body movements and swing direction

[niumaiat]

I need advice on any drills to avoid excessive body movements and prematurely looking up to see where my ball has gone. I suspect that this also contributes to the ball going everywhere but straight. It is so frustrating and I've tried everything without success. Is there any way of making sure that your brace (ie firm stand) remains instead of moving off it. Thank you for any advice.

[RandomHero1090]

Re: body movements and swing direction

I need advice on any drills to avoid excessive body movements and prematurely looking up to see where my ball has gone. I suspect that this also contributes to the ball going everywhere but straight. It is so frustrating and I've tried everything without success. Is there any way of making sure that your brace (ie firm stand) remains instead of moving off it. Thank you for any advice.

Link below is a great one...
Golf Digest: The #1 Golf Publication!

You can also do this with your feet together, which is what I will practice a lot.

There are also several things you can "prop" up on the outside of each leg, so that if you make contact with these objects, you know your lower body is "swaying" back or forward too much. You can use a golf shaft, umbrella and a stand bag.

You can also swing in front of a mirror to see what your lower body is doing in the swing.

[TeachingPro]

Re: body movements and swing direction

The best way to achieve this is to understand where in space your body, hands and golf club need to be at impact. Think about it ... It's going to so much easier to stop moving about once you know where you need to be at impact. Yeah?

So where do you need to be at impact? It depends on a number of things but by-and-large you want to be here:
1. head behind the ball
2. shoulders and hips slightly open
3. firm left arm and wrist leading the club
4. the right side "firing" through to "push" the energy through impact.
(This is generic and you need to find an alignment that works for you)

Once you have your impact alignment, you swing back tranferring the weight to the right while keeping as "still" as possible using your spine as the turning axis ... and then into impact maintaining your spine angle ... then through.

To keep your spine angle, put a chair behind you and address a golf ball and setup with your bum touching the chair. Now swing back-top-impact with your bum and hips turning on the chair. As soon as you push the chair you're moving away from the ball, as soon as you "lift" off the chair, you're moving towards the ball.

A change in spine angle is the easiest way to detect unwanted movement in the golf swing.

That's a start ... work on that and let me know how that bit goes. If you need more help post again.

[RandomHero1090]

Re: body movements and swing direction

The best way to achieve this is to understand where in space your body, hands and golf club need to be at impact. Think about it ... It's going to so much easier to stop moving about once you know where you need to be at impact. Yeah?

So where do you need to be at impact? It depends on a number of things but by-and-large you want to be here:
1. head behind the ball
2. shoulders and hips slightly open
3. firm left arm and wrist leading the club
4. the right side "firing" through to "push" the energy through impact.
(This is generic and you need to find an alignment that works for you)

Once you have your impact alignment, you swing back tranferring the weight to the right while keeping as "still" as possible using your spine as the turning axis ... and then into impact maintaining your spine angle ... then through.

To keep your spine angle, put a chair behind you and address a golf ball and setup with your bum touching the chair. Now swing back-top-impact with your bum and hips turning on the chair. As soon as you push the chair you're moving away from the ball, as soon as you "lift" off the chair, you're moving towards the ball.

A change in spine angle is the easiest way to detect unwanted movement in the golf swing.

That's a start ... work on that and let me know how that bit goes. If you need more help post again.

Wow...nicely put...

Just wanted to post the ENTIRE Power Line article by Jim McLean if anyone is interested....

Golf Digest: The #1 Golf Publication!

[RandomHero1090]

Re: body movements and swing direction

Here is another article I was looking for....

Start your swing like a pro with these drills

[Martin Levac]

Re: body movements and swing direction

Looking up prematurely is due to anticipation and a form of wishful thinking. I have no power over the ball after it's gone. The only power I have over the ball is when I strike it. So, I may as well focus on that instead. The wishful thinking part is due to the lack of skill on the part of the player. Since he does not have enough skill, he plays dice. Golf is not a game of luck, it's a game of skill.

Drill.

Half swing, maintain focus on the ball. Maintain focus on the spot where the ball was even after it's gone. Repeat.

If it will help, think of it as a drill of will, not of technique.

[oldwease]

Re: body movements and swing direction

I think a lot of people force themselves to have too many moving parts in their swing. If you reflect on the range of golf articles and comments out there, you will find several covering virtually every part of the body. The problem with this is that most average players then try to adopt all of these thereby concentating on the feet, knees, legs, hips, shoulders, arms, hands, head and so on, and trying to force certain actions.

In a good swing, most of the body's action is in response to the swing. It's therefore very difficult to consciously effect those moves and, when this is done, those moves are often exaggerated to the detriment of the swing as a whole as other elements will compensate for the exaggeration.

My view is that the golf swing should involve a minimal degree of instability. I was going to say a minimal number of moving parts, but that's not correct. What would be correct is to say that the swing should have a minimum number of actively controlled moving parts, with the rest of the body responding. This gives maximum stability.

I have to admit to a little conversion here. I am the sort of person who always looks for that little bit extra. Even if I'm striking the ball well, I will be thinking, OK, what about hitting draws and fades on command. Then, how about an extra ten yards? In the end, I build more things into the swing - more aggressive rotation, later release, stronger leg action. Eventually, I hit the ball less well and then forget the starting point, i.e. what I was doing in the first place.

I have now simplified my swing by ensuring greater stability throughout. How so? A key part is to have the feeling that I am keeping my back to the target on the downswing. In practice, this isn't actually what happens at impact as the upper body, and certainly the shoulders, have returned to square. This 'move' however provides much greater stability in comparison with my prior more active leg, hip and body action. Inceidentally, the hips turn to open on their own.

With this greater stability, primarily in the upper body, I am far more able to control the club's path into the ball. It also promotes the proper release through the ball. All in all, I get more solid contact, a nice low ball flight with a very slight draw - all for less effort.

(Sorry for the long post; it's an interesting subject though!)

[shootin4par]

Re: body movements and swing direction

here is something to try
go outside and make some practice swings take three swings in a row from the inside out and without a ball we can all do that.
then take three swings coming over the top really bad
while doing this have a spot in front of you as your targer, notice two things about your head, swinging inside out did you look up premature and where does you head point in relation to your target. also pay attention to those two things on your swings of over the top.