The most stupid club in the bag

[CrapHacker]

So it sounds like the contact is the problem.
You talk about long swings, knees and hips going backwards, reverse pivot and something about a skipping rope.

What I would suggest is you forget all the stuff that doesn't affect the ball.
There are lots of golfers out there with wonky swings that still hit it well because they are pretty good AT IMPACT.
Stop worrying about the stuff that doesn't matter and focus on getting the club back to the ball facing the right direction.
To help, try this.
To improve the contact, try and stay close to the ball throughout the swing.If it's a direction problem, check your grip first (although there may be a swing path issue there as well)

If I could forget all the stuff that doesn't matter I wouldn't have a problem. It's because my brain has taken this off the scale, that I can physically barely hit the damn thing. It's things like seeing the clubhead in my peripheral vision at the top of the backswing which is telling me I've gone wrong, and am bound to hit a bad shot - it's not there in the practice swing, I can feel perfect then, but as soon as I overswing, everything goes to pot.

What do you mean by staying close to the ball throughout the swing?

 

[CrapHacker]

I had a massive mental issue with a 7 iron recently and fixed it by taking just that club to the driving range and hitting balls.

First swing with a half swing until it's going straight and with a reasonable flight and until you get 5 balls in a row that go well. Then increase to 3/4 swing and keep swinging until you get 5 balls in a row again. Finally increase to a full swing and do the same again.

I found that it was essentially my hand position in set up that was off. Ball position, feet width, alignment etc all seemed okay but my hands were too far forward level with my left leg (I'm right handed). Moving my hands back to a more central position has me hitting the 7 with more confidence again.

I'll try this alongside the nail at the back of the ball idea, and see if I can get some kind of mental image together that keeps me sane.

 

[MadAdey]

So you have only just started then? Who have you got to help you in your early days of playing. Obviously going to see a pro is the answer to your problem, but if you have not got the funding for that then do not see getting your mate who plays off 28 as the next best thing. It is so easy to get into bad habits in the early days and having someone with you who does not know what to do themself is only going to make matters worse for you.

 

[CrapHacker]

So you have only just started then? Who have you got to help you in your early days of playing. Obviously going to see a pro is the answer to your problem, but if you have not got the funding for that then do not see getting your mate who plays off 28 as the next best thing. It is so easy to get into bad habits in the early days and having someone with you who does not know what to do themself is only going to make matters worse for you.

Sorry Adey,

I may well be crap, but inexperienced, I'm not.

I've always been able to play at a level that lets me enjoy the game, and that I don't usually embarrass myself.

ATM my driving is just soooooo embarrassing I can't see me wanting to pair up with anyone until I've got some kind of tee shot in the armoury.

It's chicken and egg at it's worst. Usually I can try a few drills until I find one that works, but because this is so mental, all the drills are fine with the practice swing, but going to pot on a full swing with a ball involved.

 

[JustOne]

... you can't fix it when the clubs are in the car

 

[SocketRocket]

I was looking at your earlier post and I've been thinking about it. My first thoughts were basically that how can this help with the problem of the overswing I've been having. The feet together drill can definitely help with that, but I also definitely wont get a full thwack on the ball.

This idea of driving a nail might just give my sad little brain something to concentrate on rather than going so far back I fall over.

Like you say, I'll give it a go at the range - the worst that will happen is that I'll fall over.

If you were driving a nail into a doorpost with a hammer would you overswing, I expect not. Your brain is quite capable of making the right moves in the correct sequence if you are prepared to hand over to it. If you were driving a nail would you swing out to in, I expect not. Get the image set, forget everything else exept the driver (hammer) driving the nail straight into the ball.

This is a great way to hit with all clubs, the only difference is that with clubs up to a 6 iron imagine the nail is tacked in at 20 degrees, with clubs from a 5 to a 3 wood imagine it is tacked at 10 deg. Driver and 3 wood off the tee, imagine it tacked horizontally.

'Nail it'

 

[thelank1985]

I have been battling an over swing for about 4 months. I have finally started contacting the ball the way I used to. The things that have helped me are to ensure I have a solid base with the driver feet slightly more than a solder width about, ensure the ball is in line with the inside of the front foot and make sure you tilt your spine angle back to the right side. Then just turn the body and start the down-swing with a feeling of pulling your arms down. having the correct spin angle will help you to swing on an inside path and get the ball in the air high and good distance .

try this at the driving range to get the right angle stand tall in your address position then hold the club in the centre of your chest so that the club dangles between your legs. then tilt your spine angle to the right until the club head hits your left nee. this will give you the correct spine angle. Now keep that spine angle with your swing.

for the mental part I used Dr Bob's focus on a small target and get that mental image of the ball landing on it. then your body will react to the target when you swing. I found it gave my mind something else to think about instead of my swing mechanics.

All about the mental game:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Dr-Bob-Rotella-Collection/dp/0743544773/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332232105&sr=8-1

they are all available in book form too.

 

[CrapHacker]

That's a thought....

I've never had a problem with the mental part of the game before, but I got 'Golf is not a game of perfect' for Christmas.

Now I can hardly hit a ball off the tee, my brain is so shot.

Coincidence?

Hmmmmmmmm