My Swing (edhalsim)

[edhalsim]

I've been Playing Golf for: 40 yrs.

My current handicap index or average score is: 8 (was as low as 4)

My typical ball flight is: Draw

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Pull hook or block.

Here's a slo-mo down-the-line.

A couple of things I'm working on:

1. Half-way back club is too far inside.  I think I can fix this on my own.
2. The other (I think) significant issue is that little over-the-top redirect at the top of my swing.  This causes the downswing plane to get too steep so I get toe deep divots and inconsistent ball striking.

I've been trying to fix #2 for a while with minimal success.  If anyone has any suggestions/drills I'm all ears.  I think I'd prefer having my hands a bit deeper and the club a little laid off at the top rather than pointing down the line.  If you see something else let me know.

Thanks in advance!

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Videos:

[Golfingdad]

Hi @edhalsim , and welcome to TST!! :beer: Regarding your two questions, I'd suggest that those are quite interconnected with each other.  You're too shallow/flat on the backswing and too steep on the downswing.  A problem with which I am quite familiar, as I do that exact same thing.;-)   (Working on it though) But one thing I see that is likely even more critical is your head movement.  I am at work, so my apologies for this being so crude, but here is a sequence of pictures I took with my computer cursor parked at the tip of the bill of your cap at the start of the video.  You can see that at A4  (top of backswing) you've come up and back a bit, and then by A7 (impact) you've come back off the ball quite a lot. Maybe start with a "Wall" drill and try to keep your head in place, and thus your spine inclination to the ground, throughout the swing. Hope that helps. P.S.  I am a big fan of that banked right foot though!

[edhalsim]

Sadly despite my best efforts, I can't seem to get rid of that slight over the top move at the top of my backswing/start of downswing.  Everyone says shifting my weight left should cause my hands to drop in the slot, but they just won't.  I've also worked on taking the club back more on plane, but I still get to the same position at the top.  I spent 30 mins. at PGA today in the simulator and every single shot I hit was push/block right (not slice, just push).

Anyone have any suggestions, other than take up a new hobby?  Thanks.

- Ed.

[amoline]

Not sure how much it might help you, but I always find if I do a slow motion swing (like, really slow) and do what I need to do, or what I'm trying to do, over and over again, that it helps me.

It has helped my flipping issue quite a bit. :)

[boogielicious]

@edhalsim

To add to what @Golfingdad said, the first key to a good golf swing is Key 1, a steady head. Below, you raise your head during your backswing.

Then at impact you also move back significantly.

Your first priority should be to steady your head during both the backswing and downswing.  The two videos below discuss steady head and what can cause the head to move and how to correct.

Work on these slowing at first. Some do a wall drill without a club where you put you head against the wall and slowly do your swing without a club. As always, we recommend practicing slowing and specifically as is described in the thread below.

[edhalsim]

Thanks very much for your help!  I've give that a try.

[edhalsim]

One question though...it looks like in the videos you're not trying to maintain the flex in the right/trail leg during the backswing.  I've always heard you should keep the trail leg bent with the knee flex the same as it was at address.  Do you not worry if the right/trail leg straightens during the backswing?  Thanks.

[boogielicious]

One question though...it looks like in the videos you're not trying to maintain the flex in the right/trail leg during the backswing.  I've always heard you should keep the trail leg bent with the knee flex the same as it was at address.  Do you not worry if the right/trail leg straightens during the backswing?  Thanks.

Most pros reduce the flex in the rear leg. This helps your hips to turn. You don't want it stick straight, but it should straighten somewhat. The "keep the flex" idea was an old adage that was disproven when they actually started filming swings.

[iacas]

One question though...it looks like in the videos you're not trying to maintain the flex in the right/trail leg during the backswing.  I've always heard you should keep the trail leg bent with the knee flex the same as it was at address.  Do you not worry if the right/trail leg straightens during the backswing?  Thanks.

Yeah, don't worry about that.

[edhalsim]

Well, I've tried my best to find a way to keep my head in the same position during the downswing, but my efforts have so far been in vain.  Swinging with my head against a wall doesn't seem to do the trick.  When I'm on the range, when I try to say down coming into the ball I generally stick the club in the ground.  I'm guessing part of the issue is I'm hitting too much from the top and releasing early instead of maintaining lag.

Suggestions?  Would it help to post a more recent swing?

Thanks for the help.

