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If it's alright I'd like to post my focus point here after every lesson.
ALL DIRECTIONAL ADVICE FOR A RIGHT HANDED GOLFER
This is a 2 PLANE SWING
Session 1:
At address, for a normal shot, play the ball at your heart. From here, load your right side (weight distribution 40/60 L/R) by tilting your spine away from the target.
Keep the right side passive - your right arm is along for the ride. Use the left bicep/tricep to take the club away. DO NOT PULL WITH YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER.
Don't worry about cocking your wrists - gravity will do that around the top of your backswing.
Make sure you're not sliding your hips - the table drill will help.
To start the downswing, the left side leads everything - the left hips turn towards the target, followed by the left shoulder/arm pulling the club.
TABLE DRILL: Place your right leg/hip against a table. As you take your left arm back and coil, do not push on the table (pivot, don't sway). If you feel more pressure from the table, you're swaying.
Session 2:
Swing looked 100% better.
At address, check grip. The grip runs along the finger line to the base of the palm. Two knuckles can be seen on the left hand, one on the right hand. Remember to bury the left thumb with the right hand. (We just moved the club more out of my hand and onto my fingers. The grip sits between your fingers and your lifeline on your palm).
Another reminder to keep the right side passive to avoid using it in the swing. (I still have a tendency to push with the right shoulder when I'm trying to hit the ball, rather than swing the club).
Keep a flat left wrist. I didn't realize that there was very little movement involved in a wrist cock. A drill is to put a comb under your watch on your left hand, and keep the comb in constant connection with the back of your hand. This will give you that flat wrist feeling. It's the same one you get if you rest your forearm flatly on a table.
Finally, stay behind with the shot. I have a tendency to slide forward and finish forward through the swing - leaving balls out to the right. If I stay back, I'll finish back, in the 'reverse C' position (back arched at finish - look at any pro). For those of you who like baseball, it's like admiring a home run. That analogy works for me, anyway.
Session 3:
It's a new season, and I'm not happy with the spring swing! So off I go for another 60 minute adventure!
Some things I tinkered with over the off season included my grip and my stance. My grip now starts with the back of my left hand facing the target. I had started pulling my shoulders back (or sticking my chest out, whatever image you prefer) at address. WRONG WRONG WRONG. My arms (and shoulders) should just be relaxed. Let the arms hang naturally, with the hands ~ 6" away from the body (or about a hand span - open your hand, fingers spread, and touch your belt buckle. Your top hand should be pretty close to the hand touching your body).
The takeaway thought is to get my left shoulder over my right foot, by way of my chin. In other words, reach back with your left upper arm under and through your chin, with the goal of putting your left shoulder over your right foot. Very difficult to actually do for one as inflexible as I, but the imagery is good.
Just a check - when the hands are hip high, the club should be toe up, slightly closed, and the shaft should point down the target line.
Then to the cause of my bad spring swing:
I've started pulling with my right shoulder again, causing a reverse pivot and an overswing. 6 months of no daily club swinging (and no lessons) will do that to a fella!
It's tough to keep the elbow down and not pull with the right shoulder, but what an effortless swing when it happens!
No drills in this lesson per se, but just a reminder that the toe of the club should be slightly up at address, and a reminder not to pull with the right shoulder. The mirror check (or video check if you have the option) is looking face on down the line (launching the ball at the camera), your right shoulder should not been seen at the top. If you drew a straight line from your hip up your back, your right shoulder should NOT intersect.
Another great lesson, and two weeks before the followup! Time for some backyard practice!
Session 4:
All my hard work has paid off - T.C. is finally happy with my swing.
Just working on 2 things now - gotta remember to keep my arms loose, and avoid snatching the club away.
I had been keeping my arms stiff to get the club to sit flat at address. Toe droop states that the toe should be up at address.
So the new thought is to let the arms hang, grip the club, and stop trying to get the toe flat. Then take the club away, using the upper arm.
My swing is certainly compact.
***NEW DRILL***
Shaft Tick Drill:
Lay the club you're going to swing down. Stick a shaft in the ground, leaving the top of the shaft level with your hip. Make sure the club you're going to swing touches this shaft. Put your trailing foot against the other end of the club that you're going to swing, then pick it up.
During the takeaway, your club should just tick the shaft in the ground. I think this is a 'plane' thing.
Session 5:
It's been 2 months since I've seen T.C., and have developed a decent swing that leaves the odd ball out to the right. The rest are on target and have a decent trajectory - but I'm still taking almost no divot.
That said, we've discovered that I've been using my hands in the takeaway to manipulate the club, and I'm holding the face open - this explains my shots that go right.
The points of focus is that on the takeaway (which is now excellent) at hip high, the club should be pointing down the target line, with the toe up, and slightly closed. Again, on the downswing, at hip high, the club should be toe up, slightly closed. Hand manipulation will stop this from happening.
Solution: Keep the hands light (tension free), and use the arms to move the club. The club feels wobbly in my hands, but when I don't use my hands (ie keep them loose), I'm on target, on plane, etc. and the ball flight is excellent.
Next point: Lag the club.
T.C. had me swing a momentus club (just a heavy, heavy club), and fire hips first to feel the lag (and boy did I feel it). I've got to note that when I keep my hands loose (so I don't manipulate the club) and lag the club, I can throw darts with a 6 iron. Ball flight is straight, on target, and nice and high. But the slightest tightening of the hands through the swing starts to hold my clubface open.
Drill: The "pump 'n' go". Take your backswing to 90%. As you approach 100% of the backswing, fire the hips forward and feel the lag (the club feels like it's still moving back as your hips fire forward). Lets the hands follow down to hip high (don't hit the ball) Do this twice, and on the third go, actually swing through.
It's a good drill for feeling lag, and getting a feel for the arms dropping into the slot.
