My Swing (BristolGolf)

[BristolGolf]

I've been Playing Golf for: 5 Months
My current handicap index or average score is: handicap unknown! I shoot on average 115 
My typical ball flight is: anywhere!
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: slice and hook

Firstly sorry for the mobile phone footage and the night time recording it is not ideal but better than nothing and sorry for such a poor swing! I have a GoPro on the xmas list so will provide better video in the future.

I have posted a few threads asking for advice and have been asked to post a swing thread so.. here we go. on the downrange clip I have shown three shots, one cleared 150 with an 8 iron, the next shot was a wild slice then I hit a clean shot but without the distance of that first one which really sums up my game, I would say that one in three shots fly straight and true, the rest a slice or hook or I top it (topping is rare but it happens). I think my key issue is that I am clearly struggling to square the club face on impact. The facing footage I spliced two shots together, both were OK but show the hip rotation and shoulder turn I am trying to work on, to be honest it was a bad range session today.

I have mentioned before - I am taking lessons, I have had seven now and have for in the bank with the same pro - and I practice twice a week and try and get at least 9 holes a week in (it is winter months during summer i was out doing 18 a week even if I was alone).

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Videos: 

 

[RandallT]

Welcome to swing threads! Good move to start one. Here are some good resources:

https://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing (at the bottom of this link you'll see how to align camera- in case you need a reminder about our guidance)

Since you are taking lessons, I'd recommend letting us know briefly what you are digesting from the instruction. Like: 

1. What is your priority?
2. What drills are you doing?

You might even consider taking video of actually doing drills. I can't tell you how many times I did a drill slightly wrong that kept me from progressing.

You'll find that folks here are pretty deferential to your instructor and won't necessarily contradict the instruction you are getting, but if it's obvious to the experts here that things are heading in a questionable direction, they might make their thoughts known. It's always best that you have as much info as possible to decide yourself if you are heading in the right direction. 

Not good to have too many chefs in the kitchen, so most of us laymen are here to give some support and share our experiences- not nit pick about what you're doing. Good luck!

[BristolGolf]

25 minutes ago, RandallT said:

Since you are taking lessons, I'd recommend letting us know briefly what you are digesting from the instruction. Like: 

1. What is your priority?
2. What drills are you doing?

To be honest (and as a few folk here will know) I am not sure I am getting great instruction - I have not actually been given any drills by my pro, he works with me in a lesson with almost no goal or target, it is more of a troubleshooting 30 min session and he often leaves me more confused than anything else, that being said I am now working on my backswing, stopping my shoulders from tilting so that my spine angle is better, I did had a tendency to lean to my right during my swing, it is much better now.

I have come up with my own practice plan, which is

1) club drop drill for hip rotation

2) A focus on arm extension during the down swing, I was scoping before and you might notice in the video that I still have a scoop motion at impact  - i do this by pretending there are two balls and I swing at the imaginary second ball (two ball drill?)

I have no idea what my priority should be, but I think that I need a reliable tee shot and the ability to hit my irons with some consistency - If I could drive 250 without a wild slice and hit an iron 150 yards straight I am in the game. 

My main issue is that when I am in front of the ball I still have no idea what i should be doing with my swing, how the hips work, what my shoulders should be doing, if I was at the range for an hour and you were watching me you would see maybe six different swings...

1. Left knee moving in towards the right
2. Left knee pushing out
3. Shoulders tilting
4. shoulders not tilting
5. Starting downswing with a bump
6. Starting downswing with shoulders or hands

The worst part is that mentally I know I am doing those things and when I am on the course my head is filled with swing thoughts because i just don't have my own swing yet. 

Edited December 19, 2016 by BristolGolf

[iacas]

You might not want to hear this, but… your swing's not bad. I think the fact that you've been playing only for five months is a huge part of what's causing problems. Far more that than anything else.

That said, of course, you can do some things a bit better for now. Let's KISS:

Setup: let your chin fall down a bit so you can look at the ball out of the center of your eyes, not the bottom of your eyes.

In the top right and bottom left frame, notice how your trail knee is flexed.

Anyway, the bigger issue right now is that we have to stop the backswing from going on for quite so long. It's leading to "slow arms" coming down and the club getting across the line (later picture) and all sorts of things.

Do this:

1. Hinge the club up.
2. Roll the forearm 90° behind you (keeping your elbow in front of you as I demonstrate).
3. Rotate to the top of the backswing.

From there, hit some shots. Slow at first, and working up to maybe 70% speed. Then make slow swings trying to achieve that "top of the backswing" position.

Bonus picture: this is why you hit some weird shots for now. This should clean up a little bit. Don't work on it for now.

