My Swing (MyrtleBeachGolf)

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I've spent a bit of time this week bringing my club back on a "flatter" plane. Both my backswing and downswing were very vertical. Very straight up and down. After working on feeling like I'm swinging my hands around my body, my swing feels more inclined instead of up and down. It seems to help me with contact, power and eliminating the fade/slice. I've also moved the ball way up in my stance. I was playing it too far back previously. I'll play my usual round of golf on Monday and see how it goes. Hopefully this translates to the course.

[Duff McGee]

Hi Myrtle. Your ball contact in those videos looks really good. You have a very early release, which is something I struggle with. But it doesn't seem like you struggle with hitting fat shots like I do. I've always been told that my early release is largely to blame for my fat shots. Have you ever struggled hitting the ball fat? If so, how did you overcome it without correcting the early release? I am of course going to be working on keeping lag for longer, but in the meantime I would love to strike the ball as well as you are while working on it without having to worry about duffing.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

@Duff McGee As far as contact goes, when I miss, it's usually a little thin. I don't normally hit fat shots. And I don't mind missing thin once in a while, it usually turns out ok. I wish I had a tip for you, but I don't have a clue. I always knew I didn't create much lag, but I don't really know what I do or why I do it. It's a self taught swing, and I just try to make the most of it. Obviously I'm trying to get some pointers here, hence posting this swing thread. My main goal right now is a better setup at address, and trying to not swing so steep.

[Duff McGee]

Thanks Myrtle. I just love your ball striking and wish I had it.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

3 new videos today. I spent a while on the range today working on trying to get my draw back. When I was playing my best golf in 2013, I was playing a nice baby draw with all my clubs. In an attempt to get the draw feel, I set up VERY closed to target line. I'm gonna say I'm 25*-30* closed at set up. But the result was great. Some of the best shots I've hit in a long time. My question is, how bad is it to have to set up 30 degrees closed, just to get a swing path that is 5 degree right of target?? If I get the club face aimed 2 degrees right of target with this setup, and hit a nice draw, is this playable? Or just a band-aid on a horrible OOT swing? [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/x_fi6uotVU8[/VIDEO] [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/LNbDG5FAVnc[/VIDEO] [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/iN94OUqK15U[/VIDEO]

[chspeed]

My question is, how bad is it to have to set up 30 degrees closed, just to get a swing path that is 5 degree right of target?? If I get the club face aimed 2 degrees right of target with this setup, and hit a nice draw, is this playable? Or just a band-aid on a horrible OOT swing?

Many good players set up open or closed a little to compliment/compensate a certain swing. But 20-30* is a lot. You're probably hitting the ball far because you're pulling it, but the steep downswing will cause problems, especially with irons. Your swing is VERY long. What happened to trying to shorten the swing?

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Many good players set up open or closed a little to compliment/compensate a certain swing. But 20-30* is a lot. You're probably hitting the ball far because you're pulling it, but the steep downswing will cause problems, especially with irons. Your swing is VERY long. What happened to trying to shorten the swing?

I am trying to shorten the swing. And I have a few from today with a shorter swing. But the short swing seems to really throw off my rhythm and tempo and I seem to mis hit much more often. I do need to practice with a shorter swing more to get the feel of it. My iron swing has become much shorter. But I can't seem to shorten up the driver and still keep my tempo.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Does the golf ball know the difference between me standing 30* right and swinging 25* left vs. standing square and swinging 5* right?

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Okay, but what's the point in discussing that kind of thing? You're going to need more loft on every club you've got, and even then you're hitting the ball less flush. And your example was pretty darn extreme - a 16° driver ain't gonna cut it.

Why would I be hitting the ball less flush? That's what I'm asking? Does the ball know the difference? It's sitting on a tee. It doesn't know how I'm standing. I'm asking the questions, because that is how I am hitting my driver well currently. I'm just trying to figure out if it's playable? And if increasing the loft of my driver is going to help a bit? I wont need to increase the lofts of all my clubs. I hit my irons fine without a closed stance. My example of 30* closed stance with a 25* path left was very extreme. My best guess is I don't set up anywhere near that closed or swing that left. I was trying to get an answer of the physics behind it. I used the 16* driver because TM makes the SLDR S in 16* and was wondering if the delivered loft would be "evened out" by a higher lofted driver and a pull draw.

[iacas]

Why would I be hitting the ball less flush? That's what I'm asking? Does the ball know the difference? It's sitting on a tee. It doesn't know how I'm standing.

More spin = less flush. It doesn't matter which direction the spin is, spin is spin. That's all I was saying. It doesn't necessarily apply here, but it applies generally - shots with less curve tend to be more flush than those with big curves. By "closing" your stance you're reducing curve, and thus hitting it more flush, but adding loft offsets that a bit too.

My example of 30* closed stance with a 25* path left was very extreme. My best guess is I don't set up anywhere near that closed or swing that left. I was trying to get an answer of the physics behind it.

