The question mark in the subject heading indicates my uncertainty about what I'm about to post. It's something I've been experimenting with lately. Whether it's valid or not, I'll let the reader decide.
Quick background info. I'm 5'8, 150lb and can bench press about half that amount. ie. strength is not my strong suit. (pun intended.
) I'm quite flexible and I get OK distances, but whenever I see myself on video, it looks like the club is a bit too heavy for me. Got a bit of lateral movement away from the ball on the backswing, then back to the ball on the downswing. I "collapse" at the top and tend to overswing with all my clubs.
I tried to employ the extensor action on the backswing to keep some width and to stop my arms from collapsing at the top. However, this introduced some unwanted tension and I still collapsed as I changed direction at the top.
Here's a solution that SEEMS to be working for me so far. Instead of aiming for a WIDE takeaway, I try to picture a NARROW takeaway. When I think WIDE, I imagine the takeaway moves of Tiger and Greg Norman. When I think NARROW, I imagine the easy takeaway of Annika Sorenstam. Until my hands reach about waist height, I want to feel narrow. It even feels like my left arm is starting to bend a little.
Here are some pics of Annika from address to waist height on the backswing. (from golfonline.com)
From about waist height, I begin to feel the extensor action. I feel WIDE at the top. I like to picture someone like Davis Love III or Adam Scott at the top position.
The following diagram is supposed to illustrate what I FEEL. It is not supposed to indicate movement of any particular body part or the club. It's just the general FEEL I have during the new and old backswing.
The red line indicates the feel of my old backswing. Wide takeaway, and then the inward collapse at the top (indicated by the inward red arrow). The blue line is the feel of the new backswing. Initially narrow and then push the hands UP and AWAY from the target (indicated by the outward blue arrow). The outward push at the top feels like in the 10:30 to 11 o'clock direction. In fact, all I really feel from the address position is my intention to push in that direction. The narrow takeaway seems to happen naturally. So all I really feel is the green arrow. Remember, this push is a rather gentle one to get good width at the top, not a forced one that introduces tension.
Let me try to explain another way. If my arms were a piece of string, the old backswing felt like I was trying to keep the string taut right from the address position, and then invariably collapsing (introducing slack in the string) at the top. Now, it feels like I'm introducing some slack in the string during takaway, up to waist height. Then I stretch the string out in the 10:30 direction.
I have noticed following things on video:
a) Backswing looks tighter with better body turn
b) No collapse at the top and stop short of parallel (whereas before I went past)
c) A little pause at the top as I push my hands (towards 10:30) and start the downswing with the lower body. (ie. smoother transition)
d) Whole swing looks less tense and smoother. Posture is retained better throughout the swing.
e) less lateral shift, head staying more centered.
As I said, I'm just experimenting with this at this stage, but backswing feels much simpler now. Has anybody tried something like this? Thoughts? Could this work for someone who's not strong enough to keep the backswing wide right from the address position all the way to the top?
Quick background info. I'm 5'8, 150lb and can bench press about half that amount. ie. strength is not my strong suit. (pun intended.
) I'm quite flexible and I get OK distances, but whenever I see myself on video, it looks like the club is a bit too heavy for me. Got a bit of lateral movement away from the ball on the backswing, then back to the ball on the downswing. I "collapse" at the top and tend to overswing with all my clubs.I tried to employ the extensor action on the backswing to keep some width and to stop my arms from collapsing at the top. However, this introduced some unwanted tension and I still collapsed as I changed direction at the top.
Here's a solution that SEEMS to be working for me so far. Instead of aiming for a WIDE takeaway, I try to picture a NARROW takeaway. When I think WIDE, I imagine the takeaway moves of Tiger and Greg Norman. When I think NARROW, I imagine the easy takeaway of Annika Sorenstam. Until my hands reach about waist height, I want to feel narrow. It even feels like my left arm is starting to bend a little.
Here are some pics of Annika from address to waist height on the backswing. (from golfonline.com)
From about waist height, I begin to feel the extensor action. I feel WIDE at the top. I like to picture someone like Davis Love III or Adam Scott at the top position.
The following diagram is supposed to illustrate what I FEEL. It is not supposed to indicate movement of any particular body part or the club. It's just the general FEEL I have during the new and old backswing.
The red line indicates the feel of my old backswing. Wide takeaway, and then the inward collapse at the top (indicated by the inward red arrow). The blue line is the feel of the new backswing. Initially narrow and then push the hands UP and AWAY from the target (indicated by the outward blue arrow). The outward push at the top feels like in the 10:30 to 11 o'clock direction. In fact, all I really feel from the address position is my intention to push in that direction. The narrow takeaway seems to happen naturally. So all I really feel is the green arrow. Remember, this push is a rather gentle one to get good width at the top, not a forced one that introduces tension.
Let me try to explain another way. If my arms were a piece of string, the old backswing felt like I was trying to keep the string taut right from the address position, and then invariably collapsing (introducing slack in the string) at the top. Now, it feels like I'm introducing some slack in the string during takaway, up to waist height. Then I stretch the string out in the 10:30 direction.
I have noticed following things on video:
a) Backswing looks tighter with better body turn
b) No collapse at the top and stop short of parallel (whereas before I went past)
c) A little pause at the top as I push my hands (towards 10:30) and start the downswing with the lower body. (ie. smoother transition)
d) Whole swing looks less tense and smoother. Posture is retained better throughout the swing.
e) less lateral shift, head staying more centered.
As I said, I'm just experimenting with this at this stage, but backswing feels much simpler now. Has anybody tried something like this? Thoughts? Could this work for someone who's not strong enough to keep the backswing wide right from the address position all the way to the top?
