Freddie Couples' swing

[HawkNballs]

I notice that Freddie Couples always has an open alignment and and swings in to out.  It's almost like he's playing a push shot, even though he likes to draw the ball.

I ask this because I've been hitting too far in to out for a while now and find it hard to fix.  It keeps leaking back into my game.  I will either push it or save it with my hands and draw/hook it.

Has anyone experimented with just playing a block/push shot similar to Freddie?  It's the one thing I can consistently do.  I always crush it and hit it pure when I DO push it.

For example... On a 165 yard approach shot, I could line up like I was going to hit the left edge of the green and swing inside to out... hitting the ball to the middle of the green.

Thoughts?

[Abu3baid]

I notice that Freddie Couples always has an open alignment and and swings in to out.  It's almost like he's playing a push shot, even though he likes to draw the ball.

I ask this because I've been hitting too far in to out for a while now and find it hard to fix.  It keeps leaking back into my game.  I will either push it or save it with my hands and draw/hook it.

Has anyone experimented with just playing a block/push shot similar to Freddie?  It's the one thing I can consistently do.  I always crush it and hit it pure when I DO push it.

For example... On a 165 yard approach shot, I could line up like I was going to hit the left edge of the green and swing inside to out... hitting the ball to the middle of the green.

Thoughts?

I was under the assumption that FC plays a fade and not a draw..  did you read something different?

[mvmac]

Fred Couples definitely plays a fade. He aims his body well left, let's say 8 degrees and he swings outward (of his body alignments) 4 degrees, so his overall path is -4.  He hits push fades, so the face at impact is aimed right of his body but slightly left of his target.

[inthecup]

If you can play it consistently why not.

[MS256]

I've been swinging way too much in to out with a driver all year (even when it didn't feel like it and I was trying not to). If I closed the face I would get a hook that started well right but came back and actually hit the fairway (but without good distance).

Slightly the same problem with fairway woods and little noticeable problem with irons.

The last couple of times I played I just more or less decided to go with it, instead of trying to change it, and opened both my stance and club face, and made the same swings.

So far that change seems to have fixed most of my driver problems. I'm still usually hitting a draw but have hit a few very slight fades. They are straight enough and down the fairway enough that I can live with either for now.

Best thing is that I also got my distance back. Until that change the only really long balls I had hit all year were long straight balls a mile right of target.

[HawkNballs]

Maybe he hits fades as a stock shot, but heard he hits draws from that set up too.

I was just wondering if anyone who pushes the ball has tried this.  Swinging in to out is very natural to me now.  I always try to swing in to in, but it's a hard habit to break.

I will try it at the range and report back.  I realize that not a lot of people have this swing flaw.  It's from years of lessons and hearing "don't swing over the top... swing inside out".

Whatever gets you the lowest score, right?  ;)

[HawkNballs]

I've been swinging way too much in to out with a driver all year (even when it didn't feel like it and I was trying not to). If I closed the face I would get a hook that started well right but came back and actually hit the fairway (but without good distance).

Slightly the same problem with fairway woods and little noticeable problem with irons.

The last couple of times I played I just more or less decided to go with it, instead of trying to change it, and opened both my stance and club face, and made the same swings.

So far that change seems to have fixed most of my driver problems. I'm still usually hitting a draw but have hit a few very slight fades. They are straight enough and down the fairway enough that I can live with either for now.

Best thing is that I also got my distance back. Until that change the only really long balls I had hit all year were long straight balls a mile right of target.

Yeah, those shots feel great off the club and really fly!  I never seem to push the ball off the toe or heel.  I always push it with the sweet spot.  I will give it a try.

[jbishop15]

I notice that Freddie Couples always has an open alignment and and swings in to out.  It's almost like he's playing a push shot, even though he likes to draw the ball. I ask this because I've been hitting too far in to out for a while now and find it hard to fix.  It keeps leaking back into my game.  I will either push it or save it with my hands and draw/hook it. Has anyone experimented with just playing a block/push shot similar to Freddie?  It's the one thing I can consistently do.  I always crush it and hit it pure when I DO push it.   For example... On a 165 yard approach shot, I could line up like I was going to hit the left edge of the green and swing inside to out... hitting the ball to the middle of the green.   Thoughts?

I play a push-fade with the driver. I prefer that shot shape. Like everyone else said, if it works, great.

[mdl]

I've fought strong pushes or push fades (sometimes push slice with the driver, but usually straight push or push with what would be a playable fade if it started near the target) for years.  I've experimented with what you're saying, but it never worked consistently for me.

One of the issues that caused this was my hands were too high at impact and I'd come to impact with the toe down and face open.  At fittings I'd get the same stripe on the bottom of the club out near the toe regardless of how far upright they bent my club!  And regardless of whether the shot was a push or not.  You're much better than me at a 5, but just a thought I'd throw that out there.  Do you do this with a level club head at impact?

[HawkNballs]

I assume the club head is level at impact.  I get uniform dollar bill divots that point right of my target.

One of my main swing thoughts is to swing to the left like a cut swing.  I can trick myself some days, but other days I fight the push and flip hook.  I still can score decent, but it's the most frustrating round of golf ever.  It's horrible to have a two way miss.

[MS256]

I assume the club head is level at impact.  I get uniform dollar bill divots that point right of my target.

One of my main swing thoughts is to swing to the left like a cut swing.  I can trick myself some days, but other days I fight the push and flip hook.  I still can score decent, but it's the most frustrating round of golf ever.  It's horrible to have a two way miss.

^^^ If I didn't know better I would have thought that was something that I wrote.

Pretty sure that I can get it straightened out if I start playing as much golf as I originally intended to play this year before all sorts of other things got in the way.

[HawkNballs]

^^^ If I didn't know better I would have thought that was something that I wrote.

Pretty sure that I can get it straightened out if I start playing as much golf as I originally intended to play this year before all sorts of other things got in the way.

Great minds think alike!  ha!

There are more important things than golf (so I hear), but I have no excuses this year.  I play at least twice a week.  Sometimes 4.  I just don't feel like I'm getting better and in some ways worse.

Golf is hard.

[HawkNballs]

In case anyone was curious...

I went to to the range and was able to hit some great shots with an open stance and push swing with wedges and short irons.  It was tougher with the long irons and predicting how much right the ball would go was almost impossible.  That experiment was a minor fail.  ;)

Instead, I just tried to use Freddie's tempo and smooth swing.  It helps a lot when I lead with handle towards the target and swing easy.  The ball actually goes further (farther?) that way too.