Need help with swing

[Morgan]

I'm losing most of my shots to the right. Either a slice or a fade. I'm a 3 hcp and need some advice on why im slicing/fading and how to stop it.... It's driving me mad! The club I'm using in the video is an 8 iron

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGE8bJ8aUQw

 

Thanks in advance!

Morgan

[tfish]

people here will be happy to help you....but you gotta help in the process too.

how about a video where we don't have to turn our heads 90 degrees. and one from face on.

[Morgan]

sorry I didnt realize it needed rotating.. I uploaded it straight from my android phone and it looked straight on there so i assumed it would be straight on youtube. Ill edit it when i get on my laptop


edit: video has been rotated

[kmgeorge88]

When I first saw your swing it screamed RICKIE FOWLER to me. Mainly it was the outside takeaway. The big difference between your swing and Rickie's is that he drops the club into a great inside-to-out swing path at the top of his swing and you stay on your very upright swing plane causing you to swing from outside-to-in. Your swing path will easily cause a slide/fade every time. I took a few screen shots from the video and highlighted some of the key points comparing your swing to Fowler's.

 

1. In the frame of you and Rickie to the left I drew your toe line and your shaft line on the take away. On both you'll note that the clubs are pointed well outside the toe line. This will automatically set you up for a slice if you stay on plane.

 

2. The only saving grace of Rickie is that at the top of his swing he drops the club into his preferred swing slot giving him a much much flatter swing plane. You on the otherhand, like I mentioned earlier, maintain the steep plane throughout your swing. Also in the middle frame, note that I circled the elbow. You seem to do a good job of bringing your right elbow back in by the time you're at impact, but this type of chicken wing will also indicate a slice/fade. A number of other PGA pros play with a wide right elbow at this point in the swing, most notably now, Freddie Couples. It isn't a killer but definitely something to note. Anthony Kim is a great example of keeping his elbow tight at the top of the backswing.

 

3. Finally in the third frame, furthest to the right, you'll notice it looks like you're kind of cramped when it comes to the point of your swing where you're striking the ball, Rickie is fully extended allowing himself to release through the ball. Just something to note.

 

Here is the link to the video that I took the screen shots from Fowler's swing:

 

By no means do I think that Rickie Fowler has a great swing, but I did see some similarities. What I would try would be to bring the club a little more inside on the takeaway to promote an in-to-out swing path. Otherwise you'll probably going to want to follow Rickie's method and let the club drop into a flatter swing plane at the top of your backswing. This should definitely help you with the slices and fades. Let me know if this works.

[tfish]

[quote]On both you'll note that the clubs are pointed well outside the toe line. This will automatically set you up for a slice if you stay on plane.[/quote]
i find that taking the club more outside to start puts it more laid off at the top, and taking it more back inside puts it across the line. seems to be the body naturally reacting and finding the clubs balance point if you begin the takeaway correctly (or incorrectly to either side). thus if he's trying to correct an OTT swing, i'm not sure i'd start by having him take the club more inside albeit that may be key sometime in the future.

i think he could use to stand farther from the ball and bend the knees more to create more space for the hands to come through.

and then do some work with a glove under the right armpit to feel that connection and prevent the arms/hands from getting so high and running off at the top.

face on video would really help though. i suspect there's some type of sway back or forward lunge movement that's making him come OTT.

*i'm no pga pro.

[Morgan]

Thanks so much for the advice! I have a huge competition next week so don't want to change my swing completly, but I'm definitely going to do some tweaking on the range tonight.
Couple of things to practice:
Stand a bit further away
Keep a glove under my right arm

I'll practice those two things on the range then let you know how I get on

Thanks

[kmgeorge88]

Just wanting to know how things went at the range today. What worked, what didn't?

[Morgan]

I went to the range earlier today and I had a couple of problems:

I really really struggled to stop my right arm from flaring out, I tried the glove under the arm then a towel around my body but when I recorded my swing my arm was still flaring. Do you have anymore drills to stop it? When I was trying it with the glove it felt like my swing was restricted.

I also tried standing further away from the ball, it made my contact a lot purer but I was losing the ball straight left quite a bit.

One good point was I tried to swing in to out like fowler, managed it a couple of times and the strike was much better. Thanks again for the advice

[tfish]

[quote]When I was trying it with the glove it felt like my swing was restricted.[/quote]
making swing changes will feel different....it doesn't mean it's wrong.

keep after it.

[Morgan]

Had to come on here and thanks both of you for the advice. I spent all day thurs all day fri n half of sat down the driving range working on keeping my right arm from flaring out. Played in the biggest comp at my club today and shot 68 net 65. Had 28 putts but that's only because my irons were pured at almost every flag. Still had quite a few dodgy swings (got a double on an easy par 5) but I understand it's a work in progress and i need more time down that range. Also my ballflight has reverted to lovely little draw

Thanks for the advice it gave me the confidence to hopefully have won the club champs!
Morgan