My Swing (boogielicious)

[boogielicious]

I've been Playing Golf for: 5 years

My current handicap index or average score is: 13.4 and rising from a low of 10.4 last year.

My typical ball flight is: Draw or pull draw with irons.  Driver is anyones guess when things are off.

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Consistent one sided pattern with the driver, either draw of fade.  It is my weakest club by far.  When I get out of sorts, I am not sure where the ball will go.  I will expect a slight draw and a big fade will happen or a hook into trouble.  My irons are much more consistent.  My GIR with fairways hit is 38% vs

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Below are two videos, one of my current driver swing and one of the drill I am working on.  My priority piece is too steep a shaft angle from A4 to A5 causing too steep an angle coming into impact and a bit of an over the top swing.  I have been working on this with my Evolvr instructor Stephan ( @sk golf ) since January.  My next add is some palmar flexion from A4 to A5 to help flatten the shaft and close the face a bit.

Videos:

The driver video includes the practice motion  of A4 - 6 emphasizing laying the shaft down.  But as you can see, when I do the actual swing, I steepen again.

Here is a A4 5 6 drill in real time.

Thanks for watching.

[14ledo81]

Hey...Good you started a swing thread.

I can't really make any insightful comments, just wanted to say it is nice to see you post this.

[Abu3baid]

Nice.. This is my priority piece as well.. I am experimenting with different feels to get there, and I'll gladly share if you wish.. I wish you luck, and will keep an eye out for when you move away from this piece maybe I can learn from it..

[boogielicious]

Nice.. This is my priority piece as well.. I am experimenting with different feels to get there, and I'll gladly share if you wish.. I wish you luck, and will keep an eye out for when you move away from this piece maybe I can learn from it..

That would be great.  I am having some difficulty feeling the shaft lay down.  I focus on the feeling of the right elbow coming in front of my chest,  but that doesn't always translate to the shaft laying down more.

I will add that any advice on getting this feel for laying down the club would helpful.  I want to solve this priority piece this year and make it permanent.  I know it will take time.

[iacas]

Make sure your hips and weight are going forward as you do this. It will only help you. Tough to do this properly by trying to manipulate only your clubhead, shaft, hands, and arms.

[boogielicious]

Thanks. I will do that. I try to move the weight forward as I move to A5, but sometimes when you focus on one thing you forget others.

[boogielicious]

I know Erik and Dave ( @iacas and @david_wedzik ) say, "don't worry about mishits when working on slow drills", but someone should warn the poor range ball guy.

Here is the drill with a little better contact.  The guy's timing was impeccable.

Lastly, here is a slow motion full speed driver swing.  This is my nemesis.  During this range session I am working on flattening the shaft from A4 to A5, just as I was doing with the 6 iron.  This has been my priority piece this year.  My instructor ( @sk golf ) has me adding a little palmar flexion from A4 to A5 as well to help flatten the shaft more.  For this session, the driver flight was very good with nice height and distance.  I was hitting the net that was at 200 yards (laser confirmed) near the top.  Dispersion was from the left end of the tree to where the 200 sign was (four fence sections) with most in the two middle sections. My target was the right edge of the tree.  The ball is lined up with my left instep (left edge of ball at instep with foot flared 30 degrees.)  I did the A456 drill first for about 15 minutes.  Then I did about 15 full speed swings with the swing thought of having the shaft butt point at the ball target line from A5 to A6 and swinging down and forward along my swing plane (LSW, p.32).  I rehearse the drill just prior to the full speed swing.  BTW, I am wearing two rain gloves because it is a 90/90 temp/humidity day and I am sweating like Kevin Youkilis.

At the course the next day, I was all over the place.  I seem to revert to bad habits and get lost on what I am not repeating from my practice sessions.  I don't know if it is set up or loss of focus, but it is very frustrating to do all this work on not have it show on the course.  I will try to have someone film me on the course if I have a chance or get a mount for my cart.  Courses are very busy in my area and filming may incur wrath from other players.

