OGputtnfool's 2019-2020 offseason swing rebuild

[H8tobogie]

I don't know if I ever hit a straight ball in my life. If it goes left, it's a hook/draw/pull, if it goes right, it's a slice/fade/push, and if it goes straight, then it's a miracle, right?

I'd say I push much more than pull.

Ok, because to me, you don't look OTT or across the line. A shot that starts left and curves more left can be made with an inside out path. Whenever you do hit a ball without curve take note of that because that is when you had the clubface and the swing path perfectly lined up. The swing path changes much less than face angle. Also, face angle will contribute more to the direction the ball launches than swing path will. To me, you look like you are trying really hard to get inside out and standing up to make room. This will cause you to have to flip your hands to close the face and have any hope of hitting it to the target. The misses with that type of move are straight pushes, push fades when the club doesn't close and pull hooks where the ball starts at or just left of the target and turns hard. Anyway, this is my .02 worth.

 

[-CRW-]

Ok, because to me, you don't look OTT or across the line.

OTT and across the line are two different issues.

Across the line means the club is pointing to the right of the target at the top of a right handed persons back swing. The OP is definitely across the line.

He’s not over the top. At least not much if any.

 

[H8tobogie]

OTT and across the line are two different issues.

Across the line means the club is pointing to the right of the target at the top of a right handed persons back swing. The OP is definitely across the line.

He’s not over the top. At least not much if any.

OK cool. Thanks for correcting that then

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

It’s a static image, not a video of a golf swing. The point the graphic is representing is shoulder tilt. Google your favorite pro’s swing sequence and you’ll see most have little skin contacting and it would be tough to hold a towel there. That’s all I’m trying to get across.

I think any connection between the arms and body should be soft and fluid. The golf swing is athletic. That being said, if the OP wants to do connection drills it’s his choice.

Fair enough. But most of the problems I've seen, and experienced first-hand, is a significant lack of connection between the arms and torso because it's far easier to arm-swing the club to the top with the shoulders. My point is not to "pin" the right tricep against the torso, but more to keep it compact to promote connection during rotation on the DS. Others talk about the wrist position at the top, then I watch Dustin. Others talk about swing planes then I watch Sergio. But what they all have in common is their butt is pointed at the camera at impact because their arms rotated with the body.

 

[OGputtnfool]

The OP is definitely across the line.

He’s not over the top. At least not much if any.

This was my feeling, too. Thanks.

 

[OGputtnfool]

For now, I'm gonna try some drills using a club with a driveway marker (aka alignment stick) sticking out of the grip to help me keep from getting across the line as illustrated in the video above. I'm also gonna fiddle with my grip and try to get rid of the screwed up hand position at the top. I think both of those will make a huge difference in my swing. I'll be sure to post more range videos along the way.

Thanks to everyone who provided input so far.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Another couple videos... just for archive purposes. Feel free to comment on anything you pick up out of these that wasn't readily apparent from the first one.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Another couple videos... just for archive purposes. Feel free to comment on anything you pick up out of these that wasn't readily apparent from the first one.

You have one of those swings with a great finish!!! I snapped a pic near impact. Let me know what you think.

 

[OGputtnfool]

You have one of those swings with a great finish!!! I snapped a pic near impact. Let me know what you think.

What do I think? If my impact looked as good as my finish, I'd be a household name. OK, maybe that's a stretch, but I agree with the finish remarks and just realize I have a lot of work to do on what happens prior to that.

 

[-CRW-]

BTW, doing this move, with a shoulder turn, your swing will feel 60% shorter. Don't worry, it's not. Trust it.

I agree. This is really important.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

What do I think? If my impact looked as good as my finish, I'd be a household name. OK, maybe that's a stretch, but I agree with the finish remarks and just realize I have a lot of work to do on what happens prior to that.

You are already a household name, at least on here!!! I really don't agree that you have "a lot of work to do", it's really just a lack of fundamental connection that you're not used to doing. The fix requires you to allow your swing to develop in rotation from the top to allow connection with the arms/torso and hips. People will say the hips move first, then the arms. While that's true, the two are nearly simultaneous events, not a hard-step "A" then "B", more like "AB". The "A then B" thought process is where people get goofed up, which took me some time with an impact bag to discover. In the "A then B" thought process, the hips turn, the handle of the club is still "back there" trailing behind, then one's weight transfer slows/stops to wait for the club, resulting in loss of clubhead speed, weak shots, lack of compression, with unpredictable outcomes.

