NSA / Twistaway Question

[QSPILOTCMH]

Brian thanks for a good video!

Brief history before questions:

I found NSA 3 years ago while searching for "flat left wrist at the top of backswing". My instructor said I needed to work on it since I always had a weak slice. After watching the video it fixed my slice real fast and I started to fight a pull hook.

I have went away from NSA for different methods several times after reading a book or the internet forums. I have had a few different instructors and will shot in the high 80's or low 100's depending on the day. I tend to jump from method to method thinking on is better than the next. If I'm having issues I will come back to NSA and it really helps my swing but I will hit a patch of ball striking that makes me search for something else.

Questions:

Is NSA a pattern that can last your entire golfing life or is it a temporary band-aid?

What is the ideal stance width and ball position for the pattern?

My irons and 5 wood off a short tee are good but on the ground they are solid, fat, and thin. Could that be a ball position issue?

If I start hooking I will weaken my grip slightly and continue the twistaway with a straighter ball flight. Is this a good process for hooks?

I tend to hook my Driver the worse is this abnormal?

After fighting my swing for the past few weeks under another pattern I went out to the range with NSA and I was pretty happy. My irons off the ground are an issue at times but that could be a ball position issue. My driver was solid but I hit a few low hooks.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my thread!

 

[Brian Manzella]

Is NSA a pattern that can last your entire golfing life or is it a temporary band-aid?

If you do the whole shebang as a pattern, it can work, and it does for several folks.

It would be a better long-term pattern for many with a slightly stronger grip and the clubface swiveled just to the plane.

What is the ideal stance width and ball position for the pattern?

I like the ball JUST left of middle for the shots of the ground, with the hybrids a hair left of that, the fairway woods another bit to the left, and the driver on the left instep.

The pattern also works great with a slightly closed stance.

My irons and 5 wood off a short tee are good but on the ground they are solid, fat, and thin. Could that be a ball position issue?

SOund like you are a bit too inside-out, and maybe the ball could be slightly further back.........or both.

If I start hooking I will weaken my grip slightly and continue the twistaway with a straighter ball flight. Is this a good process for hooks?

That will work.

So will a little better "unwind" through the ball, and slightly less twist.

I tend to hook my Driver the worse is this abnormal?

Not abnormal.

You probably could do the pattern with less twist.

Do you have Never Hook Again?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

For someone who has used nsa in the past with success, at some point, you just simply over do the twist because you've learned to either 1) not open it too much in the backswing or 2) learn not to LET IT open in the downswing as much. Just try to manage your twist a little better and you'll be ok.

 

[QSPILOTCMH]

Thanks for the quick response Brian! I do have NHA and Soft-draw as well.

My plan is to stick with NSA until most of my balls go straight or left then take another look at the Soft Draw video. Does that sound like a good plan?

As I mentioned in my post, I think I'm cured after one positive range session, and then jump to something else. I really need to stop that and stop reading all my magazines, book, and online golf tips

While using NSA again yesterday my contact and ball speed on my irons really jumped up. I must of been flipping or had the face open on them that past few weeks as they felt very weak!

Do you have any plans on a short game video? I need help on 30-50 yard pitches and grooving a sold chip shot that will not check on one shot then roll out to far on the next.

Are you coming to Tampa this year for either golf tournament?

Thanks again!

 

[QSPILOTCMH]

For someone who has used nsa in the past with success, at some point, you just simply over do the twist because you've learned to either 1) not open it too much in the backswing or 2) learn not to LET IT open in the downswing as much. Just try to manage your twist a little better and you'll be ok.

Thanks Jim

 

[Kevin Shields]

You have one of the more interesting screenames. Very hard to decipher!

 

[QSPILOTCMH]

QSPILOTCMH

QS= Quarter Share (Netjets INC)
Pilot= Pilot
CMH= Columbus but we now live in Tampa

I have thought about changing in on this site and GolfWRX.

Chris

 

[Brian Manzella]

I do plan on Fort Myers/Tampa this spring, but won't know for a week or two.

To me, a really good pattern would be a NHA backswing, with only enough twist to have the clubface in an orthodox location. With a Soft Draw type downswing.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Sounds like Fred Couples. Up the wall, late twist.

 

[mkemble]

QSPILOTCMH, thanks for the thread. I feel your pain, though I struggle hitting woods and hybrids with NSA - irons are great (when its going good). I can shoot in the low 80's for a good stretch - maybe a month or so - but I start over-cooking the twist or tumble or something else and start hooking it. Really solid contact, nice high ball flight, but about 20-30 yards left of target. I'll watch in dismay as a 100 yard approach shot starts on target, starts drawing and just keeps going left, hits the cart path and bounces into the hazard. In mid-flight someone will always say "great shot" but I already know it's gonna turn 90* and end up in the sh!t. Eventually I'll start pull hooking it as my aim gets further and further right.

