Diagnosing Swing Flaws During a Round

[JonMA1]

I had to read this a couple of times. Are you suggesting that these hiccups will inevitably happen during practice and when they do, that's the time to diagnose and get an understanding of why something went wrong and what we have to do get back on track? Much the same advice as @natureboy gave?

For what it's worth, ball striking is usually better during a round than it is during practice. The thing is, I don't play tournaments or play for money so there's much less pressure than many of you face. Still, it would be nice to gain just a little more control if possible.

Also - and I assume everyone is aware of this - when I talk about improvement or how my iron play is going, it's relative to my game. When I get through 15 holes and hit all but a few full iron shots clean and end up near or on the green with each iron - that's good play for me. And when I've gained considerable distance with what seems like a slow swing, that makes me think things have improved (of course, the fact that I just typed that will undoubtedly spell doom).

But I've been through this before only to have what I thought was an improved swing go to hell. As @saevel25 suggested, my swing may still be garbage and the tweaks I'm after may be akin to polishing a turd. I'll see where it's at come October.

Never ever try to diagnosis on the course when playing a tournament. Play for score and try to dissect it afterwards on the range or another day. If my ball flight doesn't work I don't want to fix it on the course that day it just leads to big scores for me. I play with whatever ball flight that is working that day for me

Thanks @Truegolf . I actually didn't try to change anything, just tried to concentrate on making sure I was executing the 2 or 3 thoughts that have been successful so far this season. I ended up getting back on track at least to the point where nothing was going O.O.B.s. Once I got home, I think I figured out what I was doing.

[newtogolf]

Agreed, but why do they seem to manifest themselves more at the end of my rounds, I guess? I think I've scored worse on the back 9 than the front in almost every round I can think of right now.

I notice swing flaws occur at the end of my rounds more because of mental fatigue (lack of concentration) rather than physical fatigue.  I can hit 100 balls on the range pretty well without any major flaws slipping in but I find at the end of the round I lose focus and get a little sloppy in my address and swing which is when bad things happen.

[chspeed]

When I get through 15 holes and hit all but a few full iron shots clean and end up near or on the green with each iron - that's good play for me.

This is good play for everyone, including pros. Golf is hard :)

@TruegolfOnce I got home, I think I figured out what I was doing.

Spoken like a true golf addict. Join the club.

[mvmac]

I had to read this a couple of times. Are you suggesting that these hiccups will inevitably happen during practice and when they do, that's the time to diagnose and get an understanding of why something went wrong and what we have to do get back on track?

Sort of. I'm also saying there is nothing to "diagnose" because you already your swing/priority piece (or should). Just from memory I think you've made great progress with your swing by sticking with one or two simple swing priorities.

I'll use my own swing/game as an example. My miss is typically a thinnish push. This is my miss because of an issue with my swing, it's gotten better but can certainly rear it's head more on the course than on the range. I'm not really confused when it happens because I understand my tendencies and what my priority is. My swing flaws don't change on the course or from shot to shot.

[JonMA1]

Sort of. I'm also saying there is nothing to "diagnose" because you already your swing/priority piece (or should). Just from memory I think you've made great progress with your swing by sticking with one or two simple swing priorities.

I'll use my own swing/game as an example. My miss is typically a thinnish push. This is my miss because of an issue with my swing, it's gotten better but can certainly rear it's head more on the course than on the range. I'm not really confused when it happens because I understand my tendencies and what my priority is. My swing flaws don't change on the course or from shot to shot.

Thanks @mvmac (I am still working on that same priority piece, btw).

The bold is a big difference and why I asked the original questions. I'm not 100% sure what caused my mis-hits while you - and I assume most better players - are familiar with your swing and it's tendencies. Keep in mind I have several flaws so it's bit different, wouldn't you say?

If you don't mind me asking, what are your thoughts on the next full swing after you've hit your thinnish push? How about the next practice after a round when this shot result was particularly costly?

[The Recreational Golfer]

If you know your swing well enough, you know the points that make it work and what happens when a particular one of them breaks down. Then it's a fairly simple matter to correct the problem by going back to what you know is the right thing to do given the circumstances.

[mvmac]

Thanks @mvmac (I am still working on that same priority piece, btw).

The bold is a big difference and why I asked the original questions. I'm not 100% sure what caused my mis-hits while you - and I assume most better players - are familiar with your swing and it's tendencies. Keep in mind I have several flaws so it's bit different, wouldn't you say?

Low or high handicapper, it really shouldn't matter all that much. Every swing has multiple flaws, some are just bigger or more important than others. Again from memory I'm pretty sure you're working on the right stuff. On the course you probably just need to do it more, understand that your mis-hits mean that your swing is looking more like your "old swing".

