Reverse Pivot

[AmandaJR]

Hi. This past few weeks I've been really struggling with my driver and also hybrids (don't even ask about my 5 wood)!

Main issue has been swing bottoming out too soon, hitting the bottom of the face of the club, sometimes and almighty top, heel side of middle and even when a decent strike a loss of distance (significant loss).

Did some research and reverse pivot sounded a probable culprit so today worked on getting weight onto my right side on the backswing and transferring on the downswing and bingo the ball went a mile (relatively). I hit some real beauties with my drive in particular and masses more yardage despite a sopping wet Windermere course.

It felt very different and very dynamic. I felt I stayed in a more stable "squat" position and really got through the ball without feeling I was "hitting" it. I think my mind figured if I kept my weight on the left then it would be easier to get through the ball but in fact the opposite seems to be true. I wouldn't throw a cricket ball off my front foot rather than transferring weight to the right one to generate forward momentum and power...

But...the occasional one was a very strong draw or a massive hook. Loads of height and distance still and starting straight but with a hell of a lot of side spin. I did feel towards the end of the round that I'd gained more control and happy to move from a glancing cutty contact but wonder what might cause the hard right to left ball flight which was a tad expensive on a couple of holes. On the Par 3 16th I hit my 23 degree hybrid and swear if it hadn't have hit a tree it would have gone 40+ yards further than usual - but out of the course!!

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Alex1975]

I guess the distance is from a pure strike and of course the draw shot, may the hook or over draw be you getting a little "handsy". I find it is easy to get a bit busy with your hands when things are going otherwise well. I personally find the best way to clean that up is to make sure I am getting my hands nice and high on my take away.

Congrats on finding your own way with the earlier loss of distance and bottoming out...

 

[SocketRocket]

Your hooky shots will be where the clubface is closed to the swingpath. Do you use much wrist/forearm rotation through impact?

 

[AmandaJR]

I do have a tendancy to roll the club open on the take-away and then need to get it back square so think I can overdo that. It's not a conscious swing thought as I try to keep it square throughout and in fact today all I thought about was the transfer of weight on the way back AND through and let everything else just happen. I was surprised how high the hooky ones were as I kind of assumed closing the face would also deloft it?? Is this ball flight laws again??

 

[bobmac]

If the club face is closed and pointing left of your target I'd expect to see a low left shot not high.
If it's going high left, I'd suggest you've got your weight back on your right side and not quite got back to your left. Therefor you're hanging back letting the club head swing around your body contacting the ball too far in front of you adding loft to the clubface and hitting it left

 

[AmandaJR]

That makes sense Bob as I have previously managed the duck hook variety and this was nothing like that and as high as the straight/soft draw ones for sure. Sounds like I got part way there and perhaps by the last few drives had managed to more successfully work my weight back to the left side as they were long and with a soft draw but still a nice height.

 

[Oddsocks]

If the club face is closed and pointing left of your target I'd expect to see a low left shot not high.
If it's going high left, I'd suggest you've got your weight back on your right side and not quite got back to your left. Therefor you're hanging back letting the club head swing around your body contacting the ball too far in front of you adding loft to the clubface and hitting it left

Sounds like a echo of my lesson today lol

 

[Wolfman]

Amanda, be very careful as i went through this and was left with a duck hook or pull, horrible time

I too was thinking hard about weight shift back and weight shift forwards, result my body / head was ahead of the ball at impact causing a multitude of issues, but a very occasional superb shot.

After looking at the reasons and finding out why, i started again and forgot all about weight shifts

When you throw a ball a natural weight shift occurs you do not think about it or try to make it happen, i think the same applies to the golf swing if your setup and posture etc is good.

Instead of thinking weight shift i make sure i use my lower body with rotation with quiet arms and the weight shift takes care of itself.

As long as i keep my sternum centered and not ahead of the ball my ball striking is more consistent


What you must do is committ to a full shoulder turn to get on plane unless you will end up swinging out to in

Too many swing thoughts destroys the swing in my opnion, think about where you want the ball to land instead !!

 

[JustOne]

All sounds like the culprit is spine angle to me, which in turn is causing a poor(er) weight shift. Your swing (as you describe it) sounds like it's getting armsy and that would also coincide with the loss of power.

Don't over flex the knees (as that's often a disaster as it makes you 'squat' as you say and from there you'll never be able to shift your weight or rotate properly), bend at the hips with just a 'slight-ish' knee flex.... athletic would be the optimum word.... not squat or sat down.

Hope that helps.

 

[JustOne]

I wouldn't throw a cricket ball off my front foot rather than transferring weight to the right one to generate forward momentum and power...

If we THREW the golf ball then YES I'd suggest you use your throwing technique

Out of interest....Where would your weight be if you really wanted to throw the ball hard into the ground? on your BACK foot?





[[[[ One other thing..... you say you're trying to get your weight onto your right side in the backswing... if you do that whilst trying to keep your head over the ball you will actually be CAUSING a reverse pivot ]]]]

 

[Foxholer]

Too many swing thoughts destroys the swing in my opnion, think about where you want the ball to land instead !!

I certainly agree with this!

And there have been plenty of possible explanations/solutions too.

