Big guy swing problems

[dannykos]

So as you'll see from my videos - I'm on the larger side. I have some very obvious swing flaws (reverse pivot, excessive head movement etc, etc).

 

My driving while somewhat erratic isn't too bad. Typical drives are 230-250 yards. Arccos has me at 45% accuracy, with my misses 25% left and 30% right.

 

My approach play is truly terrible. I hit 22% GIR with 57% coming up short (10% left and 7% right). My iron play has gone severly downhill over the last number of years, to the point where my average (well struck) 7 iron now flies barely 140 yards. I seem to come up short, even on what feel like fairly well struck shots. Longer irons are a joke - 6 irons can be okay, 5's sometimes - but my 4 iron (mp52) looks almost brand new!

 

so…

 

My question is - what is the most obvious inital bad move that I can work on. Bear in mind that with a torso my size, it's REALLY easy to push out and away from my body at transition - hence coming out to in, stuff just gets in the way. My best efforts to keep on plane are causing pain in my back on the right hand side (half way up). My divots look as though I'm pull-slicing - but the typical iron shot usually flies fairly straight, just very short!

 

Please be gentle :bigwhack:

 

 

Driver face on: https://vimeo.com/299557643

Driver DTL: https://vimeo.com/299557595

7 iron face on: https://vimeo.com/299557567

7 iron DTL: https://vimeo.com/299557623

[WoodHeads]

When comparing your 7 iron vs driver, it looks like you're "popping up" on contact, which is possibly hurting your distance, as you may end up over-lofting the ball. (Edit: I'm not sure over-lofting is the right term... I mean to say that you're striking the ball higher than optimal, and on an upward trajectory. The more I think about it, I think I meant under-lofting. It's as though you're imparting top spin, when bottom spin is what the club set-up is designed for.)

 

Of course, I don't know much about golf. I'm going based upon my basic understanding of physics and the ball dynamics.

[dannykos]

When comparing your 7 iron vs driver, it looks like you're "popping up" on contact, which is possibly hurting your distance, as you may end up over-lofting the ball. (Edit: I'm not sure over-lofting is the right term... I mean to say that you're striking the ball higher than optimal, and on an upward trajectory. The more I think about it, I think I meant under-lofting. It's as though you're imparting top spin, when bottom spin is what the club set-up is designed for.)

 

Of course, I don't know much about golf. I'm going based upon my basic understanding of physics and the ball dynamics.

 

Thanks for the reply. You're definitely right in that I'm coming up on the ball on my irons - just want to try and find some of the inital root causes for something to work on. I think my left knee is moving inwards way to much, causing the reverse pivot?

[DavePelz4]

Sir you remind me of Sean Connery. One ping only Vaseli.

[dannykos]

Sir you remind me of Sean Connery. One ping only Vaseli.

 

As a golfer, or just my rugged good looks? :cheesy:

[cardoustie]

Where's Moneypenny?

 

I don't think your action or size is that bad

 

Will leave critique to the experts

[DavePelz4]

Sir you remind me of Sean Connery. One ping only Vaseli.

 

As a golfer, or just my rugged good looks? :cheesy:

 

Of course.

[CheckJV]

That’s one of the slowest swings I’ve ever seen. Hope the swing experts on here can fix you up. Best of luck.

[WoodHeads]

I watched the video again and noticed two things:

 

Set-up - I'm not sure if I'm plain wrong on this one, but I try to set-up forward (toward the hole) with my body, which often places my head in front of the ball. It seems you do the opposite. Since I'm the consummate "lifetime beginner," I'll assume I'm doing it incorrectly, but I can't imagine your set up is helping things, either. I know that you're supposed to drop your shoulder a little, but I'm not sure that the drop is supposed to take the rest of your body out of alignment. I would say try setting up so that your feet are no further apart than the inside of your armpits, if that makes sense. That way, you don't end up having to have your feet SUPER far apart on your longer irons.

 

0:22 - Your left knee is in front of your shoulders, which is likely taking you off balance. Again, you might benefit from bringing your feet closer together, but maybe flexing your knees slightly more. If you find that your club is too far from the ball, try to set up closer to the ball. I know, myself, that it's tough to do, if your belly is in the way, but I don't think you'll have that problem. That might help solve some of the contact issue, with the iron, as you'll contact on the downswing path, rather than the upswing path.

 

Oh, I decided to watch your driver swing, again, your head is bobbing a lot. I didn't notice it the first time, since you seemed to make good contact. Also, you set up your body more forward, since you set the ball more forward in your stance. I think doing so helped with keeping your momentum forward, so maybe try that with all your clubs, just to see.

[Bingo1976]

You are fanning the club face open on the takeaway, and overswinging. Try and feel like you are picking the club straight up with wrist hinge not wrist roll. For a guy of your size, I'd expect a 3/4 swing to be the most powerful - you must be losing a lot of resistance with the over turn.

[dannykos]

I watched the video again and noticed two things:

 

Set-up - I'm not sure if I'm plain wrong on this one, but I try to set-up forward (toward the hole) with my body, which often places my head in front of the ball. It seems you do the opposite. Since I'm the consummate "lifetime beginner," I'll assume I'm doing it incorrectly, but I can't imagine your set up is helping things, either. I know that you're supposed to drop your shoulder a little, but I'm not sure that the drop is supposed to take the rest of your body out of alignment. I would say try setting up so that your feet are no further apart than the inside of your armpits, if that makes sense. That way, you don't end up having to have your feet SUPER far apart on your longer irons.

