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LB’s Swing - Journey to better ball striking


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So I've been playing golf consistently for two years.  I've "played" most of my life, but never more than one or two rounds per year.  I've gotten as far as I have without any lessons (trending 6.9, last 20 avg 81.8), but I've hit a wall and shooting a 77 one day and barely breaking 90 the next are getting to me.  Thankfully, the worse days are far fewer, but I want to be able to find more consistency.  From watching my swing, I see early extension and a flip, which I understand is simply a symptom of a flaw somewhere else.  When I watch the video, it looks like my shoulders start a tick before they should, but I'm lost on what to do and how to fix it.  My usual miss is the atypical early extension and cast miss... any assortment of fat, thin, pull, and high slice.

 

 

 

Edited to add face on and DTL videos...

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First, welcome to the forums!

Second, this is a tough angle from which to diagnose a swing. Most useful video is shot either directly in front of the golfer (face on), or directly behind the golfer (down the line). This angle disguises most of the things that are helpful to analyzing.

Third, I'll try to be first to say: almost all of us are amateurs here. Take all our advice for its going market rate 🙂

Finally: what you're describing and what I can see in the video match up well. There's a great thread happening over here that discusses some related ideas. It's hard to know from a single swing which way to offer advice, because of the way that flaws work together to create a functional swing (which you obviously have).

Where I would start is with wrist angles. At the top of your backswing, your lead wrist is in extension: it is bent back, or cupped. The opposite extreme is someone like Dustin Johnson, whose wrist is in flexion at the top of his backswing. It is useful to aim for a pretty netural, or flat leading wrist, through that part of the swing.

Putting the lead wrist in extension, as you do, opens the face at the top of the swing. In order to hit target, then, you are forced (generally) to stand the club up a bit through delivery, which encourages the early extension in the body.

[I'm describing my swing here too.]

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I'm going be of no help as I'm not an instructor. However, a 5 second vid isn't much time and the camera angle isn't setup appropriately. Two proper views would be; 1. face on (across from the ball) with the camera at about hip level. 2. rear view looking down the line. Again setting the camera about hip level. Slow motion is better.

Oh I forgot... you're asking for advice from a bunch of internet forum members many of who are high handicappers. Few are golf instruction professionals.

Best Wishes!

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3 minutes ago, PlaidJacket said:

Slow motion is better.

Plaid,

Definitely agree with all you're saying here. Worth observing: you can change the playback speed for YouTube videos, and this is often very helpful for golf purposes. Click the little gear in the lower right corner; it'll give you options to change the quality and the speed. You can also use the <comma> and <period> keys to step through a video a frame at a time, backward and forward.

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If I have a chance to swing, haha no pun intended, by the range on my way home this evening, I will to try and grab better angles.

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Definitely go get a real life, in person lesson. You’ve got a solid foundation and clearly the chops to shoot in the 70’s.

In the meantime to help with early release, take your golf bag or a stationary object and place it at your impact position.

Now, take slow, controlled downswings towards that object so you are reinforcing the move to keep your hands ahead of the club making contact.

Tiger does this often on the range and tee to help him feel the hands staying ahead of the club at impact.

Good luck!!


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14 minutes ago, bens197 said:

Definitely go get a real life...

Honestly: I was startled when I read this first line. Glad to see that your advice was much kinder than I took it initially 🙂

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1 minute ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

Honestly: I was startled when I read this first line. Glad to see that your advice was much kinder than I took it initially 🙂

I probably wouldn't have cut it as a headline writer 🤣

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Edited and added face on and DTL videos.  I had a kid at the range record them, didn't realize he did slo mo.

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That kid takes really good video :-). In all seriousness, those are very useful.

Let me ask this: what's your typical shot shape?

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As always the advice of getting a real life instructor is great advice and should be followed. 

That being said from the videos I see your early release and it appears to be caused by your right shoulder/elbow. Shoulder continues to move at top of back swing, to get it back during downswing it moves towards ball or across the line. This IMO causes the early release because it is the only way you can hit the ball straight. Try shorter back swing and concentrate on not having shoulder move across the line. 

A GREAT training aid is an impact ball. It is very difficult to use at first but it is the only thing I have found that syncs everything the way it should be. 

https://theimpactball.com/

Good luck and go find a local pro!

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26 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

As always the advice of getting a real life instructor is great advice and should be followed. 

That being said from the videos I see your early release and it appears to be caused by your right shoulder/elbow. Shoulder continues to move at top of back swing, to get it back during downswing it moves towards ball or across the line. This IMO causes the early release because it is the only way you can hit the ball straight. Try shorter back swing and concentrate on not having shoulder move across the line. 

A GREAT training aid is an impact ball. It is very difficult to use at first but it is the only thing I have found that syncs everything the way it should be. 

https://theimpactball.com/

Good luck and go find a local pro!

I had noticed the same thing with my elbow. I really need someone there to tell me whoa boy.  I “feel” like I have shortened, but apparently things keep running.  I am already looking for a reputable instructor, I’m willing to drive a few hours if necessary.  Thanks for the idea on the impact ball.

 

 

49 minutes ago, GolfSpy MPR said:

That kid takes really good video :-). In all seriousness, those are very useful.

Let me ask this: what's your typical shot shape?

 

Typical shape is a very light cut.  Iron play I’ve managed, but my biggest weakness is the driver.  Some days it’s good, and some days my timing is so far off I’m all over the place.  The swing fault remains no matter the club though.

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9 minutes ago, lungbuster said:

I had noticed the same thing with my elbow. I really need someone there to tell me whoa boy.  I “feel” like I have shortened, but apparently things keep running.  I am already looking for a reputable instructor, I’m willing to drive a few hours if necessary.  Thanks for the idea on the impact ball.

 

 

And here is the issue with swing advice based off one video, it could be different reasons why the elbow/shoulder move like that. Could be too long of swing, could be not enough rotation, could be grip, etc. There are just so many factors. 

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You clearly have a great foundation. One training aid that will help you with the early release is the Tour Striker. It has helped me stop flipping my wrists and make more consistent strikes. I thought I was a good ball striker... I was humbled by the Tour Striker. Frustrating at first, but effective. 

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overall I think you have a good swing.

The most glaring fundamental issue I see is your grip.

As Nick Faldo (and most instructors) says "good golf starts with a good grip"

You have a really strong grip in both the right and left hands. Might be worth starting there before changing other 'problems' that might actually stem from the grip.

Look forward to watching your progress.

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Just based on all the different responses that are all over the map in this thread, I hope you take the most common advice which is to go see a reputable pro 😄

You don't need to sign up for $1000 of lessons, some work on building a repeatable swing based on your body and swing tendencies should go a long way. Good luck!!!

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10 hours ago, GB13 said:

You clearly have a great foundation. One training aid that will help you with the early release is the Tour Striker. It has helped me stop flipping my wrists and make more consistent strikes. I thought I was a good ball striker... I was humbled by the Tour Striker. Frustrating at first, but effective. 

I have no idea why I haven't picked that up yet...I hear nothing but how it has helped so many people with that issue....which I have...among several others 🤣

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Update...I've got a lesson scheduled for Friday afternoon.  I'll keep you all posted.  Thanks for coming along on my journey and thanks for the tips so far.  After really studying my videos, I may have found an issue, but I'm no swing coach so we'll see what the instructor says.  I've sent him the videos so we'll be ready to rock on Friday.

 

@perseveringgolfer my grip will likely be something that's changed I'm sure.  In my self diagnosing past, I've strengthened it to "fix" my slice, not knowing that there were other problems.  

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Just wanted to provide an update...

My coach pointed out a few things for me that seemed to make quick and repeatable results.  Before we really got started, he had me widen my stance to stop the “Elvis knees” and work on keeping my chin up.  Next, we tackled my overswing and the right knee flex in the backswing.  If you watch the videos, you’ll see my right knee flex outside my foot.  Really have to keep that thought in my mind the whole swing.  Those two things will be the hardest to break.  Once we got those better, we started working on my release and follow through.  Overall, was very pleased with the session and he gave me a few drills to work on over the next several weeks.  Prescribed me to 70-80 balls a day for the next 3-4 weeks, or as possible as time allows with a wife and two kids, working solely on these things.

If any of you are in the upstate SC or NC foothills, I’d definitely recommend Bryant Brothers in Shelby, NC to you.  If you’re interested in great, simple, easy to grasp coaching, PM me and I’ll give you his info.  I’ll schedule another lesson late March, early April for a follow up and next steps.

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Great stuff .. good luck on making good progress!! 👍

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Thanks for the update.

I note he didn't mention your grip.........which is why I'm a player and not a coach 😉

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That’s a solid looking swing brother!


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1 hour ago, perseveringgolfer said:

Thanks for the update.

I note he didn't mention your grip.........which is why I'm a player and not a coach 😉

Yea I was a little surprised myself.  I know it’s only day 2, but man the overswing is hard to break.  Stance width, posture, and right knee flex have been manageable so far, but I literally feel like I’m making half a backswing, yet still get right at or just shy of parallel.  It’s crazy how much I was allowing myself to get stuck, there was never any way I could properly rotate back through the ball.  

I did get out yesterday in nasty conditions, shot a 76.  10/14 fairways, 50% gir, and 30 putts.  Not a bad day, but all of my missed greens were dead on line, just short.  It was cold and wet and I just wasn’t getting my normal distances, but ball flight was sharp.  So much to think about still, need these changes to just become 2nd nature.

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