Practice Backswing Is Good - Actual Backswing Is Short

[Dave2512]

See it all the time. Guys have nice controlled practice swings then turn into psycho, drunk Twister game at 2AM creatures to strike the ball. I've been known to do it so I get it. I actually had an instructor video my practice swing then my swing hitting the ball and asked me why I changed it. That was my swing thought for a while, swing don't hit.

I catch a couple young guys on Sat. afternoon a few times each summer playing as a single. One kid looks like Adam Scott with his practice swing but when he actually hits a ball he does this weird baseball swing finish. He's lefty and hits a high, weak slice that curves about 80 yards. It's very weird.

[gregsandiego]

  On 4/22/2016 at 1:24 AM, Rainmaker said:

If dealing with my own bad swing and my own mental issues qualifies me for either - I'm in! 

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  On 4/22/2016 at 3:21 PM, Ernest Jones said:

Definitely. 

@gregsandiego, are you losing distance? My shorter swing gets WAY more distance than my longer ones because it gets better, more centred contact. Plus, with my longer swings I have no idea where it's going.

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Yes, l definitely lose distance when I do this.

Edited April 22, 2016 by gregsandiego
typo

[Lihu]

  On 4/22/2016 at 6:55 PM, gregsandiego said:

Yes, l definitely lose distance when I do this.

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So, a video of your swing might help people diagnose this.

It could be any of dozens of possibilities including not getting the weight transferred, not turning enough, turning too much, being out of sequence, etc.

[gregsandiego]

  On 4/22/2016 at 7:02 PM, Lihu said:

So, a video of your swing might help people diagnose this.

It could be any of dozens of possibilities including not getting the weight transferred, not turning enough, turning too much, being out of sequence, etc.

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I'll do that. iPhone quality good enough?

[Ernest Jones]

  On 4/22/2016 at 7:06 PM, gregsandiego said:

I'll do that. iPhone quality good enough?

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Generally yes, but make sure you set up properly. Do face-on and down-the-line.  Toeline, not the ball, centred in the frame. Roughly waist high. 

[Rainmaker]

  On 4/22/2016 at 6:28 PM, Dave2512 said:

See it all the time. Guys have nice controlled practice swings then turn into psycho, drunk Twister game at 2AM creatures to strike the ball. I've been known to do it so I get it. I actually had an instructor video my practice swing then my swing hitting the ball and asked me why I changed it. That was my swing thought for a while, swing don't hit.

I catch a couple young guys on Sat. afternoon a few times each summer playing as a single. One kid looks like Adam Scott with his practice swing but when he actually hits a ball he does this weird baseball swing finish. He's lefty and hits a high, weak slice that curves about 80 yards. It's very weird.

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I posted a thread here a while back, which everybody thought was stupid lol, where I suggested you video your practice swing and see how much better it is than your real swing. 

The thing is . .I understand why everybody thought it was stupid, I think.  Your practice swing has almost nothing to do with your real swing.  They are totally different for most of us . .it's not like "make your practice swing only with the ball there".  For most of us, our practice swing just goes through the air - it doesn't strike anything, it doesn't hit any imaginary ground . . . it's just not the same thing as "your real swing only without a ball there".  For most of us, I assume, anyway.

 

 

[Dave2512]

Given the number of hours I've spent swing a club on a mat in my office I've done a fair share of practice without a ball. The difference I see in people on the course is their real swing breaks down when they try to make it "powerful". Their practice swings are meaningless because it's not preparation for what actually happens. It's like they understand what should happen but something else creeps in, it's usually a hitters vs swingers issue.

[gregsandiego]

  On 4/22/2016 at 6:28 PM, Dave2512 said:

See it all the time. Guys have nice controlled practice swings then turn into psycho, drunk Twister game at 2AM creatures to strike the ball. I've been known to do it so I get it. I actually had an instructor video my practice swing then my swing hitting the ball and asked me why I changed it. That was my swing thought for a while, swing don't hit.

I catch a couple young guys on Sat. afternoon a few times each summer playing as a single. One kid looks like Adam Scott with his practice swing but when he actually hits a ball he does this weird baseball swing finish. He's lefty and hits a high, weak slice that curves about 80 yards. It's very weird.

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I know right? I think my practice swing is more like Freddy Couples. LOL

 

[Rainmaker]

One thing I've noticed about consistently good strikers . .the kind of guys like golf pros, etc, that can just stand up in front of a group and demonstrate shots and never shank or miss them . . is that they can all hit their static positions. 

Me - I get to the top of the backswing, I'm checking my legs . .nope, not quite right.  I'm starting the downswing - oops, no, that goes more like this . .and then I'm heading towards impact . .but my legs don't really wobble like that, lol (yeah they do). 

I know it's not often recommended to work on static positions . .but I can't help but notice that even Shawn Clement (I just use him as an example because he really doesn't teach static positions) can hit his static positions . he does it all the time. 

So . .if you got your static positions and then you free yourself up . .great!  If you don't have your static positions and then you free yourself up . .?  Could be good, could be bad . . .

I'm not saying practicing your static positions is how you learn them . .but I think being able to hit them is a dividing line between good strikers and "hit and hopers". 

[Buckeyebowman]

  On 4/22/2016 at 6:28 PM, Dave2512 said:

See it all the time. Guys have nice controlled practice swings then turn into psycho, drunk Twister game at 2AM creatures to strike the ball. I've been known to do it so I get it. I actually had an instructor video my practice swing then my swing hitting the ball and asked me why I changed it. That was my swing thought for a while, swing don't hit.

I catch a couple young guys on Sat. afternoon a few times each summer playing as a single. One kid looks like Adam Scott with his practice swing but when he actually hits a ball he does this weird baseball swing finish. He's lefty and hits a high, weak slice that curves about 80 yards. It's very weird.

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I think we've all seen that. Your story brought to mind an encounter I had many years ago. Our foursome had played 2-3 holes, and came up on the next tee where the group in front was hacking away, especially this one guy. His practice swings looked like Nicklaus! He even physically resembled Nicklaus a bit.

When he went to play a shot however, he would jump right out of both his shoes and socks, gouge an enormous pelt out of the rough, and do this weird half shank, half flip into the pines that bordered the right side of the hole. Then he'd dive into the pines, fish the ball out, drop, and repeat the ordeal! Mind you, these guys were only 50 yards off the tee on a 350 yard par 4!

Eventually, the group behind us putted out and were waiting, and the group behind them were hitting their approach shots. After yet another hack, gouge, shank, flip into the pines I yelled, "HEY! We're going to play through!" I had a ball teed and, thankfully, busted one down the middle, frustration and anger adding a few yards, no doubt!

[gregsandiego]

My golf buddy did take an 18 sec video but there is no way I'm posting it. Not only is my "real" swing short, even my practice swing is short. 

 

How is it I picture the club pointing back to the target when I'm lucky if it's actually pointing straight up?

[High Draw]

Old thread I know but here's how I beat this problem.

1. Hit balls in a net. And don't care less where they are going! Then do the same on the range. The idea is to get a full swing, not where the ball goes.

2. A full finish real swing. Which means I'm hitting through the ball, not at it. Chances are if you are hitting at it, not only is the backswing short, but you have an abbreviated finish.

3. Trick yourself. Set up to the ball, tell yourself you are doing a practise backswing to the top. Throw it up. Wait until you see that clubhead in the corner of your eye. Then in that moment decide to release through the ball to a full finish.

4. Hit a thousand until it's there.

On the course, just trust its there and play to the target, not your swing.

Edited May 15, 2022 by High Draw