Confessions 12 --- Exploding Heads

[jbhawx]

I like to show up fashionably late for hot topics...

[jbhawx]

I've recently started slowing down my BS and it has improved my ball striking a lot. Feels more controlled vs a quick one. I can also control the length a lot better. With a quick tempo I routinely over swing in the BS.

[DeNinny]

Ok so here is my current swing focus: STABILITY. What do you guys do for maintaining stability in the swing? If the goal is to put the clubhead at impact at the exact same precise point over and over again, it stands to reason that the center of our swing (the point between the shoulder sockets) must not move or vary in position.

 

Yesterday I struck the ball really well (I shot 83 in spite of an 8 on a par four) and my focus was simple hip stability over all other swing thoughts. I stood with only the bare minimum of knee bend and I really put the weight towards the insteps of both feet. Also I sort of pointed my knees inward so that they stayed inside their respective foot instep. My turn felt tighter and maybe shorter, but it felt STABLE. Also with the less knee bend I stood a little taller and for me this psychologically helped me trust the bottom of my swing and the extension of my arms past impact. Anyway, what are your all's thoughts on stability?

[DeNinny]

I've recently started slowing down my BS and it has improved my ball striking a lot. Feels more controlled vs a quick one. I can also control the length a lot better. With a quick tempo I routinely over swing in the BS.

 

This should also make your transition more stable. If you take the club to the top too fast, there will be a bigger momentum change at the top which will require more energy. In theory this could add variability at the top of the swing.

 

But on the flipside, a slower BS allows for more time for you to allow the club to drift off the ideal path. I think it was Gary Player that said "miss it quick".

[jbhawx]

Ok so here is my current swing focus: STABILITY. What do you guys do for maintaining stability in the swing? If the goal is to put the clubhead at impact at the exact same precise point over and over again, it stands to reason that the center of our swing (the point between the shoulder sockets) must not move or vary in position.

 

Yesterday I struck the ball really well (I shot 83 in spite of an 8 on a par four) and my focus was simple hip stability over all other swing thoughts. I stood with only the bare minimum of knee bend and I really put the weight towards the insteps of both feet. Also I sort of pointed my knees inward so that they stayed inside their respective foot instep. My turn felt tighter and maybe shorter, but it felt STABLE. Also with the less knee bend I stood a little taller and for me this psychologically helped me trust the bottom of my swing and the extension of my arms past impact. Anyway, what are your all's thoughts on stability?

 

I found the stance to add to stability as well. it was pointed out to me by a fellow golfer that they noticed my drivers were straighter and most consistent when my feet were closer together compared to a wider stance. There seems to be some truth to this, as a wider stance, for me anyways, would cause more hip sway. When I used a shorter stance I was more stable, but I do think you can get too short. Wonder if there is a way to find the ideal width in your stance...LOL DON'T SAY "shoulder width apart"!

[mdgboxx]

Ok so here is my current swing focus: STABILITY. What do you guys do for maintaining stability in the swing? If the goal is to put the clubhead at impact at the exact same precise point over and over again, it stands to reason that the center of our swing (the point between the shoulder sockets) must not move or vary in position.

 

Yesterday I struck the ball really well (I shot 83 in spite of an 8 on a par four) and my focus was simple hip stability over all other swing thoughts. I stood with only the bare minimum of knee bend and I really put the weight towards the insteps of both feet. Also I sort of pointed my knees inward so that they stayed inside their respective foot instep. My turn felt tighter and maybe shorter, but it felt STABLE. Also with the less knee bend I stood a little taller and for me this psychologically helped me trust the bottom of my swing and the extension of my arms past impact. Anyway, what are your all's thoughts on stability?

 

 

Sounds very familiar.

 

If I was to get technical on you, I would add that I feel more of my weight on the balls of my feet, than I would if my weight was evenly distributed on both Ball and Heel. (Instep, of course)

 

IMHO, it prevents me from sitting on my heels, in the BS. If I allow to much weight shift to my heels, it will lead to Over Swinging.

 

That's where my Pretzel Swing (lol) came from. I would curl myself into a pretzel, clearly see the head of the club out of my lead eye, then, I wouldn't have time to uncurl and bring the head back to square at impact.

