Trying to stick out NSA. Simple question?

[ColinMB]

Okay, here we go.

I have been back on NSA hardcore for a few weeks. I've started scoring lower, but something creeps into my swing and I can't figure it out.

This has *only* happened to me since sticking with the fundamentals of NSA.... twist away, hold, twist to target line, striking inside of ball.

When I first go to the range, I 'waste' a few balls and they always start out kind of topped, low, right runners. I diagnose this as a lazy follow through and over the top.

So I try harder to focus on NSA, and then things will get better with irons.... so far, so good.

Then I grab driver. ALWAYS the first drive is almost always dead straight, but weak... about 250 yards total. Then I take more drivers, and usually start stretching them out a lot further... once against, twisting away, then to the target, swinging in-to-out.

It's right about here that things get de-railed. My drives start going left, to VERY left. I'll pause... thinking 'What the heck just happened?'

I'll hit (depending on my mood) maybe 10 or so more, and many repeat the pattern of starting left, and travelling VERY left. Decent height, just a ridiculous hook! Where the heck did this come from?

So I always grab an iron and start over. Here's where a clue is but I don't know how to diagnose it. I will hit before the ball all of the sudden. What the heck is going on? So I try harder to strike the ball first, then ground, but it is VERY hard to accomplish at this point. I try shifting my weight more forward, but I just top the ball. I try a 'normal' short iron and am still hitting before the ball with a very weak (high on the face) impact. The divot is usually super straight though!! Weird.

At this point I am stumped and can rarely 'reel back' my swing and regain the touch I get somewhere in the middle of an 80 ball range session. I may get lucky at this point and hit one out of 5 properly, but I can't tell you what I did better to accomplish this. At this point the range session is over, because I can't recover from this hitting situation.

Personally, I feel if I could get past this, I would start posting much better scores because when it happens on the course, I've had great scoring go down the crapper because I can't pull out of it.

On course I will sometimes start out with the super left drive which just makes me cringe. You have no idea. I start to think... okay who knows where the next shot is going.

So I wouldn't post this but I'm utterly stumped. I realize there may not be a simple answer to my dilemma. But what I just described is happening almost verbatim EVERY time I hit the range the last 2 weeks. It's starting to really worry me as I never had this before NSA. I'm not blaming NSA one bit, I'm just stating a fact.

For the life of me I can't figure this out, but there are enough swing guru's on this forum that I figure this is my best shot at diagnosing the problem. I can't be the first to have it, and I feel those of you with uber NSA experience may have seen this before.

I appreciate you reading this far, and I'd also appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

 

[spktho]

I sometimes get the "fats" at the range too. I have found that if I take out some of the right arm hit by taking my right pointer finger and right thumb off the shaft or at least really relaxing them, the fats go away. I too found the driver difficult to control with NSA by hitting low pull hooks, but if you keep feeling what the hands and clubface are doing during the swing you can control the amount of twistaway and get back to a more centered ball flight. When I'm at the range now, I try to alternate a few shots of draws or hooks and then fades or slices to get more of a feel for the hands and clubface.

Hope this helps.

 

[pecky987]

you got leakage. you got the face much more closed then it was, but as you aaproach the ball you flip, get the left wrist bent a bit, and the ball will go left of karl marx. try hitting the box

 

[ColinMB]

I got leakage? Sounds serious.

@spktho: I did experiment with trying different ball flights. And I could get a few different results. I just don't know why it is happening. You think it's right arm involvement?

@pecky987: I have noticed in the past that 'hitting the box' leads to nicer hits. But I've never tried it with this specific problem that has crept up on me. Left of Karl Marx sounds about right though.

At this point I will try hitting into the box... I also think of 'hands first'. Almost impossible to flip with that thought. I know I was never a flipper before this.

Would 'leakage' also cause the divots (fat shots) on irons? Because the two issues are most likely linked since they happen (and disappear) at the same time.

Well I like the 'hit the box' drill and if the fix is that simple, I'll be really happy.

I'll be going out today shortly. I'll follow up with results. Thanks again guys.

P.S.
I still have this month old video, even though I'm sure it doesn't help. I'm hoping to get new video this weekend at a lesson.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxBUH0rNU4w

 

[Brian Manzella]

NSA

Did anyone see the part in NSA2 that I show the different backswing, and swivel hand conditions?

You ONLY twist IF and WHEN you need it.

Do you have the SOFT DRAW PATTERN vid?

 

[ColinMB]

Yes I've watched NSA 2.0 at least a dozen times. I do recall what you're mentioning. Maybe I'm over cooking it? I'll revisit that section.

And yes I bought Soft Draw the day it came out, and it put me in a touch of trouble so I pulled back from it. Should I revisit it?

Thanks for chiming in Brian. I appreciate all the help.

As a foot note on twisting only when needed. I tried to add it to my whole bag. (except putter/wedge) I do feel I need it with driver though.

 

[welshdentist]

Keep it up Colin, i'm sure you will get there if you stick with it.

The old tendancy will take time to break.....

 

[ColinMB]

Thanks for the well wishes welshdentist.

Well I just wanted to report back and without any impulse remarks.

I figured out why everything was going left. I think I was barely leaving the face open on some shots. NSA, if anything, has made me become VERY aware of face rotation; which in all honesty, is something I rarely even thought of.

So believe it or not after several weeks of hardcore NSA, what happened is it became more natural and therefore to feel like I was twisting properly, I was intensifying the effect to the point of coming inside, and aggressively closing the face.

I'm posting this because I can't be the first person to do this so if it helps others, please be aware of this. Specifically, (it happened gradually to me) I was finding good results, but gradually starting closing the face more and more. So I've just stopped thinking about NSA, and let my 'new', 'natural' feeling of closing the face take over and voila! It works great.

Maybe one of my favorite parts is I nearly have a fully neutral grip! That's amazing for me because I kinda had a Rory Sabatinni thing going with a fixation on hanging behind the ball and a rock hard, strong grip.

I just replaced my irons due to wrist/hand pain; now I'm thinking maybe my body was fighting that strong grip?

All is not perfect (such is golf). Sometimes I still hit before the ball which is amazingly embarassing. The difference between a smoked drive, and a grounded slap-hook appears to be getting my weight forward at impact. Man that's hard. But one thing at a time right?

Anyway, I just wanted to follow up and help people who have been feeling the same way. (I get PM's from some of you who don't post so I know you're reading this. )

Trust me, it may take a few weeks but after a while NSA becomes natural, and if you're over doing it, it's time to pull back a bit and let things happen.

This took me a lot of range sessions to figure out and unfortunately I've tweaked my back (sequestered disk apparently!) Gotta love golf. So after a week or two I'll working on weight shift, and less 'sway'. Thanks again to all who offered support/assistance in the forum or through PM's.