My Swing (mmoan2)

[mmoan2]

Just joined evolvr this morning. Looking forward to posting a video tonight and working on some drills. I haven't progressed in my swing for probably two years, which is why I'm stuck in the low 80s on a good day and low 90s when it gets bad.

Did some reading last night, and wanted to ask this - When I started playing golf around 4 years ago, I bought the book "Swing Like a Pro" and found it very useful. One thing that it said that seems to contradict what I read here is that during the backswing, the "Pro" - which is supposedly a composite of 100 of the world's best golfers - actually moves its entire body - including the head, hips, etc. - back about 1-2 inches to "load up" on the right leg, which is necessary to create power in the downswing. I have a V1 app on my phone, and I looked at some of my favorite swings. Louis Oost., Rory, and Fred Couples, to name a few. Their heads seem to pretty darn steady LATERALLY. Then I looked at Bernhard Langer and Craig Stadler. Their heads move back laterally several inches, and their hips slide back noticeably. At least 2-3 inches. Do they have swings that are anomalies, or is it because they are older players without the flexibility to turn like the young guns? (Freddy is in a class by himself. He'll still have the prettiest swing in golf to me when he's 80!). One reason I ask is because I have significant hip and head sway back laterally (I have probably about 4-6 inches, which is clearly too much, I imagine), but is SOME of that lateral action back ok, necessary, or not recommended?

It just seems intuitive to load up on your back leg for power, and even to sequence a powerful motion like a golf swing, correctly. I was a pretty good baseball player back in the day, and as a pitcher loading up on the right leg was paramount. Swing Like a Pro compares Nolan Ryan's leg action to the Pro, and it just seems to make sense to me.

Comments?

[14ledo81]

Even when you turn centered, your weight will shift back some.

Look up the thread that talks about the pressure plates and weight shift.  I can't remember what its called.

[mvmac]

One reason I ask is because I have significant hip and head sway back laterally (I have probably about 4-6 inches, which is clearly too much, I imagine), but is SOME of that lateral action back ok, necessary, or not recommended?

Yes some head movement is ok, reason Key #1 is specifically named relatively Steady Head. T he average PGA Tour player moves his head one inch during his backswing. So for every guy that moves it two inches, there is a player that moves it zero.

Here's some info on the hips being centered

Even when you turn centered, your weight will shift back some.

Look up the thread that talks about the pressure plates and weight shift.  I can't remember what its called.

[mmoan2]

My first posts after evolvr analysis #1. My reviewer suggested that I narrow my stance considerably and work on eliminating my lateral hip rotation in the backswing. He suggested a drill of putting a kickball (I used a basketball) between my left hip and the wall while taking slow backswings to avoid swaying - else the ball would drop. Looking at these I think I'm still a tad too wide and still have some lateral hip sway, but not as much. Any thoughts?

I also wanted some opinions on these things, if anyone cares to comment. It's clear my swing gets really ugly right after I reach parallel on the takeaway (that's A2, right?). Am I not rotating my hips nearly enough? As I complete my backswing, I really arch forward with my torso- almost like a reverse pivot. I feel like I'm rotating, but I don;t know what you call what I'm doing. Certainly not looking pretty When I was filming this, a local pro approached me and said I need much more hip rotation, and that it should almost feel like I can't see the ball like I'm used to, or that I can only see it with my left eye. Is this a fair "feel" to help me with my ugly backswing? I have always had this problem, and I need to work on ridding myself of it now, but I can't quite figure out how. Would this also assist me in "deepening" my hands - i.e. just by rotating properly, my arms and hands would naturally come around into a better position at A4 rather than me having to force them there?

Lastly, I have little "lag", and at impact, the shaft clearly does not have the forward lean that good ball strikers possess. I feel like I have lots of weight on my front foot at impact, but I can't get that solid impact position to create ball compression that we all want to have. I feel like my hips may be a bit static. Would a more explosive hip rotation and hip slide forward as I transition into the downswing produce the desired clubhead speed, shaft angles, and ultimately, proper impact position, or is there something else that ruins my downswing? I mash the ball pretty good with my driver - I carry between 250 and 270 generally, and with a solid strike even more - but my irons are awful right now. I was hitting 7-iron 140ish, with lots of shanks, and thin shots (though very few fat shots). I also notice that I'm hitting everything on the inner half of the clubface (between sweet spot and hosel). Hence the occasional shank.

