My Swing (ajw426)

[ajw426]

Hello all. I am about a 10 handicap and have been playing golf casually my whole life. Over the past month, using the awesome resources on this forum, i have really been reworking my swing. I am seeing visual improvements, but i believe that i am still struggling with keys 1-3. I believe my main difficulty is getting my weight forward at contact due to difficulty with a centered pivot. As a result, my miss hits are fat or thin with frequent fades (ball contact towards heel and low on face). I am not confident that my setup at approach is correct. Also, i hate how flat my swing path is and my club/hand position at the top of my backswing. When i try to fix that issue, it makes my keys 1 and 2 more difficult to achieve. I know that i have multiple issues, but I'm not truly sure what my priority piece should be. I have been trying all sorts of changes with my knees, hips, shoulders, hands, and wrists on my backswing, and i can't find the right combination. Thanks ahead of time for any input or advice! [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/dgLd-oN_wFc[/VIDEO] [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/rn6nbGlQDQE[/VIDEO] Edit: I'm sure i could also get slow motion footage posted as well if that is helpful?

[mvmac]

I think you have a lot of good pieces to your swing. I suggest just starting off with something simple, like getting your shoulder alignments more inline with your knees and feet. I'd like you to set-up more like I recommend in this thread, or at least feel like you do, so that the right arm (red dot) isn't so far above the left arm (yellow dot).

[ajw426]

Wow, thanks.  Not sure how this is the first time that I have seen that thread!

[ajw426]

[VIDEO]https://youtu.be/y-Ak9QEX_Wc[/VIDEO] I have attempted (with moderate success, to my eyes) to make the suggested changes. My ball striking is improving even more, but i am still plagued with 50% fades (mostly small and controllable with some push fades that put me in trouble right), 10% slightly fat (80-90% of intended distance), the occasional hard pull, and about 40% straight or maybe a slight draw. I did manage to hit my first Hole-In-One two days ago with a slight draw on a 6i (on my Birthday nonetheless), but i still want to maximize my distance while developing a draw instead of a fade. I still see many things that i would like to change, but i think being a stupid monkey works best for me. Advice is always truly appreciated. (Oh, and sorry for the shakiness on the footage. Was in a hurry and had my wife hold it instead of mounting. Will mount it from now on)

[ajw426]

47 - 38 (85) today. All of my tee shots were low on the face and near the heel (driver). Working on getting contact more center of the face but can't seem to no matter how hard I try. Attempting to stand further away, start with ball nearer the toe etc. Any ideas how to get contact further towards the toe?

[ajw426]

[VIDEO]https://youtu.be/-vxhW3zvHEw[/VIDEO] I don't have room to get a FO view, unnfortunately.

[mvmac]

Any ideas how to get contact further towards the toe?

I'd first look at changing how you're "loaded" too much on your left leg at address. You can still have the weight slightly forward at address, just don't "lean" into that left leg, don't have the right hip higher than the left at 1. Going to promote more of a steep angle of attack.

[ajw426]

I'd first look at changing how you're "loaded" too much on your left leg at address. You can still have the weight slightly forward at address, just don't "lean" into that left leg, don't have the right hip higher than the left at 1. Going to promote more of a steep angle of attack. [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/120915/] [/URL] [CONTENTEMBED=/t/77244/how-to-hit-a-driver-hit-it-further-and-stop-slicing layout=block] [/CONTENTEMBED]

As you were replying, I forced myself to try the advice from three weeks ago again. I bumped out my hips and hands, tried to turn my shoulders a bit more right of the target, as well as feeling my upper body tilt a bit away from the target (i felt like i had ingrained this and was still doing it, but apparently i had drifted back). It allowed me to turn my upper body more, bring the club back on plane, and bring it back through with what felt much more inside out and less over the top. It felt much much better! My only concern is that in trying to get some axis tilt, i may be lowering my right shoulder too far below my left. I feel like it is very low (to my poorly trained eyes) even in the image you just referenced. Should i be trying to get my weight more towards the back, tilting my axis back, or some combo of the two in this case? Thanks a bunch!

