Staying "connected"

[$2 Nassau]

It's very fun to diagnose, and (hopefully) correct your problems!!

This year, for almost the entire season I have found myself hitting my driver slightly towards the heel. You can kind of get away with it with these large driver heads and still hit the ball fairly straight, but it robs you of some serious distance. I tried pretty much everything to correct it.

First, the obvious, standing to close to the ball? Nope, just caused me to actually hit the ball even more on the heel because I would get way off balance and have to lunge towards the ball on the downswing.

I also did a lot of work trying to fine tune my swing path. It greatly helped other aspects of my game, specifically iron play but I still was heeling it with the driver.

I also fiddled with ball position, tee height, tried out a couple different drivers , tried hovering the club at address as opposed to grounding, etc, etc, etc.

Finally, I think I've discovered my problem...getting DISCONNECTED. Lately, when hitting my driver I've been trying to "stay connected." That is, stay compact through my swing, keeping my left bicep against my chest.

It felt strange, very strange at first. I think previously I was pretty good on the backswing and the beginning of the downswing, but as I turned back to the ball my body would stop rotating and I would fire the club through impact with my arms only. So naturally, as my arms became "disconnected" that extension would push the sweetspot out past the ball, causing a strike on the heel. With irons, I swing probably 80% and have been devloping some nice tempo. With my driver, it's a 95%+ ugly, herky-jerky type of swing, which was probably contributing to the "disconnect."

Staying connected has toned down my driver swing a bit, it kind of forces you to stay in control, unless you want to throw your entire body at the ball.

So I returned to the range last night to cotninue my work on staying connected when hitting the driver, and employed 2 simple thoughts:

1) Left bicep to chest all the way through impact
2) No more than 85% power!!!!

The results continued to be very good. It gets you to that proper impact position without much though.

I'm playing 18 tomorrow and I can't wait!!

Thanks for listening.

-$2

[VanillaEps]

1) Left bicep to chest all the way through impact

I'll have to keep that in mind.

[Rynofskie]

I felt like lately I've been trying to swing to much like a baseball bat, rotating on the balls of the feet and at the torso, and relying too much on my arm and back strength. I tried to really focus on leading with my hips a little more, bringing my weight forward and following my swing plane through the release. I feel a lot more "connected" like your saying, when I do that.

[geezer]

I've been hitting my driver off the heel alot latley too. I know what you mean about the loss of distance too . With my driver a heeled shot comes up about 50-60 yards short at least, but then again when I heel my driver, I really heel it, were talking almost on the hozel. So I must try this out the next time I'm at the range.
Thanks in advance (if it works!)

[sonicblue]

Congrats! I actually started using that EXACT same analogy (I would actually envision using my left pectoral muscle to push my upper left arm through the downswing). IMO, "connected" is THE most encompassing concept to a sound golf swing.

[MPS67]

Congrats! I actually started using that EXACT same analogy (I would actually envision using my left pectoral muscle to push my upper left arm through the downswing). IMO, "connected" is THE most encompassing concept to a sound golf swing.

That's what I started doing at the driving range, while keeping my arms inert. I can see a definite improvement in my ball striking as a result. A lot of golfers say that adding muscle will ruin the golf game. But I'm wondering if having larger pectoral and bicep muscles help by eliminating the gap between the chest and left arm, thus keeping one better connected?

$2 Nassau and Geezer, I think you're on the right track as far as attaining connection, so please don't get me wrong on what I'm about to suggest. But have you also considered shortening the length of your driver's shaft by an inch or so? Anyway, I'm glad to hear of your success! Mark

[geezer]

$2 Nassau and Geezer, I think you're on the right track as far as attaining connection, so please don't get me wrong on what I'm about to suggest. But have you also considered shortening the length of your driver's shaft by an inch or so?

Actually... no. I've never really considered it. Suppose it never occured to me, I love my driver so much I hever thought it was anything to do with her ( its a "...its not you its me..." situation if you know what I mean )

[$2 Nassau]

I've never considered it, wouldn't completely rule it out, but as geezer mention it never really crossed my mind.


A shortened driver wouldn't necessarily mean you would stay connected...right? I understand that it would add more control, assuming you're putting a good swing on the ball.

[MPS67]

I've never considered it, wouldn't completely rule it out, but as geezer mention it never really crossed my mind.

Nothing to do with connection, but I was just thinking that with a shorter shaft, you could use your same balanced swing and the club's head would swing around a bit closer to you, thereby aligning the sweet spot of your club head to the ball instead of the heal to the ball.

[fanofsaosin]

i've done the same swing changes of being connected, but instead of having the thought of keeping the left arm to chest, i think of keeping the arms passive and turning my body this usually causes the body to drag the left arm threw, i get in trouble when i tend to get the right arm to active early to cause a disconnection.

[laconic517]

Ive found something similar to this except I use my hands, Im hitting it better now because ive been keeping my hands and consequently the rest of my arms closer to my body during my swing. Its nice because for me it feels like im just turning and I end up back to square with little hand action through the swing (except I have to every now and then consciously open the face going back or I take it back shut and hit viscious hooks)

When taking it away I try to feel like im swiping my right hand off of my right pant pocket andit seems to work.

[TheSavage]

Staying Connected is the best tip I ever got. It works really well, especially at the range I place a towel under my arm. I cant help but swing 80-85% and I have greater control over all shots.

[JackLee]

What you guys are experiencing is a rudimentary body powered swing.  However, you need something else to make it really good and consistent.

[mrchi]

Saw this old thread and tried staying "connected" today at the range. Thanks guys - the dreaded hook I've been fighting since last season seems to be tamed!