My Swing (Kekeisen)

[Kekeisen]

I've been Playing Golf for: 2.5 years seriously, 14 years casually
My current handicap index or average score is: 10.6 (GHIN 7748534 if anyone cares to see some scores)
My typical ball flight is: High draw
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: High percentage of mis-hits (fats, thins), hook/over draw with irons, "foul ball right" with driver

Hey, friends.  I've been lurking on the site for a few months (mostly here in member swings and trying to digest all of "Swing Thoughts"), but was able to get a few videos last night so thought I would start my own thread/practice diary here.  I've been playing golf casually from my last couple years of high school ('04-'05), but started taking the game more seriously / trying to practice and improve since spring '16.  I'm currently working with a local instructor, so this thread is primarily to share/document my progress, but I love talking about the swing and am always open to thoughts or second opinions.  I've got decent clubhead speed (I swing 7i in the mid-90s and driver ~110), but have struggled with a high/spinny ball flight stemming from under-rotated & flippy impact.  The flip can also result in embarrassing fats / thins and is generally prone to inconsistency.

I can see that I'm still going shallow-to-steep from A3 to A5, any thoughts there would be particularly appreciated.

The videos below are after ~6 weeks of regular work.  I'll see if I can dig up some uglier ones from longer ago for us all to laugh at.  The lighting and angles aren't perfect, but filming in the garage at night without a tripod is somewhat challenging, so I tried my best.

Feel free to fire away!

-Kyle

 

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Videos: 

 

 

[RandallT]

Just curious what you think your priority is. What is it you work on? 

Things are looking pretty good from what I see, and I usually will only chime in on the 20+ handicappers who have a glaring weakness with keeping their head steady or an improper backswing turn. The only thing that I will mention is that you might take a look at some of the centered hip turn threads:

I could be wrong but I feel like in your face on video that your hips move slightly differently than I see in these threads. Unless I'm mistaken, your hips are moving back away from the target. 

Anyway, welcome to swing threads. Welcome to TST. See you around.

 

[Kekeisen]

Thanks for chiming in Randall. Centered hip turn is definitely close to the top of my list. Here’s a swing sequence from last summer:

I was weight and pressure forward from the start of my swing all the way to the end. This winter I’ve been working on getting pressure back (but keeping weight centered, not forward like before) in backswing. Right now, I’m still probably pushing too much laterally towards the target from the top of my backswing, which gets everything “past” the ball and forces the flip. Trying to work on starting downswing with lower body rotation for better sequencing.

I know weight forward is one of the keys, but I think I’m a strange case that probably over-did that move. I was pretty much self-taught for the first 10 years I played golf. Looking back I seem to have fallen into a poor version of stack and tilt unintentionally?

cheers,

kyle

[NEhomer]

Kyle, your right knee appears to be totally straightening and locking out on your backswing. Maybe try to maintain some flex in it. That might help with the hips.

[Kekeisen]

 

 

 

 

I’ve been wearing out a few ProV1s in the garage while winter won’t give up in Essex, MA.

Currently working on:

- shoulders before hips at takeaway

- more width in backswing without whipping club head behind me

- maintain “some” flex in right knee thru backswing

- lead shoulder moving away from left ear in downswing to emphasize turn

 

not all at once, of course. The practice video was just the ~5 swings I hade the iPhone set up behind me, with some feels I was trying to emphasize between swings. Typically, I dedicate 5-10 mins on each focus item, depending on how good it feels. The swing feels much different and I’m striking the ball more solidly, but I’m struggling with start line, especially with driver.  Lots of straight left pulls or push fades.  With irons, the miss has been a dead straight ball that makes a hard left hand turn. I assume I’m not committing to the rotation, and flipping?

open to any thoughts!

 

-Kyle

[MuniGrit]

Good looking swing!

