Lifting in backswing, video

[billneurauter]

I have been trying to stop lifting my spine angle in my backswing for the past 3 months with no luck. I used to take the club inside on the backswing, but have fixed that since and still find myself lifting my spine angle. Is this something as simple as turning my shoulders on a steeper angle? Any help with what I need to feel in my swing to fix this would be great. Thanks in advance for the help.

Here are the videos
http://www.golf-tuition-online.com/v...8/limit/recent Down the line

http://www.golf-tuition-online.com/v...7/limit/recent face on.

[pinyo8]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

I saw the videos. An improvement from the last one though as the movement is not as much now. From the look of it, I think your main problem is coming from your legs as well, and not necessary just your upper body. You are still squatting down as your are taking your swing back. Really do try to keep those legs still.
Perhaps give this a try:
1) Get a soccer ball and put them between your knees.
2) Do a practice backswing with it. When doing this, feel like you are just turning your waists. Let the arms follow.
3) At the top of your backswing, feel like your left shoulder is UNDER your chin. At all time, feel like you are keeping your body angle (even exagerate it) PLUS your legs angle as well.
4) The ball shouldnt drop.

This should help you get the feeling of really keeping still.

[Ian Hancock]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

Bill,

You have a great swing with a good rhythm, perfect takeaway and plane............

from behind there is one minor improvement possible..............move away from the ball about 1 inch, just to give you a little more room.

From the front it is clear that your hands are to far back at address........place the club onto your left knee at set up....then pick it up keeping it there.........there should be a straight line down you left arm and the club. Secondly widen you stance about 4 inches to gain better stability, your knees tend to slide into impact.

As Pinyo says try the ball between your knees to help, you will need to widen your stance or the ball will not fit.

That said you have the makings of a first class swing with little effort needed with the couple of small improvements.

Great swing

Ian.

[GreeBoman]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

yeah try the ball trick for sure
you start the downswing by dipping/firing forward your right knee
its probbaly just a habit and has become your trigger but it makes it very hard for you to maintain the angles/height you had at address.
Probably leads to hitting it fat and thin a lot?

[msklar92]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

From the front, your left shouder at the top of your back swing is in front of instead of behind the ball. Some of this may be ball position - too far back in your stance. Try to widen the swing arc (take it back low) on the back swing without swaying to the outside of the right foot, then naturally feel the weight shift back to the left on the downswing.

[billneurauter]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

Thanks a ton for the help guys. So the ball between the knees thing will keep my knees further apart in the backswing right? This would then restrict my hip turn a bit more in the backswing and stop that squat that I do with my lower body. Am I close with these ideas? I'll try the drill today and do more video today at the range. Thanks for the compliment Ian, I have been working hard the past couple of years. It is good to see I have made some progress.

Bill

[pinyo8]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

Bill,
Yes, you are absolutely right about the ball. It gives you the feeling of staying still and creating tension on your right side because you are coiling just your upper body with a passive lower body.
You can certainly do fullswings with it. The ball should drop only after impact and you shouldnt feel like you are overly squeezing the ball at any time.
I dont know which iron you were using but your stance seems a little narrow. do try to widen it as other people have said and that your ball position should be more forward in your stance (middle to front).
Your swing tempo is great so I would assume that you do hit it fairly consistently.
Do keep us in the loop on how your progress.

Matt

[Simon Woo]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

Hi Bill,

You seem to be moving backwards (as in away from the ball, not the target) in your upswing. You aren't really lifting that much (I'm looking at the down-the-line video) so that's good news. You are not really rotating your upper body, so I think you really need to focus on doing a one piece takeaway.

I have an issue with lifting my head too. It doesn't feel that way, but the video clearly shows it. So I try to keep my head down (almost feels as if I am trying to lower it on the backswing), then the video shows that I'm keeping it level. That's how goes

[DrBrownCow]

Re: Lifting in backswing, video

First, you have great tempo.

It appears to me that you are a bit pigeon-toed. That is, your toes are pointed a bit inwards instead of a more natural position pointed slightly out. Your feet are somewhere between "/ \" and "| |" instead of "\ /". This is contributing to that knock-kneed position.

More importantly, as others have mentioned, your hands are too far back at address. You want your hands to be just to the left of your zipper.

DrBrownCow