My Swing (Rainmaker)

[Rainmaker]

I've been Playing Golf for: On and off since I was around 12.  I played from ages 12-15, 35-38, 40-43 (currently 43).  I've taken lessons here and there - I've been taking them regularly since last year.  I am not too wild off the tee.  I hit the driver around 230 on a good whack and if I miss it badly it's usually topped - My driver is one of my most reliable clubs.  I definitely hit my driver both right and left of where I'm aiming . .but not so much that it's in big trouble . .usually.   I'm good with my wedges and short irons . .and fairway woods and hybrids.  I'm less confident with 5 and 6 iron . .but getting more so.  I struggled quit a bit with casting/flipping - you can see in these videos I'm overtaking my left hand with my right after impact.     

 

My current handicap index or average score is: Unknown.  My best score for 18 holes (easy course, white tees) is 86.  If I went out and played tomorrow I would hope to break 90...but on a bad day I'm sure I could bust 100.  

 

My typical ball flight is: high floater.  I think my ball striking is improving but I'd still rate it rather poor.  Last few months have seen pretty solid improvements in terms of my % of well struck shots, ball flight getting lower, etc.  
 

The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Thin shots and tops, overall trying to get a lower, more penetrating flight.  

 

You probably always thought I was the kind of guy who hit golf balls in his pajamas at 1:30am . .well . .you were right, lol.  

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Videos:  THERE IS A REAL BALL IN BOTH OF THESE VIDEOS ... I WASN"T ABLE TO BACK THE CAMERA UP FAR ENOUGH . .BUT YOU CAN SEE IT AFTER IMPACT. 

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Rainmaker

[billchao]

You work with an instructor, right? What have you been working on?

Looks to me like you don't turn very much. You should let your right leg extend more and push your right hip up and behind you. Here are a couple of good threads:

 

[Lihu]

Nice video!

It looks like you're not getting your weight up on the lead leg at impact and on the follow through. I also noticed that you bend the legs just before impact. I can definitely see why you are getting under the ball, and why your launch is so high.

[Rainmaker]

Good question...what I'm working on at the moment is staying down longer through impact, keeping my left knee bent longer. 

I recently intentionally took the right leg thrust out because I was doing it wrong.  I do want to add it back at some point. 

[iacas]

Agree with @billchao. You need to work on your pivot/turn right now. Then agree with @Lihu: you'll have to work on getting your weight forward longer.

Your left knee stays flexed way too long right now. That's not why you're having trouble "staying down on the ball."

If you're working with an instructor right now, I suggest you can him immediately.

[iacas]

12 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

I hear what you guys are saying and . .fair enough . .I can't argue.  Obviously I know you guys know what you're talking about.  I know my pro does, too, though . . . even if he's wrong about what actually happens (which I think he might be . .I don't know) . . it does seem to be helping me get a better, more penetrating iron flight.

After seeing your member swing thread, and you sharing what you're working on, I do not agree that your current instructor knows what he's talking about.

Some will take that as harsh, and I'll limit my commentary to that thread moreso, but it's how I feel and I can back that up with more opinions and video and still photos and so on.

12 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

I'm about to post a my swing thread - it will be interesting to hear what you guys think I need to work on most.  Just remember, . .I'm not trying to *prove* anything . . I'm not saying I can flex the shaft however I want and control trajectory . . or anything like that.  I tend to hit a "high floater" . .I'd like to bring it down.

You flip like crazy. It's not about "stressing the shaft." You have other things to work on well before you get to anything like "stressing the shaft."

That's not an unsolvable problem, and you're not "a bad guy" or anything like that… but to work on stressing the shaft from there, and to try to keep your knee flexed LONGER… it just doesn't make sense. Fix the backswing (Key #1 is a proper pivot that keeps your head relatively steady), and then work on Key #2. Key #3 (Inline Impact) will improve with work on those two things, and THEN you can work on "stressing the shaft."

[Rainmaker]

42 minutes ago, iacas said:

Agree with @billchao. You need to work on your pivot/turn right now. Then agree with @Lihu: you'll have to work on getting your weight forward longer.

Your left knee stays flexed way too long right now. That's not why you're having trouble "staying down on the ball."

If you're working with an instructor right now, I suggest you can him immediately.

What's scary is my swing is so much better than it was 10 months ago...

10 months ago I had a big forward lunge through impact and a very pronounced flip as well. 

Thanks for the feedback - I hear what you're saying on the rotation.  I used to also have some really (even more than now) serious sway issues - I definitely have more to work on there. 

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

What's scary is my swing is so much better than it was 10 months ago...

10 months ago I had a big forward lunge through impact and a very pronounced flip as well.

I'd say there's still a pronounced flip here. If it's better than ten months ago, that's good, and moving in the right direction, but the shaft is basically vertical around impact here.

Like I said in the other thread I'd work on Key #1 first (a good pivot/backswing) and then Key #2 stuff. That'll help Key #3 stuff.

I rarely teach Key #3 stuff directly. Usually work with #1/#2 clean it up quite well.

[Rainmaker]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

After seeing your member swing thread, and you sharing what you're working on, I do not agree that your current instructor knows what he's talking about.

Some will take that as harsh, and I'll limit my commentary to that thread moreso, but it's how I feel and I can back that up with more opinions and video and still photos and so on.

You flip like crazy. It's not about "stressing the shaft." You have other things to work on well before you get to anything like "stressing the shaft."

