Swing Assistance (Videos Included)

[Ducky]

Howdy everyone,

When I created this thread almost three years ago, I was struggling with slicing the ball. As you'll note from Brian's reply below, I simply needed to follow the advice given in the "Never Slice Again" video. However, at the time I was so frustrated with my scoring inconsistency that I went on a golfing hiatus.

The golfing hiatus lasted until two weeks ago. Inspired by the U.S open, I decided to hit some golf balls. Since then I have been focusing on ingraining the "Never Slice Again" fundamentals. I seem to be going in the right direction, as the contact has been consistently in the middle of the club face and my primary misses have gone from being slices/push-slices to hooks/pull-hooks (if I forget to swing slightly in-to-out).

I recently purchased the "Soft Draw Pattern" video and feel that this could be a nice swing pattern to implement. However, I'm unsure if I am ready to progress from "Never Slice Again" to "Soft Draw Pattern". This time around I want to ensure that I am working on the right things. Hopefully, you guys can take a look at my swing videos below and suggest areas for me to work on. Thanks!

TrackMan data now available in this post.

Slow motion videos now available in this post.

 

[Brian Manzella]

Well....

Twistaway.

 

[ZAP]

It is difficult to tell but I think you might want to give COFF consideration before doing SD.
Someone with a better eye than me might be able to either agree or not.

 

[Ducky]

Oh well, I guess I'll have to purchase a high FPS camera to figure out what is going on in the downswing. After hitting some golf balls today I feel that there is definitely a path/plane issue (I'm unsure as what the cause is), as I still seem to be coming out-to-in even though the clubface appears to be square/closed.

 

[lookingtolearn]

Oh well, I guess I'll have to purchase a high FPS camera to figure out what is going on in the downswing. After hitting some golf balls today I feel that there is definitely a path/plane issue (I'm unsure as what the cause is), as I still seem to be coming out-to-in even though the clubface appears to be square/closed.

With the face-on angle, it's hard to tell, but more of a NSA-style backswing pivot could help. I also think you need the hands deeper and less left-arm rotation going back.

 

[Ducky]

With the face-on angle, it's hard to tell, but more of a NSA-style backswing pivot could help. I also think you need the hands deeper and less left-arm rotation going back.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. When you say that the hands should be "deeper", do you mean further away from the target? Also, will less left arm rotation on the back swing result in a less open club face, an across the line club shaft, or both?

 

[lookingtolearn]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. When you say that the hands should be "deeper", do you mean further away from the target? Also, will less left arm rotation on the back swing result in a less open club face, an across the line club shaft, or both?

By deeper I mean more "in," and away from an extension of the ball-to-target line (like Brian describes in the Soft Draw video). This should not only help with your path, but it should also help with the left arm rotation.

Less left arm rotation will give you a more vertical shaft (pointing more inside the ball) going back and more across the line at the top.

 

[Waynkie Doodle]

I'm inclined to agree with you. We need to get some more weight into your right side on the BS and then on the DS make sure you stay behind the ball until after it's hit. It's more important that we get you behind the ball however. It looks like your pivot stays above your left leg like you said but on your DS you get ahead of the ball by moving ever so slightly more left.

 

[lookingtolearn]

Yeah, I think all that weight left early is hurting you. Two things that stand out to me right away are the high right arm in the downswing and the late backing up of the hips.

I would try starting with the weight 50-50 and getting just enough weight off the left foot so you can pick up the left foot at the top, but not hold it there. After that, you might need to work on backing into the target in the transition, but I'd start with the backswing and see how that changes things.

Just my opinion, of course. Hopefully an instructor will chime in.

 

[natep]

Check out this pivot.


YouTube - Young John Daly Driver Face On

 

[Ducky]

Thank you all for replying. I took the advice into consideration and did some experimenting today at the range. Am I on the right track?

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHAvlBvSa0[/media]

 

[lookingtolearn]

Thank you all for replying. I took the advice into consideration and did some experimenting today at the range. Am I on the right track?

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHAvlBvSa0[/media]

I think it definitely looks better, although there are still a few things that look like they might give you trouble. Did your path change?

 

[bax1865]

One million godzillion better

 

[Waynkie Doodle]

looks better. how did you hit it?

 

[Kevin Shields]

My hunch is you aim too far right. Ball is too far back and left shoulder could be farther away from the ball at impact and less in front of it.

 

[Ducky]

I have to ask the question: are straight divots ideal? If the swing path is essentially curved, then shouldn't the divots be pointing slightly left of the target (for a right handed golfer) anyway? Am I obsessing too much about achieving straight divots?

 

[Bigwill]

I have to ask the question: are straight divots ideal? If the swing path is essentially curved, then shouldn't the divots be pointing slightly left of the target (for a right handed golfer) anyway? Am I obsessing too much about achieving straight divots?

If you're trying to make straight divots for the sake of making straight divots, then yeah, you're obsessing too much.

 

[Ducky]

I just can't get my path sorted out. I think the solution may be to re-learn the game as a left hander.

 

[ej20]

I just can't get my path sorted out. I think the solution may be to re-learn the game as a left hander.

You might want to try working on the clubface instead of the path and see what happens.Your grip is too strong and you have a cupped left wrist on the takeaway,top of the backswing and well into your downswing.That is a tough way to play consistent golf in my opinion.

Get a neutral grip.The left thumb should be on top of the shaft or a hair to the right.The right thumb should be to the left of the grip and not on top like you are doing.Twistaway on the backswing and hold that twist coming down.Path issues might fix itself.

 

[Ducky]

You might want to try working on the clubface instead of the path and see what happens.Your grip is too strong and you have a cupped left wrist on the takeaway,top of the backswing and well into your downswing.That is a tough way to play consistent golf in my opinion.

Get a neutral grip.The left thumb should be on top of the shaft or a hair to the right.The right thumb should be to the left of the grip and not on top like you are doing.Twistaway on the backswing and hold that twist coming down.Path issues might fix itself.

Thanks for your suggestions.

In regards to the strong grip, this was modified from a neutral grip (at least, what I thought to be a neutral grip based on the NSA information) in an effort to transition to an angled hinge action (which I had hoped would eliminate the timing issues associated with the horizontal hinge action). Of course, I can change it back.

I dislike the cupped left wrist also. Would this be an indication that I'm turning/rolling the wrists instead of the forearms? Should I even be rolling the forearms?