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Posted

The first time I made a proper pass thru the ball.  I didn't know, until then, that I really had no idea how to swing a golf club.  It took a long time to sort out what had happened; but that was the beginning...and I'm still working on it.

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Cleveland Hi-Bore driver, Maltby 5 wood, Maltby hybrid, Maltby irons and wedges (23 to 50) Vokey 59/07, Cleveland Niblick (LH-42), and a Maltby mallet putter.                                                                                                                                                 "When the going gets tough...it's tough to get going."

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Posted (edited)

Right now its Key 1 from this

Being able to make a centered pivot and keeping my head from shifting forward has done wonders for my ball striking and consistency, as well as my handicap.

 

I'm pretty sure once I fully nail that down, then key two will become the next move that changes my game. Then key three. etc etc.

Edited by klineka

Driver: :titleist:  GT3
Woods:  :cobra: Darkspeed LS 3Wood
Irons: :titleist: U505 (3)  :tmade: P770 (4-PW)
Wedges: :callaway: MD3 50   :titleist: SM9 54/58  
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Posted

Imho, for most people, it's going to be a lot more than one move.

Steve

Kill slow play. Allow walking. Reduce ineffective golf instruction. Use environmentally friendly course maintenance.

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Posted

Swinging the club to right field. That's what did it for me. 

  • Upvote 1

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Posted

In my early days I tried to keep the blade square all the way back and through. When I realized that you open it going back and let it close going through the hitting area I immediately began to build a proper swing based upon a proper release.

John C.

In the bag: Nike Covert Driver, #3 wood and #5 Wood. Titelist AP1 710series irons regular graphite shafts. Sounder 60 degree wedge. Titleist Bullseye putter.  Prov-1 balls.


Posted

Starting the downswing with my lower body. 

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Posted

The most significant "move" would be one my instructor had me work on. I could say a lot about my feels/interpretation of it, but to keep it short it's basically the reverse motorcycle rev from the top. He called it flexing, or bowing the lead wrist - but it's all the same stuff.

Not sure how to hit a lower lofted club consistently without a flat left wrist, and working on this move was essential in achieving that.

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Posted

I know this article is about one, but I have three! 

The first one was when I started sliding my hips to start my downswing. Went from a very handsy-armsy timing-based player to a much more consistent one almost overnight. 

The second one was when I started turning my shoulders at the start of my backswing. I barely turned 90 degrees and really swung hard with my arms to generate speed. Shoulder turn added speed and made it easier to hit the ball solid.

The third one was when I started cocking my wrists. I'd never done that, not really, and that gave me a ton more power. 

Hunter Bishop

"i was an aspirant once of becoming a flamenco guitarist, but i had an accident with my fingers"

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Titleist TSI3 | TaylorMade Sim 2 Max 3 Wood | 5 Wood | Edel 3-PW | 52° | 60° | Blade Putter

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Posted
1 hour ago, klineka said:

Right now its Key 1 from this

Being able to make a centered pivot and keeping my head from shifting forward has done wonders for my ball striking and consistency, as well as my handicap.

I'm pretty sure once I fully nail that down, then key two will become the next move that changes my game. Then key three. etc etc.

Me^^^^^^^^

I still have a ways to go, but LSW and 5SK's (and the videos) really jump started my improvement

Driver: :callaway: Rogue ST  /  Woods: :tmade: Stealth 5W / Hybrid: :tmade: Stealth 25* / Irons: :ping: i500’s /  Wedges: :edel: 54*, 58*; Putter: :scotty_cameron: Futura 5  Ball: image.png Vero X1

 

 -Jonny

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Posted

I agree with @nevets88.  I can't even remember a key move that changed everything for me.  It's been a long slow series of improvements for me.  My most recent was really getting width.  I've heard that many times, played with it in practice many times too.  But something finally clicked for me recently and it's been another (incremental) game changer.

Matt

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Nike Vapor Pro Combo, 4i-GW
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Tour Edge Exotics XCG 15˚ 3 Wood
Taylormade R7 Quad 9.5˚

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Posted
5 hours ago, Sierra Magica said:

More good golfer in their golfing life found a key move that change their game.

Do you have any which has revolutionized your game for good?

I haven't found mine yet, Have you?

There is no magic move. Improving your swing is a series of progressions. It's based on whatever your priority piece is.

