Go ahead...

[Erik_K]

Some preliminaries:

I am trying to use the SD pattern for the irons, and would like to use it for the driver as well. However, I am wondering if a fade is easier to control (and maintain).

What I've been working on lately - a more centered pivot and getting the club in a slightly 'crossed the line' position at the top. I also need to turn a lot more through the shot. While it's not required, I'd like more of a snap release. It seems that my arms get away from my body, hence my sweep/random release.

I owe much to Damon Lucas and our own B-manz. Without them, I wouldn't have made it this far!

Face on View:

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DTL View:

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[Mike O]

Alot of work left to do - I'd stay with a pro(s) and not solicit forum advice.

 

[dbl]

I don't know, doesn't look so bad. I see SD backswing, decent top of the SD backswing.

I think to begin the downswing there is a little carry which I'm not expecting, but probably no big deal if looking for a straighter shot.

From the face on view, at the start of the downswing there is a bit of forward motion of the whole trunk and then near the ball seems like the legs/hips are adding a lot of upward motion as if too allow the arms to straighten so much.

What did the ball do? Looked like it started straight to a bit left...then what?

 

[Erik_K]

DBL -

Thanks for the feedback. I, for some reason, probably hit a slight fade with the SD pattern. I'd rather hit the draw as the pattern is built to do that.

I don't have a definite "miss" because I tend to both pull the ball severely and block/slice it to the right. I played on Tuesday and a few fat iron shots killed my round. When I focus on making a good SD backswing, I sometimes hit the ball fat. I am guess I am not turning enough through the shot to get the clubhead transported to the right spot. Interestingly enough this pattern has helped shallow out my swing and I don't, usually, have deep divots pointing to the left.

I think I don't have a good grasp of the "toss." I guess I need to re-watch the video and/or ask some questions about the toss.

Erik

 

[niblick1]

Agree with dbl, looks like a good SD backswing and top of backswing -- but the move through the ball looks more like a standard fade move, like you are begin moving path left through ball to hit a cut. I'd be curious what happened if you added the "One Last Point" and kept the path and face more to right through the ball; more a Bobby Jones finish than standard fade finish.

I'm curious how your game is these days in comparison to two years ago at Lake Presidential seminar...? Your swing looks very "golflike" to me, to use a Manzella-ism.

 

[Erik_K]

Hi Niblick!

Has it been two years, or was it last year that you saw me at Lake Presidential?

I am playing better this year for sure. Being a good golfer means so much more than having a pretty looking swing. It needs to be functional... and you need to pitch, chip, and putt. But I digress.

Yes. I think I am, unintentionally, adding a fade type transition and downswing move. If I am not mistaken, the "One Last Point" was where the hands point at the finish, correct?

Erik

 

[Shot Limit]

Butt end of the club.

 

[Erik_K]

Thanks, Neil.

 

[softconsult]

The Face On, to my eye looks, good. The Down the Line, however, really shows some opportunities. The right heel off the ground with the hands not yet to hip high on the downswing can't be good. The stand up move before impact needs to be improved upon. I'm not qualified to offer advice on just how to solve these problems.

 

[niblick1]

Erik-

That was two years ago. 98 degrees and 90 per cent humidity that weekend so my memories are a little heat-fuzzed.

Yeah, "One Last Point" is butt end of the club pointing at the target or maybe slightly right of target (with D-Plane info now, I think Brian might update exactly where that point is pointing in next Soft Draw Video...?) I tend to think of the little bit across the line backswing and the One Last Point finish as the way you make sure the path is pointing far enough right to play a draw.

I work on that One Last Point at times as an antidote to things that I tend to overdo in my own swing.

 

[niblick1]

Butt end of the club.

Oops didn't see this was already posted. Yep, that's what I meant.

 

[Erik_K]

I have a hard time with the butt pointing out to the right (one last point). I re-took some video today from DTL and hopefully this looks a little better. This finish is obviously not super smooth as I am just now trying to make this change in my swing.

This finish feels unnatural and I don't see how one finishes with the butt of the club out to right field when the club wants to work around to the left. However, I think the goal is to have high hands at the finish with the club, more or less, sort of hanging straight down from the top at the finish.

As far as standing up goes, I want to say that's related to the hips and lower body action. This area has needed work for quite some time.

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[spmurph]

I have been going through almost the exact same thing with my swing. I was at the range last night when I decided to add more "drop" from the top of my backswing and that was enough to turn that fade into a soft draw. Not just dropping my hands but making sure my rear shoulder dropped too before it went out.

I also have the same problem with getting on the toes of my rear foot early in the downswing. I'm going to take some video and see if that new move from the top has helped with the lower body movement. It felt like it did but you know how that goes.

BTW, if you can I highly suggest a high speed camera. There are still some FH-100s floating around for a little more than $200. I just picked one up and it's like night and day looking at your swing at 120fps compared to 30fps.

