Swing Question - Slow Mo' Video included

[One Planer]

Looking for a little help from the forum swing boffins on something I'm working on at the minute.

Below is a slow motion video of my swing, taken during my last lesson.

On the whole I'm pretty happy with my swing at the minute, however I have a slight issue I'm looking to discuss.

The video below, as I said was taken during my last lesson and highlights the issue I'd like to discuss.

[video=youtube;HXPrPa047Eg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXPrPa047Eg[/video]

(Swing begins at 0.35 seconds)

In the above video, the bay my swing was filmed in is directly in line with the left edge of a target green at the range.

When I was hitting the ball well, the ball was starting at the middle of the target green an turning over right to left to my target at the left edge.

When my swing wasn't quite on (See Video), the ball starts straight at my target (Left edge of green), then turns over by the same amount (5 yards), missing the green left by the said amount.

I've spent the last 8 weeks working through keeping my arms/shoulders passive while my hips begin my downswing by rotating my weight forward.

My pro has given me a 'station' to set up involving an alignment rod (Pointing to 1 o'Clock) and a tee peg just in front of the ball and to the right to try and encourage me to swing a little more out as opposed to straight to and left of target. This is what I'm currently working on at the range and at home.

I'll be honest, the difference in feel between a good shot and bad (Starting right as opposed to straight) doesn't feel significant through the swing. It's not something I can put my finger on, but on a bad shot I feel like my shoulders are turning through too quickly, possibly an old habit of trying to hit the ball a little harder (Tempo issue?)

Any thoughts you good people have on the above are greatly appreciated :thup:

 

[Qwerty]

I'm no expert Gareth but I'd be looking at creating some lag on the downswing.

 

[bluewolf]

I'm no expert Gareth but I'd be looking at creating some lag on the downswing.

Agreed. No disrespect meant, but would I be right in thinking that you weren't overly long? I'm definitely no expert, but could the pull left be indicative of a pull from the top, resulting in a slight Out to In swing with a slightly closed face?

 

[Wabinez]

It looks like (to me) you come slightly over the top to the ball, which could result in the slight pull, especially if with a neutral club face. It's not a massive amount, but it doesnt look as if the plane going back, is the same as the plane coming through. When the swing is on, the slight out-to-in may be reduced, but when 'off' the tendency is there. Would you not want to pull the club downwards slightly, create some lag, and deliver the ball more consistently from the inside, giving you the result you are after

 

[One Planer]

I'm no expert Gareth but I'd be looking at creating some lag on the downswing.

Is this not enough lag? Genuine question.

 

[bobmac]

You are out to in in relation to your backswing but not to the target.
Your backswing is quite flat (as you know) so when you have a slight throw, it's better on plane coming down (the important bit).
If you were out to in to the target, the clubhead would be in or close to the circle, as it happens, it's behind the yellow line which is never a bad thing



I'd say you're on the right track so try and resist the urge to fiddle with things just for the sake of fiddling.
Go out and play lots of golf and groove it.

 

[One Planer]

Agreed. No disrespect meant, but would I be right in thinking that you weren't overly long? I'm definitely no expert, but could the pull left be indicative of a pull from the top, resulting in a slight Out to In swing with a slightly closed face?

I'm not tour long by any standards. 150 yard 7 iron is about right.

As I said in the OP, the video above is one of the poorer swings where the ball starts straight then draws as opposed to right with a draw.

It'd be a but daft putting video up of a good swing and asking to fix my bad shot

I do take your point(s) though :thup:

 

[bobmac]

View attachment 14335
View attachment 14337
View attachment 14338

Is this not enough lag? Genuine question.

The lag is the angle formed by the shaft and the LEFT forearm

 

[One Planer]

You are out to in in relation to your backswing but not to the target.
Your backswing is quite flat (as you know) so when you have a slight throw, it's better on plane coming down (the important bit).
If you were out to in to the target, the clubhead would be in or close to the circle, as it happens, it's behind the yellow line which is never a bad thing

View attachment 14336

I'd say you're on the right track so try and resist the urge to fiddle with things just for the sake of fiddling.
Go out and play lots of golf and groove it.

Thanks you for your input Bob.

I take understand your comment re the throw and the downswing. My pro made the same comment as his swing is also flat, with a little throw.

I'm pretty sure my issue comes from trying to 'hit' the ball as opposed to keeping the same tempo and trusting my swing to get the job done.

I also have a tenancy to have an early peek and not keep my eye on the ball into impact.

