Thoughts of my hack

[aec4]

Besides "QUIT NOW WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD" :)

My Hack

I play to a 4.9 right now, soon to be 4.7... I've been hitting it OK, not awesome, not great... The first 4 are 7 irons, then 5 irons the rest of the way...

[RDTigger]

Well you have come this far why make changes... lol

 

If I would say anything it would be to stay in better balance at impact thru the follow. You seem to be flexing your left knee on the backswing and missing that solid left side to swing against.

 

Do you hit a lot of shots to the right side? Moving forward automatically makes you block the ball to the right.

[aec4]

Well you have come this far why make changes... lol

 

If I would say anything it would be to stay in better balance at impact thru the follow. You seem to be flexing your left knee on the backswing and missing that solid left side to swing against.

 

Do you hit a lot of shots to the right side? Moving forward automatically makes you block the ball to the right.

While I do miss shots right on occasion, more often than not, if I miss it's a hook.. sometimes a pull hook...

[uscheese]

I shouldn't speak because I do this as well but you seem to be coming over the top some. Your back swing is definitely more inside than your downswing.

 

You also don't wait very long between shots :bad:

[paulyb]

I tell you what for how unorthodox your swing is in certain areas you look very good at impact to your finish. Your hooks can probably be attributed to your very shut club face and/or getting out ahead of the ball and having to flip to catch up. Looks pretty consistent. How's your short game?

 

Just my opinion

[oneplanedan]

MY 2 cents..................your stance is open...so are your shoulders........when you take the club back your left knee is not working properly....needs to fall more towards the right not out......so now at the top of your swing you start at the top(over) instead you should be starting the rotation of your hips(knee in present position will not support this move.....but your arms will fall in the "slot" just by hip rotation.......this will make it easier for you not to make such a lateral movement(bad)....look at your finish postion your belt is looking well left of the target......hope that help not f"d you up

[aec4]

I shouldn't speak because I do this as well but you seem to be coming over the top some. Your back swing is definitely more inside than your downswing.

 

You also don't wait very long between shots :ok:

I edited the video to only show the shots :bad:

 

This is the first time I was told I come over the top, that's for sure... I try to implement a 1 plane swing...

[hezlett]

I tell you what for how unorthodox your swing is in certain areas you look very good at impact to your finish. Your hooks can probably be attributed to your very shut club face and/or getting out ahead of the ball and having to flip to catch up. Looks pretty consistent.

 

Agree. Powerful repeating swing, can see why you are single digit. Two cents: in terms of the casting from the top, the movement of the head during the transition, the getting ahead of the ball... it looks to me like you are a victim of the McLean X-Factor. Yes you crank your shoulders back good and keep the left foot down -- but the shoulders can turn independently of the body's core and IMO this is what you are doing. Your core/abs/midsection are not turning away from the ball on the backswing. This enables your left leg to stay locked with the left foot flat on the ground. The incorrect pivot leads to the problem at transition. Because you have not pivoted correctly you are caught flatfooted in the transition, due to your athleticism you instinctively find a route back to the ball, but the cost is the early release and the head/upper body movement through impact.

 

The X-factor business is a bit tough to explain.... in the backswing, the core/abs/midsection of the body need to turn around the lower spine in order to achieve a correct pivot. This pulls the left hip in, gets the left knee breaking in, and tugs the left heel up and off the ground. The X-Factor con is that if you keep the left foot on the ground and crank your shoulders as much as possible, all will be well. No. The shoulders turn independently of the core, the result is the locked left leg/ left heel flat, in other words, your top of the backswing position.

 

Another way to explain it -- stand upright and sense your spine as a fixed axis. If you turn around your spine, turn your abs/core/midsection to the right and try to get your lower back facing the target -- while not allowing the spine to move or sway -- you will immediately feel it, the pull on the left hip, the tension through the left thigh and hamstring, the left heel coming up and off the ground. In the swing the posture is different but this is it, the body's core turning in the backswing. It will lead to a correct coil and pivot which will enable a much better transition.

 

A lot of good players, low handicappers, have this X-Factor swing, the shoulders cranked, the left leg locked, the left heel down. It's artificial. Because the core is not turning the left-heel-down is bogus, a proper core backswing coil with a full shoulder turn and that left heel comes off the ground, it has to. Only the young, the very athletic, the pros, truly have the flexibility to keep the left heel flat while properly turning the core away from the ball. As a result these good players, like you, need compensations. You release early and come over the top. The other version is releasing early and dropping under -- the right shoulder drops, the hands drop inside and back as the legs take off, the arms never catch up to the legs and the result is a steep and severely inside swing path. In both cases the problem is the X-Factor, the thought that keeping the left heel flat and cranking back the shoulders is the way to go. Others may weigh in, X-Factor obviously a pet peeve over here...

