I have been suffering from a past parallel swing for a bit now. My arms break down at the top and I have to rely on my hands making up for it at impact. This works half the time. When it does I'm on, when not..... well not so much. Is there and training aids or drills that will help me groove a shorter swing in?. I work on 3/4 swings on the range and contact/direction goes up drastically. However, for some reason as soon as I get out on course I have a "set distance" I'm trying to hit to so my brain says swing hard you can't get there with a 3/4 swing. I try to take a extra club but when I do that I still make the same swing but decelerate on the way down and it turns out worse. Anyone have any ideas?
Shortening backswing
- Staff
- #2
Impact ball will help, because you'll drop it if you get too far back.
I will say this though - you need to just work on it for a long time. I've succeeded in shortening mine quite a bit, though I still outrun my shoulder turn a little. Focus on your hands being chest high (they will go farther than that).
I will say this though - you need to just work on it for a long time. I've succeeded in shortening mine quite a bit, though I still outrun my shoulder turn a little. Focus on your hands being chest high (they will go farther than that).
You might try the SwingExtender and/or Swingyde. They help prevent an arms breakdown or bending the right elbow past 90 degrees.
You might try your cell phone on a stick - forget the name of the gadget - so you can take video alone.
It takes trust and a lot of swings to "change the picture."
Working on a shorter backswing, too, so I am empathetic.
As Hawk says, think about chest high. I think chest high with my arms in front of my chest as I have a tendency, no scratch that, a habit of my arms pulling behind my shirt seam.
Also, think 3/4, have a friend on the range tell you when to stop.
Keep focused and working on it, and you will achieve your goal.
You might try your cell phone on a stick - forget the name of the gadget - so you can take video alone.
It takes trust and a lot of swings to "change the picture."
Working on a shorter backswing, too, so I am empathetic.
As Hawk says, think about chest high. I think chest high with my arms in front of my chest as I have a tendency, no scratch that, a habit of my arms pulling behind my shirt seam.
Also, think 3/4, have a friend on the range tell you when to stop.
Keep focused and working on it, and you will achieve your goal.
Chase
Pro V1 Kenobi
Just from my experience on battling this issue -
If you make a proper shoulder turn and do not let your arms continue to lift up it is very hard to get past parallel unless you're really flexible. Work on making a full shoulder turn, i.e. back to the target or some similar swing thought. For years what I thought was a "full turn" was actually only about a half turn with lifting of the arms. It's a very hard habit to break.
If you make a proper shoulder turn and do not let your arms continue to lift up it is very hard to get past parallel unless you're really flexible. Work on making a full shoulder turn, i.e. back to the target or some similar swing thought. For years what I thought was a "full turn" was actually only about a half turn with lifting of the arms. It's a very hard habit to break.
- Thread starter
- #6
Is there a THP sponsors shop or preferred vendor for the swing extender?
Also those that have used it. Did it become a crutch that your body started using as a stop and would only stop once your forearm hit it. Or did it give you a mental start downswing here even when you were not wearing it on the course?
Also those that have used it. Did it become a crutch that your body started using as a stop and would only stop once your forearm hit it. Or did it give you a mental start downswing here even when you were not wearing it on the course?
I don't know of a preferred vendor. Amazon with intheholegolf.com as the fulfiller, although it is odd that I did not see the swing extender at inthehole.com's website.
Having said that, and re-reading your initial post, I do not know if the swing extender is "the" answer, although it may give you a feel you need. At least, you can hit balls while using it. Sounds from your initial post as if it is a range to course conflict that can only be resolved by practice and video, and lots of swings, and time.
The following is what I am working on after work with instructors. (I think too many people, me included, use their arms and wrists too much on the backswing, and this leads to the clubhead, right elbow, and arm getting behind the shirt seam, lifting, and arms becoming disconnected from your body, etc.) I try to think of it like putting where they tell you to use your BIG muscles. To begin the backswing, if you leave forearms on your ribcage while feeling as if your right hip and right shoulder are turning behind you and the left shoulder starts "down" slightly, while rotating the arms and cocking the wrists up (not behind), you can better maintain the arm-body connection to the top and keep your arms in front of your chest. I feel as if I've got to stick my right elbow close to the right ribcage, although at the top of the swing, it is slightly away from the ribcage but not behind the shirt seam.
The swing extender may help you get the feel you want of not overbending the right elbow, keeping the left arm straighter and making a fuller turn. I've put the swing extender on this morning and that is the feel I get. Still, it is an aid to gain a feel. It will not "cure" but it may help if you use it enough. I keep a kid's club at home and make swings with the extender in front of the tv or on the back deck.
As you can tell, this topic is near and dear to me... I want to get rid of the issue. Swing, look at video, repeat. Good luck.
Mystery Meat
Ben Hogan Fan
Like most SITD vids, I am attempting to figure out its point. From memory, they rarely come to conclusions. If the point is the longer the club, the longer the swing, what is the shortest and longest swing? (crickets) i.e. where do you stop for a stock LW, where for a stock driver shot? Perhaps he means club is parallel for driver, short of parallel for irons...
The OP has an issue on the course, but without seeing his swing, it's tough to assess and/or assist.