[boogielicious]

Well, I've tried my best to find a way to keep my head in the same position during the downswing, but my efforts have so far been in vain.  Swinging with my head against a wall doesn't seem to do the trick.  When I'm on the range, when I try to say down coming into the ball I generally stick the club in the ground.  I'm guessing part of the issue is I'm hitting too much from the top and releasing early instead of maintaining lag.

Suggestions?  Would it help to post a more recent swing?

Thanks for the help.

Yes, post another video. You should practice slowly at first as I mentioned in my response above. Swing at 25%, 50% and film that so you get the feeling at a slower speed first.

[mvmac]

Suggestions?  Would it help to post a more recent swing?

Thanks for the help.

One piece that will lessen how much the head moves, make sure the head "hangs" down, get the eyes down so that you are looking at the ball through your central vision. Right now your chin is up and you have to make adjustments with your head/eyes during the swing. Will certainly make the backswing Key #1 pieces a lot easier.

[edhalsim]

As requested.  Thanks, I appreciate it!!

[mvmac]

Just to add to @boogielicious 's post about the feet flare and hip turn, make sure the knee aren't turned inward, the hip turn is centered and that the hips don't sway back. This will help you turn more and make it easier to swing outward/less across your body.

[edhalsim]

I've been working with topspeedgolf.com for a little while.  They're trying to get me to flatten/shallow out the club at the start of the downswing, rather than start down steep and then shallow it late which is too inconsistent.  This is something Zach Allen apparently is big in to.  I've tried and tried to get that move to no avail. 

The closest I come is swinging one handed:

Thanks for the help.

[iacas]

I don't agree with the assessments you've gotten to this point.

I was hoping for a face-on video. Your last videos are from 2015.

Here's what I see:

You don't take your hands in very much at all - you just pick up your arms with very little turn. This would be clearer from face-on.

You're a little shallow on the way back. But no worries, as it's the takeaway, so… meh. You're not turned much at the top, I'd imagine. Not like your 2015 swing anyway.

If you turned more, you'd get more hand depth. As it is, you don't have much at the top.

At any rate… Let's look at your downswing.

Here's the thing… you're actually shallow enough. The butt of your club is pointing at or slightly outside the target line through your golf ball.

You're already on a plane. It's a steep plane, but if you went shallower you'd have to make some dramatic compensation to hit the golf ball.

I completely disagree that you need to "shallow" - you don't have the hand depth to be more shallow.

Carl Pettersson shallows (late) from a pretty steep position without much hand depth… but good luck trying this on for size:

@mvmac… thoughts?

[mvmac]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

@mvmac… thoughts?

100% agree.

@edhalsim, as @iacas said you do shallow the shaft but need to create more depth with your arms/hands on the backswing by turning your torso more. What goes on with the shaft is typically a reaction to what the body and arms are doing. If you don't turn the arms are going to have to work more vertically and you rope yourself of speed and the ability to shallow effectively via the dynamic change of direction (rather than shallowing by casting) that comes with a good pivot.

It seems that topspeedgolf.com is just videos about the swing but not online personalized coaching? Have to be careful with this because while it may be good to learn general swing knowledge, that doesn't mean it's something you specially need to do for your own swing. There is also kind of a fad going on in golf instruction of getting the shaft really shallow coming down. This happens a lot in golf, some good information is "discovered" or verified and instructors take it too far.

[edhalsim]

16 hours ago, mvmac said:

100% agree.

@edhalsim, as @iacas said you do shallow the shaft but need to create more depth with your arms/hands on the backswing by turning your torso more. What goes on with the shaft is typically a reaction to what the body and arms are doing. If you don't turn the arms are going to have to work more vertically and you rope yourself of speed and the ability to shallow effectively via the dynamic change of direction (rather than shallowing by casting) that comes with a good pivot.

It seems that topspeedgolf.com is just videos about the swing but not online personalized coaching? Have to be careful with this because while it may be good to learn general swing knowledge, that doesn't mean it's something you specially need to do for your own swing. There is also kind of a fad going on in golf instruction of getting the shaft really shallow coming down. This happens a lot in golf, some good information is "discovered" or verified and instructors take it too far.

Thanks for the replied.  I do need some clarification.  I agree I need more shoulder/body turn, but am I specifically trying to get my hands deeper?  If so, what does that facilitate?  Are there any specific drills I should work on?

Clay and his group at topspeedgolf offer swing reviews for an extra charge, which I've done.