Explain why this works

[Blue76]

Little background.  I am 61 years old.  Played golf off and on since I was 12.  Never been great but at one time was a single digit handicap.  Started playing more recently and age is catching up with me.  I can still swing a driver around 105 mph and if my back is loose, I have seen 111mph on the simulator.  However, in the last few months the driver has been a mystery.  Hook left, slice right, topping the ball just over all miserable.  My irons look fine, 3 wood and 5 wood are great.... Some kind of mental block going on.  

Anyway, last night in the garage sim I was trying to work out the driver issues.  Tried several shafts but decided to go back to the original shaft that came with my Ping 410.  It sucked... looked exactly like it did when I pulled it out.  However, I decided to stick with it and work on tempo, grip position, trying to shallow the club on the down swing... all the stuff everyone says makes a good swing.  All sucked.

THEN... I decided to squat a little more in my setup.  Simply "sitting" a little lower.  Rotating my shoulders back smoothly and trying to swing a little inside out.  BINGO...  I hit 5 drives in a row over 270 and a couple over 280 right down the middle.  Spin dropped from over 4000 to just over 2000.  Swing speed was around 105ish and ball speed between 152 to 154.  Smash factor between 1.45 and 1.48.  At 61 years old I will take that all day.  Prior to the change IF I could keep it in the fairway, it was a 220 something carry and roll out to 240 if lucky.

Question is why?  How does just squatting a little make so much difference.  I tried to google it, search YouTube for the answer and I cannot find anywhere that squatting in the setup isa thing.  Sure, I saw squatting on the down swing which I tried but was terrible at.

Anyway, interested in people thoughts on this.

Greg

[Rob Person]

I Squat a little bit too, but also stand up a little taller at address.

[cnosil]

My random guess would be: Ground Reaction Forces

[Rob Person]

I just want to add that by squatting, you're actually picking the toe of the club up, forcing the swing plane to be different

[Old New Golfer]

It’s because you’re turning instead of swiping etc. That is what you’re supposed to be doing. 
Try squatting as much as you can. It will teach you what you’re meant to do. It will feel strange, goofy. You’ll develop a real golf swing. 
Remember..your legs move only forward and backward. Towards and away from the ball. 
Swing from the ground up. Pull power out of the ground. Bring it up and out through your hands through the clubhead at the ball at impact. 
.

Youre definitely in the right direction of a real golf swing. I think you should take a couple lessons from a good teaching pro. So he can complete what you have started. I could say more. But don’t want to lose you mentally. 

Edited September 12 by Old New Golfer

[Coulter]

You don’t question the gift that the golf gods have blessed you with! 
Lol I don’t know why it works but that’s awesome!

[Shankster]

Glad you found the “it” factor.  I go through phases where I’m standing over the ball and question my life’s decisions.  I’m standing there, I know what to do, but it feels wrong, but I haven’t changed anything and all my confidence flies out the window. Does that happen to anyone else? 
 

My driver “it” factor was to stand taller with less squat, golf is a funny game.

[TAGolf13]

On 9/11/2024 at 9:34 PM, Shankster said:

Glad you found the “it” factor.  I go through phases where I’m standing over the ball and question my life’s decisions.  I’m standing there, I know what to do, but it feels wrong, but I haven’t changed anything and all my confidence flies out the window. Does that happen to anyone else? 
 

My driver “it” factor was to stand taller with less squat, golf is a funny game.

Happens to me with chipping and putting at times, but not off the tee. It's not that I'm any better off the tee, but I don't have that standing over the ball not knowing what to do feeling like I have at times with my short game.