timtim

Another video, I am sorry that this is basically a sales video, but it has some excellent high speed video:

I disagree with the "point" of hitting down on the ball being "to create more backspin", as discussed in the below video. I would recommend it to improve consistent ball direction and distance. I fully believe that if you went to any good golf coach, and told them your goal this year was hitting more greens in regulation from the fairway, and you took several lessons from them, and you got better, even if those teachers never used the phrase "hitting down on the ball", I fully believe that what they would teach you would have you "hitting down on the ball" after that period of lessons. Please note in the below video that the hips of this young man do not move away from the target on his back swing. Please note that when he starts his back swing his hips are turning and pulling the club along. Please note that when he hits the ball his left shoulder is the center of the radius of the clubhead movement, and that his left shoulder is in front of the ball at the moment of contact, therefore the radius of the clubhead movement continues the clubhead down to the bottom of the swing arc several inches in front of the ball. So those are the things you need to do to hit "down" on the ball.

JC Video Basic is limited to 60 fps, so that is why I am looking for a 60 fps camera solution. The Canon SD* line of digital cameras is 60 fps, but the image quality is only 320 x 240. But, just for fun, here is the Casio EX-F1 at 300 fps and around 1000 $$$:

I just found this. Looks like the image quality and frames per second that I would be happy with.

Thank you so much. I saw your post on that other thread. I did not know that camera existed before reading your post. I will look into that. My teacher uses that JC Video software. He told me that if I get that software, he can send me his JC Video files of my lessons, and I could send him my videos from my practice. I think because of this I should go down that path.

You sound convinced that you have a good swing. Ok. Then you need to figure out what you are doing on the course that does not allow your good swing through. All the more reason to have a playing lesson out on the course. This may take some time. You may not find someone who can help you on the first go. For the cost of a new driver, I would think that you could have maybe two or three playing lessons out on the course with two or three different teachers. It may take hard work to find someone who is willing to help you. So let me tell you what I recommend, if you are talking to a teacher and they start telling you you need to practice on your short game or play more often or they say..."you know this is a difficult game and even the pros don't hit the fairway everytime"...then RUN AWAY. You are looking for someone who is convinced that they can help you with the specific problem you have, and is as curious as we all are as to what the problem is, and is as interested as you are in finding a solution.

This: http://www.jcvideo.com/Software/Digi...7/Default.aspx is the software I am thinking about getting.

I have searched for camera, cameras, video, and software in thread titles. This is the one thread that I found that is helpful, and it is an excellent thread: http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4028 And here I was thinking that my choice was 640 at 30 fps or 320 at 60 fps. Now I am looking at 60 fps and higher resolution. I bought a ShuttlExpress on ebay to jog the movie back and forth frame by frame. My teacher uses one of those and he likes it.

What swing analysis software do you use, that was designed for swing analysis? I am not talking about some general video software that you use that was not designed for swing analysis, I am talking about the real deal. Split screen. Drawing tools. What digital camera do you use to get the video onto the swing software, and what is its video resolution, and are you happy with it? Is it 640 at 30 fps. Is it 320 at 60 fps? What software do you use to download video from youtube, and can you use video downloaded from youtube in your swing analysis software? Does it work? Do you need to edit the video first so that it works? I would love to know. I am looking at JC Video Basic. The new upgrade will work with Windows Vista. And I am looking at the Canon SD* line of digital cameras that do video at 320 at 60 fps. Let me know your experiences and thoughts. Thanks, Tim.

My comment is on the original post instead of the hijack above. YES. Your swing plane is greater with your driver than with your irons. It is, in fact, different with each club. There are a few different ways out there now that are taught to take the club back, but when all the pros are bringing their clubs down toward the ball, they very quickly get the club traveling so that when you are looking at the player from behind there is a straight line between the ball, the handle of the club, and the center of mass of the head end of the club. Right now, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott are taking all their clubs back pretty much on plane, and then back down very much on plane to slightly inside. If you go to their videos on youtube from behind or "down the line" and draw a line on your computer screen between the ball and some point between their shoulder and their elbows, you will see this line. I have cut out a straight part of a wire hanger, then put some tape on one end so it does not scratch the computer screen or the tv screen, and use that to look at youtube swings and swings on tv. I have a dvr, and it lets me step through any swing that is on during watching a tournament. For around 40 dollars, you should be able to have a teaching pro put your swing on video and have them show you your plane. You need to understand this. You need to work on this. It will be very much worth it.