To the OP, as someone mentioned, your 3/4 swing is probably a full swing, and your full swing is adding and something is occurring that is leading your ball astray. Perhaps like a lot of people your arms and wrists keep doing something when your shoulders stop moving.
The OP has an issue on the course, but without seeing his swing, it's tough to assess and/or assist.
To the OP, as someone mentioned, your 3/4 swing is probably a full swing, and your full swing is adding and something is occurring that is leading your ball astray. Perhaps like a lot of people your arms and wrists keep doing something when your shoulders stop moving.
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- Staff
- #10
This is a killer. And very hard to control. Even with a shorter backswing I continue to allow the club to keep moving and get out of sync quickly.
I've been working on shortening my swing for a while as well. I'm finding that even when I stop my shoulders and arms, my wrists would hinge and lay the club across my shoulders, defeating everything else. Last night I was trying to focus on keeping my left arm straight and get back to keeping my left thumb pointing up at the top of the swing to keep my wrists from breaking, and had some good results.
Thinking of my golf swing as hands on a clock really helped me shorten my swing. In the past I would try to raise my arms and turn my shoulders as high as I could, thinking that would equate to more distance. Instead it just lead to inconsistent timing and wayward shots.
The fix is simple: a "full backswing" for me is taking my left arm to a "10 o'clock" position on the way back. This felt like a 3/4 swing at first, until I realized that the clubhead was going back much further (thanks to my wrist hinge). My club control drastically improved, my shots went further thanks to better contact, and my scores dropped.
I recommend videotaping your "normal" swing and taking note of how far your clubhead goes back in relation to your left arm. Then take your left arm to 9 or 10 o'clock and look at the clubhead length again. You'll notice that a swing that feels shorter isn't that "short" at all.
The fix is simple: a "full backswing" for me is taking my left arm to a "10 o'clock" position on the way back. This felt like a 3/4 swing at first, until I realized that the clubhead was going back much further (thanks to my wrist hinge). My club control drastically improved, my shots went further thanks to better contact, and my scores dropped.
I recommend videotaping your "normal" swing and taking note of how far your clubhead goes back in relation to your left arm. Then take your left arm to 9 or 10 o'clock and look at the clubhead length again. You'll notice that a swing that feels shorter isn't that "short" at all.
- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks guys. I will try to get a buddy to video my swing this weekend and one of what I think I want it to look like. From swinging in front of a mirror it looks like I keep going with my arms and then pretty much everything breaks down and I dip my head, slide, bob, dip, dodge, and duck. When I make the shorter swing I stay nice and still.
If this helps, I make a great backswing without a ball.
Put a ball on the ground, and it goes awry.
Workin' on it.
Best feeling I can recommend is make a swing where it feels like you do not cock your wrists at all. Think Steve Stricker. You will shorten up automatically and have a much shallower angle of attack on the downswing. You will still set your wrists and have plenty of power, it just won't feel like it at first. Try it.
dlaville
New member
You have two options; 1) keep your left heel planted on the ground in the backswing and/or 2) limit your backswing hip turn. Both of these will act as a governor limiting your backswing shoulder turn.
Mystery Meat
Ben Hogan Fan
That video is from Martin Ayers .. He is called a swing guru I guess
BamBooBender
See-Moe
^^^ This works well for me!
- Thread starter
- #21
Thabks for the tips guys. I played 18 with what I told myself was a 3/4 swing and shot a 87. So I know I am on the right track. The times I went crazy with the ball is when I felt myself over swing or saw my club pop up in the corner of my eye. Those shots went all over the place as I tried to decelerate and fix stuff on the way down. I ordered up a swing extender last week. It showed up today. So tomorrow I am going to hit the range and see how it feels hitting balls. From my practice swings it puts me in the the place I thought was 3/4 swings haha. So maybe there is hope. Stay tuned, I will give it a short review with hopefully a before and after video too.
Thx. Yes, you see Martin on many SITD Videos. Elk uses him. The point is the vid doesn't say anything.
Good luck to the OP with his great work!
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- Thread starter
- #23
Well it was finally not raining so I was able to get out to the driving range with my swing extender. Well it works, it shortens my swing. But I have to admit, this is one painful training aid. It is the perfect size to fit between my "elbow pit" and the head of my bicep. So my bicep is constantly having to go out from under it. The slide back under as I swing forward. So after a couple swings it either moves it out of posistion, or I have to snagged down so much it hurts. Tried strapping it onto my forearm and that felt much better. I shall keep at, right now swinging with it on I am looking about 2 clubs distance. So hopefully I can get my shoulders turned a bit more since my shaft is now just about 45 degrees at the top.
Tedfroop
One eyed and left handed
Working on the same thing. Doing it with my GolfTec coach though. What is surprising it that my impact is so good with a little less swing. Seems I can keep my arms in front and move my hips a lot better when I don't get as far back.
I have really been thinking about this. I have a tendency to go past parallel with all my clubs unless I'm not taking a full swing. I'm going to be focusing on this more. I've ready this thread and see a comments on the swing extender. I want a drill to work on this without purchasing a training tool. Any suggestions?