College Golfer- Thin Shots

[golfball323]

Hey guys, my college golf season is starting soon. I have been struggling for a little bit and am in search of some help.

I have enjoyed a great summer, shooting several rounds in the sixties and quite a few around par. My ballstriking has been superb, my misses just being five yards or so offline (approach shots)

Recently I have been playing much worse, a result of hitting the ball extremely thin. I was curious if anybody had any suggestions that are more advanced then "stay down on the ball"

I am a very flexible individual with a huge shoulder turn and very little hand activity.

I know it helps to see my swing but right now I am at school and do not have my swing handy.

any ideas?

 

[Chris Sturgess]

You could probably use more of a descending blow on your iron shots.

 

[golfball323]

isn't that the equivalent of saying "stop slicing by squaring up the clubface?".

Whats the best way to achieve a more descending blow? Why do I take great divots some days, and others I can't get down to the ball?

 

[bray]

golfball323,

There are a lot of possibilities in asking a general question like that.

I would begin by checking the position of your right shoulder and right arm flying wedge at impact. Also I would check your flat left wrist and left arm. Finally I would check your axis tilt and plane coming into impact. All of the above is listed in no particular order normally the miss just jumps right out at you as teacher.

However your right shoulder should be considerbaly lower than your left at impact. Your right elbow should be bent at impact because it straightens through the low point of the divot and into follow through. Your left wrist should be geometrically flat with straight left arm at impact, which means you have full extension of your radius measured from the shoulder to the clubhead.

That's where I would start. One of the above may or may not be the cause, video would really help is spotting the problem, but I hope this helps for now.

By the way who are you playing for????

Sorting Through the Circuit Player's Handbook.

B-Ray

 

[Chris Sturgess]

isn't that the equivalent of saying "stop slicing by squaring up the clubface?".

Whats the best way to achieve a more descending blow? Why do I take great divots some days, and others I can't get down to the ball?

Squaring the clubface is difficult for a lot of people, but a descending blow is easy. Just the thought of it should be enough especially if you are a scratch player. Hitting some short irons with your right heel off the ground the whole time might help. And think about having plenty of lag in the downswing.

 

[golfball323]

Bray,

I play for Canisius College in Buffalo. We aren't ranked very high, but have some good talent that should help us jump in the rankings a bit.

I video taped my swing last night and have made a correction in my setup. I am not very well versed in TGM just yet, maybe you can help me understand the adjustment that I made in TGM speak.

On video tape, I noticed that I was more hunched over than I should have been. This caused my hands to be too far under my body when I addressed the ball.

I corrected my posture and this automatically realigned my hands back under my chin (where I feel they should be). This has really helped my ballstriking.

Any ideas why?

 

[Dobber]

Posture...

golball:

I too struggle with the same thing at times. Think of it this way, as you hunch over at address, you are setting yourself to be a certain distance away from the ball. In this hunched address, as you swing back and come into your 'normal impact' (not as hunched), you could in essence be pulling your hands further away as your body straightens its angles.

Oppositte would be true if you start in a good posture at address and then get hunched into the ball, it may lead to fat shots...

Again, this is one possibility but I know it happens with myself (in both directions).

Dobber

 

[golfball323]

Thanks Dobber,

I think that is the most logical way of thinking about it. I was just interested to see what "the experts" felt.

I usually like to keep things simple, however, golf just isn't that easy.

 

[jew]

Feel like your upper body is moving more down and forward and not moving backwards on the downswing and followthru

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

You were too bent over causing you to swing too inside-out which creates a very shallow angle of attack.

 

[golfball323]

Unfortunately this isn't the case. I still come over the top and had to compensate by having a steep shaft plane at impact.

Does that sound like it could be a problem within itself?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Strange, do you have any video?

 

[golfball323]

yes, but how do i put it up?

 

[Leek]

You were too bent over causing you to swing too inside-out which creates a very shallow angle of attack.

Jim, I thought standing too upright created an inside-out path. Can you explain?

 

[bray]

golfball323,

Dobber did an "expert" job of explaining why your set up change worked...their is no need to me expound on it.

Just to clarify.....at impact your shaft plane is steep at impact in relation to what plane????

The shaft plane should be steeper than the shaft plane established at address....in most cases.

Sorting Through the Circuit Player's Handbook.

B-Ray

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Jim, I thought standing too upright created an inside-out path. Can you explain?

The more upright you stand the more axis tilt you will need to swing inside/out. The more bent over you stand the less axis tilt you need to swing inside out.

Try it sometime

 

[golfball323]

Good ol' Harvey always had the right answer.

Ive been playing much better the last few days keeping the clubhead outside my hands during the takeaway. Feels weird... but pure.

 

[bray]

Getting the club outside the hands in the backswing also get the club up faster in the backswing. This can set you up better to hit down as well.

The key is being able to keep the left wrist "geometricaly flat" in relation to the grip taken at address...when getting the club in the right spot in the backswing.

golfball323,
to help you with this an instructor would need to see video or pics of your grip.
If it's working I'd stick with it.....just trying to add a little more precision to what you're doing.

Sorting Through the Golf Nut's Catalog.

B-Ray

 

[shortgamer]

Good ol' Harvey always had the right answer.

Ive been playing much better the last few days keeping the clubhead outside my hands during the takeaway. Feels weird... but pure.

Sounds like me- I swing too far to the right and hit alot of thin shots. When I keep the club outside my hands I end up in a better position at the top for a straight plane line comming down instead of inside out.