Can't hit "ball first" on full swing

[Duff McGee]

I've been going though the strategy where you start with a chip type swing, then a little longer, then a little longer. I can hit "ball first" on all of those swings. Yet every time I take a full swing, it am starting the divot at least 2 to 3 inches behind the ball. Do I need to steepen the angle more? I don't think I am swaying. I don't really see how you guys hit ball first without coming over the top and more vertically. Well, at least it feels that way. Maybe I'm just swinging too shallow. I'm sure I just need to take a lesson.

[mvmac]

I've been going though the strategy where you start with a chip type swing, then a little longer, then a little longer. I can hit "ball first" on all of those swings.

Yet every time I take a full swing, it am starting the divot at least 2 to 3 inches behind the ball.

I don't really see how you guys hit ball first without coming over the top and more vertically. Well, at least it feels that way. Maybe I'm just swinging too shallow. I'm sure I just need to take a lesson.

Any chance you could film some swings and start a swing thread?

http://thesandtrap.com/f/4180/member-swings

Good place to start would be improving Keys 1 and/or 2

Do I need to steepen the angle more? I don't think I am swaying.

I don't really see how you guys hit ball first without coming over the top and more vertically. Well, at least it feels that way. Maybe I'm just swinging too shallow. I'm sure I just need to take a lesson.

No, your low point is well behind the ball. You can be "steep" and hit thin shots. Good drill for you to understand or exaggerate how to move low point forward without swinging down and across it.

[Duff McGee]

Thanks so much! I am kind of ignorant when it comes to taking proper videos and posting them. Can I record a good slow mo video with an IPhone 5 that you know of?

[Patch]

Read everything you can about "fat shots", and what causes them. My first plan would be to work on a one piece take away to the top of the swing. On the down swing, make sure the head/shoulders do not drop, or that you are not  hitting off the rear foot.   It's my opinion is that these three, positive moves cures a lot of bad swing points.

Main thing is don't get frustrated with the issue. You will eventually learn what you are doing wrong, and start hitting the ball a little cleaner, before the hitting the ground.

[Duff McGee]

When I was in high school, I got so obsessed with getting my weight forward and also trying to "swing from the inside" that I developed an AWFUL figure 8 swing when I came completely over the top and straight down on the ball. I would shank the ball often. When I got back into golf this year I told myself to stay back, which has gotten me now into the 80's. But I'm hitting so many fat shots. I just have to get over the fear that I'm going to shank it by getting my weight forward (I've gotten rid of the figure 8). Thanks for the advice.

[Duff McGee]

Thanks Patch. I've never had a lesson and a lot of the weekend warriors I meet on the course think I'm a good golfer because I drive the ball so far and am decent around the greens, but my short irons are killing me. If it wasn't for my drives and up and down skills I would probably be shooting over 100.

[shalabe]

When I was in high school, I got so obsessed with getting my weight forward and also trying to "swing from the inside" that I developed an AWFUL figure 8 swing when I came completely over the top and straight down on the ball. I would shank the ball often. When I got back into golf this year I told myself to stay back, which has gotten me now into the 80's. But I'm hitting so many fat shots. I just have to get over the fear that I'm going to shank it by getting my weight forward (I've gotten rid of the figure 8). Thanks for the advice.

I'm no swing expert but you should definitely check out the links/video @mvmac provided. One thing you may want to pay attention to - your past obsession with getting your weight forward may have caused you to move your head (and maybe upper body) forward, which can cause all kinds of problems.

[Duff McGee]

Shalabe: that might actually be one of my problems as I used to move Forward so violently that I would often lose my balance falling forward at the end of the shot

[Duff McGee]

Read everything you can about "fat shots", and what causes them. My first plan would be to work on a one piece take away to the top of the swing. On the down swing, make sure the head/shoulders do not drop, or that you are not  hitting off the rear foot.   It's my opinion is that these three, positive moves cures a lot of bad swing points.  Main thing is don't get frustrated with the issue. You will eventually learn what you are doing wrong, and start hitting the ball a little cleaner, before the hitting the ground.

[quote name="Patch" url="/t/83009/cant-hit-ball-first-on-full-swing#post_1164135"]Read everything you can about "fat shots", and what causes them. My first plan would be to work on a one piece take away to the top of the swing. On the down swing, make sure the head/shoulders do not drop, or that you are not  hitting off the rear foot.   It's my opinion is that these three, positive moves cures a lot of bad swing points.  Main thing is don't get frustrated with the issue. You will eventually learn what you are doing wrong, and start hitting the ball a little cleaner, before the hitting the ground.  [/quote] Thanks again. I will look up "one piece takeaway." I think I start my short iron swing with my hands....I remember reading a long time ago back in high school that doing so would help with lag.

[mvmac]

Thanks so much! I am kind of ignorant when it comes to taking proper videos and posting them. Can I record a good slow mo video with an IPhone 5 that you know of?

With the 5S you can but not with the 5. Theres apps you can get like the SloPro app or this http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-enable-iphone-5s-slo-mo-on-iphone-5-5c-4s-and-other-unsupported-devices/

More info on filming your swing.

I'm no swing expert but you should definitely check out the links/video @mvmac provided. One thing you may want to pay attention to - your past obsession with getting your weight forward may have caused you to move your head (and maybe upper body) forward, which can cause all kinds of problems.

Right, it wasn't Key #2 done properly, something else was off.

[Duff McGee]

Than[quote name="mvmac" url="/t/83009/cant-hit-ball-first-on-full-swing#post_1164151"] With the 5S you can but not with the 5. Theres apps you can get like the SloPro app or this [URL=http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-enable-iphone-5s-slo-mo-on-iphone-5-5c-4s-and-other-unsupported-devices/]http://www.redmondpie.com/how-to-enable-iphone-5s-slo-mo-on-iphone-5-5c-4s-and-other-unsupported-devices/[/URL] More info on filming your swing.  [CONTENTEMBED=/t/37468/filming-your-swing layout=inline]​[/CONTENTEMBED]  Right, it wasn't Key #2 done properly, something else was off. [/quote] Thanks so much for the help. :)