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Swing is as good as its ever been

I’ve hit hundreds of balls inside this week using video and Swingbyte to confirm I’m making progress. My path is more consistent, contact more center, and I’m balanced an swinging effortlessly. Just as important, I’m able to recognize my bad swings instantly.

The Swingbyte has been critical to my success trying to change my takeaway and backswing. Without the overhead visualization I wouldn’t have recognized my crazy inside flat takeaway and wouldn’t have been able to experiment until I got on plane.

I’ve got to go out and hit on grass, it doesn’t count until that happens.

Focus on taking it back in one piece, transition and then feel the left hand dominate and pulling while the club drops and feel that in out swing. It’s smooth inside right now, keep that tempo.

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Making progress with the driver

I haven’t spent enough time with the driver, so I’m trying to focus. I’m making progress with all the clubs, so this is a good time to devote to the driver.

I’m really thinking about starting in one piece and then after the hands past my thigh, starting to Ning the club up, not around. At the top, let the left hand stay in control, not the right, shift the hips and drive the handle back down the line feeling like I’m swinging more in out.

After spending time focusing, I moved from 4-6 out-in to a few degrees in-out. I just need more reps and trust it. And I have to get my hands lower at impact, almost 10 degrees of added lie can’t be good.

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Swing thoughts

Quick update. Hit balls today and it went well so here are things to remember.

Weaken the left hand grip, too many knuckles and it makes me too handsy

Get back to your old Tempo. Finish the backswing keeping everything tight, bump the hips, drop the hands down in front.

Keep your right foot down and less active with that leg

Ok, so here’s what you felt like:

At address: keep same posture, but weaken the grip to show 2 knuckles not 3 or even 4 like you do.

Takeaway: shoulders move the hands and let them go by naturally close to right thigh

Backswing: Hinge up after your thigh feeling like you’re going up not around and finish backswing before transition

Bump the left hip but make sure your head isn’t moving forward too. Just let the hands drop low in front

Follow thru to a balanced finish.

This swing results in -6 to – 1 in out swing, with good tempo and rhythm and solid middle (to middle heel side) contact everytime. Go with it.

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It’s official, I’ve had every part of the swing correct

Just not at the same time. I think I’ll look at that positively.

I was clearing out videos from my V1 iPad app that I’ve taken over the last year and a half. As I watched them I realized that over the past year and a half, I’ve had some really good swings. I’ve had a good backswing and takeaway, I’ve had a nice position at the top, I’ve had a great transition, I’ve had a nice follow-through, and I’ve had good balance. But I haven’t put it all together.

But recognizing this makes me realize 1) that we will never be “done” working on our swings 2) I’ve probably tweaked and changed my swing too much. I haven’t been able to groove any swing, bad or good, and as a result my consistency is, well, not there.

So where am I right now and what do I know I need to work on?

  • One-piece takeaway (my hands are way too active)
  • A proper hinge on the backswing to keep me on plane going back
  • Keeping my right arm against my side to the top
  • Bump my left hip BUT keep my right foot on the ground as I transition
  • Let my hands drop and continue to turn but also keep the right foot on the ground just rolling in
  • Rotate my arms/hands/etc after impact as part of a proper release
  • That should reduce the chicken wing in follow thru

That’s it. Some of that stuff isn’t new and I would consider it all tweaks. But my legs are most important right now. I’m popping up at impact and I shouldn’t.

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Hit some more today, good swings

Hit another 50 balls or so today, wanted to see if yesterday was a fluke. It wasn’t. My first shot with a 7i looked, felt, and had the same data as my last one from yesterday.

Went thru some wedges, 7i, 5W, and 5i today. Hit some really good shots. Just need to keep imagining this new takeaway, it’s gonna take time. I had some loose shots where the old takeaway was in control, but recognized it and fixed it.

The data, visualizations, videos, feel, and impact tape all support that im hitting good shots. But I haven’t been able to hit outside yet and that probably won’t happen until later this week. Until then I just need to keep hitting and focusing on the right things.

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Yes, it was my right arm but really the Takeaway

Golf is great for a ton of reasons, but one is that you can continually learn, test and try things until you find something that works. I’ve known for a long time that my takeaway thru backswing was not ideal. Too much wrist, too my roll, too much inside. But I was focused on the transition and forward swing and getting the shaft to drop on plane. I couldn’t understand why when I start with the hips, my arms don’t drop. It works in slow motion and it works with a one arm swing. Why not both arms?

I spent time hitting inside yesterday using my Swingbyte and focusing only on getting my backswing plane lines on plane. I took a bunch of slow motion (30%) swings and checked my lines and positions at various points. My main feeling I wanted at the top is that my shoulders finished their turn and most importantly, that my right elbow was tucked at my side. But not just tucked at my side, which I’ve done for a while, but tucked and facing DOWN my body. Basically, exactly what I’ve read in Hogans book a thousand times.

When I did that, my plane lines were much better and at the top of the swing as I bumped my hips left, the shaft flattened out automatically, my shoulders dropped slightly and the club fell right on plane. I hit 13 of 15 balls in the exact same, slightly heel side of center, position on the club. Finished nice and balanced. Swingbyte confirmed the move was much better and video confirmed it as well.

So my new and only thought is: start with the shoulders and then as I get to the top, really feel the elbow tucked and pointing at the hip.

