Anyone Successfully Shortened Swing?

[TLUBulldogGolf]

Mine is Mickelson/Daly-esque despite constant efforts to shorten it. I know its partly due to the way my hips work but I haven't been able to make much real progress.

[Tpfol]

I'd certainly leave the advice to the pros, because I would assume that if someone's backswing remains in balance while maintaining proper spine angle and hips/shoulders are rotating correctly, there wouldnt be a need to shorten the backswing. 

 

[Paddy_2_Iron]

I literally can't play golf unless I swing like Rahm.  wedges arm nearly parallel to the ground.  7 irons, 5 etc a little more back but not much.  What is weird and maybe one of you can help me understand this.  I can do the elbow touch drill so my shoulders have plenty of flexibility.  Maybe I am lacking in another location???  

 

Once incorporating a bowed wrist (slightly) I find that my swing is even shorter but my striking is 10 times better.  Like 6 - 7 GIR a round on hard courses (championship level) from maybe 1 - 2.  So clearly it's helped.   

 

My wife thinks it might be my hips restricting my backswing to parallel.  Thoughts?

Edited January 4, 2022 by Paddy_2_Iron

[PracticeSwinger]

2 hours ago, Paddy_2_Iron said:

I literally can't play golf unless I swing like Rahm.  wedges arm nearly parallel to the ground.  7 irons, 5 etc a little more back but not much.  What is weird and maybe one of you can help me understand this.  I can do the elbow touch drill so my shoulders have plenty of flexibility.  Maybe I am lacking in another location???  

 

Once incorporating a bowed wrist (slightly) I find that my swing is even shorter but my striking is 10 times better.  Like 6 - 7 GIR a round on hard courses (championship level) from maybe 1 - 2.  So clearly it's helped.   

 

My wife thinks it might be my hips restricting my backswing to parallel.  Thoughts?

Not an expert or a coach - so I'll let others chime in... but I'd guess the vast majority of 'too long' backswings are because they disconnect parts of the swing (arms raising, loose wrists action at the top, others) and cause sequencing issues in transition and during downswing, issues that are absent from 9-3 or half swings... not a per se body or flexibility issue

[Hawkeye77]

On 1/2/2022 at 12:39 PM, Asizzle10 said:

Thanks guys. Plenty of drills and videos online. I guess my question was more “Did you improve” not “how did you”. But it sounds like everyone who was able to shorten their swing is happy with the results.

When I'm successful (it is hard and yes, just have to keep at it) I've had the same results as some have mentioned - basically all that comes with more efficient vs. one more wasted physical motion or series of motions in the name of faux power.

[Krt22]

I have the opposite problem, been trying to lengthen my swing forever!

[Paddy_2_Iron]

22 minutes ago, MtlJayMan said:

Not an expert or a coach - so I'll let others chime in... but I'd guess the vast majority of 'too long' backswings are because they disconnect parts of the swing (arms raising, loose wrists action at the top, others) and cause sequencing issues in transition and during downswing, issues that are absent from 9-3 or half swings... not a per se body or flexibility issue

This is probably right on the money, the one thing I do very well ( I THINK) is staying connected.  I get "you have a nice compact swing comments all the time".  

[mikpga]

Keep trail arm straight like a steel rod, see how "short" your backswing becomes...

[Tanner25]

On 1/4/2022 at 9:25 AM, Paddy_2_Iron said:

I literally can't play golf unless I swing like Rahm.  wedges arm nearly parallel to the ground.  7 irons, 5 etc a little more back but not much.  What is weird and maybe one of you can help me understand this.  I can do the elbow touch drill so my shoulders have plenty of flexibility.  Maybe I am lacking in another location???  

 

Once incorporating a bowed wrist (slightly) I find that my swing is even shorter but my striking is 10 times better.  Like 6 - 7 GIR a round on hard courses (championship level) from maybe 1 - 2.  So clearly it's helped.   

 

My wife thinks it might be my hips restricting my backswing to parallel.  Thoughts?

 

I wonder about the same thing. Going to a golf PT and trainer to work on a potential flexibility problem, will report back.

[glk]

[golfarb1]

2 hours ago, glk said:

The simple fact is that many golfers do have limited mobiiity . It is a fact of life that even Monte has experienced and will continue to experience as he ages . Look at Jack Nicklaus’s swing . Even the poster boy for golf fitness , Gary Player has experienced mobility problems .Both understand the swing extremely well and can not overcome their age related decline. 

However, most golfers have added to their natural decline in mobility by ingraining swing faults which only exacerbate their problems. 

