Found My Swing - Shorten Backswing.

Played a round for my league today, +3 through 8 holes. Couldn't keep the consistency with my swing, until I realized I was overswinging. I've never been able to drive the ball consistent, was hitting hooks,slices,draws and fades for those first 9.

I was getting a bit frustrated, and I discpline myself that if I do ever get frustrated on the course, that means something has to be changed drastically. My change...shorten my backswing. On every shot for the rest of the round, I shortened my backswing to parallel. The results were fantastic, I drove the ball straighter and longer. My iron shots were all crisp and I knew the ball was compressed everytime I made contact.

I don't know if it has been discussed, but it's amazing by just shortening the backswing, how much good it actually does and how the yardage is still exactly the same, possibly longer. Does anyone do this when they're having a rough round?

Btw, shot 38 on front and 33 on the back for a nice 71 , came up 5 inches short of a hole in one too.

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Good for you! Not many people can "find" their swing in the middle of a game. I agree with you, if you shorten your backswing the swing is more compact and you don't lose any distance. Ben Hogan used to shorten his thumb (left hand) not let it extend down the club and it had the effect of shortening his backswing. On this topic Leadbetter wrote in Golf Digest, earlier this month....

Considering the power that young players are now generating, I believe that golf swings in the future will be shorter and more compact. This will aid in greater consistency and control without sacrificing distance. The strength these young athletes have enables them to hit the ball vast distances with a simple, compact swing. Two examples are 24-year-old J.B. Holmes (second on the PGA Tour in driving distance, averaging 315 yards off the tee) and 16-year-old phenom Michelle Wie, who routinely hits 300-yard drives.
The average player can also benefit from the shortened backswing. Less wasted motion leads to more consistency and greater repeatability. In baseball, it's very easy to produce a simple, repeating motion because the backswing is only about a foot long.
In your golf swing, as long as you have a reasonably full shoulder turn and a full wrist cock, your left arm only has to go back to about 10 o'clock (above, right). But don't hurry your downswing as a result of a shorter backswing. When practicing, alternate between a 7-iron and a driver to get the feel for a shorter swing.


James
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GREAT SCORING MATT
you da man

thanks for the article James, I agree with the downsing - that is what I'm going to work on, but the most important for me is the setup without a doubt, it's safe to say that that has helped me out significantly and has enabled me to drop strokes like flies.

Shootin, you da man, and you know it

Hi,

Swinging back to parallel is not a shortened swing it is the maximum you should achieve (Although it may be shortened against what you normally do). Much of the downswing does gather momentum but mainly positions the club correctly so that it can be released with power in the later part.

IMO, Holmes and Wie are not very good examples of players with short backswing (they are probably students to him, that's why he mentions them). Two long hitters that have very short backswings are Camilo Villegas and Johan Edfors.

--
Regards, Peter

I have exactly the same problem, the further into my round I go the longer the backswing gets or if I need to put a long one out there. I have been working hard on this and now im not only hitting it better but I am a lot calmer over the ball, there is no big heave from the top to smash the cover off the ball. A lot of golfers would do far better listening to our experiences and trying to put them into practice but I fear the urge to welly it lives deep inside most of us. Well played Matt

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I'm hitting so much further due to a shortened backswing. To clarify what I do, I set my wrists very early and move the club in a quite upright motion, and my arms stop at 2 o clock and my club is at 10 o clock. I then drive through with my right hand and hips to a full follow through.

Can you clarify please: Where is 12 0 clock?

I thought I'd confuse people. I'm right handed. 12 is above my head. If I held my hands out horizontal, my right hand would be at 3 o clock, and my left at 9. I'm using the clock back to front aren't I.

Forget what I said, my arms point at 10 o clock, and my club points at 2 o clock, in the direction of the target.

I think it's either Geoff Ogilvy or Luke Donald (can't remember which exactly) who has a very compact back swing. He also holds the finish position very beautifully even though you might expect a shorter followthrough to match the compact backswing Very nice...

Two senior pro's on the PGA that come to mind are Dana Quigley and Allen Doyle. Allen had to learn to play with a short backswing because he lived in a colder part of the northeastern USA. He would practice in the basement of his boyhood home. The basement would not allow a full swing because of the low ceiling. He does quite well with a shorten backswing. Myself I use a short backswing with my irons (scoring clubs) because I feel that I have better control and accuracy. I have not tried it with my woods, however.

Yes, Geoff Ogilvy I believe is the one I think about when it's compact, I could be wrong though.

GS, try it with your woods and drivers, it does wonders. I am hitting my driver straight as a whistle now - it's probably the best feeling to actually have the ball go exactly where I want it.

I will have to try it. Do you still make a full shoulder turn (i.e 90 degrees or more)?
Seeker

matt, I am waiting for the post that says
"Hey guys I somehow made it on tour, I was drinking one night and a buddy of mine dared me to try out in a qulifier, well I shot a 64 in the qualifier and now I am playing in a tour event later this week, anyone got any tips"

about the short backswing. If you set up without a club and turn your body to the top of the backswing while keeping your spine angle and tush line, then while at the top you have someone hand you a club and you put it in your hands and put that in position, you should strive to swing back just short of there because the momentum will carry you to there. look at jason gore, he has a short backswing. If you swing back further then that your momentum will beigin to pull you out of your spine angle which may have been happening to you untill you shortened it up.


some people look at john daly and think he is a freak, which he is but not quite as much as people think. how does he swing so far back and not come out of his spine angle? for one look at his arms, they do not stay out in front of his chest at all, his right elbow flies as much as any right elbow can and at the top his hands are behind his head. Two, he lifts his left foot which enables more turn of the hips, which allows more turn of the shoulders. three, he flares his rear foot out a little which also enables more hip/shoulder turn. four, he is pretty flexible so he does get a lot of turn.

SO when you add all four up you get a very long backswing. but if you make his rear foot perpendicular to the target line at address, keep the left heel down, and keep the hands in front of the chest more instead of wrapping around, daly would barely go past parallel.
went a little off topic but just throwing out some info

So matt, what is the handicap at now?