more forward.

Gonna focus on keeping that left heel down and weight forward.

What do others see/think?

[freedrop]

Definitely some good observations, Thanks Guys!

First thing I noticed was how narrow my base was. I think a wider stance will be a good start to a better weight balance.

I was really surprised to see how far back my weight and upper body were leaning at impact. I compress the ball like crazy and take some major league divots so I thought I would be more forward.

Gonna focus on keeping that left heel down and weight forward.

What do others see/think?

big divots...what about hooks,any problem there?

[mfillyaw]

big divots...what about hooks,any problem there?

yea I have trouble controlling my draw a lot of the times, so much that it enters into "hook" category.

[saevel25]

Definitely some good observations, Thanks Guys!

First thing I noticed was how narrow my base was. I think a wider stance will be a good start to a better weight balance.

I was really surprised to see how far back my weight and upper body were leaning at impact. I compress the ball like crazy and take some major league divots so I thought I would be more forward.

Gonna focus on keeping that left heel down and weight forward.

What do others see/think?

Yep.

Weight forward, ideally the clubhead, hands and arms should be inline at impact, but the hands can be slightly forward than that as well, so there is some wiggle room.

Also, if you taking major divots, try to get your belt buckle pointing more towards the sky in the finish. A sensation would to feel the tightening of the gluts at the finish.

The casting (flip) motion steepens the swing path, so getting the hands forward, and getting the club to work to the outside will shallow the swing path. I use to hit majorly down, and now I take much shallower divots even though my weight is more forward and my hands are ahead more.

[freedrop]

yea I have trouble controlling my draw a lot of the times, so much that it enters into "hook" category.

Yes I suspected that would be an issue.

[mfillyaw]

The casting (flip) motion steepens the swing path, so getting the hands forward, and getting the club to work to the outside will shallow the swing path. I use to hit majorly down, and now I take much shallower divots even though my weight is more forward and my hands are ahead more.

What do you mean by casting/flip motion?

[saevel25]

Yes I suspected that would be an issue.

Care to elaborate on this? What is causing his hooks? How would you go about fixing the problem? If you suspected this to be true then you must know right?

What do you mean by casting/flip motion?

you on the left, Rory on the right. Notice how Rory's shaft isn't loosing the angle yet into the ball. He's left hand is near his center and his shaft is just passing parallel. Notice your golf shaft is near your right foot. This i what I mean about flipping. You are throwing the clubhead at the ball. Working on your weight forward and getting that left hand more forward at impact will help out with this.

[mfillyaw]

you on the left, Rory on the right. Notice how Rory's shaft isn't loosing the angle yet into the ball. He's left hand is near his center and his shaft is just passing parallel. Notice your golf shaft is near your right foot. This i what I mean about flipping. You are throwing the clubhead at the ball. Working on your weight forward and getting that left hand more forward at impact will help out with this.

is this what they mean by taking the hands out of the swing? I've been working on letting the club head just fall through the impact zone without and guidance from the hands. I'm very comfortable doing it with short irons and have noticed some great results. but with anything longer than an 8 iron I struggle. both of these side profile vids were 6 irons. It also looks like rory is using a shorter iron, maybe a wedge. Do you think his shaft angle would be the same at this point if he was using say a 4 or 5 iron?