Drewtaylor21's Golf Journey (Swing Changes, WITB, Results)

[Forged4ever]

Thanks Obee! Currently doing a lot of mechanics work, but looking forward to just getting out and competing and putting up scores again soon! You're an inspiration old man :)

 

Next time I have the sticks in SoCal we need to plant it for sure!

 

When making a significant swing change, how important is "calibrating" your swing on the range prior to playing a round? In other words, how important is hitting balls prior to playing when the new mechanics aren't fully ingrained? In even more different words, do you find it detrimental to go right out on the course and spend the first few holes trying to "find it"?

 

And I'd open this question up to everyone participating in this thread, as I've been playing a few rounds lately going from the parking lot straight to the first tee and wondering if I'm not doing myself any favors while I'm working my own swing changes...

 

I don't reall make swing changes. I wil tweak here an there, but I ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE FACE IS, WHICH IS REALLY ALL THAT MATTERS.

Listen to the old Guy, for he knows of what he speaks!!

 

Only thing I ever calibrated was occasionally my car.

 

Fairways & Greens My Friend,

RP

[drewtaylor21]

How in the world do you get your hips that much turned?

 

It may be the camera angle, or you may be elasti-girl in disguise.

 

I probably tend to get a little too much hip turn too early, but I've never tried to restrict them, so that's just what happens!

[lastmacuser]

Quick update video, got out to the range yesterday and got some FO and DTL with a 7 iron. Still not full speed, but getting there. Some stuff looking good, some old patterns still in there though....Also seem to be adding some loft at impact. Well, not adding loft, but not de-lofting as much as I'm used to.

 

[media=]

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The second DTL vid I hit what seems to be my trouble shot right now, a fat/toey pull draw. It was also a freezer and I got the club a bit too under plane perhaps, which may have closed the face down. I've got a text in to Dana to see what he thinks of the above issues, will update when I hear more.

 

Sorry for the vertical video :( my CamCaddy can only fit my phone that way.

 

Beautiful swing.

 

After seeing the first two videos of the slow motion positions, I thought this is too complicated to try to replicate without some direct input from an instructor. Would you say that is true?

 

I have taken lessons from all the local guys here and no one is teaching anything like that.

[drewtaylor21]

Quick update video, got out to the range yesterday and got some FO and DTL with a 7 iron. Still not full speed, but getting there. Some stuff looking good, some old patterns still in there though....Also seem to be adding some loft at impact. Well, not adding loft, but not de-lofting as much as I'm used to.

 

[media=]

[/media]

 

The second DTL vid I hit what seems to be my trouble shot right now, a fat/toey pull draw. It was also a freezer and I got the club a bit too under plane perhaps, which may have closed the face down. I've got a text in to Dana to see what he thinks of the above issues, will update when I hear more.

 

Sorry for the vertical video :( my CamCaddy can only fit my phone that way.

 

Beautiful swing.

 

After seeing the first two videos of the slow motion positions, I thought this is too complicated to try to replicate without some direct input from an instructor. Would you say that is true?

 

I have taken lessons from all the local guys here and no one is teaching anything like that.

 

I think it sounds more complicated than it is, but I'd still recommend learning it from the source rather than trying to copy something I'm doing. My issues may not be your issues.

[MK7Golf21]

Drew, watched Charles Howell doing like 100 yard 6/7 iron draws with similar wrist stuff on downswing. His was much less exaggerated though. Have video I can send you,

[Golfbeat]

Drew, watched Charles Howell doing like 100 yard 6/7 iron draws with similar wrist stuff on downswing. His was much less exaggerated though. Have video I can send you,

 

Why not post that video here?

[isaacbm]

I'll be following! Have another buddy working with Dana too. Interesting to see some of similarities/differences and what Dana has to say.

[tinman143]

Drew, watched Charles Howell doing like 100 yard 6/7 iron draws with similar wrist stuff on downswing. His was much less exaggerated though. Have video I can send you,

 

Why not post that video here?

 

Yes please post vid of said wrist movements.

