Jimmy Ballard

[DonRSD]

> @97speedster said:

> > @DonRSD said:

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> > **Here are some videos of my swing over the last month or 2. Need to get my golf buddies to take more videos, but hopefully someone can help! I feel super steep backswing and downswing.**

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> Don, JJ is right, you're not as far off as you think and most of your issues are coming from before you even take the club back. Let me expand on a few things that JJ mentioned....

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> Your set-up is causing you to go around going back and over the top (very steep coming down), you also have zero width at the top which also make it almost impossible to be nothing but steep coming down.

 

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@97speedster

For me, this picture is not what JB says "your fan*ny should be underneath you". You also don't look "tall".....you have more of a conventional setup/stance.

Sometimes I think I take the teachings too literally and actually try to stay very tall.

Do you have a pic of your driver stance face-on and DTL? Would love to compare your iron setup to your driver setup.

 

But yes, I like how you are more over the ball, as opposed to me who I am reaching for the ball at setup.

[Ayersjj]

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[BottleCap]

2 weeks ago I decided to finally open this thread and now I'm just kicking myself for not doing it earlier.

 

This is really working for me, it's essentially what Gankas is teaching as well but the way I heard Ballard talk about it really helped me take it to another level with that right side power.

[97speedster]

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[Ayersjj]

JB doesnt want you to hit wall behind you. Heres Woody. A better example of toe up no rotation of clubface and more of a erect Military Hogan posture. I dont see any angles in this swing and heard hes one of the best ball strikers on CHampions tour.

 

[97speedster]

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[dodger]

Another great ball striker that has worked with Ballard is Joe Durant. Great golf swing, so simple. My issue that I have described before is mistaking connection for flat. What has helped me is thinking shoulder pivot first, with the right shoulder moving up, not around. Keeping the elbows down seems to keep the left side connected naturally. I use the connector, but it seems to help more on the downswing than the back. The connector keeps me from chicken winging and swinging too in to out on the downswing. Right toe in at address and using the glove are key to keeping that club in front as well. I have not had issues with too steep, however I was so under for so long, it is really difficult for me to get too steep.

[97speedster]

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[Ayersjj]

 

> I’m the opposite, I’ve never been under. Ballard is great for anyone, but especially for hookers and guys who are underneath the plane coming down.

 

Hookers /flippers /wipers/ armers .....yup!

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[Ayersjj]

Interesting angle...

[97speedster]

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[Tazz4629]

> @97speedster said:

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> I’m the opposite, I’ve never been under. Ballard is great for anyone, but especially for hookers and guys who are underneath the plane coming down.

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I'm a hooker. Get too flat and underneath.

 

Torrential rain in my necks of the woods since Thursday so I have had to do a lot of mirror work, some wall drilling, working setup fundamentals, elbows down in the back swing, connection of left arm in back swing, level shoulders (thanks for the stills DJ), no rotation of the forearms, shadow swings for lack of a better term.

 

Went to the big box store today as I am also looking for a new set of irons (probably not the best idea to be searching fro new irons at the start of a major swing change). Hit several shots on their simulator. On the sim I have had a nasty hook which doesn't show up on the course but today other than some of pull hooks and a couple of skanks I hit the ball remarkably well and straight with a slight right to left draw on the sim, normal to better distance on many shots, not the big hook.

 

Because of the advice from the guys that has been shared here I could pretty much figure what was causing each of the hooks and I definitely know what caused the skanks. Getting club too flat, forearm/wrist rotation in back swing, elbows not down, pulling down with the club leaving face wide open (another bugaboo of mine that sneaks in from time to time).

 

Most importantly back feels good. Doing that back exercise for decompression that I believe Ayersjj posted a video of I feel has helped me over the last 3 days.

 

Anxious to get back to the range this week to continue working.

 

I like this swing where you let the big muscles work and keep the small twitchy muscles on the hands out of the swing. All that is just too much to keep track of if you ask me.

 

 

[97speedster]

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[Ayersjj]

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[gsea33]

Speedster (or anyone that has ideas) Im struggling with setting up the correct distance from the ball or measuring up I believe JB called it. What the best method for measuring up. I feel Im too close to the ball. I assume this would affect swing plane. Being a large chested, wide player, D1 football (just to clarify not talking big belly) any suggestions at players to look at who are not a round flat swinger.

[dodger]

In the 1980's Ballard worked with Sandy Lyle just prior to his winning the Masters. Lyle was a solid player prior to his work with Jimmy, he won the 1985 Open championship and was a top player in Europe. He killed the ball with his irons, particularly the 1 iron. His swing was distinctive, inside back to a compact position at the top with a shut face. He then went over in the downswing. I would love to hear what Ballard worked on with him. The point is Lyle was tall, with a compact flattish swing. His swing got steep coming down, a distinctive loop out. We look at golfers like Kuchar and the flat backswing is so noticeable, the observer does not notice that he is pretty upright on the downswing, steepening the shaft to impact. I am 5'8 and I simply swing much better upright. I am convinced of that, more speed on all clubs. However, the pitfall for me is getting stuck and too flat on the downswing. Right arm width, keeping the club in front, seeing my hands with my right eye in the downswing all help me hit the ball a lot better. Plane is such a tricky area. I remember in golf digest they used to name a most improved golfer yearly with how he improved. In 1974 it was Tom Kite and his work with Bob Toski. Kite was too inside on backswing and downswing. Toski had him swing up back and down the same line with no drop. Wish I had the article. Fixing the too in to out swing is an art in and of itself. Funny, for me my body loves to stay closed and back. However, if I am not on the right swing plane for me, working on body moving forward is a great recipe for amazing shanks and blocks.

[97speedster]

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[Ayersjj]

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[DonRSD]

> @Ayersjj said:

> His caddie Jody Vasquez mentioned he didnt talk about his true downswing move but to him. He said “ I would try to run thru the ball with my right knee” That isnt what his book reads nor does this picture of exaggerated tied up arms. His transition creates lag, but I would disagree that his lag is a fundamental effort on his part rather a “feel”... JB we know does want lag its called “fall in” that happens naturally to spring the shaft in transition maintaining connection.

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When I get my arms in close like that, they sit in front of my beer belly and I am all arms going back and down.

Then again Hogan on the tonight show said keep your elbows attached to your sides (not in front).

 

Are we supposed to release the club sidearm to the target or underhand to the target? Sidearm feels very "skinny"....underhand feels very on-plane and powerful. Knowing my luck/thinking I am doing it wrong lol

 

[97speedster]

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[Ayersjj]

To much confusion

Bak to basics

[Ayersjj]

Heres an excellent training aid u can get on ebay for 10.00 that gives you the feeling of the arms working together. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cgl13ov5FJQ

 

 

 

 

 

[Tazz4629]

Got to the Range this afternoon.

 

Hit some good balls and more than enough not so good. Expected when making a major swing overhaul.

 

I believe it is said that any swing change can take up to 30 days to implement fully. I'm not sure how long totally revamping one's swing will take but I have no other choice. Interestingly a feel I started having was that the hands released all by themselves (not sure if that is what I should be feeling but distance was good when I didn't try to release anything). I didn't really have to force anything, C-o-c-king, unc-o-c-king the wrists, rotate forearms this way this or that. On the good balls it was turn back, turn through. Of course perfecting the turn back, turn through will take a bit more time.

 

Right now back feels good and for me that is the most important thing.

 

Could I play golf tomorrow? I think so, maybe not great but I could play. And I just might