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- #51
Actually, @TrueMotionMatt, first thing I do after coffee, tomorrow, will be stretch, warm up a bit with the OW, review your instructions and video, and do just that 
Any Tricks/Hints For Learning To Keep One's Eye On The Ball? (Is it even necessary?)
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- #52
So... I didn't do that, after all. Given what had happened Friday I wasn't feeling particularly experimental. Iinstead I just got out the wiffle balls and PW, and lazily batted wiffle balls around the yard, on-and-off, all day. The fascinating thing is, once I stopped trying, I started hitting 'em well. Sunday was a largely rainy day, here, so that was a non-starter.
Still going to try Matt's suggestion, eventually, though.
Still going to try Matt's suggestion, eventually, though.
CobraX51
F-ck Yeah Baby!
Here's the trick I use...
12 clubs in my bag my eyes are focused in front of the golf ball, 3-4 inches, whether it's a full swing with a hybrid or chipping from the fringe. It sounds odd yes, but, the golf ball simply gets in the way and I hit down and thru the golf ball.
Only when I hit driver and putt is when I look at the golf ball.
Weird? Absolutely. But it works for me.
12 clubs in my bag my eyes are focused in front of the golf ball, 3-4 inches, whether it's a full swing with a hybrid or chipping from the fringe. It sounds odd yes, but, the golf ball simply gets in the way and I hit down and thru the golf ball.
Only when I hit driver and putt is when I look at the golf ball.
Weird? Absolutely. But it works for me.
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- #54
Similar to our instructor's mantra (paraphrased): "I don't hit the ball. I swing my club and the ball just gets in the way."
I think I'm finally "getting" two things: 1. To see the ball more as a point through which I want my club head to pass, rather than something I need to hit, and 2. I don't need to "power through" my swing. Just swing and, as if by magic, the ball will fly.
That actually makes sense. You want the swing to bottom out after the ball on most stock shots.
But if someone has putting yips, I suggest they focus on their line an inch in front of the ball -
CobraX51
F-ck Yeah Baby!
Very funny you say that. My old coach said the same thing. "The worst invention in Golf, is the Golf Ball."
I'm like ok I'll play along with this statement...He then would put a tee 2-4 inches in front of the golf ball and say "Focus your eyes on the tee and hit it."
Compression, divots, not shallowing out early or hitting behind the Golf ball. Sold.
On the course when I setup for a shot I find a piece of grass that stands out or something to just keep my eyes focused in front of the golf ball.
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- #57
Re-reviewed @TrueMotionMatt's video, then, searching on "golf swing" on YouTube, watched How To Get A Slow, Easy Golf Swing (Effortless Power). That's when it clicked: "Fast is weak. Slow is powerful." So I went out and practiced essentially what Matt presented. Sure enough: Every ball I hit with my 9i, about 8 or 9 of them, went 50-80 yards right where I was aiming, with no more than about 10-12 ft. of dispersion (estimated--I couldn't see where the ones that went into the woods & weeds landed). I've hit the ball a lot further with my 9i, but never this consistently. Had a couple fades, maybe one draw. Taking those out, the dispersion was even less. Maybe 4-6 ft.?
No slices (which have been my biggest problem) and no hooks. This is great!
That's with what my golf instructor calls "baby swings": No more than the club about straight back on the backswing, and more-or-less straight to the front on the follow-through.
Funny thing is: Not only do I not recall seeing the ball as the club head passed through were it had been, but I don't recall looking at the ball, at all, once I began my swing. I swung and saw the ball headed down-range.
If I get ambitious, later, Matt, I'll take that video you requested.
No slices (which have been my biggest problem) and no hooks. This is great!
That's with what my golf instructor calls "baby swings": No more than the club about straight back on the backswing, and more-or-less straight to the front on the follow-through.
Funny thing is: Not only do I not recall seeing the ball as the club head passed through were it had been, but I don't recall looking at the ball, at all, once I began my swing. I swung and saw the ball headed down-range.
If I get ambitious, later, Matt, I'll take that video you requested.
TrueMotionMatt
Well-known member
Flex your lead wrist a little bit and the push right will go straighter.Re-reviewed @TrueMotionMatt's video, then, searching on "golf swing" on YouTube, watched How To Get A Slow, Easy Golf Swing (Effortless Power). That's when it clicked: "Fast is weak. Slow is powerful." So I went out and practiced essentially what Matt presented. Sure enough: Every ball I hit with my 9i, about 8 or 9 of them, went 50-80 yards right where I was aiming, with no more than about 10-12 ft. of dispersion (estimated--I couldn't see where the ones that went into the woods & weeds landed). I've hit the ball a lot further with my 9i, but never this consistently. Had a couple fades, maybe one draw. Taking those out, the dispersion was even less. Maybe 4-6 ft.?
No slices (which have been my biggest problem) and no hooks. This is great!
That's with what my golf instructor calls "baby swings": No more than the club about straight back on the backswing, and more-or-less straight to the front on the follow-through.
Funny thing is: Not only do I not recall seeing the ball as the club head passed through were it had been, but I don't recall looking at the ball, at all, once I began my swing. I swung and saw the ball headed down-range.
If I get ambitious, later, Matt, I'll take that video you requested.
blueonblack
...tears on a river
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I kid you not, the best bunker practice I've had recently involved just splashing the sand out like you're supposed to, no ball needed.
I have a little sand anxiety, so it removed that completely for practice. My course the practice bunker/green has weeds and trees behind it, so I hate to spray all their range balls back in there. This works better.
