Watching the Ball at impact

[GWC1957]

Hi.

I've been working in the back yard to try to fix my looking away from the ball on the down swing. I'm not really sure what is causing me to do this though. I don't know if it's the momentum of my shoulders coming through or just an irresistably bad habit that I've developed trying to see where the ball is going. This is probably the problem that I deal with the most and wondered if anyone might have a suggestion as to how to help. The times when I'm able to actually see the club strike the ball usually produces results that I can live with.

ANY SUGGESTIONS???

[bill reed]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

hi try thinking more of your clubhead swinging throught the ball and out towards the target, think of your hands swiging up to the sky more, this stops you thinks of hitting at the ball and more through it as if its something its in the way of the club, what a lot of peple do it think about striking the ball and focus on the ball that ther hands starts to slow a second before they hit the ball and the club flips past the hands.
hogan use to think of the triangle of the sholders and arms and this triangle pasted his left foot and that was his impact point, 4/5 inches past the ball, not the ball, if you look at pics of him both arms are streched out when the club head it 6/8 inches past his left outside ankle.
dont think of ball as inpact or seeing the club hit the ball, think of impact 6/8 inches past the ball, its stops you looking to see where balls its going too. give it a try and swing at 80/90% not flat out.
hope this helps
bill

[Robert O' Keeffe]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

GWC,

Sam torrance talks about how his dad used to catch him by the hair as he took the club away. He knew if he lifted his head, he would feel the pain. I am not suggesting someone grab your hair! Just think Sam as you take the club away. Probably might be just as good a tip as any other

[bill reed]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

hi robert
yes sam was lucky having his dad there to drum into him the fundmentals and his dad bob it a wounderful teacher, if you look at sam even now his head dont move, not even a little and he has a wounderful full shoulder turn, 700 tour events is some record too. sam does all the fundementals so well you tend not to look to deeply at his swing but he really has a great tempo and a swing that repeats over and over and he does every thing well but nothing outstanding, he just puts all the parts of the game together so well, think his dad bob had a lot to do with that too.
good point, if head still and spine angle good the every thing swings round them and it looks so simple, langer if good at the still head and the fixed spine and his shoulder and hips turn around his head and spine.
bill

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

Most golfers swing the club slow enough to see the club head "blurrr" swinging through to impact. It takes a bit of practice to train the eyes to pick up the moving club head "blurrr" as the club head enters one's view area as the club nears impact, and beyond. By keeping your eye on the ball, after a little practice you will see the club head "blurrr" enter the impact area. If you see the moving club head, it is almost impossible to move your head to soon. This is also a good way actually see what path your club head is taking to impact the ball. If you want to speed up the process put a piece of bright colored tape on top of the club to help pick up the club head faster, when practicing.
Not saying this is possible for those with light speed swings, but it will work for those who swing in the 80-90-100mph range.
Also this is not my idea, or something I just made up, but was shared in a seminar some years ago by Dante, and Diegal, both PGA pros....GJS

[bill reed]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

hi gjs
i cant see the blur, but its maybe my old eyes maybe you younger guys can see it.
bill

[shootin4par]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

Hi.

I've been working in the back yard to try to fix my looking away from the ball on the down swing. I'm not really sure what is causing me to do this though. I don't know if it's the momentum of my shoulders coming through or just an irresistably bad habit that I've developed trying to see where the ball is going. This is probably the problem that I deal with the most and wondered if anyone might have a suggestion as to how to help. The times when I'm able to actually see the club strike the ball usually produces results that I can live with.

ANY SUGGESTIONS???

about 99 percent sure that you have an outside in swig path. If you do, NOTHING can make you keep your head down unless you change your path. Golf is cause and effect. Not keeeping your head down is an effect of something else, which is most likely swing path

[vp27519]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

GW

IMO it is not overly important to see the club face strike the ball in the long game. It is however a necessity for the short game.

May I suggest 'focusing' on the ball during the first movement of your down swing. This will help keep you on path. You hands will follow your eyes.

Before trying this, think about - what you are consciously thinking of during your first movement of the downswing. I'd be interested to hear what you were thinking of or focusing on during this first movement. I found I was focusing on nothing.

VP

[GWC1957]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

VP
You know, that's a good question. I know that I'm focused on the ball at the beginning of the takeaway. It might be that I'm just trying to pay attention to too many things at once. I'm working on the RH position to keep the wrist slightly cupped (Greg Norman's Secret position) and keeping the takeaway slow and the left elbow close to my side on the downswing. I know that the times when I swing about 60% (this is into a practice net in the back yard) I have better success at staying on the ball to impact. It's when I try to turn up the power to the swing that I start raising up off the ball. I'm definitely not a long hitter and am trying to get the most out of what I do have in the power department.

[shootin4par]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

VP
You know, that's a good question. I know that I'm focused on the ball at the beginning of the takeaway. It might be that I'm just trying to pay attention to too many things at once. I'm working on the RH position to keep the wrist slightly cupped (Greg Norman's Secret position) and keeping the takeaway slow and the left elbow close to my side on the downswing. I know that the times when I swing about 60% (this is into a practice net in the back yard) I have better success at staying on the ball to impact. It's when I try to turn up the power to the swing that I start raising up off the ball. I'm definitely not a long hitter and am trying to get the most out of what I do have in the power department.

after reading this post I am now about 99.99 percent sure. Key things that lead me to believe this. when someone who swing over the top swings easy then their path is not as pronounced, which enables them to keep their head on the ball better, but as soon as they jump on it, the really come over the top, which pulls the head up.
not a long hitter, another big clue. players who have a sound swing path, in my estimation, average 30+ yards further then players with a bad path. a sound path produces good contact, and that equates to distance. go hit some balls into the practice net at 100% effort, because your true swing is what happens when you swing all out, and tell me where the divot points

[vp27519]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

GW,

Try what I said, on the first move of your downswing deliberately focus on the ball. This will keep your shoulders square. You will not come out of your shot too early. Trust it.

Swing at speed that you can hold your finish, until to ball first hits the deck. If you've swung too fast you won't be balanced.

Increase the speed of your swing mid way down from the first motion of your downswing. I know that I have problems at the top when I try and rip it.

Like Ernie said in his last digest article (aust) think smooth at the top of the downswing.

GW try this with a 9 iron. The shorter irons are alot easier to use when practicing swing changes.

VP

[GWC1957]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

"Shootin"
Haven't gotten a chance to check the direction on the divots. I tried to stop a hammer with my left thumb and it's been a little painful to grip the club. As soon as I get back at it, I'll post again...kinda made me wonder. I do know that without paying really close attention it seems that most of the divots that I have been leaving were pretty much straight ahead not coming back towards my left side.

[shootin4par]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

I feel your pain. my thumb and hammer have gotten in a few fights as well, but my darn thumb never seems to win. Worst I ever did was while standing on a ladder, holding onto the piece of wood for support, without paying attention i tried to pry a nail out of that piece of wood and had my thumb between the hammer and wood. WHen you do get a chance, like I said before, swing all out because that is how we subconsciously swing the driver and it shows our true swing

[GreeBoman]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

I think that you do not need to see the club hit the ball, you just need to be looking at the ball when it gets hit.
You need to see the ball be there one second and gone the next.
Otherwise you have looked away too early.

[BrianW]

Re: Watching the Ball at impact

Hi,

This simple bit of advice helped me. Imagine there is something sitting on the ground under your ball (A spot, a flower, a blade of grass etc) that you want to see when the ball has gone.