What the key move was for me five years ago is different than the one I needed last year, which is different than what I'm working on now.

  • Upvote 1

Bill

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius

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Posted
6 hours ago, klineka said:

Being able to make a centered pivot and keeping my head from shifting forward has done wonders for my ball striking and consistency, as well as my handicap.

This was the last instruction I received before injury in late September. Actually the pro got me to flatten my swing a little. I was able to "feel"  my head was a little behind the ball on the backswing; then a slight push down with my feet to start the downswing, head still back a little, driving with my hips/legs. There was no forward shift of my head or hint of a cast. Interesting topic. Thanks, -Marv

DRIVER: Cleveland 588 Altitude ( Matrix Radix Sv Graphite, A) IRONS: Mizuno JPX-800 HD Irons & 3,4,5 JPX Fli-Hi (Grafalloy Prolaunch Blue Graphite, R); WEDGES: (Carried as needed) Artisan Golf 46, 50, 53, 56 low bounce, 56 high bounce; PUTTER: Mizuno TP Mills 9

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Posted

I agree with many of the above posters. There is not ONE move that fixes everything. For me, it was getting my lower body more involcvedw, getting my swing to be more "inside out", and learning to hit down on the ball with my irons. now, some instructors will fuss at the "hitting down" aspect of that, but I know what my eyes see! I see the clubhead descending toward the ball, putting the ball in flight, and then contacting the ground where the front of the ball was! I don't know what else to call it!

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Posted

I know sound silly but when I understood that every club has different length and the release start at different point my ball strike changed dramatically for good. I used to release every club as 7i. included the driver we the consequence disasters. 

After defined the release point  on the range I took to the course and the difference was amazing.

example:- 9i. my hands have passed the ball 1 inch. I release the club, hit, follow-through and finish.

 - Driver my hands are close to right hip on the downswing, I initiate the release from there. I turn smoothly, hit, follow-through and finish. Same feeling on green side bunker shots only my "weight" is on the front leg. 

 


Posted (edited)
16 hours ago, Sierra Magica said:

More good golfer in their golfing life found a key move that change their game.

Do you have any which has revolutionized your game for good?

I haven't found mine yet, Have you?

I wouldn't call myself a "good golfer" but I'll chip in anyway.

I seem to have a new move every few months that I think has revolutionized my game for good, but usually, the result is less than I thought, more incremental than revolutionary. 

The latest thing for me, that I discovered a couple of weeks ago, and that has led to a massive improvement in my irons, is really two things: 1) get more side bend into my swing, and 2) stop rolling onto the outside of my back foot- stay centered in the back swing. 

The result of these two changes is an elimination of fat shots, and no longer coming over the top.  Distance on a solid strike is about the same, but I'm making a much higher percentage of solid shots. 

I had an instructor telling me about side bend a couple of years ago, but I must not have really understood what he was trying to tell me.  I've had two instructors in the last few years, and neither one of them mentioned what I was doing with my right foot. 

I already know I have several other things that need to be improved, for example- flatten my left wrist, get more shaft lean when contacting the ball, get my lower body more involved, get better extension, etc etc etc.  But I'm sticking with these two things until they become second nature.  I'm still a punch and judy hitter with my irons, but it doesn't bother me so much as long as I can be more consistent and know where the ball is going. 

 

Edited by Marty2019
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Posted

This is an interesting topic. I wouldn't have thought there'd be so many people who could remember one or two moves that changed their games for good. I thought improvement came only from a series of small, incremental changes. That is clearly not always the case.

I stopped hoping for a single cure for my poor game. Seems like every year I'd make a change that would yield very good, sustained results. The improvement would be real and I'd attribute the success to that one move. Eventually, the improved ball striking would get worse no matter how hard I'd try to implement that change.

I think what happens is that the improvement comes from somewhere else. Since I'm unaware of true cause, I don't know what adjustment to make when I start to slide back to poorer contact.