That's not an unsolvable problem, and you're not "a bad guy" or anything like that… but to work on stressing the shaft from there, and to try to keep your knee flexed LONGER… it just doesn't make sense. Fix the backswing (Key #1 is a proper pivot that keeps your head relatively steady), and then work on Key #2. Key #3 (Inline Impact) will improve with work on those two things, and THEN you can work on "stressing the shaft."

Good to know I'm not a bad guy lol. Sorry to confound you - was not my intention!  

[Rainmaker]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

I'd say there's still a pronounced flip here. If it's better than ten months ago, that's good, and moving in the right direction, but the shaft is basically vertical around impact here.

Like I said in the other thread I'd work on Key #1 first (a good pivot/backswing) and then Key #2 stuff. That'll help Key #3 stuff.

I rarely teach Key #3 stuff directly. Usually work with #1/#2 clean it up quite well.

Yeah - almost vertical is way better. I used to have it leaning backwards a bit. 

I never really have worked much on key 3 directly - just seen it improve with keys 1, 2 ...and I kinda think 4 a little as well. I used to have a lot more head movement. I used to lunge forwards and lose my balance. 

I plan to keep on with my current pro as long as I see improvement but I'll keep in particular mind to keep working on keys 1 and 2. My pro doesn't teach the 5 keys but I've always sort of translated his lessons into them.  

[iacas]

53 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Yeah - almost vertical is way better. I used to have it leaning backwards a bit. 

I never really have worked much on key 3 directly - just seen it improve with keys 1, 2 ...and I kinda think 4 a little as well. I used to have a lot more head movement. I used to lunge forwards and lose my balance. 

I plan to keep on with my current pro as long as I see improvement but I'll keep in particular mind to keep working on keys 1 and 2. My pro doesn't teach the 5 keys but I've always sort of translated his lessons into them.  

All of your "stressing the shaft" stuff is Key #3 stuff. It's ineffective Key #3 stuff, but that's the goal.

I'm still not a big fan of your current instructor. Not if he has you doing anything but:

• improving your backswing pivot/turn
• improving your weight forward.

I really, really don't like him if he's telling you to keep your left knee flexed longer. Or worrying about "stressing the shaft." (Point of note: oftentimes "stressing the shaft" can increase the likelihood of a flip. Putting pressure into the shaft with your right hand will flip the club sooner/moreso. The "better" way if I had to teach while talking about the shaft and "stressing" something is for the shaft to put stress into YOU.)

[Rainmaker]

Id say not to blame my instructor - blame me, instead. 

The knee is an in progress thing - last time I saw him I was jamming my left leg straight. Once I go back he's not going to suggest I keep my left knee even more bent...he'll see that I figured out how not to ram it straight and we'll go on. 

I think his reason for this is key #1 - steadier head...but I didn't ask him why. Sometimes I do - I didn't this time. 

The shaft stressing thing was just his answers to my questions. What he said for me to do - was don't try to control trajectory with wrist hinge.  

Think of it this way...if I took lessons from you and then described the lesson to another pro - do you think I'd explain it right or muck it up?  I think possibly the later, lol. You're impression of my instructor is coming through a filter of ignorance. 

 

And flip like crazy stings a little lol. Lots of people flip a lot more and that is a brutal camera angle I used. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Rainmaker

[iacas]

49 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Id say not to blame my instructor - blame me, instead. 

The knee is an in progress thing - last time I saw him I was jamming my left leg straight. Once I go back he's not going to suggest I keep my left knee even more bent...he'll see that I figured out how not to ram it straight and we'll go on. 

Yeah, I don't know about that.

Your left knee should begin extending around the time the club gets to horizontal… before impact. Your left knee stays flexed your entire follow-through.

49 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

Think of it this way...if I took lessons from you and then described the lesson to another pro - do you think I'd explain it right or muck it up?  I think possibly the later, lol. You're impression of my instructor is coming through a filter of ignorance. 

I think you'd explain it properly, because I'd make sure you understood it properly, and because you'd have images and video with my notes to which you could refer back to later on.

You should give evolvr.com a try.

[Rainmaker]

Just for reference here is a swing from December 2016 - I think it's an 8 iron - not sure. It was about a month after this video that I went in for lesson and the left knee came up.  Notice a lot more sway, too  

 

[No Mulligans]

The only thing I'd add... Is your instructor using video and sending the videos to you?  Maybe not given the videos you've posted are from your garage.  Personally, I wouldn't take instruction that didn't include video feedback  I think it's very important, especially for beginners like me.

That last video of your Dec. swing, that looks better, much better.  I still see a flip though, but less flip I think.

[Rainmaker]

2 minutes ago, No Mulligans said:

The only thing I'd add... Is your instructor using video and sending the videos to you?  Maybe not given the videos you've posted are from your garage.  Personally, I wouldn't take instruction that didn't include video feedback  I think it's very important, especially for beginners like me.

No - he actually uses no technology of any kind. He doesn't even really use teaching aides. A traffic cone when we first started - that was it. 

[Lihu]

8 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

No - he actually uses no technology of any kind. He doesn't even really use teaching aides. A traffic cone when we first started - that was it. 

I tend to agree with @No Mulligans, your swing looks better before you got your lessons.

There are 70 year old instructors who use camera and launch monitors. . .it's that critical. Even I use one if I don't have a mirror.

Hate to say this, but I think your current instructor is a hack. Listen to Erik, he's not just trying to endorse Evolvr, and I think you would do way better with it.

 

[CarlSpackler]

53 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I tend to agree with @No Mulligans, your swing looks better before you got your lessons.

I agree with this as well.