[mvmac]

My only concern is that in trying to get some axis tilt, i may be lowering my right shoulder too far below my left. I feel like it is very low (to my poorly trained eyes) even in the image you just referenced. Should i be trying to get my weight more towards the back, tilting my axis back, or some combo of the two in this case?

Thanks a bunch!

It's not the axis tilt, it's that you tend to shrug your left shoulder at address. Also it's a driver so I wouldn't worry too much about it, just let the shoulders "hang".

[ajw426]

It's not the axis tilt, it's that you tend to shrug your left shoulder at address. Also it's a driver so I wouldn't worry too much about it, just let the shoulders "hang".  [CONTENTEMBED=/t/56069/good-golf-posture-how-to-address-the-golf-ball layout=inline]​[/CONTENTEMBED]  [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/120920/] [/URL]

Perfect, will focus on that instead.

[ajw426]

Just got back from a golf trip with friends/family. 3 days and we played 5 rounds. I was eager to show off my new swing, but similar to some of my recent rounds, when I addressed the ball, it felt as if the ball was continually too far forward in my stance and me feet/hips were open to the target. I would try to readjust or resetup, but I think I have a bad habit of setting up open to the target on the course. My swing "feel" and shot pattern mimicked this. I couldn't get that "inside-out sweet spot draw" that is so easy on my mat but elusive many times on the course. For the first four rounds, I tried to set my lines up square to the target, and I miss hit multiple shots thin with a fade. I had a lot of driver hits low and near the heal with a fade and almost no power. I even did that to the point of topping 5 drives throughout those 4 rounds by hitting them on the sole near the heal (I haven't topped drives for a real long time) and some wedges off of the hozel. Everything was hit over the top. I shot 86, 80, 83, and 82 for first four rounds and was very disappointed in my ball striking. On the third hole of my last round (already 1 over for the round), I was fed up with over the top. I told my dad and brother to ignore the fact that I was going to be dropping my right foot back 2-3 inches, but I had to try something (I also put the ball back a bit in my stance). By dropping my foot back, it allowed me to feel much more square or closed to the target (I tried so hard to do it with square feet, but after 4 rounds I gave up). I proceed to finish with 15 more pars and a birdie for my first even part round. I hit 15 of the last 16 greens in regulation and all of my remaining fairways while upping my avg drive distance from 250 to just under 290 (some of the longest drives of my life). Now that I am back home on my mat, I can avoid over the top fairly well with a square setup, but it feels so much easier with my right foot pulled back two inches. On the course, without better references for squareness, I seem to let my stance open and the ball to sneak too far forward. I can instantly feel it on my practice swings and hits, but I have so much trouble getting rid of it. So, I guess my main question or whether or not this is something I should be okay with doing long term, or is this just a compensation for another swing fault. Should I allow myself to keep the ball a little too far back in my stance with my right foot pulled back, or should I strive to find something else to fix and stay setup more square? How far back in my stance is too far back, and how far back for my right foot is too far back?

[mvmac]

Should I allow myself to keep the ball a little too far back in my stance with my right foot pulled back, or should I strive to find something else to fix and stay setup more square? How far back in my stance is too far back, and how far back for my right foot is too far back?

How far back are you playing it and how far back is the right foot?

As a general "rule", I wouldn't play a mid iron in the middle of the stance and wouldn't have the right foot pulled back more than 2-3 inches. Also, rotating your body lines right "artificially" moves the ball a little forward in your stance.

[ajw426]

How far back are you playing it and how far back is the right foot?

