My Swing (Killa)

[chspeed]

On 6/21/2017 at 2:39 PM, Killa said:

So I have been thinking about my backswing and how to steepen it, and I looked at Brooks Koepka in slow mo, that has been posted in another topic.

And I realized, that my problem is that I have always thought that my upper arm and torso need to be connected. That's why there is no way I can get so steep as the pros, as I would literally need to be bent over 90º to rotate that way.

So I think that by simply raising my arm on the backswing I will get the steeper backswing. I don't think flattening the downswing will be a problem for me. 

 

Not all the pros are steep on the backswing. There's a pretty wide range, check out Matt Kuchar for instance. It's all about what you do after you get to the top. Some find it easier to flatten when they are steeper in the backswing. Looking at your 7-iron from earlier in the month, I think you're plenty steep enough. But you don't flatten it on the downswing, you steepen instead.

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2017 by chspeed

[Killa]

Yes I am coming over the top on the downswing - I thought I should match the upswing to the downswing I have but your post makes me think I might have it backwards - to shallow out  the downswing more instead of steepening the backswing. 

 

Here are a couple of frontal videos from today, is it just me or do I really move my head way too much? Impact position looks good to me.

 

[mvmac]

On 6/22/2017 at 0:20 PM, Killa said:

I can keep my head perfectly still, but as soon as I am looking down I go back on the backswing and up on my downswing. 

 

Anyone got a good key #1 drill for me? @iacas @mvmac

With those recent swings you posted, Key#1 is fine and not a priority IMO. Key #1 is steady head not "perfectly" still head. It's fine to have a little movement to the right on the backswing (head will also rotate), especially with a driver swing.

[Killa]

5 hours ago, mvmac said:

With those recent swings you posted, Key#1 is fine and not a priority IMO. Key #1 is steady head not "perfectly" still head. It's fine to have a little movement to the right on the backswing (head will also rotate), especially with a driver swing.

Thanks for the feedback. I will work on shallowing the downswing the next few sessions. 

Also weight forward seems to do the biggest difference for me at this point. If I really lean into it I can crush my irons. 

[Killa]

Had the luxury of having a range with no balls on it. So I hit 20 (22 actually) pitching wedges and about 20-24 drivers to mark my shot dispersion. 

My pitching wedge was hit to a target 120 yards away. And the center of my shot dispersion was 5 yards short and left 12 of the shots went the full 115-120 yards (but 2 were to the right and were discarded from the grouping) 8 of them went about 110-113. So now I know to aim 5 yards right at a target that is 115 away. 

 

The driver was another story. 11 shots qualified (didn't have time to hit more as people started hitting at the range and I didn't want to count any other ball or be hit in the head marking balls).  

They ranged from 240-285 yards. Most of them in the 250-270 range. The dispersion was about 40 yards from the most left to the most right. 

Problem is that I will screw up about 50% of my drivers at this point. So 1/2 of those screwed up ones will be salvageable on the course (shots that go only about 150-180 yards, or really high and short, and 1/2 those would probably result in stroke and distance... 

I will probably rent a flightscope to get my actual dispersion for the clubs listed in LSW (D, 3W, 4i, 7i, PW)

 

Yesterday I hit a bucket of balls with my 7 iron and driver. I decided that those are the 2 clubs I will be using for my limited time practice sessions. I tried to take videos from both perspectives but didn't have enough room for the DTL view because I'd have to stand in the heat for that. 

I worked on flattening the downswing and I still think that I will be able to fix that in a couple of weeks. 

I look kinda flippy, but when I pause on the impact I think I am pretty much aligned if you disregard the elbow? Should I focus more on that? 

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Killa

[Killa]

Created a collage of driver positions. 

I don't like A3 DTL (I think it's better in head on but I've been practicing a couple of weeks between those two videos). 

The same happens in A5 if those two were reversed I'd be quite happy. 

A7 looks like I should have my left elbow straighter. But I have a better impact position with my driver than with my irons. Almost like I'm scared of hitting the ground so I pull up a bit with my left elbow.

 

Edited June 25, 2017 by Killa
larger picture

[Alx]

Have you tried a wider stance? It looks like your stance is so narrow you dont really have anywhere to go without getting out of balance.

On the driver I think you could setup more upright. You stand up before impact because youre too far bent over. You might want to move the ball an inch closer aswell so you dont have to reach for it with a more upright stance.

Ive gone through similar things.

[colin007]

I'm no doctor, but I'd guess your early extension is more than what would be considered acceptable. Of course, that's prolly a byproduct of trying to shallow out.

[Killa]

44 minutes ago, colin007 said:

I'm no doctor, but I'd guess your early extension is more than what would be considered acceptable. Of course, that's prolly a byproduct of trying to shallow out.

Early extension - can you explain what you mean by that? You mean on the backswing, downswing or impact?