 

0:22 - Your left knee is in front of your shoulders, which is likely taking you off balance. Again, you might benefit from bringing your feet closer together, but maybe flexing your knees slightly more. If you find that your club is too far from the ball, try to set up closer to the ball. I know, myself, that it's tough to do, if your belly is in the way, but I don't think you'll have that problem. That might help solve some of the contact issue, with the iron, as you'll contact on the downswing path, rather than the upswing path.

 

Oh, I decided to watch your driver swing, again, your head is bobbing a lot. I didn't notice it the first time, since you seemed to make good contact. Also, you set up your body more forward, since you set the ball more forward in your stance. I think doing so helped with keeping your momentum forward, so maybe try that with all your clubs, just to see.

 

Yes, my head is all over the place - mainly as a result of the overswing and reverse pivot. It's really hard to stop!

[dannykos]

You are fanning the club face open on the takeaway, and overswinging. Try and feel like you are picking the club straight up with wrist hinge not wrist roll. For a guy of your size, I'd expect a 3/4 swing to be the most powerful - you must be losing a lot of resistance with the over turn.

 

I was always taught that when the club head was waist high on the backswing, that the toe should be pointing straight up. Is that what you mean by 'fanning'?

 

I do lose lots of resistance on the overswing, as you can see, my body sort of buckles under the pressure in various places. I'd love to be able to only swing back to 3/4 - but I have no idea how to change my current rhythm and swing length.

[Bingo1976]

You are fanning the club face open on the takeaway, and overswinging. Try and feel like you are picking the club straight up with wrist hinge not wrist roll. For a guy of your size, I'd expect a 3/4 swing to be the most powerful - you must be losing a lot of resistance with the over turn.

 

I was always taught that when the club head was waist high on the backswing, that the toe should be pointing straight up. Is that what you mean by 'fanning'?

 

I do lose lots of resistance on the overswing, as you can see, my body sort of buckles under the pressure in various places. I'd love to be able to only swing back to 3/4 - but I have no idea how to change my current rhythm and swing length.

 

Yes, you need to have the toe pointing up and in line with your hands (when viewed from the back). It should not be in line with your butt.

 

Monte's classic no turn drill is a good one, but the below link is what you need to be working on. It will feel awful to start, but it works. Try placing another golf ball behind the iron head, and pushing it straight back at takeaway.

 

I suspect that by steepening your swing plane, you will not be able to overturn. In my case, I just feel like I am taking a half swing - I am still at parallel on video!

 

[copperjeff]

Looks like stance is too wide, in particular right leg looks way wide.

 

Try feeling like your left shoulder goes down and your hands work in to start the backswing. Stop arms when shoulders stop. Try for 3/4 length feel of backswing length.

[dannykos]

Thanks for all the replies. Hit the range yesterday and the things that seemed to help the most were:

• Focussing on a more solid left knee (less collapsing and subsequent hip angle)

• A better take away (less fanning)

• Transition starting from the left foot and working up through the hips and shoulders

 

It was interesting that I hit quite a few shots left or way left - which I suppose was only natural. I also hit a good number off the hosel when I forgot to turn properly and got out of sync.

 

Anyhow - I'll give all this a go over the winter, and perhaps I'll post up more vids in the spring to see if things have improved any.

 

Appreciate everyone's input!

[wkuo3]

Keep your stance for the driver at shoulder width ( measured from heels ). this will free up some of the movement , and don't force yourself to bring the shaft to parallel to the top which you seemed to struggle a bit hence lifting the upper torso , changed the spine angle quite a bit ( bopping ).

You will be surprise that it's not necessary to come close to parallel on the top of the swing in order to get decent distance. For some of us whom couldn't be as flexible as we could due to size or aging, swing within one's means is better than trying to compensate.

 

If you keep the spine angle somewhat and allow for a little lateral movement ( not excessively sliding ), you will see tighter tee shot disbursement pattern. As for the 7 iron, use a lighter shaft,

[TheDeanAbides]

I'd add that because you're bigger and might struggle with flexibility a little, it would be a good idea to a) work on that with some stretching exercises and b) stop your backswing when you've reached the genuine natural range of your shoulder turn. If this means that you end up like Sandy Lyle at the top so be it. Practice making swings where your goal is to get your left arm parallel to the ground with your wrists fully cocked. If you make a turn that gets your left shoulder heading down towards your right toe you're going to struggle to get any further than this anyway. From that fully loaded place you'll have loads more compression and speed.

 

I'd work on wedges and short irons first.

 

Also, I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but your knees seem to be pointing outwards at address. Is that just how you're built or are you spreading them on purpose? If it's the latter work instead on feeling like your weight is more on the insides of your feet.

[BeerPerHole]

I'm "a little husky" too. Your 7-iron stance looks a bit wide. And, I'm seeing some reverse pivot, as opposed to turning, near the top with the 7. Not bad, though. Us husky guys can get a little tight in the hips. Do you do anything to loosen up the body?