[drewtaylor21]

Drew, watched Charles Howell doing like 100 yard 6/7 iron draws with similar wrist stuff on downswing. His was much less exaggerated though. Have video I can send you,

 

Why not post that video here?

 

Yes please post vid of said wrist movements.

 

Can you post it up Redjeep? I think we'd all be curious to see it. Thanks!

[tinman143]

I went on yt and saw a vid of him hitting low shots into a practice green from 50-60 yards starting from P6 position. You cannot see wrist movements specifically so perhaps it's not the right vid.

[tinman143]

Drew - when you started these drills, were/are your misses hooks? Then hooks would turn into pushes once the path was more right?

[drewtaylor21]

Ball flight is starting to get a little more consistent, and I'm hitting more push draws and fewer pull draws now, so that's a plus!

 

 

 

Honestly this is more of a dear diary type post. I'm in that frustrating stage of swing work and just venting a bit.

 

I'm tired of working on technique! I want to play golf and score and not be so tied up with mechanics. I'm trying to remind myself that those are the ends and working on this stuff is the means to get there though. It's been a challenge, almost more mentally than physically to be honest. I've played a fade for most of my golf life, and I think I'm pretty good at not letting the face close. I can really hold it off nicely lol. As I said in the OP, when things went south with my swing, the miss right got pretty big. However, I always knew it wasn't going left! So the challenge now is trying to unlearn some of that and really change my mentality of which side of the course I'm taking out of play, and trying to have a clubface that's slightly closed to my path, essentially. Every now and then I get a huge block fade, where my swing direction is right but the face is still held off, so that has to be squashed.

 

It's going to take some time, and it'll be interesting to see how long it takes to trust this on the course and in competition, but I do think I'm getting there!

 

TO BE CLEAR, I'm not looking for any "keep it up" type responses at all here (so don't give me that BS lol), just updating my progress so that others can see that swing changes are tough at any level! It's frustrating, especially when working from a distance with an instructor, but seeing ball flight changes is helping. Just gotta keep building on the consistency and understanding what my mechanics are doing to effect where the ball goes.

[drewtaylor21]

Drew - when you started these drills, were/are your misses hooks? Then hooks would turn into pushes once the path was more right?

 

Misses were chunky pull draws at first. Currently my miss is either a block or a slight pull draw (no more big pull draws).

[MK7Golf21]

I was at bmw on fri and was watching him hit them. He would stop like 3/4 way back and pause then swing down pretty slow. They were like 100 yard draws with 6 iron and he did like 150 yard draws with driver. When I saw it in slow motion you could see how much the club was coming from inside, thought it was similar to you working on coming from inside. I think it would help you to do something similar. I'll try to post it soon or I might email it to you for you to post on your youtube, pm me your email if you would like

[QMany]

Drew, I have enjoyed following your swing journey and look forward to reading more!

 

I can relate to the frustrations of swing changes and taking it to the course/competition. I think that is where GG's stuff has helped me: internal focus during mechanical/technique/motion work and external target focus on the course. Do you have a swing thought(s) on the course?

[drewtaylor21]

Drew, I have enjoyed following your swing journey and look forward to reading more!

 

I can relate to the frustrations of swing changes and taking it to the course/competition. I think that is where GG's stuff has helped me: internal focus during mechanical/technique/motion work and external target focus on the course. Do you have a swing thought(s) on the course?

 

Thanks Matt, likewise!

 

Yeah, when playing I use the mental scorecard approach from Dr. Michael Lardon. I usually have one key thought such as "pause at the top" or "left knee to target" and use that in conjunction with a ball flight/target oriented visual in my mind.

 

I'm not at that point right now though. Still 2-3 mechanical thoughts required to make the new move.

 

The good news, if you can call it that, is I don't have time to play right now anyway, so I hope to have things worked out by the time I can get back to the course.

[lastmacuser]

Have you tried the new move with the driver yet? Is it easier or harder to incorporate than with irons?

