Basic swing question.

[Sneds]

Okay, so I went for a knock last night. (Played terribly) But doubt was cast on how I swing a club.

Effectively on my takeaway for the backswing I open up my hands and as I come down through the ball I close my hands. The easiest way to think of this is as if I was doing a baseball swing, pretty much the same movement.

Well the person I was playing with last night said that his hands do not move, at least not consciously. So I tried it out, with my hands being quite rigid and I noticed an improvement in accuracy, but a little less power.

Surely theoretically it is easier to hit the ball if your hands aren't opening and closing, especially when the clubface angle is of such vital importance?

I really really hope this makes sense to somebody!

x

 

[USER1999]

I have tried consciously opening and closing, and I have tried not doing this. It feels very different.

On video, there is no difference to be seen at all.

 

[Sneds]

What is the 'correct' way of doing it, if there is any?

Also murph, what do you use now? x

 

[USER1999]

I don't know, as I tried to stop thinking about it.

 

[JustOne]

I definitely do NOT roll my hands open or closed through the ball, the face of the club stays square to the swingplane at all times (or at least it's meant to).

Some people get the face open or closed at the top which is often to do with cupping/bowing of the wrist - I tend to keep mine fairly flat/neutral.

 

[RGDave]

What is the 'correct' way of doing it, if there is any?

Hmmm.

I used to have a pro who though a player should gently let the face open a tad, accompanied by the left arm rolling the tiniest of bits back to 9 o'clock position (thereabouts, or when you cock the wrists).

BOTH my recent pros have dismissed this theory as dodgy, especially with a player like me who tends to get a bit open at the top and then leave it a degree or two open through the ball/impact.

I have been working for exactly one week on ZERO manipulation of the club on the take away. Effectively, the split second before I set the wrists (cock the club) the face is seemingly closed (well, that's how it looks on video)...but I'm assured it's not.

I hit two shots a.t.m. one is perfect, the other a bit slicey. One is when I get it right, the other when I forget and go back to the old style.

I guess if you hook the ball too much, a little fanning of the face is OK. Generally, I'm coming round to thinking NO.

 

[Sneds]

I went out today and kept my wrists fairly rigid apart from the wrist cock, no fanning whatsoever.

I played two balls as the England game was on. I hit 87 with one (with a 41 back 9) and a 93 with the other. It would have been 44 and 39 points respectively, so pretty happy with the results.

Thanks guys x

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Normally have 1067 other swing thoughts to worry about without thinking about anything else

 

[Adrena1in]

... the face of the club stays square to the swingplane at all times (or at least it's meant to).

Really? I was always under the impression that ideally, on the backswing, when the shaft reaches horizontal, the club-face should be pretty much vertical. So not square to the plane at all. Or am I mis-understanding?

I don't think this is something I consciously try to achieve mind you, and I know I can get into the habit of rolling my wrists which in turn I think causes me to swing a bit flat. So maybe focusing on keeping my wrists more still might help me.

 

[Sneds]

Weee kept my wrists rigid today and hit 69% of fairways and 50% greens in reg. (although it is Trent Park, so not hard to hit them!)

Shame about my 40 putts and my 2 OOB. Finished with an 89 x

 

[JustOne]

... the face of the club stays square to the swingplane at all times (or at least it's meant to).

Really? I was always under the impression that ideally, on the backswing, when the shaft reaches horizontal, the club-face should be pretty much vertical. So not square to the plane at all. Or am I mis-understanding?

Nick Faldo (left) and Nick Price (right)

NB: It's NOT a good idea to take the club outside the line as Faldo is doing, it will make you very inconsistent.....erm,.... just like Faldo

 

[RGDave]

Didn't Price and Faldo both have D.L. "do" their golf swings.
Either way, it looks pretty clear to me that neither has opened the face at all before cocking the wrists.
This position (of not manipulating the face) before setting the wrists is where I'm at a.t.m.
It's getting better, as is my ability to avoid the face being open through impact.

 

[Robobum]

Those two camera angles look as though they differ to me, I'd say that both of them have the club in a pretty similar position.

Back on the S&T sales pitch?

 

[sev112]

If you look at any of Montgomerie's swing sequences, you will see he actually closes the face on his initial take away, and the opens the face in his downswing . What he is effectively doing is trying to keep the face angle facing the target line for longer than most pros. And he is renowned for his accuracy.

I played like this afor a year or so a while back and developed surprising accuracy and got rid of much of my (then) slice. Cant remember why on earth i ended up changing back to a conventional swing ??

Must admit i dont like hearing "keeping my wrists rigid". Maybe we're thinking difffernet things, but rigid wrists say goodbye to any power from a release ?

 

[RGDave]

Must admit i dont like hearing "keeping my wrists rigid". Maybe we're thinking different things

I'm not keen on the idea of rigid either. It's a simple feeling taking the club back and maintaining the original relation of face to hands, it's just tough to set the wrists if you've got into the habit of having the toe 100% up at 9 o'clock. Anyone who struggles with a slice would do well to deliberately check the face is a little hooded before cocking the wrists.

 

[Bobirdie]

i was focusing on taking away with my shoulders and keeping my hands quiet.

was hitting the ball accurate but lost a fair bit of distance

swing plane had flattened alot due to not cocking the wrists

 

[Bobirdie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGtklZJq4BY

watch this

 

[kid2]

Hey Sneds.....
Just my tuppence worth pal......But i never think about swing thoughts as such i just try to make sure im gripping the club properly and that at address im aligned properly and standing right....And someone can correct me here but in my mind if these are in someway right then your swing should take care of itself.......I never worry about wrist hinge or how far my elbow is away from my body or how far iv turned......I think that if these things are going through your mind(swing thoughts) then your not focusing on the job in hand which is hitting the ball......