Controlling/Squaring club face with pivot

[SoundandFury]

Trying to get more consistent by taking some of the timing out of my swing. I've always been something of an "armsy" swinger, i.e., hang back and throw my arms towards the ball, using my hands to square the club face. This has worked really well, and it's been a complete disaster, depending on the day. After reading some article in Golf Digest, I'm trying to quiet my hands and square the face with my pivot. On the range I can feel it on maybe 50% of the shots, but the other half of the time my hands manipulate the club (like I used to have to do) and it goes waaaaaaay left, or alternatively, I keep them quiet but (apparently) don't pivot enough and block it right. Any good drills, feels, etc. anyone could recommend to get this engrained? Do you need to feel like you're pivoting pretty when first trying to groove this change? One of my biggest issues is pivoting hard enough to square the face while not moving my upper body laterally forward on the downswing . . .

[mvmac]

On the range I can feel it on maybe 50% of the shots, but the other half of the time my hands manipulate the club (like I used to have to do) and it goes waaaaaaay left, or alternatively, I keep them quiet but (apparently) don't pivot enough and block it right. Any good drills, feels, etc. anyone could recommend to get this engrained? Do you need to feel like you're pivoting pretty when first trying to groove this change? One of my biggest issues is pivoting hard enough to square the face while not moving my upper body laterally forward on the downswing . . .

You manipulate the club or have "active hands" because something is causing that to happen. Figure out your priority piece and make that better, don't search for answers in golf magazines

[EverythingGolf]

When you say it go's left, is it a pull or a hook?

[Rynrem]

You manipulate the club or have "active hands" because something is causing that to happen. Figure out your priority piece and make that better, don't search for answers in golf magazines

I have some of these same issues when it comes to trying to keep weight forward and pivot to impact the ball...lots of block/pushes if I don't pull it or hit it fat.  What do you mean by figuring out a priority piece... just finding the one thing that needs the most work?

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvmac

You manipulate the club or have "active hands" because something is causing that to happen. Figure out your priority piece and make that better, don't search for answers in golf magazines

I have some of these same issues when it comes to trying to keep weight forward and pivot to impact the ball...lots of block/pushes if I don't pull it or hit it fat.  What do you mean by figuring out a priority piece... just finding the one thing that needs the most work?

Good instructors will identify the most important piece of your swing that need improving and have you work on that first.  Priority piece is a term that @iacas and @mvmac use for that, as does Dave Wedzik.  If you have done a Member Swing thread, usually they will identify that one thing you should correct first.  I use Evolvr for my instruction, which is from Erik and Dave's Golf Evolution

Example:  My priority piece last year was having the club shallow from A4, top of the backswing, to A5, left arm parallel to ground.  My issue was my swing was too steep and it was causing fat shots and ball flight variation.  The flight is the symptom, the steepness is the cause.  The cure is the priority piece I have to work on.

This simplifies instruction a bunch.

[Rynrem]

Good instructors will identify the most important piece of your swing that need improving and have you work on that first.  Priority piece is a term that @iacas and @mvmac use for that, as does Dave Wedzik.  If you have done a Member Swing thread, usually they will identify that one thing you should correct first.  I use Evolvr for my instruction, which is from Erik and Dave's Golf Evolution

Example:  My priority piece last year was having the club shallow from A4, top of the backswing, to A5, left arm parallel to ground.  My issue was my swing was too steep and it was causing fat shots and ball flight variation.  The flight is the symptom, the steepness is the cause.  The cure is the priority piece I have to work on.

This simplifies instruction a bunch.

Thanks. My first priority piece is to get a swing video up, and that needs to happen soon

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Good instructors will identify the most important piece of your swing that need improving and have you work on that first.  Priority piece is a term that @iacas and @mvmac use for that, as does Dave Wedzik.  If you have done a Member Swing thread, usually they will identify that one thing you should correct first.  I use Evolvr for my instruction, which is from Erik and Dave's Golf Evolution

Example:  My priority piece last year was having the club shallow from A4, top of the backswing, to A5, left arm parallel to ground.  My issue was my swing was too steep and it was causing fat shots and ball flight variation.  The flight is the symptom, the steepness is the cause.  The cure is the priority piece I have to work on.

This simplifies instruction a bunch.

Thanks. My first priority piece is to get a swing video up, and that needs to happen soon

[danL]

If you have a smart phone it should allow you to record your swing in slow motion. Good luck!

[Ernest Jones]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rynrem

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvmac

You manipulate the club or have "active hands" because something is causing that to happen. Figure out your priority piece and make that better, don't search for answers in golf magazines

I have some of these same issues when it comes to trying to keep weight forward and pivot to impact the ball...lots of block/pushes if I don't pull it or hit it fat.  What do you mean by figuring out a priority piece... just finding the one thing that needs the most work?

