Need help with my $800 golf lesson -- & a Manzella video suggestion. (swing video)

[dsmith2296]

I did not mean to suggest that you should hit like Sergio. I just think that the grip issues discussed are secondary to your apparent lack of power generation in the clip. You seem to be a fairly athletic looking dude who is not generating torque or stressing the shaft. If you are hitting 140 yard seven irons and are battling a low hook and just want to straighten it out, proceed with examining your grip. But you if you are looking at hitting 165+ yard balls that sizzle off that seven iron, you need to consider swing dynamics beyond your grip, which would entail delaying that release and storing energy. Hence the clips I posted.

 

[dannyc]

Any thoughts on helping me swing more left? I guess I need to get Never Hook Again....yes/no??

Yes! great video!

 

[savydan]

Thanks for the feedback...keep it coming. Had a "lesson" today and some practice time and it was very enlightening. The "lesson" was higher hands at set up. He told me if I wanted to change my grip I could. Very helpful.

Anyway...I have been working hard on COFF this past week and it shows, i had some really good impact hands frequently. The bigger issue...I now have to concede -- my grip is a bit strong...the machine was showing a pretty consistantly closed face at impact 3-4 degrees. I worked on neutralizing that. I got to the point it was always a few degrees open at impact...all though still looking shut at the top, it was perfectly vertical (facing away from me) coming down parallel prior impact. And all things being equal was most surprised to see my swing path was consistantly 8-10 degrees INSIDE-OUT....which I just didn't think I could do (or was doing). Even when I tried to come over the outside I couldn't.

I think i need to continue to work on my body getting my hands to impact as well as relaxing my arms.

Any thoughts on helping me swing more left? I guess I need to get Never Hook Again....yes/no??

Thanks!

You are swinging inside-out 9 degrees. And your clubface is pointing 4 degrees left of the target line.

So you swing the club with it closed 13 degrees relative to its path.

You generally want to swing an iron with it open a degree or two relative to its path to hit it straight.

So you need to learn how to have the clubface 15 degrees more open to its path than you currently do.

And fixing that hammer left hand is optional??

 

[nickw511]

no progress

Have been working on COFF with a more neutral grip and NHA2, but played a horrible round yesterday. 1st hole was great, then seriously down hill from there. Low smothers I guess it was. Drivers with a ton of overspin the just dived down. I suppose I slipped back into old habits while losing some of my old compensations. Short short game was good.

Do you think my now flat(ter) left wrist I have drilled in with COFF is now hurting me because my grip is still too strong? I feel like I've gone from a respectable (bogey) golfer to a total hack.

 

[savydan]

Grip changes are typically the hardest to make. Give it a few more rounds and/or lessons.

It would be interesting to see if your impact numbers have your path and face more in line with each other.

Hard to say exactly about CoFF without seeing your current grip. Frankly, from your last vid, you had the side of your left hand facing the target, not the logo. So anti-flip drills just reinforce a hold on move for you. As you get the grip more neutral, you are going to have to learn a little more of a conventional release. Give it some time and practice.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Nick, do a search on the line drill, underhand javelin delivery, the toss, the fiddle drill, LCT, and shake the sugar and bag this dude you're seeing. You need some dynamics and some "dump down" of force on the ball from your arms. Your grip is fine for now in my opinion.

 

[nickw511]

Kevin, I have CoFF, Soft Draw, and NHA2...it seems like the drills you mentioned kinda point me mostly toward Soft Draw....do you think that would be the best 'general' pattern I should work on for my swing (along with a few other customized feels, i.e. shake the sugar)? I guess I might be a little worried about my In to Out path if I work exclusively with Soft Draw...what do you think?? Thanks!

 

[Kevin Shields]

I think once you get the gains from those drills and ideas, your path can be altered rather easily. The wooden look of your arms, lack of gravity in your downswing and leakage I wouls address first. Get some "sling" in your motion before you worry about fixing ballflight. It will be much easier then.

 

[nickw511]

UPDATE

Ok...I decided to work on grip...it is definitely more neutral now. It is comfortable and my left heel pad is still on top of the club with a good right hand.

I believe I have added a little more 'sling' and 'dynamic' into my swing...it's been there before, it had just gotten buried by swing thoughts and mechanics.
I believe I still need to work on keeping my swing center back and thus some axis tilt or, in other words continue, to work on my pivot.

Short irons have been quite good. My biggest problem was the snap hooks...which still come up sometimes, but more over now I am pushing everything (mid to long clubs). So i guess that means path, right? Having trouble with that. I feel my 'natural' backswing still feels a lot like Soft Draw. I have been working on yellow brick road from NHA but still having trouble. Any advice??? Should "hitting it with my pivot" better help fix these pushes? Sometimes when I try that the hooks come back.


Thanks

 

[Kevin Shields]

Just bacause you "hit with your pivot" doesnt mean the thrust from said pivot isnt going to the right , thus making the path still in to out. Can you post up some video like you did last time?

 

[nickw511]

new swing videos

Just bacause you "hit with your pivot" doesnt mean the thrust from said pivot isnt going to the right , thus making the path still in to out. Can you post up some video like you did last time?

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Two down the line driver. Both hit pretty well, both are fairly straight, but the first starts left and the second right. Which was the story of my day the last time I played. Both sides, unpredictable.



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Two face on 8 irons. Pretty decent shots. I had been hitting some toe shots and some fat shots.

Thanks in advance for all comments!

 

[JonWil]

Hey Nick,

Is your driver carry distance 420 or 410!!

 

[nickw511]

Hey Nick,

Is your driver carry distance 420 or 410!!

Yeah...well...that's whats even more frustrating right now...I can't keep up with the medium hitters let alone long or super long....

Contact is king i guess.

 

[Kevin Shields]

The first driver, no axis tilt, out and over heel pull. The second one was the same until you got back under it in the last instant to hit it right. You need to start with keeping your spine tilted away from the target in the downswing and swinging "under" your spine with your arms swinging past your chin.

 

[nickw511]

The first driver, no axis tilt, out and over heel pull. The second one was the same until you got back under it in the last instant to hit it right. You need to start with keeping your spine tilted away from the target in the downswing and swinging "under" your spine with your arms swinging past your chin.

Great...sounds good, thanks Kevin!! I will work on that and see. Does the still picture from the practice-drill swing below look more like it should??

Just to be clear, i know axis tilt is not the same as the shoulder tilt depicted by the lines in this picture, but I think the shoulder tilt here is just a side effect of having my tail bone closer to the target (hopefully) than my neck in this practice swing. Right or no?