My Swing (Tindalla24)

[Tindalla24]

I've been Playing Golf for: 13 years

My current handicap index or average score is: +3.0

My typical ball flight is: "Butter Cut" right to left

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: The SHANK!!!!

Hey Everyone, My first post on the site!  Looking for some advice

I have been going through period where I miss everything on the low heel, especially with the driver, 3wood, and hybrid.  I have read through the cures for the shanks on the site and nothing has really helped me so far.  I am hoping someone can take a look and let me know if you notice any glaring issues I can work on.  I have taken only a handful of lessons and most recently, I have been instructed to work on my path, more specifically, work on a more vertical position halfway back in my backswing.  Ideally, I would like to have my club point at the "target line" all the way throughout the swing.  Could that be the issue?

Thanks,

A

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Videos:

[mvmac]

Hey Everyone, My first post on the site!  Looking for some advice

I have been going through period where I miss everything on the low heel, especially with the driver, 3wood, and hybrid.  I have read through the cures for the shanks on the site and nothing has really helped me so far.  I am hoping someone can take a look and let me know if you notice any glaring issues I can work on.  I have taken only a handful of lessons and most recently, I have been instructed to work on my path, more specifically, work on a more vertical position halfway back in my backswing.  Ideally, I would like to have my club point at the "target line" all the way throughout the swing.  Could that be the issue?

Welcome to the site!

Would like to see you free up the hips and turn them more on the backswing. Will help with the hand path which will lessen your need to "fan" the club on the backswing.

Lower body looks "frozen" in this pic. Also try to post a face on swing if you can.

[Tindalla24]

Thanks MVMAC, I like that analysis.  I hate the fanning aspect of my takeaway but I have never been able to get away from it.  I have had people tell me to take the club more inside, or limit my hand action during the takeaway but both actions felt very un-athletic to me.

I will give the hip turn a try when I am out next.

Also, I will be sure to post a front on swing soon.

[mvmac]

Thanks MVMAC, I like that analysis.  I hate the fanning aspect of my takeaway but I have never been able to get away from it.  I have had people tell me to take the club more inside, or limit my hand action during the takeaway but both actions felt very un-athletic to me.

I will give the hip turn a try when I am out next.

Also, I will be sure to post a front on swing soon.

If the hips don't turn, the hands can't create depth. That's when you'll see the forearms rotate at a fast rate with the club head working low and in.

[Tindalla24]

What is the best way to accomplish or drill this? I tried to get a little more hip turn in the backswing yesterday and it felt more like sliding to me. I tried opening my feet and setting my legs more "bowed out" as in the video but I just could not get a good feeling. I have heard of drills by tucking a glove under my right arm pit to help with getting disconnected and fanning the clubhead...should I continue with that?

[mvmac]

What is the best way to accomplish or drill this? I tried to get a little more hip turn in the backswing yesterday and it felt more like sliding to me. I tried opening my feet and setting my legs more "bowed out" as in the video but I just could not get a good feeling. I have heard of drills by tucking a glove under my right arm pit to help with getting disconnected and fanning the clubhead...should I continue with that?

I like the drill with the glove but also understand that changing things should feel different. It won't always feel "good" at the beginning. Use your camera and check to make sure the picture is changing, be more concerned with that right now.

Some drills here.

[Tindalla24]

Hello All,

I have finished my season for competitive golf here in Michigan and I am looking for some drills to improve my swing plane over the winter.  When I was really hitting the ball straight, my swing thought was to drag the club back "straight" along my target line for a few feet.  I will say, this feel wasn't real because the club will eventually travel inside the target line and begin to travel up the plane but the feel seemed to produce results. This also seemed to even out my numbers on trackman and produce very straight ball flights. 

I abandoned this swing key earlier this year because I got into a bit of the shanks with it.  I now believe I ran into the shanks because I tend to fan the club open as I take the club back which causes my arms to be disconnected.  Along with my straight takeaway, I think my arms outraced my body. 

When I work on setting my wrists more during the takeaway, I feel as is the club travels more "up" the plane and also seems to allow me to keep my arms in closer to my body...eliminating the shanks.  This also seems to compress the ball better.  Is this something I should incorporate more in my swing? 

I need to post another video here soon and also a front on look but I was wondering your thoughts.  What would you recommend as a drill to combat my shanks and flat swingplane?

By the way, MVMAC provided some great insight to help get my hips turning more in the backswing to help with my hand path but I am having a hard time with turning vs swaying.  When I attempt to free my hips up, my head seems to follow into the backswing causing more of a sway....

Thanks for your help!

[mvmac]

 

I need to post another video here soon and also a front on look but I was wondering your thoughts.  What would you recommend as a drill to combat my shanks and flat swingplane?

Just keep working on what I recommended. Allow the pivot to create depth with the handpath, will limit the forearm roll and help load the club more "up".

By the way, MVMAC provided some great insight to help get my hips turning more in the backswing to help with my hand path but I am having a hard time with turning vs swaying.  When I attempt to free my hips up, my head seems to follow into the backswing causing more of a sway....

Try to film some face on videos.

[colin007]

your shanks are probably coming from the club head approaching the ball on a too inward path.  def a better players issue.