 

A coach instructed me to make a 3/4 swing, instead. What seemed to me, an abbreviated swing, was actually a full swing. :beruo:

[mdgboxx]

Ok so here is my current swing focus: STABILITY. What do you guys do for maintaining stability in the swing? If the goal is to put the clubhead at impact at the exact same precise point over and over again, it stands to reason that the center of our swing (the point between the shoulder sockets) must not move or vary in position.

 

Yesterday I struck the ball really well (I shot 83 in spite of an 8 on a par four) and my focus was simple hip stability over all other swing thoughts. I stood with only the bare minimum of knee bend and I really put the weight towards the insteps of both feet. Also I sort of pointed my knees inward so that they stayed inside their respective foot instep. My turn felt tighter and maybe shorter, but it felt STABLE. Also with the less knee bend I stood a little taller and for me this psychologically helped me trust the bottom of my swing and the extension of my arms past impact. Anyway, what are your all's thoughts on stability?

 

I found the stance to add to stability as well. it was pointed out to me by a fellow golfer that they noticed my drivers were straighter and most consistent when my feet were closer together compared to a wider stance. There seems to be some truth to this, as a wider stance, for me anyways, would cause more hip sway. When I used a shorter stance I was more stable, but I do think you can get too short. Wonder if there is a way to find the ideal width in your stance...LOL DON'T SAY "shoulder width apart"!

 

We all have different builds. I have shorter legs and longer body, at 5'7". If I used the "shoulder width apart" technique, my first question would be: "OK! I get it, it's the outside of my shoulders. But, is it in line with the instep or the outside of my foot"?

 

Because of my build, I have to stand slightly straighter at address. If I then spread my feet too wide, I'll hurt myself. (I'm not built for that)

 

I unconsciously know, almost from birth, where the most steady/secure balance point is. (CG) When I "feel" confident/secure, I'll go from there.

---The Secret is in the DIRT--- :cheesy:

[Michael C.]

Ninja, I'm a swashbuckler. Lol. The more I try to control anything it seems to add tension. For me, I have more control when I give up control.

 

Stance width? I'm no help either. It's wider with the driver and more narrow with the wedge. That's all I got.

 

 

[mdgboxx]

Ninja, I'm a swashbuckler. Lol. The more I try to control anything it seems to add tension. For me, I have more control when I give up control.

 

Stance width? I'm no help either. It's wider with the driver and more narrow with the wedge. That's all I got.

 

Here's how I made sense of it.

 

KISS

 

The longer the club, the wider the stance.

 

If the Eiffel Tower didn't have a wide base, it would be the Leaning Eiffel Tower. :rofl:

[Matt J]

Ninja, I do a couple of things that are a little unorthodox to increase my stability. First, I don't set up with my weight on the "balls of my feet" as is often recommended. I like to rock back so that I can feel my weight in my heels. I flex my hips forward (stick my butt out) and try and add only the slightest amount of knee bend. In my opinion you have to think of STABILITY and MOBILITY as two concepts that work on a continuum. If you try too hard to maximize one you will always compromise the other.

 

I was always a swayer and can slip back into a sway away from the ball in the backswing. The best feel for me to counter that sway is to feel that I load my weight on my trail foot instep. I like to start with about 70 /30 weight on my lead foot (the blade or outside of the foot mostly) and then I want to feel that weight transfer into my trail instep. I also think that emphasizing the lead shoulder TURNING under my chin helps fight the sway. As far as through the ball and the finish, for me, I try and fight the "hit instinct" and get to a smooth finish position and mostly think you have to rely on some amount of athleticism and balance to preserve stability through the impact zone.

 

One other key that I like to emphasize especially with friends who are newer players is to be very flexible in your set up position out on the golf course. I feel it's very important to "read the lie." I don't take practice swings, but I do try and set up on the same type of slope, really feel the turf with my club and see how dense the turf is going to be at the true bottom of the swing. I think it's very important to take your time and do everything you can do to insure your success before you ever get over the ball. I try very hard to envision a shot that I can pull off from the lie I'm given. For instance I'm not trying to take a super high flight high spin ball into any unusual stance. I'm always going to get a little wider, make a little less turn, take a little more club, be okay with a little less club speed, etc. - from anything less than a perfect lie.

