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Swing Overhaul, help needed!

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I'dHitThat

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I decided after my range experience today that it's time to stop hacking away at the driving range and get serious about improving. I've been shooting around at the range off and on for the last couple of years and have improved much slower than I should have. My shots are extremely inconsistent, so much that I have no desire to go out and play on the course.. I've literally only played 1 round of golf in my entire life. I know there is more to the game than just distance shots, though I cannot bring myself to play if I'm just going to lose a ball every other hit.

I took a couple of videos today without planning to post them, though I remembered this section being here and was sure I could get a few tips. I've been adjusting my posture over the past few days and this is my latest(it literally changes every other day). I have serious issues with head dipping/movement and have switched to this more up-right / stiff stance. This stance / swing is fairly comfortable but feels pretty un-athletic ..though it does feel more mechanical than my previous swings. As you can see I still dip my head a bit, but not near as much as I used to.

Any help at all is appreciated, I'm beginning to think it's time to break out the wallet and take consistent lessons until a swing becomes second nature. Sorry I do not have an angle from the front as you requested per the sticky thread.

Using a 6i in the video.

 
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Video isn't working for me via tapatalk
 
I can see it online. Wondering what Freddie has to say.
 
I guarantee Freddie says he needs to keep his right leg bent.
 
Are most of your misses pulls? It's tough to tell from that angle, but that looks like a REALLY strong right hand grip position.

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Ss12108 said:
Are most of your misses pulls? It's tough to tell from that angle, but that looks like a REALLY strong right hand grip position.

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Id say most misses with this new swing are pulls, sometimes serious pulls. I also changed my grip when switching to this swing / stance because I used to always have the club face somewhat closed at address on clubs with less loft(6-8i for example). With the new right hand position it allows the club to lie naturally at address ..that is what you want correct?

Saffa good catch on the right leg, have watched my swing videos hundreds of times and never noticed.
 
I'dHitThat said:
Id say most misses with this new swing are pulls, sometimes serious pulls. I also changed my grip when switching to this swing / stance because I used to always have the club face somewhat closed at address on clubs with less loft(6-8i for example). With the new right hand position it allows the club to lie naturally at address ..that is what you want correct?

Saffa good catch on the right leg, have watched my swing videos hundreds of times and never noticed.
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Well I don't think the right hand position should affect the address, but either way, like I was saying, I couldn't really tell the right hand position from the video anyway. Just looked from that angle to be crazy strong, which is a way to fight leaving the club face open, so if you're pulling often, you may want to be a little less strong with the right hand. Anyone else can correct me if I'm wrong, but you should set up square with your left hand grip, and bring the right hand into position from there without shifting the club face at all.

I'm a fairly new golfer also so let the pros here confirm any of that before you start screwing with your grip lol.



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Ss12108 said:
Well I don't think the right hand position should affect the address
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You're right, not sure why I said right.. I adjusted my left* hand to sit more on top of the club which helped the club face lie naturally. Just something I tried, could be completely wrong form.
 
I'dHitThat said:
You're right, not sure why I said right.. I adjusted my left* hand to sit more on top of the club which helped the club face lie naturally. Just something I tried, could be completely wrong form.
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No it might be perfectly fine for you. Again that sounds like what's called a "strong" grip, which is a way to combat pushes and slices. However, if your misses are now pulls, you might be a bit TOO strong, but that's something I'd consult with a pro about during a lesson honestly. From what I understand, any grip can work with the right swing and follow through, so if that's comfortable, there might just be something else minor you have to tweak to limit those pulls.

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Your address position is very close to the ball. This doesn't give you much room to swing the club. Adding some waist bend would help with this. I'd also loosen that right hand the grip is a bit strong.

Get the feet shoulder width apart, add some waist bend and loosen the right hand grip. Work on this before you move to another tip.
 
Much appreciated Freddie! ..nice yet simple tips that aren't overwhelming. I went to the range today to video my swing with your tips but they closed early. I plan to have a video up within the next 2-3 days.
 
Sorry this took so long, haven't had a decent enough connection lately to upload a video. This is a short vid from 2 days ago and was possibly the best range session I've had. I'm bending at the waist more and standing much further from the ball than I was, it definitely gives me more room to swing but does feel kinda awkward being so far away. So far it works, but toward the end of my session I started pushing a lot of shots pretty far right. I noticed I'm still stiffening my right leg, that's going to be a tough one.

Any more input is definitely appreciated, this setup was a lot more consistent but I haven't been back to the range since so I'm not quite sold yet.

If the resolution looks strange just left click anywhere in the middle and it will go to normal..

 
Wife and I had a lesson today (1 of 3) with the local PGA Pro. All I can say is wow, what a differnce 30 minutes can make. Grip / posture / stance changed for both of us big time. I was hitting some of the nicest shots I've ever hit and my wife felt much more comfortable with the new setup.

I some how snapped my 7i Grafalloy shaft right where it meets the head though, was about to swing and it just fell off ..lesson went so well that I just shrugged it off.
 
I'dHitThat said:
Wife and I had a lesson today (1 of 3) with the local PGA Pro. All I can say is wow, what a differnce 30 minutes can make. Grip / posture / stance changed for both of us big time. I was hitting some of the nicest shots I've ever hit and my wife felt much more comfortable with the new setup.

I some how snapped my 7i Grafalloy shaft right where it meets the head though, was about to swing and it just fell off ..lesson went so well that I just shrugged it off.
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Exciting isn't it? Just knowing what is proper is half the battle. Glad to hear you guys are enjoying it and progressing! Keep at it
 
Evok said:
Exciting isn't it? Just knowing what is proper is half the battle. Glad to hear you guys are enjoying it and progressing! Keep at it
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Definitely exciting. I just hate thinking about all of the time/money I've spent on range balls while making very little progress, and $40 / 30 minutes made the biggest difference.

