Recent lessons from PGA Pro Top 20 Cali teacher

[jay_x]

I just had lessons from a PGA tour here in N. Cali. After seeing and recording my swing, he said my biggest fault was that my backswing was not wide enough and too flat. He lined up an impact bag on the target line just behind me and wanted me to start my backswing on the target line side of the bag then go straight up as high as I could. On the downswing, he wanted me to come down on the inside of the bag; so basically I was doing a loop from my backswing to my downswing. My first few attempts were some really bad fat shots on the mat. However, when I did hit it solid, it was a nice little draw with some good distance.

My question then is - what do people in this forum think of this method of swinging? I'm thinking this is more of a Leadbetter type 2 plane swing. Also, I went to the range afterwards and I hit a lot of fat shots using this new swing. I'm also taking a very little divots (if any) on the grass on 'solid' hits with my 7 iron. What could I be doing wrong. If I tee up the ball with my irons, I hit it nice and solid but still no divots so for some reason I'm not getting down enough on the ball. Please help. Thanks!

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

No advertising please , part of the rules.

As to your post, he was trying to get you to do something similar to what Brian calls "never hook again." Now you don't have to be a "hooker" for this to be useful, it does help flat backswings especially.

What you have to do after making this backswing, is feel like your arms simply drop...then while they are "dropping" towards the ball "catch" the drop with your pivot (body rotation) and let the club drop on the ball.

 

[holeout]

Actually Jim, I think that while the backswing may be kind of NHA, the guy wanted him to swing inside the impact bag on the downswing, which would make him very likely underplane.

The reason you are taking no divot is that when you are underplane; it is hard to take a divot this way since the angle of attack is so shallow. I'll refer to Jim or Brian as to the fix, but I don't think swinging that far inside on the downswing is going to ultimately be all that helpful.

 

[Kevin Shields]

I agree. I haven't seen the old "reverse the loop" drill be that successful. That might just be me, though. It's a pretty drastic change and often not necessary.

 

[tank]

Did you have a tendancey to slice or pull your shots? he may be trying to break you out of your existing tendancy to yank the club inside on the takeaway, and then come over the top on the downswing. He may be trying to ingrain the exact opposite feel in hopes that you will find the correct balance.

If that's the case, you would do yourself a big favour by getting NSA 2.0
Cheaper than your lessons, and it works.

 

[jay_x]

Sorry I didn't mean to advertise. I just wanted to throw the name out there in case someone knew of the teacher because apparently he's popular in the golf industry.

Basically he noted that the arc of my swing was wider on the downswing vs. the backswing. This is probably due to me taking it back below the plane then coming back down on the plane. I was doing this cuz I wanted to feel like I was going around my body instead of the 'upright' swing. That was the reason for the drill. He wanted me to go from wide to narrow instead - which is understandable.

I do believe that the lack of divot is probably caused by the underplane approach because when he recorded my post-adjustment swing, I was under the plane line. He said that this was fine however.

Previously, I was hitting slight fades and occasional hooks.

I will try the 'catching the drop' method today and see if that helps. And I do have NSA 2.0 and found it to be one of the best golf videos I've ever watched. =)

Thanks for all the input. This forum is great!