[trickyputt]

Its not hard to understand, just hard to execute. When your hands are to low in the backswing you cant swing down. You can however swing around, and there is a lot of focus on that part. But swinging around really makes the impact zone small,which makes sense because its more circular and there is more curve in the headpath. Now start having different lies and all that laboratory environment you were just in is no longer useful, and you have to make stance adjustments for unlevel tees and lies.

[boogielicious]

I do not understand what you are trying to tell me.

[iacas]

First, for the swing, make sure the hips are going forward a little bit as you do this. This will help to add secondary axis tilt and get the left shoulder going up a little bit sooner, which will also help the shaft to lay down. Try it in a mirror by exaggerating the hips sliding forward, and you should see the shaft flatten a bit more easily (perhaps even quite a bit more than you'd actually want in the end).

At the course the next day, I was all over the place.  I seem to revert to bad habits and get lost on what I am not repeating from my practice sessions.  I don't know if it is set up or loss of focus, but it is very frustrating to do all this work on not have it show on the course.  I will try to have someone film me on the course if I have a chance or get a mount for my cart.  Courses are very busy in my area and filming may incur wrath from other players.

As for this, I'd simply make a slow, exaggerated "feel" motion part of your pre-shot routine. I typically like students to do it very close to their actual swing, since that's going to carry over best (the feel will "stick" or be fresher in "memory" better), but any time you can do it just prior to the shot is beneficial. It's like a mini "re-acquaintance" practice session right there on the course before you hit the shot.

[boogielicious]

First, for the swing, make sure the hips are going forward a little bit as you do this. This will help to add secondary axis tilt and get the left shoulder going up a little bit sooner, which will also help the shaft to lay down. Try it in a mirror by exaggerating the hips sliding forward, and you should see the shaft flatten a bit more easily (perhaps even quite a bit more than you'd actually want in the end).

As for this, I'd simply make a slow, exaggerated "feel" motion part of your pre-shot routine. I typically like students to do it very close to their actual swing, since that's going to carry over best (the feel will "stick" or be fresher in "memory" better), but any time you can do it just prior to the shot is beneficial. It's like a mini "re-acquaintance" practice session right there on the course before you hit the shot.

Thanks.  I will work on that more.

[trickyputt]

I do not understand what you are trying to tell me.

Sorry I am not as eloquent as many here, especially in the particular words but this video of Ernie Els expresses what I was trying to say. I just think your hands being higher would actually be more in plane for bringing the club down in the way Ernie does in this vid. http://youtu.be/ZrGot1i37fA I see hands at the shoulder joint all the time when I play, and its a miss I have, especially early in a round before I loosen up if I dont go warm up at the range. Its a source of spraying, and with me, hooks. Just a little higher with the hands makes such a difference in consistency down the path. Maybe its because gravity pulls the club down or something. Somebody around here knows I am sure.

[boogielicious]

Sorry I am not as eloquent as many here, especially in the particular words but this video of Ernie Els expresses what I was trying to say. I just think your hands being higher would actually be more in plane for bringing the club down in the way Ernie does in this vid.

http://youtu.be/ZrGot1i37fA

I see hands at the shoulder joint all the time when I play, and its a miss I have, especially early in a round before I loosen up if I dont go warm up at the range. Its a source of spraying, and with me, hooks. Just a little higher with the hands makes such a difference in consistency down the path. Maybe its because gravity pulls the club down or something. Somebody around here knows I am sure.

Thanks for clarifying.

[boogielicious]

Below is a continuation of the drill I have been working on with added emphasis on weight forward at impact (A7).  I am focusing on laying down the shaft from A4 to 5 but adding weight forward emphasis.  The swing is at what feels like 70%.

In the DTL, there is an alignment stick.  I am trying to hit to the right side in the drill focusing on an exaggerated in to out path.  I KO or near miss the stick if my weight doesn't go forward enough.

