What went right in this swing?

[Fade]

I need some help. The footage below was recorded about a year ago. I am not claiming a good swing, but I was happy with how I was hitting the ball in that session. It is the only video I have of my swing that was recorded at a time that I was happy with the results I was getting. Too bad the video is of poor quality.

 

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLHG7UAKGck[/media]

 

A year later, I am not doing particularly well. I would like to get back at least some of what I was doing a year ago, but I am struggling to achieve that. I am posting to solicit ideas on what it may have been that made me do well (for me) about a year ago. Short bullet-style replies, on any aspect of setup or swing, will do fine. I am hoping to receive some pointers that may get me back on track.

[KimSeHo]

you see that your hips dont move over to the right(on the video) during and after impact. Your left hip doesnt touch that rectangular box of some sort at your belt level which is good. Lateral hip movement isnt really good. Keep em rotating.

[TheLetterSee]

Along with the technical side of the swing, you were very calm and collected. You had great rhythm and timing.

[Fade]

Thanks for the replies so far.

One of the things I sort-of remember from that range session, was the backswing: I had this sensation of having the club folded very compactly behind me at the top of the swing. That is not a very useful description probably, but then again it is not so easy to describe a 'feel'. And I am struggling with finding that feel again.

[Reasonability]

Fade,

There is to my eye a very important choice for you... and I personally think only you can decide this one. I can't stop seeing Moe Norman in that older swing. Have you read/studied or heard this before?

On the chance his swing doesn't or hasn't ever meant anything to you, his ball striking and play was considered among the most consistent and best in the entire history of the game. It is hard for Nicklaus, Palmer, (basically anyone) who ever played against him to not include him in being among the most incredible golfers they ever faced. So that you know, I do not personally know a great deal about Moe. I do not swing anything like him. But I have this goofy past-time of studying golf swings from just about every angle... just a silly hobby of mine I suppose.

So the choice in front of you is to embrace your similarities to his. He did write and describe his swing. He is by most accounts today (btw he passed away a few years ago) he is thought of today as having been autistic. He spoke in deeply philosophical and even poetic terms. He wasn't by any means stupid. He just didn't relate to the crowds and camera like most of the pro celebrity types we normally encounter. But even though he was a little different personality-wise... the man was amazing...and your swing is just something that reminds me so much of his.

On the other hand, you can turn toward a more "classical" or "traditional" swing. For you, there is/was a little more forward bend at the waist than most have. You exhibited a VERY braced trail leg... so much so that the lead hip swings out in front of you as the trail hip sort of anchors down. This leaves the lead hip with the job of having a long way to go to clear... probably too far to go. So what you seem to do to compensate for that is actually a good compensation. What you do is that you make sure your upper body get well back over the trail hip and stiffened trail knee and in the downswing, you maintain a relatively slow hip action through impact with a lot of arm travel from BEHIND the ball. This is why your follow through travels UP very quickly versus having both arms REACH and extend halfway up the follow-through plane.

So, if you were to set on a full-ahead course to a more traditional swing, I would personally engage a little less forward press at address, bend a touch less at the waist... retain a little more trail knee bend in the backswing as the trail hip inches back from the toe-line. You already do a good job of getting the sternum back over the trail hip (or at least heading well in that direction). Since you already do that part well, your swing will have plenty of swing width arc going back...but the difference will be that coming through... your trail elbow will make it in front of the trail hip through impact and the arms/club will really start to extend about 2 to 3 feet PAST the ball. Your lead hip will not have so far to clear as it inches back from the toe line through impact...WHY? because by allowing the TRAIL hip to inch back from the toe line in the backswing over a less severely braced trail leg... the LEAD HIP will not such a hard time clearing. This brand of hip action should leak right up through the arm flow allowing that extended arm flow up and AROUND you in the follow through.

Another "feel" that would come with all of this is that your right side...elbow, shoulder, hip.... the whole smash moves completely over to your left side as you remain in posture until post-impact. Your shoulder turn at the finish will be more completed and the club will land behind the head.

To sum this all up. I am no expert on Moe Norman. I'm sure there are some differences in your swing and his. BUT at least check it out. There are to my eye some spooky similarities. His swing was not something often discussed, or preached here on WRX. But that doesn't mean there aren't avenues to learning it and adopting it. If you want to go the other way... what I have offered is about as deeply and detailed as I know of by way of explaining it. For what its worth... I am a believer in Hogan's Modern Fundamentals of Golf - 5 Lessons book. But that said, I am no Ben Hogan, and his book may have formed the basis for learning my own swing... but I am not some sort of fundamentalist, holy war sort of Hogan-ite who thinks he, or anyone else has all the answers. Its just a really good book as a go-by -- sort of basis for how to get a rotational swing with good arm/body things up and running well. His comments about the setup would IMO help you out if that's what you seek swing-wise.

Best to you my friend. I will step out and let you take it from here. Hope things go your way. Fairways and greens!

[Fade]

[quote name='Reasonability' timestamp='1409034143' post='10008989']
There is to my eye a very important choice for you... and I personally think only you can decide this one. I can't stop seeing Moe Norman in that older swing. Have you read/studied or heard this before?[/quote]

Thank you very much for your reply.

An interesting observation. I know who Moe Norman is, but I certainly wasn't trying to copy him. But I can see what you mean now, mostly in the short backswing and followthrough. I think I will watch that video-taped presentation on/by Moe Norman done for some sort of PGA meeting on Youtube this weekend, to see if I can pick something up from it.

[quote name='Reasonability' timestamp='1409034143' post='10008989']
On the other hand, you can turn toward a more "classical" or "traditional" swing. For you, there is/was a little more forward bend at the waist than most have. You exhibited a VERY braced trail leg... so much so that the lead hip swings out in front of you as the trail hip sort of anchors down. This leaves the lead hip with the job of having a long way to go to clear... probably too far to go. So what you seem to do to compensate for that is actually a good compensation. What you do is that you make sure your upper body get well back over the trail hip and stiffened trail knee and in the downswing, you maintain a relatively slow hip action through impact with a lot of arm travel from BEHIND the ball. This is why your follow through travels UP very quickly versus having both arms REACH and extend halfway up the follow-through plane.

So, if you were to set on a full-ahead course to a more traditional swing, I would personally engage a little less forward press at address, bend a touch less at the waist... retain a little more trail knee bend in the backswing as the trail hip inches back from the toe-line. You already do a good job of getting the sternum back over the trail hip (or at least heading well in that direction). Since you already do that part well, your swing will have plenty of swing width arc going back...but the difference will be that coming through... your trail elbow will make it in front of the trail hip through impact and the arms/club will really start to extend about 2 to 3 feet PAST the ball. Your lead hip will not have so far to clear as it inches back from the toe line through impact...WHY? because by allowing the TRAIL hip to inch back from the toe line in the backswing over a less severely braced trail leg... the LEAD HIP will not such a hard time clearing. This brand of hip action should leak right up through the arm flow allowing that extended arm flow up and AROUND you in the follow through.

Another "feel" that would come with all of this is that your right side...elbow, shoulder, hip.... the whole smash moves completely over to your left side as you remain in posture until post-impact. Your shoulder turn at the finish will be more completed and the club will land behind the head.
[/quote]

Thank you for your detailed commentary, I am pretty sure this will help me, after I work through this. The bracing of my right leg probably helped me that day, so I will see if I can find a way to keep some benefits, yet "unexaggerate" it.

[Coat Jones]

I like it very much and it appears quite functionally sound in how it's assembled, but a closer look would be nice and from a more square camera orientation face on, and if you have time a down the line view as well.

Did you orient the range mat off axis on purpose, or did the person before you leave it that way- just curious if you employ an off-axis view within your sessions that the 1/4 turn gives.

Bullet point: just a touch of hang back through the zone, but mimimal. Once you feel the weight resettle, go a little harder inside and behind you, or the left knee. Watch your trail foot for feedback- some swings will feel more heel out with a stationary toe, some will slide a little forward more toe down than heel out.....more of the latter can be had going harder behind you.

Looking forward to seeing more.

[Fade]

[quote name='Coat Jones' timestamp='1409061270' post='10010249']
I like it very much and it appears quite functionally sound in how it's assembled, but a closer look would be nice and from a more square camera orientation face on, and if you have time a down the line view as well.

Did you orient the range mat off axis on purpose, or did the person before you leave it that way- just curious if you employ an off-axis view within your sessions that the 1/4 turn gives.

Bullet point: just a touch of hang back through the zone, but mimimal. Once you feel the weight resettle, go a little harder inside and behind you, or the left knee. Watch your trail foot for feedback- some swings will feel more heel out with a stationary toe, some will slide a little forward more toe down than heel out.....more of the latter can be had going harder behind you.

Looking forward to seeing more.
[/quote]

Everything within that range-barn is set up aiming about 45* left on purpose (but not my purpose), and I left the mat as I found it, then tried to approximately face the camera when I recorded the video. There wasn't a good place for the camera that was square to the mats.

Thank you for the tip!

I will try to shoot some more, and hopefully better quality video once I find my swing again, or when I get some consistency in my current swing. Don't expect much though, because I am usually too impatient to carefully set up the camera.