Ballard on Length of Backswing

[Buckeyebowman]

As far as everybody having their own swing, truer words were never spoken. In my case, if I don't allow my left heel to come up, my backswing gets sawed off pretty short. Being 66 and rather tightly sprung joint wise doesn't help. 

And I liked mvmac's comment about the backswing. "Low and slow" is just more bad instruction. Look at the pros, they don't waste a lot of time taking the club back. True, you don't want to snatch or jerk the club back, just maintain good tempo. I see guys who have bought into this, and their backswings look like a vid in super slo-mo. Then they jump out of their shoes trying to generate some speed on the downswing! 

[Puttin4Dough]

This video could have been shot in black and white as a tribute to Nicklaus's swing in 1958.  

[mvmac]

12 hours ago, Puttin4Dough said:

This video could have been shot in black and white as a tribute to Nicklaus's swing in 1958.  

Can't say I'm a fan of the way his pelvis is working, not how Nicklaus did it. 

[boogielicious]

One thing I noticed in lifting my left heel a bit more is the stress on my knee seems reduced. I had a torn meniscus resected last year on my left knee and it will get sore after a round or range session. I've done this last two range sessions lifting the heel maybe a 1/2" to an inch more. I do focus on the centered hip turn as this could easily turn into a sway if done incorrectly.

[Hacker James]

4 hours ago, boogielicious said:

One thing I noticed in lifting my left heel a bit more is the stress on my knee seems reduced. I had a torn meniscus resected last year on my left knee and it will get sore after a round or range session. I've done this last two range sessions lifting the heel maybe a 1/2" to an inch more. I do focus on the centered hip turn as this could easily turn into a sway if done incorrectly.

Yes, that was one of the things I mentioned in prior posts and adeptly demonstrated by @mvmac.  As far as the overspeed training aspect mentioned and stressed on the other thread, one concern I would have is that it sounds like a law suit waiting to happen. OTOH I am sure that the designers of the system vetted the legal aspects with their lawyers since they claim to have sought advice on the optimum weights and perhaps even sought medical advice. I still like the concept and it does not deter me.  It would be interesting to see what Tiger's doctor(s) might have to say

[Puttin4Dough]

On 12/29/2018 at 9:12 AM, Hacker James said:

Yes, that was one of the things I mentioned in prior posts and adeptly demonstrated by @mvmac.  As far as the overspeed training aspect mentioned and stressed on the other thread, one concern I would have is that it sounds like a law suit waiting to happen. OTOH I am sure that the designers of the system vetted the legal aspects with their lawyers since they claim to have sought advice on the optimum weights and perhaps even sought medical advice. I still like the concept and it does not deter me.  It would be interesting to see what Tiger's doctor(s) might have to say

IMO this "tip" is looking for distance in all the wrong places.  Copy/pasted from Golf Digest.

YOU NEED TO HIT IT MORE LIKE AN LPGA PLAYER
Everybody knows average male golfers aren't as skilled as PGA Tour pros, but when it comes to driving efficiency, PGA Tour pros are worse than LPGA Tour players. Because PGA Tour players typically hit the center of the face, they average 2.58 yards per mph of swing speed, according to TrackMan. Everyday golfers average only 2.29, according to research by Jaacob Bowden at Swing Man Golf. If they improved to just 2.40, average golfers' drives would increase by 10 yards. Bowden says LPGA Tour players swing at roughly the same speed as average male golfers (93.9 mph), but because they are even more efficient at center strikes than PGA Tour players, they average 2.64 yards per mph for an average of 248 yards off the tee. That's more than 30 yards longer than everyday male golfers.

SWING SLOWER, HIT IT LONGER
Swing speed isn't everything, especially for average golfers. You can swing slightly slower—but much more efficiently—and you'll be in a new distance zip code. Data gathered by Foresight Sports simulation software found that swinging 2-mph slower can still lead to 20 more yards, provided that you reduce ball spin, increase your launch angle and hit the ball more squarely in the center of the face.

