My Swing (azeangolf)

[azeangolf]

TLDR version:

I've been Playing Golf for: 1 year on and off
My current handicap index or average score is: Max handicap of 36 but score in the 120s
My typical ball flight is: Inconsistent. Some are dead straight. Some slice, some hook. Nothing has been standing out recently. If anything, maybe a consistent push right. 
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Inconsistent fat and thin shots

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Hey everyone! Not sure if it’s a great idea to post a MySwing thread as my first post on the forum. But it’s because of this part of the forum that I decided to make an account in the first place.

I’ve been playing golf on and off for the last year. I think I only managed to play 10-20 games and maybe hit the driving range 30-40 times due to time constraints. I’m currently a max handicapper and most of my recent scores have been in the 120s (highest score I’ve ever gotten was 117 I believe). I think the horrible score is mostly due to inconsistency and the frequent slices and hooks that go out of bounds in my narrow home course. When the stars align, I can hit pretty decent shots. Shots that, if consistent, could easily get me to break 100. A couple of months ago, the inconsistency was almost 80% always a slice or a push and every time I missed, I missed right. Recently however, when my shots don’t go the way I intend, they can end up anywhere (pushes, pulls, hooks, slices, thins and fats). 

I decided I wanted to first work on getting the thins and fats minimised. If I understood the 5 Swing Keys correctly, that’d mean focusing on Keys 1-3 to improve my contact with the ball. The video I’ll post below is a recent clip of my typical 6-iron shot. The clips show a shot that made decent contact and flew relatively straight. Not really sure how helpful it’d be posting a clip of a good shot rather than a bad shot - but I guess any comments would be appreciated. Particularly on whether or not there are any of the first 3 keys that I need to work on more. Or if there’s anything I’m doing that could be the potential cause of the inconsistent thins and fats. I’ve also never had coaching so I’m scared if I’m ingraining swing habits/movements that would be detrimental in the long run.  

PS: I only have one camera so the Front View clip is different from the DTL clip. Tried to be as consistent as possible but just something to keep in mind. 

Edited August 5, 2018 by azeangolf

[boogielicious]

3 hours ago, azeangolf said:

TLDR version:

I've been Playing Golf for: 1 year on and off
My current handicap index or average score is: Max handicap of 36 but score in the 120s
My typical ball flight is: Inconsistent. Some are dead straight. Some slice, some hook. Nothing has been standing out recently. If anything, maybe a consistent push right. 
The shot I hate or the "miss" I'm trying to reduce/eliminate is: Inconsistent fat and thin shots

———————————————

Hey everyone! Not sure if it’s a great idea to post a MySwing thread as my first post on the forum. But it’s because of this part of the forum that I decided to make an account in the first place.

I’ve been playing golf on and off for the last year. I think I only managed to play 10-20 games and maybe hit the driving range 30-40 times due to time constraints. I’m currently a max handicapper and most of my recent scores have been in the 120s (highest score I’ve ever gotten was 117 I believe). I think the horrible score is mostly due to inconsistency and the frequent slices and hooks that go out of bounds in my narrow home course. When the stars align, I can hit pretty decent shots. Shots that, if consistent, could easily get me to break 100. A couple of months ago, the inconsistency was almost 80% always a slice or a push and every time I missed, I missed right. Recently however, when my shots don’t go the way I intend, they can end up anywhere (pushes, pulls, hooks, slices, thins and fats). 

I decided I wanted to first work on getting the thins and fats minimised. If I understood the 5 Swing Keys correctly, that’d mean focusing on Keys 1-3 to improve my contact with the ball. The video I’ll post below is a recent clip of my typical 6-iron shot. The clips show a shot that made decent contact and flew relatively straight. Not really sure how helpful it’d be posting a clip of a good shot rather than a bad shot - but I guess any comments would be appreciated. Particularly on whether or not there are any of the first 3 keys that I need to work on more. Or if there’s anything I’m doing that could be the potential cause of the inconsistent thins and fats. I’ve also never had coaching so I’m scared if I’m ingraining swing habits/movements that would be detrimental in the long run.  

PS: I only have one camera so the Front View clip is different from the DTL clip. Tried to be as consistent as possible but just something to keep in mind. 

First, welcome to The Sand Trap!

Second, your swing is not as bad as you think. The backswing may be a bit too long, but you’re not swaying back, which is good. Many of us had the thought that an longer backswing meant more power and clubhead speed. But players like Tony Finau and Jon Rahm show otherwise. So working on making good contact with a shorter backswing can help. The thread below discusses this. And remember, ‘feel ain’t real’. You may feel like you’ve shortened it, but it will be almost as long and you will have more control.

This drill on page 3 of the thread is a good one to get the feel down.

 

[azeangolf]

53 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

First, welcome to The Sand Trap!

Second, your swing is not as bad as you think. The backswing may be a bit too long, but you’re not swaying back, which is good. Many of us had the thought that an longer backswing meant more power and clubhead speed. But players like Tony Finau and Jon Rahm show otherwise. So working on making good contact with a shorter backswing can help. The thread below discusses this. And remember, ‘feel ain’t real’. You may feel like you’ve shortened it, but it will be almost as long and you will have more control.

This drill on page 3 of the thread is a good one to get the feel down.

 

Thanks for the reply! I agree. I noticed in my clips that my backswing does seem to be a bit too long. Maybe it’s one of the factors leading to the inconsistent contact. Will definitely look at the post and video you linked. 

On another note - when I’m on the course, I tend to swing harder than normal. Probably because of the pressure on myself to hit it far and not trusting my yardage enough with a relaxed shot. I’d like to think that that could lead to an even longer backswing and more inconsistent shots.

[azeangolf]

Since we’re on the topic of shortening the backswing and focusing on contact first, I was wondering if it made sense if I just slowed down my swing first as well and focused on contact?

My full 7iron shot with my usual swing speed carries roughly 160-165 yards (it hit perfectly). Unfortunately, I probably only hit it perfectly 15-20% of the time. If I slow down my swing, I’d sacrifice maybe 20-30 yards but probably hit it more consistently. My worry is that if I do this, I’d have a hard time increasing my speed back up. 

Any opinions? Should I slow down my swing speed (which I don’t think is that fast to begin with considering the yardage) or should I keep practicing my usual swing and just work on improving contact with that?

[DeadMan]

You've got a lot of really good pieces in that swing. I think the thing you should tackle is that head movement in your backswing and downswing. Your head goes down and towards the ball on the backswing, and then you have to compensate for that with your head moving up and away from the ball on the downswing. I think that's going to lead to inconsistent contact as you try to move your head around to hit the ball.

The drill I would suggest for that is the wall drill. Find a wall and set up, without a club, with your forehead touching the wall. Then make practice swings with your forehead never leaving the wall during the backswing or downswing. You can find a way to jerry-rig something do this same drill at the range (pool noodle, for example). If you can make this change, that should clean up your contact fairly well.

Also, I wouldn't suggest slowing your swing down on the course. Swinging faster is better than swinging slower. You will learn how to control it over time.

When you're practicing though, you should be swinging slower. Read this thread for more information on how to practice properly: