Need advice on my swing

[fknhippie]

I have a tendency to swing over the top. I know one of the flaws in my swing is that at the top of the back swing, my right elbow doesn't point towards the ground. The problem is I can't rotate my shoulder enough to allow my elbow to get in the correct position.

This weekend I hit the range and tried keeping my right tricep close to my body, it seemed to straighten out my drives and gave me a few more yards off the tee.

Anyone else have shoulder problems and what do you do to compensate?

 

[NEhomer]

What's your ball flight? I would assume that you're cutting across the ball for a fade/slice, no?

 

[fknhippie]

What's your ball flight? I would assume that you're cutting across the ball for a fade/slice, no?

Exactly, or I hit a dead pull shot. My game is also very high.

I don't seem to have the problem with my mid and short irons.. although I hit those high as well.

 

[NEhomer]

Ok, well here's my advice to try at the range.

Hood the shit out of the blade....really close it up. Exaggerate your swing to the inside and try to smother hook the ball. Once you can get a low right to left hook, start to slowly bring it back toward center. Kind of like in tennis when you have trouble keeping your serve in the box, you hit a few into the net to get the opposite feeling.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

To really f-you up...here's some more advice....lol...just kidding.

If you are hitting it high and slicing hard...not getting much distance...chances are you are cutting across the ball...every now and then you might close the face down in time and hit that left to left pull you spoke of....been there brother!

You need to straighten out the swing path. As NE said, you want to exaggerate the inside out path...to do that...put an old shaft or something straight on the ground pointed towards your target...take your back swing like normal and don't worry about where your right elbow is pointing right now) on the downswing, your 1st move from the top of your swing just be a slight push off your right leg while your right hip is turning towards the target (assuming you are a RH player)...don't TRY to do ANYTHING with your arms.

What you should feel is your arms should drop a little and your right elbow should get closer to your right side...this is gravity in play this it will happen if you let it happen. But it won't happen if you try to swing the club from the top of the back swing....when you do that, the club move out towards the ball first then down and around your body...it should move down first then around your body.

With the shaft on the ground you will be able to see the path better...if the club is coming over the shaft (again towards the ball) you know you're still coming over the top...the big key is starting the down swing with your feet...that slight push off the right foot and letting the arms drop slightly is the most important move.

If you hood the blade like NE said, the ball should hook...if the blade is still open at impact the ball should go right and stay right (a push fade my instructor used to say)...in your case, both are actually good and you keep working it until you straighten the ball out.

Straighten out the path is hard to do on the fly, especially if you've been playing for a while...My instructor had me work on the right foot push off/right hip turn and arms slightly dropping move a 100 times per day without hitting any balls.

 

[fknhippie]

Thanks for the advice gentlemen.

Wow Atl, i feel like I just got a golf lesson, very well written and detailed post.

I'm printing off both of your responses and putting them in my golf bag...can't wait to hit the range on Friday

hood, push, turn, drop, gravity...what's to think about? LOL

again, thanks to both of you for your time and advice.

 

[NEhomer]

Just be careful that pushing off the right foot doeasn't get you out in front of the ball cause that will cause a push off to the right.

Here's a little drill to check that. Place the clubhead down behind the ball as if addressing a shot. See that the head is square to the target line. Now, do nothing but to let your hips slide forward and watch how the clubface opens up. You need to hit from the inside and stay back behind the ball. When you do this correctly, that slightly hooded blade that you've likely been compensating with will cause a wicked slice. Eventually, you'll be able to address and hit the ball with a square clubface which is ideal.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Thanks for the advice gentlemen.

Wow Atl, i feel like I just got a golf lesson, very well written and detailed post.

I'm printing off both of your responses and putting them in my golf bag...can't wait to hit the range on Friday

hood, push, turn, drop, gravity...what's to think about? LOL

again, thanks to both of you for your time and advice.

Not a problem...like I said...been there.

I actually started the game with lessons and used to hit a fairly straight ball...then I stopped playing regularly for a few yrs and when I started back seriously, things went awry and I couldn't fix it...every week I was paying out $ as the loser so I finally got another set of lessons and what I wrote is what I learned from him.

NE gave you the easiest advice to follow...try to hit a hook...without thinking you would probably do some of the stuff I mentioned. The key is to understand the golf swing starts from the ground up....easier to say than do sometimes, but it's true.

Good luck with it.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Just be careful that pushing off the right foot doeasn't get you out in front of the ball cause that will cause a push off to the right.

