I've had a big breakthrough in using soft draw pattern. I was re-watching the soft draw video before going to practice last week and caught the comment about no torque swinging and letting club set at top with no torque, letting motion of arms and club carry upper body to backswing finish and swinging in an almost John Dalyish way to end of backswing. I think my swing has always been a little hurried with not as smooth a transition as I'd like, and I think I was using too much extensor action for a long time.
I go the the range, step on my right foot to start swing, suddenly use much more lct and have a much longer Dalyish backswing. I see the club out of my peripheral vision (left eye) at end of backswing. My transition really feels less rushed and smooth, more natural and more powerful, and I feel like I have never swung so smoothly with so little use of active arms on backswing. Also, I am suddenly swinging more left on downswing and am pivoting to a nicer, much more balanced finish with the soft draw finish (I think swinging too far right was making my finish kind of cramped and awkward). Almost every shot now is a tiny draw. But the ball starts high and goes higher - I am hitting the ball flush a lot and hitting where I am aiming. The total distance is ok for me, say 140-145 with a solid 8-iron, and 245-255 drivers, but that is not great distance, say 10 per cent shorter than my 90-95 per cent max distance, when I am playing really well, but I am hitting very, very high shots. Like PGA high. Aim control - hitting where I am looking is off the charts for me.
Is this likely steepness issue and lots of spin? Is it maybe just that I haven't figured out how to add right arm with this longer motion? My divots are less deep than before, but I'm not sweeping everything either (I am trying to hit down less to control my d-plane). Maybe my motion is so much better shafts aren't quite right? Any ideas? Maybe I should be content with these distances? Everything else is great.
As an added benefit, I was using much more extensor action before and I think I had golfer's elbow in left elbow from that rigidity. Brian told me that was the likely cause at my last lesson and loosening up my arms on backswing has helped everything (except I now feel like my backswing might be narrow?). Now, I've played three days this way and have zero elbow pain. I feel like I am letting my elbow bend more on my backswing, too.
I go the the range, step on my right foot to start swing, suddenly use much more lct and have a much longer Dalyish backswing. I see the club out of my peripheral vision (left eye) at end of backswing. My transition really feels less rushed and smooth, more natural and more powerful, and I feel like I have never swung so smoothly with so little use of active arms on backswing. Also, I am suddenly swinging more left on downswing and am pivoting to a nicer, much more balanced finish with the soft draw finish (I think swinging too far right was making my finish kind of cramped and awkward). Almost every shot now is a tiny draw. But the ball starts high and goes higher - I am hitting the ball flush a lot and hitting where I am aiming. The total distance is ok for me, say 140-145 with a solid 8-iron, and 245-255 drivers, but that is not great distance, say 10 per cent shorter than my 90-95 per cent max distance, when I am playing really well, but I am hitting very, very high shots. Like PGA high. Aim control - hitting where I am looking is off the charts for me.
Is this likely steepness issue and lots of spin? Is it maybe just that I haven't figured out how to add right arm with this longer motion? My divots are less deep than before, but I'm not sweeping everything either (I am trying to hit down less to control my d-plane). Maybe my motion is so much better shafts aren't quite right? Any ideas? Maybe I should be content with these distances? Everything else is great.
As an added benefit, I was using much more extensor action before and I think I had golfer's elbow in left elbow from that rigidity. Brian told me that was the likely cause at my last lesson and loosening up my arms on backswing has helped everything (except I now feel like my backswing might be narrow?). Now, I've played three days this way and have zero elbow pain. I feel like I am letting my elbow bend more on my backswing, too.
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