Pulling - Lack of axis tilt?

[Bill Miracle]

I've been really struggling with hard pulls lately, especially with the driver and short irons.

Yesterday, I kept tracing my path with the driver and couldn't get a good arc in the swing. In forcing a good path, I made my right shoulder drop more and, eureka, I could see the proper arc at the bottom and all of the sudden, I was hitting great drives.

Sounds like I just answered my question but, if I get stuck pulling balls again, is there anything else I want to look at other than tilt? Was this just a band-aid?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

This is something i struggled with as i got better. I had a wonderful pivot and had axis tilt in MOST of the downswing. See keyword, "most."

What happens is that you are probably LOSING your axis tilt THROUGH the ball and thus forcing the ball very left.

A drill i have been doing for students lately is to put a ball down about 5" or so behind the ball but not directly parallel. I put it there and tell them to look at that ball in the downswing and don't "follow the ball" until you feel the ball gone.

This helps them stay in their tilt to allow the right shoulder to go downplane better. Try that and see how it works.

ALSO

do a search for "pulls" on the site, brian put up a great audio answer that you can download that dicusses this.

 

[Bill Miracle]

Thanks Jim.

I did a search using pulling. Will try "pulls" to get the audio.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

http://homepage.mac.com/brianmanzella/.Music/thepulls.mp3

 

[dodger]

Jim, what happens if the downswing pivot stops by looking at the ball five inches behind. If you stare at that ball is it important to focus on your aiming point in your mind or simply to continue the pivot. I worry about fat shots with a focus on the rear ball, which I have tried. How do you prevent?

 

[revert]

A good topic and something that hurts me occasionally. I'm curious though, why is there a tendancy to pull more with a wedge than with a mid iron?

 

[Ringer]

I find that if I tilt too much I get a pretty good hook out of it.

Pulls could be from too upright but only if you aren't laying off the club into impact.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

I find that if I tilt too much I get a pretty good hook out of it.

Too much tilt makes the club work too inside/out and you end up flipping it a bit and thats why the hook prevails.

Pulls could be from too upright but only if you aren't laying off the club into impact.

Pulls can happen for a # of reasons but a lack of axis tilt through the ball is a valid one.

 

[Bill Miracle]

Wow...from one extreme to another....

Started working on the axis tilt thing and got some great results at the range until....last night's scramble. I was a mess.

Had a scratch golfer that is really accomplished that I was dropping my right shoulder down (trying to create axis tilt) and was hanging back. Seems like I was over doing it.

Any suggestions? Am I starting axis tilt too soon?

He was trying to get me to keep moving forward and keep the right shoulder higher.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Sometimes when people try and get their right shoulder going downplane they do what you just said, "drop their right shoulder" which isn't exactly what you want to do. you have to remember that the right shoulder goes both DOWN and OUT towards the ball.

 

[Bill Miracle]

Thanks Jim....

From the top of the b/s, can you give me an idea what the thought is....like an aiming path and point for the right shoulder?

The other thing...does the proper movement of the shoulder keep the weight moving forward. What would you say the left side weight percentage be at impact?

Thanks

 

[Bill Miracle]

BUMP

Bump

 

[johngolf33]

Do you think that lifting the left heel during the backswing enhances axis tilt on the downswing? It seems as though if one has some flexablitiy issues (over 50 years old) it is easier to turn behind the ball if the left heel lifts. Then starting the downswing by planting the left heel might make the swing radius longer ( ground up to clubhead) and the axis tilt easier to achieve. What do you think about letting the left heel left?