 

[Paddy_2_Iron]

14 hours ago, Tanner25 said:

 

I wonder about the same thing. Going to a golf PT and trainer to work on a potential flexibility problem, will report back.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  

 

I hope you find something out, we do have a fitness center that is a semi chain that does assessments.  They do massages etc...   But also do a flexibility assessment and one of the specialties is for golf so I may join you, in spirit in doing this.  

[EmperorPenguin]

I had this problem early in the first few years of my golf swing('90-92?), when Wild Thing was popular and he attracted the largest galleries.  I used to swing not only past parallel, but at the top my shaft was crossing the line, pointing to the right.  Generally speaking, the fault was caused by a mannerism of lifting my hands and arms, and my hands were leading the swing and my body was following.  It is a lazy way of taking the club back because in a good swing the body turns and the hands, arms and clubs follow.  You should know this already.

 

I hate to tell you this, but if you are looking for a quick fix you will be in for serious disappointment, and you will suffer if you look for clues here.  The correct solution is not just to shorten your swing, but to rebuild your entire swing.  You must build the swing from the ground up, and this will take years.  In short, you must learn to pivot your body and work on positioning, and this is a summary of years of work; you must essentially be a student of the game.  As you develop the swing, the longer backswing will eventually shorten itself and you will hit it straighter as well as longer.

 

Here is a video of the basics.  Watch it until it becomes second nature.

 

As you build your swing, you will find that the cause of your overswinging is wasted motion at the top caused by your hands and arms leading the swing.  For me, what shortened my swing was to know the feel of the correct position at the top, that I controlled the club at the top.  What do I mean by that?  First of all, the pressure of the lower three fingers of the left hand are the ones that prevent the club dipping down past parallel--think of the lower three fingers as a hinge restrictor.  Secondly, I try to feel like, at the top of the swing, with the lower three fingers of my left hand controlling the club, the club shaft is settled on top of my left thumb, and my right hand is also supporting it.  This may be the quick-fix tip you may be looking for, but this only works when everything from the takeaway to the top has been correctly executed, so it is not a quick-fix.  Just put your swing on video every couple weeks and work on that positioning, then worry about the long backswing.  You will find that the swing will naturally shorten itself.

[Tanner25]

On 1/6/2022 at 7:59 AM, Paddy_2_Iron said:

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  

 

I hope you find something out, we do have a fitness center that is a semi chain that does assessments.  They do massages etc...   But also do a flexibility assessment and one of the specialties is for golf so I may join you, in spirit in doing this.  

 

Had my evaluation and I highly recommend it. I was locked up in my upper-mid back and trail hip had limited range of motion, which affected my turn. Starting the real sessions next week. 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Tanner25

[Paddy_2_Iron]

12 hours ago, Tanner25 said:

 

Had my evaluation and I highly recommend it. I was locked up in my upper-mid back and trail hip had limited range of motion, which affected my turn. Starting the real sessions next week. 

 

You know what?  Not sure of your age but this is greater than golf this will help your overall physical shape.  Reminds me of a chiropractor I used to go to.  On the wall was a poster "The age of a person is how good their flexibility is".  Or something like that, but you get the point.  

 

Interesting you mention mid back that is where I am the tightest.  I actually do two stretches both compromise my masculinity due to optics, but keep me out of the upper cervical specialist office.

 

Mid back stretch and neck stretch, like a recession making the skull sit into the atlas.  Anyway I am bound to those two due to car wrecks, when driving fast was cool.    

[khalespace]

I have the problem of overswing and usually go to parallel or past parallel. My instructor told me to do half swing and I thought I did but on video I was doing the full swing overswing. At home, I hung a wire and pipe insulation over my head to stop over swing. It works temporarily but the old swing kept coming back. I think I have to keep doing this drill with the wire over my head but I am not persistent enough. I need to go back to it.

 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by khalespace

[ShupeSC]

A lot of people think they are over swinging but it more often than not is the arm structure breaking down. 
 

You can make a full shoulder turn and it can look like a 3 quarter swing, ex. John rahm.

[golfarb1]

1 hour ago, khalespace said:

I have the problem of overswing and usually go to parallel or past parallel. My instructor told me to do half swing and I thought I did but on video I was doing the full swing overswing. At home, I hung a wire and pipe insulation over my head to stop over swing. It works temporarily but the old swing kept coming back. I think I have to keep doing this drill with the wire over my head but I am not persistent enough. I need to go back to it.