[Michael C.]

Ninja, I'm a swashbuckler. Lol. The more I try to control anything it seems to add tension. For me, I have more control when I give up control.

 

Stance width? I'm no help either. It's wider with the driver and more narrow with the wedge. That's all I got.

 

Here's how I made sense of it.

 

KISS

 

The longer the club, the wider the stance.

 

If the Eiffel Tower didn't have a wide base, it would be the Leaning Eiffel Tower. :rofl:

 

That's a good "Pisa" of advice. :D

[Reasonability]

Ok so here is my current swing focus: STABILITY. What do you guys do for maintaining stability in the swing? If the goal is to put the clubhead at impact at the exact same precise point over and over again, it stands to reason that the center of our swing (the point between the shoulder sockets) must not move or vary in position.

 

Yesterday I struck the ball really well (I shot 83 in spite of an 8 on a par four) and my focus was simple hip stability over all other swing thoughts. I stood with only the bare minimum of knee bend and I really put the weight towards the insteps of both feet. Also I sort of pointed my knees inward so that they stayed inside their respective foot instep. My turn felt tighter and maybe shorter, but it felt STABLE. Also with the less knee bend I stood a little taller and for me this psychologically helped me trust the bottom of my swing and the extension of my arms past impact. Anyway, what are your all's thoughts on stability?

 

Great topic! Boiling stability down for me is very much alignment with your swing keys.

 

What is interesting is attaching the WHY part to the HOW part. If we operated under the premise that the club head makes a sort of "orbit" around us - then for me - I can explore what it is that would tend to create the most consistent "orbit". What would make it bounce up and down - glide to the left or right - operate too in-to-out or out-to-in?

 

Knees? Rounding the shoulder(s)? Lifting the chest up and out of the spine posture getting to the top?

 

LMAO - All I know is the bones in my arms and legs don't shrink or grow in mid-swing. Neither does the club shaft. So this is why our two keys to stability have a lot in common. I know I need to find that setup and let it FLOW in the best manner I can to not be introducing strange complications and additions to what started off as a defined amount of space between my sternum and that ball. I'm personally a believer in discovering how despite the fact we turn and move from weight into first one leg and then the other that it doesn't have to be painful or forced.

 

There are points when I know I'm not TRULY operating as "stable" as I'd like to. There is for me (despite attempting not to) at least "some" amount of lateral motion in the hip girdle even though I'd love to think of it as turning in a barrel. There IS despite wishing otherwise of a slight lateral movement of the chest and head away from the target getting to the top. And as much as I want to operate with the hands right in front of the chest - my hands and arms do "run off" a bit to complete the backswing and have to do at least catch back up with the turning torso in the downswing.

 

But what seems (for me at least) to keep it all the most stable is to see how close I can get to it while staying tension free and letting it flow from setup and grip to the finish pose. When the club, chest, hands and arms all come to a STOP together at the end of a swing (any swing from putts to drives) then I see that as having kept the body and the arms and club all flowing together all the way to the finish line. The feel system (I HOPE!) gets to savor that. Sometimes the one key I can carry to the course (I can't play with ten of them at a time)... is about NOT laying the shaft down or standing it up in transition. Sometimes I seem to perform a little better when the SPEED of the shoulder turn needs to be amped up a bit while the lower body gets a little more quiet. Sometimes I just need to relax and "flush the toilet".... and literally sort of zone out of all thoughts to remain stable.

 

But yea - our individual ways of operating the whole knees and such line up quite similarly. Helps me keep that "orbit" in check as far as activity form the waist-down. Gives me a depth of hip turn and helps me avoid too much lateral hip slide.

 

Good topic. Just wish I was 100% stable every time up. All I can honest hope for is to stay relaxed, let it come as close as I can to being stable, let it FLOW - and whatever will be will be! The pay-off when it works is WAY more than a guy like me should ever dream of delivering. And when it doesn't... I live up to the reality I am human and can't pull it off every time up. Seems to add more consistency than not so I keep going for it! LOL.

