My swing,any thoughts??

[Ryan_s3]

Hi guys,i tried to upload my swing to the gallery but it didn't seem to work,so here's a link,it's in quicktime format and you have to download it.
Mainly hit pushes but sometimes pulls,personally think my backswing is slightly flat and that i start with my shoulders on the downswing making it too steep,do you agree?Although this shot did go straight
http://www.savefile.com/files.php?fid=5830838

[SlicersHell]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

I'm not an expert by any means, but here's what I see. As you come into impact, you lose your spine angle. Your body straightens up which can only lead to inconsistent contact.

If I were to draw a vertical line against your rear end down to the ground at address, your tush shouldn't leave that line at impact position, which it does since you've got this body straightening\lifting motion going.

I think this all boils down to your address position. Your weight is way back on your heels, and on the backswing, your upper body teeters forward a bit (since it's smart enough to realize it needs to do this so you don't fall backwards). The compensation then is to straighten up going into impact.

Balance is really critical in a good swing, so try getting more square over the balls of your feet at address. It'll provide better balance throughout the swing.

Take a look at these pages from Brady Riggs' website to more clearly see what I mean:

Set-up Position

Keeping the Tush Line

Overall, though, I think you've got a solid swing, with a good foundation.

Hope this helps...

[Simon Woo]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

Hi Ryan I hope you don't mind. I took a snapshot of your swing and would like to throw this question. At this position right after impact, should the clubface have already rotated so much? (Please see the attachment)

[Ryan_s3]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

Thanks for the tip,i'll try and work on that.When i was a kid i used to jump at the ball alot in a effort to get more power.
Any comments on the backswing/downswing?

[LowPost42]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

Backswing/Downswing look OK to me.

That said, here are some things to consider. You seem to be setting your wrists as a concious effort at hip high - which indicates a hands-oriented takeaway. I thought I saw a 'snatch away' from address, and this confirms it. The problem is that it gets the hands active right from the get go (I'm an advocate of univolved hands in the swing, after you've set them at address and set your grip pressure). Granted, the two moves go hand-in-hand (sorry for the bad joke). To contrast, if you start your takeaway by pulling away from target with your left upper arm (bicep/tricep), your wrists end up being set at the top of your backswing by gravity.

Your position at the top looks good - elbows are equal and level, right upper arm is parallel, shaft is pointing down the target line, left wrist seems only slightly cupped.

You do a great job of taking your arms up on one plane and delivering them back on the same plane.

I'll agree that you start a little flat, but then you pick your arms up into a great 2 plane top position.

The only other comment is about 1) the video itself, and 2) what I see at the very end of the video.

1) Get a tripod. They're relatively cheap, and help keep the camera steady. It's tough (kudos to SlicersHell) to monitor angles and positions while the camera is moving.

2) Looks like your session was a fine job of 'rake and beat'. Most people will advise against it (including me). The only time I rake and beat is if I'm trying to implement some muscle memory or work out a new swing idea - then I'm not necessarily worried about where the ball goes, per se (ie if it's not exactly on target, I'm not too worried). While I'm working on this, I'll lay down two clubs in a cross or 'X' shape - one lined up on a target, and the other for ball position. The one club between my legs shows me where I'm playing the ball in my stance, and the other club gives me a toe-line to stand at. This gives me a reference as to what the new swing thing is doing to my accuracy.

When I'm not necessarily changing my swing, I'll go through my entire pre-shot routine for each shot including re-gripping the club - whether I change the club in my hand or not. It's a little more realistic, and greatly reduces the chance to 'get used' to the club, and start making compensations on the range mat. You don't get a chance to make compensations on the course - one swing, and that's it. So go through your preshot routine (pick a target, setup, etc). If I notice I'm not hitting my targets, I'll often lay a toe-line club down, just to check my alignment. More often than not, I'm misaligned.

Hope any of this helps!

[rubch]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

Mainly hit pushes but sometimes pulls,personally think my backswing is slightly flat and that i start with my shoulders on the downswing making it too steep,do you agree?

