I love my cardboard box!

[sweatysock41]

Recently I have been having some serious issues with my irons and as most on here would recommend I booked some lessons with my pro. Step 1 check the grip - far too strong so the first lesson was a case of don't worry where the ball goes or what the strike is like just concentrate on the grip. That has been my only thought on the range and the course for the last 3 weeks. Despite the fact he had said your game will deteriorate before it gets better I was suffering from a severe loss of confidence not knowing what was going to happen when I swung the club.

Lesson number 2 tonight and up he comes with an old cardboard box. A couple of swings to let him view the swing and he puts the ball 2" away from the front edge of the box. Now swing says the man and I dutifully did so - taking an almighty chunk out of the box about a foot behind the ball . That box is there to show you the path your club is following and where it shouldn't be says the Guru.

After a couple of swings where I hit the box with a bit of force gradually the impact became less until I was back to hitting the irons like I used to.

I read with interest all this about video analysis and trackman etc being a necessity - is that really the case when a fundamental flaw with a swing can be emphasised with something as simple as a cardbord box?

 

[briannn]

Similar to a lesson I had except we used an empty plastic bottle.

 

[Maccy]

The pro at my lesson on the weekend did a similar thing, although he used a long stick/pole

 

[chillicon]

Fundamental flaws are easy to spot for a teaching pro. There are things that trackman etc will show that the naked eye can't and even slow mo video would struggle with.

 

[matts1984]

I used to do the same with a head cover. Great little drill to get it all back on track.

 

[sweatysock41]

Fundamental flaws are easy to spot for a teaching pro. There are things that trackman etc will show that the naked eye can't and even slow mo video would struggle with.

Would you agree that for swing faults trackman would be of greater benefit when fine tuning/fitting as opposed to preventing fundamental issues?

I am probably going to get some new irons but needed to sort the swing first and he has said he will use trackman for the fitting once my swing is consistent again.

What struck me with this drill was the almost instant change in the quality of the ball striking once I concentrated on avoiding the box.

 

[garyinderry]

Is this just the same as bob's bedcovers drill?

 

[need_my_wedge]

Just turn the range basket upside down, or drop your golf towel on the floor, these are two options that have been used in lessons I've had over the years, am sure other items can be used too. Basically using a something to force your swing in to out, if you hit the object, generally means an out to in swing.

 

[chillicon]

Would you agree that for swing faults trackman would be of greater benefit when fine tuning/fitting as opposed to preventing fundamental issues?

I have only had one dedicated trackman session plus a couple of custom fit sessions using launch monitors. Put simply, for the same price lesson I would always want a trackman etc watching me as well. And if I could afford one, I would buy one and use it all the time.

I expect that Trackman is great regardless of the problem with your swing and will generally highlight any problems quicker than in a non trackman session. For fine tuning etc the benefit would be massive.

 

[Foxholer]

Certainly seems like the 'towel a few inches behind the ball' fron the_coach or the 'ball 12-15 inches behind the ball' that Bob posted a long time ago - both of which I use at the range to ensure approach to the strike is correct!