Quick visit to your Pro (no lesson required) is the best option imo. He/She will know what your tendencies are and will almost certainly be able to tell you exactly what you are doing and how to correct it. Apologies Bob if that sounds like ignoring you - I think you are probably spot on - but it seems a case of 'which of the many reasons why this could be happening' that the 'pro on the ground' will be able to spot (of course, that may be you,)

Amanda. Rolling the forearms can be a way to produce more power, but requires good timing to get the club-face back square at impact. The 'balance mechanism' of the subconscious is far more dominant than any thoughts about this, so any slight balance adjustment it deems it has to make will be magnified and will affect the club-face angle - specially with the weight-shift swing.

So my addition to the possible causes is that you may be getting slightly off-balance (back onto you heels, then dive onto toes?) which can cause all sorts of shapes including the high hook.

 

[AmandaJR]

Amanda, be very careful as i went through this and was left with a duck hook or pull, horrible time

I too was thinking hard about weight shift back and weight shift forwards, result my body / head was ahead of the ball at impact causing a multitude of issues, but a very occasional superb shot.

After looking at the reasons and finding out why, i started again and forgot all about weight shifts

When you throw a ball a natural weight shift occurs you do not think about it or try to make it happen, i think the same applies to the golf swing if your setup and posture etc is good.

Instead of thinking weight shift i make sure i use my lower body with rotation with quiet arms and the weight shift takes care of itself.

As long as i keep my sternum centered and not ahead of the ball my ball striking is more consistent


What you must do is committ to a full shoulder turn to get on plane unless you will end up swinging out to in

Too many swing thoughts destroys the swing in my opnion, think about where you want the ball to land instead !!

Agree about the swing thoughts and recently have kept it very simple - as in none but "trust" (my swing). I didn't feel too overloaded with thoughts but was concerned I could be overdoing things and the high hook was the result.

All sounds like the culprit is spine angle to me, which in turn is causing a poor(er) weight shift. Your swing (as you describe it) sounds like it's getting armsy and that would also coincide with the loss of power.

Don't over flex the knees (as that's often a disaster as it makes you 'squat' as you say and from there you'll never be able to shift your weight or rotate properly), bend at the hips with just a 'slight-ish' knee flex.... athletic would be the optimum word.... not squat or sat down.

Hope that helps.

Athletic and dynamic was more the thought but that I'd maintained some sense of power in my lower body as I felt I was kind of pressing the ground more??

If we THREW the golf ball then YES I'd suggest you use your throwing technique

Out of interest....Where would your weight be if you really wanted to throw the ball hard into the ground? on your BACK foot?





[[[[ One other thing..... you say you're trying to get your weight onto your right side in the backswing... if you do that whilst trying to keep your head over the ball you will actually be CAUSING a reverse pivot ]]]]

No definitely front foot to throw a ball but the power mainly generated by a momentum change from back to front. I tried to feel an increase in the feel of the ground under my right foot on the way back but nothing else different - hopefully!

I certainly agree with this!

And there have been plenty of possible explanations/solutions too.

Quick visit to your Pro (no lesson required) is the best option imo. He/She will know what your tendencies are and will almost certainly be able to tell you exactly what you are doing and how to correct it. Apologies Bob if that sounds like ignoring you - I think you are probably spot on - but it seems a case of 'which of the many reasons why this could be happening' that the 'pro on the ground' will be able to spot (of course, that may be you,)

Amanda. Rolling the forearms can be a way to produce more power, but requires good timing to get the club-face back square at impact. The 'balance mechanism' of the subconscious is far more dominant than any thoughts about this, so any slight balance adjustment it deems it has to make will be magnified and will affect the club-face angle - specially with the weight-shift swing.

So my addition to the possible causes is that you may be getting slightly off-balance (back onto you heels, then dive onto toes?) which can cause all sorts of shapes including the high hook.

Balance - yes possibly. Lesson scheduled on Thursday with my coach so that has turned out to be good timing!

 

[AmandaJR]

Actually I missed the pop up bit about a moderator needing to review the post so maybe it (and this and the other one) will appear after all!

 

[bobmac]

Actually I missed the pop up bit about a moderator needing to review the post so maybe it (and this and the other one) will appear after all!

I wonder why that happens sometimes.
Are you playing today Amanda?

 

[AmandaJR]

I wonder why that happens sometimes.
Are you playing today Amanda?

Not today Bob as travelling home from The Lakes. Tee booked for the morning though - any tips???

 

[bobmac]

Not today Bob as travelling home from The Lakes. Tee booked for the morning though - any tips???

Not really for tomorrow apart from make sure you make a smooth transition.
Think of the tempo of a child on a swing, how it almost stops at the top of the back swing, so no snatching from the top.
I do have a few ideas you may want to work on over the winter though (shoulder and hip relationship.) but thats mainly range work.

 

[AmandaJR]

Not really for tomorrow apart from make sure you make a smooth transition.
Think of the tempo of a child on a swing, how it almost stops at the top of the back swing, so no snatching from the top.
I do have a few ideas you may want to work on over the winter though (shoulder and hip relationship.) but thats mainly range work.

Sounds good Bob and I always look forward to winter and practice and improvement so look forward to (and highly value) your input :thup: