KMeloney

Looks like your pants still aren’t long enough— I can still see the shoes.

For me, I'm 11.5 in just about all Nike golf shoes so far (but a 12 in the Air Max 1 G). I got a 12 in the ZITs, as there's no way the 11.5 would be long enough. (I have a NARROW foot, and so the length issue is a pure length issue, and not a matter of adjusting the fit with a "wide" version. But others with normal width or wide feet have gone with some combo of wide-and-TTS sizing, or longer in standard width to accommodate their foot width.) As was said before, consider buying 2 sizes and figuring it out on-foot.

Understood (kind of). But a pendulum is back and forth and up and down, with no "around." If I think too "around" for the "back and forth" motion, I tend to get my arms stuck. The "up" portion of my swing is always coupled with a turn, but for someone who is used to getting his arms stuck, the up part can feel like I get the club too upright and disconnected, even if that's not quite the reality. Also, when seeing Rose do his pre-shot routine/drill, I'm reminded that the "up and down" are NOT incidental for many people -- even for some Tour pros.

I need to employ more up and down.

This part isn't true. For most slicers, the slice is from an open-faced wipe across the ball. The face isn't naturally closing for them. But, to you main point, I fight the same issue. I can't hit a ball-forward fade. I have to put the ball back more and set up with my hands higher, and even then my tendency will be to shut close the face if I don't fight it.

I'm sure you're touching on a big part of the problem. I'm likely hanging back and tilting too much such that the club literally bottoms out before the ball (again, when attempting the NTC/Jake Hutt intention).

These responses are very helpful!

TDA -- Thanks. I suppose I have a tendency to add the "motorcycle move" (turning the hands down/closing the face a la Rahm, Thomas, DJ, etc.) to the cast motion. Seems to me that, with a strong grip, that's not a good combo. Does that sound about right?

Haha Ok. Do you recommend hitting the ball better, too? Seriously though... To what? What do you have in mind when you say that? Thanks.

(Never mind which has been "proven" with 3D modeling or any of that...) Just looking to see people's mental approach to the swing and how it's manifested in feel. I have ALWAYS gone too "at the ball" with my downswing (and often took the club back too "around" me, getting my left arm pinned on my chest). I've watched Justin Rose rehearse dropping his arms down to shallow and get on plane a million times, watched various clips from Jake Hutt and others showing the intent of slamming the club into the ground behind the ball (that when coupled with a proper turn is Purina), etc... But

The defending club champion at my club is a young guy (mid-late 20s?) who appears to take a long backstroke and decelerating forward stroke (that also seems a little "down" on the ball, too). He putts lights-out. Personally, I need to work on what the OP's instructor has told him. My thoughts of accelerating through the ball has led my backstroke to be short and quick, and I'm convinced I need to adopt this new approach.

No. For me, the sole is the deal-breaker. If the sole had a flat profile, I'd feel completely different about it.

What are you calling a "deep heel"? Are you taking about the back of the shoe rising high up along the back of your heel? Or the sides wrapping up high under/along your ankles?

Nope. @ an hour and 15 mins away.

“Wide ZIT” would be an oxymoron. “Narrow ZIT” is redundant.