Help - I can’t start my takeaway

[sbjinx]

I really don’t know how it happened but sometime in the last year I developed a “thing” where I can’t start the backswing unless the club is lifted off the ground (ie. not touching the grass). I set up like normal with the club behind the ball (touching grass) but then I’ll lift the club off ground, let it hover for a few seconds, and start my backswing.

Oddly I don’t think it’s affected my swing or ball striking (at least not that I can tell) but I’m standing over the ball longer because I have to hover the club for a few seconds before starting my swing. Sometimes as I’m hovering the club my body gets so tense I have to back off and start my swing over.

I’ve gone to the range a few times to try and fix it but I can’t. My body freezes and won’t let me start the background unless the club is lifted off ground. And when I force it, my swing feels jerky and I hit terrible shots.

I’ve developed some bad swing habits but this is the first of something like this. And it’s just my driver and irons. When I chip or putt, I can start my backswing just fine.

Anyone else have something similar and how do I fix it.

[Socrates]

That's some bad juju you got going on. Been there a long long time ago. Couldn't make a swing. Had to resort to the David Leadbetter "Pump Drill" and put the club into position at the top and swing from there. Eventually worked my starting point earlier and earlier in the swing and eventually was able to start the swing with the club behind the ball. You are nowhere near that, but you need to get control of this before it gets serious.

More recently, I started to feel a hitch in my backswing. I even had a few balks where I stopped the swing. It was a position thing and I fixed a bad move I was making in the takeaway. It took a bit and lots of reps on making the correct move instead of the wrong move, but eventually it went away and I don't feel the hitch happening anymore. Or even think about it.If you need to hover the club, then I would suggest you never ground the club. It might be as simple as that. Work on the hover and feeling comfortable over the ball. Other than that, you likely have a few too many squirrels running around upstairs while you are getting ready to hit the ball. You likely need to clear your mind of whatever is going on and think about something else (target, sexx, putting a tee in your left pocket, hat on sideways - the whole Roy McAvoy catalogue...) instead of the takeaway.

[cardoustie]

I hover all shots, many players do. I know a few scratch players that are 6" above the ball before the move away

Take it away with your left shoulder. or ... think of an alternate body part vs hands or club head

Read about constant motion or a forward press as a trigger to starting

GOOD LUCK

[Man_O_War]

is this like a Barkley affliction?

[sbjinx]

Lol. Not that bad but it’s just weird that I developed this thing. I have noticed that Matt Kucher and others hover their club before shot so maybe it’s not a horrible thing, but I’d prefer to fix it somehow.

[farmer]

Jack did it, Greg Norman as well. They seemed to do OK.

[hoselpalooza]

i like to lift the club after grounding it to prevent the club from hitting a tuft of grass (etc.) on the backswing. nothing wrong with that imho. maybe next range session you could trying counting to 3, lifting the club, then making your swing. e.g. make your swing more reactive like hitting a baseball instead of getting frozen