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Shortening Back Swing


bobcat88

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I shortened my swing about two years ago, and I agree with you - the woods are the most difficult part of the process. My timing, especially with the driver, was tuned to compensate for my overrun at the top. With the shorter swing, I could never get transitioned quickly enough with the longer clubs .

 

So, I started letting my wrists get a little softer at the top of my swing with the woods. This allows the shaft to get near parallel at the top, but I can keep my shoulder turn at 90*. That little bit of compensation gives me enough time to get off the right side and get everything cleared. Over time, I hope to take this little bit of overrun and turn it into more of a pause.

 

So, my compensation may not be the ideal solution for everyone. But, if your struggles are similar to mine, finding something that will give you a little bit more time in the transition just might help.

 

Good luck!

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just a clarifying question, are your arms still at "iron" length but your wrists break? Or is the arm travel longer too? Jholz's feel sounds like adequate arm travel but a compensation with wrists for timing. I do the former, arms travel, and I also find it difficult to shorten my swing. Practice parallel to parallel swings, with speed the momentum will carry the club further than parallel but still shorter than typical.

 

That has worked best for me.

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just a clarifying question, are your arms still at "iron" length but your wrists break? Or is the arm travel longer too? Jholz's feel sounds like adequate arm travel but a compensation with wrists for timing. I do the former, arms travel, and I also find it difficult to shorten my swing. Practice parallel to parallel swings, with speed the momentum will carry the club further than parallel but still shorter than typical.

 

That has worked best for me.

 

Yeah, I used to have arm overrun as well, and that's what I tackled first. I did 9 to 3 (or parallel to parallel) swings for a long time to make that initial change. Can't thank Slicefixer enough for that drill. It's a life changer.

Cleveland Launcher HB 10.5* - Stock Miyazaki C. Kua 50 Stiff
Callaway Diablo Octane Tour 13* - Aldila NV 75 Stiff
or
Callaway Diablo Edge Tour 15* - Accra Dymatch M5 75
Mizuno F-50 18* - Stock Stiff
or
Callaway Diablo Edge Tour Hybrid 21* - Aldila NV 85 Stiff
Callaway RAZR Tour Hybrid 24* - Stock XStiff
5 - PW Cleveland CG7 Tour Black Pearl - DGSL S300
Cleveland 588 RTX Rotex 2.0 50* DG Wedge
Cleveland 588 RTX Rotex 2.0 54* DG Wedge
Callaway X-Series JAWS Slate CC 58* Stock Wedge
Odyssey White Ice #7 - Golf Pride Oversize

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Depends on the cause of the long backswing. For me it was excessive bending of my trail arm. I took half swings feeling my trail arm was straight and eventually my normal swing got shorter. It's still longer than it needs to be but way shorter than it was. The shaft before would get to or just past parallel with a 9 iron...i'm just shy of parallel now.

Driver: Sim2 with Ventus Blue 6x
FWY: Sim 2 Ti w/ TenseiAV Raw Blue 75x
Hybrid: PXG 0317x 17* with Fuji Pro 2.0 85x
Irons: PXG 0211ST w/KBS Tour X
54*: Titleist SM6 S grind black finish
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Putter: Toulon San Diego

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If it's primarily longer clubs it may be due to a very late wrist set. Try setting wrists sooner/ almost immediately going back and see what happens.

Driver: Sim2 with Ventus Blue 6x
FWY: Sim 2 Ti w/ TenseiAV Raw Blue 75x
Hybrid: PXG 0317x 17* with Fuji Pro 2.0 85x
Irons: PXG 0211ST w/KBS Tour X
54*: Titleist SM6 S grind black finish
58*: New Level Golf SPN Forged M Grind
Putter: Toulon San Diego

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I have chronic issues with this, arm over run, etc. Two things that help me are, simplify focus of hands down to creating width and staying away from head. The other is to elevate focus of shoulder rotation to create true depth and dictate rhythm of swing. When I combine both, much harder to have a swing that's "too long".

