Orikoru's Swing Thread (with videos)

[garyinderry]

Thanks. Sounds silly I think somewhere in the back of my mind I've always been a bit scared to turn too much on the way back in case I miss the ball coming back. Or maybe subconsciously that's why a lot of amateurs don't turn enough, I don't know.

After Gary's advice about my right elbow flying out, I did another set last Thursday where I focussed on that. I think trying to keep the elbow tucked in improved a few other things as a knock-on effect. e.g. backswing wasn't as long as I can't physically swing it as long without the elbow flying out - and maybe the turn is a little better? Not sure.

Nice lad. It will become second nature to you before long. Keep at it


I was at the range with my brother yesterday for the first time in over 10 years. His games gone from 14 up to 27 so he's asked for some help.
His issue is kinda the opposite of yours. His right elbow is jammed into his side. Serious loss of distance. Sent him away with a few things to work on. His target is to get back into the teens handicap wise this year.
His short game has always been his downfall. We will look at that when we get out of winter.

He also bought new irons so there's 5 shots off already.

 

[Orikoru]

(Have changed the topic title so I can just dump random swing thoughts here from time to time - might help me remember the good ones!)

Driving range last night, I'm really battling this tendency to pick the club up immediately in the takeaway - which I think is what makes me swing out to in. The only swing thought I had some progress with was to feel like I keep the club head literally on the floor for as long as possible - almost like dragging it across the ground to start the swing and stop me picking it up straight away. I hit a couple of good drives like that, and then promptly hooked one. We'll call that progress though - you've got to go there to come back after all.

 

[Springveldt]

(Have changed the topic title so I can just dump random swing thoughts here from time to time - might help me remember the good ones!)

Driving range last night, I'm really battling this tendency to pick the club up immediately in the takeaway - which I think is what makes me swing out to in. The only swing thought I had some progress with was to feel like I keep the club head literally on the floor for as long as possible - almost like dragging it across the ground to start the swing and stop me picking it up straight away. I hit a couple of good drives like that, and then promptly hooked one. We'll call that progress though - you've got to go there to come back after all.

That's actually a brilliant sign, keep at it. Just don't keep hooking them now.

 

[Orikoru]

That's actually a brilliant sign, keep at it. Just don't keep hooking them now.

I think that one I just hit it pretty toey to be fair, but yeah, usually my swing doesn't really hit hooks at all so I didn't see it as a terrible thing. I normally address the ball slightly toe-side of middle because I don't want heel-strikes, and because I rest the driver on the ground. Come to think of it, I've never tried hovering at address as a method to stop me picking the club up in the takeaway... That might be worth a try at some point.

 

[Orikoru]

Something a bit different today - I was in a wider bay (albeit had to tiptoe through flood water to get there!) and took some side-on videos.

8 iron side-on

I wanted to check my impact position to make sure I wasn't early-extending / flipping but it's hard to pause it at the right moment, even in super slow-motion. Don't think it's too bad though?


Happy to see my backswing wasn't too long though, seems to be pretty much exactly horizontal at the top rather than going past that. Overall not too disappointing. One thing I can see is a tiny sway towards trail side, as my head ends up about an inch further back than it is at address.


Driver side-on

Camera has gone slightly skewhiff here sadly but I've just about fit myself in the frame at least.

I had a little idea the other day that I could try hovering the head off the ground slightly before I start my takeaway, in order to stop me 'picking the club up' when I take it back. So I tried that on this set, there were mixed results, I did actually nail a couple pretty straight, but there were still a couple of iffy ones also.

As with the irons, I'm really pleased with the backswing length this time - stopping an inch short of parallel is ideal for me. Rather than it going right over my left shoulder and then casting over the top, like the first videos I posted.

As a sidenote, it's crazy to me that the shaft bends this much at impact, haha.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Irons, your left arm is bending, losing your power. Go shorter, you are still swinging a long way.

Driver, your body doesn't turn at all, it's your arms only. Are you aware of that?

Side on videos are interesting

Did someone row you across to that mat? It looks like you are on an island mat.

