Little breakthrough

[ezra76]

I believe I've discovered something in my swing or the swing. Basically I started out hitting 9i, then 7i, hitting them very well. I moved to the hybrid, hit it great. Moved to 5W, belted it. Then had my usual troubles with driver. Some good, some bad, not really much control.

So here's the thing. Everything must stay inside. The distance of my hands from my body are predetermined by the spine angle at setup. In other words, with an upright posture I cannot setup way off the ball. I tried setting up 1st, then stepping into the ball and what a difference. My arms stay connected and I belt it with a 1yd. cut every time. Hitting the driver was like hitting the 9i. No problem. Was within 3yds. of the 250 sign 30 times in a row.

Now for the freaky part. I took this same principle over to the putting green. The hands needed to stay inside of the plane the putterhead moved on basically. This again was predetermined by the posture. I did the same thing, setup first, then step into the ball. Ball position is irrelevant, clubhead position was now first the constant every time. Very good strokes.

If anything I just wanted to post this so I can go back and reference it I guess. I have to track down my copy of 5 lessons. I believe what I figured out today is something Hogan talked about with the arc of the hands in the swing. Whatever I figured out, it worked and I understand why. The distance of the hands from the body could really throw off the swing plane and allow for some major disconnection if they don't fit the posture/spine angle. Getting it right meant the clubhead was right there at impact, same as it always is with my short irons or wedges.

[SilverUberXeno]

Returning the hands to the same place they were at impact tends to lead to very good iron play on my end, as well. Not letting them get farther away from my body, I mean. sometimes I have trouble visualizing how to get them from the top back to that spot though.

[ezra76]

It sort of started yesterday I guess. Striking the irons super solid. I was focusing on the inside of the ball, hit it right at the stick. So I started messing with that on the range as to "why?" that would be the case. I figured out it was basically the inner elbows that were staying inside the hands, hands staying inside the shaft ect.. Everything needed to stay inside. As soon as one part was allowed to "break free" the chain was broken. For the 1st time I was able to feel the torso 100% power the driver swing as I do all of the time with my wedge swing. I didn't hit it any longer really, just hit it as long as I hit my "good drive" like 30 times in a row. No mishits, no pulls or blocks, just starting a yard left and moving a yard right.

It's really going to give me something to work on. Exciting since I know that combining the iron striking with hitting a ton of fairways at driver distance should garuntee 70's, possibly low 70's.

[SilverUberXeno]

Learn to putt, and there's no reason you can't break par hitting the ball like that.

[Clugnut]

I'm in the same rut right now. I can't really hit anything less than the 22, but I'm hitting that 210 right where I want it. Shot 81 this morning with 31 putts (1 chip in), and I think if I had left my driver and 3 wood in the truck, it would have been 77.

The only good drive I hit really was with a playing partners R7 460 on the last hole. Really suprisingly solid club.

[ezra76]

Why would an R7 series driver surprise you? They were all solid. If I had half a brain I'd still be playing my original 400cc quad. Haven't ever hit any driver I've hoed any better or longer. Equal but really no better.

I grabbed my driver in front of a mirror to try to explain this. Tough because it's more of a "feel" thing. I feel like my elbows are as close together as they can be, rigid even. My grip is not tight but the elbows are kind of forced to stay the same distance from my torso and as close together as they can be. The distance of the hands was easy to find by just taking the driver back and through a foot. Like I was almost chipping or putting even with the driver. That's the hand position from the body. From there, that's it, the setup to the ball is deteremined by that setup position. It's just simply not the other way around. I setup first, then step up to the ball. I felt like I was a little closer to the ball and I was. I had to be to have the correct position for my spine angle, which is pretty upright. Now, if I keep everything in sync, that should have the driver head coming through in the exact same slot from 1ft. behind to 1ft. past impact everytime. Add a good grip and the face is square.

A lot of us probably have trouble with ball position and messing with it all the time. Seems to me that the most important thing is having a consistant posture, spine angle and setup. After that, the ball position closer or futher away is not an issue anymore. I struggled with too flat on the backswing, too steep on the downswing or vice versa all the time. That leads to the disconnect and then having to try to get back to that "1ft. to 1ft." postion through the ball. Keeping everything inside resulted in pretty consistant results at impact.

