Miles' Golf Swing - 240fps. Need advice/tip's.

[Miles]

Hello all, first post on here. Little background; currently an 8 hcp but struggle with a fat strike every once in a while. Previously I've struggled with a reverse pivot and too flat a swing. Decided I am going to stick with the 1 plane action but could do with improving my body position at the top of the backswing and correct sequencing on the downswing.

Well here are some videos, go easy on me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12y6tK_Zms&context=C3946c04ADOEgsToPDskK19ec2AtchRSSvNs7RColX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bzMv_av2Qxo
http://www.youtube.com/user/85milesb/videos


Thanks, Miles

 

[Scottjd1]

Im not really sure about any advice to give - looks okay to me - but WOW what a camera. The guys on here who do give advice are gonna love it !!

What camera do you use?

 

[Miles]

Thanks, the camera is a casio ex fh100, bought it for the sole intention of building a better swing and in 2 months it's definitely improved things. http://www.casio.co.uk/products/Digital-Cameras/Exilim-High-Speed/product/EX-FH100BKEDB/

I think I should elaborate more about what I want to improve. My main problem was my reverse pivot. So I've really tried to stabilise my lower trunk and turn over a solid right leg. In the videos it looks like I'm still favoring the left side though (very Foley like). It's weird 'cus it feels like I'm way over the right leg. I may try and incorporate a little slide back with the upper body to avoid this. Is this recommended/wise? I'm basically after way's to improve/tweek my action.

Miles

 

[Intel]

Hello all, first post on here. Little background; currently an 8 hcp but struggle with a fat strike every once in a while. Previously I've struggled with a reverse pivot and too flat a swing. Decided I am going to stick with the 1 plane action but could do with improving my body position at the top of the backswing and correct sequencing on the downswing.

Well here are some videos, go easy on me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n12y6tK_Zms&context=C3946c04ADOEgsToPDskK19ec2AtchRSSvNs7RColX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=bzMv_av2Qxo
http://www.youtube.com/user/85milesb/videos


Thanks, Miles

Hi Miles,

Ok you're an 8 handicapper so, you're a pretty decent golfer already.
As a side note it looks like the club face is a little open at address but it could just be the camera angle.

There are still signs of pivoting going on. This maybe caused by your left leg collapsing during the back swing. I can't tell from the videos but, your head hieght is fairly consistant during the back swing so I guess you must be 'standing up a bit' else when your knee bends, your head would lower. You're not pivoting forward very much so your work has paid dividends.

During the down swing, you are straightening the left leg early which is making you stand up. This can have several consequences. It can stop the hips from turning and make them sway instead thus changing your contact position. As your head raises, the club head will raise with it. If your hitting the ball well most of the time, it means you're address posture is too low(not helped by the left leg collapsing). If some times you don't get the hieght you need during the swing, it can cause you too hit fat shots.

I would concentrate firstly on keeping the left knee away from the right knee during the back swing and transfer your weight more to the right also. It's not just your head that needs to be over the right, your weight does as well. It will feel like you might fall over to the right for a while but as you get used to it, you should start to see improvements.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Miles]

Hi Miles,

Ok you're an 8 handicapper so, you're a pretty decent golfer already.
As a side note it looks like the club face is a little open at address but it could just be the camera angle.

There are still signs of pivoting going on. This maybe caused by your left leg collapsing during the back swing. I can't tell from the videos but, your head hieght is fairly consistant during the back swing so I guess you must be 'standing up a bit' else when your knee bends, your head would lower. You're not pivoting forward very much so your work has paid dividends.

During the down swing, you are straightening the left leg early which is making you stand up. This can have several consequences. It can stop the hips from turning and make them sway instead thus changing your contact position. As your head raises, the club head will raise with it. If your hitting the ball well most of the time, it means you're address posture is too low(not helped by the left leg collapsing). If some times you don't get the hieght you need during the swing, it can cause you too hit fat shots.

I would concentrate firstly on keeping the left knee away from the right knee during the back swing and transfer your weight more to the right also. It's not just your head that needs to be over the right, your weight does as well. It will feel like you might fall over to the right for a while but as you get used to it, you should start to see improvements.

Hope that makes sense.