[aec4]

I tell you what for how unorthodox your swing is in certain areas you look very good at impact to your finish. Your hooks can probably be attributed to your very shut club face and/or getting out ahead of the ball and having to flip to catch up. Looks pretty consistent. How's your short game?

 

Just my opinion

Thanks for the feedback. I agree, I need to tighten up my swing, especially the clubface and the backswing, to get better. I've been working on that damn clubface problem forever and just can't solve it.. I've tried using a swingyde among other tools with no luck.

 

My short game? My putting is very very streaky.... More on the bad end... My pitching/chipping is pretty good... However, I know I need improvements in BOTH areas if I want my handicap to improve, that's a definite, especially putting. High soft short lobs are a tough shot for me to hit, because it's another shot that need a lot of wrist ****, which isn't my specialty as you can see in my swing. My short game is probably not as consistent as my ball striking right now.... when I go to the course, I know I'm going to have something hitting the ball.... short game, especially putting, I never know. I'm working on that aspect too.

[uscheese]

Top Row is your backswing and the bottom row is your downswing.

 

[JeffMann]

I think that the advice already given has no relevance to your swing style, which is very typical of the Hardy OPS swing style.

 

The only disadvantage of the Hardy OPS style for you would be an occasional tendency to come OTT if you rotate your shoulders too horizontally during the downswing. In the Hardy OPS swing, one needs to turn the entire torso as a single unit (without an initial hip slide), and that is something you do very well. You also seem to get your right shoulder to follow the right shoulder plane (RSP) line during the downswing, which is also very good. If you have an occasional pulled shot, it could be due to having a slightly too horizontal shoulder turn which will cause an out-to-in swingpath in the vicinity of the ball.

 

I wouldn't change anything. If you think that you need any fine-tuning, you should read Hardy's new Master Class book.

 

Jeff.

[JeffMann]

Hezlett wrote-: "The X-factor business is a bit tough to explain.... in the backswing, the core/abs/midsection of the body need to turn around the lower spine in order to achieve a correct pivot. This pulls the left hip in, gets the left knee breaking in, and tugs the left heel up and off the ground."

 

I think that these statements make no sense - from a biomechanical perspective.

 

The hip pivoting action is NOT due to mid-torso muscle action, and it is due to the right hemi-pelvis pivoting over a right femoral head that has a "new" position relative to the address position - see http://perfectgolfswingreview.net/pivot.htm The left hemi-pelvis movement is a PASSIVE movement due to the unitary structure of the pelvis - when the right hemi-pelvis moves backwards, the left hemi-pelvis must move forwards.

 

Secondly, the mid-torso cannot rotate around the lower spine because the lumbar spine is incapable of rotatory movements. Only the upper torso can rotate, because the thoracic spine is capable of slight rotation (about 30 degrees of rotation).

 

Finally, the concept of the body coiling-up like a spring has no factual basis in reality. Even Jim McLean has apparently stated that he regrets ever coming up with the idea of the X-factor.

 

Jeff.

[aec4]

Here are some new hacks....

 

My Hack 6/26

 

Thanks for the advice so far. I think #1 I have to work on that closed clubface...That has to be the reason for the hooks.....

[hezlett]

Finally, the concept of the body coiling-up like a spring has no factual basis in reality. Even Jim McLean has apparently stated that he regrets ever coming up with the idea of the X-factor.

 

McLean's own explanation of the misinterpretation of the X-Factor here:

 

http://www.jimmclean.com/tips/

 

The incorrect pivot has the left leg leg locked and the left heel forced flat, the shoulders are turned independently of the body's core. The correct pivot has the left knee breaking in, the abs/midsection/core turned along with the shoulders.

[JeffMann]

Hezlett

 

We have a different conception of the problem and signs of a solution.

 

I agree with Jim McLean that one must have a COMPLETE shoulder turn, and that one musn't limit hip rotation to such a degree that it limits the shoulder turn to less than COMPLETE. A complete shoulder turn is about a 90 degrees turn. Jim McLean implies that you will know that the shoulder turn is complete when the left knee bends inwards, the left foot rolls inwards and/or the left heel lifts up. I think that these are secondary markers of a good hip turn, and they occur to a variable degree, depending on the degree of body flexibility of the golfer. Very flexible golfers can achieve a FULL shoulder turn without kicking-in the left knee very much and/or without lifting the left heel. I think that one should measure the success of the shoulder turn by using primary markers of a FULL shoulder turn - noting that the left shoulder is getting behind the ball, noting that the left upper back is sloping to the right, and using video evidence of a complete shoulder turn.