[Gauchograd99]

Good afternoon all! Looks like I'm back for a while, so I might be able to actually play golf sometime soon. I have to get out and swing the club a bit once I am over the 20 hours of flying yesterday.

 

Hope all is well and I probably flew over most of you at one time or another...

[mdgboxx]

Good afternoon all! Looks like I'm back for a while, so I might be able to actually play golf sometime soon. I have to get out and swing the club a bit once I am over the 20 hours of flying yesterday.

 

Hope all is well and I probably flew over most of you at one time or another...

 

Welcome back Gaucho,

 

20 hours of flying?

Where you, on the Space Station?

How do we, microbes, look like from up there?

 

A few changes in here too. A couple of, what I thought was "us", (as in: solid core) developed a "delicate disposition" and moved. And yet, they (we) seem to keep on interacting with each other.

 

I am anathema to the decision. :fool: Then again, I am cantankerous! :diablo:

[Palauan Hammer]

Good afternoon all! Looks like I'm back for a while, so I might be able to actually play golf sometime soon. I have to get out and swing the club a bit once I am over the 20 hours of flying yesterday.

 

Hope all is well and I probably flew over most of you at one time or another...

 

Welcome back Gaucho!! Glad you'll be able to get out on the course soon :)

[Palauan Hammer]

Ninja,

 

Stability for me comes from a solid set up. More importantly being comfortable and balanced. Stability also comes form swinging with rhythm and relaxation. I was a somewhat of a sway-er before, but now that I turn my hips much better I don't sway as much. I do like to load pressure on my trail leg instep, and slightly kick my trail knee in before taking my BS these days, I find it helps me turn my hips deeper, better. \\

 

So I guess stability comes form a few things, ultimately stability can only occur when you comfortable and relaxed.

 

 

jbhawkx, I saw your intro in the Grille, thank you for your Service to our Country first of all. As for stance width, I would say there is no real set stance width. You need to feel balanced and comfortable first, and you should be able to turn your hips. If' your stance is too wide I would think it would make hip turn difficult. Too narrow and you'll feel unbalanced through the swing. Sorry that wasn't an exact answer, I guess what I'm saying is don't sweat it, it's not precise, more importantly be balanced and comfortable.

[Reasonability]

Best I can concoct on stance width....

 

Growing up it was always "Feet shoulder width apart" - a "little wider" for driver and a "little less wide" for shorter clubs.

 

That whole notion of shoulder width and a "little" of this or that always sort of bugged me a little - lol. So - dumb ice me went about trying to figure out something that made sense and would tell me when I was or wasn't too wide or too narrow.

 

Came down to this - starting with feet together at address the lead foot might move toward the target an inch or two at best while the trail side foot moves to a point that from face-on would be just about right out in front of the trail side shoulder socket. In the follow through the knees would not touch as the trail foot turn into that toe-on-the-ground pose at the finish. The space between the knees is too great for them to possibly touch.

 

But with shorter irons - again starting with both feet together each foot is spaced from that starting point to be about equidistant. The insteps of the feet would be just about under the arm-pits. If a conscious effort were made in the finish pose to do so - the knees could touch each other.

 

In the middle of those two extremes are mid-irons. Ok - the lead foot moves about half as much toward the target as would be true of short irons... while the trail foot moves just about one foot print or so wider than that was true for wedges. So the trail foot is the one that adjusts the most from club to club. Anyway, in the finish post the knees are closer to being able to touch - but still can't quite do so. (close but no cigar).

 

This at least brought closure to how much is too much or not enough in terms of stance width from club to club. Sounds like a complicated mess but after two rounds of golf it just became what I do. It was just one of those bits and pieces of the setup and swing that (for me) needed a little more than "some" or "a little". This way from a feet-together starting point and a knees touching or not finishing point... Setting up and just forgetting all about it became less of question marl. Just got to be a habit. If it's all wrong - some instructor somewhere along the way will surely spot it. I go see one at least every couple of years for a tune up. So far so good with the ones I've shared this with.