END

As for overspeed training, the guys I know who tried  SSG are mostly over 50 and many over 60 trying to find lost distance which is fine...but....they start off all excited then find out they play worse on the course with wild swings combined with lower back and neck injuries.  The makers of Aleve, Chiropractors, and golf ball makers are the main winners here.

[Hacker James]

as indicated in my previous posts, I have been messing around with overspeed training using my home made sticks. At first I took them to a post office to use their scale and while the "light" one was within 5 gm of recommended weight, the "heavy" one was not so I took off a few washers. I have not measured it since.

In any event, I did notice improvement after only a few sessions but did not follow the routine exactly as SSG recommends.  I really only wanted to experiment to see if I wanted to purchase the system.

So, out on  the course...…..Driver and fairway woods saw a marked distance gain with reasonable accuracy after I got used to swinging harder. Iron play, not so much and harder to control. I got a lot of worm burners which seems to come from thin hits.  Exhausting round and a bit sore that evening, but it should be noted that I had not been out on the course for some time.  The round score was acceptable and on the back nine, I finished only 3 over. (46/39)

My overall assessment would be in agreement with @Puttin4Dough as far as potential medical concerns. I believe that I am trending on getting about twenty yards back from the forty lost over past eighteen months. At 76 years, I am one of "those" mentioned.

23 hours ago, Puttin4Dough said:

IMO this "tip" is looking for distance in all the wrong places.  Copy/pasted from Golf Digest.

YOU NEED TO HIT IT MORE LIKE AN LPGA PLAYER
Everybody knows average male golfers aren't as skilled as PGA Tour pros, but when it comes to driving efficiency, PGA Tour pros are worse than LPGA Tour players. Because PGA Tour players typically hit the center of the face, they average 2.58 yards per mph of swing speed, according to TrackMan. Everyday golfers average only 2.29, according to research by Jaacob Bowden at Swing Man Golf. If they improved to just 2.40, average golfers' drives would increase by 10 yards. Bowden says LPGA Tour players swing at roughly the same speed as average male golfers (93.9 mph), but because they are even more efficient at center strikes than PGA Tour players, they average 2.64 yards per mph for an average of 248 yards off the tee. That's more than 30 yards longer than everyday male golfers.

SWING SLOWER, HIT IT LONGER
Swing speed isn't everything, especially for average golfers. You can swing slightly slower—but much more efficiently—and you'll be in a new distance zip code. Data gathered by Foresight Sports simulation software found that swinging 2-mph slower can still lead to 20 more yards, provided that you reduce ball spin, increase your launch angle and hit the ball more squarely in the center of the face.

END

As for overspeed training, the guys I know who tried  SSG are mostly over 50 and many over 60 trying to find lost distance which is fine...but....they start off all excited then find out they play worse on the course with wild swings combined with lower back and neck injuries.  The makers of Aleve, Chiropractors, and golf ball makers are the main winners here.

 

Edited January 1, 2019 by Hacker James

[Puttin4Dough]

On 1/1/2019 at 9:45 AM, Hacker James said:

as indicated in my previous posts, I have been messing around with overspeed training using my home made sticks. At first I took them to a post office to use their scale and while the "light" one was within 5 gm of recommended weight, the "heavy" one was not so I took off a few washers. I have not measured it since.

In any event, I did notice improvement after only a few sessions but did not follow the routine exactly as SSG recommends.  I really only wanted to experiment to see if I wanted to purchase the system.

So, out on  the course...…..Driver and fairway woods saw a marked distance gain with reasonable accuracy after I got used to swinging harder. Iron play, not so much and harder to control. I got a lot of worm burners which seems to come from thin hits.  Exhausting round and a bit sore that evening, but it should be noted that I had not been out on the course for some time.  The round score was acceptable and on the back nine, I finished only 3 over. (46/39)

My overall assessment would be in agreement with @Puttin4Dough as far as potential medical concerns. I believe that I am trending on getting about twenty yards back from the forty lost over past eighteen months. At 76 years, I am one of "those" mentioned.

 

I'm not bagging on SSG...it's just that I can see the difference between a very efficient swing and not on the range.  I can hit a PW 15 yards farther with a perfect strike without speeding-up anything.  It's why we often hear guys say "gee, I swung easy and the ball took off".