ChrisSP

I think we're going to go ahead and shut things down as it relates to picking winners for this giveaway. I want to thank uttexas, LeftCoast, darkhunter139, djackson89 and TN94z for submitting videos in this thread. Originally we had said that we would pick three winners to each get a free lesson but I'm going to give all five of you guys free lessons. At your convenience, if each of you would shoot me an email at cwallace@swingpal.com , I will let you know what we need to get your swing analysis taken care of. Thanks again!

Thanks for posting some videos TN94z! You're right about the weather down here in Tennessee -- it has been brutal. I'm ready for fall!

Anybody film some swings this weekend? Load 'em up if you did! (Last bump, I promise.)

Thanks for posting your videos darkhunter139 and djackson89 -- much appreciated! You guys who are planning to hit the links this weekend, capture a couple of videos while you're out and post them in this thread. Or if you have videos of your swing but no idea how to upload them to youtube or another site, you can send them to me at cwallace@swingpal.com and I'll create a free Swingpal account for you where they'll be available online and you'll be considered entered in this contest. Have a great weekend guys. Hit 'em long and straight!

Thanks for uploading some videos guys! Both of you look like you have a lot of good stuff going on in your swings!

The images are there to display what face-on and down-the-line views look like. What we recommend in terms of filming is spelled out in the text.

For the record, you're talking about me and I'm NOT one of the instructors on the Swingpal network. I'm just a decent amateur who enjoys reading about the golf swing, and I probably should have made that clear. I was trying to do nothing more than get involved in the discussion on the boards in an effort to be a part of the community here, so it would be a mistake to indict the company I work for based on the fact that you disagree with some of my personal thoughts on the golf swing. As for the company I work for, the product is rock solid, we have excellent instructors and I guarantee you that you'll be hearing a lot about us in the future. Thanks.

The handicap system is kind of an odd concept in some ways, as it's designed to measure a golfer's potential and not what they do on average. Your handicap is actually determined by the average of your 10 best indexes (this is measured by the slope and course rating at the courses you play and not just par in relation to your score) recorded during the last 20 scores posted. So basically, a guy who shoots 75 10 times and 85 10 times in his last 20 rounds will have a handicap in the 3 range, while a guy who shoots 80 for 20 consecutive rounds will be in the 8 range, that even though both guys' average score is 80. Now, that's not likely to happen often, but it serves as a decent example of how potential is the measure. It's also why "sandbaggers" don't post the low scores they shoot, because it has immense consequences on a handicap.

Go see Kirk Lucas.

The ball is gone but on a good solid strike, the divot starts after impact, and with the path that McLean is talking about being inside-square-inside, the divot will mirror the path of the swing, meaning it will work slightly left.

I guess we have different definitions about the concept of "theory" when it comes to the golf swing. What I was trying to say is that I don't buy into the idea that there's only one way to make a good golf swing. What I do believe, however, is that a good golf swing is built from the ground up, not the other way around. You don't see very many good players with poor footwork and leg action. Will the back knee stay completely static throughout the back swing? Almost certainly not. But I think that's a good feeling for some people to try to have in terms of making a good coil, as well as quieting the lower body and establishing stability in the lower body, which will in turn support the upper body during the swing.

Good stuff Erik! While that's probably not a theory I would subscribe to it might be just what RossOliver needs to get back on track with his ball-striking. And of course one of the many beauties of this game is that there are numerous ways to skin the cat. We love the site -- thanks!

The lower body movement doesn't look as dramatic because of how much you laterally move your head and upper body, but when you get to the top you can see how your right leg has moved back and straightened up. I just think that if you really stabilized your lower body throughout the backswing you'd stay a bit more centered, your swing plane wouldn't be as flat and you'd be less likely to get stuck coming down, which is why I thought of that particular tip. Just my $.02.

It looks like you really sway off the ball in your backswing, which leaves you having to compensate for that move in your downswing and in these clips the club looks like it gets stuck way behind you and you have to stand up at impact to create some room for yourself. That will make it tough to hit the ball consistently and also rob you of power.

