Two Swings to Analyse

[stockdam]

Hi,

I videoed myself and a friend and was surprised to see how different we are at the top of the backswing.

Here is a still - he's on the left and is the better player (plays off 5).







I can see that I have swung across the line (probably have overswung) and my right leg has straightened a bit....my hips have maybe rotated more.

Both of us tend to draw the ball but I'd be more inconsistant.

I haven't got a front view but will video that if required.

Here are both swings.....his first.



http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v5...kironback1.flv



Now me.....


http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v5...eironback1.flv



What things do you see wrong and what drills would you suggest to correct the faults?

[Burnaby Special]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

I'm not a swing doctor so no comments on a fix, but I think your tempo is nice.

[pnearn]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

OK, so IMHO you have overswung with no coil and are across the line. You have lost the flex in your right knee, your spine angle has straightened and your left wrist has collapsed at the top. This is not atypical. I think we got a lot of top of swing positions like that on GTO

Id take a guess you are very much swinging with your arms and hands and lifting the club up which is pulling your body up, getting you off plane and destroying your coil. Ypu do a very good job of getting the club back down from there to be honest

I would suggest learning to swing with the body whilst resisting with the right knee. Get into a good setup and posture and then there are two things to try and feel

1. Take the triangle formed at setup away from the ball by turning your shoulders/chest unit only. Keep the hands loose and dont pull or lift with either hands. Just keep turning this shoulder/chest unit and let it tuen your arms. A good way to do this is choke down on a long club and put the butt end into your belly button. Feel the turn of your body move the club. Do this a LOT without a ball to really feel and trust the motion. Take those hands out of the backswing and learn to turn with the body. This is called conenction theory and pioneered by Jimmy Ballard

2. As you get more comfortable doing this try and feel you initiate this body turn with a swing trigger which is kicking your right knee in a bit towards the target and holding it there as you swing back. The right knee should be flexed and pointing in a bit, over your right instep. You should now start to feel real coil in your right leg as your body turns the club up past waist high. You'll probably also notice the wrists hinge a little earlier

Once you have done that for a while see if you can post another top of swing position and compare it with your pal's

[stockdam]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

Thanks for the analysis.

Yes I think your comments are spot on. I have tried the drill with the butt against my belly and I found it difficult. I wonder if strapping my elbows together would help to retain the triangle and force me to use my body more. I have also tried keeping more flex in my right knee but will need to try again.

What about the other swing in the post...what do you think about it.

[ChadCash]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

I think you answered all your own questions. Your backswing is too long and you are surely going to come over the top. I don't see how you are hitting draws are you sure it isn't a pull.

[stockdam]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

I think you answered all your own questions. Your backswing is too long and you are surely going to come over the top. I don't see how you are hitting draws are you sure it isn't a pull.

No they are definitely draws (moving right to left, starting right). I do sometimes push-cut or pull-hook but my 'normal' shot is a draw....I think the draw is mostly to do with rolling the wrists through the ball. Maybe it would be more easily seen in a video of my driver swing.

[shootin4par]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

work on spine angle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and also look for some of the posts under cupping the right wrist on take away, someone please provide a link, internet is slow here

[stockdam]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

Cupping right wrist and swatting....

http://members.cox.net/gregjwillis/LESSON1.htm


I'll try this as I think I do tend to move my wrists through the ball.

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

Hello:

Stabilizing that right leg is a must. Not only does your current move bring you out of your spine angle but you have lost most of the rotational coil and power by straightening the knee.

On the more positive side, being a lefty playing right handed is a plus. You probably have good coordination with both sides of your body and this explains what appears to be a solid move through the ball with your arms and hands. Also you lower body leading the downswing is very nicely timed.

If you can work on the right knee and try to keep the flex in it that you do have at set-up, it would help. They have a training aid that is basically a brace for the right (or left for those playing from the left side) knee that will hold the flexed position. I use one of those rubber knee supports on occasion when practicing to remind me of the knee and keeping it flexed. This straightening of the right leg and loss of posture is a common problem among amatuers.

Good luck

[stockdam]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

Hello:

Stabilizing that right leg is a must. Not only does your current move bring you out of your spine angle but you have lost most of the rotational coil and power by straightening the knee.

On the more positive side, being a lefty playing right handed is a plus........

I was surprised how much I was straightening the right leg.

Oh and I'm right handed so I'm not sure what you saw that made you think otherwise....interesting.

I watched Feherty on TV the other night and he was emphasing the need to turn the body through the ball on the dwon-swing and to keep the hands lagging (like the cupped drill above). It'll take some practice to try to keep the right leg flexed and to get the right wrist correct. An old golf writer (Mr X) used to mention the right shin post - imagine your right shin being posted into the ground and don't let it move back or twist (or I guess the knee straighten).

[Buffaloranger]

Re: Two Swings to Analyse

Everyone in right on..However the reason you need to maintain a flexed right knee it to maintain your angles..Straightening it, like in your swing, changes your angles and in your case it puts your weight on your left leg going back..We can't see that in the video but its just about impossible to make that move and not have your weight go to the front, forward foot on the backswing.This is not what you want. You want a turn where the weight on the back swing moves to your right foot/heal while maintaing that flex in the knee..This will be your challenge. It is a challenge for all of us...maintain the flex in that right knee. Your belt should stay parrallel to the ground.

Another thing...you have a better swing than your buddy...You must have a poor short game if he is smaking you around on the golf course...your swing is not too far off from being REAL GOOD...keep at it...