Good instructors will identify the most important piece of your swing that need improving and have you work on that first.  Priority piece is a term that @iacas and @mvmac use for that, as does Dave Wedzik.  If you have done a Member Swing thread, usually they will identify that one thing you should correct first.  I use Evolvr for my instruction, which is from Erik and Dave's Golf Evolution

Example:  My priority piece last year was having the club shallow from A4, top of the backswing, to A5, left arm parallel to ground.  My issue was my swing was too steep and it was causing fat shots and ball flight variation.  The flight is the symptom, the steepness is the cause.  The cure is the priority piece I have to work on.

This simplifies instruction a bunch.

Yeah. I see the priority piece as the one piece (out of all my various issues) that will have the biggest impact on my entire swing. A good priority piece will usually address several faults at once, the primary one and then there is a "trickle down" effect that cleans up some other issues. For example, I had an issue with standing up a bit through impact and I also had some OTT issues. Working on the "standing up" problem didn't help my path at all however, working on my path and getting it to come from the inside helped eliminate the standing up as a by product, a freebie if you will.

[mcat12]

Priority Piece- it goes without saying that i need to post a Member Swing video and sign up for Evolvr if i want to make serious headway this year with golf. I think it truly hit me when i got fit for a new driver last weekend. Ive spent some time this winter reading, watching videos (5SK), and hitting balls into my upstairs net (real feel mat) thinking that i would see some improvement. My fitting was pathitic: duffs, shanks, popups, and push after push after push. I may have hit 5 out 75 where the push draw was struck perfectly. If i ever needed a kick in the pants, that was it!:-D

[mvmac]

I have some of these same issues when it comes to trying to keep weight forward and pivot to impact the ball...lots of block/pushes if I don't pull it or hit it fat.  What do you mean by figuring out a priority piece... just finding the one thing that needs the most work?

@boogielicious and @Ernest Jones did a good job of explaining it. It basically comes down to improving something that will have an immediate, positive effect to your swing/ballstriking. Another element to it is fixing the cause and not the effect. Quick example, if you cast or flip, the fix isn't to "hold" your wrist angles on the downswing, it's to identify WHY you flip. Could be your grip, ability to transfer your weight forward, ability to keep your head steady. There isn't one universal fix or feel that will solve the problem, it's specific for that golfer and their swing.

I would recommend having a competent instructor help you figure out what your piece is or post a video on this site and we can help you out.

[Rynrem]

@boogielicious and @Ernest Jones did a good job of explaining it. It basically comes down to improving something that will have an immediate, positive effect to your swing/ballstriking. Another element to it is fixing the cause and not the effect. Quick example, if you cast or flip, the fix isn't to "hold" your wrist angles on the downswing, it's to identify WHY you flip. Could be your grip, ability to transfer your weight forward, ability to keep your head steady. There isn't one universal fix or feel that will solve the problem, it's specific for that golfer and their swing.

I would recommend having a competent instructor help you figure out what your piece is or post a video on this site and we can help you out.

Thanks. I'm in a bad way now. I just got back from the range. I got my towards work out...to an extent, but I have no distance now. Funny you mention the flip, as that could be the cause, even though I am working on weight forward and left wrist flat at impact. I'm still heading to your side of the country next week. We will be in Palm Desert next Sunday. I hate to take this swing to those courses...but I will.

[SoundandFury]

You manipulate the club or have "active hands" because something is causing that to happen. Figure out your priority piece and make that better, don't search for answers in golf magazines

It's pretty incredible how spot on this is/was.  Like Mike suggested, I was trying to fix a symptom, not a disease.  Something clicked (when I was at, of all places, Roger Dunn trying some irons).  After about 5 swings I started really (like, REALLY) focussing on keeping a steady head/head behind ball at impact.  I've worked on this time and time again, but it's one of those things that without monitoring, can come back without me even realizing it.  Couple of swings, and everything straightened out, including not having to work so hard to shallow the club on the way down, it just happens (the crappy monitors at RD showed an immediate change from a slightly out to in swing to a about 1-3 degrees in to out path).  Best of all, didn't feel like I had to manipulate my hands at all.

So long story short, after an incredibly crappy 45 yesterday (9 holes), I shot a 79 in my club's weekly skins game with three birdies, 1 (hopefully) CTP, and a sh*tload of restored confidence.  Thanks Mike.

[mvmac]

So long story short, after an incredibly crappy 45 yesterday (9 holes), I shot a 79 in my club's weekly skins game with three birdies, 1 (hopefully) CTP, and a sh*tload of restored confidence.  Thanks Mike.

Glad to help, thanks for keeping an open mind.