Bit of an odd one...

[Dorian]

Ok, so I've been struggling with a slice since I started out. I've managed to get it down to a mild fade for 3 wood, smaller slice for driver.

It doesn't feel like I'm releasing properly (may be a tightened forearm?) and I've noticed I almost shrug my shoulders and bend my left elbow at impact. I know I lose spine angle slightly and drag my hands in toward my left hip through impact, so I wonder if the elbow hinging and shrugging is to compensate creating an out-to-in path across the ball.

After hearing Luke Donald talk about "finishing with hands high" I tried it and it has helped. And I noticed I seem to be better when slower (don't do half-swings - my distance control comes from swing speed). The 'hands high' thing also made me think of it all as a whole swing rather than my old formula: think about what happens until impact, then momentum will drag everything where it should be going.

So, I guess the questions are: can anyone give me more of an idea about what is/why it is happening (shall try to get video if need be) with the elbow/shoulders/hands-to-left-hip thing? Are there any drills people can recommend for staying on plane in the follow through? Has it helped anyone else to start thinking about the swing as a swing that the ball is in the line of rather than just hitting the ball?

 

[Wolfman]

Sounds like you may have too relaxed arms at set up, result buckled elbows at impact and poor release ( will happen if set up better )

Extend your arms at address and keep the triangle post impact

 

[JustOne]

Too steep... over the top swingpath which results in you lifting up (early extension) and having to collapse (chicken wing?) your left arm so you don't just stick the club in the ground.

...at a guess without seeing your swing.... (good description by the way!!).

Chances are you take the club too flat in the backswing and compensate by then chucking it over the top (and get too steep on the downswing), not necessarily.... but it's the most common swing in golf!

 

[Dorian]

Sounds like you may have too relaxed arms at set up, result buckled elbows at impact and poor release ( will happen if set up better )

Extend your arms at address and keep the triangle post impact

I have noticed I have a tendency to keep my hands way toward my body at address, which is something I'm actively working on. And I do relax my arms a lot. Noticed this most when I found my elbow hinges at the top of the backswing (which hadn't been happening a while back).

Too steep... over the top swingpath which results in you lifting up (early extension) and having to collapse (chicken wing?) your left arm so you don't just stick the club in the ground.

...at a guess without seeing your swing.... (good description by the way!!).

Chances are you take the club too flat in the backswing and compensate by then chucking it over the top (and get too steep on the downswing), not necessarily.... but it's the most common swing in golf!

The flat backswing might be something. My pro has told me to take my hands higher on the backswing and i make a conscious effort to do so as well as not cup my wrist. But from a high backswing then pulling the grip into my left hip may well make it very steep?

 

[JustOne]

The flat backswing might be something. My pro has told me to take my hands higher on the backswing and i make a conscious effort to do so as well as not cup my wrist. But from a high backswing then pulling the grip into my left hip may well make it very steep?

It's a kind of opposites thing... if you take the club back flat then the only way to hit the ball is to steepen it...and then the club exits low and more left (so you have to chicken wing to sort of 'keep the club higher').

If you take it back 'properly' then the club comes down a bit flatter and exits higher as you've removed the need to chuck the club over the top. But 'properly' doesn't mean make your backswing more steep than it needs to be... just try to do it more 'by the book' and not take it back around the back of your knees

Just go to youtube and watch a few golfers swings... you should be able to see where they have the clubhead on their backswings, and it's very rarely stuck behind them on the backswing.

Hope that helps... why not post a video of your swing?

(then we can all argue about it!!...and we LOVE doing that on the forum!)

 

[duncan mackie]

.. why not post a video of your swing?

(then we can all argue about it!!...and we LOVE doing that on the forum!)

can we agree that "(don't do half-swings - my distance control comes from swing speed)" is worrying even without a video then?