Jon

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    • Please see this topic for updated information:
    • Please see this topic for updated information:
    • When you've been teaching golf as long as I have, you're going to find that you can teach some things better than you previously had, and you're probably going to find some things that you taught incorrectly. I don't see that as a bad thing — what would be worse is refusing to adapt and grow given new information. I've always said that my goal with my instruction isn't to be right, but it's to get things right. To that end, I'm about five years late in issuing a public proclamation on something… When I first got my GEARS system, I immediately looked at the golf swings of the dozens and dozens of Tour players for which I suddenly had full 3D data. I created a huge spreadsheet showing how their bodies moved, how the club moved, at various points in the swing. I mapped knee and elbow angles, hand speeds, shoulder turns and pelvis turns… etc. I re-considered what I thought I knew about the golf swing as performed by the best players. One of those things dated back to the earliest days: that you extend (I never taught "straighten" and would avoid using that word unless in the context of saying "don't fully straighten") the trail knee/leg in the backswing. I was mislead by 2D photos from less-than-ideal camera angles — the trail leg rotates a bit during the backswing, and so when observing trail knee flex should also use a camera that moves to stay perpendicular to the plane of the ankle/knee/hip joint. We have at least two topics here on this (here and here; both of which I'll be updating after publishing this) where @mvmac and I advise golfers to extend the trail knee. Learning that this was not right is one of the reasons I'm glad to have a 3D system, as most golfers generally preserve the trail knee flex throughout the backswing. Data Here's a video showing an iron and a driver of someone who has won the career slam: Here's what the graph of his right knee flex looks like. The solid lines I've positioned at the top of the backswing (GEARS aligns both swings at impact, the dashed line). Address is to the right, of course, and the graph shows knee flex from the two swings above. The data (17.56° and 23.20°) shows where this player is in both swings (orange being the yellow iron swing, pink the blue driver swing). You can see that this golfer extends his trail knee 2-3°… before bending it even more than that through the late backswing and early downswing. Months ago I created a quick Instagram video showing the trail knee flex in the backswing of several players (see the top for the larger number): Erik J. Barzeski (@iacas) • Instagram reel GEARS shares expert advice on golf swing technique, focusing on the critical backswing phase. Tour winners and major champions reveal the key to a precise and powerful swing, highlighting the importance of... Here are a few more graphs. Two LIV players and major champions: Two PGA Tour winners: Two women's #1 ranked players: Two more PGA Tour winners (one a major champ): Two former #1s, the left one being a woman, the right a man, with a driver: Two more PGA Tour players: You'll notice a trend: they almost all maintain roughly the same flex throughout their backswing and downswing. The Issues with Extending the Trail Knee You can play good golf extending (again, not "straightening") the trail knee. Some Tour players do. But, as with many things, if 95 out of 100 Tour players do it, you're most likely better off doing similarly to what they do. So, what are the issues with extending the trail knee in the backswing? To list a few: Pelvic Depth and Rotation Quality Suffers When the trail knee extends, the trail leg often acts like an axle on the backswing, with the pelvis rotating around the leg and the trail hip joint. This prevents the trail side from gaining depth, as is needed to keep the pelvis center from thrusting toward the ball. Most of the "early extension" (thrust) that I see occurs during the backswing. Encourages Early Extension (Thrust) Patterns When you've thrust and turned around the trail hip joint in the backswing, you often thrust a bit more in the downswing as the direction your pelvis is oriented is forward and "out" (to the right for a righty). Your trail leg can abduct to push you forward, but "forward" when your pelvis is turned like that is in the "thrust" direction. Additionally, the trail knee "breaking" again at the start of the downswing often jumps the trail hip out toward the ball a bit too much or too quickly. While the trail hip does move in that direction, if it's too fast or too much, it can prevent the lead side hip from getting "back" at the right rate, or at a rate commensurate with the trail hip to keep the pelvis center from thrusting. Disrupts the Pressure Shift/Transition When the trail leg extends too much, it often can't "push" forward normally. The forward push begins much earlier than forward motion begins — pushing forward begins as early as about P1.5 to P2 in the swings of most good golfers. It can push forward by abducting, again, but that's a weaker movement that shoves the pelvis forward (toward the target) and turns it more than it generally should (see the next point). Limits Internal Rotation of the Trail Hip Internal rotation of the trail hip is a sort of "limiter" on the backswing. I have seen many golfers on GEARS whose trail knee extends, whose pelvis shifts forward (toward the target), and who turn over 50°, 60°, and rarely but not never, over 70° in the backswing. If you turn 60° in the backswing, it's going to be almost impossible to get "open enough" in the downswing to arrive at a good impact position. 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    • Day 135 12-25 Wide backswing to wide downswing drill. Recorder and used mirror. 
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