My Swing (sbhebert)

[sbhebert]

I've been Playing Golf for: ~20 years
My current handicap index or average score is: I played to a 12 in 2015.
My typical ball flight is: HIGH (sadly)
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: I've lost ~10 yards and ton of accuracy on my irons. Most misses are pull draws.

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Videos: 

Here's a video of me hitting a 7-iron. I'm fairly certain that what I'm doing here is flipping my wrists at impact, thus causing me to lose both distance and accuracy. It also looks like I'm shrugging my shoulders going into impact, perhaps to make room for the flip; not sure. I almost never take a divot anymore (part of that is a phobia created after a wrist injury a year ago). I played to a 6 handicap back in 2012, but can't even imagine that now. This is a self-taught swing (never took a lesson...never had $$$ for that), but now I'm desperate for any thoughts/advice!

 

Edited March 25, 2016 by sbhebert

[saevel25]

You keep your head pretty steady. I would work on getting your weight forward at impact. Feel like your more over the ball, really feeling like there is more pressure under your front foot. You don't have a DTL view, I would guess you stand up a bit in the downswing. 

 

[sbhebert]

22 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

You keep your head pretty steady. I would work on getting your weight forward at impact. Feel like your more over the ball, really feeling like there is more pressure under your front foot. You don't have a DTL view, I would guess you stand up a bit in the downswing. 

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

Unfortunately, I don't have an DTL vids yet from this season. Here are two from last season. Angles aren't great, though.

 

[saevel25]

Yep you stand up in the downswing, 

Yea, stay over the ball more. Keep your head and butt against the walls more and get your weight forward at impact. That will help clear up that flip you have and allow you control low point better. 

 

 

[sbhebert]

7 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Yea, stay over the ball more. Keep your head and butt against the walls more and get your weight forward at impact.

I totally see/understand what you're saying here. Any drills or tips to get that feel?

[saevel25]

13 minutes ago, sbhebert said:

I totally see/understand what you're saying here. Any drills or tips to get that feel?

Just do it for real. Set up a chair behind you and barely touch it at set up. Then make slow swing, even with out a club (just cross your arms over your chest). Feel the chair there when you swing. 

It's really just doing the moves. Confirming them on camera and working out a swing feel. I've been working out the sequence of swing feels that work for me and my backswing changes. I am still working out a feel for my downswing change. I've been through half a dozen feels trying to find one that works the best. 

For you. Weight forward tends to be more pressure under the front foot. It also could feel your quad engaging more as you maintain flex more in the front knee. It could be you feel your left hip sink down more or squat a bit since you stand up in the downswing. 

I recommend doing slow swings. Don't be doing this at full speed. Really work out at feel that sticks with you. 

[mchepp]

I can't see really well, but I think you may be starting from this point to open the club face and get the club behind you. Once its open your mind and athletic ability says you need to close it so you stand up and straighten the right arm like a mad man. I would have thought @mvmac was going to say something about the backswing. 

[mvmac]

Welcome @sbhebert. I'd recommend working on this drill and identifying the feels that help you keep the hips centered. Currently your hips sway back and it can complicate some of the downswing pieces.

I'd also take a look at your right hand grip, looks like the "V" is pointing towards your chin with the trigger finger pressure point on top of the shaft. Getting the right hand in a better position will help lessen the "low and inside" takeaway and how much your throw the wrist angles on the downswing.

55 minutes ago, mchepp said:

I would have thought @mvmac was going to say something about the backswing. 

This is my first post in the thread....and I did 

[Mike Boatright]

Id focus on maintaining a level to forward tilting shoulder base at address and get used to taking more club and letting it work for you! I myself sometimes nip the ball it's not a bad thing and is the result of some ball placement and the fact your standing up on the downswing. Your to A symmetrical in your set up the shaft is up and down the ball placement is center and you have no shaft lead resulting weak added loft at impact.

Try this take a 6 iron for your next 7 iron shot and move it up 2 inches in your set up at address. from there lead the hand lightly and get a 60-50 weight balance on your front foot and make sure your right shoulder is a little higher or level with your left. Take a swing shorten it by a step and follow through in balance! It won't hurt to open your stance lightly as well to encourage an actual weight shift. The result will be no divot or a baby divot you will get a 7/12 iron yardage lower ball flight and a solid hit that goes straight to draw.

 

Notice the x in the picture take 3 on the right mimic this aim a bit left get that shaft lead and say good by to high balloons. The check mark set up is ok it's probably what your trying to mimic but are failing to achieve a weight transfer with it but are getting somewhat of a decent backswing. Remember move that ball up in your stance open up and get that 2 inches off shaft lead. Photo 2 demonstrates shaft lead.

Edited March 25, 2016 by Mike Boatright

[SnazzyJeff]

Hey not a bad self-taught  swing at all. Personally I think you bring the club inside far to quickly which then you have to start chasing the club which causes you to stand up a little at impact. Easy fix. Try and point the face of the club at the ball for as long as you can and then on the downswing really focus on the right shoulder pointing at the ball through impact. You can get an iPhone app to help you check positions.

[iacas]

7 hours ago, mvmac said:

Welcome @sbhebert. I'd recommend working on this drill and identifying the feels that help you keep the hips centered. Currently your hips sway back and it can complicate some of the downswing pieces.

I'd also take a look at your right hand grip, looks like the "V" is pointing towards your chin with the trigger finger pressure point on top of the shaft. Getting the right hand in a better position will help lessen the "low and inside" takeaway and how much your throw the wrist angles on the downswing.

This is my first post in the thread....and I did 

I'd listen to this stuff, @sbhebert.

[sbhebert]

So many great thoughts all. Here's an update from today's range session. 

In prep, I did the wall drill as @mvmac suggested. I also setup a mirror so that I could see what this looked like. The feel I took away was a firming up of the left quad which created what felt like a powerful tension between my upper body and my lower body. "Coil" is my thought here. I'm 34-years-old, so I'm still pretty flexible. I had no idea that I was swaying my hips to avoid a real turn. 

I also spent some time moving my right hand on the grip to a "stronger" position. I did this until it felt comfortable. 

On the range, I did a number of things:

1. I practiced hitting punch shots to regain that descending blow feel. 

2. With a 7-iron in hand, I moved the ball all the way forward so it was positioned off my left toe. Then I practiced hitting shots where my weight shift was so dramatic that I hit the ball squarely and did not pull it. This forced me to move my weight left and to keep my wrists from rolling over prior to impact. I was often having to step through with my right leg after impact (Gary Player style!) in order to maintain balance.

3. Finally, I started hitting full shots, focusing on that feeling I'd discovered doing the wall drill. (Note: I also set my hands forward at address as per one of Mike Boatright's thoughts.) once I had that down, I focused on keeping the club head square during the backswing as per @SnazzyJeff. Befoe I knew it, I was launching 7-irons to a 160-yard carry in 40-degree weather. 5-irons were sailing over the 190 sign and my pitching wedge was landing at about 130. 

A lot of work to do. My miss is now a high pull draw, but I felt MUCH more power and MUCH more in control  

Thanks so much. I will continue to update and post a new video in the coming weeks!

[mvmac]

36 minutes ago, sbhebert said:

I also spent some time moving my right hand on the grip to a "stronger" position. I did this until it felt comfortable. 

It's ok for it to feel uncomfortable for the first couple practice sessions, just make sure it's right.