This is exactly why I joined this forum, thanks for your advice! I did have the face open as there was a 20mph wind from of the right, not a usual habit. I definitely will work on that left knee as that makes a lot of sense (I'm focusing so hard on the right that I forget about the left).

Miles

 

[bobmac]

Hi Miles,
As expected, a good swing from an 8 handicapper.
I have a question for you.
What is the difference between the 2 pictures below?

 

[Miles]

Hi Bob, the answer is not a lot, which is wrong I know. That's my swing before I really started to start the d/s with my hips. The more recent vid's show an improvement on this but still not ideal. Also, in the pic above my spine angle isn't consistent. However, I recently read that on a 1 plane swing it's common for the spine angle to change slightly.
The faults I see above are;
Not enough lower body rotation,
Extending/standing up slightly,
Spine angle lower at impact.

 

[bobmac]

ok, didn't realise it was taken a while ago.

I can also see now from the down the line view (although a little dark) you are firing your hips better now.
Dam slow mo cameras cant film in poor light.
If you can get some normal speed swings that would help, especially down the line.
I would keep doing what you're doing and maybe keep an eye on maintaining your posture into impact.
Good swing though.
How's your short game?

 

[Miles]

Thanks Bob, I didn't realise my hips were motion-less until I bought the camera. That's the beauty of owning it, in 2 months my swing has drastically improved. Short game, well, putting can be great or average depending on the day. Have a tendency to lift the head occasionally on impact so often get my playing partners to let me know if it starts doing it again. Chipping and pitching inside 40 yards is my strength, my distance control in this range is good. Not so good from 45-80 yards, have a tendency to balloon my wedges in this range. Then from 80-100 it's good again (when I can get more of a committed swing on the ball).

I agree about my posture, this is where I am really trying to focus my practice, if I'm not paying attention my lower trunk get's a bit loose and the reverse pivot comes back. Thanks for the advice.

Miles

 

[pokerjoke]

Well im very impressed with the swing,and strikes.
I woud say either your very good or very inconsistent.
With a swing like that i would think your handicap would be below 5.

 

[Miles]

Thank you very much, I think because my old bad habits occasionally creep back in I can get inconsistent. Also, mentally I have some issues, I put too much pressure on myself when I have a short birdie putt or when I'm sitting pretty in the fairway with a short iron in my hand.

I've been analysing the front on vid's in more detail today (only filmed them yesterday avo), I could do with improving the following;

- ab's section is rotating with upper torso too much, need to resist that movement
- head is moving a little too much
- body weight too centered on b/s
- too much movement in left knee on b/s, straightening too quick on d/s
- left arm could be straighter
- could shorten the swing a smidge

I'll keep adding vid's to show progress. Again, thanks for this advice, just standing around at work earlier I could feel that keeping the left knee nearer the target helped reduce excess movement.

 

[bobmac]

I think because my old bad habits occasionally creep back in I can get inconsistent

I would guess you're inconsistent because you've got 25 swing thoughts, searching for the perfect swing.

Why change something for the sake of it....because it doesn't look right?

If you're having specific problems in one area of your game, work on that and leave well alone.
With what you've written, work on your wedges from 45 to 80 yds and leave the rest alone.

 

[Intel]

I would guess you're inconsistent because you've got 25 swing thoughts, searching for the perfect swing.

Why change something for the sake of it....because it doesn't look right?

If you're having specific problems in one area of your game, work on that and leave well alone.
With what you've written, work on your wedges from 45 to 80 yds and leave the rest alone.

Ditto

Don't get too caught up with what you SHOULD be doing in your swing. A better way to approach your personal improveent is to monitor your game to find out where you're leaking shots and then practice/learn that area.

If you are correct when you say that you're good upto 40 yds and good above 80 yds then, you are also good from 40 to 80 yds.........the technique is the same(for the most part)! So if your results are not as good as they should be, I suggest that your issue is probably between your ears.

If you want to make a swing change, select 1 thing only. Then go for it on EVERY swing thereafter until it's second nature. Then select another. Don't forget tho, when making changes to your swing, your results will get worse, so be prepared for it.