 

very very nice swing BTW

[Tindalla24]

Thank you Colin007.  I feel good with the swing except for my nasty miss.  I am hoping to correct the backswing a bit to help put me in a plane that eliminates both a too inside or a too outside swing.  

[Tindalla24]

On 9/24/2015 at 9:52 AM, mvmac said:

 

I like the drill with the glove but also understand that changing things should feel different. It won't always feel "good" at the beginning. Use your camera and check to make sure the picture is changing, be more concerned with that right now.

 

Some drills here.

 

 

Hello all, I am posting two additional videos I took recently.  And I have included a FO view.  Any advice is welcomed.  Thanks!

 

[mvmac]

34 minutes ago, Tindalla24 said:

Hello all, I am posting two additional videos I took recently.  And I have included a FO view.  Any advice is welcomed.

Hi, would still like to see you turn your hips more on the backswing.

Compare this pic...

...to Bubba. Note how much more the hips have turned and how you can see some daylight between his knees.

[Tindalla24]

16 hours ago, mvmac said:

 

...to Bubba. Note how much more the hips have turned and how you can see some daylight between his knees.

Thanks.  Forgive me but isn't Bubba an extreme example?  There are many swings on tour that have little to no daylight between the knees on a DTL view.   Not that I don't disagree that a little more "freedom" with the lower body would help, but when a player turns the hips back more, they need to work that much harder to get the hips ahead of the swing on the downswing.  Won't this introduce an additional timing aspect in the swing?

 

[saevel25]

24 minutes ago, Tindalla24 said:

 they need to work that much harder to get the hips ahead of the swing on the downswing.  Won't this introduce an additional timing aspect in the swing?

Actually it can be the opposite. If you don't turn your hips enough on the backswing then you have to feel like your hands need move a lot to catch up because now they are so far behind you compared to your hip turn. 

When you make a good turn you get a few things for free. First, your able to gain proper depth with the hands which allows you to have a better backswing. Second, it creates a situation where your back hip is higher than your front hip. This allows your hips to slide easier towards the target on the downswing. Third, it creates good timing by having good turn rates in the backswing and downswing.

Check out this thread on the myth of maintaining flex in the rear knee during the backswing, 

If you want an example where you don't see as much gap as Bubba in the knees. Yet Rory still lets his hip turn more than you. He also allows his back knee to lose it's flex from address. See how he's able to really get those hips open at impact. Where you are basically square at impact. 

[mvmac]

2 hours ago, Tindalla24 said:

Not that I don't disagree that a little more "freedom" with the lower body would help, but when a player turns the hips back more, they need to work that much harder to get the hips ahead of the swing on the downswing.  Won't this introduce an additional timing aspect in the swing?

Agree with everything @saevel25 said, if anything more turn or the "proper" amount of turn will make everything easier.

[Tindalla24]

Good stuff @saevel25 and @mvmac.  Thanks for the comparison.

[Golfer2223]

Great swing. I don't see any swing plane issue. Shanking usually occurs when golfers throw the hands out to the ball instead of bringing the hands in. In your case I think it's a ball position issue causing the club to be outside the ball. It seems like your arms are aimed slightly to the right of your feet, and the club is set closed to the target line. This tells me your ball position is too far forward. Nicklaus said all very good golfers set the club slightly open behind the ball, because that will allow it to be square at impact without manipulation. Try moving the ball back, and setting the club slightly open to the target line. Then adjust your body properly (by moving away from the ball slightly) getting your arms lined up with your feet. Now your hands will be set more inside the ball and you can swing freely without the heel of the club ever getting near the ball. When you have the ball too far forward and the club is closed to the target line, it causes the club to come outside the ball relative to the target line, where you never want it to be. Also when you fix this ball position issue and set the club properly you may feel the ball is a little closer to you, because it will be closer to your eye line, but really it is now further from you, making it much harder for you to shank it. This should really compliment what you're working on with the hips.

The best way to cure a shank is to put an object outside of the ball and avoid hitting it. I would fix the ball position issue first and then see if you need the aid to break the habit.

[Tindalla24]

7 hours ago, Golfer2223 said:

It seems like your arms are aimed slightly to the right of your feet, and the club is set closed to the target line. This tells me your ball position is too far forward. Nicklaus said all very good golfers set the club slightly open behind the ball, because that will allow it to be square at impact without manipulation. Try moving the ball back, and setting the club slightly open to the target line. Then adjust your body properly (by moving away from the ball slightly) getting your arms lined up with your feet. Now your hands will be set more inside the ball and you can swing freely without the heel of the club ever getting near the ball.

Thank you Golfer2223.  I actually have been working on placing something outside the ball to cure the dreaded shanks and that does help which compliments what you are explaining.  When I first started playing, I had massive shaft lean to the target side and I played the ball more back in my stance (causing the hook/draw).  I have worked on improving my set up but interesting observation about the ball position.  I do think I may sneak the ball position a bit forward in my stance.  Thanks.  I will give that a try. 

On a slightly related note, I noticed in all of my swings that my weight appears to be rather forward (toward my toes).  As I take the club back I "sit" into my left side.  My head also moves back about 1"-2" from the set up.  So, last night I tried to balance out my weight distribution and got a bit more weight toward my heels and that really freed me up.  VERY SOLID contact.  I will give your suggestion a try but I might not step away from the ball too much.  Maybe I will just adjust the weight dist. a bit.

Thanks!