I used the 16* driver because TM makes the SLDR S in 16* and was wondering if the delivered loft would be "evened out" by a higher lofted driver and a pull draw.

Without actual numbers, I can't really help you much because I may be assuming 20° and you might be assuming 8° or something. Get some actual numbers. What are the launch conditions of your driver? AoA? Spin? Clubhead speed? Delivered loft? Smash factor? Vertical launch angle? Etc.?

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

More spin = less flush. It doesn't matter which direction the spin is, spin is spin. That's all I was saying. It doesn't necessarily apply here, but it applies generally - shots with less curve tend to be more flush than those with big curves. By "closing" your stance you're reducing curve, and thus hitting it more flush, but adding loft offsets that a bit too. Without actual numbers, I can't really help you much because I may be assuming 20° and you might be assuming 8° or something. Get some actual numbers. What are the launch conditions of your driver? AoA? Spin? Clubhead speed? Delivered loft? Smash factor? Vertical launch angle? Etc.?

Ok thanks. I am planning on doing that. The TrackMan facility in this area is closed during the month of July. Once it reopens in August I plan on spending a few hours there both mapping my shot zones and trying to find the ideal driver "settings" for my current swing, while trying to improve it fundamentally so that I don't need to set up closed.

[iacas]

Ok thanks. I am planning on doing that. The TrackMan facility in this area is closed during the month of July. Once it reopens in August I plan on spending a few hours there both mapping my shot zones and trying to find the ideal driver "settings" for my current swing, while trying to improve it fundamentally so that I don't need to set up closed.

Why not spend the time until then trying to reduce how much left you swing with the driver? Either way it sounds like quite a compensation… and I've known many golfers who swing left so much BECAUSE they aim so far right. Chicken and egg situation.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Why not spend the time until then trying to reduce how much left you swing with the driver? Either way it sounds like quite a compensation… and I've known many golfers who swing left so much BECAUSE they aim so far right. Chicken and egg situation.

Oh I am trying. Believe me. I've had the same swing for 20 years. I'm finding it very difficult to shift my swing path right, even a few degrees. I'm definitely not swinging left because I set up too far right. My swing is left. I've tried all types of alignments over the years. My current closed stance is just to lessen the amount I'm "cutting across the ball".

[iacas]

Oh I am trying. Believe me. I've had the same swing for 20 years. I'm finding it very difficult to shift my swing path right, even a few degrees.

I'm definitely not swinging left because I set up too far right. My swing is left. I've tried all types of alignments over the years. My current closed stance is just to lessen the amount I'm "cutting across the ball".

I bet that if you set up 20° left you would swing less left (relative to your body alignment). Path is instinctual.

I also bet that with very little time and a competent instructor, you'd swing less and less left.

Glad to see you have a My Swing thread. Listen to what's said there and work on it SLOWLY and with purpose. Change the picture.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I bet that if you set up 20° left you would swing less left (relative to your body alignment). Path is instinctual. I also bet that with very little time and a competent instructor, you'd swing less and less left. Glad to see you have a My Swing thread. Listen to what's said there and work on it SLOWLY and with purpose. Change the picture.

Thanks for the info. I posted a few new swings in the my swing thread that include this closed set up I'm talking about.

[mvmac]

Oh I am trying. Believe me. I've had the same swing for 20 years. I'm finding it very difficult to shift my swing path right, even a few degrees.

I'm definitely not swinging left because I set up too far right. My swing is left. I've tried all types of alignments over the years. My current closed stance is just to lessen the amount I'm "cutting across the ball".

Yeah but you're still swinging across your body and setting up so far right isn't helping you swing out. You know you have to start the ball "over there" (left), so you flip it hard and work the left arm out. Experiment with aiming left and hitting pushes out to right field, Lee Trevino style.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Yeah but you're still swinging across your body and setting up so far right isn't helping you swing out. You know you have to start the ball "over there" (left), so you flip it hard and work the left arm out. Experiment with aiming left and hitting pushes out to right field, Lee Trevino style.

Ok. I will definitely try that at the range this week. I'll take video and submit to my (my swing) thread. Maybe someone can take a look and let me know if it's progressing. I've watched so much video of myself swinging a golf club, I don't even know what I'm looking at anymore.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I spent an hour on a FlightScope today hitting about 10-12 balls with every club. I honestly feel as if the distances are off (short by about 10%). I'm guessing the use of beat up dead range balls was the issue. But obviously the rest of the data looked about right. It looks like my swing is about 4 degrees left and I usually get the club head about 4 degrees left (square to path) resulting in a slight pull. Angle of Attack looked pretty decent. -5 degrees with PW, +3 degrees with Driver. My swing speed was between 93-97 mph. Overall, I was pretty content with the experience. I may end up taking a few lessons at this facility or at least make use of the FlightScope at the driving range on occasion.