Here's a little drill to check that. Place the clubhead down behind the ball as if addressing a shot. See that the head is square to the target line. Now, do nothing but to let your hips slide forward and watch how the clubface opens up. You need to hit from the inside and stay back behind the ball. When you do this correctly, that slightly hooded blade that you've likely been compensating with will cause a wicked slice. Eventually, you'll be able to address and hit the ball with a square clubface which is ideal.

Yep...push sounds kind of aggressive, it's really more of a bump, but it will allow the arms to drop into the slot and let the club travel inside then around the body.

 

[NEhomer]

One of the great paradoxes of the sport is to shift your weight while staying in one place!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

One of the great paradoxes of the sport is to shift your weight while staying in one place!

Yep, the old turn in a barrel.

Some of the worst swings in golf...Sr Tour...some of the best....LPGAT.

I played in a LPGA proam once and the pro they paired with us had a very smooth and accurate swing, but she couldn't putt worth a damn...

My buddy has developed this Lee Janzen type sway and at his worst, doesn't sway back into place and tops it 100'...at his best...280+...the problem is he's good for the 100' topper whenever there is a forced carry off the tee....he always asks...did I sway on that one? Yep.

 

[fknhippie]

That "bump" is a lot more difficult than it seems..or I'm extremely uncoordinated.

 

[fknhippie]

Atl, i left the instructions on my desk...oops.

I had read several articles that state you should never push off from your right side, so i was starting with a lateral move from the hips to my left side, couldn't sync up the swing. Reread your instructions, and it seems a slight push from the right feels more natural bumping the hips, getting the hands to drop and starting the swing. Back to the driving range later today.

 

[fknhippie]

Just be careful that pushing off the right foot doeasn't get you out in front of the ball cause that will cause a push off to the right.

Here's a little drill to check that. Place the clubhead down behind the ball as if addressing a shot. See that the head is square to the target line. Now, do nothing but to let your hips slide forward and watch how the clubface opens up. You need to hit from the inside and stay back behind the ball. When you do this correctly, that slightly hooded blade that you've likely been compensating with will cause a wicked slice. Eventually, you'll be able to address and hit the ball with a square clubface which is ideal.

Not sure if pushing off is what I'm doing, more transferring the weight on my right foot to the inside of the right foot to help me move the hips. Starting from the left side feels awkward.

 

[night]

Try drinking more beer.

 

[Wazmankg]

Try drinking more beer.

Without seeing his swing, this is the best advice in the thread.... no offense to the others just trying to help.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Without seeing his swing, this is the best advice in the thread.... no offense to the others just trying to help.

None taken on my account...could be a weak grip, too tight grip, etc...many causes to the face being open at impact...the best imo...NE homer gave him...try to hit a hook...#2...drink more beer....i.e. relax

 

[fknhippie]

None taken on my account...could be a weak grip, too tight grip, etc...many causes to the face being open at impact...the best imo...NE homer gave him...try to hit a hook...#2...drink more beer....i.e. relax

I certainly tend to come over the top, I start my swing with my arms / shoulders and the club head does go over the target line and to the inside.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I certainly tend to come over the top, I start my swing with my arms / shoulders and the club head does go over the target line and to the inside.

What you were describing in your OP made me think so as well...seeing what you're doing can help a little more I think, but the OTT cure is pretty much what I wrote...at the end of the day, from the top you gotta get the club working down a little first, then around to get your swing path coming inside to out.

Given that your problem is more with the driver, longer clubs, makes me think you're not far off from correcting it...all kidding aside...the try to hit a hook advice from NEHomer should free up your mind and subconsciously you might start swinging more from the inside.

The lesson info I share...it's going to take some time, but worked for me...but I shut it down (playing) for a few weeks while I worked on it...almost daily.

 

[fknhippie]

Decided to break down and get a lesson from the club pro...and now my swing is really fucked up...too much to remember.

I always thought I didn't use enough wrist in my swing, evidently I use too much, especially in the beginning of the take away. Working on no wrist movement until the club is at waist height in the backs wing...and also making sure to toe of the club isn't pointed straight up as I had been taught, but slightly closed. When I do it correctly, I do make better contact resulting in a straighter and longer shot with my irons.

As far as the driver goes, I was fitted at Golf Galaxy with a driver that had a closed face, with the adjustment in my swing, the only thing I can hit now is a hook. Unfortunately the driver can't be adjusted, so after another lesson i might need to go somewhere...not Golf Galaxy, and get fitted with another driver.

Funny thing is, I used my wife's driver a few times and even though I couldn't control it because it's as flexible as a wet noodle, I was hitting it farther than my driver.

At least I'm not coming over the top now.

Practice...practice...practice.