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So to be clear:

• Tweak the setup a little.
• Do the drill in the video.

[BristolGolf]

Thank you iacas - I do actually have some notes on my phone about my over swing, I noticed it before and my teacher did point it out as well, I think it has developed because it does not feel very powerful to only bring my shoulder up to my chin, this is where I was then rising up out of the stance, I am not moving as much but the arm motion has now been grooved in and I seem to have a rather flexible shoulder enabling that to happen. I have never noticed how high my chin is! 

Regarding your point about the time i have been playing, do you think that is just down to confidence and experience? i.e the longer I play the more I will own my swing and have confidence in it? Is time the only cure there?

I will work on those two things and post some new video if the Mrs delivers my shiny new GoPro on xmas day  

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, BristolGolf said:

Regarding your point about the time i have been playing, do you think that is just down to confidence and experience? i.e the longer I play the more I will own my swing and have confidence in it? Is time the only cure there?

Time isn't the only cure, but you could break 100 regularly with a swing like that. You won't break 90 or 80 often, but 100… sure. It's not a 130-shooting swing.

[BristolGolf]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

Time isn't the only cure, but you could break 100 regularly with a swing like that. You won't break 90 or 80 often, but 100… sure. It's not a 130-shooting swing.

I make bad decisions on the course driven by a desire to be playing golf, rather than playing safe. Another factor is that my good shots are OK, in that down range video that is an 8 iron sailing past the 150 marker dead straight into the darkness, but my bad shots often end up sailing in exactly the same way out of bounds or into the woods because even my bad shots get distance, see the slice? It went over the fence and vanished into the fields beyond, my blow up holes end up being 8s and 9s as I end up with penalty strokes, drops and lost balls. I think if I rained in that over swing as you suggest I might lose distance but gain more control which should also help me stay in play. 

I am going to get out on the course between xmas and the new year and play a tactical round alone with the focus on playing safe to see if I can card a score, I might feel better if I can end the year with a round under 100. 

[Club Rat]

I'll second what Erik has indicated - "From there, hit some shots. Slow at first, and working up to maybe 70% speed.
Then make slow swings trying to achieve that "top of the backswing" position"

Control is much easier with less force (not gripping it and ripping it)
Look at the Top players how they make it look easy, smooth as butter.

Do the drill in the video.

[BristolGolf]

Managed to get out today, with a duel purpose! The wife did sort me out with a new GoPro for xmas so I was able to grab my first ever footage, a few swing shots in here, but the swing has been set back with a lack of practice over the holidays, I am posting here more as a reference so I can look back over the year at progress and I am also feeling rather chuffed at the quality of the video! 

 

[iacas]

Great!

Keep working on the things above, and when you do film your swing, mind your angles (I know this one was more just for fun and not serious analysis): https://thesandtrap.com/b/playing_tips/filming_your_swing .

[BristolGolf]

Had a fun round and scored my first birdie this weekend, it should have been a hole in one! I was literally 10 inches form the hole, I had 47% GIR which for me is just nuts. I have been working on my wrist set on the back swing as you suggest Eric, in the end I bought a cheap swingyde and a short practice club (A weighted small gizmo with grip trainer and a short shaft with weights) - it really helped, as soon as I picked up some confidence I was hitting some great shots, one of them here, I am obviously guilty of raising up on the back swing still, and that right foot does seem to come up early, but it is better.

 

 

[iacas]

On 1/16/2017 at 3:07 PM, BristolGolf said:

Had a fun round and scored my first birdie this weekend, it should have been a hole in one! I was literally 10 inches form the hole, I had 47% GIR which for me is just nuts. I have been working on my wrist set on the back swing as you suggest Eric, in the end I bought a cheap swingyde and a short practice club (A weighted small gizmo with grip trainer and a short shaft with weights) - it really helped, as soon as I picked up some confidence I was hitting some great shots, one of them here, I am obviously guilty of raising up on the back swing still, and that right foot does seem to come up early, but it is better.

Those are some good things. Very nice. Congrats on your first birdie, and 47% GIR is nothing to sneeze at!!

[BristolGolf]

I am going to focus on my 5 wood and mini driver next - I need a reliable 200 yards off the tee to bring my scores down and a 200 yard recovery shot with my 5 wood. I will be at the range on the weekend so will post some footage of my driver swing, it is now a reliable push slice! My instructor has suggested it is down to slow hands which you mentioned, he feels everything is right to hit it much better than I do but with a long stick in my hands I am not turning the clubhead over, i.e my release is delayed - he has had my forcing what feels like a casting motion, but I worry that this will mess up the work I put in with the irons, so I will get a second opinion here with a new range video of my driver swing.