(I am never posting my swing up on here . No chance matey. I'd be destroyed )

 

[Orikoru]

Irons, your left arm is bending, losing your power. Go shorter, you are still swinging a long way.

Driver, your body doesn't turn at all, it's your arms only. Are you aware of that?

Side on videos are interesting

Did someone row you across to that mat? It looks like you are on an island mat.

(I am never posting my swing up on here . No chance matey. I'd be destroyed )

I've always felt like I can't turn my body any more than that as it feels like I'm turning miles off the ball and I'll miss it coming back. The more I try and turn my body away the worse I strike it. It's like if I turn any further I can't even see the ball anymore. Maybe because my head just goes with it when it's not supposed to. I don't think I'm very flexible, but the slightly bent left arm is a bit of a 'cheat' I guess, so I'll watch out for that.

I was very glad those Pumas are waterproof, put it that way.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I've always felt like I can't turn my body any more than that as it feels like I'm turning miles off the ball and I'll miss it coming back. The more I try and turn my body away the worse I strike it. It's like if I turn any further I can't even see the ball anymore. Maybe because my head just goes with it when it's not supposed to. I don't think I'm very flexible, but the slightly bent left arm is a bit of a 'cheat' I guess, so I'll watch out for that.

I was very glad those Pumas are waterproof, put it that way.

I used to sway a lot, may well still to do. I thought I was turning but I simply wasn't. I wonder if that happens with you when you think you are putting in an extra 'turn'. No sway in the video, hence cleaner strikes. To a large extent, you do what works and if that works for you, stick to it. I played with @Maninblack4612 at the end of last year and he laughed at me and my pp, 'if you combined both of your swings, you would nearly have a half swing' . He's dead right but if either of us try to do more we spray it about and lose distance. 1/4 swings it is then .

The left elbow one is a big one though. That should be a manageable one to work on. You are wasting part of your swing, the moment your elbow bends.

 

[Neilds]

You have shortened your swing - but only on your practice swing. During the practice swing the club gets to about 25-30* from the horizontal and you can't see the clubhead in the video. On your real swing, take a look at the top right corner and there is your clubhead.

 

[Orikoru]

You have shortened your swing - but only on your practice swing. During the practice swing the club gets to about 25-30* from the horizontal and you can't see the clubhead in the video. On your real swing, take a look at the top right corner and there is your clubhead.

Eh? I'm watching the video and not seeing that at all. Both practice and full swings are slightly short of horizontal at the top - which is miles shorter than it was at the top of this thread. Yes the practice swing is probably an inch shorter than the real swing, but that's fine.

 

[Neilds]

Eh? I'm watching the video and not seeing that at all. Both practice and full swings are slightly short of horizontal at the top - which is miles shorter than it was at the top of this thread. Yes the practice swing is probably an inch shorter than the real swing, but that's fine.

It is on your driver swing - 2nd and 3rd swings especially

 

[Orikoru]

It is on your driver swing - 2nd and 3rd swings especially

Yeah, so, here's the third actual swing at the top:

A shade short of horizontal.

And here is the picture of my backswing I posted three weeks ago:

Way beyond horizontal.

So I have made it shorter - agree? Irrespective of whether the practice swing matches the actual swing. I've never felt like they need to match up exactly anyway, don't you just use your practice swing to feel a certain feel that you want? I reckon it must be true for thousands of golfers that their actual swing is a bit longer than their practice swing - probably because it's faster as well.

 

[Neilds]

Yeah, so, here's the third actual swing at the top:
View attachment 57208
A shade short of horizontal.

And here is the picture of my backswing I posted three weeks ago:
View attachment 57209
Way beyond horizontal.

So I have made it shorter - agree? Irrespective of whether the practice swing matches the actual swing. I've never felt like they need to match up exactly anyway, don't you just use your practice swing to feel a certain feel that you want? I reckon it must be true for thousands of golfers that their actual swing is a bit longer than their practice swing - probably because it's faster as well.

Definitely shorter but the main swing may not be as short as you think/want. Would not call it short though.

