Orikoru's Swing Thread (with videos)

[Orikoru]

No it's bashing balls and hoping it will all work out

Can't wait to hear how you practice your golf without hitting any balls at all. Must be fun to watch.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

Can't wait to hear how you practice your golf without hitting any balls at all. Must be fun to watch.

I also incorporate some drills that involve not hitting balls
It's a very common and popular method of making changes.

 

[pendodave]

Can't wait to hear how you practice your golf without hitting any balls at all. Must be fun to watch.

There's a story (surely apocryphal) in a Bob Rotella book about a bloke who was unable to play golf for years (possibly a pow or similar) who used the time to mentally imagine the perfect golf game and then went out and shot a level par round the first time on a course...
Bollo@cks, obviously, but maybe a bit of Eastern mysticism would cure the wide rights...?

 

[Deleted member 35927]

There's a story (surely apocryphal) in a Bob Rotella book about a bloke who was unable to play golf for years (possibly a pow or similar) who used the time to mentally imagine the perfect golf game and then went out and shot a level par round the first time on a course...
Bollo@cks, obviously, but maybe a bit of Eastern mysticism would cure the wide rights...?

Nope just bash balls and hope for the best

 

[Orikoru]

Just been to the driving range at lunch. Took a couple more videos for you all to slate and tell me I'll never get anywhere by hitting golf balls or whatever.

6 iron

Still amazes me how short this backswing feels, compared to how it looks. It feels like I'm hitting punch shots basically. But I was happy with the strike on these, with what is one of my least consistent clubs in the bag.

Driver

Video is much longer so just skip through to any of them if you want. I think I only hooked/drew the second shot and the rest faded, which is actually what I wanted to see since I'm trying to stamp out the two-way miss that has crept in. I hit this set much better than the drives I hit on my last two or three rounds, but that's golf for you - my driving range handicap if there were such a thing would be about 3 I reckon. Once again, I'm happy with the length of backswing - weirdly I have to feel like I get absolutely no wrist hinge at all, although there clearly is wrist hinge when you watch it back. Perhaps that is just the feeling of not cupping the wrist rather than hinging.
If you were wondering what I did differently (you probably weren't) - I flared my left foot a bit. I actually do this on every other shot already, but I was not doing it with driver as I was trying to keep my stance closed to prevent me opening up and slicing it. However, since I've hooked a few that suggests I closed it too much.

 

[Neilds]

Not sure if it is one continuous video but it looks like it is. This means you are not analysing your swing after bad shots to see if you actually did what you thought you were doing - think real v feel.
Also, as I mentioned previously when you posted videos, your bottom half of your body is so stiff in the backswing with no rotation.

 

[MACM85]

From the first couple of drives it seems that you aim left and shoulders also aim left which will encourage the over the top and slice. The ones you pull is probably a case of the path matching the aim. You then also hit the ball with an open face adding to the slice.

I am not expert however I have had a fair few lessons to sort this out in my own game. What I have had to do is swing further round the body with more turn and get the club flatter at the top. Then aim more right and close the shoulders. Then trust the body will swing on the required path

 

[Orikoru]

Not sure if it is one continuous video but it looks like it is. This means you are not analysing your swing after bad shots to see if you actually did what you thought you were doing - think real v feel.
Also, as I mentioned previously when you posted videos, your bottom half of your body is so stiff in the backswing with no rotation.

Well that's what the video is for, but I guess you're right in the sense that I just watch it all at the end rather than after each shot - mostly just because I was on a lunch break and didn't want to be there all day.

I find it hard to think about what my legs are doing when I already have enough swing thoughts as it is. The more I try and add rotation the more it goes wrong to be honest.

From the first couple of drives it seems that you aim left and shoulders also aim left which will encourage the over the top and slice. The ones you pull is probably a case of the path matching the aim. You then also hit the ball with an open face adding to the slice.

I am not expert however I have had a fair few lessons to sort this out in my own game. What I have had to do is swing further round the body with more turn and get the club flatter at the top. Then aim more left and close the shoulders. Then trust the body will swing on the required path

Probably true, but I think if you compare this to the early videos of 6/7 months ago, it was much worse back then that it is now. I don't mind hitting the odd straight pull left amongst fades - I can work with that, just about. It was the hooks and slices I needed rid of.