 

LOL - More than one instructor have looked at me and asked if it works for me - and I say "Well I think so" ... and then I normally hear "OK then it must be OK since it works." Almost wish one would come along and say I have it absolutely wrong or right rather than just blowing it off - lol

[DeNinny]

Thanks everybody for comments about balance and stability. I could go on and on with each and every one of them. Here are a couple that resonated the loudest with me:

 

Ninja, I do a couple of things that are a little unorthodox to increase my stability. First, I don't set up with my weight on the "balls of my feet" as is often recommended. I like to rock back so that I can feel my weight in my heels. I flex my hips forward (stick my butt out) and try and add only the slightest amount of knee bend. In my opinion you have to think of STABILITY and MOBILITY as two concepts that work on a continuum. If you try too hard to maximize one you will always compromise the other.

...

 

MJ, we are 100% aligned on this one. I am all about having the balance right between my heels and balls of my feet too! If I have to err, I err on the side of weight on my heels. And I don't consider it unorthodox at all! The centripetal force of the swing near the bottom is going to pull the golfer downward into the ground AND forward towards the ball. This is essentially a force vector in that direction that is pulling the golfer off balance, and to me there needs to be a counterbalance weight to that forward pull. So setting up with some weight on the heels makes perfect sense to me, as does having your butt back over your heels and on the other side of your CG looking DTL. To me the knees don't bend and go forward, their bend sets your butt back a little instead.

 

And absolutely stability and range of motion are conflicting actions. The tighter and more stable turn with less flexed knees makes for a slight compromise in the depth of my hip turn but it is for the benefit of stability. This is what I was getting at with my two "grand swing equations, Vc and Ec, the clubhead velocity and error. You can increase clubhead velocity but it is always at the expense of clubhead error.

 

 

...

Good topic. Just wish I was 100% stable every time up. All I can honest hope for is to stay relaxed, let it come as close as I can to being stable, let it FLOW - and whatever will be will be! The pay-off when it works is WAY more than a guy like me should ever dream of delivering. And when it doesn't... I live up to the reality I am human and can't pull it off every time up. Seems to add more consistency than not so I keep going for it! LOL.

 

To me it is simply getting better control over just on more variable in the swing equations. I know for a fact that my hips drift and do not turn perfectly, and also my head will drift a little towards the target just as I start the downswing and this gets progressively worse as I get more tired during the round. And of course there are a lot of consistency problems when this happens, so to me I am trying to simply control that variability. If I keep focus on my hip stability, then that is just one less thing that causes my head to drift off the ball. It is completely within my control and it just comes at the expense of a freer movement, but I have realized that it is a major root cause of my inconsistency.

[Gauchograd99]

Pity if people left... it happens but it still stinks. :(

 

I hit some putts today in a golf store and drained just about everything. Tried to hit a few clubs and ... well, it was the opposite of the putter. :) It will take a bit to get back to playing shape I guess. Plus, I'm down almost 20 pounds since I last played, so I have no idea what to do without the extra pounds to throw at the ball.

[Michael C.]

Thanks everybody for comments about balance and stability. I could go on and on with each and every one of them. Here are a couple that resonated the loudest with me:

 

Ninja, I do a couple of things that are a little unorthodox to increase my stability. First, I don't set up with my weight on the "balls of my feet" as is often recommended. I like to rock back so that I can feel my weight in my heels. I flex my hips forward (stick my butt out) and try and add only the slightest amount of knee bend. In my opinion you have to think of STABILITY and MOBILITY as two concepts that work on a continuum. If you try too hard to maximize one you will always compromise the other.

...

 

MJ, we are 100% aligned on this one. I am all about having the balance right between my heels and balls of my feet too! If I have to err, I err on the side of weight on my heels. And I don't consider it unorthodox at all! The centripetal force of the swing near the bottom is going to pull the golfer downward into the ground AND forward towards the ball. This is essentially a force vector in that direction that is pulling the golfer off balance, and to me there needs to be a counterbalance weight to that forward pull. So setting up with some weight on the heels makes perfect sense to me, as does having your butt back over your heels and on the other side of your CG looking DTL. To me the knees don't bend and go forward, their bend sets your butt back a little instead.