ALL DIRECTIONAL ADVICE FOR A RIGHT HANDED GOLFER
This is a 2 PLANE SWING
Session 1:
At address, for a normal shot, play the ball at your heart. From here, load your right side (weight distribution 40/60 L/R) by tilting your spine away from the target.
Keep the right side passive - your right arm is along for the ride. Use the left bicep/tricep to take the club away. DO NOT PULL WITH YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER.
Don't worry about cocking your wrists - gravity will do that around the top of your backswing.
Make sure you're not sliding your hips - the table drill will help.
To start the downswing, the left side leads everything - the left hips turn towards the target, followed by the left shoulder/arm pulling the club.
TABLE DRILL: Place your right leg/hip against a table. As you take your left arm back and coil, do not push on the table (pivot, don't sway). If you feel more pressure from the table, you're swaying.
Session 2:
Swing looked 100% better.
At address, check grip. The grip runs along the finger line to the base of the palm. Two knuckles can be seen on the left hand, one on the right hand. Remember to bury the left thumb with the right hand. (We just moved the club more out of my hand and onto my fingers. The grip sits between your fingers and your lifeline on your palm).
Another reminder to keep the right side passive to avoid using it in the swing. (I still have a tendency to push with the right shoulder when I'm trying to hit the ball, rather than swing the club).
Keep a flat left wrist. I didn't realize that there was very little movement involved in a wrist cock. A drill is to put a comb under your watch on your left hand, and keep the comb in constant connection with the back of your hand. This will give you that flat wrist feeling. It's the same one you get if you rest your forearm flatly on a table.
Finally, stay behind with the shot. I have a tendency to slide forward and finish forward through the swing - leaving balls out to the right. If I stay back, I'll finish back, in the 'reverse C' position (back arched at finish - look at any pro). For those of you who like baseball, it's like admiring a home run. That analogy works for me, anyway.
Session 3:
It's a new season, and I'm not happy with the spring swing! So off I go for another 60 minute adventure!
Some things I tinkered with over the off season included my grip and my stance. My grip now starts with the back of my left hand facing the target. I had started pulling my shoulders back (or sticking my chest out, whatever image you prefer) at address. WRONG WRONG WRONG. My arms (and shoulders) should just be relaxed. Let the arms hang naturally, with the hands ~ 6" away from the body (or about a hand span - open your hand, fingers spread, and touch your belt buckle. Your top hand should be pretty close to the hand touching your body).
The takeaway thought is to get my left shoulder over my right foot, by way of my chin. In other words, reach back with your left upper arm under and through your chin, with the goal of putting your left shoulder over your right foot. Very difficult to actually do for one as inflexible as I, but the imagery is good.
Just a check - when the hands are hip high, the club should be toe up, slightly closed, and the shaft should point down the target line.
Then to the cause of my bad spring swing:
I've started pulling with my right shoulder again, causing a reverse pivot and an overswing. 6 months of no daily club swinging (and no lessons) will do that to a fella!
It's tough to keep the elbow down and not pull with the right shoulder, but what an effortless swing when it happens!
No drills in this lesson per se, but just a reminder that the toe of the club should be slightly up at address, and a reminder not to pull with the right shoulder. The mirror check (or video check if you have the option) is looking face on down the line (launching the ball at the camera), your right shoulder should not been seen at the top. If you drew a straight line from your hip up your back, your right shoulder should NOT intersect.
Another great lesson, and two weeks before the followup! Time for some backyard practice!
Session 4:
All my hard work has paid off - T.C. is finally happy with my swing.
Just working on 2 things now - gotta remember to keep my arms loose, and avoid snatching the club away.
I had been keeping my arms stiff to get the club to sit flat at address. Toe droop states that the toe should be up at address.
So the new thought is to let the arms hang, grip the club, and stop trying to get the toe flat. Then take the club away, using the upper arm.
My swing is certainly compact.
***NEW DRILL***
Shaft Tick Drill:
Lay the club you're going to swing down. Stick a shaft in the ground, leaving the top of the shaft level with your hip. Make sure the club you're going to swing touches this shaft. Put your trailing foot against the other end of the club that you're going to swing, then pick it up.
During the takeaway, your club should just tick the shaft in the ground. I think this is a 'plane' thing.
Session 5:
It's been 2 months since I've seen T.C., and have developed a decent swing that leaves the odd ball out to the right. The rest are on target and have a decent trajectory - but I'm still taking almost no divot.
That said, we've discovered that I've been using my hands in the takeaway to manipulate the club, and I'm holding the face open - this explains my shots that go right.
The points of focus is that on the takeaway (which is now excellent) at hip high, the club should be pointing down the target line, with the toe up, and slightly closed. Again, on the downswing, at hip high, the club should be toe up, slightly closed. Hand manipulation will stop this from happening.
Solution: Keep the hands light (tension free), and use the arms to move the club. The club feels wobbly in my hands, but when I don't use my hands (ie keep them loose), I'm on target, on plane, etc. and the ball flight is excellent.
Next point: Lag the club.
T.C. had me swing a momentus club (just a heavy, heavy club), and fire hips first to feel the lag (and boy did I feel it). I've got to note that when I keep my hands loose (so I don't manipulate the club) and lag the club, I can throw darts with a 6 iron. Ball flight is straight, on target, and nice and high. But the slightest tightening of the hands through the swing starts to hold my clubface open.
Drill: The "pump 'n' go". Take your backswing to 90%. As you approach 100% of the backswing, fire the hips forward and feel the lag (the club feels like it's still moving back as your hips fire forward). Lets the hands follow down to hip high (don't hit the ball) Do this twice, and on the third go, actually swing through.
It's a good drill for feeling lag, and getting a feel for the arms dropping into the slot.
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