Weight distribution at address

I've spent the past year and a half grinding very hard on my swing, and while it really is significantly better than it was before, its a) still very inconsistent and b) I'm honestly not shooting scores any better than I was before. My biggest issue with scoring on the course comes from the fact that I'll play 15 or 16 holes at even or +1, but I'll literally have two holes a round where I hit it OB and need to re-tee and at best make double bogies. When I tell you this happens every single time, I mean it happens EVERY SINGLE TIME. It also happens at various points in the round (beginning, middle, end), so its not an issue with choking under presure or anything like that. I'll be cruising along just fine and snap hook one out of bounds or blow one 80 yards right of my target out of nowhere (literally 80 yards right with my three wood...I paced it off).

I think the biggest issue I face is how to move my weight. I'm talking about how my weight should be at address, through the backswing, and into the downswing. Conceptually I know what I need to do, physically I don't think I'm moving my weight in a way conducive to swinging consistently. I'm not an expert, but reviewing my video below I feel my bodyweight is set up too square over the ball and my spine is too vertical. When I take the club back this causes me to keep my weight towards the target even though I feel like I'm turning into my right side. From the top, my hips are sliding towards the target pivoting around the lead foot, and I'm reverse C-ing and flipping at the ball through impact. I can't hit the longer clubs with any consistency because I need to move perfectly in order to hit a ball straight, so mentally knowing that means my hands are trying all sorts of maneuvers in order to help (which they rarely do). Any help would be so welcomed and appreciated.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx-Y_rCuuJ0

I was taught to distribute my weight equally between my right and left foot, maintain that distribution at the end of the back swing and on the forward swing until impact. After impact the momentum of the club will pull you to your forward side when almost all of your weight is on the front foot.

That's one way that works.

Steve

Two things I see. Collapse that left knee hip - looks like you create an arc in lower back. Lead knee needs to work out toward toes not in.

and arm swing to long so they really trail the pivot and by p6 your hands are well outside your right thigh. Lots of good stuff going on.

you don’t t drop your head like the guy on the left but attaching this for the guy on the right and his knee/ hip movement and arm length.

I think you are on the right track in regards of what might be causing some inconsistencies.

I think you are losing any weight pressure increases, with your excessive open hips in the backswing.

It looks to me that your takeaway and backswing are mostly driven by your hips. Just past P2, your hips are more open than PGA players at the top. This excessive movement is making you lose any pressure you've gained in the backswing. Without pressure in the trail foot, you won't have any natural way to get moving towards the lead side. You'll also have trouble trying to synch everything up since your hips will need to catch up.

Also look at your trail leg flex. I'd recommend trying to use that right leg as your anchor. You should maintain some flex in that knee - that's what holds you in place and a big component in gaining pressure into your right side - then eventually transferring that pressure into your lead side.

You should feel a good amount of increased pressure in your trail foot by P2. As you go from P2 to P4 that pressure will start to push into your lead foot. With your current swing - you don't have any pressure gained into the ground because your hips rotate so much you have to release any pressure you build. You need to learn how to effectively gain and then use that pressure into the ground. You can't shift pressure if you don't have any pressure to work with.

I'm stealing this pic from another thread. But look at the 3 out of 4 here. All keep some flex in that knee and also their hips are very slightly open, but not excessivel.. Wolff on the other hand does have the straightened trail leg. But he takes a more unique path to create his pressure into the ground. That is why his lead knee is sticking out more as well.

Bottom line - learn how to rotate the hips properly while keep that trailer leg anchored.

You should be encouraged though. Lot of good stuff going on with your swing. Keep grinding.

It's 2020 and we're still trying to guess knee angles and pressure from photos? No offense, wagolfer, and I know you're doing your best to try to explain, but why guess when it's easy to find teaching pros with the technology to measure.

The answer is: A majority of elite players have about 55% pressure on lead foot at address.

