Can/do you do this?

[Hemps]

Ok here we go!!

Do any of you guys/gals stop your swing if it doesn't feel good, and restart your routine again? Like sometimes With my shots I can feel my self over rotate back and then my arms go way out of plain but by the time this hits my brain, its to late and I wish I could pull out but I've already duffed it into the bush? do any of you ever have this feeling or can stop yourself mid swing? Just a thaught that popped into my head.

Me

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Can/do you do this?

I certainly can't, I think you need to make sure all your checks are done before pulling the trigger, once it's rolling theres no stopping.


Also I think Tiger practices it...........



Just my thoughts


Ian.

[ph_kingston]

Re: Can/do you do this?

Nope, I can't do it either. I once saw Tiger do it on TV, he was about to rip an iron off the tee and about half way through his downswing he just stopped the club dead in its tracks, just amazing.

[TeachingPro]

Re: Can/do you do this?

Yeah ... I can do that. I did it on Sunday on the 8th, a par 3 like the 17th at Sawgrass about 145yds. On the way down I realised I wasn't in the correct position 3/4rs of the way down and I stopped. If I didn't I knew the ball would pull dead left into the water and there isn't a drop zone.

As soon as I realise something's wrong I stop, I do it even on a putt if I feel I'm gonna f%!# it up.

[ph_kingston]

Re: Can/do you do this?

Three quarters of the way down! That's incredible! How do you do that? Any idea how quickly the clubhead was travelling at that moment when you decided to pull out?

[TeachingPro]

Re: Can/do you do this?

About 50mph or so I rekon but I'm not sure what the swing speed is with my 8 iron. The club stopped just about parallel to the ground, just passed my hips. But it was only an 8-iron ... no problem.

It sounds amazing but I actually decided to abort just before my hands got to hip height so I had enough time.

[kiwi]

Re: Can/do you do this?

I can pull out any time during my backswing, but once I start down if i'm out bad luck. Man I cant even stop on a putt after I've completed my backswing

[bonzi_532]

Re: Can/do you do this?

I am fortunate enough to be able to do this. I find it fascinating to do, and most of al it sparks other people to ask how.!

[CantPuttICant]

Re: Can/do you do this?

Out of curiosity, isn't a stroke described as the forward movement of the club with the intention of striking the golf ball? Doesn't that mean if your start your downswing and stop it halfway through, it counts as a stroke? I may have this all wrong but there was an incident with Padraig Harrington at the Matchplay (was it?!) earlier this year. He was close to a tree, took practice swings without touching the tree then when he decided to hit the shot, his backswing struck the branch and he stopped it. He called over a referee to clarify that he stopped the club before his downswing so that he wouldn't have been given a stroke, I THINK !

He ended up nailing his thumb off the tree and it looked like it hurt. Cracking recovery shot though.

[LowPost42]

Re: Can/do you do this?

Good Q CantPutt, but (according to the USGA and RCGA) once you voluntarily check your swing, it's no longer a stroke (as the intent to hit is no longer there). You're even allowed to whiff as long as you whiffed intentionally (ie for those of us that can't stop). The drawback to the whiff is that it's hard to convince your playing partners it was on purpose.

As for Paddy, the reason he took a PENALTY stroke was for testing the hazard, or testing the obstruction, or something similar. I know the rule is that if you hit a branch on your swing and abort, it's a penalty. So if you hit a branch, even in a practice swing, you need to follow through to avoid the penalty.

I used to have a problem walking away from a ball once I had setup, but after too many errant shots, if it doesn't feel good, I step back, and setup again.

The closest I come to stopping my swing is if I have trouble taking the club away properly. If it doesn't feel right before I hit the top of my backswing, I can stop, otherwise, the last thought to race through my mind is 'This feels all wrong!!' and I watch a horrible shot develop.