Swingbyte Data and Visualization

After making changes to my takeaway and backswing

My overhead plane lines before making changes to my takeaway and backswing

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I take it back, its my entire right arm

I’ve been reading about the physics of the golf swing and something interesting caught my attention. Right hand dominent players struggle keeping the right arm from dominating the swing. Earth shattering I know. But the right arm should only brace the swing at at the end provide form power.

So I decided to take some left arm only swings. Im stunned. Everything from my posture, to my arm position at the top, to even my follow thru is much better. Much more on plane. The kicker…. at the top, I’m driving more with my legs, which puts me naturally into more of a squat position and the shaft automatically flattens out a bit and sits right on plane as I turn thru.

I’ll need to swing a lot more like this, but at least I’ve narrowed down a massive issue with my swing. My right arm and hand.

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It’s mental

I’ve had good range sessions before a round where things click and it feels good, and then I go out on the course and it’s a totally different swing. But today was different. After warmup I always try to hit shots to targets, not just aimlessly down the range. I was all over it today with every club from PW thru 5i, 5W and even driver. My swing felt effortless, had a slight draw, good distance and flew right where I wanted them too. Even my 5W, which I don’t hit often right now, was getting hammered on the range.

I focused on just turning my shoulders and keeping my grip pressure nice and loose and when I did, the results we excellent.

Then I went on the course. Tried a 5W and basically topped it, nasty pull with driver, slices with the driver, pushes with the driver. My irons were not solid. I just didn’t feel good.

And it’s all mental. I found a couple range balls on #9 and while waiting to hit, I aimed back into the range and flushed both of them. Then got up to my real ball and hit a weak wedge. On another hole my playing partner was in another fairway. The green was empty so I dropped a ball and grabbed a 7i. Lie wasn’t great, but I flushed it for what wouldve been a GIR with a great ball flight.

It’s frustrating. I dot feel loose and free out there and I doubt my swing when I’m out there. I have to figure out my hands, they are definitely too active and always have been.

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Right Shoulder

After hitting today I realized something, my right shoulder comes up at the top of my backswing. Im turning my shoulders correctly around my spine but at the end, my right shoulder is bunched up close to my ear. I’ve been wondering why I can’t get my hands back down on plane and this could be a big part of the problem. Even though I’m staying connected, it’s something that happens every time … even when I was just trying not to move it.

Have to look into the causes and reactions and figure out a way to eliminate this move.

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Update on my year so far

Its been a while since I posted any updates and that isnt a great thing. I’m updating this site mostly for me. These posts help me reflect on my rounds, my progress, and they remind me what I’m working on and what has/hasn’t been working.

Bottom line: My game is in the best shape its been. My last 4 rounds were all in the 80s and I’ve lowered my handicap down to 14.1 from 16.6 in March. My average score in 2012 is 89.2. But most importantly, I’m hitting golf shots that look, feel, sound and perform like real golf shots. Not only that, but I’m trying shots I wouldn’t have tried before. I’ve tried to intentionally fade the ball, or play a trap slice out of the trees to recover. I’ve tried the “belly wedge” around the green. Basically, I’m trying to play golf.

I haven’t had a brush with 80 yet however. 84 is my best round so far this year with a pair of 85s and an 88. I haven’t put everything together yet. My putting is a problem area. I don’t have any confidence or a consistent stroke and the only way I can break 80 is by putting better. I need to stop 3-putting and I need to roll in some longer birdie opportunities. Looking at my trends (on myscorecard.com) over the next 10 rounds, if I continue to play as well as I have on the previous 10, I could drop my handicap by as much as 8 strokes. I think that is a bit unreasonable, but it gives me something to shoot for. If I factor in the last 20 rounds, then I could drop it by 6 strokes over the next 20 rounds. I’d be a single digit handicap player. But I need consistency off the tee and consistency with my short game to make that happen. I think its a lot easier to lower your handicap from a 20 to a 10 than it is to go from 10 to scratch.

I’ve spent some time really trying to quiet my swing down, simplify it. I’m trying to stay consistent with my pre-shot routine, setting up to the ball the same way and starting the same way.

Some keys:

  • Keep the ball position slightly forward in the stance
  • Legs flexed and loose with the right leg knocked in a bit and ready to brace the swing
  • Keep the hands nice and loose and make a practice move taking the club away with the shoulders
  • Start the swing by turning the shoulders, don’t worry about the arms and hands
  • Keep the biceps against the chest and simply turn the shoulders back as far as they will go, pivoting against a braced right leg and let the hands hinge naturally, don’t force them
  • When the shoulders stop, the backswing is complete, bump the left hip to the left and feel pressure in the left foot into the ground
  • Simply let force and momentum do the rest, but keep the feet into the turf.

When I do the right way, my swing is much more on plane, my swing speed is up, my contact is more center/center instead of heel/center and the ball flys straight with a slight draw. I just need to keep at it. And I need to hit my driver more often. I need to practice this swing with my fairway woods and driver. Right now, I’m laying up on par 5s if I have anything more than 220 out. I should be able to attack any normal length par 5 (from the Blue tees) in 2 if I have a decent drive. I’m leaving strokes on the course right there.

I’m feeling really good about my swing right now and really good about my progress. I’ve gotten a lot of benefit out of the Swingbyte (I’ll write a formal review soon) which has helped me really get a sense for what is working and not working with my swing. If I can start putting, I might have a chance of breaking 80 some time soon.

Photos From Earlier Rounds

Birdie putt after blind approach shot downhill with 8i at Wolf Creek


Looking back up #1 and #9 at City Club Marietta


Approach shot on #1 at Stone Mountain Golf Course


One of those days where I was just off the green ALL DAY long

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