1 hour ago, Alx said:

Have you tried a wider stance? It looks like your stance is so narrow you dont really have anywhere to go without getting out of balance.

On the driver I think you could setup more upright. You stand up before impact because youre too far bent over. You might want to move the ball an inch closer aswell so you dont have to reach for it with a more upright stance.

Ive gone through similar things.

Yeah I did try a wider stance, actually I am usually set up wider with the driver. With the irons I'm usually set up as wide as in these pics with the driver. But when I am too wide I kinda feel like my head movement gets excessive. 

Also I guess I am so bent over because I feel that with a more upright stance I couldn't get steep on the backswing... I am ruining myself with selfdiagnosis :)))

will need to invest in a lesson this week. 

[colin007]

4 hours ago, Killa said:

Early extension - can you explain what you mean by that? You mean on the backswing, downswing or impact?

Early extension means that you are standing up too soon on the downswing, aka "humping the goat". Steady head means more than just a steady head from a face on view. It means that your head is moving too soon off of "the wall" as you come into the ball. I struggle with this as well.

[Killa]

6 hours ago, colin007 said:

Early extension means that you are standing up too soon on the downswing, aka "humping the goat". Steady head means more than just a steady head from a face on view. It means that your head is moving too soon off of "the wall" as you come into the ball. I struggle with this as well.

Yes exactly. But even with that I still bow my left elbow at impact - pulling up. I think I got that ingrained the very first time I swung the club as I hit 200 balls at the range often duffing severely into the mat and I injured my back from that, so I couldn't play for more than a month. The fear of hitting the ground too much. Don't know how to get rid of that... when I practice in front of a mirror at 50% speed I can keep my head steady in all directions until impact, and my left arm straight. When I hit balls the video tells another story...

[Alx]

13 hours ago, Killa said:

I kinda feel like my head movement gets excessive. 

Also I guess I am so bent over because I feel that with a more upright stance I couldn't get steep on the backswing

I still think you should go for a more wider stance. You can learn to keep that head still but you cant learn to get more space for the hips to rotate because it just isnt there . Youre just spinning in place.

Dont worry about the backswing so much. At the end of the day it doesnt really matter how you get to the top. Sure steep-shallow etc feels can help with delivery but I dont think its a priority for you.

1 hour ago, Killa said:

But even with that I still bow my left elbow at impact - pulling up

You have to or every shot would be fat. Everything you do, jump up and pull with elbow, is to avoid hitting it fat.

[Killa]

14 minutes ago, Alx said:

I still think you should go for a more wider stance. You can learn to keep that head still but you cant learn to get more space for the hips to rotate because it just isnt there . Youre just spinning in place.

Dont worry about the backswing so much. At the end of the day it doesnt really matter how you get to the top. Sure steep-shallow etc feels can help with delivery but I dont think its a priority for you.

You have to or every shot would be fat. Everything you do, jump up and pull with elbow, is to avoid hitting it fat.

So would that get better with a wider stance and more rotation? Because then I get the club up with my lead shoulder instead with my torso and elbow?

I just don't get how being more upright would help with that - in my mind that would make it even harder? 

[Alx]

1 minute ago, Killa said:

So would that get better with a wider stance and more rotation? Because then I get the club up with my lead shoulder instead with my torso and elbow?

The wider stance will give you a better balance and help with the weight shift. Right now your weight cannot shift anywhere as you would fall over. Feels are always very individual, cant say much about that.

6 minutes ago, Killa said:

I just don't get how being more upright would help with that - in my mind that would make it even harder?

More upright will set you up closer to the angles you achieve at impact so you dont have to compensate during the swing.

Wider stance will help with balance, weight shift and thus hip rotation.

 

Spine angle

 

[colin007]

3 hours ago, Alx said:

 

You have to or every shot would be fat. Everything you do, jump up and pull with elbow, is to avoid hitting it fat.

Precisely. It's coming down so steep that if you don't stand up you'll bury the shaft in the ground a foot behind the ball.

Find a feel that works - maybe like your head is moving down and forward coming into the ball. You'll have to find a way to shallow.

[Killa]

Thanks to both of you, I'll have to work on that. Hopefully I can hit the range today and to be in a position where I can film myself. 

[Killa]

So I was practicing at home and had 30 mins at the range yesterday. Didn't have time to setup the camera perfectly but I think it's still good enough. 

 

 

 

I think there is a visible difference. Especialy with the 7 iron but those were 1/2-3/4 swings to keep everything under control. 

[Killa]

So I had a mental breakthrough on the backswing while watching one of @iacas's videos on the 2nd key. 

Took two short videos in my backyard. What I don't get is why my swing looks pretty damn good when I'm not whacking at a ball and everything goes to shit when I do...

Sorry for the low light on the DTL video but I think everything is pretty much visible in HD. (edit: I just upped the light directly in youtube so it should be better)

 

 

Edited July 2, 2017 by Killa