[MK7Golf21]

didn't film it in landscape unfortunately so looks better on my phone. I'll let you download it from youtube if you'd like. Driver one I only got in full speed. I think it would be good for you, easier than what you are currently doing and easier to take to course. Honestly, looks like a pretty tough move you are currently doing. Hopefully this helps

 

 

 

driver

[drewtaylor21]

Have you tried the new move with the driver yet? Is it easier or harder to incorporate than with irons?

 

Yeah a few times. Feels about the same to me in terms of ease of use, maybe a little easier because you can hit up on a driver, and most of what Dana has me doing is moving towards that idea.

[QMany]

Yeah, when playing I use the mental scorecard approach from Dr. Michael Lardon. I usually have one key thought such as "pause at the top" or "left knee to target" and use that in conjunction with a ball flight/target oriented visual in my mind.

 

I'm not at that point right now though. Still 2-3 mechanical thoughts required to make the new move.

 

The good news, if you can call it that, is I don't have time to play right now anyway, so I hope to have things worked out by the time I can get back to the course.

I have tried to keep my swing thoughts on the course, if any, very simple. "Keep your width" or something like that. Other than that, it is all target or ball flight visualization.

 

I am trying to be disciplined keeping practice and playing in different mindsets. I am still working on GG's drills: Freezers, pre-set impact, No-Throws, etc. Then, I am not worrying about results at all, just motion, But when I am on the course, I try not to think about mechanics at all, or very little and vague like mentioned above. I'm just trying to let the drills blend into my swing on the course over time, not make wholesale changes.

[drewtaylor21]

didn't film it in landscape unfortunately so looks better on my phone. I'll let you download it from youtube if you'd like. Driver one I only got in full speed. I think it would be good for you, easier than what you are currently doing and easier to take to course. Honestly, looks like a pretty tough move you are currently doing. Hopefully this helps

 

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42q8rkc2iw4[/media]

 

driver

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQP1P-DNviY[/media]

 

Thing of beauty!

[lastmacuser]

I am obviously not getting lessons from him or the golfer you are but I tried it on the range the other day after watching your videos 50 times. I could get it to work fairly well with all irons. It almost felt like your hitting up on the irons even though you are contacting the ground. Does that sound right from your experience?

[drewtaylor21]

I am obviously not getting lessons from him or the golfer you are but I tried it on the range the other day after watching your videos 50 times. I could get it to work fairly well with all irons. It almost felt like your hitting up on the irons even though you are contacting the ground. Does that sound right from your experience?

 

Yup, that's pretty consistent with some of his other videos as well. Definitely a similar feel

[tinman143]

For me, it feels like the low point is farther behind the ball but the AOA seems shallower. I can't verify this but it's my feel.

 

Drew - in your definition, is a block more right than a push?

[tinman143]

Red - thanks for sharing the vids. I start off my practice sessions with 100y 6 irons working on the shallowing move and pushing my natural leftward path to the right. Slo-mo helps. If I don't, then hello pull hooker city!

[Cape]

Just watched the Howell vids. Do you consciously bow the lead wrist at start of transition? Similar to the motorcycle move?

[drewtaylor21]

Just watched the Howell vids. Do you consciously bow the lead wrist at start of transition? Similar to the motorcycle move?

 

Yes, flexion and ulnar deviation is what Dana has me doing.

 

 

Drew - in your definition, is a block more right than a push?

 

Same thing IMO. Block usually has a stronger connotation I guess, but path/face right of target in both cases.

[9stick]

I really find that I have understood Dana's methodology better than GG. After I got what Dana was saying I watched GG videos and It was like a light bulb moment.

 

After some video I have been able to pick out issues in my swing that both have covered extensively. My instructor teaches the same methods but not as aggressive as either of those guys. My goal is to really start to lay off the shaft as I'm a handle puller and now the lead wrist. Rotation is good now but wrist condition has kept me from being consistent.

 

Thanks for sharing Drew. It has helped me a lot.

[kyle75]

Have you had the chance to watch the driver video Dana did with Brendon on Youtube?

[drewtaylor21]

Have you had the chance to watch the driver video Dana did with Brendon on Youtube?

 

No, curious about it though! Brendon said it'll be publicly available in another couple weeks.