I've killed my swing - Help...

[RGDave]

OK, so I've been working on take-away and rotation, it's been going well and I've noticed good improvements with straightness, distance and divots. I believe (although it's hard to be sure) that my lateral sway has diminished and I'm staying over the ball better.

So far, so good. EXCEPT yesterday (practising) I started to notice that I was pushing the ball madly and almost falling forward after my swing. Presumably, if I take a backswing correctly and then transfer my weight as much as I needed/used to, then I'm going to be too far forward. Anyway, today I limped round in a disastrous manner, and basically couldn't hit the ball at all. The only good shots were all played with wedges.

My partner (my regular chap) said it looked as if I was chopping down on the ball.......

Anyway - symptoms are

Drivers - smoothered left, no height. (Feels like I'm steering my whole body left)
Fairways and utilities, fat/topped, chunks of earth.
Mid irons - awful, many not even taking off, plenty of downright thins too. The ones that went almost normally were 20 yard pushes, again with big divots.
Short irons, sweet enough and half swings great

Pitched and putted my way to a 89, thank goodness for short game.....

I think it's safe to say my grip is OK (1,000s of swing with Leadbetter, and I'm not holding it any differently)
Last time on a trackman, everything was a push.

Can't get a lesson 'till at least Wednesday/Thursday and need to play 8.00am Wednesday morning.

Any help greatly appreciated - I think I'll just do lots of feet together and see where my weight is on the downswing.

Thanks.

 

[JustOne]

Make sure you are bent forward (good posture) sufficiently (not too upright) and your stance isn't too narrow. Sounds like a simple set up issue.

 

[RGDave]

Possible, I guess. I'll check in the mirror tomorrow at the range.

Incidentally, I read an interesting article suggesting the only weight shift on the backswing was simply the inevitable transfer of the arms/club over the back foot.....

If this is "inevitable" - how do S&T players avoid it?

 

[JustOne]

Your arms swing back adding weight to the right however your right hip/buttock and right shoulder (which are all heavy) are moving the other way (behind you and to the left) thus balancing any weight sift (give or take).

 

[RGDave]

So, the key to staying totally still and not transferring weight would be rotation?

Until about a month ago, the idea of having the weight on the inside of the right foot was totally alien until one day I felt it swinging up against a garden chair (Bob's drill).

I just wonder if I've really cracked it and my current issue is moving crazily to the front foot (like I used to need to do) and messing up a potentially good swing.

 

[RGDave]

P.S. Just before it got too dark, I went and found a patch of long grass in the garden and made a channel with repeated swings. I must be coming at the ball comfortably from the inside, and yet on the course, it just won't draw. It's the not drawing that has done my head in......

 

[JustOne]

It is possible that you've actually set your stance a little open or your shoulders a little open. That's why a good posture (forward bend) is important as it sets you over the ball. Hard to say by just sitting here at my PC but generally if you normally hit a draw nothing that much would have changed other than a 'slip' in your set up.

 

[SocketRocket]

Are you swinging your arms back and through with little shoulder rotation?

 

[Region3]

Ball position needs moving back now you're not swaying into the ball?

(Only guessing btw)

 

[RGDave]

Thanks for the support guys. I'm really down about this, but I think I need to go and practise today starting off with the basics. I'll take my alignment sticks and double-check the ball position.

What I have worked out already (been out in the garden with air-flows) is that my club is bottoming out a good 2-3 balls width after where it would normally. So, at the moment, the club is severely in-out, the graze/divot is where I would expect a 3 wood to be, which would explain badly topped irons.

I think until I can get a lesson, I'll try some feet together drills and see where I am after a good practise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AXReWUx4Cg

Thanks for the empathy....

 

[RGDave]

Update.

I put in a load of work today, mostly pleased. Only 2 out and out tops, and my driver was most pleasing.

Basically did endless feet together drills and made a conscious effort to watch the tee/mat until way after the ball had left and not get sidetracked into hitting down on the ball or throwing my weight forward.

I guess the strike is back. I wish I could say the same for the direction however. I can draw the driver no problem and the 4 iron will turn over off the tee similarly easier. Irons are generally pushed or drawn and wedges land either 5 yards right or left of the 100 marker depending on the draw or not. Given that the ball lands at 95-100 yards (PW) it's somewhat maddening not one hit the board....

Anyway, just as I was leaving, I thought I'd take a picture of the mat, as the culprit is pretty clear to see.

The worrying wear mark is the one after the tee.....I can't believe I didn't shank any!!

 

[RGDave]

Pretty much fixed, I'd say.

Steady 3 over front and 4 over back today.....no tops, a few "almost", but certainly better.

Lesson booked......

...start all over again....get worse, panic...get better... (maybe )