I genuinely might consider getting a driver lesson at the end of the year in the winter, but right now I'm playing well and I can hit more 3 woods off the tee with the roll we're getting, so I'm loath to tinker too much. Last round I only hit driver 6 times and I could probably reduce that even further and still be fine. It's winter when I'll need it more.

 

[MACM85]

Well that's what the video is for, but I guess you're right in the sense that I just watch it all at the end rather than after each shot - mostly just because I was on a lunch break and didn't want to be there all day.

I find it hard to think about what my legs are doing when I already have enough swing thoughts as it is. The more I try and add rotation the more it goes wrong to be honest.


Probably true, but I think if you compare this to the early videos of 6/7 months ago, it was much worse back then that it is now. I don't mind hitting the odd straight pull left amongst fades - I can work with that, just about. It was the hooks and slices I needed rid of.

I genuinely might consider getting a driver lesson at the end of the year in the winter, but right now I'm playing well and I can hit more 3 woods off the tee with the roll we're getting, so I'm loath to tinker too much. Last round I only hit driver 6 times and I could probably reduce that even further and still be fine. It's winter when I'll need it more.

Getting lessons and working on it is the best thing to do. However you will go back 5 steps before you go forward. However the light at the end of the tunnel will make it worthwhile to go through the hardship. Plus winter golf is the perfect time to practice as scoring isn't always that easy.

 

[Neilds]

Well that's what the video is for, but I guess you're right in the sense that I just watch it all at the end rather than after each shot - mostly just because I was on a lunch break and didn't want to be there all day.

This explains a lot in why you are struggling to solve the problem permanently. You are rushing your ‘practice’ (term used very loosely), trying to squeeze it in at lunchtime and not taking the time to analyse the swing and what works and what doesn’t.

 

[Neilds]

Getting lessons and working on it is the best thing to do. However you will go back 5 steps before you go forward. However the light at the end of the tunnel will make it worthwhile to go through the hardship. Plus winter golf is the perfect time to practice as scoring isn't always that easy.

Personally I wouldn’t recommend a lesson for Ori as he probably won’t take the time to get the changes bedded in and will just tinker again.

 

[Orikoru]

This explains a lot in why you are struggling to solve the problem permanently. You are rushing your ‘practice’ (term used very loosely), trying to squeeze it in at lunchtime and not taking the time to analyse the swing and what works and what doesn’t.

This is not to disagree with you as I know there is some truth in that - but each time I go to the range I am trying to do something in particular with my swing, and then I'm judging that based on the ball flight that I'm seeing. I'm not just hitting with the same swing as last week and seeing if the results are any different. And I'll watch the video back later on just to give more information about whether I was doing what I thought I was doing. I don't find it easy to spend hours and hours analysing and breaking the swing down into position by position - it's just not how my brain works, I lose interest completely. When I am trying to change something, it's typically just a thought to make me feel it a different way.

Personally I wouldn’t recommend a lesson for Ori as he probably won’t take the time to get the changes bedded in and will just tinker again.

I don't know why you say that. Last time I had a lesson it took me a year to get it right, and I never went back to my old stance or swing, I kept going through the absolute despair at times. I commit as much time as I can to practice, for someone who has a Monday to Friday job and a young child. Usually one range session a week, or two if I'm lucky. Today's range session was a bonus, I'm normally in the office Wednesdays but the trains were buggered today.

 

[Deleted member 35927]

It looks very static, lots of arms but not much else.
I find the slow motion drill very useful

 

[SteveW86]

Have you been following Michelson’s calve training regime?

How many balls are you hitting in these sessions Olly? I think you need to break it down a bit, I wouldn’t film every swing, but I would watch each swing you film immediately after. Give yourself some instant feedback to work on.

I’ve cut my lessons right back and currently just working on path. My bad shots I come too far over the top. So all I’m doing is putting an empty basket relative to the ball so it makes me hit from the inside. That’s forcing me to do what I want to do, otherwise I hit the basket. The rest I can do from the ball flight.

I don’t think you are getting the feedback to work on

 

[Orikoru]

Have you been following Michelson’s calve training regime?

How many balls are you hitting in these sessions Olly? I think you need to break it down a bit, I wouldn’t film every swing, but I would watch each swing you film immediately after. Give yourself some instant feedback to work on.

I’ve cut my lessons right back and currently just working on path. My bad shots I come too far over the top. So all I’m doing is putting an empty basket relative to the ball so it makes me hit from the inside. That’s forcing me to do what I want to do, otherwise I hit the basket. The rest I can do from the ball flight.

