PingGKEN

So, would you agree that the movements and positions needed to hit a baseball out to right field (for a righty) are very much the same as those needed to properly strike a golf ball from the inside on a consistent basis? A buddy of mine has never hit a baseball to right field (dead pull batter all the time), and has struggled forever trying to properly hit a golf ball from the inside. Would you say the two are related? (Yeah my buddy is me! LOL)

Tell me about it man! Spent all winter getting lessons indoors and was well on my way to some good golf shots. Spring comes and my first time out on the grass, its like I never swung a club before. The grass plays mind tricks on me. Mats are the devil.

Do you get lessons on mats? I spent all winter getting lessons on mats and felt like I was going somewhere. Now that there is actual grass under the ball, it's like I've never played before. The grass is playing mind tricks on me. Maybe its doing the same for you?

This is kind of what I have just discovered and seems to be helping a lot. This and the idea that I always want to keep my "arms in front of my chest" during the whole swing. I think it keeps everything nice and in sync. None of this flying hip stuff to start the downswing leaving the upper body disconnected requiring an OTT / flip to correct.

How about after 5 years of playing, but only after one year of rebuilding your swing through taking lessons? lol

Do you sand trappers have anything to comment on the feeling of always having your arms out in front of your chest/body during the swing? I always hear the saying "my arms are along for the ride". But...If you turn your body with "dead arms", wont they just fall behind you and get stuck?

After these comments, I'm beginning to think my instructor is teaching me S&T;! He loves to compare to Sean Ohair during the lesson, lol. And what Sean said in the video sounds just like one of my lessons.

Or you thinned the ball because you were off balance??

Yeah, lol, I'm with you there. Anyways, working on this some more, I think I just need to allow a split second for that weight to transfer from right to left at the completion of the backswing. Not be too quick on the trigger from the top. For someone that has always attacked the ball from the top down, with an OTT move (divots left, heel contact, etc) it feels like an eternity when I pause to allow this to happen. Just need to work at it.

What are everyones thoughts on Shawns statements in this video regarding downswing weight shift? He says you want to feel as though the weight shift is actually the final part of your backswing and not the start of your downswing? The weight shift happens BEHIND you?

Topping? Please. I have never hit a thin shot in my life. I would love to hit it thin, lol. Maybe I should purposefully try to hit some thin shots and see what feels different compared to my digging swing?

ARGH!! I guess practicing and taking lessons all winter on mats was a bad idea. I go out to the grass range now and also play a round and the grass is playing Jedi mind tricks with me. I find myself thinking: "OH! Time to make divots now that I am on grass!" So I am now trying to force a divot by striking down on the ball. I took some DEEP ones yesterday. I will definitely bring this up with my instructor on the 8th. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on this guys? I can take a nice practice swing on the grass that just grazes the top, but then when I stand up to hit I feel like I need to punch at it and gouge out a huge hole.

Does it also seem like the OP loses the spine angle on the back swing (dips down), and then loses the "tush line" on the downswing? Sorta crowding the ball, almost not enough room for the hands to get through impact? These are 2 things that I'm actually fighting in my swing that my pro has pointed out to me many times.

I spent all winter taking lessons and practicing on mats. Went out to play a round yesterday and the grass was playing mind tricks with me. I was not comfortable at all. I think its time to find a grass range and stick to that. It was not pretty at all yesterday, lol

Well, you have begun to hit it in a fashion that is producing slice side spin. There are a whole load of things that could cause that. Over the top, out to in path, open face, stuck, we could go on and on. Let's a see a video of your new swing.

Good luck. Thats what separates the men from the boys! lol

Before anyone who is qualified to make comments on your swing chimes in, you will probably want to post a swing where you actually hit a ball. Practice swing =/= to real swing. Go grab a plastic ball and plop one into your neighbors yard. They wont mind, lol.

Youtube made you a very telling still frame, actually. Look at the freeze frame for your "Kyle 6 iron front.AVI" video. A massive flip + Chicken wing to boot. Sorry, but iacas was not pointing out a good weight transfer. He was pointing out the lack of a flat left wrist at impact.

Oh boy, honestly, the release is really something that just happens when everything before that moment is performed correctly. To consciously think about a release is just going in the wrong direction IMHO. I say release your thoughts and the club will release on its own. Get in your new posture, make your new grip on the club, turn around your spine, keep that same spine angle from address, turn through, keeping that spine angle constant throughout. You cant go wrong.

For me sh@nks happen when I fire my right side into the ball on the downswing. My spine angle changes, I get closer to the ball, I come forward off my "tushline" and you know what happens after that. Absolutely no "room" for my hands to get through impact. Also, a flip is needed for any kind of straight shot. If I focus on keeping my spine angle constant throughout the entire swing, and just rotate around that fixed spine, then things are ok.

Lol, I thought Tiger was going to keep his outbursts under control.

Sorry if its been mentioned already.....any site to watch live streaming coverage now? 8:51AM est? Or do we have to wait for ESPN?

You're coming down pretty "steep" on that last Iron DTL video. (Red shirt) You can even see it in the freeze frame before hitting play. My instructor and I are working on the same exact thing: trying to flatten out the downswing so that, at this point in a DTL video, the club is intersecting the arms midway or a tad flatter/closer to the right arm.

Finally got a chance to get outside and hit some plastic balls. I've been getting lessons all winter in the local golf dome. Its been going really well, except I will completely and totally hit it super fat once every 10 or so shots. Below is a comparison video. First is a shot that I felt was acceptable. Next, super fat. What do you guys see? A little self analysis shows my head going back but then returning to its starting spot on the "ok" shot. On the second, it goes back, but never returns laterally. Maybe I can do without the little shimmy right before the backswing? I am pleased to see that I am not scooping as violently as I was maybe 3 months ago.

OUCH, I feel your pain man. Careful with the fatsies. Might hurt more than just your scores!! I did something to my wrist last year after taking a mountain of earth with my four iron.