Get an impact bag and start working on connecting the arms to the torso on the DS to get the handle more in front of your chest at impact. It appears you are rotating a little then stopping rotation. Upon review, my yellow arrow should actually be pointing behind the ball in relation to your chest. All you need to work on is maintaining/keeping rotation for another 1/10th of a second. Get that chest rotated like Couples to point at the ball. If you look at your position vs. Couples, you're not that far off, maybe 8-10 inches? He's maintaining lag from rotation while you're starting to release before the ball. The butt of the club is in front of his chest.

Keep hitting the impact bag with video running and keep a rotational connection until you get nearer his impact position. If you're like me, I guarantee your body will fight this for a bit because you're used to more "arm-swinging" vs. rotational movement on the DS. Even if you can only get the butt of the club halfway closer to the front of your chest and keep half the lag vs Couples, you'll feel a huge improvement in ball striking.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Ok, so, I made it to the range yesterday and today. I got a chance to talk to the pro I've been taking lessons with and explained my plan. Talked with him and decided I'm gonna weaken my LH grip to make it easier to flatten that wrist at the top of the swing.

I started it yesterday and today it already feels like it's taking. It still feels fairly foreign, but when I put a good swing on it, I can tell it's gonna be worth it. I'll try to put up some videos to document my progress throughout the season. Hopefully, this all comes to fruition next year.

 

[OGputtnfool]

So, a question.

Like I said above, I feel like the weaker LH grip is gonna help in the long run. It seems I'm getting into a much better position at the top and it's slowly starting to feel normal. The one thing I noticed yesterday is that my partial wedge shots feel really, really weird. Is that normal? I think it'd be wrong to try to use a stronger grip (i.e. my old grip) on short shots, right?

 

[-CRW-]

So, a question.

Like I said above, I feel like the weaker LH grip is gonna help in the long run. It seems I'm getting into a much better position at the top and it's slowly starting to feel normal. The one thing I noticed yesterday is that my partial wedge shots feel really, really weird. Is that normal? I think it'd be wrong to try to use a stronger grip (i.e. my old grip) on short shots, right?

Same grip for all shots and it’s going to feel weird until it doesn’t. Just be patient.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Same grip for all shots and it’s going to feel weird until it doesn’t. Just be patient.

Yeah, I knew the answer, but I like confirmation sometimes. Like I said, the full swing already feels much better, but I was hitting some half shots and they were going all over the place. Oh, well, it's the process. I'm just glad I've already written off a couple months to do this.

 

[wadesworld]

I'm sure there's a few things a pro can find to fix about your swing.

However, I think your standards may be a bit excessive. With the exception of the pull-hook, those were some really good swings. I saw a lot of consistency. You're not going to hit everything perfect. How many times have you seen a PGA Tour pro pointing "fore right" or "fore left?" They have nearly perfect mechanics. They have They've probably made more than a million good swings with good mechanics over their lifetime. Yet they make bad swings all the time.

Rather than trying to analyze the mechanics of your bad swings and getting wrapped around minutia, consider what caused a "short-circuit." For me, it's usually just a loss of focus because I lacked commitment, something bothered me as I took the club back, I didn't pick an intermediate point, or visualize my shot.

Whatever it is, realize it and move on to the next swing. You are not defective. You simply made a bad swing. It happens. Set back up, pick that intermediate point, visualize the shot, and get out of the way and let your brain deliver on the task of allowing the club to swing to your target.

 

[OGputtnfool]

I'm sure there's a few things a pro can find to fix about your swing.

However, I think your standards may be a bit excessive. With the exception of the pull-hook, those were some really good swings. I saw a lot of consistency. You're not going to hit everything perfect. How many times have you seen a PGA Tour pro pointing "fore right" or "fore left?" They have nearly perfect mechanics. They have They've probably made more than a million good swings with good mechanics over their lifetime. Yet they make bad swings all the time.

Rather than trying to analyze the mechanics of your bad swings and getting wrapped around minutia, consider what caused a "short-circuit." For me, it's usually just a loss of focus because I lacked commitment, something bothered me as I took the club back, I didn't pick an intermediate point, or visualize my shot.

Whatever it is, realize it and move on to the next swing. You are not defective. You simply made a bad swing. It happens. Set back up, pick that intermediate point, visualize the shot, and get out of the way and let your brain deliver on the task of allowing the club to swing to your target.

