Progression: Stage 1

[Oddsocks]

As some may have read i have been struggling with the game recently, coming from some pb's of 76 gross (par 68) during nov/dec to more recently low to mid 90's in medals it was time to readdress some issues going on. around a mnonth ago i had a lesson with my old pro that i used in 08/09, but ive got to be honest in saying he's method for that lesson blew my mind and left me with far too many swing thoughts.

The pro i was using more recently from october 2010 through to around agust had seen some great improvements within my game, but hes a touch (understatement alert) unrealiable and i thought it was time for a change. after talking to our club manager he suggested the head teaching pro there and after an informal chat we had an agreement. a 45 min lesson with swing mot to see what he thought was going wrong and give me hes honest thoughts. OK... lets get it going and was all booked for last night.

I turned up at the range 20 mins before and after shanking 30+ balls i was ready to cancel the lesson, big casting on the ones i was hitting, and big shanks on the bad ones... not good. anyway.. at this point i over heard a lesson in the outside bays " this is why your casting"... so i took this oppertunity to watch this guys lesson and it seemed we had a common fault. at the top of the swing where your left arm would be paralel to the ground, my left arm was quite bend giving me no room to swing... a quick address on this issue gained a bit of a swing but by now it was time for the lesson to start.

After a 5 min chat about where game was and current thoughts, it was time to hit some balls, but what i like was this pro was quick to advise the faults, accurately but without the need to over complicate the explanation. he discovered that i over think my swing and is convinced that this is where 99% of my issues come from.

it was obvious on the camera that i had a couple of issues.

* Too much grip pressure.
* Too close to the ball
* stance to narrow.
* non committed follow through.

After around 10 mins the results were amazing, my 6i distance (please bare in mind that our range is uphill and using range balls) went from 150 yrds up to an estimated 170 yards, dispersion much have closed to at most 4m, and some of the purest iron shots were delivered. after a further 10 mins of hitting balls with these changes i reckon we had dispersion on a 6i down to 3m max.

Front on View of old swing.



Front on View of NEW swing.


DTL view of old Swing


DTL view of NEW Swing


Set Up Changes (Front)

Set Up Changes (Rear)

things generally feel alot better, and the faith in my swing is somewhat reassured slightly, but ive notced a couple of things that i want to address in the next session.

* grip - it seems strong again, mainly the left hand but i think id like to see it more neutral,
* left foot seems to move slightly, not sure if this is good or bad so will discuss with him
* we have already discussed trying to keep my weight more central over the shot, i dont like the way my shoulders fall back away but he thinks that once the current changes are more natural i should stay more over the ball anyway,

Happy-socks.

 

[Aztecs27]

Both look exactly the same to me!

Glad you're moving forward though mate. Can't imagine it would be much fun playing with a mardy Baz.

 

[Oddsocks]

I thought the same Az, but with the wider stance and being further away from the ball the difference were night and day, when i was closer to the ball i was way off plane, but being further away its now bang on plane and the quality of the strike is alot better.

but your right, mardy baz is a right moaning git.:mmm:

 

[DaveM]

Nice to see you've found a pro you like. Hard to tell from the pics? But the left hand seems ok. But the right hand is very strong its nearly under the club. The main problem I can see with the grip is that both the V's are pointing in different directions. Rather than both pointing in the same direction (towards your left shoulder not outside it). But as I said hard to tell in those pic's, but thats how it appears.

 

[Oddsocks]

I dont like the grip myself dave if im honest, i thought it felt a bit strong and this was exactly why i asked for the videos to be sent.

Ive been lucky enough to find a matching 6i to my set, same shaft spec etc so i will be having that fitted with one of them training grips to try and get past this strong grip once and for all. it seems my grip stays neutral for around 3-4 months before wondering back to the dark side, im hoping that by having a training club so to speak, if everytime i use the range i use that club it should train my hands to stay neutral.:thup:

 

[JustOne]

when i was closer to the ball i was way off plane, but being further away its now bang on plane ......

Bang on plane?....I don't concur.....

Flat swingplane causing a 'lift and over the top' (out-to-in at impact) move....... and your clubface is waaaaay open [click to enlarge] seems you roll it open on the early backswing.....

 

[DaveM]

Sorry that should read right shoulder not left. I'm a lefty so sometimes put it down for a lefty and not for someone who plays the wrong way round.

 

[richy]

Bang on plane?....I don't concur.....

Flat swingplane causing a 'lift and over the top' (out-to-in at impact) move....... and your clubface is waaaaay open [click to enlarge] seems you roll it open on the early backswing.....

View attachment 1621

I thought if the club face pointed towards the sky at the top meant the club face was closed?

