My Inconsistent swing

[Andy M.]

Not sure what all matters when looking at my swing but here's some info:

-Driver Swing speed measured at Bridgestone ball fitting thing was 104 (though it doesn't look that fast here)

-16 handicap

-not a big slicer. If i leave it right, it's typically because my swing gets to steep.

-have worked on not taking club back to far (used to see my club head in the corner of my eye) hard to break 15 years of that.

 

main issue I have is inconsistency, mostly with ball striking. A lot of people have told me that I'd be pretty good if I stopped hitting 1/2" behind the ball every time, lol.

This past week I decided to make the change and start playing the ball of my left heel, like the majority of teachers I've seen suggest. I used to play driver off my left heel through wedge off my back. But trying to change that up. I've actually found that maybe a a couple inches behind my left heel is about the sweet spot for me. Seems to be helping as far as hitting to the net goes. Tried it at a demo day the other day and felt better.

 

anything you guys see, feel free to let me know. Tired of shooting 84 one day and 95 the next.

btw, that is Toy Story 2 in the background, my 1 year old is behind the camera in his little Toy Trike, lol

 

Driver:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6RR2UljBwU&feature=BFa&list=HL1334077171&lf=mh_lolz

 

7iron:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Ayg_MGF0w&list=HL1334077171&feature=mh_lolz

[GatorPaul]

Hard to see or comment too much without seeing the DTL video. It looks like your plane is a bit flat (too much around). This often causes a steepish DS because the arms dont have any room to attack the ball from the inside. The arms are forced to find space by moving away from the body and thus causing a steepish hit. The symptoms are usually alot of pulls or pull-fades, and sometimes hitting too much ground. Upload an iron video from DTL if you can.

[Andy M.]

[quote name='GatorPaul' timestamp='1335308409' post='4783230']
Hard to see or comment too much without seeing the DTL video. It looks like your plane is a bit flat (too much around). This often causes a steepish DS because the arms dont have any room to attack the ball from the inside. The arms are forced to find space by moving away from the body and thus causing a steepish hit. The symptoms are usually alot of pulls or pull-fades, and sometimes hitting too much ground. Upload an iron video from DTL if you can.
[/quote]
Thanks. I will take a DTL video tonight and upload. Those symptoms sound awfully familiar

[Andy M.]

Here's a new front view and DTL. thanks
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FWZ3jw4HVxw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ryneCHvc7PU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

thanks for your help

[BrianMcG]

Good videos.

One of the reasons you have some inconsistency in your ball striking has to do with your right knee during your backswing.

Take a look at this video and compare the righ knee going back to yours:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZimy_vVXKM[/media]

Your leg almost completely straightens up. This allows your hips to turn too much in the back swing. It also will tilt your hips up and change your spine angle. This makes it difficult for you to hit consistent as you have to re-bend your knee to the flex you had at address in order to make solid contact.

Work on keeping that kneeflex and the weight on the inside of your right foot. In your face on view you can see your right foot almost twist over to the right. That's like trying to through a football off your back foot, INTERCEPTION!! You want to feel a lot of tension in that righ leg going back. Initially you will feel like your swing is really short, but you are really building more torque and moving up and dow and side to side less. There will also be a feeling of "sitting down" when you try this the first few times. Its just feels weird because you are used to straightening it so much.

As for the face on view I would widen your stance an inch or so. This will help keep that right leg stable going back also.

[Andy M.]

Thanks Brian. I can really see how that would make a difference. I've always had an issue with taking the club back to far, and I'm assuming that because I let my hips rotate to much is why it's so quick to go far back. I can't wait to try that out. I really want to feel that torque that you are talking about.
thanks.

[Andy M.]

LOL, "just keep that right knee flexed", he says. I thought this was going to be a lot easier. Any tips or drills to help keep that knee from straightening? I tried putting a chair behind that knee at address so I could feel when that knee goes back and straightens. Even when I feel like I'm taking a 3/4 swing, that knee still straightens. I think I'm not rotating my waist and forcing that knee back so that I turn. Not sure though. Any drills would be great, thanks.

