A question for all you golfers

[DallasFanatic]

I used to play golf fairly often about 10 years ago but then lost the game due to school, committments...blah blah blah.

Over the past couple years I have played sporadically and I have one jacked up swing. Here are a few symptoms of said swing:

Hip swaying and not turning
Fucking flat swing
Hitting 10 inches or more behind my ball when driving (well not 10 but close)

Anyone of you "pros" have some advice on some practice techniques that can remedy this horriffic swing?

Thanks in advance.

[Dinsdale]

Huh? You mean just because you were a decent golfer as a young man, it doesn't automatically come back to you as a less-athletic adult? NO WAY!

Sincerely,
Dinsdale and LongTimeListener2


Find a professional instructor, or your most knowledgable golfing buddy to help you out. Not what you wanted to hear, but the truth. Not that there isn't some extremely knowledgable people posting on this forum(unfortunately, I'm not one of them), but a picture's worth a thousand words....really.

If you need advice in the short-term, I'll offer this -- slow down. Try to drive it 150 yards stright up the middle, and increase your speed gradually. It's difficult to do if your glands produce any amount of testosterone, but it WILL help. Bear in mind, that if you draw a plane through your body at the club angle, the shaft should never leave it. If you concentrate on the take-away, the rest will come naturally. The takeaway is the first few inches you take the clubface back from the "adressed" ball. If the club goes back perfectly straight, it's not too tough to keep the club "in plane," as long as you keep it slow.

OK, that's about all I have for you. Hope it helps. I'm sure some of the experts (sup not me) might have some more tips for you here when they read this.

Regardless, keep us updated and let us know how your progress is coming.

[BSmack]

I can't add much more to what Dins said. But if you feel the need to pick up a book or two on the subject, I'd start with Hogan's "The Modern Fundementals of Golf". The illustrations of the proper grip, stance and plane are timeless.

[indyfrisco]

I suggest drinknig a 6-pack and then trying to golf.

My swing always seems to get better after a 6-pack. It's the fall to temptation to the second 6-pack that makes my swing worse.

[Dinsdale]

I'm pretty sure IF and I would have a hell of a time golfing. When you actually have trouble standing over your ball without swaying, it's time to slow down to a beer every other hole.

I do suggest smoking some marijuana, if you're not morally opposed, too. Doesn't help my game, but I giggle like a schoolgirl when I splash one down in the lake.

[indyfrisco]

PLaying today after work. Will try to squeeze in 18. Playing with my cousin-in-law-to-be. He's a big fucker. 6'6" and all muscle. Was the punter at Idaho a couple years ago. Anyhow, he and I slow it down by putting two huge pinches of Copenhagen in our lip.

I'll be stopping off at the liquor store on the way to the course to get some Jack and Coke for the course. Great thing about my course is they have ice chests full of ice every 3rd hole. I just pick up a cup at the clubhouse and make fresh drinks all round long.

Should be a long day in the office tomorrow after I get tanked today and then have to sleep on the couch because the preggo wife locks me out of the bedroom.

[Dinsdale]

I've posted this 1000 times, so 1 more won't hurt --



Since it's a special occasion, I'm hitting the Edge. We pull out all of the stops on this badboy. It isn't a party until someone falls over midswing. Put it this way -- a buddy of mine hit a tee shot (at a 60 yard hole, no less) so badly, that it went about 90 degrees sideways, and into one of the bars. Dude isn't gone 30 seconds, comes out of the door with a blond skank in heels, and gets some off her in between holes....or greens....or however you'd phrase that.

Because that is how we roll at the Edgefield.

[indyfrisco]

Women don't belong on the golf course unless they ARE the golf course.

[BSmack]

Women don't belong on the golf course unless they ARE the golf course.

I'll tell that to the LPGA stars I'll be watching this weekend at the Rochester Tour stop. I'm sure they'll be impressed. :wink:

[indyfrisco]

I haven't seen one WOMAN on the LPGA. Most of them look like that roided out girl scout on Dodgeball.

[BSmack]

I haven't seen one WOMAN on the LPGA. Most of them look like that roided out girl scout on Dodgeball.