 

[USER1999]

Strong grip, esp right hand. Could have your hands more forwards (towards left foot) at address. Zero weight shift on back swing, (desirable? Not for me). Hands flip like crazy at (or before) impact. Ball position way too central for any club, let alone a 6i, should be more towards left foot.

Apart from that, you should be on tour.

Possibly.

 

[Oddsocks]

JO, i did notice the face was shut at the top, which im putting down to a strong grip, the pro basically just wants me to work on the current fixes (stance width, further away from the ball etc)

Murph, we have discussed ball position and i think its we will be addressing the grip and hands next, he did say he wants to get hands further forward but i suppose it a case of one group of things at a time, if we can work on these first, then address other issues as the lessons go on.

 

[JustOne]

I thought if the club face pointed towards the sky at the top meant the club face was closed?

You're right Richy.. I have no idea why I put that seeing as he doesn't roll the club open either

Thanks for spotting/mentioning that.:thup:



The clubface is closed, try gripping more in the fingers with your right hand instead of across the palm. Swing plane is too low.

 

[JustOne]

OS, do you nomally pull your irons and slice your driver?

 

[Oddsocks]

Im at the range tonight JO, obvioulsy trying to keep in mind what was in the lesson yesturday, I was also going to try and focus on the grip being weaker which whould leave the clubface more neutral at the top, if i can click that tonight i'll be happy, but obviously as murph said maybe the ball position a little further too.

im trying not to get caught up in this perfect swing mentality, but likewise i know it needs some serious work. as it stands yesturdays lesson has given me a result that would get me around a course, which wasnt the case at 5:30 yesturday afternoon

 

[Oddsocks]

OS, do you nomally pull your irons and slice your driver?

i wouldnt say slice the driver, maybe a 4/5 yard soft fade at most, irons are normally straight, with a slight fade, i had come away from the draw all together, which was actually my natural shot when i played with you/smiffy/bratty at westerham...

any reason?

 

[JustOne]

It's hard work fading an iron with a strong grip.... you either have to hold off the release or cut across it quite dramatically OR a bit of both. If you're doing that with a driver it'll slice.

The grip and the swingpath you currently use work together hand in hand, if you DO actually weaken your grip at the range you'll probably start slicing the crap out of your driver as the face will be more open..., then you'll REALLY start throwing the club over the top in an effort to cure that and it'll go from bad to worse.

So....you actually need to change your grip AND plane at the same time which isn't easy...

 

[Oddsocks]

i wonder if thats why the pro didnt address the grip issue last night, because it actually works as is... so to speak. after the initial tweak in the set up things were either bullet straight or at very worst 3-5 yard draw, but generally 90% bullet straight,

 

[JustOne]

This is how you need to perceive your RIGHT hand moving... it goes UP, drops a fraction onto a LOWER plane then swings into the ball from the inside.



It's practically impossible to do with a strong grip as the club will feel like it's super closed as you take the club back... which is where the weakening of the grip comes in... you change grip and plane together.

 

[Oddsocks]

noted :thup:

i know we were going to try and get the club more over the shoulder as you look down the line instead of behind them so to speak, but i suppose its a work in progress.

 

[JustOne]

i wonder if thats why the pro didnt address the grip issue last night, because it actually works as is... so to speak. after the initial tweak in the set up things were either bullet straight or at very worst 3-5 yard draw, but generally 90% bullet straight,

I can't say whether that is the case or not, I can only relate to my own approach which isn't just to get people to hit the ball, it's to get them to improve and realise their potential, I see no reason why you shouldn't be a low single figure golfer... if I can do it anyone can You have a passion for the game yet it seems you are often left banging your head against a wall.

I'd say it's about time you left the quick fixes alone and worked on the proper issues.

 

[Region3]

This is how you need to perceive your RIGHT hand moving... it goes UP, drops a fraction onto a LOWER plane then swings into the ball from the inside.

View attachment 1622

It's practically impossible to do with a strong grip as the club will feel like it's super closed as you take the club back... which is where the weakening of the grip comes in... you change grip and plane together.

A drill I was given to help with that was to take the club away until it's parallel to the floor then stop. Make sure your arms haven't come inside and that your clubhead is still pointing slightly outside your arm line. If they aren't then move them.
Now turn your shoulders to get to the top of the swing and continue the swing to hit the ball.

I was also told to feel like the clubhead goes around a balloon at the top of the swing to really get it coming back inside the backswing path (see JO's pick of McIlroys path on another thread), but that might have been to get me to exaggerate it because it was so wrong before, ie. backswing and downswing paths needed swapping.