2-3 inches back on the right foot. When I put the ball in the "right" position, it feels as if I have to almost flip at it or come OTT to get to it. The comfortable position for me is probably a ball back of center for wedges moving towards a ball forward on long irons. When I look down on my comfortable wedge position it looks like middle of the stance visually to me, but on video I see it further back than ideal. I just struggle so badly when I move it forward any more. My trajectories are great, and it doesn't feel as if I'm coming in steep. It seems as if that is the appropriate ball placement based on my body position & bottom of my arc at impact. I don't like the idea of an abnormal setup. Maybe I should try to slide my hips more at impact in order to move the bottom of my arc anteriorly? I find it particularly odd that I have had a problem with stacking my weight on my left foot at address, yet I still run into this issue.

[ajw426]

Still lots of tinkering going on. I revisited the threads on creating depth and sliding hips. Trying to create depth felt akward, but allowed me to come through on a draw path oh so easily. I played yesterday after that change and shot a 77 in pretty tough conditions (down to a 6 HC now). After watching myself I noticed how flat my swing got when focusing on getting my hands deep (I think I started swing more back instead of up and back), so I tried to get a better looking swing path to my eye. I was able to hit some nice strikes with this more vertical path, and I think it makes my swing look more in line with most professional swings compared to the past Any thoughts on where i should be focusing? I'm happy with where i have come, but not sure where to go now. [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/3IVRx5wKL6g[/VIDEO] [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/gW3elGtHhcs[/VIDEO]

[mvmac]

Still lots of tinkering going on. I revisited the threads on creating depth and sliding hips. Trying to create depth felt akward, but allowed me to come through on a draw path oh so easily. I played yesterday after that change and shot a 77 in pretty tough conditions (down to a 6 HC now). After watching myself I noticed how flat my swing got when focusing on getting my hands deep (I think I started swing more back instead of up and back), so I tried to get a better looking swing path to my eye. I was able to hit some nice strikes with this more vertical path, and I think it makes my swing look more in line with most professional swings compared to the past

Any thoughts on where i should be focusing? I'm happy with where i have come, but not sure where to go now.

I think the backswing looks pretty darn good. The problem is that your left arm is staying pinned to your chest. So if you're consciously trying to keep the hands or left arm "in" on the downswing, don't worry about it.

Notice how the hands work straight down from the top of the backswing. Compare that to the right pic where the hands are moving down and OUT. The feeling might be to fire your arms at the ball from the top of the backswing. Almost if you had a ball in your right hand and had to throw it on top (or just in front) of the golf ball.

[ajw426]

That is the area of my swing that I think looks most akward (my arms/hands just before impact), but I didn't know exactly why it looked so weird or what I needed to change, so thank you!

[ajw426]

Is it possible that my body is too close to the ball on the downswing (or even at setup, for that matter?). I am really having a hard time getting my left arm off of my body and making any decent contact with the ball. Possibly standing a bit further away from the ball or trying to keep my butt from moving towards the ball on the downswing as a way to keep some space between my body and the ball for my hands and arms to swing more freely? I'm really taking a guess with this, because I can't get myself in a position like on the right (with the iron) no matter how hard I try. My swing just feels so flat and laid off at the top and very bunched up right before impact. When I watch pros, I see almost no one with those two things in their swing. That can't be a good thing, right?

[mvmac]

Is it possible that my body is too close to the ball on the downswing (or even at setup, for that matter?). I am really having a hard time getting my left arm off of my body and making any decent contact with the ball. Possibly standing a bit further away from the ball or trying to keep my butt from moving towards the ball on the downswing as a way to keep some space between my body and the ball for my hands and arms to swing more freely?

I'm really taking a guess with this, because I can't get myself in a position like on the right (with the iron) no matter how hard I try.

Just start by making swings at like 20-30% speed.

Giving yourself some more space at address would help. I would also recommend you soften the lower back and feel like your right arm is under your left at address. So before you stand further away from it I'd take out the arch in the lower back, raise the handle a little and "soften" that right arm under your left.

My swing just feels so flat and laid off at the top and very bunched up right before impact. When I watch pros, I see almost no one with those two things in their swing. That can't be a good thing, right?

Well from the last swing you posted it certainly doesn't look flat or laid off.