How do i keep my body from being open at contact? Tips?

[Todd Ruggere]

My index has went from a 4.6 to a 10.1 in about 5 card changes. I haven't been over a 7 in about 20 years. My last jump went from a 6.8 to a 10.1.

I'm noticing that I am having a lot of blocks and fades during my rounds. Some of them are starting right of the fairway and slicing. I'm literally missing the fairway by 50-75 yards. I'll have other holes where I'll stripe it 300 yards center cut. The inconsistency is driving me bonkers. I notice on the fades my body is wide open on contact. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Todd Ruggere]

1 more thing i should add. This is ONLY with my woods.

[billchao]

How open is wide open? Because, generally speaking, good players are about 40 degrees open with their hips and 25 degrees open with their shoulders at impact. [CONTENTEMBED=/t/70580/good-general-numbers-for-hips-torso-at-a7 layout=inline]​[/CONTENTEMBED]

[Todd Ruggere]

Thats actually a really good tip. I'm going to look into that. I dont know exactly. I can just feel my hips wide open and my club stuck way behind.

[billchao]

  Todd Ruggere said:

Thats actually a really good tip. I'm going to look into that. I dont know exactly. I can just feel my hips wide open and my club stuck way behind.

The club being stuck behind can be caused by a number of things. Do you have any video? It's hard to go by feel alone. I feel lots of things I don't do (and don't feel lots of things I do) in my own swing; that's why it's important to have video.

[Todd Ruggere]

I'm going to take a video tonight. I dont currently have one.

[chasm]

You're a better golfer than me, so I hesitate to offer any suggestions. But as blocking and fading are my default positions when I'm not striking the ball well, it may be worth it. Almost invariably, my blocking is accompanied by a slight sway on the backswing, with my head moving a few inches behind the ball. I then have trouble getting back to the ball, and bingo. When I stick to the basics and focus on staying centred with a steady head, I hit it straight.

[Todd Ruggere]

  chasm said:

You're a better golfer than me, so I hesitate to offer any suggestions. But as blocking and fading are my default positions when I'm not striking the ball well, it may be worth it.

Almost invariably, my blocking is accompanied by a slight sway on the backswing, with my head moving a few inches behind the ball. I then have trouble getting back to the ball, and bingo. When I stick to the basics and focus on staying centred with a steady head, I hit it straight.

Thanks. I'm open to all advice. Golf is so maddening. I can't explain how many times I've said " I finally got this game!" next thing you know i can't do anything right.

[chasm]

  Todd Ruggere said:

Thanks. I'm open to all advice. Golf is so maddening. I can't explain how many times I've said " I finally got this game!" next thing you know i can't do anything right.

LOL. I thought I'd got it last Tuesday. Lasted about a half-hour.

[Todd Ruggere]

I took a lesson last night to go over my problems. Right away the pro noticed that I was releasing my hips too soon. At the top of my swing he's trying to me to move my hands instead of already turning my hips. Make sense? Anyone have any drills that'll help with this? Also is it easy to post a video?

[johnclayton1982]

A really good way to feel the timing of the hips is to take your normal address position and normal grip at home.  Take your right hand off the club and make a backswing keeping your left hand on the grip where it is (soled behind the ball).  Slowly, make backswings with your right hand only.  You can't get stuck behind, as your body will automatically drop the right arm instead of spinning open when there is no left arm in the movement.  Try to swing back with your right only while leaving your left on the club in address position then return the right hand to the club by spinning out - your right hand gets stuck behind you.

So basically you are making backswings and downswings right arm/hand only while keeping your left in its address position and your left hand on the club.  If you don't sequence your hips right you can't get your right hand back to the club (note: your body will do it naturally).

This was a very good "feel" for me to stop spinning open on the way down.  Its from Faldo's Swing for Life, and the drills and feels in that book are great (even if the text is wonky).

[Todd Ruggere]

  johnclayton1982 said:

A really good way to feel the timing of the hips is to take your normal address position and normal grip at home.  Take your right hand off the club and make a backswing keeping your left hand on the grip where it is (soled behind the ball).  Slowly, make backswings with your right hand only.  You can't get stuck behind, as your body will automatically drop the right arm instead of spinning open when there is no left arm in the movement.  Try to swing back with your right only while leaving your left on the club in address position then return the right hand to the club by spinning out - your right hand gets stuck behind you.

So basically you are making backswings and downswings right arm/hand only while keeping your left in its address position and your left hand on the club.  If you don't sequence your hips right you can't get your right hand back to the club (note: your body will do it naturally).

This was a very good "feel" for me to stop spinning open on the way down.  Its from Faldo's Swing for Life, and the drills and feels in that book are great (even if the text is wonky).

Thanks im going to try this tomorrow. It felt weird at first, but by the end of the lesson and this morning i was hitting the ball much better. I got myself in such a bad habit, that it became permanent.