 

[Orikoru]

Definitely shorter but the main swing may not be as short as you think/want. Would not call it short though.

Well no, I've got it back to a normal acceptable length rather than some John Daly wannabe.

I am very happy with the length of backswing on the driver video, to me that is about ideal. Maybe if I can get the left elbow straighter as LT says it will be an inch or two shorter again. My problem though is that I need to constantly focus on keeping it there and not letting it go back to John Daly again!

 

[WorldHandicapSystem]

There is very little rotation/turn in the back swing. Your arms collapse and to mimic turn you load up the left side and tilt your body that way. Then on the way down you do the opposite to try and create space. You’ll throw your hands out and over the top, your head moves away from target to create space. All of the pressure is on your right side at impact. It’s all the worn way round.

Look how your head moves a bit towards the target, and then a lot away from the target. I’ll bet you often make contact with the ground well before the ball with the driver, or top it occasionally.

 

[Orikoru]

There is very little rotation/turn in the back swing. Your arms collapse and to mimic turn you load up the left side and tilt your body that way. Then on the way down you do the opposite to try and create space. You’ll throw your hands out and over the top, your head moves away from target to create space. All of the pressure is on your right side at impact. It’s all the worn way round.

Look how your head moves a bit towards the target, and then a lot away from the target. I’ll bet you often make contact with the ground well before the ball with the driver, or top it occasionally.

Recently had a couple but I'm far more likely to hit it a bit low on the face if anything.

Now I watch it back, you are correct, on the actual swing my body hangs back a bit more, whereas on the practice swings it doesn't. The first actual swing where I didn't hang back as much was the one at 1:56, and that is the first one I gave a thumbs up for afterwards so must have been one that I hit well.

Moving my weight onto lead side is something I used to be a lot worse at as well - probably why my iron-striking was so poor about 3 or 4 years ago. Flaring my left foot out about 30 degrees has helped me to feel the weight going into my left knee in transition though, and my iron striking has got a little bit better. It is one of the things I forget about when I'm working on other stuff though, hence I did fat a couple of irons in my weekend round (and blamed the muddy conditions of course ).

 

[rulie]

Recently had a couple but I'm far more likely to hit it a bit low on the face if anything.

Now I watch it back, you are correct, on the actual swing my body hangs back a bit more, whereas on the practice swings it doesn't. The first actual swing where I didn't hang back as much was the one at 1:56, and that is the first one I gave a thumbs up for afterwards so must have been one that I hit well.

Moving my weight onto lead side is something I used to be a lot worse at as well - probably why my iron-striking was so poor about 3 or 4 years ago. Flaring my left foot out about 30 degrees has helped me to feel the weight going into my left knee in transition though, and my iron striking has got a little bit better. It is one of the things I forget about when I'm working on other stuff though, hence I did fat a couple of irons in my weekend round (and blamed the muddy conditions of course ).

I see you not getting to your left side, "lagging", which, imo, can lead to an open clubface inducing slice spin on the ball. Again, imo, this is enhanced by flaring out the left foot. As an exercise, stand in a doorway with your left foot square and up against the doorframe, then turn forward as you would in a golf swing, making sure that your belt buckle touches the doorframe, and nearly all your weight is on your left foot.

 

[VVega]

As a sidenote, it's crazy to me that the shaft bends this much at impact, haha.

It doesn’t. Any real bending is vastly exaggerated by the “rolling shutter” effect.

 

[Orikoru]

It doesn’t. Any real bending is vastly exaggerated by the “rolling shutter” effect.

Yeah my friend said that to me as well. Just looks wild on the freeze-frame, haha.

 

[Orikoru]

@Lord Tyrion tried really hard to keep my elbow straight at the range last night. Watched video back - no change. It just buckles slightly when I get to the top of the backswing and change direction, it's very hard to stop it. On the plus side, I think the feeling of trying to keep it straight is at least helping to keep my swing from going crazy long, and I still strike it pretty well as long as I get my weight back on lead side. I am quite happy with the progress I've made so far since making these videos, just a little way to go still. I'm confident this year will be better than last year anyway as I have a better idea of what's wrong.