Fixing in to out path

[ZenGolfer]

For years, Ive had an in to out path (even my divots point to the right). I used to hit a lot of pushes. Lately, Ive worked on my release and have fixed the pushes but now Im starting to hit hooks.

I believe that the hooks are the result of my in to out clubpath (Id say its at least 6 degrees in to out).

Any tips on straightening my path out? Lately, Ive been working on the feel that Im swinging out to 3rd base on a baseball field. To me, it feels like Im coming across the ball but my divots are straight, so it must be that Im just so use to coming from the inside that my perception of straight is off.

[JMiller]

For years, Ive had an in to out path (even my divots point to the right). I used to hit a lot of pushes. Lately, Ive worked on my release and have fixed the pushes but now Im starting to hit hooks. I believe that the hooks are the result of my in to out clubpath (Id say its at least 6 degrees in to out).

 

Any tips on straightening my path out? Lately, Ive been working on the feel that Im swinging out to 3rd base on a baseball field. To me, it feels like Im coming across the ball but my divots are straight, so it must be that Im just so use to coming from the inside that my perception of straight is off.

 

It sounds like it's a stuck club but I could be way wrong. I don't know what your swing looks like only going off what I am reading

 

Sorry if you already knew this but the two most common shots that result from a stuck downswing position are a push (late timing the flip) or a hook (early timing the flip).

 

With you rotting the body to swing down the third base line and feel like you are coming outside to inside this sort is the other option you have with a stuck club in the downswing, shoulder rotate open pulling the club into impact and you don't flip this way.

 

You can get into a stuck position on the way down multiple ways so if that is the problem, I am not 100% sure that it is, then you would probably need to get video or talk to an instructor about properly sequencing your swing model whatever it is. It might involve tweaking the backswing positions a little and leaving the downswing alone. It might be changing the downswing sequence and leaving the backswing alone. It just sounds like you are in a sequence of motion conflict here.

[ZenGolfer]

Thanks. I dont have access to a good video camera, so putting up a swing vid is kind of out of the question. Looks like maybe if this swinging to 3rd base thing doesnt work, I need to just open up the wallet and pay for some lessons.

[JMiller]

Thanks. I dont have access to a good video camera, so putting up a swing vid is kind of out of the question. Looks like maybe if this swinging to 3rd base thing doesnt work, I need to just open up the wallet and pay for some lessons.

 

Lessons are never a bad idea, it is rare for tour players to not have a "guru" of some kind may it be full swing, putting, short game or three different people for all of those. I think learning golf takes time and practice / patience.

 

I would recommend buying 5 lessons at a time, teaching professionals normally have a deal buy 4 get one free type of thing. Take only one lesson once every 2 to 4 weeks, this will allow you to focus on 1 or 2 things only and practice them, next time you go in then hopefully you show improvement in whatever you are working on and can start to work on 1 or 2 other things if you are confident enough with the changes.

 

When selecting an instructor don't be scared to ask them about their teaching philosophy and ask them what plan they would take based on your goals. Honestly, finding the right instructor for you is very important. You have to like that person and be willing to accept their advice. It is a lot easier on both of you when you as the student listens and asks meaningful questions that are productive. If you don't buy into a concept or doubt that it will work then you'll have conflicts in what the instructor is telling you and what you think you know. I don't do this for a living but, i wouldn't see the point as the instructor to have a student pay me to tell me what they know or what they think they know, not accepting the concepts / solutions that I am providing them.

 

So maybe even see if they will do a 15 or 30 min trial lesson to see if you enjoy their teaching style. Really at the end of the day you are their client and can take your business other places so if you are not satisfied don't force the issue. Interview them a little just like they will interview you in a way, I look at it more like a team of 2 then instructor / student there is some give and take in both directions a lot of times.

[ZenGolfer]

Thanks again. Ive been watching some videos on Youtube about getting stuck and I may be doing that.

It seems like they also preach the feel of the club exiting to the left (even say that if your divots go to the left a little thats OK) and keeping your hands in front of you and close at impact, so Im going to try that on my own and see if it helps.

[JMiller]

If you tell me where your arm is positioned compared to your shoulders at the top of the backswing looking in a mirror then I might be able to help out a little more=. Here is sort of the general template for the three swing planes, all of which are sequenced differently. This image belongs to Burnt Edges Consulting.

 

If you are the center or right stick figure then the hips have to laterally slide at the start of the downswing to allow the hands to drop. If the hips rotate first without the hands dropping that's when you get "stuck". That situation is normally something I would see i a lot of better players, they know the importance of the lower body starting the downswing, they just end up over cooking it a lot of times.

 

To relate the drawings to tour players:

Left Drawing ~ Arnold Palmer, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Tiger Woods (currently)

Middle Drawing ~ Adam Scott, Greg Norman, Charl Schwartzel, Luke Donald, Tiger Woods (Butch Harmon days)

Right Drawing ~ Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods (Before Butch)

 

There could be other things going on in the swing without seeing it or knowing what model you fit into, I am trying to keep what I am saying very general.

[ZenGolfer]

If you tell me where your arm is positioned compared to your shoulders at the top of the backswing looking in a mirror then I might be able to help out a little more=. Here is sort of the general template for the three swing planes, all of which are sequenced differently. This image belongs to Burnt Edges Consulting.

