early release

[bythatmuch]

Ok, I'll try to explain this and hopefuly it'll make sense. On full swings (any iron, long and short) I tend to (I guess) get anxious and release early (at least that's what I think I'm doing). I wind up hitting high, week shots or a lowwwww slice. I know I'm rushing. After a while I can work this out, but it takes quite a bit of time to get into rythm. Anything over a 3/4 shot and I'm toast until I've fallen into my rythm. Once I get it I'm fine. Nice ball flight, all good. Next time I'm out it's the same thing all over again. Anybody have a suggestion, practice aid, something on how to slow my release (or slow/find my tempo) on full shots before my round is half over. My short game is excelent and requires minimal practice. My long game is pretty darn good (after 11 or 12 holes or 13 or...). If I'm in between clubs, I can take a 3/4 swing anytime with with the longer club and never have a problem. I practice alot but it takes forever to get any rythm with my full swing. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[TeachingPro]

Re: early release

It sounds like you know exactly what you're doing wrong, which is a big plus. Now you need to work on the 3/4 swing only, groove it and do nothing else but use it for 4-6 weeks.

You need ingrane those mechanics first.

Once you are swinging without having to think about it and focus on the elements of the swing, then go and work on a full swing with your woods and long irons. Anything from 7-iron down keep the 3/4 swing.

To create consistency is VERY important and you need to do that with your 3/4 swing first so you get off to a good start and not 13/14 holes of battling before you get into the swing of things.

[pnearn]

Re: early release

Thats a great post and something I tend to find hard to do 'out the blocks' as well. I know my swing is OK and I trust it but I find it hard to get my exact tempo. Once I get into a groove (sometimes 2 or 3 holes in) i'm fine but finding it straight off isnt always easy

I need to find a drill thats very personal to me that allows me to find this rythmn and speed quickly and reliably so that I can use it in the few practice swings I have before a round

[Ian Hancock]

Re: early release

Finding your own rythmn can be very easy,

Take a look at yourself in general first.......eg if you are laid back, easy going and reletivley stress free then your rythmn and swing is usually the same......ernie, goosen for example.

If you walk fast, talk fast and tend to be quite upbeat with everything you do then your swing will be the same..........Nick Price is a prime example of this type.

So look at yourself in general first............then on your way to the course play soft music in the car....get there in plenty of time.....don't rush doing anything before a round and this help alot more than you would think.

It's a very personal thing and fast or slow doesn't matter there have been champions from both types of people.

Hope this helps

Ian.

[bythatmuch]

Re: early release

First, Teaching Pro. I know I didn't word it exactly as I wanted. My 3/4 swing is never a problem.

Ian, I'm pretty laid back. That is one reason I don't understand this. My 3/4 swing is smooth and easy. Chips, lobs, putting all smooth comfortable tempo. Full swing I'm a spaz for way more shots than I can believe. I should say, I don't really have this problem with my driver. That I can start out pretty smooth. I am currently trying slow motion. I try to exagerrate the opposite and swing as slow as I can. I'm not sure it's working yet.

[GregJWillis]

Re: early release

Without seeing it, I will make a guess at the difference from your 3/4 and full swing:

Your 3/4 has your arms connected to your chest's rotation and the full lets the arms disconnect and get outside your shoulders.

When disconnection happens, the arms like to start the swing first from the top and you get outside in giving your the high weak fade. To add salt to it, the pull hooks are your hands thinking, “I’ll fix this by getting into the act” too much and close the face down. The reason your rhythm is in question early in the round is that this disconnected swing is extremely difficult to time just right. You have a lot of moving parts that rely on each other doing their part at the right time.

Staying connected simplifies things by making sure the rotation of the shoulders is what starts the arms downward. This keeps them consistently on plane and consequently, easier to control at impact.

So, how do you get to a full swing position and still stay connected with the arms?

Because the position of the arms needs to stay within the shoulders throughout the swing, the arms should simply raise up so they sit under your chin and the hands rest over your back shoulder. You can practice this at address without turning by letting the arms rise up fully first, and then rotate 90 degrees. That is what it should feel like with a full swing at the top.

So you look normal on the golf course, you reverse that order back to the normal swing where you rotate first and then raise the arms up. It’s a really simple drill but it lets you feel a full swing's position the easiest way possible.

Of course there are exceptions where you may want to be a little flatter at the top to really hook the ball, or more upright to slice it, but you should find your neutral position first and then play with it from there.

Hope this helps.

[Ian Hancock]

Re: early release

From your reply it makes me think if you have ever seen your swing in a mirror.

What your determine as a half swing may in fact be a full swing...........from the full swing positon ie shoulders 90 degrees it is easy to overswing hence loosing control of the swing as Greg says.

Did you know that every inch more your shoulders move past 90 degrees your arms/hand move more than double.

It could be a case of simple overswing, check it out in a mirror or video you may be suprised what you find compared to what you think you are doing.


Ian.

[bythatmuch]

Re: early release

Greg, you make a good point. My 3/4 swing is connected so I don't have a problem. I will give your drill a try.

Ian, I checked the mirror. It is closer to a full swing than I thought. Funny that what you think you are doing and what you actually are doing can be two different things.

Ive been paying close attention to this issue trying to do anything I can to identify the problem. Your comments are helpful. Thanks.