 

 

A factor in your overswing is shifting weight into the outside of your trail foot at the top instead of correctly into the inside of your trail foot at the top . This is easy to see between the still at setup and the still at the top. By doing so you are also shifting too much weight high into your trail hip. This makes it impossible to start your downswing via front hip rotation 

 

To correct this trail foot problem , reduce your overswing and make a better transition  do three things 

1. flare out your lead foot 1/4 turn TOWARD the target

2.Maintain more of the brace of the trail knee going back

3. Place a thick sponge under the outside middle of your trail foot 

[glk]

2 hours ago, khalespace said:

I have the problem of overswing and usually go to parallel or past parallel. My instructor told me to do half swing and I thought I did but on video I was doing the full swing overswing. At home, I hung a wire and pipe insulation over my head to stop over swing. It works temporarily but the old swing kept coming back. I think I have to keep doing this drill with the wire over my head but I am not persistent enough. I need to go back to it.

 

 

Issue is with your knee movement.   Left knee collapses too much toward right and right knee straightens too much - over rotates the hips and your upper body goes along for the ride and over rotates with it too.  Making short swings won’t help - need to improve knee motion - left knee works out to toes and right knee loses at most 6-10* of flex.  Also relax those arms they are over extended at setup - should be a small amount of bend in each elbow - think soft elbows.

 

can think of left hip as hinged end of door and right as door knob - right swings up and back while left goes down and moves inward a little.

 

knee movement example. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBiHCqlCkz/

Edited January 8, 2022 by glk

[puttnforthe8]

I can't give the how/etc; but I shortened my swing and dropped to my best ever hc in a little over a year.5.   The trade off was distance in my case; but the straight made up for it - very few doubles+ anymore.  

[khalespace]

48 minutes ago, golfarb1 said:

A factor in your overswing is shifting weight into the outside of your trail foot at the top instead of correctly into the inside of your trail foot at the top . This is easy to see between the still at setup and the still at the top. By doing so you are also shifting too much weight high into your trail hip. This makes it impossible to start your downswing via front hip rotation 

 

To correct this trail foot problem , reduce your overswing and make a better transition  do three things 

1. flare out your lead foot 1/4 turn TOWARD the target

2.Maintain more of the brace of the trail knee going back

3. Place a thick sponge under the outside middle of your trail foot 

Thank you, what you say makes a lot of sense. Yes, I feel a lot pressure on the outside of the trail foot at top of backswing. I just tried  putting pressure on the inside and I feel so much more tension in the body as I turn back. This limits the overswinging issue and limits the left knee flex and over rotation.

Edited January 8, 2022 by khalespace

[khalespace]

26 minutes ago, glk said:

Issue is with your knee movement.   Left knee collapses too much toward right and right knee straightens too much - over rotates the hips and your upper body goes along for the ride and over rotates with it too.  Making short swings won’t help - need to improve knee motion - left knee works out to toes and right knee loses at most 6-10* of flex.  Also relax those arms they are over extended at setup - should be a small amount of bend in each elbow - think soft elbows.

 

can think of left hip as hinged end of door and right as door knob - right swings up and back while left goes down and moves inward a little.

 

knee movement example. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBiHCqlCkz/

I think as I try the tip provided by golfarb1, putting pressure on inside of trail foot, it limits the amount of right knee straightening and over rotation of hip and over swinging.

My arm was bent too much so I try to straighten them out. I could be overdoing it.

Thanks,

[glk]

41 minutes ago, khalespace said:

I think as I try the tip provided by golfarb1, putting pressure on inside of trail foot, it limits the amount of right knee straightening and over rotation of hip and over swinging.

My arm was bent too much so I try to straighten them out. I could be overdoing it.

Thanks,

Okay. Just be aware that what you are doing with your left knee and hip is moving your pelvis toward the ball so you early extend and won’t create space for your arms in the downswing.    Just addressing the right knee is unlikely to make this get better

 

this short video shows a guy doing a version of what you are doing

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBvW0eIKnGd/

 

[ginger718]

As much as golf is about figuring it out on your own.  Might want to consider getting a new coach if he doesn't know how to make you better... sounds like your shelling out money for no reason. 

 

Shortened my swing considerably from 7 years ago.  Did it about 4 years ago went from hitting a consistent fade with a longer swing to only being able to draw the ball/ snap hook it.  

 

Keep both hands on the club.  There is nothing wrong with having a long swing once you get shorter with it, getting longer again is much harder/ something I am struggling with right now.  What I might suggest is to figure out how to hit 3/4 shots, by choking down and getting just past 9 o' clock.  I wouldn't totally rule out a longer swing.  

 

There is a video of Tony Fianu and what his actual swing looks like, he can get to past parallel and crush it, but as we know in tournament golf he takes a bit off.  

[golfarb1]

6 hours ago, glk said:

Issue is with your knee movement.   Left knee collapses too much toward right and right knee straightens too much - over rotates the hips and your upper body goes along for the ride and over rotates with it too.  Making short swings won’t help - need to improve knee motion - left knee works out to toes and right knee loses at most 6-10* of flex.  Also relax those arms they are over extended at setup - should be a small amount of bend in each elbow - think soft elbows.

