Low handicappers(or anyone).....when did you (have you?) shortened your backswing for more accuracy?

[trickyputt]

I wonder if I could use my weight coming down with my swing to competitive advantage especially with a shorter back swing. Weight is certainly something I seem to have more of as I have gotten older, and I would hate to just have all this weight "hanging around" when it could be put to better use in a swing

[Roll Tide]

I have made a conscious decision to do two things in the the last two months that have helped greatly. The first, shorten the backswing. My backswing was so long that it made me sway my hips to complete and thus threw everything off, hooks, pushes, and loss of distance. With the shorter backswing ( hands to left shoulder high ) I hit all clubs more solid and the swing is stable with a good turn instead of a sway. Second I have made myself hold my finish until the ball hits the ground. This has made me stay in balance throughout the swing. With the implementation these two details I am hitting the ball solid where I aim and have my distance back. May be worth a try for you. Good luck!!!

[rclark82]

I have made a conscious decision to do two things in the the last two months that have helped greatly. The first, shorten the backswing. My backswing was so long that it made me sway my hips to complete and thus threw everything off, hooks, pushes, and loss of distance. With the shorter backswing ( hands to left shoulder high ) I hit all clubs more solid and the swing is stable with a good turn instead of a sway. Second I have made myself hold my finish until the ball hits the ground. This has made me stay in balance throughout the swing. With the implementation these two details I am hitting the ball solid where I aim and have my distance back. May be worth a try for you. Good luck!!!

I have to agree. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of consistency I can achieve this year with these changes. I would love to break 70, but this will take a lot more short game practice etc... beyond this part of my game

[nick1998bunker]

2 years ago I swung the club like Jaime sadlowsky (probably more from letting the grip leave my left Palm) and recently have been unintentionally swinging to the point of barely past verticle. I hit the ball much farther although that may be due to increased muscle mass, and would say I am certainly more consistent. As for % I always go by the rule where you swing as hard as you can where you maintain perfect balance. On good days that can be almost all I got with every club. But as soon as all hell breaks loose I dial it down. I also swing with all I got if I need a big draw, more spin, or in deep rough as swinging harder hooks the ball with more spin for me.

[misty_mountainhop]

Interesting thread. I've shortened mine at the back end of this season as have always had a tendency to overswing. Usually got away with it but ball-striking was bad mid-season and shortening it was a revelation.

Not sure if it's much more accurate generally now (driving much better though) but ball-striking is leagues better with great divots and distance with irons is at least one club longer than it was earlier in the year. Seriously looking forward to the new season.

[Patch]

Myself,  I don't think I have ever had a full back swing. Even when I was a 20 something, bullet proof  youngster, I was probably a 3/4 swinger. I knew once I took up golf, it was something I was going to enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I made myself believe, perhaps falsely,  that a full swing could cause physical damage to my body because I played/practiced so much. Physical damage that could eventually keep me from playing the game as long as I wanted  to. Obviously I am talking about the possibility of back, and joint issues. So with that in mind, I set myself up for the long run. I know I have averaged well over 100 rounds of per year, and I have no idea how much practice I have put in since I pick up my first golf club.

I could still hit the ball a decent distance with my own abbreviated back swing, with some decent accuracy.  Some 40+ years later I don't hit the ball as far as I use to. I have lost about 20 yards, on average, over the years, with most of my clubs, but I can still play to decent handicap. Better than most anyways.

One thing I am happy about is that I have no back problems, or any other physical problems that were caused solely by my golf swing.  I do get up some mornings feeling like crap with different aches and pains, but they were not caused by golf.

[nick1998bunker]

Myself,  I don't think I have ever had a full back swing. Even when I was a 20 something, bullet proof  youngster, I was probably a 3/4 swinger. I knew once I took up golf, it was something I was going to enjoy doing for the rest of my life. I made myself believe, perhaps falsely,  that a full swing could cause physical damage to my body because I played/practiced so much. Physical damage that could eventually keep me from playing the game as long as I wanted  to. Obviously I am talking about the possibility of back, and joint issues. So with that in mind, I set myself up for the long run. I know I have averaged well over 100 rounds of per year, and I have no idea how much practice I have put in since I pick up my first golf club.  I could still hit the ball a decent distance with my own abbreviated back swing, with some decent accuracy.  Some 40+ years later I don't hit the ball as far as I use to. I have lost about 20 yards, on average, over the years, with most of my clubs, but I can still play to decent handicap. Better than most anyways. One thing I am happy about is that I have no back problems, or any other physical problems that were caused solely by my golf swing.  I do get up some mornings feeling like crap with different aches and pains, but they were not caused by golf. :-D

I would think that a longer swing would be beneficial as it would keep you flexible and maybe keep away scar tissue. And I would think unless the swing hurts then it would be fully within somebody's range of motion. I personally can't even extent that far anymore no clue why but I have a full shoulder turn and can't get the club far at all