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Some times you just have to slow down your swing and do 3/4 or even half shots to get the swing back on so your getting back on the inside path or to get your rythem and tempo back. I know it hard to do at the range as you want to hit em hard when you have paid for a bucket of balls but you just have to do it or find a place you can hit 50-100 yard shots with your lower irons.- Steve

This happens every Mid July for me. I have to take a whole week or so off and just hit 1/2 -3/4 shots everyday to get my timing and rhythm back. So I'm hitting fine with 3/4 shot but every time I go to full swing with my irons I'd slice and or have no power. Now if I pick up my right foot and stay on my left I hit the ball well, so that was telling me I wasn't transitioning to my left side on my downswing. Then I remembered this drill where you put the butt of the club in your mid section and have the club sticking straight out(perpendicular to your hips and shoulders). On the back swing, when the shaft is parallel to the ground the shaft should still be perpendicular to your shoulder turn, right? Well mine wasn't, it was on the inside. I also think my hips were turning to much and maybe causing a little reverse pivot along with sliding my hips more that rotating them around my spine. I'm pretty stubborn and like to figure things out myself. I'm sure my instructor would of straightened me out in a few minutes but I just think I should be at a point in my golf game that I should be able to figure it out when I'm not hitting well. Thanks for any input on what I'm doing- Steve

Lots of different balance exercises. Probably the best and simplest is just stand on one foot and swing the club. When you get good at it with shoes on try taking them off, it's even tougher.-Steve

Spine angle, when you address the ball try lower your right shoulder and tilting your head a little. Now your spine angle is allowing you to swing a little more on the upward path. If your spine gets tilted to the left you have to swing down and into the ground=fat.- Steve

First of all make sure you have a nuetral grip. I had a instructor look at my grip and to my suprise it was a little strong with my right hand. Ok now you can see the the first 2 knuckles on left and right hand. If this doesn't work, try this "feel". When you begin your downswing, actually all the way through to impact, get the feel that your leading the club down the swing path with the hosle or the back of the club, your club face will square at impact and you will smash the ball. You might push a couple right(not slice)at first but I guarantee it will work.- Steve

Not sure what you mean? at address? on the backswing? At address they should hang pretty much naturally straight down. If you topping the ball you might be swinging to hard at the top of the swing instead of letting the club swing naturally at the bottom of the swing. Make sure on your back swing your not swaying back, that will put your spine angle tilted to the right and you will swing up on the ball. Opposite is true if your hitting it fat(spine angle to far to the left). Get to the range and hit 1/2 shots and work your way up. Yep and keep your head down and let the momentum of the golf swing pull your head around and up. Make sure you have your chin out from your chest a little so you have some clearence for you right shoulder to clear underneath it..- Steve

Get really good in the greenside bunkers-lol. I know the Pros don't seem to have any problem with them.- Steve

I don't stick to an exact routine. I pick a spot in front of the ball and then walk around to square my body to it. I always look at my grip so that is exactly the way I want it. Take a couple of practice swings to get that relaxed feeling in my grip and arms, then step up a little take a fairly deep breath and let it out and then begin the swing. I do this with every ball on the range. I put a ball in my pocket walk up and place it on the ground or the tee just like I was on the course, and I always have a target I shoot to when I'm at the range-- Steve

What about spine angle? I watched a vid from Shawn Clemont and a slight tilt of your head and spine to the right side should promote weight shift to your right side. Other than that RC hit on a lot of good points. Every good throwing,hitting etc motion naturally should put you on the right side on the backswing(tennis,baseball hitting and pitching etc) your hips rotate to act as a counter balance the weight shift, otherwise you would fall backwards during the downswing because you couldn't get back to left side.- Steve

I thought the tip on the proper spine angle was interesting, I'll have to take a look at mine as it might not be tilted enough. Also the "focus" lesson was great too. It reminds me of my swing focus which is on the finish of my swing and not the ball. - Steve

I havn't really worked much on this drill, but my brother swears by it and he is has a 6 hcp. I seen Tiger on TV a few days ago and he was telling how Hank has him work on this drill or one almost the same. Tiger said he hates that drill but that it does work. I guess I'll have to give it a try.- Steve

Thanks for post the video, hadn't seen that one yet. I gotta try that two ball drill. - Steve

Yep great videos, all I can say what a great guy to put all the time and effort to give golfers great info thats easy to understand. I wish I could meet him and thank him for his contribution to the sport of golf. If I was to ever go to a golfing school or clinic he would be my number one choice- Steve

Pulls always go further, I'm not sure why either. I've golfed with guys that have a extreme closed stance and hit the ball a mile. I've always wondered if the are basically pulling the ball. It looks like the are going to hit the ball way right but it goes straight and long. Not a swing I'd want but it works for them up to certain point. - Steve

I've suffered terribly with the hooks. Here is what I've found. 1. I need to make sure I have a nuetral grip 2. Make sure the V's are lining up the same, I have a tendancy to have a little stronger right if I don't watch it. 3. Now this is hard to explain but it works for me. I "feel" like I'm leading with the hosel. I feels like on my downswing that I'm going to hit the ball with the back of the hosel. This gives me great lag and keeps me from turning my hands over to early. Just feel as you are coming down on the inside path(and you can really go way inside with this) that you are hitting the ball with the opposite side of the toe of the club. Your hands will turn if you relax and keep looking at the ball all the way through impact.- Steve