 

can think of left hip as hinged end of door and right as door knob - right swings up and back while left goes down and moves inward a little.

 

knee movement example. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBiHCqlCkz/

 

[Wooley12]

Ben Hogan could kick one leg up and touch the top of a doorway. I'm a spry old coot myself but he was the Acme of Agility.

 

I need to shorten my swing to regain the distance and ball striking ability I once had. Reflecting on my golfing past, a couple of events stand out.

1) I was once asked how far I hit my sand wedge I said "Full swing, 80 yds. 3/4 swing, 90."

2) Tried to jump on the back for a quick 9 and there was a 6some on the tee that refused to let me play through. After waiting for them to play 20 shots I hit the longest drive I ever hit.

3) Arriving on the 6th tee at 5 over my group was confronted by a marshal and erroneously accused of slow play. I finished at 2 under with a 31 on the back.

 

I have my back yard, 150 Whiffle Ball yards long range to work on a couple of ideas to replicate the amount of muscle tension and focus that I have when I'm a little pissed off. Some good ideas in this thread. I'll try gripping the club tighter when the snow melts next week.  Wish me luck. 

[Paddy_2_Iron]

18 hours ago, puttnforthe8 said:

I can't give the how/etc; but I shortened my swing and dropped to my best ever hc in a little over a year.5.   The trade off was distance in my case; but the straight made up for it - very few doubles+ anymore.  

 

I've lost way to much distance off the driver after shortening up.  Irons never been straights or more consistent but the driver has lost ~30 yards.  Killing me. 

[Pastit]

21 minutes ago, Paddy_2_Iron said:

 

I've lost way to much distance off the driver after shortening up.  Irons never been straights or more consistent but the driver has lost ~30 yards.  Killing me. 

This will sound ridiculous, sorry if it doesn’t work for you. I played off 8 for many years from being c 30YOA. But had back issues regularly from DIY and other exhausting hobbies. During these spells shortening my swing for iron-play really improved accuracy as my course had tiny greens.

 

DRIVER: My pal was an elite player, Lytham Trophy etc, I asked for advice on grip pressure which is difficult to emulate. He suggested allowing the Driver to almost fall out of my hands and having a loose waggle and slower backswing. I added 20yds and improved accuracy too. 
 

Caution: I developed, in the long term, I believe, a grip fault in iron play when too loose a grip there allowed some faults to creep in. So I watch my finger grip carefully now. Watching high handicap players hit drivers, I saw how a late hit with the wrong grip causes dreadful slices for right-handers, better to let the ball get in the way of a swing - or let the club do the work - same thing I suppose. 

[Paddy_2_Iron]

1 hour ago, Pastit said:

This will sound ridiculous, sorry if it doesn’t work for you. I played off 8 for many years from being c 30YOA. But had back issues regularly from DIY and other exhausting hobbies. During these spells shortening my swing for iron-play really improved accuracy as my course had tiny greens.

 

DRIVER: My pal was an elite player, Lytham Trophy etc, I asked for advice on grip pressure which is difficult to emulate. He suggested allowing the Driver to almost fall out of my hands and having a loose waggle and slower backswing. I added 20yds and improved accuracy too. 
 

Caution: I developed, in the long term, I believe, a grip fault in iron play when too loose a grip there allowed some faults to creep in. So I watch my finger grip carefully now. Watching high handicap players hit drivers, I saw how a late hit with the wrong grip causes dreadful slices for right-handers, better to let the ball get in the way of a swing - or let the club do the work - same thing I suppose. 

 

I'll give that a try.  Before the shortening, I was driving the ball around 225 carry, 245 roll out.  Now, it's probably 200 now on average.  Maybe I need to do some medicine ball drills or something.  I'm 46 with limited flexibility so my expectations are tempered.  But still....   I really should be carrying 225 - 240 with my size and build.  At least I think.....

Edited January 9, 2022 by Paddy_2_Iron

[Pastit]

1 hour ago, Paddy_2_Iron said:

 

I'll give that a try.  Before the shortening, I was driving the ball around 225 carry, 245 roll out.  Now, it's probably 200 now on average.  Maybe I need to do some medicine ball drills or something.  I'm 46 with limited flexibility so my expectations are tempered.  But still....   I really should be carrying 225 - 240 with my size and build.  At least I think.....

Good luck but try and improve your flexibility before you’re much older. Old tip when you’re relaxing is to compress a squash ball or similar, in your left hand especially. Avoid trying to make up for your lost distance by a violent smash at the bottom. New grips take time to bed-In.  I didn’t need to join senior golfers until I was c 62 and I then concentrated on better technique and gear to restore lost distance. 

Edited January 9, 2022 by Pastit