I don’t think you are getting the feedback to work on

Cheers - I have done that on some of my evening sessions when I have more time - film say 5 shots, then watch them back on the video straight away and see what I'm working with. I only get 50 balls as 100 is always too many.

I'm similar really, every swing I'm just focusing on keeping the club head low on the takeaway, so I don't pick it up outside the line - and not getting too long on the backswing as that's when I'd swing over the top more. If I do those two things I generally strike it pretty well with most of my clubs. But even after six months of that I still have to remind myself on each and every swing or it goes wrong again immediately.

 

[Orikoru]

Updates!

First video I've taken in months - just thought I'd check in and make sure my backswing hadn't got too long again. To my pleasant surprise, it hasn't!

7 iron:

My biggest problem at the moment is with the new 7 wood that I bought recently. It's been fading way too much on some hits - of course, I do play a fade with all the longer clubs, but this thing is slicing more than 3 wood or driver at the moment. My 3 wood and driver however are SFT varieties (heel-weighted) and the 7 wood is not - so I experimented by buying some lead tape and sticking 3g on the heel. As you'll see here, it made no difference whatsoever. (First five shots are with out, then everything after that was with the lead tape on.)

7 Wood Lead Tape Experiment:

I'm going to try 6g on Thursday to see if I notice a difference then. But maybe I need to face facts that I can only use heavily draw-biased woods with my in-to-out swing. Might be on the lookout for another new 7 wood.

I just compared the weight of the head to my old Cobra F9 - the Ping head is still lighter even with 6g of tape stuck on it. So maybe the lighter head hasn't been doing me any favours.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I tried lead tape on a putter once. Made no discernible difference so I sold the putter. I think the tape is too marginal for most amateurs, it does not give us the real extra we are looking for. We have to buy the right club in the first place, not try to fix after.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Updates!

First video I've taken in months - just thought I'd check in and make sure my backswing hadn't got too long again. To my pleasant surprise, it hasn't!

7 iron:

My biggest problem at the moment is with the new 7 wood that I bought recently. It's been fading way too much on some hits - of course, I do play a fade with all the longer clubs, but this thing is slicing more than 3 wood or driver at the moment. My 3 wood and driver however are SFT varieties (heel-weighted) and the 7 wood is not - so I experimented by buying some lead tape and sticking 3g on the heel. As you'll see here, it made no difference whatsoever. (First five shots are with out, then everything after that was with the lead tape on.)

7 Wood Lead Tape Experiment:

I'm going to try 6g on Thursday to see if I notice a difference then. But maybe I need to face facts that I can only use heavily draw-biased woods with my in-to-out swing. Might be on the lookout for another new 7 wood.

I just compared the weight of the head to my old Cobra F9 - the Ping head is still lighter even with 6g of tape stuck on it. So maybe the lighter head hasn't been doing me any favours.

What’s the swing weight though of the new club compared to the old one. The head maybe light but it’s swing weight that’s going to be a bigger factor. Your old club was a D1 but I don’t know what new one you have to see what the comparison is.

Also are you swinging it the same way as the old club lots of factors to consider before blaming it on the club head itself.

 

[Orikoru]

I tried lead tape on a putter once. Made no discernible difference so I sold the putter. I think the tape is too marginal for most amateurs, it does not give us the real extra we are looking for. We have to buy the right club in the first place, not try to fix after.

Yeah, I completely agree (he says while browsing Golfbidder for an SFT version).

What’s the swing weight though of the new club compared to the old one. The head maybe light but it’s swing weight that’s going to be a bigger factor. Your old club was a D1 but I don’t know what new one you have to see what the comparison is.

Also are you swinging it the same way as the old club lots of factors to consider before blaming it on the club head itself.

Yeah, I've been thinking and I'm probably just going to sack the club off. Mucking about with lead tape when I could be wasting my money online buying something else, what was I thinking?

 

[BobbyA]

Your fading because you've got an out to in swing path, slow down the video and you will see.

The ball moves because of the face vs path relation ship, you have a left path with a face open to that path, therefore ball starts left and fades rights.

Your focus needs to be on neutralising the path (swing more to the right). You should take slow practice swings between shots and realty exaggerate the movements, its hard to make a change when you are just hitting shot after shot.

Took me a while to get but here is a still from one of your shots, you can see here the clubhead is already a little to the right of the ball, therefore when you hit the ball the club is travelling to the left, this will produce the big fade.