hello, could you please take a look at my golf swing videos please?

I feel that i don't keep the right body angles throughout the swing and that i don't rotate my hips enough. it could be the lack of flexibility or due to a poor technique. i don't know how to fix my overswing and stay in control from start to finish. i slice the ball quite a lot and rarely draw it. I hit the ball about 280-300 yards consistently, even when i mishit or slice the ball. I normally use a stiff shaft but in the video i am using a regular shaft. I use an interlocking grip and i have been told that i don't grip the club properly.

I would really appreciate it if you could help me. I have only been playing for 3-4 years now with little coaching.

 Video 1 = REMOVED BY USER

 Video 2 = REMOVED BY USER


Thank you!

Okay!  First, for playing such a short period of time, this is an impressive handicap! This is great speed with the club.  Since I do not have a down the line view I will talk about the front view you have provided.  Good news id there are some really good things happening.  First is the speed, it is fantastic. Secondly, your lower body action, although not perfect, is quite impressive. And third, the swing is identical for the Driver and irons.

Now, lets make it better!  First, the stance is too wide causing a lateral movement to the left side of your body (a sway)  further causing a lift in the arms that results in the swing looking too long at the top. Your neck bone is closer to the target at the top than your tail bone (I'll get back to that in a second)  causing a reverse pivot. From there, your great lower body action saves the swing.  What I mean by that is your hip turn and drive to your right foot causes your spine angle to change to get your tail bone back into postion for a solid hit.  My guess is that doesn't happen on a consistent or consistent enough basis.

Here's what I want you to focus on: 1) Set-up. Get your ankle bones more under your hip bones.  From there, you should be bent over at your lower hips (where your legs sit into your hip joint) and you should get the feeling your thighs are rotated inwards as your shins are rotated outwards.  This is a more dynamic, static position that allows better movement in your back swing, Be sure your spine is slightly tilted toward your left with yout tail bone slightly closer to the target than your neck bone; 2) Be sure to keep your tail bone closer to the target than your neck bone in your backswing.  You will do this by feeling your takeaway is initiated with a rotation of your stomach and back muscles and let your arms follow. When you maintain the address position (tail bone closer to the target than your neck bone) the club will not swing too far; and 3) be sure as you are moving forward, your downswing motion in your lower body is as good as it currently is with a more concentrated turn to the right.

And here;'s your drill:  get in that set-up position and take swings taht go rib cage high on your back swing to rib cage high in your follow through.  Be sure this is done with your body and arms moving in conjuction.  You will start to feel a much more solid impact.  Do 30-40 of these then move to a shoulder to shoulder swing increasing the length of the backswing with increased turn and coil.  That is the feel you will start to feel in your full swing.

Good luck and I hope you let me know that your handicap drops to at worst a 9!

Hello,

Thank you very much! my handicap was 28 last year and i brought it down to 13,9 after playing 7 tournaments. i get coaching like maybe once every 4 or 6 months. the professionals here want me to swing like everybody else and i just want a swing that suits me and my body. they always talk and charge too much so i just try to fix flaws in my game by myself. i will definitely go to the range and try some of those drills you mentioned. i use titleist 695 cbs which have steel shafts with stiff flex. do you think these are the right clubs for me? they feel very heavy and i tend to come down pretty steep in the downswing or swing too quickly. they are the most demanding clubs and they look pretty intimidating at address. i hit my short irons really well but my long irons go left (slice). i have to swing fast and hard to hit a good shot or else the timing is totally off. i have some older clubs which are called the mizuno widec IIs and they have a steel shaft with regular flex. they feel and look a lot better at address than the titleist clubs. i can swing the club easier but i am not sure if the regular flex will give me the control i want with the high clubhead/swing speed i have. can you please let me know what you think? thank you. Chris

Scott, I really like your style of instruction.  Not bad for a forum such as this.  I noticed the forward movement of his swing and the reverse pivot.  I would have first asked him to take less backswing until he groved a solid and straight stroke.  I think a 13.9 is fantastic for no longer than he has played.  Let me know when you have some instruction for keeping the mindset to finish a round.  I tend to explode my score when I finish.  I used to blame it on checking my score on the 16th tee, but now I think I just know subconsiously when I am scoring at my best, then finish like a cheap watch.  Love T2G site.  I just get pretty busy with the family these days.

Scoops,

 Ahhhh!  An age old question.  Checking the scorecard on 16 tee?  That being in the past part of your round which leads anticipating the future part of the round (your end score).  Neither of those is being in the present.  This is where we play golf.  All my tournament playing juniors have learned one simple statement rom me.  The most important shot in a round is the one you are currently hitting.  So let's finish a round.  Start playing like there are 22 holes in a round. What do I mean by that?  I want you to be an olympic sprinter.  Don't run to the finish line, run through it.  You should have your playing buddies pulling you off the course because there are no more holes to play in today's round.

Stay in the present by, over every shot, as my friend, Dr. David Cook, noted sports psychologist says: have a five step mental plan for every shot.  1) Observation stage - look and obseve everything that affects the shot (wind, break on a putt, distance, etc; 2) Strategy phase - picking your target, shot shape, shot trajectory; 3) See it - see the shot in your mind, paint the picture; 4) Feel it - Sense the shot in your body with waggles, full practice swings, whichever works best for you (whatever you do to produce that good score in the first 16 holes) and 5) Trust it - say "trust it" to yourself right before you start your swing and the proper part of your brain will engage ( the non-thinking side) and produce that same geat shot making abitlity from the first 16 holes.

The mental routine takes time to perfect as it has for the rest of your game.  Practice it while you play or practice. Use it for every shot in practice and play and you will forget you ever had a problem finishing a round.

And p.s.  My kids live near you in Virginia so the distance from  Texas is a long way so I sense how you feel about being so far from your grandkids.

Chris,

 The 695 cb's are great clubs but can be difficult to hit.  The modern technology coming out in the last few years is astonishing.  Manufacturers have been making drivers to fit the new balls (higher launch, less spin) but have been a little slower in the irons.  That is changing.  They are starting to create irons that will launch the ball higher and flatten the light, like drivers.  I would suggest for a player of your caliber something like the Ping i-10 or one I think you will really like coming off the 695 cb's, the new Titleist AP 2's with maybe the AP 1's for your long irons (4,5 and maybe even the 6).  I just started plying these and they are the best irons I have played with the modern ball.  They have great trajectory and play about 1/2 club longer.

And be sure to add a hybrid or two to the mix.  Recommendations are Titleist and Adams.

The great Silver Scot, Tommy Armour, wrote, way back in the 20's and 30's that there is no game or sport where the equipment is more vital to the success of the player than it is in golf.

Good luck.  Be sure to get fit for those irons!