You're on drugs. And I'll be sure to tell Natalie Gulbis and Kelli Kuehne that when I see them. Have you even been to an LPGA event?

[Rushville]

I used to play golf fairly often about 10 years ago but then lost the game due to school, committments...blah blah blah.

Over the past couple years I have played sporadically and I have one jacked up swing. Here are a few symptoms of said swing:

Hip swaying and not turning
Fucking flat swing
Hitting 10 inches or more behind my ball when driving (well not 10 but close)

Anyone of you "pros" have some advice on some practice techniques that can remedy this horriffic swing?

Thanks in advance.

Without being able to watch you swing, I can't ensure the success of this advice. But going off of the symptoms you describe, here's what I would suggest....

These problems are all separate from each other so let's fix them one at a time.

1.) Start with the fucking flat swing. Without hitting balls, just swing and focus on taking the club back to the proper position at the top. That position is when you have the shaft of the club close to paralell to the gound, pointed at the target. When you get to the top, stop and take a look at your forearms. If you would draw an imaginary line from one elbow to the other, that line and your forearms should make an equilateral triangle, with that line between your elbows also being parallel to the ground.

If someone was standing behind you, your forearms should look like this at the top... " /\ " ...And the shaft of the club would then be pointing at the target right over your right shoulder.

If your swing is fucking flat, they probably look like this... " |\ " or worse with the shaft pointing somewhere out into space behind your back.

This will be a big change so take a lot of swings without hitting balls because it will take a long time to get used to this new move. Ideally, if you have access to a range with mats and rubber tees, practice this new takaway while hitting the tee as if it's a ball.


2.) Next let's tackle the hitting behind the ball.

Typically when people tell me this, it means you arms and body aren't working together. And your claim of swaying instead of turning is further evidence of this being true. So let's link your arms and body back together and it may, in turn, help the swaying. The rest of the golfers in here are about to call me a broken record, but I have yet to see this not work.

Take two headcovers and tuck them under your armpits. Then take 3/4 swings in which you only take the club back until the shaft is pointed at the sky, and then follow through to the same point. Again, start doing this without hitting balls, Take swings like this for a few minutes. Then take the headcovers out try 10 or 15 balls while still taking 3/4 swings. After a few bad shots due to the "new" feeling of this, you should start to begin making more consistent contact with the ball.


3.) As for the swaying, the headcover tuck drill, may help with that. However, if it doesn't, we'd have to get a more detailed description. Do you sway back AND through? Do you turn back and sway through? Or do you sway back and turn though? This could be something you can fix just by focussing on it. And to do so, even when hitting balls at the range, take a practice swing before each ball. During that practice swing, focus all you attention to turning your body instead of swaying. The when you step over the ball, just let it happen.

If mental focus doesn't help that problem. I would check your feet at address. Are your toes open or are they perpendicular to the target line. If they are open, that is promoting your swaying. I would then try closing them so they are perpendicular.

I gave a lesson to a guy a few weeks ago who told me he had trouble slicing. And he said he had made an adjustment through the advice of a friend to help but it just made it worse. He was cutting across the ball at first. But then his friend told him to open his left foot as if that was going to help him square his clubface at contact. Well, that did make the slicing problem worse because now, he was not only cutting across the ball, but his open left foot was now promoting his hips to sway through the ball.

I had him close his left foot back to perpindicular and we took the loop out of his back swing by tucking just one headcover under his right arm. 5 minutes later... straight shots. I love it when people look back at me with that look of amazement when they hit the ball the straight for the first time in who knows how long.

[DallasFanatic]

Right on fellas. Thanks for all the advice. I'll take it with me to the range this weekend and work on this poor excuse of a golf game. Hey Rush, when I launch my first 280 yard (straight) drive I'll send you a little gift.

Thanks again guys.

[Dinsdale]

I'm sure some of the experts might have some more tips for you here when they read this.

RACK me!

This thread is further evidence of my genius. Did I call it, or did I call it?

I just can't give myself enough credit here.

Oh, I guess Rushville should get a little credit, too :winkywinky: .