Great Tip....going to try it!

[RikB]

Looking at the 'ask a pro' section on the takeaway, there was a post called something like
'loaded at the top'.
Both the post and the reply by P.G.A Pro have gave me inspiration!
I have recently been breaking my wrists quite early as it seemed the only way to get the club parallell at hip height. I have a 'nearly' swing being both relatively inexperienced after taking the game up again, but also a single figure handicap. My problem has been consistency and chopping and changing the swing.
Anyway, the tip about starting the swing with the arms and shoulders suddenly made sense.
You see, I have looked at how my hands would be if trying this in the past (briefly in the office or at home), and it didn't look right. BUT, much like short game mistakes caused by following the club head back with your eyes, or following the ball on impact with the putter, I have been turning my head to see this position and not actually trying the swing like I would on the course. When I keep my eyes on the ball and do this and THEN look at the position....it is fine. It feels like a swing that you can consistently repeat and it helps with a full shoulder turn (something I feel I have being trying to make happen as I have obviously been to wristy recently). I have also felt that I get a better contact and a straighter shot (surprise, surprise I probably hit 'good' shots staright left as my shoulder retuns left of the target due to the restricted turn) with a full shoulder turn.
This, though has been hard for me achieve (particularly when concentrating too much on this) ecpecially early in the round where I have been a consistently bad starter.
But, now I feel I have found another piece in the jigsaw along with the other key things that I have learnt.
I will keep you posted.....thanks for the help!!

[RikB]

Re: Great Tip....going to try it!

Well, I only played 9 holes.....but it seemed to work!!
Along with Gord962's tip about tempo (counting 1-2-3; parallell to ground - top of backswing - striking the ball) I seemed to be swinging much better and hitting the ball much straighter. I was a little concerned about distance of the tee but by the time I got to the 9th I felt much more at ease with the swing and, after a really powerful feeling practice swing, hit it very long and straight.
I am only concerned that it is not a massive change in my swing (so in my head can't be the reason for changing my game around) but, as I have noted in another post, it doesn't pay too exaggerate new swing thoughts or tips.
It has certainly helped with coiling rather than swaying and encourages a balanced finish compared to the falling over on my toes feeling that I sometimes got.
We will still have bad days, but I feel that piece by piece I am getting a good golf game/swing together. Recently, it has been down to tips shared on this forum....hopefully I might be able to return the favour one day.

[gord962]

Re: Great Tip....going to try it!

Congrats RikB!

Don't think a complete overhaul is required to fix a mistake. One small swing flaw can create disasterous results. It's best to approach a change in your swing in very small pieces. The reason for this is you can teach your body much quicker when you aren't changing everything that you are used to.

When I became addicted to golf I was playing to about a 22 handicap. I was lucky enough to be working at a golf course and I ended up playing with the pro and assistant pros. I never got a lesson from them, but just by watching and talking with them I picked up on a lot of things. I then decided that I wanted to seriously be able to compete with them, so I started to apply these techniques. Well, my swing was SO bad that it was like learning all over again. I ended up going back to my old horrible swing and changing a few things piece by piece. It took 4 years, changing 1 aspect per year, but I finally got under a 10 handicap. The thing that helped the most was that I engrained the right techniques in for a whole year so that the good processes where automatic in my swing. Trying to remember 4 or 5 changes is too difficult for 99% of the people out there. I am sitting at an 8 handicap now and have added close to 25 yards per club. I still touch up a few pieces of my swing now and then (my backswing flattened out too much and now I am working to get it more vertical again) but I will never have to go through the overhaul as long as I keep on top of fundamentals.

Congratulations again on your success and keep practicing!