PingGKEN

I'm nervous to get out there. I finally decided to get lessons starting back in late August last year. I have been practicing all winter in my local dome. My last 2 practice sessions went extremely well. I think something finally "clicked" from taking these lessons. I'm just anxious to see how this new swing of mine will play outdoors on grass.

Oh my, the hogan power move from Shawn has to be the best. Getting that "left tush" back against "the wall" to start the downswing has got the be the most important move in the full swing. Doing that automatically forces you into all the right positions for a powerful move through the ball.

I would like to second this. I had the same exact problem with the shoulder dipping down on the backswing. During my range sessions as I worked to correct this, it actually felt as though I WAS standing up when in fact I was simply NOT dipping the shoulder.

I'm no pro or anything, and dont take my word. I think you might be losing some power and accuracy via a cast? Check out the image. The red is your arm / club. The green is where I picture the club should be at that point of the downswing. Do others agree with this?

Oh my, if golf was all about how many fat shots you can make, then I would win! I have never thinned one in my life, literally. I.....am.....a......scooper. I have never learned the feeling of hands ahead / ball first contact. My instructor and I dedicated our whole lesson to learning that feeling. We started with chips, then on to 1/2 swings, really overdoing the "hands ahead" feeling. I think we are on to something, and I can safely say that, if you get your hands through impact properly ahead of the ball first, then "chunking" is actually a hard thing to do!

Would you guys agree that if you (properly) work on your driver swing to a point where you have good tempo, ball flight, repeatability, balance, etc... that those things learned will automatically help with all other clubs in the bag? Is that the best club to use to gauge swing mechanics and changes?

I'm in no place to give instruction, but I am in a place where I can say that your golf swing can be totally different when there is that little white ball staring at you from the ground.

Its so funny. Every time I come back from some golf outing with my own revelation, I come to these forums and find out that someone else had the same exact revelation! I was at the range yesterday and just was hitting like crap. I was casting like a mad-man just like you. I decided to "point the butt end of the club at the ball" as long as I could from the top of the swing. Man, those swings felt weird, but I really could feel the weight of the head hanging back and it just felt like I was slinging it out there without any effort. I think this will be my main focus while I practice the rest of the winter....feels good don't it?

Keeping my left foot down was one of the main things that my instructor had me working on. Lifting my foot was allowing my hips to turn way too much on the backswing and causing all kinds of unnecessary movement. But, hey, I know a lot of golfers who are pretty good and they lift their leading foot....so to each his own.

Dude, I got them during my lesson 2 weeks ago. I guess thats the best time to get them, lol!

My hosel rockets were a result of turning my hips way to much to start the downswing. At impact, my right foot was well off the ground and right hip turned towards the ball. (Right handed swing.) There was very little room for my arms to get back to impact and the only path to even be able to make contact was over the top / sh@nk. My instructor now has me focusing on keeping the lower body (hips to the ground) quiet all the way from the start of the swing, to past impact. Both feet on the ground at all times (no Bobby Jones flying left knee) and the right foot juuuust starting to come off the ground at impact.

Lol, I'm a drummer too! That's probably why this tour tempo is kind of tough for me to implement. I end up anticipating every beat in an attempt to lock into the tempo. I'm not reacting to the beats. I'm trying to "play drums" with the notes. The club is my drum stick and the ball is the snare drum. (IE: hitting at the ball = not good )

I almost replied saying this is incorrect, but I see what you are saying. The CD, though, clearly has the beats going with a 4/4 time signature. If you take what you said and combine it with the CD, you end up with a sort of 3 over 4 counting. Might confuse some people who read in the book where it says start downswing after hearing the 2nd beep (that beep actually being the 3rd beat in a 4/4 measure). 1..2..3..1..2..3..1..2..3 1..2..3..4..1..2..3..4..1

Man, my instructor is spot on! He said envision that you are trying to hold a beach ball down there. I'm going to have to give this a try!

For me yes. Lifting of the left foot and kicking in the left knee was making my hips turn way too much on the back swing. Its that big difference in turn of the shoulders compared to the hips that we were trying to achieve. I had a laugh when I got home that night. The "Playing Lessons with the Pros" episode with Anthony Kim was on. Anthony specifically stated that his main focus is keeping everything from the hips down as quiet as possible. That its "something amateurs never think about". I had to just shake my head and laugh. Sure enough, watching his swing, nothing moves down there.

Thanks for the tips. I never thought that "happy feet" could cause problems in the swing. I have now started to concentrate on my takeaway. I want the only things that move to be the club, arms, shoulders..all going back as one unit for the first 6" or so. Everything else completely motionless. No kicking in of the right knee, no "tiny hip turn" to the right, nothing. Left foot must stay planted the entire time. Seems to be helping a lot so far hitting practice balls in the backyard.

I have to come back to this thread... had a lesson yesterday and the main focus was keeping the lower half of my body quiet on the back swing. My instructor says I "shuffle" my feet, and he wanted me to swing without moving my feet at all. At the top of my backswing, my left foot came up and allowed my hips to turn back even further. He had me go back to the feet together drill. I am to practice taking the same feelings obtained during that drill and putting them into my full swing. I dont want ANY lifting/turning of my left foot. Lets see how these next few range sessions go!

Yeah I was going to chime in and ask about that price, too. I pay 50 bucks for about an hour with my pro. We use video review (which I love). Anyways, you have to be committed to this in order to see any results. At first, I thought I would just take one lesson and I'd be good to go. (I was way wrong.) Changes like this will take me well into next year. Ive had four lessons since late July and just now have begun to swing the club back on plane. You'll be getting into positions where you'll think to yourself "this can't possibly be right". Just trust it and practice it.

The "2" is silent.

I, too, would like to hear what more people have to say about this. After a few lessons, I am in much better positions throughout my back swing. Now, to tackle the down swing. My instructor is just saying things like "let the arms fall" and "bring them down" . Everything he's helped me with I could feel, but, this I cannot seem to get the feeling. (Or I just don't know what the proper feeling is so I can repeat it.)

Not trying to be a jerk, but put a ball down and tape your swing actually hitting a one (even a plastic ball). Not that I am in any position to analyze your swing. I'm just saying, from experience, our practice swings all look like tour pros when there isnt a ball there.

I always felt that the "feet together drill" helped to keep things quiet and keep you in balance. My instructor gave me that as a drill to practice when he saw my hips flying around throwing me off balance.

Wow, guys, I heard one little tidbit about the downswing that I think is going to help me a lot! It read like this: After a proper backswing, (which I am working on), you need to think about getting your hands "to the area that your left hip vacated". I have always "thrown my arms at the ball" causing extreme OTT and shanks. This little bit of info gave me some of the best ball striking Ive ever had at the range yesterday. Much lower ball flight than before. I sensed the clubhead trailing as I brought my hands down and in. I think this is something that I have been missing out on for a while. Can't wait to go back and work on it some more. What do you have to say about this particular swing thought?

Thanks guys. I know what I must do, but man, something inside of me just makes me want to smack the ball with my forearms and hands. When there is no ball there (practice swing), I feel like a pro: in balance all the way to a nice finish, smooth transition, etc etc. But, put that ball there, and uuuuhhhhhhhhh

The video is set to private. (Not that I have any ability to analyze the swing, just thought I would let you know.)