Hitting ball with heel of club..

[kevster84]

Relatively new to golf and in my lessons when I first started the pro stated that I had too flat a swing which led to shanks and hitting too near to heel of the club. I've tried over the months to come higher in my backswing creating a triangle at the top between both arms and shoulders. This has improved my game and in Jan/Feb I was on course to break 100 for the first time. However my game has suffered in recent weeks, shanked and inconsistent shots have returned :-(

I've done some checks and the club appears to be in the right position at the top. My set up, which came about after some December lessons involves standing upright, put club out parallel to ground, bend at hips until club touches ground then bend knees so weight is on arches of feet. This set up for consistent distance and a less aggressive swing has helped. Some check yesterday showed that when lowering the club to my knee it was 6-7 inches above it, not the recommended 2 inches. Could this be a problem? I do think I have started swinging harder (now I can hit the ball better I'll hit it harder methodology) so have tried calming it with a bit more success.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[kevster84]

I've taken a video of a couple of swings to assist. Will try and upload shortly.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Standing too close?

I had this issue because I thought natural arm position was hanging straight down, not compared to my spine angle at address it isnt!

Once I moved away from the ball I did not hit the heel.

One drill i picked up to help is to place a ball down address it then place a ball just outside the clubs toe at address (like 2-3 cm). Heel hitters like me cannot avoid hitting both balls. Move away and you will just hit the ball you indent to (not the ball outside the toe).

Ive done this with range balls but you make a lot of noise. A headover, a airflow ball, a foam ball etc (or even two of these at home) all work.

 

[the_coach]

Some check yesterday showed that when lowering the club to my knee it was 6-7 inches above it, not the recommended 2 inches. Could this be a problem?

would check out your posture.
have a look at some of the Pro's say Adam Scott, Donald from dtl view with a 6i (plenty vids on youtube just freeze at set-up) paying attention to how the arms hang from shoulders so hands someways around under the chin & there's a space between hands & thighs (that's around a 'right fist +half thumb' from butt end of handle to thigh)
reason that space is there is the "forwards lean' in the spine angle so upper body angle is from a bend from the hip sockets & not from the waist (belt line)

sounds as if your upper body could be a ways too 'straight up' from the hips.

so that good angle from the hips isn't there which then often times means hands too close to the thighs.
plus a ways too upright upper body makes if a difficult to turn to have connection between the arms & body rotation so the plane going back can then be too flat or if the arms lift away straightways from the ball too upright a plane & disconnected.

check posture in a mirror it should help some to get better spine posture so then the clubhead won't be 'high' off the ground at the point in set-up you mention.

 

[kevster84]

[video=youtube_share;__nBAIYAcy0]http://youtu.be/__nBAIYAcy0[/video]

Here is a clip of my swing. Head seems to move forward and I appear to lunge. Also too much hip rotation?

 

[the_coach]

would have a look at this vid as an alternative ways to finding a good posture at set-up. just in relationship to the 'curve' to the top of the spine - little ways of a C posture. not that you have a big 'stand up' going back.

but having the straighter condition to the top of the spine would make a more consistent level turn going back a tad easier.
looks like you may have a little ways lateral move off the ball to the trailside going back, feeling a centered turn would help some as would feeling you have a level vertical height through the motion, back & through.

would seem that the right hand is 'under' the shaft so pretty strong which is twisting the shaft counter-clockwise as you take the club away, so face closed on moving away from ball little ways & face looking at the sky so pretty shut at the top. left arm to shoulder plane in pretty good shape there.

having this position through the hands (the club face shut) atop the swing then has an influence as to how you swing back down to the ball to try to look to present a 'square' face through impact.
if you time all that ok you can get ball towards target, but if the timing is off a ways as the face angle is having to move from shut to square can give you a variety of miss-contacts.

if possible would have a look at some grip vids showing how to put the hands on the handle in a more neutral orientation. that ways you can just turn to the top then turn back through the ball.

[video=youtube;qpQfrWolEbk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpQfrWolEbk[/video]

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube;wMLpg38gEJE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMLpg38gEJE[/video]

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube;4kG19zHrdiY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kG19zHrdiY[/video]

 

[kevster84]

Cheers the posture did look curved compared to the Adam Scott videos I watched. In my lesson in December he said about neutralising my grip but main shot with driver is a slice? I'll try and look at that but think the posture is causing the weight to drop down as well as swinging too hard. Is shoulder turn ok? Are hips too swivelled?

Thanks for your help.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Here is a clip of my swing. Head seems to move forward and I appear to lunge. Also too much hip rotation?

That head dip thing looks heel/shank city right from the off.

If I stood up from an address position my hands are at the same angle as if I were carrying a heavy box (minus keeping it close to my chest), you would be carrying your box near your knees!

Try the two ball drill (with a headcover or something you don't mind whacking). The toe also looks well up due to address (not club lie angle).

 

[kevster84]

Scienceboy - so you would recommend my back being more upright?

 

[the_coach]

would look to the 'posture vid' as the way to get your spine angle from the hips & the arm hanging so hands at a good height at address, so they not a little ways low with club toe up at address. - your current address posture routine has the hands little ways too low which is also encouraging the more rounded top of spine & shoulders in the posture.

would have a look through this vid as it speaks as to how a very strong right hand with handle in the palm tends to 'twist' the shaft so club pretty closed from the get go then closed at the top.
as said in earlier post this current top position of the swing then influences the path the club comes down to impact to try to get clubface in a position you can get ball towards target, which will tend to give you the miss-contacts.
make sure you turn away from the ball don't sway laterally trailside any. so you feel a more 'centered turn' to the top. plus aim to feel you keep a pretty ways level vertical height through the motion back & through.

little more neutral grip more in the fingers of the hands, then allows you to turn to the top - & getting the better posture will help with the 'turn'. then as in this vid feel you would swing out to rightfield not leftfield. so say if you imagine the ball has 4 quarters aim to swing through the back quarter nearest to you.

[video=youtube;G0lwiF-QAco]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0lwiF-QAco[/video]

 

[ScienceBoy]

Scienceboy - so you would recommend my back being more upright?

Not necessarily no, don't focus on your back and forget your arms and the club. You can keep the correct spine angle and set your arms better.

I think the coach has the right advice, I would throw in the ball outside the toe drill just to help you know when you are getting it right.

You are fairly close to the issues I had and I fixed it without changing my spine angle which was good.

 

[kevster84]

"If I stood up from an address position my hands are at the same angle as if I were carrying a heavy box (minus keeping it close to my chest), you would be carrying your box near your knees!"

Could you please clarify?

Thank you both for your help!

 

[ScienceBoy]

"If I stood up from an address position my hands are at the same angle as if I were carrying a heavy box (minus keeping it close to my chest), you would be carrying your box near your knees!"

Could you please clarify?

Thank you both for your help!

Same spine angle, different hand distances from your body.

What I used to think was my arms falling naturally was actually pulling my arms too close to my body. I kept my good spine angle and now I realise arms falling naturally is similar to holding a box at your knees versus at waist height. One is much easier that the other, ie more efficient and more natural.

 

[kevster84]

Thanks for the replies. I've sorted the posture out and also made sure I keep the right arm close to the body. I think it was moving away which threw the arm out.