TrueMotionMatt
Well-known member
You been to our site? That’s the exact drill we have up there.I kid you not, the best bunker practice I've had recently involved just splashing the sand out like you're supposed to, no ball needed.
I have a little sand anxiety, so it removed that completely for practice. My course the practice bunker/green has weeds and trees behind it, so I hate to spray all their range balls back in there. This works better.
That helped me early on as well, I would also have one swing thought of keeping my head still and eye on the ball through contact. This led to my first major improvement in ball striking.
blueonblack
...tears on a river
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I haven't yet, but have followed along some of your posts.You been to our site? That’s the exact drill we have up there.
I just go out and figure it out (sometimes.)
~QQ~
Well-known member
I only look at the ball when I putt. Driver I look about 2 or 3 inches behind the ball. Wedge I'll look about 2 or 3 inches in front.
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- #65
My problem appears to be taking my arms out of the swing. I can swing beautifully without a ball in front of me. Good back-swing. Driving with legs and hips. Follow-through, pivot, up on the trailing toes, facing down-range. All of it.
Put a ball in front of me and it all goes to blazes. I end-up driving with my arms and shoulders, stop my turn short, rarely get that trailing foot up on it's toes, arms and club stop short. Every once in a while I execute well. And, sure enough, as-promised: The ball sails away high and true, effortlessly.
That happens maybe once or twice in ten. Sadly: That ratio is not improving. I know what I need to do, I just cannot seem to do it with any consistency at all.
Doesn't matter where I focus--or even if I focus nowhere. My brain knows the ball is there and sabotages me.
I'm about ready to call the training and swing improvement attempts quits. Just go play whatever golf I can with what "skills" I have. And if that proves unsatisfactory, well... I'll just move on to something else *shrug*
Put a ball in front of me and it all goes to blazes. I end-up driving with my arms and shoulders, stop my turn short, rarely get that trailing foot up on it's toes, arms and club stop short. Every once in a while I execute well. And, sure enough, as-promised: The ball sails away high and true, effortlessly.
That happens maybe once or twice in ten. Sadly: That ratio is not improving. I know what I need to do, I just cannot seem to do it with any consistency at all.
Doesn't matter where I focus--or even if I focus nowhere. My brain knows the ball is there and sabotages me.
I'm about ready to call the training and swing improvement attempts quits. Just go play whatever golf I can with what "skills" I have. And if that proves unsatisfactory, well... I'll just move on to something else *shrug*
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- #67
Not to worry: With all due respect, and gratitude, to those who've tried to help: I think I'm done taking advice. New ideas work for me for a short while--then don't anymore. This is obviously a brain problem that some part of me is bound and determined not to let me overcome. So I'm going to stop battling it.
The Really Big Clue that I needed to give it a rest was when I found myself throwing my club down in frustration yesterday. I promised myself if I ever threw a club I would walk away.
I'm >< close to that point now.
I guess I won't be playing the PGA Senior Tournament, after all
The Really Big Clue that I needed to give it a rest was when I found myself throwing my club down in frustration yesterday. I promised myself if I ever threw a club I would walk away.
I'm >< close to that point now.
I guess I won't be playing the PGA Senior Tournament, after all
GolfLivesMatter
Well-known member
Put my Avatar pic on your balls?
Practice your swing motion, without a club with your head against the wall. Get in your stance and put your head against the wall. Now go through the motions. You don’t have to look at the ball but you do want to keep your head still until that trail shoulder is coming through.
GolfLivesMatter
Well-known member
ApexFan, that's also excellent for guys like me who are working on trying to not pull away from the ball on the downswing. Well done. Simple solutions.
Oddly enough that tip was given to me by my 78 year old mother.
GolfLivesMatter
Well-known member
Because she's used to seeing you beat your head against the wall?
GolfLivesMatter
Well-known member
Plus.......see........you don't have to be some 2 hcp to teach golf!!!
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- #74
Oh, I can swing very nicely with a club in my hands--without a ball in front of me. Nice swing that's powered by my legs and hips, good follow-though. It's when I get a ball in front of me that's the problem. I have to find some way to get it out of my head that, when there's a ball there, I have to kill it. My subconscious or whatever gets in the way and I revert to a baseball/racquetball swing. Not all the time, but more often than not.
It's quite annoying. Not to mention more than a little frustrating
I did correct one big problem that was causing me to slice more often than not. That was due to improper grip. In short: I needed to rotate my wrists a bit clockwise to stop swinging inward. (Figured that out with some right-hand-only swinging and the underhand stick toss exercise.)
Now that I've figured-out the slicing thing, perhaps I'll give @TrueMotionMatt's routine another try.
I’m working with them myself. Lots of motion work.Oh, I can swing very nicely with a club in my hands--without a ball in front of me. Nice swing that's powered by my legs and hips, good follow-though. It's when I get a ball in front of me that's the problem. I have to find some way to get it out of my head that, when there's a ball there, I have to kill it. My subconscious or whatever gets in the way and I revert to a baseball/racquetball swing. Not all the time, but more often than not.
It's quite annoying. Not to mention more than a little frustrating
I did correct one big problem that was causing me to slice more often than not. That was due to improper grip. In short: I needed to rotate my wrists a bit clockwise to stop swinging inward. (Figured that out with some right-hand-only swinging and the underhand stick toss exercise.)
Now that I've figured-out the slicing thing, perhaps I'll give @TrueMotionMatt's routine another try.