Also a swing flaw can result in different kinds of mis-hits. Let's say the flaw is that the shaft steepens on the downswing/weight doesn't get forward enough, that can lead to fat/thin shots, pulls, slices.

If you don't mind me asking, what are your thoughts on the next full swing after you've hit your thinnish push? How about the next practice after a round when this shot result was particularly costly?

My thoughts after I hit that shot? F@&k; golf!

I just know that it was my tendency to stall my turning rates, then move my head too far forward on the downswing, have to stand up to shallow it out, arms can't get down fast enough. On the course my practice swing gives me a feel or rehearsal for how I want to make the correct motion.

In practice this is what I've been working on. Even when I'm working on something at set-up or the backswing, the end goal is for it to lessen my "bad" tendencies.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/40164/my-swing-mvmac/252#post_1054462

[No Mulligans]

On a somewhat related note.  Furyk will take practice swings right after a mishit, it looks like he is immediately trying to identify and correct the problem.  (Mishit is kind of relative here, he has high standards).

I've seen other Pro's doing this also.

[natureboy]

This is a good idea.

This answers one of my original questions. I need to know what certain mishits feel like. Hitting a shot fat or thin is easy to recognize and easy to fix.

If I know I shanked a shot I know what adjustment to make. The trouble is, it isn't always easy to tell.

I've used tape to see where the ball is making contact and sadly, that can be all over the club face. I also use a loose grip so if fatigue is the culprit, not squaring the club face could result. Also, flipping due to not getting weight forward could be a result of fatigue. And all of these flaws could cause the type of shot I saw today which makes diagnosing the problem so difficult.

At least I know that fatigue can cause problems with others.

You're not the first one to suggest this. Maybe the answer is to start doing this before the bad results happen.

Thank you all for your replies.

I hardly consider myself expert at it, but find having made the attempt to be more mindful while hitting range shots, I can feel (after the fact) many more details now like club twisting from off-center hits.

Basically, I've practiced being aware of my movements during practice and my skill at it has noticeably improved relative to where I started. I do hit balls fairly regularly.

[No Mulligans]

I hardly consider myself expert at it, but find having made the attempt to be more mindful while hitting range shots, I can feel (after the fact) many more details now like club twisting from off-center hits.

Basically, I've practiced being aware of my movements during practice and my skill at it has noticeably improved relative to where I started. I do hit balls fairly regularly.

I've noticed the same thing.  I think this is part of the process of getting better; i.e. becoming more aware of the details of your swing and swing flaws/challenges.

[JonMA1]

This has been very educational. A lot to think about and apply. I don't have a bunch of golfing buddies so you guys (and Julia) is how I learn. @mvmac - I always feel like I'm stealing when you give me advice. All I can say is thanks everyone. Some day (like in another life) I'll be good enough to offer useful advice in return.

I just came in from taking very slow, deliberate swings with the pitching wedge in the yard. The swing is still a mess and I haven't worked out the why yet.

In the long run this may be a blessing because the worst thing that could have happened was for it to have just gotten better by itself. This forces me to really work on it instead of just hoping the fault goes away. Since it's dark out, I'm heading out to the garage to take video now.

If you love golf, you've gotta take the good with the bad.

[mvmac]

On a somewhat related note.  Furyk will take practice swings right after a mishit, it looks like he is immediately trying to identify and correct the problem.  (Mishit is kind of relative here, he has high standards).

I've seen other Pro's doing this also.

I think it's more of rehearsing what he wants or should feel than trying to figure out what he did wrong. He actually talked about this a few weeks ago after a round. He said he mis-hit a shot and immediately knew what he did wrong, something about standing too close and didn't back off when he should have.

This has been very educational. A lot to think about and apply. I don't have a bunch of golfing buddies so you guys (and Julia) is how I learn. @mvmac - I always feel like I'm stealing when you give me advice. All I can say is thanks everyone. Some day (like in another life) I'll be good enough to offer useful advice in return.

Happy to help.

[ChrisWev]

One of my flaws during a round is alignment. Find it a lot simpler set up wise (especially with driver) hitting off a mat with reference lines all over the place. This facility alignment sends my path all over the place, which makes things hard for me to diagnose on the course.

[newtogolf]

One of my flaws during a round is alignment. Find it a lot simpler set up wise (especially with driver) hitting off a mat with reference lines all over the place. This facility alignment sends my path all over the place, which makes things hard for me to diagnose on the course.

I have the same issue.  I especially have issues when my alignment isn't perpendicular to the tee box markers.

[ChrisWev]

"Facility" was meant to be "changing", bloody predictive text. Yep, perpendicular to tee box markers hurts me too. I've got OCD, anything not straight just gets in my head, then my setup takes ages, tense up and that's that! :~(