 

If a golfer achieves a FULL shoulder turn WITH a limited hip turn (as described in my pivot paper), he will feel "tightness" in the upper torso, which has rotated to the maximum degree (usually 30-45 degrees depending on upper body flexibility, the rest of the 90 degree rotation being secondary to a reorientation of the spine due to the hip pivot action). The mid-torso (between the lower rib cage and pelvic crest) is incapable of rotating, because the lumbar spine is incapable of rotatory movement. Therefore, when a golfer talks of being "coiled", he is only using a word to describe the "tight" sensation felt in the upper-half of the mid torso and upper torso during a FULL shoulder turn. That "feeling of being coiled" cannot produce swing power like a spring uncoiling - because there is no anatomical structure in the upper torso that is being coiled, and which can sunbsequently uncoil. The upper torso muscles around the left shoulder girdle are being stretched, and they may contract slightly more efficiently if slightly stretched. That may help in pulling the left arm downwards. The upper abdominal oblique muscles are also stretched and they may contract slightly better during the downswing, and that may marginally increase the speed of mid-torso rotation.

 

By the way, the left hemi-pelvis turns because the right hemi-pelvis turns, and it doesn't require additional muscle power from mid-lower torso muscles.

 

Jeff.

[RDTigger]

All this biomechanic talk is really confusing to me....

 

I say keep things simple. You know how to make solid contact already.

 

1. A full shoulder turn should have you left shoulder coming in line with you chin and your weight on the inside of your right foot(65/35). As you drop the club in the slot and you move thru the ball the weight will transfer over the inside of the left foot.

[mikpga]

With one glance at your original swing posts, and without reading everyone else's input, here's my two cents worth.

 

1. You have done good things thus far to get to a 4.9. Pat yourself on the back.

2. Overall sequence/rythym of swing looks decent.

3. Clubface appears to be on the closed side.

4. Forward swing is slightly above plane of backswing.

 

I would simply encourage a little less inside on takeaway with an awareness of not allowing the clubface to get too shut. Keep it simple!

[hezlett]

Very flexible golfers can achieve a FULL shoulder turn without kicking-in the left knee very much and/or without lifting the left heel.

 

Jeff -- not many golfers are "very flexible". But a lot of golfers, in trying to ape the pro pivot, force the left heel flat and crank back the shoulders. Because they can accomplish this and manage to strike a golf ball, they think they are flexible, they think they are pivoting correctly. No. The bogus pivot is a common swing flaw, a lot of good players have it, and it neccessitates compensations later in the swing.

 

Following is an iso of Tiger Woods, his torso in the backswing. He swings with his left heel flat, he's as flexible as they come, but his left knee breaks in significantly in support of the correct pivot.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wxn0sIkJH8

 

The majority of golfers cannot achieve this left knee position with the left heel flat. They don't have the flexibility. The left knee never breaks in, the left leg stays locked, the pivot never truly happens. This is why McLean issued his X-Factor clarification/mea culpa, because so many players are doing it. That is what I am trying to say and in the interests of not boring folks to tears, I'm done saying it.

[MisterMizzy]

I'm no pro, but without worrying about the actual motion of the swing (as you already make an aggressive move through the ball), I would say to check your grip. Checking to make sure that you are using a neutral grip will virtually eliminate the right hand turning the club over from too strong of a grip. This will definitely not eliminate pulls, but will make for a less likely chance of hitting a dreaded pull hook. I would also say that in order to take the tiny loop out of your swing, you could attempt to pause for just a hair longer at the top. My swing looks very similar to yours (at least it did, not sure now because I haven't looked at it on video in a while). My instructor had me just focus on making a shoulder turn back, and a shoulder turn through, not letting my hands go higher than my shoulders. It made a world of difference and I was able to eliminate the small loop with about a week of practice. When I miss, it is generally a pull or a hook and is most always a result of overswinging (i.e. going past parallel and having to re-route on the way down).

[MisterMizzy]

Another small thing to think about is keeping the back of your left hand moving toward the target until the momentum of the club forces it to clear to the left. By doing this, you are making a small move that will guarantee your clubface is staying square for as long as possible through the impact area. I'm sure people will rant saying to do this only if you want to hit knockdown shots all day, but trust me, it won't change your trajectory that much, as you would have to make a couple of other changes in order to hit the knockdown.

 

It also looks like in an attempt to swing from the inside, you take the club back too far inside to begin with, which will always put you across the line at the top. When you're across the line at the top (not always past parallel), you have no choice but to "come over the top" so to speak on the way back down. If I were to make a guess without seeing you hit some shots, it would be that your misses aren't huge mainly because you use a lot of athleticism to get your club back on plane before impact.