Thanks @Soloman1 - but I didn't think I was guessing. I've seen the Boditrak videos and been on them myself. They are super useful tools. But hard to find pros that have them in every area. Not to mention they just show you where the pressure is, not how to do it.
And yes most PGA players 55 / 45 or somewhere in between at address. And yes some like Wolff show a little more on the left side to start their swing, since they use a trigger to get going into the backswing.
I added my own input to it, as what he is describing his issues with, is more than just pressure at address. But sorry for trying to help out a fellow golfer figure out how to properly use pressure in the golf swing.

Good observation, and a helpful visual to help me understand the direction that knee should be moving. Good observation on the lower back...I have scoliosis so my lower back is where I can at times experience serious pain when I move it wrong. If this move helps to take that pressure off that would be more helpful than for just my swing.

Regarding the hip turn, I have been working with my coach on that. Previously I had a tendancy to not use the right leg as a pivot point and would sway away towards the trail leg. He's got me using the feel of almost locking it, and using the feeling of turning my right hip right and up to initiate my backswing. Previously I'd start my backswing with my arms, this has me starting it with my hips. By "release any pressure you've gained" do you mean pressure in the lead or trail leg?

Thanks everyone for the replies

And thanks to you @wagolfer7, I am basically having the same issues & scores. I live in a rural area in a sparsely populated state. So I do not have access to much of anything. Now reading your post helped me with what I have been fighting. I have been felling that my tempo is just a little too quick at the transition. It always feels like I am starting the hips a little early. After reading your post, I realize that I am shifting my weight a little too quickly. My weight is starting to shift basically just after I start the downswing. So now have something to go by now......have been stuck on this for about 3 weeks. My actual swing does not even start the pressure change until about the half way mark of my swing. So thank you again for the great input!

The actual issue you’re having is the massive amount of run-on in your swing. Your body stops but your arms continue on. Stop that and your path won’t be so far out to the right

Your swing looks really good.

Why not pay $50 for an online lesson from a knowledgeable Instructor?

I went to the range today to address this issue and the issue of my lead leg bending in and not out towards the ball. My arms are still running on a bit (old habits die hard) but the feel of bending my lead leg towards the ball helped reduce the sway in the backswing a good deal.

Have been working with my weight distribution and it has started to show signs of paying off. Monday the 25th was the last round I had gotten in. I ran 7 straight GIR's. Think last time that happened, I was not yet of legal age to go into a bar. On the down side......could not make a single bird. Greens had just been sanded within the week. Had 4 of the putts on line, but came up just a ball width or two short. The rest of the putts were just off on either side of the cup. Reality though...didn't care! Was just thrilled to have the consistency. Hope to get back at it this weekend on both the range & course. Another one of my issues that this seems to be helping with is tempo. I have a tendency to hurry the back-swing, which leads to poor shots. With being conscious of my weight, I am able to stop my back-swing if the tempo is too quick. There are also times that I do not stop, but know right away the tempo was a little quick just from the feel of the swing. Then once the head comes up to see the ball........yep, crappy shot due to tempo. Work in progress, but feel I am heading in the right direction.

I just watched some videos that helped me understand pressure in the fee throughout the golf swing. You can watch them on Porzkgolf IG stories right now (they will disappear in a while). Essentially he says you at set up your pressure should be in the balls of your feet. On the back-swing the pressure shifts a bit to the back foot but still in the ball of the back-foot until around P3 the pressure goes into the back heel. On the down-swing he says pressure into ball of the lead foot until roughly p5/p6 then the pressure is in the heel of the lead foot. I thought it was really interesting.

I'd say you have COM going back too much with a lot of tilt back in the backswing.

I recently bought some IOFIT sensors....they are absolutely brilliant for the price at analysing where my pressures and weight is.

I won't hijack this post showing footage from my analysis so DM me if interested.

Mike Austin was about 55 left and 45 right at address. Then he shifted more left as he forward pressed to start his swing. He said he was walking sideways. Mike Dunaway his protege set up 50/50 and didn't forward press, he just stepped sideways onto his right foot and extended his right knee balancing himself on his right leg and hip.

I’d work on that hair of pelvis away and spine tilt toward the target.