[boogielicious]

Not sure about the local pro comment.  You need hip rotation in the backswing, but as your Evolvr instructor stated, you need to keep your hips from drifting backwards on the backswing.  It takes time to eliminate a habit.  Keep doing the drill they recommended and also do work in front of a mirror.  I had this issue a couple of years ago.  The other feel I work on is stretching my right side high while keeping my hips from moving backward on the backswing.  Mirror work really helps this priority piece.

[mmoan2]

Not sure about the local pro comment.  You need hip rotation in the backswing, but as your Evolvr instructor stated, you need to keep your hips from drifting backwards on the backswing.  It takes time to eliminate a habit.  Keep doing the drill they recommended and also do work in front of a mirror.  I had this issue a couple of years ago.  The other feel I work on is stretching my right side high while keeping my hips from moving backward on the backswing.  Mirror work really helps this priority piece.

Thanks for the response. I know what you mean about the hip sway, and I'm working on that, but I think that the reverse-pivot, spine-angle-bend-thing I do isn't related to it. In fact, I'm finding when I look at video, when my hip sway is least, my upper body position actually gets worse at A4 because the reason I sway is to look for power by loading up on my rear leg. When my lateral movement is at a minimum, my body "thinks" there's no power so it exaggerates the motion at the top to compensate. I actually start collapsing my left leg too much and really arch forward.

I guess my question is this - do I rotate (not sway. I know that's bad) my hips enough (and if these videos can't tell you, is lack of hip rotation a common problem)? I really feel like I'm stretching and it actually puts a lot of pressure on my lower back when I rotate my hips more than what feels normal. Is this a good thing?

Also, I'm curious about fixing my downswing. I've been able to score fairly well and have a decent amount of distance with a pretty crappy downswing, IMO, and I want to get on the road to recovery. Thanks!

[boogielicious]

Check out the thread below.  I goes a bit more into how it feels.  You can also do things at setup to help like flare your feet even more and bow your knees out slightly.  This keeps you centered while you turn your hips.

[mmoan2]

Posted here are two videos of me trying to master a reasonably decent setup position - good spine angle, the reverse-K thing, all that. Anyone have any comments? The DTL view is a bit off-line, but it still looks a little screwy to me. Especially the shaft angle.   Thanks.

About 5 seconds in on DTL and 16 in on FO are the "still images" that best represent me taking my stance just before starting my back swing.

[mmoan2]

Hello y'all. Latest evolvr video here with comments from Stephan. wanted advice on a few things.

I can see how my upper body still lacks flexion during the backswing. What's a good drill/way to eliminate this? I'll be in the mirror checking soon, but wondering if there's something else I can do.

It looks to me like my hips turn more than the model here. Am I a)wrong, andb) might that be a reason why my spine angle gets so out of whack?

Thanks

[mvmac]

I can see how my upper body still lacks flexion during the backswing. What's a good drill/way to eliminate this? I'll be in the mirror checking soon, but wondering if there's something else I can do.

[mmoan2]

Thanks. So you're saying that by working on keeping my head steady, the torso flexion problem will take care of itself? I almost feel like trying to keep my head steady has caused me to move from one problem to another. I used to have lots of lateral hip movement backward, and my head followed. In trying to correct that, now my head actually dips forward and I've developed other problems. Problems, problems!!!!

[mvmac]

Thanks. So you're saying that by working on keeping my head steady, the torso flexion problem will take care of itself? I almost feel like trying to keep my head steady has caused me to move from one problem to another. I used to have lots of lateral hip movement backward, and my head followed. In trying to correct that, now my head actually dips forward and I've developed other problems. Problems, problems!!!!

No, I'm saying do the drill. Moving the left shoulder down and across (to the end of the stick) will keep you in flexion longer and the head will be steady as a result.

Left shoulder never gets to that dot on your sternum, which is a general reference point. Never goes down or back enough.

Note the difference in the left shoulder travel with the player below. Do the drill and see how it feels for you. Should definitely feel more "flexed" over. Might also have the imagine in your head of the hips moving towards the target as the left shoulder bends down towards the right hip.

[mmoan2]

No, I'm saying do the drill. Moving the left shoulder down and across (to the end of the stick) will keep you in flexion longer and the head will be steady as a result.

Left shoulder never gets to that dot on your sternum, which is a general reference point. Never goes down or back enough.

Note the difference in the left shoulder travel with the player below. Do the drill and see how it feels for you. Should definitely feel more "flexed" over. Might also have the imagine in your head of the hips moving towards the target as the left shoulder bends down towards the right hip.

My goodness this drill is helpful. Thanks a million! Going on film today to see the marked improvement.