[BrianMcG]

[quote name='Andy M.' timestamp='1335744831' post='4811952']
LOL, "just keep that right knee flexed", he says. I thought this was going to be a lot easier. Any tips or drills to help keep that knee from straightening? I tried putting a chair behind that knee at address so I could feel when that knee goes back and straightens. Even when I feel like I'm taking a 3/4 swing, that knee still straightens. I think I'm not rotating my waist and forcing that knee back so that I turn. Not sure though. Any drills would be great, thanks.
[/quote]


Yes it is very difficult to do initially. Your body does not like to have tension in it so it realeses it by straightening that leg. But then you don't have anything to go at the ball with.

First practice in front of a full sized mirror. Just take short 1/4 to 1/2 backswings while watching your knee. Do about 100 reps, pay attention to keeping the weight on the inside of your foot. Then do some full swings trying to feel the same tension in that right leg.

When hitting in your hitting bay you have take a 2/4 or one of those black doorstops you see all over office buildings and schools and place it on the ground at your right foot. Place your foot on it at an angle, like a pitcher does on the rubber on the mound. This will give you a really good feeling of tension in that right leg and how it keeps you centered.

[tfish]

[quote name='Andy M.' timestamp='1335744831' post='4811952']
LOL, "just keep that right knee flexed", he says. I thought this was going to be a lot easier. Any tips or drills to help keep that knee from straightening? I tried putting a chair behind that knee at address so I could feel when that knee goes back and straightens. Even when I feel like I'm taking a 3/4 swing, that knee still straightens. I think I'm not rotating my waist and forcing that knee back so that I turn. Not sure though. Any drills would be great, thanks.[/quote]
i'll second the notion of sitting into your right side. right hip will probably feel like it's dropping way down and your squating both in the backswing, and perhaps moreso in the throughswing. video will probably show a better coil.

[Andy M.]

[quote name='tfish' timestamp='1335854101' post='4822132']
i'll second the notion of sitting into your right side. right hip will probably feel like it's dropping way down and your squating both in the backswing, and perhaps moreso in the throughswing. video will probably show a better coil.
[/quote]
yeah. not quite ready for a new video to post yet. still trying to get used to it and find myself hitting 3" behind the ball half the time and feel like I'm just using my arms only since I don't have all that lower body movement. working on it though.

[GodSpeed]

[quote name='Andy M.' timestamp='1335879564' post='4823138']
[quote name='tfish' timestamp='1335854101' post='4822132']
i'll second the notion of sitting into your right side. right hip will probably feel like it's dropping way down and your squating both in the backswing, and perhaps moreso in the throughswing. video will probably show a better coil.
[/quote]
yeah. not quite ready for a new video to post yet. still trying to get used to it and find myself hitting 3" behind the ball half the time and feel like I'm just using my arms only since I don't have all that lower body movement. working on it though.
[/quote]

I'm actually struggling with the same thing. My right need straightens up just like yours. This past weekend I tryed holding my right knee flex, but found myself hitting 2-3 inches behind the ball. Not sure if, to compensate for the sensation of lack of movement, I'm dipping my right shoulder lower in my downswing to try to generate more power?

It's a work in progress I guess, but progress towards what - I do not know yet lol. Let me know how it works out for you.

[Andy M.]

Update: After a week or so. Played in a Captain's choice yesterday and was hit the ball much more consistent. Still looking at my video from today, still see those knees going to town. Not sure if I can ever settle that left knee especially. It's only been week though. Here's some videos from today. I did notice that although my right knee is still trying to straighten, it's not as much and my right foot isn't rolling outward like it was.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/T8jwxlj33OY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-GmHlWNdLzQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BrianMcG]

Looks a lot better, especially the face on view. Just keep at it. It will feel weird and your swing will feel short at first, but your ball striking will keep improving.