How to not cross the line?

[jonnygrouville]

As the above, there are numerous possible reasons and factors to consider.

From my person experience, if you are after something to experiment with until you can post a video and get a more expert opinion, feeling the forearms rotate has helped. The warning here is not starting this too soon - you should still feel like the hands are in and clubhead is out (like the takeaway from Brian's Golf Channel audition clip) to start with. From there, you need to feel like the left elbow is kind of rolling over the right elbow that is staying lower.

Another feeling I have found useful when I get a bit across the line is keeping more pressure between the top of your left thumb and your right hand-pad at the top - kind of pushing your hands away from your head, away from the target. As a drill, you can push a tee-peg between the left thumb and right hand pad at address and make sure it stays there during the swing.

Again, might not be precisely for you, but might help. You never know!

 

[DCgolf]

A cupped left wrist is the most common cause of this. It usually causes the club to start down too steep from where you have to "back up" to shallow it out, and you get shallow impact with a steep (vertical) shaft. More arm rotation, a flatter left wrist and swinging your hands a little more OUT from your body on the takeaway can help this. Now if you have a greater-than-90 degree shoulder turn, different story; then the club should be across the line. I call this "Point left, hit left".

 

[birly-shirly]

How is the cross the line position effecting impact? What type of shots are you hitting?

I know I'm swinging in to out. I tend to hit a pretty pronounced draw with all clubs, but if I block clubface rotation then the push is something horrible. Divots point right and I have a tendency towards fat short irons. Or short fat irons...!

Thanks for your other post too. Makes a lot of sense. I have quite a full shoulder turn, and I get the idea that what counts as "on-line" needs to relate to the amount of shoulder turn. What I don't totally get is whether the amount of shoulder turn has a real impact on path through impact.

I'm afraid I'd be guessing if I told you what condition my left wrist was in at the top. Getting my swing videoed isn't that easy and I wouldn't rely on "feel" for this.

 

[birly-shirly]

Why are you across the line? Cupped wrist? Under rotated wedge? Whats the ball flight? Do you have trigger delay? What kind of grip do you employ?...........

An across the line swing has two moves to the ball, shallow it to the plane and then cover. Alot of people cant do that. An on line or slightly laid off can be only one move. You really should post your swing when you have a question like this. There's a hundred different variables when you're talking laid off vs. on line vs. across the line.

All three work perfectly fine matched up with other components. Do you have a swing to post?

Kevin - I know what you're saying. Video would be good, but is difficult for me. Difficult to get in the first place, but more importantly, difficult to work with on an ongoing basis to check progress. I feel like, if you go down the route of posting video and getting an analysis of what shows up on screen, then you've really got to carry on in that vein when you practice and try to implement the advice. With the practice facilities and opportunities that I have, I've tried to work with other feedback than visual for preference.

It was partly with that in mind that I tried to frame my first post as a general discussion, and not a specifically "help my swing" topic. I accept that my circumstances limit anyone's ability to offer a direct diagnosis and cure.

I think though that your post has touched on something that I'm starting to realise - that "across the line" is a pretty ambiguous measure. "laid off" is probably discussed more - but seems to be associated both with an out-to-in path AND with an underplane, hooky, blocky push. So I think what you're maybe saying is that how you get there is more important than where you end up.

Re your questions. Ballflight is easy. Push-draws, tending to overdraws and hooks - but with occasional big block right. Divots point right and occasionally at the target. Never left.

Left wrist at top and trigger delay - I don't think I could really say without seeing it on video unless there are other clues.

Grip is stronger than Manzella-neutral - but then I'm not sure if having small to medium size mitts makes neutral quite hard to handle. I can't get the back of my left hand in a manzella-neutral alignment AND get my thumb comfortably on the aft side of the handle.

HOWEVER, I've just been messing with a weaker right hand grip than I usually play with. V pointing straight up the shaft and this seems to result in a very natural, almost automatic, alignment of the shaft at the top. I'm quite pleased with this so far and will probably give this a bit of time on the range to bed in unless you think there's a death move waiting just around the corner.

 

[spuds]

Bought a video camera, discovered that I crossed the line with all clubs, but more with driver. Worked on it for about a year, now can't break 80, used to be scratch to a high of 4 handicap. My swing used to need very little maintenence, was a consistent ball striker. So don't change unless you need to.

 

[ZAP]

The ball only knows a couple of things. Kind of like me.