The breakthroughs keep on coming. In the last few weeks my swing has made major strides each time thanks to video and just thinking about body positions and how to get in those positions. Compared my swing to pros' swing and at impact my head was looking at the ball and already turning forward. Pros heads were held back behind the ball. Tried this and got my follow through much better head staying down, better release, and more speed and distance.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Really Turning Hips
With driver really turning hips instead of sliding hips. First time that I was correct with the driver swing. Hips not pulled in and back rounded. Just really thought about turning the hips. Also trying to keep more weight over my heels and rotate around body.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Leaning over and extending after impact
Just really concentrated on doing it and made my swing finally look good after impact. Thinking about throwing my arms out and forward. Just try to let my right shoulder pull my head up.
Also was watching the girls swing at my son's golf team. The thing that amazes me about their swings is how beautiful their extensions are. They all kind of have their head go down at impact and after like Natalie Gulbis instead of up like mine. So I just tried to imagine how they swing and try to copy them. It works for a while and it looks good on film then I lapse back into my normal head coming up after impact.
Anyway here's a swing where head stays down.
Also was watching the girls swing at my son's golf team. The thing that amazes me about their swings is how beautiful their extensions are. They all kind of have their head go down at impact and after like Natalie Gulbis instead of up like mine. So I just tried to imagine how they swing and try to copy them. It works for a while and it looks good on film then I lapse back into my normal head coming up after impact.
Anyway here's a swing where head stays down.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Theory: Building a swing from the inside out
I'm starting to have a theory about how to build a swing. After a year of constant and intensive experimenting I'm starting to think of how I would try to build someone else's swing. Once all the real basics are covered like grip, address, etc. I think you should start with a close examination of the impact position while hitting balls. Is the wrist supinated, scooping, hands infront of club face, laid off or not, etc. I would then correct that first because I think that the body compensates in the backswing and downswing for the improper wrist/hand positions at impact. I think a lot of people cast to close the club face and not because they want to hit at the ball like most teachers say. So just having them layoff and supinate their wrists more throughout their swing will then tell their body that they don't have to cast anymore to make the ball go straight. Changing wrist positions is a lot easier than trying to get your body to sub-conscientiously react a different way.
I'm also starting to think that most teachers work from the outside in (address, plane, backswing, downswing, follow through) and they brush over impact. The reason is quite simple in that you can only give feedback on what you can see. And since they can't see what's happening at impact because it happens too fast they don't know what's happening with the wrists. But they can see everything else so that's what they correct. The poor students are compensating for a bad impact position in their backswing, downswing , etc. to hit the ball straight. And the teacher tries to correct the compensations and not the root cause which is squaring the clubface at impact. With the high speed camera you can see the wrists and club face. The root cause of the bad swing.
I'm also starting to think that most teachers work from the outside in (address, plane, backswing, downswing, follow through) and they brush over impact. The reason is quite simple in that you can only give feedback on what you can see. And since they can't see what's happening at impact because it happens too fast they don't know what's happening with the wrists. But they can see everything else so that's what they correct. The poor students are compensating for a bad impact position in their backswing, downswing , etc. to hit the ball straight. And the teacher tries to correct the compensations and not the root cause which is squaring the clubface at impact. With the high speed camera you can see the wrists and club face. The root cause of the bad swing.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Tool: Laying off the club (part 2)
One thing I love doing is filming my swing in slowmo and then compare it frame by frame to the pros swings. It gives me lots of ideas of places where there are obvious differences and then I can work on those things. So I was looking at my driver down the line compared to Adam Scott. One thing I noticed was that he has the club layed off (so looking at his right hand and wrist) at the top, bottom, and even at impact.
So one feeling I remind myself of is trying to get in the position right when the club is parallel to the ground to have my right wrist bent back. This gives me way more lag and whip. Just try to have the feeling of being laid off the entire swing and grip the club more in the fingers.