[b101]

Loads of good here - it'd be nice to get a bit more light in the videos so we can really see what's going on, but what I can see looks excellent. As @RandallT suggests, I'd look at the way you use your lower body in the backswing. Feel more of a load into your right hip whilst trying to keep your left knee from moving outwards towards the ball so much. From the face on view, it should also eliminate that sway toward the target during the backswing.

Like I say, though, good-looking swing! 

[Kekeisen]

Thanks for the input, @b101.  Agree I need to feel more pressure on trail side in backswing.  RE: sway, I assume you meant away from target, and not toward target?

[b101]

3 hours ago, Kekeisen said:

Thanks for the input, @b101.  Agree I need to feel more pressure on trail side in backswing.  RE: sway, I assume you meant away from target, and not toward target?

Sorry - yes! The yellow box is the sway happening: 

[Kekeisen]

Here's a 7i DTL from Saturday before last:

I thought it looked like my lead wrist was breaking down a little at the top, so I tried to strengthen my grip a bit.  This is from this most recent Saturday:

Wrist set looked a little late in the more recent video, but I was focusing more on adjusting to the stronger grip.

Sorry for the higher angle in the top video, my cameraman needs coaching, too!

 

Kyle

[JxQx]

In the bottom video it looks like the club head is well outside your hands on the takeaway (around 5 second mark) which may be worth looking at especially if you are focusing on width, overdoing a feel on getting width could lead to you to get out of position. Also adding a face on video will be worth while to make sure you aren't swaying or having your spine angle tilt toward the target. One last thing to check is your foot/hip/shoulder alignment to make sure they are square to each other and that your balance is over the the center of your feet, it looks like you are more over/behind your heels but that could be the camera angle.

[Kekeisen]

57 minutes ago, JxQx said:

In the bottom video it looks like the club head is well outside your hands on the takeaway (around 5 second mark) which may be worth looking at especially if you are focusing on width, overdoing a feel on getting width could lead to you to get out of position. Also adding a face on video will be worth while to make sure you aren't swaying or having your spine angle tilt toward the target. One last thing to check is your foot/hip/shoulder alignment to make sure they are square to each other and that your balance is over the the center of your feet, it looks like you are more over/behind your heels but that could be the camera angle.

 

I didn't include face-on videos, because the two angles were so different (proximity of the next mat prevented filming from same location in second vid).  Agree the clubhead looks well outside, but I think that's partly due to the late hinge? If A2 comes earlier in backstroke, I think that would tend to make clubhead look closer to hands...

[ygmondoux]

Lovely swing! Superb back swing and transition. The thing I see you could improve is the follow through, it's already very good, but that lead arm folds pointing behind you and should point to the ground more (your elbows are getting away from one another), your forearms stop working as one unit. If that moves creeps up just before the impact, it leads to all sort of nasty results: off center, fat, thin, pull hooks... 

I would practice with and elastic band over your elbows. To keep them at the same distance throughout the whole swing.

I wouldn't worry about anything else at this point.

Hope that helps!

[billchao]

22 hours ago, Kekeisen said:

Agree the clubhead looks well outside, but I think that's partly due to the late hinge? If A2 comes earlier in backstroke, I think that would tend to make clubhead look closer to hands...

It has to do with the amount of forearm rotation too, but it's actually the opposite. A late wrist set will tend to make the club look more inside or under plane. Think Steve Stricker.

There's unnecessary lateral movement away from and then towards the target in your swing and it's due to the way you pivot. Your hips aren't staying centered properly and it affects the way your torso moves.

I suggest you work on this:

 

[Kekeisen]

 

a few swings from last night. Spent some time on key #1. After doing some of the wall drill per @billchao suggestion, I found a feel that I think helps. In this FO swing I feel like I’m “sticking my butt out” & pointing right back pocket at target.

I’ve also been playing around with feeling right shoulder move straight back behind me. This is to stop early left lateral bend at takeaway, which I think contributes to hip sway backwards. 

Separately I think someone ( @iacas ?) might’ve changed my profile pic to the key I’m supposed to be working on? 😂 if so, thanks for the reminder 👍🏻