Lesson progress.

[RickAstley]

I used to be around a 10 index and then took about 5 years off. Started up again this year and taking lessons. So far I’ve had 3 and we have been working on body weight on front foot, narrower stance shoulder width apart, getting the club to “stand up” And point at my sternum at impact and quit dragging the handle, and most importantly of all keeping my head stable throughout especially at impact (has a tendency to move my head way back and pull my ear toward the ball, a lot of pain after the rounds from this). Still a lot to keep fixing, but feeling really good about progress after todays range session. 

[KD1]

Gotta work them hips, Rick!

 

I know forcing lag is a bad idea but thinking about trying to stand the club up at impact sounds dangerous.

Edited September 24, 2023 by KD1

[slytown]

1 hour ago, RickAstley said:

I used to be around a 10 index and then took about 5 years off. Started up again this year and taking lessons. So far I’ve had 3 and we have been working on body weight on front foot, narrower stance shoulder width apart, getting the club to “stand up” And point at my sternum at impact and quit dragging the handle, and most importantly of all keeping my head stable throughout especially at impact (has a tendency to move my head way back and pull my ear toward the ball, a lot of pain after the rounds from this). Still a lot to keep fixing, but feeling really good about progress after todays range session. 

IMG_7042.mov

 

Can you explain more what the pro had you working on? What I see is also very little hip depth, probably because you are stuck on your lead foot. With all your weight on your lead foot throughout the swing, it would be very difficult to get depth and to get rotation in the swing.

 

Also, a down the line video would help confirm this lack of hip depth.

[RickAstley]

It’s more trying to over-exagerage the movement to prevent holding on to the lag. I’ve got plenty, I just end up dragging the handle through. So trying to go extreme to work back toward what is proper.

 

definitely noticing the lack of hip turn. Seems like a little armsy on back too - which is definitely a big problem in my backswing. This is driver vs 6 iron in the head on but gives the same point you were making. 

 

a lot of bad habits to work through so we’ve been starting with the big ones (head movement and dragging the handle) to start, and then will be working down the list. 

[MonteScheinblum]

I’d start with setup. 
 

feet flared a hair, get your elbows out of hyper extension and get a little closer to the ball.

 

Then free up the backswing hip turn.

 

Things will change for the better, then access what’s happening. 

[RickAstley]

When you say elbows hyperextended, are you meaning at the top of the backswing, or at setup and all the way through? I saw your video explaining it, and it seemed to be only referencing the top of the backswing in Tiger and Tony.

 

My teacher and I started backing further away from the ball because I used to be right up on it and would jam myself up and hosel some. Seems like I'm maybe going a touch far now and need to scooch back in a touch.

 

Any specific thoughts or drills to turn my hips better going back? Appreciate all the feedback so far!

[slytown]

21 minutes ago, RickAstley said:

When you say elbows hyperextended, are you meaning at the top of the backswing, or at setup and all the way through? I saw your video explaining it, and it seemed to be only referencing the top of the backswing in Tiger and Tony.

 

My teacher and I started backing further away from the ball because I used to be right up on it and would jam myself up and hosel some. Seems like I'm maybe going a touch far now and need to scooch back in a touch.

 

Any specific thoughts or drills to turn my hips better going back? Appreciate all the feedback so far!

 

I agree with Monte. Your arms are not hanging down relaxed at address. They are hyperextended. You could start by relaxing your arms and let them hang a little more. At the moment your club at address is pointed too high. It should be pointed lower, more towards your belly button. If you stood a little closer you would also be able to stand up a little more at address and get your weight off of your toes. You look very bent over and weight forward with the golf ball too far away from you. Look at how your armpits are over your toes.

 

The hosel rockets were probably due to no hip depth. If you can't get the hips deep, the hands don't get deep. If the hands don't get deep, its difficult to come in on plane and have space to release the club, which causes the shanks.

 

I would start with those setup changes and then work on deepening the right hip in the backswing. You can try these things.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2023 by slytown

[RickAstley]

Very helpful videos, thank you! I see exactly what you guys are saying now. It's funny, I feel like I'm standing tall but seeing this it's clear. Watching the videos during all my lessons has been very eye opening. What I feel like I'm doing is nowhere near what I'm actually doing, and what I actually need to be doing feels extremely foreign to me. Too many years of bad habits to overcome!!

[RickAstley]

I came across this video while practicing more with my hips and looking for different feels. I'm a data nerd at heart so this was really impactful for me. Hope others might find some use out of it too.

 

 

[RickAstley]

Alright I’ve been doing some work on setup a bit closer and getting a bit more hip turn, and then trying to start the downswing with my arms dropping rather than rotating first. Apart from being not as steep at the top of my backswing I think things get there ok and then my first move down is getting better. But then as I start the turn for whatever reason I yank the handle down and start cutting across it. Any ideas on where to go next? I know there’s a lot to fix here 😂

[KMeloney]

You're really heading in the right direction with your most recent vids, especially in freeing up your hips. It's just that where you shallow the club nicely at the start of your down swing, you let your right elbow kick out, which stands the club up and brings it over-the-top, and along with your body stalling your hands/arms bring the club down steeply into the ball from out to in. I'm sure it's your instinctive way to get the face squared up, but it's at the cost of steepness and a bad path.

 

Are you familiar with the "motorcycle move," where you turn the face down by rotating -- not "tumbling" -- the shaft to turn the face down? In my opinion, that's how you want to square up the face.

[RickAstley]

2 hours ago, KMeloney said:

You're really heading in the right direction with your most recent vids, especially in freeing up your hips. It's just that where you shallow the club nicely at the start of your down swing, you let your right elbow kick out, which stands the club up and brings it over-the-top, and along with your body stalling your hands/arms bring the club down steeply into the ball from out to in. I'm sure it's your instinctive way to get the face squared up, but it's at the cost of steepness and a bad path.

 

Are you familiar with the "motorcycle move," where you turn the face down by rotating -- not "tumbling" -- the shaft to turn the face down? In my opinion, that's how you want to square up the face.

 

Thank you! You nailed it on where things are falling off the rails, and I wasn't quite sure how to fix it. I haven't heard of the motorcycle move, but I'm seeing lots of threads on it in the forums. I'll review those and see what I can find, but if you have any content that you think does the best job of explaining it I'd love to see it.

[RickAstley]

Another range session today, and still a heavy over the top move on all my swings. The club seems to be pretty closed at the top and still feel like my initial move down is somewhat ok and then I just dump my hands and the club stands up. The motorcycle drill was nice to make sure I wasn’t opening the face up but I don’t think that’s my main problem. Anybody have a good feel for how to get this out of my swing?? Want to make sure I keep making progress and don’t practice the wrong things. Thanks!

[Zitlow]

Just my opinion, you shoot yourself in the foot right off the ball by not starting the shaft and clubface on the proper plane. You're athletic but it's still a crap shoot to get back to the ball with power and consistency.

 

You're starting the club back like you're going to hit the ball to left field. The shaft should be on the same plane as your left arm and the clubface should be looking at the ball. 

 

 

Hovland before and after. Before the face is on a plane a couple feet above the plane the ball is on like he's going to hit a baseball. After, the clubface is on the same plane the golf ball is on.