Struggling with COFF drill

[ParHunter]

Hi,

I've been doing the COFF drills for a few weeks now but I am struggling with the basic 'pivot powered' chip Brian shows in COFF (quote 'let the pivot take the hands to impact position'). If I get the low point correct and it is after the ball I get low shank like shots (not sure whether it is the hosel or just open club face). If I try to square up the clubfaces (e.g. by using the twist away from NSA 2.0) I move the low point to just under the ball (so hitting it slightly fat).

So what am I doing wrong? I guess I need to square up my clubface but that seems to cause me to come in slightly fat. Could it be that I need to pivot more with my left shoulder going up (and the right one down). This should move the low point I guess.

If I was to video my practise, what would you look out for on these simple chips (unfortunately I can only record with 30 fps). I guess Face On is the best angle?

It is a bit frustrating at the moment. I am a 14 hdc but when you see me hitting these shots it looks more like a 24

Btw. what's the best club to practise these 'pivot powered' chips with? SW? 7 iron?

 

[softconsult]

Suggest doing a video, even at 30 fps, and post it up here. Otherwise, people will simply be guessing.

 

[peterjthomps]

Would it be safe to say that in this case, without seeing video, that the issue is likely due to the use primariliy of the arms and not a dynamic pivot? Also, in the case where an individual is primarily an arm swinger, are there drills better geared to that individual vs whats discussed in COFF?

Would love to hear from the Manzella instructors.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Hi,

I've been doing the COFF drills for a few weeks now but I am struggling with the basic 'pivot powered' chip Brian shows in COFF (quote 'let the pivot take the hands to impact position'). If I get the low point correct and it is after the ball I get low shank like shots (not sure whether it is the hosel or just open club face). If I try to square up the clubfaces (e.g. by using the twist away from NSA 2.0) I move the low point to just under the ball (so hitting it slightly fat).

So what am I doing wrong? I guess I need to square up my clubface but that seems to cause me to come in slightly fat. Could it be that I need to pivot more with my left shoulder going up (and the right one down). This should move the low point I guess.

If I was to video my practise, what would you look out for on these simple chips (unfortunately I can only record with 30 fps). I guess Face On is the best angle?

It is a bit frustrating at the moment. I am a 14 hdc but when you see me hitting these shots it looks more like a 24

Btw. what's the best club to practise these 'pivot powered' chips with? SW? 7 iron?

Pivot Powered....

What about any other kind of powered?

Try this: Put your body AT impact, leave it there, and hit a little chip.

What happened?

 

[ParHunter]

Hi

Brian thanks for your drill tip:

Pivot Powered....

Try this: Put your body AT impact, leave it there, and hit a little chip.

What happened?

I went to the range this morning to practise the drill.
It felt awkward at the beginning but after a few shots I was hitting them clean and crisp with that drill. I than moved on to the pivot powered chip drill. That worked better as well. I am still hitting the occasional shank though. I've recorded my swing


<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/td3fOHyY7B8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Something on my background. I got taught the 'right sided swing' for years (reverse K at address, swinging as if you are leaning against a wall on your left). About 1.5 years ago I've tried to change to a more traditional swing as the swing always felt very restricted but as you can see from that swing I tend to fall back to old habits.
Apart from swinging a lot longer than I thought I did (I thought my club is parallel to the ground and not my arms) I noticed that I am leaning towards the target. I guess that could be the cause for the shank? I've been working on pivoting around my spine but old habits die hard. But at least I seem to have a FLW at impact, I am quite pleased about that.

Can you see any other swing faults?

I think I had an 'aha moment' on the range. I read a lot about PP#3 but never really felt it. Recently I concentrated more on that PP#3 and I could feel it at the start of the downswing but it than disappeared - good bye lag. Today I was trying to collect my balls on the range by hitting them back with my right arm only. That was the first time I could clearly feel the PP#3 (maybe because of the absence of my left hand) and I would notice when I managed to keep the lag until after impact.

I went on to hit a few 7-irons first with my TourStrikerPro and then with my normal 7-iron. I hit some of the best irons shots I can remember, clean and crisp. I've measured the distance with my range finder and some of the shots went up to 165 yards. Up 15 yards from my normal distance.

Brian, are you still thinking of coming to the UK this summer?

 

[softconsult]

My observation is that you have, what appears to be, zero hip turn in the backswing.
Stare at your right hip. It doesn't move. Therefore, you aren't getting the lead with
the lower body thing. You are not loading into your right hip. You are leaning left in backswing.

So since you aren't unwinding, you are forced to swing your arms rather let them come along for the ride.

 

[ParHunter]

My observation is that you have, what appears to be, zero hip turn in the backswing.
Stare at your right hip. It doesn't move. Therefore, you aren't getting the lead with
the lower body thing. You are not loading into your right hip. You are leaning left in backswing.

So since you aren't unwinding, you are forced to swing your arms rather let them come along for the ride.

Interesting observation. Now I am not sure whether this is something I always don't do or whether it was just for this drill. This wasn't supposed to be a 9 o'clock swing, I only wanted to bring the club to horizontal and then use my pivot to bring the club head back to impact as Brian shows it in COFF.

Have a look at a recording of a full swing (I actually played it as a 9 o'clock swing). I've got full shoulder turn I believe so the hip must have turned as well. It is a bit hard to see because of the black trousers.
Do you think there isn't enough hip turn in that swing as well?

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/47EhCxDr8g8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Btw, I think the angle the video has been taken from is a bit screwed. That's the problem when you record yourself with a tripod.

For me it looks like everything is going well until the arms are parallel to the ground, then my arms keep lifting and dragging my upper body towards the target.

 

[mjstrong]

Pivot Powered....

What about any other kind of powered?

Try this: Put your body AT impact, leave it there, and hit a little chip.

What happened?

This is a great drill that I recommend often, and even use in play when I need to hit a short, delicate little downhill pitch.

 

[softconsult]

There is hip turn in your full swing. You look like you are drifting your upper body forward in the downswing. I defer to the instructors, who may be able to offer some clear critiques.

Think about COFF relative to divots. Then look at your last video. Looks like you are picking the ball. Clearly no divot.

 

[ParHunter]

There is hip turn in your full swing. You look like you are drifting your upper body forward in the downswing. I defer to the instructors, who may be able to offer some clear critiques.

Think about COFF relative to divots. Then look at your last video. Looks like you are picking the ball. Clearly no divot.

Yes I am definitely flipping in the second video. That's why I am working on the coff drills
I did had some good shots with a flw at the end of the session though, so there is some progress.

If anyone has an idea how I can stop the drifting towards the target during the last part of the backswing please let me know.

Softconsult, thanks for looking at my swing. Very much appreciated

 

[Kevin Shields]

As someone who use to "lift and drift" I can tell you the only thing that stopped it for good is understanding what a complete backswing is. Keep your left foot light and your arms and left lat slackish until you really complete your turn. Then you're free to stretch and fall back on that left foot.

 

[ParHunter]

Thanks Kevin. So I guess hitting shots while standing on my toes with my left foot in my back swing could be a good training excercise?