I've played various blades (Hogan, Mizuno, Cleveland and TourStage) for the last several years but the Miura Tourney Blades that I've been playing since last spring are the purest irons I've ever hit. I would highly recommend!

I think the goal with most beginners is to figure out how they can move the ball right to left because that means they're typically approaching the ball from the inside, which is critical to being able to consistently hit solid, powerful shots. But approaching the ball from the inside doesn't automatically result in a draw. Players who really "get left" with their body turn through the ball will almost never hit it right to left. You'll figure out what's best for you as you move forward with your game, but your instructor probably wants you to understand proper path, which is a good thing.

Good stuff! I'd be surprised if you didn't find it to be helpful. You can also go to the site and check out a sample lesson and a sample swing tip to get an idea of what to expect. Thanks!

I think it would be especially helpful for someone who is new to the game. The goal in the swing analysis that our pros will provide is to really identify the major weaknesses that are evident, be it actual flaws in the swing or issues in terms of fundamentals (set-up, grip, posture, alignment, etc.) that will negatively impact the swing. Just to be clear for anyone wondering about us, our goal isn't to replace the in-person lesson, which has substantial value. We just want to provide people who are looking for affordable and convenient access to a personalized lesson the platform to do that and to find out what the lesson process is all about. Thanks!

If you give it a try darkhunter, let me know what you think. Thanks!

Right now we're set up to take payment via Visa, MasterCard or Discover. I saw your thread above about coming over the top. Obviously one of our pros can really dissect your swing for you and send you some drills to help you with your specific problem, but a lot of my friends have the same issue and I encourage them to feel like they keep their back pointed at the target for an extra second or two as they start the downswing. That will promote the arms dropping to the inside as you start down, which will also help create lag. Thanks!

Thanks! Let me know what you think. Our front page is still developing and we still have some new features coming, including an instruction blog and forums. We're also adding new pros to the roster every week. But if you have any feedback, we'd love to hear your thoughts.

No doubt! Take the time, go to youtube and check them out. Here's one of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_KHh_c6Ha4

I don't think you should think about slowing your swing down, usually that will lock up your big muscles and create different issues, mainly the arms passing the body after impact and shots that go left. Speed is good. Just don't let your hips outrace your upper body.

Just a thought, but as far as you hit the ball, my guess is that your hips are probably really fast through the ball, especially with a driver and the extra speed you generate with that club. Typically when the hips are faster than the arms, the ball is going to the right and when the arms outrace the hips, the result is going to be shots that go left. Do you tend to hit the slice or miss to the right when you really try to hammer it? if so, I would bet that your lower body motion is not in sync with your arm swing and you end up with the club face open at impact.

Hey guys, my name is Chris and I'm with a new company in Nashville, Tenn., called Swingpal.com. We're just launching a partnership with TheSandTrap and you'll probably be seeing Swingpal banners on the site from time to time, so I just wanted to introduce myself and tell you a bit about what we're doing. Our company is going to be offering online golf lessons but what makes us unique is that these lessons will be personalized (not just generic tips) and you don't need software of any kind to participate. You simply send us some videos, and you can use a phone if you want to do that, and then we'll create a personal profile page for you at which point you can go through our list of top teaching professionals and have your swing analyzed. It's also 100 Web based, meaning you can access lessons from your phone or anywhere on any computer where you have Internet access. What's also pretty cool is that even if you're not in a lesson on our site, you can upload videos anytime you want and use all the drawing tools that the pros use to analyze your own videos, and we also have side-by-side capability so you can compare two swings over time to see what kind of progress you're making. And as far as lessons are concerned, they remain archived on you personal profile page forever so you can go back for a refresher anytime you'd like. Anyway, check out the site and if you have any questions, let me know. We definitely won't be spamming you guys with Swingpal hype but you will see me and a few other staff members on the board and jumping into threads with you guys. We're looking forward to being a part of the community here! Thanks, Chris www.swingpal.com http://www.facebook.com/Swingpal http://twitter.com/#!/swingpal