My Swing (Draftstone)

[Draftstone]

I've been Playing Golf for: 7 years (but the first 6 years, were only 3-4 rounds per year, started "seriously" last year

My current handicap index or average score is: playing between 95 and 105

My typical ball flight is: fade (with the occasional slice, but quite rare)

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: I hit a lot of fat shots (maximum 100 yards carry with 6 iron when I usually carry it around 160-165 when hitting it clean)

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I've just finished taking lessons and here are the videos of the final lesson.

Simply posting to get any comments (positive/negative, what I should continue to work on/improve, etc...)

And don't tell me that I should fix the fact that I play left-handed ;) lol

Videos:

[mvmac]

Hi, looks like a Key #1 lesson to me. What the heck do I mean by "Key", check this out

Your head moves too far back on the backswing. This makes solid contact much harder. I would recommend feeling the right shoulder/right hip go down much longer on the backswing. The shoulder turn is too flat and your head is moving back. Add more "bend" (described in the video) and you'll actually increase your shoulder turn.

Also recommend turning the left foot out about 25 degrees, will help with the steeper shoulders.

[Draftstone]

Thanks a lot for that reply! Will start to work on that and will post another video during summer to show the progress of my swing and to see what I could try to improve next!

[Draftstone]

Hi again!

I've worked on my swing this summer, and most of my fat shots are gone (still hit it fat from time to time, but I no longer hit the ground 6 inches before the ball, so the ball still goes forward). Trying to stop moving the head helped a lot (still moving a little, but seems a lot less than before).
I currently have a fade issue and I am wondering if you could help me from that video.

I always try to hit a draw, I try to swing a little from the inside (and I must fail at it!). For 90% of my shots, it starts straight or slightly left (remember, I am a lefty) and then fades (with the occasional slice) a little to the left. But sometimes, out of nowhere, I hit a draw (or a hook), but I don't feel like i've done anything different then when I fade it.

Here's my approximate shot percentage
straight fade: 70%

straight slice: 5%
straight draw: 5%
straight hook: 5%
push fade: 10%

push slice: 5%

push draw: 0% (never ever hit one of the range or on course)

I almost never pull the ball either (when they start right, my father often tells me that I was aligned that way)

Any help please? :)

This video is with a 6 iron, hitting a straight fade in both position.
(in this video, you have both point of view, followed by the slow motion of the same 2 swings)

[teeitup22]

Lots of good stuff going on in your swing! I would say continue working on key #1.  But also I see a couple things that could help.  1) Ball position is too far forward. When you get just prior to hitting the ball you are in pretty darn good position except the ball is 6 inches too far forward for an iron swing. 2)  From the DTL position, at P6 or shaft parallel, your right knee straightens just a little too early and goes too far to the right. If you could focus on keeping your right knee flexed and going more to the left just a little longer, I think you would swing more from the inside which could help eliminate those fades. Watch this video and look at what Erik's left knee (your right) is doing: [VIDEO]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNJhIp4AE4[/VIDEO] Also your left foot lifts too early. You need to feel like your left foot is "banked" Watch this video for what I mean. [VIDEO]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw8NqKVZ3oc#t=34[/VIDEO]

[mvmac]

Watch this video and look at what Erik's left knee (your right) is doing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNJhIp4AE4\

Ditto

[Draftstone]

Thanks for those replies!

I can easily notice a difference between my swing videos and the one you posted. I'll try to see if I can replicate them!

For the ball forward, it really struck me when I watched my own videos. I thought I adressed the ball near my right pectoral muscle but looking at the videos it is clearly under my shoulder. Probably a perspective thing, I'll change that!

For key #1, I noticed that in my backswing, my head does not move until I get my shoulder under my chin, then my head moves back. Should I reduce the backswing or is there any drill I could work on to keep the same "size" of backswing but to practice not moving my head once the shoulder comes where the chin is?

[Draftstone]

Hi!

After posting a video in the "My Swings" section talking about my problem where I would mostly hit fades and was unable to hit a draw, I started to practice what I was told I should work on. I have to say that it is paying off. Today I was able to hit draws pretty easily (still not consistent with the amount of draw tho, one shot would be like 2 yards, the next one 10 yards, the next one 5 yards, etc...).

There was one thing I noticed. What I was told to practice was to keep my right knee more in front (I am left handed) and keep my foot on the ground a little bit more. Doing this, I noticed that my downsing was a little bit more horizontal which probably helps to promote the in-out swing path. Its mostly a feeling, the friend I was hitting balls with said he sees almost no difference, maybe a couple of degrees max. I tried hitting more vertical like before (once again, most of a feeling, friend said it almost looks the same) and I was hitting a fade with long clubs and a straight shot with short clubs. I also tried to open the clubface and swing more horizontal (like for my draws) and it results in a fade, but the distance loss was more than by swinging more vertical but the clubface square. So it got me wondering, which of the fade technique is the right one. I think the way I am hitting my draws is correct. Ball starts a tiny bit lower, curves 5-10 yards, and goes around 5-10 yards further than my old swing. My "vertical way" of doing the fade, balls curves 5-10 yards, and distance is as before. Trying to hit a fade with the same swing as the draw gives me the same amount of curve, but ball goes 5-10 yards shorter than before.

So to resume

For my fade/straight shots,

should I swing more vertical like before (trying to keep the downsing more vertical, probably results in a small outside-in move)

or

should I swing the same plane as for my draws, but play with the clubface angle?

My guess is to keep the swing plane the same, since it seems easier to play with the clubface than with the swing plane, but I was wondering how you do it when switching from a draw to a fade. Do you simply open the clubface or do you change the swing plane? (maybe both?)

(don't know if this should be in instructions forum, feel free to move it)

[Jakester23]

Are you trying to switch from one shape to another? Or are you trying to do both? From what I understand most pros hit one shape (either draw or fade) 90% of the time. If I was you I'd pick which shape you prefer and just focus on hitting target more with that shape. It's good to know how to hit both shapes but it makes more sense to be really consistent with one shape then it is to be inconsistent with both.

[Draftstone]

Overall I was simply curious. I'd like to be able to hit a draw most of the time (from my practice today, it was easier to get solid ball contact trying to hit a draw than a fade) but I was curious if I ever want to practice my fade which of the 2 technique is the best.

[Jakester23]

Overall I was simply curious. I'd like to be able to hit a draw most of the time (from my practice today, it was easier to get solid ball contact trying to hit a draw than a fade) but I was curious if I ever want to practice my fade which of the 2 technique is the best.

Use the search bar above type in how to hit a draw. There's a ton of threads about how to shape shots. They can do a better job explaining it than I can.

[tristanhilton85]

Great to hear that things are working for you. Since this is mostly about your swing and all, I'm going to move it to be part of your My Swing thread.

Also, watch this before you film your next swing.

[Draftstone]

Quote:

Also, watch this before you film your next swing.

My girlfriend was holding the phone, so I'll blame her

[mvmac]

Overall I was simply curious. I'd like to be able to hit a draw most of the time (from my practice today, it was easier to get solid ball contact trying to hit a draw than a fade) but I was curious if I ever want to practice my fade which of the 2 technique is the best.

Just aim your body left and make your normal "draw" swing