I know the routine by now but WHY CAN'T I FIX IT? Or better yet, how do I fix it or even better, how do I effectively play with the 20-30 yard hook? Besides the direction, distance and ballflight is perfect. Moving everything to the right hasn't worked. Maybe its path or maybe an early release but when I practice a "slo-mo" swing I notice the face is either closed or square but facing left at impact. How can I be releasing it early in a slo-mo swing? So is it too much twistaway or too much tumble? I just can't find the right amount of each.

I'll have to try the NHA + SD pattern and see what happens.

 

[QSPILOTCMH]

QSPILOTCMH, thanks for the thread. I feel your pain, though I struggle hitting woods and hybrids with NSA - irons are great (when its going good). I can shoot in the low 80's for a good stretch - maybe a month or so - but I start over-cooking the twist or tumble or something else and start hooking it. Really solid contact, nice high ball flight, but about 20-30 yards left of target. I'll watch in dismay as a 100 yard approach shot starts on target, starts drawing and just keeps going left, hits the cart path and bounces into the hazard. In mid-flight someone will always say "great shot" but I already know it's gonna turn 90* and end up in the sh!t. Eventually I'll start pull hooking it as my aim gets further and further right.

I know the routine by now but WHY CAN'T I FIX IT? Or better yet, how do I fix it or even better, how do I effectively play with the 20-30 yard hook? Besides the direction, distance and ballflight is perfect. Moving everything to the right hasn't worked. Maybe its path or maybe an early release but when I practice a "slo-mo" swing I notice the face is either closed or square but facing left at impact. How can I be releasing it early in a slo-mo swing? So is it too much twistaway or too much tumble? I just can't find the right amount of each.

I'll have to try the NHA + SD pattern and see what happens.

Good Luck! I like the SD video but for now I'm sticking with the NSA. I can play if I make solid contact and only miss one direction.

One the 100 yard shot that hooks are you adjusting for the D-plane?

 

[QSPILOTCMH]

I had another solid day with NSA. I think I was going after the ball a touch harder knowing if I hold the twist it won't go right. Iron contact was very solid. My miss was left of course and out of 80 irons shots over 60 were solid hits.

I figured out the issue with my irons was the ball position as Brian mentioned being a possible factor.

I now play my SW off my right foot with a stance that has the outside of my feet shoulder width. 5 Iron is just a hair right of center with a stance that has the middle of my feet shoulder width. 5 wood is dead center with the same stance width. Overall I need to play the ball back. I'm not sure why but that is where my swing bottoms out. I'm pretty sure I'm not casting because I'm holding the twist real good.

My driver a Ping G10 12 degree and I play it off my left heel. I hit floating range balls around 190 carry (I average 220-230 on the course) so that was not too bad for me since the balls lose some distance on the range. While I was at the range I decided to try the ball off my big toe. I made sure to aim my body a touch right and keep my right shoulder back. The first one I hit was solid and very high. I thought that I popped it up but it flew around 210-220. We have a blue flag at 200 that I usually can't get too unless I swing real hard. Well I was amazed so I tried again with similar results. With the same swing speed (90-95) I gained 20-30 yards of carry with a small ball position change!

What do you guys think of the iron ball position? It seems pretty far back as I use to play everything forward of center but I can't argue the results. I want to make sure it does not mess up something else in my swing!

Thanks

 

[ScottRob]

I know the routine by now but WHY CAN'T I FIX IT? Or better yet, how do I fix it or even better, how do I effectively play with the 20-30 yard hook? Besides the direction, distance and ballflight is perfect. Moving everything to the right hasn't worked. Maybe its path or maybe an early release but when I practice a "slo-mo" swing I notice the face is either closed or square but facing left at impact. How can I be releasing it early in a slo-mo swing? So is it too much twistaway or too much tumble? I just can't find the right amount of each.

I'll have to try the NHA + SD pattern and see what happens.[/QUOTE]



NHA is a great pattern for underplane-tuggers. One thing that helped me tremendously was paying particular attention to the shaft angle at address. At times, I build in too much shaft lean at address, and although I do a decent job keeping a workable face angle (relative to my path) the path is just too inside out, so I am bound to quack one left. NHA encourages the buttend of the club to be pointing at the belt buckle. Also, I think a slightly closed face (relative to the target line) is still very useful, provided your path is working slightly left of it. The conclusion I have reached is that an open face (again, relative to the target line) is not for me. My path tendency was to move the path further and further right to make my open face tendency usable. Usually,this made me handy off the tee (as long as the ball was placed well forward), but not as consistent with my irons. I guess, my experience tells me not to throw away a slightly closed face, until you have found the path, that will help you hit useful shots. A pull is a straight shot if you know how to aim it!