Swing quandry

[jonnygrouville]

I am stuck. Well and truly stuck.

To start with, this is the way I swung the club for years:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Wfrz1By-c&feature=related

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5B_eKo2ldk&feature=related

I don’t like this swing. It worked when I was practicing and playing a lot. Then, after years of neglect, I started hitting it too high, rarely taking a divot. I could hit it left and I could hit it right. I lost a lot of distance. Sure, it would happily work for sixteen or seventeen holes a round and I hit a lot of greens, but the bad holes and shots were like a beginner. I was also absolutely incapable of hitting a wedge and would have to play away from these distances.

My swing now looks like this (same videos as posted already in a different thread):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEHKdNbuiwU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtFWRN-dBLc

I hope you can see a difference!

What I am working towards is a more solid top of backswing position that should put me in better shape to achieve the impact conditions I am after more regularly.

You can probably tell from my frantic waggles what I am trying to do. My hands still get a bit deep and there is still a bit of a hook. It feels a lot shorter and compact. If you’re quick with the pause from face on comparing the two swings, when the left arm is horizontal in the backswing, the difference in the club’s angle is pretty huge.

I can hit a wedge with this swing. My scoring hasn’t improved much, but things are still changing a lot, so I’m not expecting immediate results.

Now the problem. The pro mate of mine I have been going through these changes with has just got a job in another country. Great for him, not so good for me. Losing a great mate and a great coach.

I can’t see myself being able to pursue the same kind of changes with another teacher (as the replacement candidates aren’t of the same calibre).

It might be the hungover malaise, but part of me just wants to bin all of that new stuff and go back to what I had already. I can work on impact conditions myself and try and forget about the big ugly backswing. Maybe try and stop the hands getting so deep, but otherwise live with it.

What should I do?

Thoughts, comments, suggestions of alternative past-times appreciated.

[Richie3Jack]

Take stock of your misses and then break down what that miss is and figure out what is causing it.

For instance. Let's say you're a really good player whose common miss is a snap hook. Well, what do we know about the 'new ball flight laws?' In order to snap hook the ball you MUST have a very closed clubface. The path is probably decent, but the face is wayy closed. So now we would have to figure out what is causing the face to get so closed. Is it a grip issue? What's the clubface doing on the backswing? Etc, etc.

Also, tell me where you live and I *might* be able to find a pro for you, even if you're from across the pond.




3JACK

[imperfectgolfer]

I studied your latest swings in my swing analyser program.

I am usually very critical of even minor flaws.

Your swing is flawless. It is equivalent to a superb professional quality swing. You should be playing sub-par golf with that swing!

You have an excellent end-backswing position - your left arm flying wedge is intact and your right arm flying wedge has an excellent relationship to the left arm flying wedge.

Your clubface is definitely not closed on the downswing.

Jeff.

[gmbtempe]

I would like to see the face on as something seems a little off in the follow thru but its a great golf swing.

[imperfectgolfer]

Greg,

I downloaded his face-on swing video, and I can see nothing wrong with his followthrough.

What worries you about his followthrough?

Jeff.

[gmbtempe]

Mar 6, 2010 12:45:20 GMT -5 imperfectgolfer said:

Greg,

I downloaded his face-on swing video, and I can see nothing wrong with his followthrough.

What worries you about his followthrough?

Jeff.

I did not see the link and I downloaded it.

This is absolutely nit picking as its a very good golf swing but at frame 349, call it P6.5 I think the swing is a little late and the power accumulators are dumping a hair early and then it really shows in frame 350. The release down the line gave me that impression with the finish.

I prefer post impact look like this




Granted I am nitpicking a very good golf swing, just saying if I was trying to improve contact and distance I prefer this position.

[imperfectgolfer]

Greg,

Fair enough!

I think that the difference is subtle and probably due to timing issues.

Jeff.

[jonnygrouville]

Thanks gents. Very much appreciate your comments once again.

Richie,
From reading your blog, I think I am going through similar things in my swing that you have been through. In particular having a shut clubface at the top that left me having to kind of hold-off and get underneath it through the ball to stop it hooking.

I think I am making progress, but will probably have more questions about this at some stage...

Thanks for the offer of having a think about a coach nearby as well, but I live in Hanoi, Vietnam. Great place, but not many options for golf instruction.

Jeff,
That is obviously very encouraging to hear. I am clearly on the right sort of lines! I value your opinion very highly. I can’t think of other places where I could have posted the above and received similarly knowledgeable, balanced and considered responses.

Not sure about sub-par though. Been a long time since I have done that.

I understand gmb's comments though, so should keep going with the changes (as this swing is far from ‘comfortable’ yet), and keep having a look at impact alignments, etc. and focus more on clubface and ball-flight. My arms still feel like they are racing through a little and I think my timing could be better, as you both say. Will keep going.

My confidence obviously needs improving as well though eh?

Cheers!

[jonnygrouville]

Had my last lesson with my mate before he leaves the country .

He got me to straighten my lower back a little (I have pretty bad posture at the best of times) and that was it! I hit a couple right when I got a bit inside going back, but otherwise had nothing to say so we went to do some chipping. Nice to know he wouldn't change something just for the sake of changing something.

Incidentally, took a clip of his swing...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxMsfoL4ziE