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It’s more than likely your arms breaking down. Very very few individuals can go past parallel without that breakdown. I would recommend getting a swing extended training aid to give you the feel. (Link below)

 

The other possibility is that your right hand is not supporting the club at the top of the swing during transition so it gets a little floppy and appears like the swing is too long/past parallel but in reality it’s not the swing.

 

http://www.swingextender.com

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I am still struggling with the same thing... I have it fixed when I get an earlier vertical wrist hinge combined with really focusing on keeping both arms as long as possible. It feels crazy... Like my right arm doesn't fold at all it just keeps pushing out straight. On video I can see it folding but to me it feels straight and rigid. When I do this well my driver stops at perfect parallel or just short... Do it not and I can see my clubhead out of my left eye down by my L knee...

 

My iron swing has gotten so much better from shortening up, but the woods have been a real challenge to trust on the course. I feel like I don't have enough time in transition. When I do it properly wow though the results are worth it.

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FW: Ping G25 4 wood Kuro Kage Silver TINI 80s
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Irons: King Forged One Length 4-PW C Taper Lite S
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Black Satin 50, 54, 58
Putter: Custom Directed Force Reno 2.0 48" 80* Lie Side Saddle

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The turn and rotation of your left arm and hands can be timed from the start of the backswing to the top of a full shoulder turn or quickly for the shortest of shoulder turns. The key for consistency is by not hinging your wrists until your turn and rotation is complete. Hinging early takes your club face off plane and the weight of your club head now works against getting it back on plane.

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One more piece of food for thought.....make sure your shoulder turn isn't too flat in the backswing....can lead to arm lift and overrun as a result.

Driver: Sim2 with Ventus Blue 6x
FWY: Sim 2 Ti w/ TenseiAV Raw Blue 75x
Hybrid: PXG 0317x 17* with Fuji Pro 2.0 85x
Irons: PXG 0211ST w/KBS Tour X
54*: Titleist SM6 S grind black finish
58*: New Level Golf SPN Forged M Grind
Putter: Toulon San Diego

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What's the best advice/drill you know for shortening a backswing? My swing with my irons is a nice 3/4 controlled swing, but for some reason, with a driver/woods in hand I'm at parallel or passed it.

 

For the life of me I can't get myself to shorten it for more consistency.

 

Is your lead arm straight and lead wrist flat?

Might be just a breakdown in those?

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For a driver ,try “hovering” the club head at address, for some reason it makes my backswing shorter, more controlled

 

Finally had a chance to go to the range this weekend and put this technique into play and I was shocked. Night and day as far as consistency of ball strike from what I had been doing before. I had a tendency to deloft the club on takeaway and hovering the club for a half second completely eliminated that and shortended the backswing for some reason.

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For me it was when I realized that most of my backswing was arms. When I started the backswing with my core and just let my arms ride back in front of my body they stopped where they were supposed to. As opposed to reaching way back with just my arms . I am super flexible so I could do this. Turn just a little and then reach back with al arms. And get driver to my left eye at the top. Not an issue now when I turn full and arms aren’t reaching for the sky.

 

 

Good visual of this for me is tiger swing around 2000. Not talking anything but how connected it is. And I’ll also say it took thousands upon thousand of less than full speed swings.

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Age and extra pounds will do the trick. When I was 30, My driver swing was still long enough that I could see the clubhead in my peripheral vision at the top of the swing. Now, 17 years later, my backswing looks like JB Holmes's. Probably not coincidentally, I've become a much better (i.e. consistent) driver in the last few years. Driver is now the most dependable club in my bag, it just doesn't go as far as it once did.

 

Sorry, I know there's no advice there, but I do like what others have said - hover the driver at address, and try to start the downswing sooner.

D - Ping G430 LST 9-degree, Kai'li 60S
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