If you compare the plane of your backswing with that of your follow through, you'll notice that they are indeed different. You are flatter on the backswing and steeper on the follow through. This may be the two plane swing that lowpost is referring to.

When I first started, I also pushed most of my shots right. I began taking lessons and the first thing he taught was to rotate the right hand over the left through impact, which helps to square the club face. You'll notice that as you rotate your right over your left through impact, it'll promote a flatter follow through as well. Combined with keeping the club on plane through follow through, rotating your hands will straighten out your shot. You just have to get used to the timing. I had a tendency of pushing right so I had to rotate my hands quicker/earlier. My friends have a tendency of pulling left and have their hands slower/later.

I rarely push right now and usually hit straight or with a slight draw to the left.

[LowPost42]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

rubch,

Pushes and pulls are all about swing path - they don't have anything to do with where the face is, per se. Where the face is relative to the swing path does affect how the ball curves.

A straight pull is an out-to-in swing path, while a push is an in-to-out swing path.

I noticed Ryan starts flat (due to pulling away with his hands, trying to keep the club low, presumably), but once his hands get to hip high and he sets his wrists, he takes them up to a good position. The plane he gets on from hip high on the takeaway is the same plane he attacks on in the downswing - nothing wrong with that.

Where it breaks down (because of the nature of this type of loop) is that it can cause a bit of a throw from the top, putting the hands outside the line on the downswing.

Ryan would be further ahead to start picking his hands up during his backswing (forget about the low, wide takeaway - which can only be done by manipulating the hands, IIRC). This would steepen the takeaway.

As for the 2 plane swing, it's a reference to the swing model that Ryan is using, not about the 2 planes he shifts between on his backswing - but good eye for noticing that he traverses 2 planes going back!

[rubch]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

That makes sense. I think when i first started playing, I also had a very steep take away which promoted an inside out swing path resulting in pushes to the right.

[Ryan_s3]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

Thanks for the advice and comments,having been playing for 20 years on and off,my best handicap was 9,now i'm about 12.Been plagued with a pushy type shot for about 5 years which hasn't helped.I was a "very" handsy player when i was 14-15 which i tried to sort out when i was around 18 by making a one-piece takeaway.I do hit the ball well and can hit it a long way when it comes together.
My Golf Pro told me in my last lesson to flatten my plane down on the downswing as i was getting too steep and coming over the top(leading with the shoulders and not the hands?my thoughts?) which explains why my divots point slightly left ,i believe a natural reaction to stopping this is too come out of the shot and hence the push??Or perhaps it's because it's too steep a downswing and getting trapped behind myself??
The lesson before was about my over active hands ,closing the face very quickly and crossing my arms over on the follow through to much(trying to stop the push)
I've uploaded a closer view of my swing;
http://www.savefile.com/files.php?fid=7576675

Tips to improvement;
1.)move weight on balls of feet
2.)take the club away with the left bicep/tricep(no hands)

I'll try and get some footage facing my body,thanks for all the advice.

[gord962]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

Tips to improvement;
1.)move weight on balls of feet
2.)take the club away with the left bicep/tricep(no hands)

The takeaway should be started with the shoulders, not the arms. ONLY the shoulders should be used until the club is parallel with the ground.

[LowPost42]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

The other thing that I find causes pulls and slices for myself, anyway, is standing too close to the ball, or having my hands too close to my body at address.

Then, when I swing down, my arms are outside the line to begin with, leaving me no choice but to pull back in and bend the ball right. I was especially bad for this when I swung 2 plane (the way you're swinging now, Ryan). The other thing - as you've already noticed, is turning the shoulders around the spine in the 2 plane swing. If the shoulders turn before the hands drop, the hands are pushed outside the line. This is common when 'getting agressive'. Try it in slow motion. From close to the top of your backswing, intentionally turn your shoulders first, then drop your hands. You're outside the line. But when you drop your hands first, you're in the slot, and everything has a chance to come together.

[Ryan_s3]

Re: My swing,any thoughts??

So i've got too take it back with the shoulders then?I was pushing and slicing like hell at the range today,trying to get the weight over the balls of my feet.