You guys know me. I'm always a tinkerer. Whatever it is with the game, I try to figure out "why does this work". Like why do I hit a low punch shot under branches pure 99% of the time? Or, same thing, why I hit out of fairway bunkers like a piece of cake? I figured out that I was keeping my weight more forward and using wider takeaway with a later but more dramatic wrist set. This got me back on my left 100% at impact and more clubhead lag, hands always well ahead of the ball. That's made for some much more consistant iron striking.

[ezra76]

Been putting and chipping in the house. Think I got it. Elbows inside the hands, hands inside the clubhead. 93% hole outs from 20ft. chipping.

We'll see how it goes in the next few weeks.

[juniortodd46]

whenever I'm having a bad ballstriking day it's always because I'm to far from the ball. I work from an upright stance too. It came from trying to unteach myself how to hook the ball.

[EddieC]

Interesting, if I get 2 inches to far from the ball with the driver I'll hit a big ugly weak slicy ball every single time. A little closer and a little more upright works best for me...I guess an upright posture equates to hands staying closer to the body during the swing. But Ez I learned a long time ago that as soon as I'd say this " Think I got it" I'm screwed.

[FATC1TY]

Returning the hands to the same place they were at impact tends to lead to very good iron play on my end, as well. Not letting them get farther away from my body, I mean. sometimes I have trouble visualizing how to get them from the top back to that spot though.

My irons striking this weekend was outstanding, better than it has in a while, and I think because of this very thing.

I got a tad more upright, got a wee-bit closer to the ball( or it felt like it ), and I was able to concentrate on my turn, and keeping the hand close to the body, and it was amazing the pure shots I got.

Ironically, I was able to work the ball better Saturday, than any round I can remember.

[ezra76]

Well, scratch this. I had one of my most frustrating rounds ever. My impact position is fcked. I got so pissed off I smacked my 5W across my bag and snapped it in half. That was one of my favorite clubs too. I have another of the same shaft but will have to figure out how to put it together.

I played 2 holes well all day. If it weren't for hitting a dead straight drive, followed by a pure 5i on the difficult 17th, I might quit golf.

I had high hopes for this year but now I'm regressing. I was playing much better in April than I am now.

[kwcsports]

Well, scratch this. I had one of my most frustrating rounds ever. My impact position is fcked. I got so pissed off I smacked my 5W across my bag and snapped it in half. That was one of my favorite clubs too. I have another of the same shaft but will have to figure out how to put it together.

I played 2 holes well all day. If it weren't for hitting a dead straight drive, followed by a pure 5i on the difficult 17th, I might quit golf.

I had high hopes for this year but now I'm regressing. I was playing much better in April than I am now.

Ez, I'm going to give you my opinion and if you take the advice, great. If not, no prob. I used to be like you and work on every aspect of my swing, I used to read every book and video myself, worry about this position or that position. After years of struggling, I started just doing what felt natural. I am now a 7 cap and shoot in the 70's regularly, lowest this year 76. The quicker you stop overthinking and just use your natural ability to get it in the hole, the better you will get. Just my opinion though after playing this game for 26 years.

[gwlee7]

You guys know me. I'm always a tinkerer.

Here's your answer. Pick a way to swing and stop tinkering.

EDIT: kwcsports posted as I was typing this up.

[ezra76]

Yeah, you guys are right. I make my best swings when I just take dead aim and hit it. Our round today took nearly 6hrs. (Triggs) and I was just a mess. I'm really pissed at myself for snapping the 5W. I loved that club and probably won't be able to build another like it.

[LyleG]

Ez, I'm going to give you my opinion and if you take the advice, great. If not, no prob. I used to be like you and work on every aspect of my swing, I used to read every book and video myself, worry about this position or that position. After years of struggling, I started just doing what felt natural. I am now a 7 cap and shoot in the 70's regularly, lowest this year 76. The quicker you stop overthinking and just use your natural ability to get it in the hole, the better you will get. Just my opinion though after playing this game for 26 years.

This is what every golf book should have written in it, not a thing more.