 

If you are the center or right stick figure then the hips have to laterally slide at the start of the downswing to allow the hands to drop. If the hips rotate first without the hands dropping that's when you get "stuck". That situation is normally something I would see i a lot of better players, they know the importance of the lower body starting the downswing, they just end up over cooking it a lot of times.

 

To relate the drawings to tour players:

Left Drawing ~ Arnold Palmer, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Justin Rose, Tiger Woods (currently)

Middle Drawing ~ Adam Scott, Greg Norman, Charl Schwartzel, Luke Donald, Tiger Woods (Butch Harmon days)

Right Drawing ~ Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods (Before Butch)

 

There could be other things going on in the swing without seeing it or knowing what model you fit into, I am trying to keep what I am saying very general.

Id say that Im probably the one on the left.

[RookieBlue7]

One quick drill I always make sure to do when I get to pulling it in too deep inside is to make one handed backswings with my left hand only holding the club (in right handed). Force yourself to take it straight back as far as possible (widen the arc on the backswing) and set it at the top. That's generally the thing that straightens me back out when I start doing this. Gets the feeling of getting the club in the correct position back. Then slowly work the other hand back onto the club. Setting it at the right spot at the top allows everything else to work in unison. Getting stuck inside is an Achilles heel of mine when I don't get to practice.

[ZenGolfer]

One quick drill I always make sure to do when I get to pulling it in too deep inside is to make one handed backswings with my left hand only holding the club (in right handed). Force yourself to take it straight back as far as possible (widen the arc on the backswing) and set it at the top. That's generally the thing that straightens me back out when I start doing this. Gets the feeling of getting the club in the correct position back. Then slowly work the other hand back onto the club. Setting it at the right spot at the top allows everything else to work in unison. Getting stuck inside is an Achilles heel of mine when I don't get to practice.

I think thats partly what Im doing. I feel like I have the tendency to hinge the club back shortly after I start my takeaway instend of hinging it up when the club is parallel to the ground.

The past couple days Ive been working on taking it more straight back, keeping the clubhead outside of my hands longer, along with keeping my hands close to in front of me coming through the ball and then feeling that Im exiting to the left just after impact.

In the past, I had worked on hitting from the inside in the hopes of hitting a draw and I think Id gotten to the point where I was too far from the inside. Then, when I learned how to shift my weight properly and that then put my path even more inside, so after a while I learned to flip the face shut through impact, which when my timing is on I can start the ball right and then hook it back into play but it makes me inconsistent and if I am off on my timing I either pull hook it or block it dead right.

If its a hole with a tight fairway when I dont have the room to block hook it, Im pretty much screwed.

[RookieBlue7]

The hinge point if the wrists in the back swing isn't an issue as big as it seems. It's really inconsequential in the grand scheme of things (this according to a class A instructor that I asked that very question about after I videoed my own swing to have a look at it).

[ZenGolfer]

Ok, so I played 9 hole today and now Im fading the ball. Ive never faded the ball in my life! I think now I just need to adjust my grip a bit so that I can start the ball left of my target and fade it back. Hit some really good shots today though, they just ended up right of my target because of the fade. I did hit a few blocks but every time I could feel like I was getting stuck (felt like it was causing by falling back into old, bad habits and taking the club inside on the takeaway) and was coming way from the inside.

[JMiller]

The hinge point if the wrists in the back swing isn't an issue as big as it seems. It's really inconsequential in the grand scheme of things (this according to a class A instructor that I asked that very question about after I videoed my own swing to have a look at it).

Absolutely, an early or late wrist set is a matter of preference. That is also my understanding and what I have been told from multiple sources that know a lot more about a golf swing then I do.

 

Ok, so I played 9 hole today and now Im fading the ball. Ive never faded the ball in my life! I think now I just need to adjust my grip a bit so that I can start the ball left of my target and fade it back.

 

Hit some really good shots today though, they just ended up right of my target because of the fade. I did hit a few blocks but every time I could feel like I was getting stuck (felt like it was causing by falling back into old, bad habits and taking the club inside on the takeaway) and was coming way from the inside.

Check posture at address, if you slouch this could also cause you to come inside. I hope you are not one of those people that feels they need to create a horizontal swing-plane and hanks the club inside as a result.

 

Verbalize your golf swing in a sequence of motion (completely stole this from Bruce Rearick), you should be able to describe your swing pretty well in 3 short sentences.

 

For example mine would be something like this for a RH golfer in a one-plane swing

1) left arm across the chest with shoulders passive

2) right hip clears

3) shoulders carry the arms to the top

 

 

I'm not sure that would help but I like to tell people to write down what they felt immediately after they make a really good swing. Carry a notepad and paper with you to the driving range. Write it down and memorize it. This will be your guide to fixing yourself when things go wrong, you just have to FEEL what your wrote in terms of a sequence of motion.

 

It is best to start with the backswing only then learn to time the weight transfer and downswing sequence for different shot shapes. I will provide this much in terms of shot shaping.

~ Arms lead the swing in a draw / hook

~ Body leads the swing in a fade / slice.