 

And absolutely stability and range of motion are conflicting actions. The tighter and more stable turn with less flexed knees makes for a slight compromise in the depth of my hip turn but it is for the benefit of stability. This is what I was getting at with my two "grand swing equations, Vc and Ec, the clubhead velocity and error. You can increase clubhead velocity but it is always at the expense of clubhead error.

 

 

...

Good topic. Just wish I was 100% stable every time up. All I can honest hope for is to stay relaxed, let it come as close as I can to being stable, let it FLOW - and whatever will be will be! The pay-off when it works is WAY more than a guy like me should ever dream of delivering. And when it doesn't... I live up to the reality I am human and can't pull it off every time up. Seems to add more consistency than not so I keep going for it! LOL.

 

To me it is simply getting better control over just on more variable in the swing equations. I know for a fact that my hips drift and do not turn perfectly, and also my head will drift a little towards the target just as I start the downswing and this gets progressively worse as I get more tired during the round. And of course there are a lot of consistency problems when this happens, so to me I am trying to simply control that variability. If I keep focus on my hip stability, then that is just one less thing that causes my head to drift off the ball. It is completely within my control and it just comes at the expense of a freer movement, but I have realized that it is a major root cause of my inconsistency.

 

The head drifting towards the target is a swing killer. Most good players do one of two things. Their head will either move slight behind the ball going back and it stays there or they'll stay centered going back and the head will move back as they get into impact. Rory and Lorena are two of the more pronounced movers of the head going back in the downswing.

 

When I start getting inconsistent, I can usually trace it down to a few things and the head not staying back is one of them.

[Palauan Hammer]

Pity if people left... it happens but it still stinks. :(

 

I hit some putts today in a golf store and drained just about everything. Tried to hit a few clubs and ... well, it was the opposite of the putter. :) It will take a bit to get back to playing shape I guess. Plus, I'm down almost 20 pounds since I last played, so I have no idea what to do without the extra pounds to throw at the ball.

 

I'm sure your swing will come right back, hit some wedges, find your rhythm.The cool thing about breaks are you get a hard reset on your golf swing. You'll definitely notice the 20lb weight loss, should be easier to turn the mass :)

[scotee]

Pity if people left... it happens but it still stinks. :(

 

I hit some putts today in a golf store and drained just about everything. Tried to hit a few clubs and ... well, it was the opposite of the putter. :) It will take a bit to get back to playing shape I guess. Plus, I'm down almost 20 pounds since I last played, so I have no idea what to do without the extra pounds to throw at the ball.

 

Careful Gaucho, A guy's gotta have some mass to turn ;)

[scotee]

Thanks everybody for comments about balance and stability. I could go on and on with each and every one of them. Here are a couple that resonated the loudest with me:

 

Ninja, I do a couple of things that are a little unorthodox to increase my stability. First, I don't set up with my weight on the "balls of my feet" as is often recommended. I like to rock back so that I can feel my weight in my heels. I flex my hips forward (stick my butt out) and try and add only the slightest amount of knee bend. In my opinion you have to think of STABILITY and MOBILITY as two concepts that work on a continuum. If you try too hard to maximize one you will always compromise the other.

...

 

MJ, we are 100% aligned on this one. I am all about having the balance right between my heels and balls of my feet too! If I have to err, I err on the side of weight on my heels. And I don't consider it unorthodox at all! The centripetal force of the swing near the bottom is going to pull the golfer downward into the ground AND forward towards the ball. This is essentially a force vector in that direction that is pulling the golfer off balance, and to me there needs to be a counterbalance weight to that forward pull. So setting up with some weight on the heels makes perfect sense to me, as does having your butt back over your heels and on the other side of your CG looking DTL. To me the knees don't bend and go forward, their bend sets your butt back a little instead.

 

And absolutely stability and range of motion are conflicting actions. The tighter and more stable turn with less flexed knees makes for a slight compromise in the depth of my hip turn but it is for the benefit of stability. This is what I was getting at with my two "grand swing equations, Vc and Ec, the clubhead velocity and error. You can increase clubhead velocity but it is always at the expense of clubhead error.

 

 

...