 

[JustOne]

Hi Miles, you need to move your hips towards the target either in transition or early in the downswing (5 inches should do it!). You're not doing that at all = no lag, off balance, reverse pivoting, inconsistent strikes, armsy action, short hitter? In some swings your chest actually moves towards the target more than your hips which in itself will mean you have no spine tilt away from the target, a tendency to......... I'll stop there


Focus on those hips... watch Hogan if you must

 

[Miles]

Thanks, for the responses everyone. The way I see it, the better my swing is the more consistent I'm going to be. My goal is to get to scratch one day so in order to get there my swing needs to be solid. Sticking with what work's but isn't technically sound won't achieve that. I spend a lot of time reading up on and viewing the golf swing so I know what it should look like. What I don't know is how each move should feel, and how you produce those desired position's. Hence my search for advice and drills.

Hi Miles, you need to move your hips towards the target either in transition or early in the downswing (5 inches should do it!). You're not doing that at all = no lag, off balance, reverse pivoting, inconsistent strikes, armsy action, short hitter? In some swings your chest actually moves towards the target more than your hips which in itself will mean you have no spine tilt away from the target, a tendency to......... I'll stop there


Focus on those hips... watch Hogan if you must

No go on, I need my faults highlighting to improve my swing and therefore consistency. In this video it looks like I have that lateral movement you mention or is this too little? I wouldn't say I'm off balance but I would agree with the short hitting comment. My drives carry 220-230 and my 6i 140-150.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6gXdXPA01U&feature=related

 

[AmandaJR]

Also, mentally I have some issues, I put too much pressure on myself when I have a short birdie putt or when I'm sitting pretty in the fairway with a short iron in my hand.

Perhaps that's an area to really focus on...I read this recently and found it interesting and oh so true...

http://www.golf-brain.com/newsletter.php?id=153

 

[Miles]

Thanks, makes a very valid point. I'm definitely better on the par putts! God, this game is difficult

 

[Miles]

Went to the range on Monday and Tuesday for 4 hour thorough stints. Monday my sole focus was the hip's. Tried literally everything that is possible to stop the slide and had no luck. Lock the right knee, lock the right hip, keep head dead still, lean forwards with lower body...everything!!! Then when doing slow mo swings I noticed that in my attempts to restrict hip movement I was sliding them instead. I guess in my head I was caught up in this x factor thing of limiting hip turn relative to the shoulder turn......Made a few swings by consciously turning them and it clicked. So, Monday night I checked my library of you tube vid's and analysed Hogan's hip turn in detail. worked at it in front of the mirror for two hours.....first ball I struck on Tuesday focusing on Hogan's hip movements came off like a rocket! Literally stood there giggling for a few minutes it felt that good.

So spent Tuesday trying to ingrain this hip motion. It feels like I'm swinging slower but so more efficiently. From the looking at the slow mo's I could still do with keeping my spine angle lent further back and correcting the club position at the top but it's is soo much better. No more sway. My focus is to point my belt buckle at my right toe and then load into my left leg.

So, this week was a good week.
[video=youtube;_a7KbPjxdHI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a7KbPjxdHI&feature=related[/video]
[video=youtube;z2yenq8JVPc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2yenq8JVPc&feature=related[/video]
Miles

 

[Miles]

[video=youtube;nK2QkFYJ8fc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK2QkFYJ8fc&context=C323d932ADOEgsToPDskK1 9ec2AtchRSSvNs7RColX[/video]
[video=youtube;y8hts_khxbg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8hts_khxbg&context=C31c1bc4ADOEgsToPDskIn IxuELhz6_Oil8894WNUt[/video]

 

[JustOne]

Hi Miles, better swings apart from the one with the training club ironically. Still need a few more inches forward with those hips and would be nice to see your hands more forward towards the target (more shaft lean). You're hips stall on the downswing approaching impact which then causes the club to unload and flip somewhat. More hips forward (which will set a small spine tilt away from the target) and then rotate. A pro golfer will start moving the hips left before the club even starts down properly.. just watch Hogan do it here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPGScwRJyWU watch how far McIlroy gets into his left hip before he really starts pulling the club down... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC0EHipdAtY (and impacts the ball with his hands ahead)

It definitely looks like an improvement though. Congrats.