Need to Fix Backswing/Takeaway

[FearTheDeer]

On 1/19/2021 at 2:31 PM, chigolfer1 said:

 

Any update??

Yeah, but I haven't been taking video when I've been working at our heated range here in Wisconsin (which I should really be doing just to monitor my own progress).

 

One feel that that has helped a little bit has been taking the club back feeling my left palm traveling down my target line going back to try and emphasize more of a shoulder turn as opposed to whipping my arms going back. Thing is, with this feel, I still struggle with my tendency to rip my shoulders open coming down. I've always had a shallow shoulder move mixed with a steep arm move which I need to improve. Also, it kinds of feels like my arms sort of "get out into space" so to speak, which maybe is a good feel considering most of the time I tend to get flat and inside in my backswing.

 

I should be heading back to the range this weekend and will be sure to get some videos this time.

[FearTheDeer]

Actually, I was able to find a video from a recent range session but the angle is not so good, unfortunately. Take it with a grain of salt. Again, I will make sure to take some good videos this weekend.

 

 

[chigolfer1]

14 hours ago, FearTheDeer said:

Actually, I was able to find a video from a recent range session but the angle is not so good, unfortunately. Take it with a grain of salt. Again, I will make sure to take some good videos this weekend.

 

 

 

I know it's not what you want to hear but there doesn't seem to be much change here.   Have you tried hitting the ball with the stick on the right side of your body drill?

 

I will say this, when you do it the "right" way it will feel crazily wrong to you.  Then, you will look at the video and be amazed at how good it looks, lol.

 

GO PACK!

[FearTheDeer]

10 hours ago, chigolfer1 said:

 

I know it's not what you want to hear but there doesn't seem to be much change here.   Have you tried hitting the ball with the stick on the right side of your body drill?

 

I will say this, when you do it the "right" way it will feel crazily wrong to you.  Then, you will look at the video and be amazed at how good it looks, lol.

 

GO PACK!

I wonder if a Planemate would be a good purchase for me?

[DaveMc82]

I’ll echo the previous responder and say not much has changed. It’s gonna take small and slow abbreviated swings to start with. It’s going to be painful as you’ll feel dumb for not improving quicker. I’m saying this as I’ve outright said to the instructor I see ‘are all your clients so slow to make such simple and small changes as I feel like I could have done form of impediment’!

 

Just going and hitting balls without prescribed drills to follow will only enable you to engrain those faults even deeper into your subconscious. You’ve got the winter to put the hard yards in and then reap the benefits through the summer. Please don’t waste the winter and then go play another season of hitting pulls and high weak pop ups to the right. 

[FearTheDeer]

4 hours ago, DaveMc82 said:

I’ll echo the previous responder and say not much has changed. It’s gonna take small and slow abbreviated swings to start with. It’s going to be painful as you’ll feel dumb for not improving quicker. I’m saying this as I’ve outright said to the instructor I see ‘are all your clients so slow to make such simple and small changes as I feel like I could have done form of impediment’!

 

Just going and hitting balls without prescribed drills to follow will only enable you to engrain those faults even deeper into your subconscious. You’ve got the winter to put the hard yards in and then reap the benefits through the summer. Please don’t waste the winter and then go play another season of hitting pulls and high weak pop ups to the right. 

I agree with this. I recently went to go see a local professional and he focused on my weight shift and finish. While I certainly need improvement in that area and his ideas/advice were sound, I have always felt that my backswing needs to be fixed before those pieces can be resolved.

 

Other than the stick drill prescribed earlier in the thread, are there any other drills that you guys would suggest? I’d love to stick to feels/drills for a while to implement the correct movements.

 

Thank you all for your help

[Rapidcat]

@FearTheDeer

 

I hardly touched a golf club for 9 months in 2020 due to some golfer's elbow pain and extensive covid lockdown (112 days confined to our homes) where I live.

 

Upon starting to hit balls, I developed a wrist roll on the takeaway that sucked the club inside and I was coming over the top with some shots - I can't remember EVER coming over the top in some 45 years of golf, so I was dismayed, even distraught.

 

This video helped me to address the above issue:

No longer a problem for me.

 

Good luck.

[chigolfer1]

5 hours ago, FearTheDeer said:

I agree with this. I recently went to go see a local professional and he focused on my weight shift and finish. While I certainly need improvement in that area and his ideas/advice were sound, I have always felt that my backswing needs to be fixed before those pieces can be resolved.

 

Other than the stick drill prescribed earlier in the thread, are there any other drills that you guys would suggest? I’d love to stick to feels/drills for a while to implement the correct movements.

 

Thank you all for your help

 

In all seriousness, and it's much possible and plausible IMO for backswing changes, vs. downswing, I walk around at work when I'm on the phone or at the gym pre-covid just doing the drill.  So, for you, i'd just do the backswing wiht the stick on the right side of you body in a mirror (or just hold a club far down the shaft) and just do it over an over.  When I got back on the course, or the few times I went to a range in our northern winters, it actually started changing my backswing.

 

My question is why are you asking about other drills?  Do you feel the stick on the right side of the body thing isn't doing it for you?  For your particular problem we're focusing on, it's actually the perfect thing to ingrain.

Edited January 22, 2021 by chigolfer1