I will continue to post videos in this thread, but at other angles also. I now understand the need for all of the angles, he found our main issues standing directly across from us, never once stood behind us.
 
I'm back with another video, this time with a few angles. The 3 lessons with my local pro went well, though I'm back to hitting sub-par, pushing a lot of shots to the right. Still very inconsistent, 1 shot can be perfect, the very next can be awful. I absolutely have to gain some consistency.

I went back to the basics with these swings. This is my absolute natural swing, aside from focusing on keeping my right leg bent and attempting to keep my head from moving. The instructor had me change from the baseball grip to the overlap, still getting used to it which is why my hands look so uncomfortable.

Really appreciate any input, I can post these videos every single day if need be. Sorry about not being able to see the ball in most shots, it showed while recording but not after I uploaded it.

 
What did you instructor tell you about holding your spine angle? Hips release and over the top? These are this three main issues I see with your swing at this time. I also noticed that your first move away from the ball is to break your wrist.

The wrist should remain in the address position through out the entire swing. No additional break is needed. On the down swing the hips should start the swing not the arms. By starting with the arms you are literally throwing the hands out away from your body in a big OTT move. This means you have to hold on at impact to avoid a big ole hook. The hips start the move and the arms engage by dropping down toward the right hip.

Lastly you are standing tall at the finish of you your swing. This is a product of the OTT swing. The flex you have in your waist at address should remain through out the entire swing.
 
Tadashi70 said:
What did you instructor tell you about holding your spine angle? Hips release and over the top? These are this three main issues I see with your swing at this time. I also noticed that your first move away from the ball is to break your wrist.


The wrist should remain in the address position through out the entire swing. No additional break is needed. On the down swing the hips should start the swing not the arms. By starting with the arms you are literally throwing the hands out away from your body in a big OTT move. This means you have to hold on at impact to avoid a big ole hook. The hips start the move and the arms engage by dropping down toward the right hip.

Lastly you are standing tall at the finish of you your swing. This is a product of the OTT swing. The flex you have in your waist at address should remain through out the entire swing.
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My instructor said nothing about any of this, it was 3 lessons on driving/irons/putting/chipping ..so unsure if we just didn't have time to get there or what. I sat down the last couple of nights and watched my swing in slow-mo for a while, split with Rory's in V1 software. It took a while but I also noticed a lot of what you stated, except for spine angle. My hips seem to slide forward instead of rotate, my wrist break where his stay the same at address, swing looked OTT, and my finish is absolutely awful and un-athletic. I suspected that these were my main issues and you confirmed that, really appreciate it. I'll have a new video up before tonight attempting to address these issues. Thanks again!
 
I'dHitThat said:
My instructor said nothing about any of this, it was 3 lessons on driving/irons/putting/chipping ..so unsure if we just didn't have time to get there or what. I sat down the last couple of nights and watched my swing in slow-mo for a while, split with Rory's in V1 software. It took a while but I also noticed a lot of what you stated, except for spine angle. My hips seem to slide forward instead of rotate, my wrist break where his stay the same at address, swing looked OTT, and my finish is absolutely awful and un-athletic. I suspected that these were my main issues and you confirmed that, really appreciate it. I'll have a new video up before tonight attempting to address these issues. Thanks again!
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Listen, don't rush these changes. Each piece takes 21 days to groove. I would work for a bit and then post.

As for you your spine angle. Do you see how you finish standing straight up a d down? Those that hold their spine angle look like they are leaning to the side.
 
keep up with the lessons. you're at a great point in your golf life where you're pretty close to a blank slate. lessons and hard work will probably yield results faster than those of us who have been playing for 10+ years with bad swings, then trying to unlearn old bad habits. keep up the great work!
 
I just wanted to chime in and say "keep with it"! IHT, your positioning looks sooooo much better. Keep it up and the goods will follow!
 
Tadashi70 said:
Listen, don't rush these changes. Each piece takes 21 days to groove. I would work for a bit and then post.

As for you your spine angle. Do you see how you finish standing straight up a d down? Those that hold their spine angle look like they are leaning to the side.
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Gotcha on the spine angle now, makes sense now. I had no idea about the 21 days to groove part. I worked some more this afternoon and want to post a video soooo bad showing the difference lol, but I'm going to listen to you.

caeleric said:
keep up with the lessons. you're at a great point in your golf life where you're pretty close to a blank slate. lessons and hard work will probably yield results faster than those of us who have been playing for 10+ years with bad swings, then trying to unlearn old bad habits. keep up the great work!
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Thanks! I'd love to continue to take lessons, though I feel we're on to something with these videos, swing analysis software, and most importantly Freddie's help along with other forum members who have some input.

TheHeez said:
I just wanted to chime in and say "keep with it"! IHT, your positioning looks sooooo much better. Keep it up and the goods will follow!
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Appreciate it man! I'm definitely going to keep up the work, I'm too addicted to stop!
 
5 days of progress. I didn't plan to post another video this soon though I have a fitness test at work on Thursday so I don't want to risk injury right before, and not sure my body will be up for a full swing until the weekend.

I really tried to implement all of the changes you advised, and I just started doing lag drills last night. None of these made good contact as you can see, I believe I'm leaving the clubface wide open with this new swing. Not sure what the issue is there but I haven't really worried about it, just focusing on what you told me to.

May have to watch in HD, changed camera settings to sport mode and it hurt quality quite a bit. Thanks again for all of the advice, I can tell that this is really going to pay off.

[video=youtube_share;Ma-RTiBCyHY]http://youtu.be/Ma-RTiBCyHY[/video]
 
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