Also, my instructor Stephan ( @sk golf ) has me teeing the ball up higher.  I used impact tape with this higher tee and I am hitting on the low side of the face.  I will need to adjust to that and I am not sure how.

[boogielicious]

My 9 hole round yesterday had six holes that I used the driver.  I teed the ball up higher so 1/2 the ball was above the crown (the ball would touch just below the top of the face at set up.  This is about 1/2 ball higher than previous.  I am playing the ball so the front of the ball is lined up with the ball of my left foot.  My pre shot is similar to the video above.

Results:

1.  Got under it because of my set up. I didn't push my hips forward at set up and probably swung down on it instead of having a flat or positive AoA.

2.  Slight push draw up the middle with nice height. It felt like I was off center toward the toe, so gear effect draw maybe.

4.  Over draw but playable.

5.  Same as 2.

8. Over Draw but playable.

9. Same as 2.

I still need to work out getting it back to center of the face.  With the ball higher and swinging up, I am not centered on the face.  Previously it was usually just slightly high and slightly toward the toe.  I have been using impact tape in practice sessions.

[boogielicious]

Played 18 yesterday at an unfamiliar course.  I struggled off the tee in the first nine with a couple of uncharacteristic shots.  I'm using the newer tee height (1/2 ball above the face) with the driver.  I had to really collect myself after the bad tee shots.  The second nine was much better with an opening birdie on a par five and following par.  This was my (small) leagues mid-season tournament.  Tee shots were as follows:

1. Hit Driver off the toe!  Jitters maybe?  I haven't done that in a couple of years.
2. Over draw with 4 iron, playable.
3. Low burner with 4 wood.  Went with FW because the river was too the right and it was very narrow.  I had trouble off the tee for some reason with the 4 wood.  Not enough weight forward.
4. Overdraw with Driver (long drive hole).  Clipped the trees left.
5. Hit the middle of the green with my 5 iron, but it rolled off the back.  This was the safe shot as there were bunkers protecting the front with only the collar between them and the green.  It fit my shot zone (approximated still).
6. Straight push with driver, nice height but off my target line.
7. Low burner 4W again.  I know I need to get weight forward at this point.
8. Overdraw 6 iron on a par 3.  This was my miss for my irons this day.
9. 5W into the trees right.
10. Second nine I tried to collect myself and go back to basics.  Slight push draw with Driver down the middle.  Slightly toward the toe.  Miss the long drive by 5 yards.
11. Straight draw with 5W down the middle on a hard dogleg left
12. Overdraw with 5W on a hard dogleg right.  Had to punch out.
13. Slight draw with Driver to left side of fairway on another hard dogleg right.
14. Overdraw with 6 iron on a par 3.
15. Slight push draw down the middle with Driver.  River was to the right.
16. Weird hole.  Pushed a six iron to the right.  I was not sure what was over the trap, so I tried to just center it in the fairway.
17. Overdraw with 9 iron.  I know I need to get weight forward and my swing going out, but it is not working at this point.
18. Low burner with 4W on a long and narrow par 5 with the river to the left.

Still a work in progress.

[trickyputt]

Your stance has to be closed. I cant imagine your feet being in the correct alignment left although I am sure you feel they are. Those shots to the right are quite possibly where your energy is trying to release, but you are trying to force it back to the left by having your swing lined up right of the path. Check what your heels are doing, not your toes.

[JetFan1983]

Honestly, it looks good to me despite your struggles. It's possible you're just not comfortable with these changes yet, so that will take some time to get used to.

The only arm chair suggestions I have is that maybe the ball position is just a tad too far forward with driver?

Also, just to keep it really simple, your tee shot summary has a lot of over draws, meaning the face needs to be more open at impact. Perhaps ease up a bit on the palmar flexion feel?

I dunno, just throwing these out there.

The overall motion does look good to me though.