Thanks again Bob. Appreciated as always :thup:

 

[One Planer]

The lag is the angle formed by the shaft and the LEFT forearm

I could do with a bit more then :rofl:

 

[pendodave]

**disclaimer, I'm a hacker.

I know that they mean about the lag. I think it's more than just the angle between shaft and wrist, but maybe the way the hips and lower body might not be creating as much leverage as they could. In the three stills that you show, your legs and hips are at 90 degrees to the target, whereas tour swings (I know, but bear with me) are more open at this point and create more dynamism as a conseuence. But this is something that someone with a knowledge of biomechanics and the golf swing would be better off addressing.

On a completely unrelated matter, is this exhibit 'a' in the 'how long should I stand over the ball thread'....

 

[Maninblack4612]

Looks to me as if the first move on the downswing is to throw the right shoulder slightly outside the swing plane, something I do all the time (so does Miguel Angel Jiminez, so you're in good company). I've tried to catch the backswing & downswing at the same point, although I think you can see it more clearly in the video, just as the club changes direction. The downswing definitely follows a more outside path than the backswing. Pros are more likely to do the reverse of this, the first move on the downswing being to slip the club onto an inside path.

I'm not a pro but it's the sort of thing I see many amateur golfers doing, it's just such a natural thing to do.

 

[garyinderry]

[video=youtube;QL_6M_xZvq0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL_6M_xZvq0[/video]

 

[One Planer]

**disclaimer, I'm a hacker.

I know that they mean about the lag. I think it's more than just the angle between shaft and wrist, but maybe the way the hips and lower body might not be creating as much leverage as they could. In the three stills that you show, your legs and hips are at 90 degrees to the target, whereas tour swings (I know, but bear with me) are more open at this point and create more dynamism as a conseuence. But this is something that someone with a knowledge of biomechanics and the golf swing would be better off addressing.

On a completely unrelated matter, is this exhibit 'a' in the 'how long should I stand over the ball thread'....

Gimme a break!!!


It's in slow motion :rofl:

 

[pendodave]

Gimme a break!!!


It's in slow motion :rofl:

Busted !!

Many many apologies !!

 

[One Planer]

Looks to me as if the first move on the downswing is to throw the right shoulder slightly outside the swing plane, something I do all the time (so does Miguel Angel Jiminez, so you're in good company). I've tried to catch the backswing & downswing at the same point, although I think you can see it more clearly in the video, just as the club changes direction. The downswing definitely follows a more outside path than the backswing. Pros are more likely to do the reverse of this, the first move on the downswing being to slip the club onto an inside path.

I'm not a pro but it's the sort of thing I see many amateur golfers doing, it's just such a natural thing to do.

View attachment 14340

I agree M.I.B.

Bob's post (#6) answers that better than I ever could

 

[Maninblack4612]

I agree M.I.B.

Bob's post (#6) answers that better than I ever could

I'd swop swings, yours for mine!

 

[Foxholer]

Why pay heaps of dosh for a Pro to advise/change you, then come on here and, in effect, question what he is getting you to do? Better, imo, to email him with the question, as I'm sure he will have a simple answer!

Can't see the vid as I'm on my slow, backup laptop, but, from the still pics, there doesn't seem to be much lower body involvement at all. Isn't that something that you are trying to improve?

Keep listening to your coach (and checking with him if in doubt) though!

 

[One Planer]

Why pay heaps of dosh for a Pro to advise/change you, then come on here and, in effect, question what he is getting you to do? Better, imo, to email him with the question, as I'm sure he will have a simple answer!

Can't see the vid as I'm on my slow, backup laptop, but, from the still pics, there doesn't seem to be much lower body involvement at all. Isn't that something that you are trying to improve?

Keep listening to your coach (and checking with him if in doubt) though!

Fairly sensible advice :thup:

 

[One Planer]

Thread update.

I've spent the last month following Bobs advice and grooving what I had using the swing station my pro suggested I set up.

Here is my swing from my last lesson, and for once, it was one of my better shots

[video]https://youtu.be/VtIldAvrJ1M[/video]

(Swing starts at 0.30 seconds in)

I put a much better swing on the ball in this video and manged to shallow the shaft out a little more than I have before:

I hit my, now more usual, draw with the ball starting right and moving back as opposed to the one in the initial post which starts fractionally too straight before turning over.

The only change suggested during my last lesson was a fractionally weaker grip, mainly my right hand to help neutralise some of the curve on my draw.

Apparently it was curving a little too much for a 7 iron

The grip change will also help me have more of a controlled miss once it's grooved and on a Saturdays round, I'm in full agreement.