Good topic. Just wish I was 100% stable every time up. All I can honest hope for is to stay relaxed, let it come as close as I can to being stable, let it FLOW - and whatever will be will be! The pay-off when it works is WAY more than a guy like me should ever dream of delivering. And when it doesn't... I live up to the reality I am human and can't pull it off every time up. Seems to add more consistency than not so I keep going for it! LOL.

 

To me it is simply getting better control over just on more variable in the swing equations. I know for a fact that my hips drift and do not turn perfectly, and also my head will drift a little towards the target just as I start the downswing and this gets progressively worse as I get more tired during the round. And of course there are a lot of consistency problems when this happens, so to me I am trying to simply control that variability. If I keep focus on my hip stability, then that is just one less thing that causes my head to drift off the ball. It is completely within my control and it just comes at the expense of a freer movement, but I have realized that it is a major root cause of my inconsistency.

 

The head drifting towards the target is a swing killer. Most good players do one of two things. Their head will either move slight behind the ball going back and it stays there or they'll stay centered going back and the head will move back as they get into impact. Rory and Lorena are two of the more pronounced movers of the head going back in the downswing.

 

When I start getting inconsistent, I can usually trace it down to a few things and the head not staying back is one of them.

 

Agree but then you see players like Rocco and Anika and Curtis Strange that like to load into the right side and then move everything toward the target. I went through a Jimmy Ballard phase in the 90's and played pretty will with what was probably too much lateral movement.

 

I am more centered now. I went from slide the mass to turn the mass :) It worked when my timing was good.

[Michael C.]

Put a pencil tip on Annika and Rocco's left ear. They both move way off the ball with their heads. Rocco's goes forward some and stops before impact then moves on. Annikas moves back then up into impact and then forward. That's what it looks like to me.

 

 

[scotee]

Thanks for those Michael. They both moved well off and got back to good position. I did too when I hit it well. If I did not time my sway and got my head and upper body too far in front I felt like I couldn't get around on it and got the short rights or worse the hossel rights.

[mdgboxx]

Put a pencil tip on Annika and Rocco's left ear. They both move way off the ball with their heads. Rocco's goes forward some and stops before impact then moves on. Annikas moves back then up into impact and then forward. That's what it looks like to me.

 

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And they both seem to slide their lead heel inwards in the back swing. It's more obvious with Annika

[Michael C.]

Thanks for those Michael. They both moved well off and got back to good position. I did too when I hit it well. If I did not time my sway and got my head and upper body too far in front I felt like I couldn't get around on it and got the short rights or worse the hossel rights.

 

Scotee, Rocco was a good call. He moves a lot. I think he's had a lot of back issues. That may be part of it. Annika and David Duval blew the whole "keep your down" thing right out of the water.lol.

[mdgboxx]

Thanks for those Michael. They both moved well off and got back to good position. I did too when I hit it well. If I did not time my sway and got my head and upper body too far in front I felt like I couldn't get around on it and got the short rights or worse the hossel rights.

 

Scotee, Rocco was a good call. He moves a lot. I think he's had a lot of back issues. That may be part of it. Annika and David Duval blew the whole "keep your down" thing right out of the water.lol.

 

I believe Annika was the first to follow the ball from the tee.

[scotee]

Put a pencil tip on Annika and Rocco's left ear. They both move way off the ball with their heads. Rocco's goes forward some and stops before impact then moves on. Annikas moves back then up into impact and then forward. That's what it looks like to me.

 

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And they both seem to slide their lead heel inwards in the back swing. It's more obvious with Annika

 

Even though they both move well behind the ball they do a good job of not letting the R knee get back past the foot. I had to really work on that as I used to do the Hula with my knees. I did that as a self taught player starting as a kid. That was a hard habit for me to break. I had good smooth tempo but that move was an engrained piece of my natural swing. Because I had good hand eye coordination I got away with it and when I tried to firm up the knee I hit it worse. It is hard to make a change that makes you hit worse than with your "bad move".

[Michael C.]

Mdg, good observation. Never noticed the heel. Seems like a weird move to lift the heel and pull it in while turning back. It obviously works. I've always kept my feet planted. Early on I had the hula hips. They wanted to slide back instead of turn.