Ok, I'm gonna finally take the plunge...

[Mike O]

BigWill

Will,
For me - I'm not really a fan of training aids, best to do it with the real thing. Therefore, impact bag - NO. Work on it with the ball, hitting real shots.

With the face on 7 iron video - it's tough to tell where you are aiming given the ropes on the range, your stance line, ball locaiton and clubface alignment- everything is all over the place. Throw down some tour sticks or clubs and make sure you have things in the proper place.

Your grip isn't as strong as some might think. Many would merely look at the left hand and say you have a strong grip. However, with the ball so far back and the clubface so open (two separate issues) - your grip really isn't that strong. If you kept that grip, moved the ball up in the stance - to 4-5 inches before lowpoint and squared up the leading edge to the intended target, the amount of left hand you'd see in the video would be much less.

You could do this on your own (with a video camera) - however I'd find someone that you could work with or could monitor your results or teach you. Really posting on a forum for feedback - although it sounds like a good idea- not sure it has much value for the player and that would go for this post also.

 

[birly-shirly]

very, not to mention frustrating because it feels like anything weaker is going two fairways to the right.

That to me says that a dose of NSA is in order. Regardless of how your set-up skews how your grip looks, I thought it looked strong from the DTL views. And if you work on NSA, you'll also be working on not flipping.

My guess would be that you might find yourself limited in how open you can roll the club going back with your current grip, and also that the ball-back, hands-fwd takeaway is a reaction to the strong left hand and easier to fix with a more neutral hand positioning.

 

[footwedge]

Bigwill, that is a strong grip and you can tell that by the amount your left arm/forearm and shoulder are internally rotated. Once your grip is taken that way it remains a strong grip, but how the clubface was orientated( i.e. open or closed) at the time you took your hold on the club is another matter. Moving the ball up (alone) won't change the positioning of the club in your left hand it will remain a strong grip, it will affect some other things that could make things better or worse depending how you react to the new ball position. JMO.

 

[Bigwill]

I have a question. Having seen my swing, would it be a good idea to try to play a cut?

BTW, Brian, if you get a chance I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations regarding my swing.

 

[faux_maestro]

I have a question. Having seen my swing, would it be a good idea to try to play a cut?

BTW, Brian, if you get a chance I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations regarding my swing.

The pros that play from a closed face/strong grip generally play a cut. Duval (especially early), Azinger, Trevino.

 

[footwedge]

I have a question. Having seen my swing, would it be a good idea to try to play a cut?

BTW, Brian, if you get a chance I'd love to hear your thoughts and recommendations regarding my swing.

What happens if you can make your swing path left of your original target line, where does the ball start and where does it end up? Try that and see what occurs, could be an eye opener. Maybe even the path direction might surprise you as you attempt it.

 

[niblick1]

I'd love to hear Brian on this.

As many folks above have noted, your path is way inside out and if you really close the face coming through with that path, duck hook city. If you are coming in closed, you probably have to open face through impact to avoid that huge hook - slice two fairways right. Square face, still big push.

I think NHA is what I would try. It's like the opposite of your swing, a reverse mirror image of sorts of your swing in some ways and might get you a little closer to middle of the matrix. I know the principle is generally fix face first, but I'd want to know what happened with the face with a more workable path. I'm curious - have you ever tried hitting with a "towel plane board" aiming a little left of target?

 

[footwedge]

I'd love to hear Brian on this.

As many folks above have noted, your path is way inside out and if you really close the face coming through with that path, duck hook city. If you are coming in closed, you probably have to open face through impact to avoid that huge hook - slice two fairways right. Square face, still big push.

I think NHA is what I would try. It's like the opposite of your swing, a reverse mirror image of sorts of your swing in some ways and might get you a little closer to middle of the matrix. I know the principle is generally fix face first, but I'd want to know what happened with the face with a more workable path. I'm curious - have you ever tried hitting with a "towel plane board" aiming a little left of target?

Exactly how I see it.

 

[Lindsey Newman]

Hey Bigwill,

The flip is from the shaft backup/ fit in move. The overall verticality is the issue and the reason you have the strong grip (chicken or egg). You would hit radical slices with that much up and down and a neutral grip. You obviously have some challenges being a large man, but I can assure you that is not the problem. Some how, some way you need to get your hands deeper at the top so, like DC is pointing out, you can become more rounded in your attack. The side hill practice will help with the sensation of a more rounded and released attack. The grip must be neutralized along side or you can learn to play rounded and knuckles up something like Duval and Azinger. You are obviously athletic and have the coordination, but you must swing on a better angle like \ not |. Grip and swing angle of total swing are all you need to sweat.

 

[Bigwill]

What happens if you can make your swing path left of your original target line, where does the ball start and where does it end up? Try that and see what occurs, could be an eye opener. Maybe even the path direction might surprise you as you attempt it.