And maybe a playing lesson where the pro goes out on the course with you. They may see something you are doing that you don't know about.

Yes. Spend the money. On lessons.

You want the edge. I play the apex plus, which before they came out with the edge was traditionally thought by many to be the "easiest to hit forged club". You can still get a set of them new for around 300 dollars.

And, of course, get a job at a course where you can maybe play for free and maybe get some free help from the club pro.

Take a lesson. Hit balls. Practice chipping. Practice putting. Play only nine holes. No need to play 18. Find a cheaper course, and then play afternoon when the rates drop. If you can find a shorter course that is like a par 60 or so, that would be good for your level. And don't hit driver up close to the hole, even if you can. Find out what club you hit with a full easy swing from 100 to 120 yards, and then hit long irons or hybrids off the tee to that distance. The good thing about this is that on one hole you are working on your distance with longer clubs and with shorter clubs. And when you are hitting from 100 to120 yards, aim for the center of the green. At your level, the center of the green is good on any day. And if you don't hit past the center of the green a few times per round, you are not taking enough club. When you go out to play 9 holes, spend an hour or more practicing your putting and chipping before you play. One more thing, the problem with practicing putting it that on the course is that the putts mean something, but when you practice, you are typically in a lazy frame of mind. So put one ball at 3 feet, one at 6 feet, and one at 9 feet. The goal is to sink all three in a row. If you miss, you have to start over. So you are compelled to sink the three and the six, to give yourself a shot at the nine. This makes the three and six foot puts, and even the nine foot putt, more importance in your mind than simply rolling puts to the hole.

You are starting to get on the border of what I know about. My driver is 60 grams, my 3 wood is 80 grams, my hybrids are 91 grams.

3W, then lesson one, then lesson two. You have to have a go to club off the tee. You have to cure your slice. Youtube: "Top 25 Golf Pro Lesson ARMS FALLING Down Plane"

No. While some charts would put you into X, I don't think you are swinging fast enough for X, but it might be a good idea to look for an S shaft that is 70 or 75 grams, and has a torque in the low 3s. Why don't you think about taking some lessons?

Adams and Nickent for hybrids. Cleveland, Titleist, and Mizuno for wedges.

...in the water with a few holes to go and only a few shots back two weeks ago.

I think that many people try to hit the LW too high like Phil M and don't pull it off and therefore see the LW as a difficult club or a trick club. I simply put the ball in the middle or a little forward of that and put a simple chipping stroke on the ball and let the loft of the club do the work. The better I play the more I need the LW because the more often I am up around the green with sand between me and the flag, and my SW has way too much bounce to play the shot I want to play in that situation.

1) Yes. I would recommend getting some and trying them. Much easier to hit than long irons. Look at 20 degree and 23 degree to replace your 3 and 4 irons. I love mine. I also have a 26 degree to replace my 5 iron, because I have never had confidence with my 5 iron. Look at the new Adams Idea Pro Gold. They are number 1 on all the tours. 2) Yes. The guys I know who have a few hybrids also have a driver and a 3 wood. 3) If you hit driver that far, you need a 3 wood for the holes where the architect fools your friends into hitting driver when they should not be. Most courses have shorter par 4s and dogleg holes and holes with trouble where you need a 3 or 4 wood to get it out there in play and not risk getting into trouble. 4) I have both. Love my GW. Love my LW. My missing club is in the 5 wood/2 iron range. And I would rather have the GW and LW in my bag.

Post number two.

oh, I am sorry, do you KNOW that you need a standard length club? have you already been fitted? Is you KNOWN length standard? Is your REAL question, what if you buy clubs that are 1/2 inches longer than your KNOWN fitted length?

You should go somewhere and get fit for a set of clubs, just like you would get fit for a pair of shoes, or just like you move the seat up and back in a rental car. If you get a super deal on a set of clubs you really like, you should have the lie and length adjusted to your fitting measurments, and have your favorite new grips installed. You should NOT adjust to a set of clubs that is not fitted to your requirements.