 

[Jwat]

I know not many here like to talk about this, but to me it looks like you have quite a bit of early extension in your downswing. There is no way to properly swing left or carry when you early extend that bad. It will throw you out to the right everytime. You have quite a bit of lean over the ball on the downswing as well which is a contributing factor to the early extension. You may be able to just lift the toes up during the swing or something simple without having to change your swing to cure it.

I personally have to create alot of distance between my hands and crotch the entire swing to not early extend. Anyways, good luck. I agree with part of what Mike says. You should absolutley be listening to the pros above everyone else no matter what. Sometimes though, when you want more constant feedback, the forum is the best place.

 

[Erik_K]

I know not many here like to talk about this, but to me it looks like you have quite a bit of early extension in your downswing. There is no way to properly swing left or carry when you early extend that bad. It will throw you out to the right everytime. You have quite a bit of lean over the ball on the downswing as well which is a contributing factor to the early extension. You may be able to just lift the toes up during the swing or something simple without having to change your swing to cure it.

I personally have to create alot of distance between my hands and crotch the entire swing to not early extend. Anyways, good luck. I agree with part of what Mike says. You should absolutley be listening to the pros above everyone else no matter what. Sometimes though, when you want more constant feedback, the forum is the best place.

By early extension, do you mean the arms straightening pre-maturely on the downswing? I don't think I have much of an early release or a cast. My impact alignments are normally pretty decent.

Or, do you mean something else - perhaps my weight is shifting onto my toes on the downswing?

I agree with the second question or observation. My hips are not very open at impact (if at all) and I believe my upper body is fighting against the lower. I think that when the hips get in the way, all sorts of crazy things can happen. I hope to work on the hip clearing today at the range.

 

[Erik_K]

I have been going through almost the exact same thing with my swing. I was at the range last night when I decided to add more "drop" from the top of my backswing and that was enough to turn that fade into a soft draw. Not just dropping my hands but making sure my rear shoulder dropped too before it went out.

I also have the same problem with getting on the toes of my rear foot early in the downswing. I'm going to take some video and see if that new move from the top has helped with the lower body movement. It felt like it did but you know how that goes.

BTW, if you can I highly suggest a high speed camera. There are still some FH-100s floating around for a little more than $200. I just picked one up and it's like night and day looking at your swing at 120fps compared to 30fps.

I hope to land a better camera eventually. It's annoying that when I compare my current swing to old swings, or a Tour player that sometimes I do not have enough frames to make a valid comparison. Impact always comes to mind. Often there's a frame just before, or just after but nothing right at the moment of truth.

Erik

 

[natep]

By early extension he means he means spine extension (standing up), moving the pelvis towards the ball on the downswing and losing the tush-line. And yes, this could likely mean your weight moving to your toes on downswing.

Some people swear by "maintaining the tush line". Personally, I think its somewhat overrated.

 

[Erik_K]

Thanks, Natep. I will focus more on left knee rotation and trying to avoid coming off the Tush Line. While there is some debate as to how important the Tush Line is golf, I think we'll all agree that lunging toward the ball and limiting hip rotation is not a good thing. This afternoon I will get some video of smooth swings with better/hip knee action. I hope to analyze the Tush Line tonight and maybe post some findings. I expect the ball striking to suffer a little bit until I correct this balance and rotation problem.

Erik

 

[Jwat]

By early extension he means he means spine extension (standing up), moving the pelvis towards the ball on the downswing and losing the tush-line. And yes, this could likely mean your weight moving to your toes on downswing.

Some people swear by "maintaining the tush line". Personally, I think its somewhat overrated.

I agree with you about some of the instruction solely focusing on this aspect and Brian proves there is other ways of fixing the problem with correcting club path and what not. But I am here to tell you that it is something I struggle with and when I early extend it is pull hooks all day long. I have had multiple lessons with Brian and no we never worked on the early extension because I had serious clubface and path issues at the time. I used to be a shanker and went to all the big time schools to get fixed (Harmon,Haney, etc) but never fixed until I went to Brian. Later on I developed an extreme pull hook and I wasn't able to go back and see Brian, but Kevin helped me over email after several sessions to really focus and manage the early extension since that used to be a big struggle for him.

Anyways, I think Erik has a great backswing. But he is doing some serious pelvis thrusting on the way down and it is throwing his path way out. I bet he is moving at least 6" closer to the ball. I don't think he is really standing up on it as much as his crotch going towards the ball which in turn makes you stand up some. So for me I would worry more about keeping the and creating more distance from the crotch to the ball on the downswing. But like I said in the 1st post, the Pros are the ones to listen too. There is a reason why they don't talk about early extension that much because for most it can be fixed by correcting the hand path.

 

[footwedge]

It's the left leg's positioning in the b.s. that moves your weight towards your toes and since that is going to be the foward pivot point on the d.s. guess what's going to go where the weight and balance point is. You swing your club unit outwards from the top because you have no other option from the position your in and all the rest of it are the effects i.e. the right foot lifting and standing up, your basically off balance towards your toes and that starts the chain reaction of compensating moves. JMO.