Starting the downswing

[ozzyollie]

Hi everyone,

I know this question has probably been asked a thousand times with a thousand different answers but I really need advice that really works!!

In brief I'm a 24 handicapper with a horrible slice (nothing to do with open clubface, all to do with outside - in swing). I have tried practising with a headcover and trying not to hit it and that worked great....at the range (!)but of course as soon as I go out to play on my Sunday weekly round my swing reverts back to normal.

I'm therefore looking for a swing thought that can I can use for both at the range and out on the course. A friend has suggested 'left arm close to chest' as a swing thought, another has suggested 'right elbow in' but can anyone who has been in same situation as me help me...please!!!!

Cheers

Ozzy!!

[keiko]

Re: Starting the downswing

Think of the downswing as hands first then clubhead, in other words, the hands must lead deep into the downswing rather than allowing the clubhead to release as you come down.
Think of pointing the butt end of the club at the ball on the downswing, do it very slowly at first without hitting the ball.
Using a 7 iron, just take your backswing and as you start your downswing, in slow motion, point the end of the club(handle) down at the ball. Take several swings like that. Also, google "pump drill" for a good drill.
Just hitting at half strength, put a ball on a tee low into the ground and just hit a few shots while pointing the butt end of the club at the ball on downswing.
This should give you a feel for what it should be like.

[bill reed]

Re: Starting the downswing

hi
i think your problem of out to in swing could be your right elbow moving away from the body.
you could try putting a head cover under your right arm and try and keep it there till after impact.
i know with my open stance swing i need to drop my elbow infront of my right hip before i start my downswing. the movement off my elbow to my hip is the start of my downswing and only then do i start to turn my hips and i don't give my arms or hands a thought and just let it happen and i allways get an in to out swing.
cheers
Bill

[BrianW]

Re: Starting the downswing

Please can you describe your ball flight? Does it go straight left then turn right, does it go straight then turn right or does it go straight right and keep turing right? A slice is only caused by an open clubface, if you hit out to in with a square clubface you will hit a pull.

[bill reed]

Re: Starting the downswing

hi Brian
if you swing from out to in then offen your club face is open with respect to the swing path but still squar to the intended target.
as you say it the open face that gives you a slice and the line of swing that starts the ball out in that direction.
if swing out to in then i would suspest the ball starts left and curver a lot to the right about mid flight.
the club face would still be squar to the target but not to the line of the swing path.
cheers
Bill

[ozzyollie]

Re: Starting the downswing

Please can you describe your ball flight? Does it go straight left then turn right, does it go straight then turn right or does it go straight right and keep turing right? A slice is only caused by an open clubface, if you hit out to in with a square clubface you will hit a push.

With my ball flight it starts pretty much straight then heads out to No: 10 on a clock face before moving to No: 2 on a clock face.

[ozzyollie]

Re: Starting the downswing

Think of the downswing as hands first then clubhead, in other words, the hands must lead deep into the downswing rather than allowing the clubhead to release as you come down.
Think of pointing the butt end of the club at the ball on the downswing, do it very slowly at first without hitting the ball.
Using a 7 iron, just take your backswing and as you start your downswing, in slow motion, point the end of the club(handle) down at the ball. Take several swings like that. Also, google "pump drill" for a good drill.
Just hitting at half strength, put a ball on a tee low into the ground and just hit a few shots while pointing the butt end of the club at the ball on downswing.
This should give you a feel for what it should be like.

Thanks for tip, I'm going to the range this morning so will try the above drill and swing thoughts.

[BrianW]

Re: Starting the downswing

With my ball flight it starts pretty much straight then heads out to No: 10 on a clock face before moving to No: 2 on a clock face.

Your slice is due to the clubface being open through impact.

The method keiko suggests is good, you should ensure your wrists stay loose so that they will release and close the face as the club comes through impact, make sure your left wrist does not break down creating a swatting action.

[Shamed04]

Re: Starting the downswing

A good swing tip you have prob. heard a thousand times, but works is "try and think that you want to hit the ball on the inside back of it". Often times all you have to do is visualize the club hitting the inside of the ball and it will happen.
Good luck

[bdbl]

Re: Starting the downswing

Some good suggestions here from some accomplished golfers but reading the thread I suspect I'll be the nearest in ability to the OP so he/she might be interested in the perspective of someone with similar ability and with the same struggles.

IMO for us high caps, any conscious thought of swinging in to out has the potential to be disastrous often promoting, for me at least, a far too pronounced inside takeaway. Actually I'd argue that any conscious swing thought - other than as part of a practice drill - is pretty damaging, but that's a different subject.

Whether using the "Inside Approach" or the much more cost effective shoebox or head cover your brain knows exactly how to swing to miss the obstruction but, and here's the rub, it's not thinking about an in to out swing it's just doing it and that's the feeling that I and presumably the OP have struggled to replicate without the shoebox.

What I have found works is as follows:

First check your alignment, I used to align way right which my golfing brain [such as it is ] wouldn't allow resulting in a big corrective out to in swing and many pulls or slices. Brian's suggestion works well and also sets you up for the swing path you want.

Stand behind the ball and look through to the target, find something in front that is in the target line like a leaf, a divot or blade of grass no more than 3 feet away. Align your clubface to that then align yourself parallel left to the clubface.

Having set up as above just pick a spot a ball or two to the outside of the intermediate target leaf or divot, make that your new target and visualise swinging through the ball to the new target.

This isn't a million miles away from Shamed04's suggestion.

A good swing tip you have prob. heard a thousand times, but works is "try and think that you want to hit the ball on the inside back of it". Often times all you have to do is visualize the club hitting the inside of the ball and it will happen.
Good luck

The only trouble I found doing that is that it got me a bit ball focused and tense - another high cap problem - and stopped me swinging freely, for some reason aiming beyond the ball doesn't have the same effect.

Since trying this my ball striking has improved immensely especially with the driver, sadly, as compensation to the golfing gods my putting has gone to pot so I'm still marooned around bogey golf or worse on harder courses but that's the next problem.

[Shamed04]

Re: Starting the downswing

In following Bdbl's suggestion I have another good thought. It was worked for me in the past when i was struggling as you are. When you take your practice swing focuse on a good takeaway away from the ball on the target line. Not to far in or too far out. Then when you make your swing watch the club start to go back and when you are on your down swing try to make the club come back just to the inside of where it went back. You will be surprized that just focusing on seeing the club come back a little from the inside of where you orgininally took it away will correct your out-in problem. Try it at least once next time you are on the range. I would suggest using a driver for this. Bigger clubhead to image in the head.

[ozzyollie]

Re: Starting the downswing

Thanks everyone for the tips, really, really appreciated. I have booked a morning tomorrow at the range, no kids, no wife, and just a couple of hours trying the above solutions. Will let you know how I go!! :-)))

[keiko]

Re: Starting the downswing

Make notes on what seems to work, eliminate anything else and just focus on a few solid things.
Sometimes, I try to focus on just 1 thing when practicing, it helps.

[keiko]

Re: Starting the downswing

I'm done with this thread