Hi all, below are some videos i took of my swing today. I play off a 23 handicap and have been playing about 15 years on and off.
My tendency is to take the club back way inside on the backstroke so i've been working on keeping the clubhead more outside my hands. However i find it hard to now not come over the top on the downstroke - especially with the irons. I feel like i'm alternating between too much inside out (with my old takeaway - hitting sweeping hooks) to then too much outside in (pulls or shanks at worst case).....
I'm hoping that you can give me some insight into what looks good or bad.
You have very nice tempo. A good smooth motion, which for many is difficult to learn - nice job with that. Decent balance too.
Mainly I see some alignment issues, aiming right, and some tension at address. Your right arm should be much, much more relaxed and is starting from a position that is too high (right wrist not level and right forearm wedge not aligned).
The SW looks pretty good aside from the right arm tension/position, nice divot, which is missing from the 7 iron shot.
Pay particular attention to the shoulder alignment and the right forearm at address.
Also, very important, turn that left foot open about 30 degrees, which should let you move through the shot while keeping the right shoulder from moving 'out' too early.
The 'left foot right toe' drill would be a good one for you. Hit 3/4 9 irons standing on your left foot and keeping your right foot well back (closed stance) and up on your toe. Again, your shoulders are the key alignment. From this position, exaggerate your release/roll and hit some big sweep hooks. You should feel your right shoulder staying more 'behind' and 'under' your left.
Take a divot.
With that tempo and balance, you aren't far from some excellent golf.
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You are so close to dropping handicap by about 10 strokes!!
Takes me a while to download but got your down the line and face-on 7 iron views.
Address
Down the line
First glance posture and set up not too bad. Not too worried about shoulders( they look pretty straight to me )but agree with EdZ right wrist not level and more relaxed right arm needed. If anything right wrist looks a bit cocked.
Face on
You look a big guy ( tall / lean ) but stance is too narrow for me. Also weight looks bit too much on left side. Supple right arm and weight a bit more on right side with level right wrist should help. To me you looked better down the line than face on!!
Takeaway/ Backswing
Down the line
You seem to have fixed the plane problem in takeaway. Looks ok takeaway but you get a little flat half way back ( extension of clubshaft to right of target line) and you then shift to squared shoulder plane at the Top ( 3/4 back).You rotate shoulders pretty well. Left wrist and clubface look flat/square. Trouble is you keep going!! Big overswing!!
Face on
Half way back the left arm is straight and wrist cock is set. By the top/ end of backswing left wrist is bent, overswing and with narrow stance almost leads to topple over toward target / reverse pivot.
Extensor action should straighten left arm and limit overswing and possibly bring you down a bit from squared shoulder plane to turned shoulder plane?
Transition
This is the "coming over the top" bit!!! Pulls, slices and shanks!!! This may be the old downswing move which your "too inside" old backswing used. When combined with your better backswing you are going to hit the ball miles further!! Fixing this will be the equivalent of a $1000 new driver that really does deliver extra distance!!!
Treatment is the "easily said but not so easily achieved" start the downswing from the floor up!!
1. You need a better pivot, feet need to wrestle with the earth, and momentarily do nothing with the hands... Percy Boomer described the backswing as a "turn" but the downswing as a "twist". To me that means that he senses stopping the backswing with his feet and really feeling a downward twisting force in the feet at transition.
2.You need to feel more "down" in the downswing, If you can feel pp3, thrust it toward inner, aft quadrant of the ball. It looks like you are hitting outer, aft quadrant.
3.Get inside a complete plane board and suddenly realise how far off plane the downswing is from the inclined plane. You can see it on video but to feel it is even better. It will probably feel as though the club is behind you when you start to get it right!!
Impact looks awful at moment from the down line view but fix that transition and it will get better by miles. You are soooo close.!!!
Good luck.
PS. All of above advice is amateur rather than PGA pro but a real pro could fix you really quick IMHO!!
You have very nice tempo. A good smooth motion, which for many is difficult to learn - nice job with that. Decent balance too.
Mainly I see some alignment issues, aiming right, and some tension at address. Your right arm should be much, much more relaxed and is starting from a position that is too high (right wrist not level and right forearm wedge not aligned).
The SW looks pretty good aside from the right arm tension/position, nice divot, which is missing from the 7 iron shot.
Pay particular attention to the shoulder alignment and the right forearm at address.
Also, very important, turn that left foot open about 30 degrees, which should let you move through the shot while keeping the right shoulder from moving 'out' too early.
The 'left foot right toe' drill would be a good one for you. Hit 3/4 9 irons standing on your left foot and keeping your right foot well back (closed stance) and up on your toe. Again, your shoulders are the key alignment. From this position, exaggerate your release/roll and hit some big sweep hooks. You should feel your right shoulder staying more 'behind' and 'under' your left.
Take a divot.
With that tempo and balance, you aren't far from some excellent golf.