There are other differences I see mainly the distance from my hands to my hips. And also how extended I am at impact compared to Scott. But I'll address this in another post. One tool at a time!
 |  |
| Right wrist not laid off | Laid off at top |
 |  |
| Right wrist still straight | This is the frame that really captures it for me. Right wrist bent back. |
 |  |
| Still straight!! | Even at impact you can see his wrist is bent back. |
So one feeling I remind myself of is trying to get in the position right when the club is parallel to the ground to have my right wrist bent back. This gives me way more lag and whip. Just try to have the feeling of being laid off the entire swing and grip the club more in the fingers.
There are other differences I see mainly the distance from my hands to my hips. And also how extended I am at impact compared to Scott. But I'll address this in another post. One tool at a time!
Thursday, August 16, 2012
[Solved]: Practice swing vs real swing
Why do practice swings look so good on camera and I can get into the right positions but then when I hit a ball my positions are all off? Here's a two swings one without a ball and one with.
Head stays still, hips turned, spine angle retained, right elbow bent at impact, etc. It just looks like a correct swing.
Now here's with the ball.
Head comes up, hips don't turn as much, butt comes in, I stand up, right elbow extended at impact, etc. I just can't get myself to stay down.
So why is it impossible to recreate the practice swing? Well the mystery is solved for me. If you look closely at the practice swing at impact my club face is way open.
When you swing without a ball your body doesn't need to close the club face so it doesn't, and the swing looks good. But then when you put a ball there your brain tells you to close the club face for impact which is why your swing completely changes. I think this is why a lot of people cast. I filmed my friend in slowmo and his practice swing was perfect (hands infront of the club, etc.) however I then filmed a close up of his club face and it was completely open at the imaginary impact. Then when I filmed him hitting a ball he casts big time. It's his subconscious way of closing the club face to hit it straight. So when you see people doing really good looking practice swings just ignore them because they don't really count!!
In fact if you really concentrate and are able to ignore the ball and try and do a perfect swing while hitting a ball it will slice way off to the left. Almost like a shank.
Mystery solved thanks to high speed camera.
Now here's with the ball.
So why is it impossible to recreate the practice swing? Well the mystery is solved for me. If you look closely at the practice swing at impact my club face is way open.
When you swing without a ball your body doesn't need to close the club face so it doesn't, and the swing looks good. But then when you put a ball there your brain tells you to close the club face for impact which is why your swing completely changes. I think this is why a lot of people cast. I filmed my friend in slowmo and his practice swing was perfect (hands infront of the club, etc.) however I then filmed a close up of his club face and it was completely open at the imaginary impact. Then when I filmed him hitting a ball he casts big time. It's his subconscious way of closing the club face to hit it straight. So when you see people doing really good looking practice swings just ignore them because they don't really count!!
In fact if you really concentrate and are able to ignore the ball and try and do a perfect swing while hitting a ball it will slice way off to the left. Almost like a shank.
Mystery solved thanks to high speed camera.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Idea: Rolling release vs stable release
I've worked a lot with my driver swing recently to be able to play on large courses and I've been able to eliminate my big slices. I now have a consistent power fade to sometimes a slice. But since I haven't been hitting irons I now have a big problem with my irons. On the practice tee I can get them pretty consistent but on the course I can pull, fade, or even slice them now. it's not very consistent. Just saw a video about release types here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53DaCUuj1Bo
They talk about roll and stable release. After doing video analysis I think I'm doing a roll release. This relies much more on timing. When I look at Rory or other pros I think they are doing a stable release. At least they are bowing their left wrist on the downswing and I'm not. I think I was doing this but I stopped for some reason. Will try this out tommorow at the range.
They talk about roll and stable release. After doing video analysis I think I'm doing a roll release. This relies much more on timing. When I look at Rory or other pros I think they are doing a stable release. At least they are bowing their left wrist on the downswing and I'm not. I think I was doing this but I stopped for some reason. Will try this out tommorow at the range.
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