Feedback on my swing.

[detonum]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

Jeff, I enjoyed reading your free online review of the golf swing, even though most of the information was not new to me. It's certainly very helpful to beginners that want to understand these things, because it's put very clearly together to a tight package. I did not think it was wordy at all. I'm sure it will help alot of golfers.

[Neil18]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

I think you have to be wordy when writing about the golf swing. Face to face lessons are easy to be short and to the point because you can show AND tell.

Here, we can only "tell" which takes some effort to convey accurately ones point. That's why everything written about golf is so open to interpretation. To dis-spell any chances of misunderstanding, one has to spell it out as clearly as possible. Which takes crud-loads of text usually!

Keep it up Jeffman! I like your prose very much!

[Jeff Mann]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

Samson72

I wanted to demonstrate, using another photo, why your over-the-top downswing move and ball position markedly limits your swing power.

See - http://jeffmann.net/Samson72Impact.jpg

This is a comparison photo of you and Aaron Baddeley near-impact.

Note that Aaron Baddeley has moved most of his body weight to the left as a result of starting the downswing with an aggressive hip shift-rotation. Note that his hands are well ahead of the ball and that his spine is tilted back. You can sense that he can hit with great power as his lower body leads his upper body through the shot.

By contrast, you have the ball too far back in your stance. Also, note that your hands are still behind the ball as the clubhead nears impact. Your spine is still centralised because your lower body is passive and static. There is no sense that your body is powering the shot. You seem to be merely slapping the ball with your arms/hands, and your only source of power comes from the upper torso. You would be able to generate much more swing power and clubhead acceleration if you positioned the ball 3" inside your left heel and then threw your lower body into the shot (like Aaron Baddeley or like Ernie Els - see http://jeffmann.net/Els-impact.jpg )

Jeff.

[Jeff Mann]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

Samson72

In the previous post, I demonstrated why your back ball position and lack of lower body movement in the downswing markedly limits your potential swing power.

Now, I would like to show you why a steep downswing, due to an over-the-top move, also radically decreases your potential swing power.

See - http://jeffmann.net/AnonymousGolferEls.jpg

Note that Ernie Els is approaching the ball from a shallower angle and that his clubshaft is behind his hands. In particular, note that his right hand is hinged back. You can sense the power that will be unleashed when his right hand unhinges. Note that the clubhead will also approach the ball from an inside direction. That's why virtually all PGA tour players start the downswing with a lower body move (hip shift rotation) - because it gets their hands into this powerful delivery position.

Note that your clubshaft is above your hands, and not behind your hands because of your steep angle of attack (secondary to the over-the-top move). That means that your right wrist has to downcock (ulnar deviate) to get the clubshaft down to the ball, and not unhinge (palmar flex). That's a far less powerful wrist movement. One cannot easily generate power when the clubshaft is above one's right wrist, instead of being behind one's right wrist, at the delivery position.

Jeff.

[Samson72]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

Samson72

I have used your "upper body dive" downswing images in my revised downswing chapter - as an anonymous golfer (and completely obscured your face) - if you don't mind my using those images? They are a perfect example of an "upper body dive" movement for the downswing chapter of my free online review of the golf swing.

See - http://jeffmann.net/downswing.htm

Jeff.

Jeff,
You can absolutly use the pictures, sure It would be more fun if the pictures where used in a "this is how you should swing" segment , but I am humble when it comes to golf and I understand that you dont master the complexity of the swing after just 18 months of playing. It is very clear to me what i have to work on in my swing and I will post a new video in a few weeks time, and I look forward to read your coments then.
/Samson

[Jeff Mann]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

Samson 72

Thanks for your permission to use the photos.

Hopefully, you will work on the lower body transition move in the downswing. I would like to be able to show the difference (improvement) in your swing in my downswing chapter. However, it isn't easy to make a swing change. It took me 3 months to get the lower body transition move right, and I am retired so I have the time to go to a golf practice facility for 3-4 hours three days per week. That's how hard it is to radically change one's swing pattern. Maybe, because you are young and athletic, you can do it much faster than an old retiree (like me).

Jeff.

[Jeff Mann]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

Thanks to samson72 giving me permission to use his photos as an "anonymous golfer", I could add a new section to my downswing chapter that shows why an "upper body dive" type of downswing produces far less power than the traditional lower body downswing.

See question 10 in my downswing chapter at http://jeffmann.net/downswing.htm

Jeff.

[forzaruta]

Re: Feedback on my swing.

I agree, the most important part of the swing, as Harvey Pennick called "the magic move" is the initial lateral shift back to your left side at the beginning of the downswing. Work on keeping your upper body angles in tact as you shift your weight laterally to your left side so that you attack the ball from the inside. You have a great swing though, very athletic!