I have done this, and I tend to hit it a little straighter that way when I hit it well. Another thing that I've noticed is that whenever I try to hit a fade, it rarely curves a lot. Now a hook, I can get that sucker crossing my line of sight seemingly at 90*. Maybe I ought to pay attention to that little nugget of info, huh?

 

[Bigwill]

I'd love to hear Brian on this.

As many folks above have noted, your path is way inside out and if you really close the face coming through with that path, duck hook city. If you are coming in closed, you probably have to open face through impact to avoid that huge hook - slice two fairways right. Square face, still big push.

I think NHA is what I would try. It's like the opposite of your swing, a reverse mirror image of sorts of your swing in some ways and might get you a little closer to middle of the matrix. I know the principle is generally fix face first, but I'd want to know what happened with the face with a more workable path. I'm curious - have you ever tried hitting with a "towel plane board" aiming a little left of target?

Don't remember if I've ever tried the towel plane board. I've thought about NHA because of my upright swing, but because I hate that right side, I was always a little worried about committing to it; I thought it may have the potential to make my problems worse.

 

[Bigwill]

Hey Bigwill,

The flip is from the shaft backup/ fit in move. The overall verticality is the issue and the reason you have the strong grip (chicken or egg). You would hit radical slices with that much up and down and a neutral grip. You obviously have some challenges being a large man, but I can assure you that is not the problem. Some how, some way you need to get your hands deeper at the top so, like DC is pointing out, you can become more rounded in your attack. The side hill practice will help with the sensation of a more rounded and released attack. The grip must be neutralized along side or you can learn to play rounded and knuckles up something like Duval and Azinger. You are obviously athletic and have the coordination, but you must swing on a better angle like \ not |. Grip and swing angle of total swing are all you need to sweat.

Would taking knee-high or waist-high swings have a similar effect as the sidehill drills (for those times that I'm working on my swing at home), or would they be pretty much worthless?

 

[footwedge]

I have done this, and I tend to hit it a little straighter that way when I hit it well. Another thing that I've noticed is that whenever I try to hit a fade, it rarely curves a lot. Now a hook, I can get that sucker crossing my line of sight seemingly at 90*. Maybe I ought to pay attention to that little nugget of info, huh?

Maybe just maybe you ought to, just saying.

 

[Lindsey Newman]

Would taking knee-high or waist-high swings have a similar effect as the sidehill drills (for those times that I'm working on my swing at home), or would they be pretty much worthless?

Hard to say yes or no, but you gotta make a change by any means.

 

[gailfcno]

hello will

lindsey and dcgolf mentioned you are actually too steep, and then have to back it up. if you could shallow your transition it would make a big difference. your swing bears a resemblance to john daly, if you look at his swing you will see how he transitions from across the line and steep to laying the club down a little and getting it back on plane. your first move from the top would be to point the butt end of the club at the ball, or even outside it.

 

[Bigwill]

hello will

lindsey and dcgolf mentioned you are actually too steep, and then have to back it up. if you could shallow your transition it would make a big difference. your swing bears a resemblance to john daly, if you look at his swing you will see how he transitions from across the line and steep to laying the club down a little and getting it back on plane. your first move from the top would be to point the butt end of the club at the ball, or even outside it.

The shallowing move is something that I always coveted, as I thought that was my pathway to hitting a draw. I could never get it down. The point the butt thought/feel is something I've never used before; I'll try that.

It's funny you mention the resemblance to JD's swing; his has been one of my favorite swings (if not my favorite) since I began. I even had a long swing and the index finger way down the shaft like him. But I've since drawn my finger up and shortened my swing because better players told me to. Doubt I'll bring those things back to my swing, but I'll look closely at his transition and see if there's anything I can learn from it. Thanks for the post.

 

[faux_maestro]

The shallowing move is something that I always coveted, as I thought that was my pathway to hitting a draw. I could never get it down. The point the butt thought/feel is something I've never used before; I'll try that.

It's funny you mention the resemblance to JD's swing; his has been one of my favorite swings (if not my favorite) since I began. I even had a long swing and the index finger way down the shaft like him. But I've since drawn my finger up and shortened my swing because better players told me to. Doubt I'll bring those things back to my swing, but I'll look closely at his transition and see if there's anything I can learn from it. Thanks for the post.

I use the trigger finger on all shots. I started when John won the PGA in '91.

 

[DCgolf]

The essence of this is you have learned to shallow a steep shaft. Now you have to steepen a flatter shaft. You go from high hands, low club head to lower hands high club. It will be way more consistent and an arc shape you can repeat.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Dennis, what in your opinion is the best way to un-learn high hands low club?

 

[DCgolf]

Serious downhill lie.