I appreciate the comments. The "rebuild" is partly because I want to rebuild the swing, partly because I don't wanna have to worry about playing in the shytty weather here from Dec-Feb, and partly because I want to cut my funds outlay for a few months. I figured, what better time is there to rebuild a swing than in the winter?

So, it will be done, it's just a matter of how far I want to go with it. I bought 7 lessons from the pro here that I can use any time I desire as long as I can work it with his schedule. Realistically, my kid will likely use 3 of them, so I have 4 lessons that I'll likely use in December, January, and February, with one left over for early spring if I think I need a tweak before the weather breaks for the better.

I make some fairly lofty goals (par for 18 holes), 100% FIR for a round, 14 GIR for 18 holes, etc., in the goals thread here. I'm hoping I can get this all ironed out before the season gets into full swing (no pun intended), but if those goals get set back to 2021, I won't be too disappointed as long as I can see progress.

 

[MarMill]

Hefner range? I am interested in the planemate mania. My buddy has one on the way that I want to try out. Good luck with the rebuild.

 

[OGputtnfool]

Hefner range? I am interested in the planemate mania. My buddy has one on the way that I want to try out. Good luck with the rebuild.

Yes, Hefner. It's the closest course to me with a decent practice facility.

 

[MarMill]

Yes, Hefner. It's the closest course to me with a decent practice facility.

Sorry we never got out. Maybe next year will be better, as the baby will be older!

 

[OGputtnfool]

Sorry we never got out. Maybe next year will be better, as the baby will be older!

It's all good. We definitely need to put something together. @aggiesam1983 is closeby, too. Might be able to find one more to round out a foursome.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

Golf is all about smart "trial and error", not quick fixes. I suggest experimenting with ultra-strong to ultra-weak grips without any pre-conceived notions. There are pro's out there with all kinds of nuance swings because it works for them.

 

[OGputtnfool]

So, I made it to the range four days in a row and I am starting to feel this new grip and new swing come together. I played nine holes yesterday and, while it was ugly, there were some bright spots. I hit a few good shots and a few bad shots, but I went out with zero expectations since I'm very early in the rebuild. I couldn't pass up playing in late November at >60° so I went for it.

I had a few good shots. I hit a 3wd 255y into a ~20mph wind. Almost gave up looking for it because I never dreamed it'd go that far. I thinned a pitch into one hole that I thoughts was gonna scream off the back, but it caught the pin and bounced about 15y right. Not a good results, but I figure I'm at least getting it on the right line so it's not all bad. Put a 6i right over top of the flag on a par 3.

It's coming along. Still not gonna push it to play a whole bunch. If I get out for 9 holes here and there from now until March, I'll be fine.

Golf is all about smart "trial and error", not quick fixes. I suggest experimenting with ultra-strong to ultra-weak grips without any pre-conceived notions. There are pro's out there with all kinds of nuance swings because it works for them.

I agree. My old swing was not cutting it because I was getting right and left misses.

 

[GolfLivesMatter]

So, I made it to the range four days in a row and I am starting to feel this new grip and new swing come together. I played nine holes yesterday and, while it was ugly, there were some bright spots. I hit a few good shots and a few bad shots, but I went out with zero expectations since I'm very early in the rebuild. I couldn't pass up playing in late November at >60° so I went for it.

I had a few good shots. I hit a 3wd 255y into a ~20mph wind. Almost gave up looking for it because I never dreamed it'd go that far. I thinned a pitch into one hole that I thoughts was gonna scream off the back, but it caught the pin and bounced about 15y right. Not a good results, but I figure I'm at least getting it on the right line so it's not all bad. Put a 6i right over top of the flag on a par 3.

It's coming along. Still not gonna push it to play a whole bunch. If I get out for 9 holes here and there from now until March, I'll be fine.



I agree. My old swing was not cutting it because I was getting right and left misses.

Some of the best golfers I know say "It's all about impact position, how your brain/body adjusts during the process to get there really doesn't matter".

 

[OGputtnfool]

As an added note, I took some swing speed readings yesterday and I got a couple of back to back 111 and 112 readings with the driver. These were while actually hitting balls and taken on what turned out to be decent shots, too, so I'm pleasantly surprised.

Also, all signs point to me being able to give up my "hooker" badge. I think this new grip is going to allow me to eliminate the left side of the course. I'll play a fade happily if I can do it consistently.