I agree with EdZ on the feet and shoulders...see the Tomasello Pivot video for the correct feet fanning (I wouldn't change your stance width)....for the driver you might want to move your ball position back a tad to square up your shoulders....yes, your shoulders are open at address with the driver....
What's interesting about your videos...on the downswing with your Driver you're on Plane!!! With the down the line shot of your 7 iron your coming over the top at the very beginning of the downswing...I suggest you look at that swing in slow motion...the error is your starting the downswing with a rotational move instead of sliding move...look at how the hips and shoulders are moving out (off plane)...the hips need to be sliding parallel to the plane line at the beginning of the downswing...
One thing to pay attention to is overswinging...especially with the driver...(by overswinging, you have put a plane angle shift into your backswing, the goal in stroke pattern 12-2-0 is a zero plane angle variation)...one thing I learned with Tomasello, when the right hip stops rotating in the backswing your swing ends. See 12-13-0-24..."Clear Right Hip"...then read 10-15-B and pay attention to what Homer says about overswinging. If you pay attention to the right hip, I guarantee your swing will end with the clubshaft in parallel position at the top. By monitoring the right hip and stopping your backswing when the right hip stops rotating, you will eliminate your plane angle shift and generate more accurate shots on a consistent basis....hmmmm machine like accuracy.
You have the makings of a great TGM golf swing...keep up the good work.
DG
Last edited by Delaware Golf : 05-07-2006 at 12:55 AM.
Looks much better - less overswing, GREAT BALANCE, sounds good too.
Despite EdZ and Delaware Golf saying stance width OK it looks like that left foot needs to be moved 3 inches to your left.
As you are at the moment ( driver swing ) your head position favours the left half of your stance width. This may be associated with your shoulders being slightly open. Ideally ( tripod style ) the head should be central ( between feet ) or if you look at some of the old Hogan / Nelson photos the left ear is in between feet. If anything your right cheek/ear is in between feet.
Your ball position is at low point for driver ( good) but the outside of your left foot is level with the outside of your left shoulder. I think, and ( more importantly) Hogan wrote, that the inside of your left foot should be level with the outside left shoulder line. This would centralise your head position.
Sorry to keep posting - i like little puzzles. Do as the big guys say not what I say ( they do it for a living - i do it for fun)!!
Bagger,
This Bergsey is the poster boy for asking for help. He posts sufficient video to actual have people make a very educated response in regards to improving his golf movement. Free golf lessons!
I don't know if you have it but I would think that it would be a big plus to have step by step details regarding posting video- and have that not buried in a post but a heading or clearly visible for anyone wanting to post a video. It ideally should start from - here's the video or type of formats and camera's that will work and then a step by step technique for how they get that posted to the website from there- at least for us computer challenged individuals.
Would be nice to have the ability to "draw on it" or line it up also- and directions for that ability to analyze it by creating reference marks that could be placed over the video frames and also compared to other professional golfers.
I don't know if you have it but I would think that it would be a big plus to have step by step details regarding posting video- and have that not buried in a post but a heading or clearly visible for anyone wanting to post a video. It ideally should start from - here's the video or type of formats and camera's that will work and then a step by step technique for how they get that posted to the website from there- at least for us computer challenged individuals.
Hi Mike O...
Bagger is out of the country this week and will have limited Internet access, so I am responding for him.
As usual, your idea is a good one, and we will put our heads together and see what we can come with.
Your right arm should be much, much more relaxed and is starting from a position that is too high (right wrist not level and right forearm wedge not aligned).
Firstly thanks very much for the replies, there's a lot of people with good stuff to offer out there!
I'm not quite sure about the right arm comments, i've been working on more of an on plane right forearm at address and getting it more tucked into my body. Not sure whether you think i've overdone it or not enough?
To give some further background to the story i've had lessons previously with PGA pros and never got anywhere despite heaps of practice. It seemed to be going from band aid to band aid.
Below is some video that my previous coach took november last year. Even though he was a great guy i wasn't getting the results so looked up Paul Smith (golfguru)who is a TGM AI. I think i've made a fair bit of progress since then with Paul's help hopefully shown in the earlier videos, but it is a journey... at least now with more information i can focus on the causes not the band aids.... still hasn't dramatically dropped my handicap but i'm still working hard and feel it's not too far off...
Hi Yoda i promised i'd put up some video! any chance you can have a quick look?
Thanks, Jason
I'm off for a full day of teaching, Jason, but I did take a 'quick look'. You have a very nice motion, one that appears much better than your handicap would indicate.
Your Shouder Turn Takeaway is requiring a 'Loop' from Under Plane to On Plane at the Top. And you execute this Loop well.
Also, you seem to get through Start Down without any major damage. From there, though, you appear to Throw the Club past a Bending Left Wrist.
You must learn to keep your Left Wrist Flat through Impact and properly Hinge, then Swivel. There are countless ways to attack the problem. A sure one is found in the Basic Motion Curriculum of 12-5-1/3, especially when assisted and supported by a competent Instructor.
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