Golf has got to be one of the toughest sports to learn. For most of us it takes years to even get half way descent and then we have periods when we too can get discouraged. When I'm at the golf course and see all the golfers I wonder about the type of personality we have in common. I think part of it has to be stubborness. I had a friend that finally gave up after a few years, he never could break 100. I never could talk him into lessons, which I thought was strange becsause he really wanted to play better. I think your on the right track, keep your expectations realistic though. It might take a whole season to get the swing down. If your having a bad practice session stop and try it again the next day. That brings me to mental part of the game, relax, have fun. If you get too serious you won't relax and that's the worst thing in the swing. Try to have fun when practicing, your going to have bad swings,mishits etc. But try to take something positive out of each practice session. Hang in there- Steve

Don't over think your weight distribution of your feet. Think more of balance, when you take your back swing the weight should naturally go to the right foot. Think of it like this. at the 3 o'clock position if some one was to pull on the end of your club you would have the weight on the inside of the right foot counter the pull. When you initiate your down swing the weight should naturally transition to your left foot. I'd look at my grip first then my swing path. My instructor once told me to get on the inside path I was to feel like I'm hitting the ball to the left on my down swing, this gets you on the inside path. I don't know how to explain this well but here goes. As your looking at the ball at address let's say your attempting to hit the very back of the ball, lets call that the 6 o'clock spot, and call the part of the ball that's closest to you 9 o'clock. Ttry hitting the ball at the seven o'clock spot. This might be to much and you might even get to big of a draw. If you do then back it up a dimple or so untill you are coming on the inside the right amount. When you get good at this you can even fade the ball by going the other way, this will "feel" like your hitting the ball to the right but actually you will be cutting across the ball slightly and it will go out and to the right. Hope this helps- Steve

A friend of mine has a set 1,3,4 and 5 wood. They are Ben Hogans and from what I can tell they are built in the early 50's and are in fine shape, they look like new so I'm assuming they have been refinished. What do you think the value is on these clubs. thanks- Steve

Hooked up with an instructor today. I really felt kind of foolish as most of the problem was in my grip. For some reason I let it get to far down into my hand and not around the knuckle area or the base of the fingers. This was causing my right hand to take over and the result was a hook. Then I'd hit a slice when I tried to manupulate the club or what ever I tried to do to correct it. I was also lifting up my right elbow to early on the follow through, in other words I wasn't allowing it to fold under naturaly in a relaxed manner. Also my head was lifting up a little to soon, so he got me to keep it down a through the swing a bit more. It took him about 10min and I now I have this effortless relaxed swing that is smoking the ball with a little draw. Help me understand this, I think I do, but correct me if I'm wrong. He said the reason I have the draw is because my lower body is just a little fast which causes the draw, he told me if I slow it down just a little I can hit a fade. His stance nor his swing path changes when he works the ball, it's all controled with his lower body(hips I assume). I have always shaped my ball by my stance, and my swing path and sometimes with opening or closing my clup when I address the ball. I didn't have a chance to work with this concept today but will give it try in the next few days. -Steve

I've been having similar problems and hooked up with a instructor today. I really felt kind of foolish as most of the problem was in my grip. For some reason I let it get to far down into my hand and not around the knuckle area or the base of the fingers. This was causing my right hand to take over and the result was a hook. Then I'd hit a slice when I tried to manupulate the club or what ever I tried to do to correct it. I was also lifting up my right elbow to early on the follow through, in other words I wasn't allowing it to fold under naturaly in a relaxed manner. Also my head was lifting up a little to soon, so he got me to keep it down a through the swing a bit more. It took him about 10min and I was hitting great. Well worth the 40 bucks. I sure would like to see not grip the right hand with more pressure, but what do I know- Steve

Yep, you lose confidence and you start to tense up and tension is the worst thing in the swing. Lightly grip the club, address the ball, take a deep breath and let it out and let your arms and shoulders relax. Easy slow take away, LET the wrist cock, and easy Smooth down swing, LET the momentum of arms pull you through(at impact) . That momemtum will pull your head up and your lower body around untill you are facing the target- Steve

I think what is being suggested is by trying to intentionally hooking the ball you will become aware of your club head at impact and it your body and mind will figure out how to hit it straight then. You can do just the opposite too by intentionally hitting a slice. This is such a head game, I played my first 7 rounds hitting my drive pure. Then I go out one day and nothing but hooks(just the driver), next round same thing. So today I swing by the golf course and sign up for a lesson on Monday. I decided to work on my chipping and sand game and was quickly very happy with that so I figure what the heck I'll buy a bucket and work on my driver, everything pure!!!! Straight and long down the middle. Go figure. One thing my instructor told me once is if your hitting it right(slice) then when you swing feel like your hitting to the right. It forces you to get on the inside path. Same thing can work for the hook too sometimes. good luck. - Steve

Your right Zeph. In my case I've never established a hcp. Here in Alaska we just got on regular greens this week. Heck even the ranges only opened up a few weeks ago. So my hcp is in my mine but incorrectly is what I shoot once I get the rust knocked off. I'm usually shooting anywhere from 80-84(shot a 76 once) on average by the end of June. I've taken up golf seriosly 6yrs ago and I love the game but my score has never been a big deal for me, I just like golfing. I know it was what appeared to be a novice type question but I've never got into the mechanics of the swing, the lesson I took was mostly being instructed in hitting on the inside path. When I thought I understood and probably incorrectly on a golf channel was to let the arms initiate the swing. My brother who is a really good golfer always tells me on the phone that I should keep my back to the target as long as possible, so made me question what I knew..I'm just trying to put all this together in my mind. Actually I do pretty well and probably better when I'm not thinking of all the mechanical stuff, but I hoping that it will make me a better golfer. - Steve

Thanks for the drill RC, I'll be working on that tomorro- Steve

Thanks, that's encouraging, I'll keep at it.