MarsBar

Okay lets tackle the right arm issue first. You are right about the collapse portion. The straight portion of that I don't believe you should think about that straight. It conjures up thoughts of being rigid. You want for right handed golfers a "soft" right arm. What does that mean? It means that in your set up you pre collapse your right arm, meaning the inside pocket of your arm should face the sky not the direction of the target line. When you pre set the right arm like this it will collapse or fold naturally.....get Ben Hogan's 5 lessons an invaluable book and perhaps the best on the golf swing. Getting stuck would also mean that you are either not turning enough on your downswing or that straight right arm causes the club to enter impact slightly outside. You can take the club back inside from the back swing as long a you turn through completely. If you feel that your body is facing the ball when you are entering impact you haven't turned enough or quick enough to get the club in the proper position to impact the ball. Practice the left arm pre fold before the back swing and try hitting balls starting with the club parallel to the ground (as if you are coming into impact) and here's the key to this drill.........turn your lower body slightly to the target, then swing through and hit the ball. You can practice this without a ball and you will see and feel how your body should be in position when you actually hit the ball......you should be already turned slightly towards the target before the club has hit the ball. This clears your left hip with provides the space needed to get your hands into the hitting zone and moves your right hip towards the target leaving room for the pre folded right arm to occupy the spot where the right was at the top of the downswing.

Swinging driver, and woods requires as a previously player here below mentioned a shallower plane of attack. Remember irons you hit down on the ball with driver especially you hit up so a shallower path into the ball is what is needed. With a shallower plane of attack this means that the driver and longer woods should be swung more around your body not so much up and down. First, a tip for all clubs ensure that the butt of the club is pointing at your belt buckle making sure that the sole of the club is still flat or as close as can be since I am sure like most of us we do not have our clubs fitted for lie angle etc. If from your set up you take the club away slowly and turn and move your arms around your body and your shoulder plane and shaft plane do not change throughout you should be able to turn back on that plane and place driver and woods to ball pretty consistently. Woods may take more practice since you will be hitting off the ground but the same principles apply. One other thing that I mentioned in another reply is watch the back of the ball for driver and wood shots when in the impact zone. This will promote you to stay behind the ball and you will feel leverage as you swing through the ball. Watching the back of the ball through impact with driver and woods will also ensure you do not "peek" and more than likely top the ball or "worm burn" it along the ground. Try this and I am sure that within half a bucket you will be nailing the ball. As far as your hands go through the ball you need to work and practice at what degrees you turn them makes the club do what? That is a "feel" thing and your timing from your swing will determine how much you need to turn them to send the ball straight, fade it or draw the ball.

I have a friend that has a sway both in the back swing and subsequently on his follow through to get himself back to the ball. If you sway in the back swing it means that your back knee that should stay flexed and turned around is giving way. This would mean that you may have more of a tilt rather than a turn. If you sway on the back swing you will have to sway that much coming into the ball and will more than likely have the club(s) open meaning that by the time the club catches up to your body and you strike the ball you will push it. The back knee that is flexed in your setup must remain flexed. This provides you with something to turn around in your back swing and creates tension between your upper and lower body that stores your power. Here is the fix that anyone can use. Stand next to your bed or something that is about knee high, make your turn feeling the bed or whatever against your leg. You will turn and feel the stretch in your upper thigh of your back leg.........that is power that you are storing to unleash on the ball. Complete your turn through the ball and you will see and feel the difference between swaying off the ball and through impact as opposed to turning around your back leg and flexed knee and know that the club will be returned as square as you can.

Flipping means you are trying to scoop the ball to get the ball up. Most players have that tendency to do that as they look at a golf club. Do not misinterpret the fact that the hands have to hinge at impact. They hinge down not up. If you hinge your hands up you flip, if you hinge your hands down towards the ground you will have a more descending blow on the ball and strike the ball first. A simpler way to visualize this is place your hands at hip level as if you are coming in to hit the ball. The back of your left hand (for righties), right hand (for lefties) should be facing away from you. As you approach the ball (this involves some practice) turn the top hand on the club to the ground as you bring the club into the ball. Take a look at Ben Hogan's books it all comes from there. If you turn your top hand down to the ground the club will rotate and go from open to straight and then closed after impact. The amount the club closes after impact depends on how much you turn your left or right (top hand on the club) down. This takes practice and timing but once you can see it and feel it you wll be hitting the ball crisper, more solidly as well as longer and can develop a nice draw.

A great thought for all shots as far as hitting higher shots as well as making sure you are not too far ahead of the ball when striking it is as the club is coming into the impact zone focus on looking at the back of the ball when you hit it. This will do 2 things; 1 it will keep you from "peeking" too soon and perhaps sculling the shot and 2 it will keep you focused on where the ball should be struck......at the equator as well as allowing you the natural feeling of following through the shot and should bring you into a nice balanced finish position.