My Swing (kkennedy1122)

[kkennedy1122]

I've been Playing Golf for: 12 years

My current handicap index or average score is:  85-95

My typical ball flight is: High and short on irons, drive has nice trajectory

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Pulled shots to the left, low hooks, topped balls

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Videos:

This video is from a day at the range where I really felt like I had it. After looking at the swing, it just looks odd to me. Was curious what others would think. Thanks for any input!

[kkennedy1122]

Just a brief history:

I've battled slices my entire "career"..I used to have a wild swing where all I cared about was distance (in high school). And when I got a hold of them properly, I was hitting with serious power.

Over time I toned down my swing to ditch the wild slices, but I was left with a scooping/flipping kind of safe shot that just simply wasn't reliable. I could make a 4 iron look like a 9 iron. High high shots that did not go long. A good iron shot was one that went in the air and landed somewhere near the green, rarely on the green. A good drive was 175 yards.

Fast forward to now, I'm trying to get power back into my swing without introducing the slice. What I've found is that when I really focus on coil, I get much more power than I ever have. The shot in this video was a perfectly straight drive that probably went 250 yards. It just looks and feels strange to me. The swing plane is low and stretched out, and I have trouble even keeping my head still in the back swing. But the results are awesome when I do it right.

My question is, is this a serviceable swing? Should I even go down this path? I am focusing on keeping my left arm straight and really rotating my shoulders and hips to where my back feels parallel with the target. I'm trying to take my arms out of the swing.

[kkennedy1122]

From reading through some other member's swing threads, it's clear that I am way way too horizontal for this swing to be dependable, even though the good drives I've had with it have been my best ever.

I do feel like there are some redeemable aspects though? Maybe I should work on taking that rotation more vertical, yet keeping the same principles? (straight left arm, no chicken winged right arm, rotation)

[Stretch]

How high off the ground was the person filming you holding the camera? Wondering if that's making it look a bit flatter than it really is. But there are some good elements in there -- you could work from there. A decent place to start might be feeling like your right leg straightens more on the backswing, to get your hips and shoulders turning on a more tilted angle.

[kkennedy1122]

The person filming is a bit shorter than me, holding a phone in front of them...I had never swung so horizontally, so I'm sure it is about as flat as it looks. The reason I recorded it is because I was having great, unexpected results.

As far as the right leg straightening, should I have the feeling that it is "posting in" as I begin the downswing?

[Stretch]

Camera should be at roughly waist height, so if they were holding it at eye level it's going to affect how you look.

Not sure what you mean by "posting in". The right leg should lose some flex (straighten) as you go back and will then regain that flex naturally as you go into the downswing. You won't have to think about it.

[Stretch]

[kkennedy1122]

Thanks! I will work on that tonight and get a new video.

What is your opinion on locking the left arm? Is it crucial?

[chspeed]

What is your opinion on locking the left arm? Is it crucial?

Keeping the left arm straight is a good thing, but I don't think the thought of "locking" is. It's subtle, but for me the thought of locking my elbow increases tension in my shoulder and arm.

[Stretch]

Post your "other" swing, too. Be interesting to see how much difference there really is between them. Feel isn't real.

[kkennedy1122]

Wasn't able to get any video last night because of rain, but I really focused on keeping that right leg straight. I was impressed with the results! Much better compression and consistency.

The only problem I had was that my shots were heading 10-20 yards right consistently. Wasn't really any fade action, just headed straight right. They also went pretty high. Probably an open club face?

[keeps21]

Re the height of the shots...

For a straight push you're swinging in to out with a club face that is square to the swing path.

For a hook the club face is closed to the swing path which delofts the club face.

So... as a square (to the swing path) club face has more loft than a closed (to the swing path) club face, the straight pushes you were hitting will have had a typically higher ball flight than your pulls / hooks.

I think the same goes for a pull, although the clubface is square to the path it is probably delofted slightly (but I'm not totally sure on that one) giving a lower ball flight than a straight push.

[kkennedy1122]

[video]http://youtu.be/Fv9Mgy-yuqQ[/video] I hit the range tonight. Feels like I took a step back, I can tell I was not keeping that right leg stiff enough after watching this video. Lots of sky ball 7 and 8 irons that barely went over 100 yards. Had trouble getting that compressed feeling I did when I played the other night. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[kkennedy1122]

I'm wondering if I might be drifting my head/upper body back in an effort to rotate my legs properly.. Also my backswing looks excessively long, maybe I should cut it shorter?

[mvmac]

I'm wondering if I might be drifting my head/upper body back in an effort to rotate my legs properly..

Not sure, tough to tell without seeing a face on swing.

Also my backswing looks excessively long, maybe I should cut it shorter?

The arm swing is a little long but that's due to the pivot stalling while the arms continue to try and make a "full" swing. Keep the pivot going all the way to the end of the backswing, that'll lessen the amount the arms "over swing".

[kkennedy1122]

thank you! That makes a lot of sense. This place is an awesome resource, glad I stumbled upon it. I'll take a face on swing video next time, but I can pretty guarantee I was swaying back in an effort to work on my leg/hip rotation.

[kkennedy1122]

Here is a face on video, sorry it's off center.

I hit better today, but am left with a few questions...

I am torn between rotating around, or rotating UP and around. To me there is a big difference in the way these feel. The first video I posted of a drive felt very much like a horizontal turn, but I'm finding it easier to hit irons when the turn is more vertical, if that makes sense.

Also, when I focus on keeping the right leg straighter, sometimes I feel like it actually locks up and puts my hips in a strange feeling position. The right knee should never lock on the backswing, should it?

And finally, when do you recommend shifting weight to the front foot? The second the backswing is complete? Or after the swing has already begun?

I was having trouble getting a consistently shaped shot today, but I didn't have too many terrible shanks or chunks. Some go very high and feel powerful, others go high and short with a lot of spin.

[Stretch]

I am torn between rotating around, or rotating UP and around.

Don't worry, you have plenty of both up and around.

You need to get film from the proper angles,though, or it's of very little use. See here:

http://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing