Sai-Jin

I used to be able to drive very far and well. But I was never consistent when faced within 100yds. I didn't know what to do when I don't have much green to work with from deep rough, and all kinds of other situation. Without realizing, my short game has expanded so much that I neglected my Tee and approach shots. My driver and mid irons are not the greatest, but for some reason I have always been able to hit pars and bogeys. So when I broke it down, it's all my short game. Nothing feels better when you chip it in or within 5 inches from hole, or when you make breaking or even double breaking long putts. I like my short game a lot now, it's much more consistent, accurate, and I don't need to worry about full swings. However, I found out now that my full swing has suffered because of it, so I need to get back to practicing driving lol Oh did I mention that a while back, it started to become somewhat embarrassing when I drove 270-290yds, but then... I couldn't hit a 90yds shot or closer... So yea... definitely love my short game... it's proven to save pars and strokes.

I was reading similar threads about this in the forum and I have tried some of the tips, but the result is similar. So I'm pretty ok when aligned with irons, due to shorter distances. But when it comes to driving, apparently I kept aiming right and I hit right. At first I thought it was a push, but my friends told me I kept lining right. I tried aiming to the left trees / houses, which scares me, and for some reason, my mind remember where the target is, and I ended up slicing the ball. Once in a while if I forget where the target is and just align left and trust it, it works... but I need to get rid of this problem. Somehow it feels like my body just auto corrects what it believes ... help?

Then I'm glad I never took lessons from him. I showed him the videos from this thread, instead of me demonstrating it. But anyways, I've been using my mat at home to practice without hitting a ball. I noticed that if I "think" about bumping hip, it doesn't work for me. But if I just think about keeping my head still or powering my left leg, my hips clear naturally and weight shifted on its own. the swing comes almost square on impact. Slightly from inside before impact and slightly back to inside after impact. This is when I look at the clubs blurry trail of shadow before and the "divot" on the mat after. I also stopped my full swing right before impact and I noticed that almost all of my weight is on the left foot's outer instep. Well, don't know if this makes sense to you or not.

I talked to a local pro and he said that the hip can't bump forward violently. It has to be just enough to separate the legs he said. If I bump my hips like the vids, he said that I'll just move laterally forward and will do a very low shot at best.

Hmmm.... so you want me to move my hips even more forward? Perhaps you are right... I moved the hips, but I tried to make my head stay at the same spot. Btw, with the driver... I hit the ball at too low of an angle when it does take off to around 175 - 200yds...

Unfortunately I don't have a vid camera to take my video... =( I'm going for another session in a few days and go back to making a centered back swing and only slightly bump the hip. Let's see how that'll go. Today I'm all over the place.

You mean like when you raised your arms a bit too far up and you ended up with a slight reverse pivot?

I just got back from playing 3 holes (quit due to a group of 4 kids hitting 10 yard shots each time) and Driving range. Results: On the range: 1. My driving is miserable. 2. My irons are the same. 3. Wedges, I'm hitting them all perfect??? Even with the sensation of hip bump and arm drop?? I hit a lot of fat shots... lots of them... and I kept duck hooking my driver When I do hit a decent shot, it's flush and straight and my divot is very thin with irons. On the course... 1. Driving: I hit 2 draws and 1 push fade. 250 yds and around 278yds on the draws. 0.o 2. Irons: Topped both my 6i and 8i all and pulled them. Who knows how many worms I burned... 3. Short game: Good as usual. Maybe even better today... This is ridiculous.. . . I feel like I don't know how to swing anymore. Also, when I bump my hip and intentionally drop my arms vertically, it feels as if I'm going to hit a big fat ground several inches behind the ball... which I did with my driver on numerous occassions ..

Not ignoring you guys or anything, but it's been raining here, so I can't try it at the range and respond back. Will do so soon. Thanks again! So I'm going to: 1. Hip bump and squares while arms drop 2. Keep head in the same position as possible during the down swing 3. Swing through the ball while straightening the left leg before impact.

Wow... that's a huge bend in the body. 1/2 a year ago when I do something like this, I push my ball and I become scared. Must be something else I did wrong, but I'll definitely try this for sure. Btw, when I practice this at home just now, it kinda feel like I'm going to scoop the ball or hit it fat.

Zeph, have you tried the birdie turf? Is it even better than that? Edit: OH MY GOSH!!! That realmat is ultra expensive!!! No way I can afford that... *pouts*

Thanks for the vid. That first one is really detailed. I'm planning to practice today and see how it feels. Another question is, with the hip bump and head only moving forward a slightly bit, this'll keep the head / spine angle behind the ball still, correct? Plus, this won't make me scoop the ball, since my hands will still be infront of the ball? Thanks

I have been reading some threads about slide and bumps and just would like to be more clear for myself if you guys would help. 1. What is the difference between slide and bump? 2. From what I understand you bump your hip forward, BUT your head remains where it is on the top of back swing / address, correct? Which gives the sensation of somewhat leaning back? 3. I have been hitting my driver way too low or with a fade, so my swing must have changed and I'm doing something bad again. the first video, I see that this person moved his head and top body to the front with the hips too. the 2nd video, he just bumps his hips and lower body, but his upper body and head remains. So what do you all think? I need to start doing the right first move consciously and right now, I know I;m just using my arms and shoulders and hope that I clear my lower body naturally. And it's not happening anymore.

One of the best mats is from Birdieball, called Birdie Turf. It's heavy duty and really thick too. Not cheapo www.birdieball.com

Based on my own experience, whenever I hit the toe it's because I failed to open my hips a little on the down swing and wung slightly out to it. And what I used to do more often is slide my body and lift up my spine angle. So I just try to swing as if my spine is impaled with a long stick to the ground.

I was in Colorado at Skyland Country Club for a vacation, and I was a single player with a slow group in front of me. It was the most beautiful course and view I have ever seen and it really made me happy. Not only that since the group in front of me is slow, I managed to take a 5-10 minute break after a shot or 2. I shot a 78 from the black tees. +2 on the front and a +4 on the back. (double bogey and 2x bogeys) The rest are pars. I have never felt this good playing golf before and I almost never missed my long puts. I wonder if it's because I was so relaxed and happy and I get breaks per shot, that my swing is almost at its optimum that I was able to score this well?

I'm one of those people that out the club close to the ball on driver. And yes I noticed more often that my shoulders are open when I do this and I had to compensate it some how to square it back. I tried the set the driver in the middle of the sternum and start the back swing and what I noticed is that I tend to pull or duck hook it when I do that. I don't know why and perhaps it's a mental thing. But yea, more explanation about this would be nice, I also made a thread about the driver face angle illusion.

Does any of you ever set up , specially for the driver, square face, feet, shoulders, everything, only to find out that the clubface is actually open? And when you really square it up, it looks as if the face is closed? I'm revamping my entire swing so that I'm hitting more straights, rather than a push draw or so.

I'm revamping my swing from putting weight in front foot ala stack and tilt to a 50/50 stance. I noticed that by doing this, even when I think that my head is in the same position, it's not, when I do my back swing. I looked at a mirror and my body / head moved around 3-4 inches on my back swing, and it didn't go back to the original position on impact, causing a forward spin, low hook with the driver and hitting it closer to the toe more often. Now I truly try to make a balanced back swing and I noticed that the feel in doing so is different. To me it feels like I have a straight pole from the ground up to my head when I swing back, and the results is great impact and very good distance. Now how do you, experienced and better players practice this so it's not forgotten / lost and do you agree with what I'm doing right now to a degree?

I have the R11 TP with Fujikura blur TP shaft on my 3W. my 3H is an 18* , TM R11 TP also and I put an extension on the shaft for an extra 1.5 inches. The one thing I noticed is that I always really try to smack the heck out of my 3W and 3H and that causes me to move my body a little bit. I realize that problem, yet I kept doing it. My swing is a bit more steep with these woods and I take a small divot when I hit them right. Sometimes when I don't take a divot, my ball usually either tops or it fades and has a low flight, which is undesireable. Maybe place the ball up like irons? I do have a lot of topped shots with FW and 3H

Just got back from the range. All I brought were my driver, hybrid and fairway wood. So I was able to hit my 3H around 235 yds on perfect impact. Now I still have p Problems with the fairway wood though. When I hit it right, I can hit it around 250yds ish. But thats after a few tries. I need to be able to hit the fw off the bat on the first try. So what's the tip on swinging it? Sweeping? Descending blow?

Hi Oh, I thought that since I'm hitting my 4h around 210-215, I should be hitting the 3H with a 1.5 inch extended shaft around 230 ish? If 220-225 is what it should be, then I'll be content. And yes, I'm a decent hitter, 283yds average with driver tops out at 326yds. Newtogolf, interesting, I did have issues with my new driver, but that's pretty much gone now. My old problem was my closed stance. What bothers me is with 3W are you supposed to sweep the ball or hit down and take a divot? Or is it something else that I'm not aware of? When I try to hit the fairway wood, it feels as if the ball is too small to hit. It's a different story if I tee it up, but on the fairway it scares me often, that's why I bought this new 3H to compensate it mentally.

Interesting, so I can brung the iPhone, have someone record me, then put it into this software? Seems really nice. Thank you

low pull hook = duck hook? I had this issue too with my new driver and actually what fixed me was having a square stance and hit normal. I had a closed stance and it made me raise up on my body and specially shoulders and the wrists flipped. So try a neutral stance, look at the target and hit normal, see if that helps you too as it did me.

Well, I treat my 3H as an iron and try to hit it like a 4i . Was hoping I can hit it around 235yds. 3W I don't know... feels like I'm always uncertain what to do with it... I want it to go at least 250yds.