Rate my Swing... Please!

Well after sticking with the "Changed" Address/Swing, I've managed to shoot 48 for 9 holes.
Last week it was 60, had a shocker. So I'm on the improve.
Didn't hit a bad iron shot all day, just have to work on my short game and learn to work with my driver fade and we'll be well on the way to breaking into the high 30's
Also got my pre-shot routine down pat. Makes a big difference that Waggle!

Cheers

Darran

48 for 9 holes with that swing???? Are you putting with your driver and driving with your putter?????

I see a bit of lifting in your swing. Your spine angle does seem rise up. All in all, looks pretty darn good.

So.....how many 3 putts? How many chips from INSIDE 20 yards did not get to INSIDE 8 feet? How many chunked chips? How many putts OVER 30 feet did you leave >8 feet from the hole (lag putting)? To me, those stats are key in lowering your handicap fast. You are going to miss greens, its how you do from around the green that makes you score well.

Shot 74 yesterday. 1/1 sand saves, 4/5 on <5 footers for par. If I didn't hit a drive into the water, I would have shot 72 (71 being par on this course). I saved myself 3-4 strokes on the average golfer for having good chipping and lagging skills. Work on it!

__________________
What's in my bag....
Cleveland VP 2 Blade Putter
Ping Tour Wedges, 54 & 60
TaylorMade rac LT2, 4i thru PW
Tour Edge Exotics Iron-Wood 21* 3i - Aldila NV 90 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 18* 5 Wood - ProLaunch Blue 75 Stiff Shaft
Ping G5 15* 3 Wood - Aldila NV 75 Stiff Shaft
Cleveland HiBore XL 9.5* - Fujikura Fit-On Red Stiff Shaft

Hi Darran

Absolutely no problem with the address.

One thing I noticed on the earlier videos was that you were swinging slightly from out to in. On those earlier vids, it's possible to pause just before impact and you'll see what I mean (the clubhead is tending to be slightly outside the line of the ball).

I've tried to pause the latest videos but can't hit the right spot. My sense is, though, that you're now coming into the ball a bit more from the inside which is good.

All the best.

Last week I had 3x 3 Putts. I've found I seem to leave the putts bloody short- Only making it halfway to the hole. Line is fine, and when I hit the bloody thing hard enough they're within a foot/in the hole each time.

Chipping/Pitching was a big problem- Chunking it, or hitting on top of the ball (The usual symptoms when one lifts their head). Probably getting a bit too wristy, so I've been out in the backyard having a practice.
Shot selection plays a big part. I'm hitting a SW/PW where I should really hit a 9I and run it up to the hole.

Can't seem to hit my Hybrids well at all either, anyone else have a problem with them?
I'm a big 3I and 4I fan (I love a well hit 4Iron), so I'll probably replace the Hybrids with conventional irons in the next week or so.

As I said to my missus, if I could cut the short game altogether, I'd be right!

Thanks for the advice and encouragment.

Cheers

Darran

Went for 9 holes this morning.
Putting- 9/10 Improved well. Not a 3 putt in sight. Line was only off on the odd occasion. Was very happy overall.

Chipping/Pitching- 8/10 Also improved over last round. All shots made the green within 6-10ft of the hole.

Hybrids- Only hit one hybrid shot today, and hit it well. They might just stay in the bag afterall.

Driving/Fairway Woods- 5/10 A mate gave me a high tee to try today.... No good at all! Am currently using an Orange Step Tee with 90% success, so I'm sticking to that.
Hit some nice 3W's off the fairway. Long and straight!

Won the pinshot on Hole 9. Hit a 9I 130mt and landed it within 3 foot of the hole. Quite happy with that!
Lost 2 balls thanks to the wayward drives with the big tees. Both on the beach.

The breeze literally blew me around today. Had to take almost 3 clubs more than I usually would.

Cheers

Don't base it one shot, bud - base it on 50, but not on the range, on the course. Also, it might be worth differentiating between trouble hitting it off the tee, and off the deck.

Hey - there's no rule saying high 'cappers have to have hybrids - do what makes sense, and if you hit irons well, there's no quesiton you should have them instead, but remember that one of the benefits of hybrids is how many 'bases you cover' - bunkers, rough, tee shots, etc.

Good luck and enjoy your game. Nice swing, BTW One day, when I grow up, I'm going to have a follow-through like that...

__________________
~_~_~_~_~
Personal bests 2007;
Best 18: 78 (+12)
Best 9: 37 (+4)
Best Stableford: 45 pts
Best total putts: 28
Best total length sunk putts (ft): 54

Club tourney history this year: Captain's Day - 1st; Club foursomes - 2nd; Dimex Stableford - 2nd; Club Championship - 13/28 gross, joint 5/28 nett; Ferebee Shield - 2nd; Sept Medal 2nd; Autumn Stableford - 1st

Another quick update, went for 9 holes on the weekend. Shot another 48.

Putting- 8/10 Once again, not a 3 putt in sight. Greens had just been aerated, which made it bloody hard to judge the speed. Went well with the long distance putts.

Chipping/Pitching- 5/10 Still leaving the pitches short, more focus required when playing the pitch/chip.
When I got them right, I was barely 3 foot away from the hole.

Hybrids- 10/10! Hit two hybrid shots today, both from the fairway. Took some advice and hit them like a wood. Worked very well.

Driving/Fairway Woods- 8/10 Still a few wayward drives, but didn't lose any on the beach this week. Hit a 5W from the fairway and it went well.

Irons- 5/10 Need to work on getting my club selection correct. Didn't seem to take enough club all day. Off to the practice range with the notebook.

I need to start playing a bit smarter. I'd hit my best drive of the day and I then have to contend with a tree on the dogleg, instead of aiming slightly right and taking it out of play.

Still not a full member of the club yet, once that happens I will hit the course more frequently.
I'm also peeling the pounds off as well, which can only help!

Cheers

Darran

G'day everyone,

Long time no post.... Too wet for golf, starting to dry out a bit now.
Have adjusted my swing AGAIN.... Gone back to a conventional address, and have adopted a slow and low takeaway for all clubs.
It's made a big difference in direction. All of the iron shots are now on-target, and little to no mis-hits whatsoever.
Hybrids are still going well, but I've thrown a 3 iron back in there just in-case.
Driver.... Well I've played here for over 6 months, and I can honestly say I'm hitting them further than ever! Misshits are also at an all-time low. I'm now used to the natural fade my swing produces, so I allow for it!

Can anyone recommend a good golf-ball for high wind areas?

Cheers

Darran

Par for the course is 35. Went out today and shot 46. Overall I'm quite happy. Tried a Srixon Soft Feel, and it worked well.

Driver/Woods- 9.9/10
Only buggered one drive, on hole number 6. Recovered well to make bogey. Hit some absolute monsters today, 3w worked well off the fairway too.

Irons- 7/10
Direction seems to be a small issue, still hitting left on some occasions. No problem with ball striking. Not one miss-hit iron shot all day.

Putting- 8/10
3 Putted the first hole, then began concentrating and putted the best I have for 9 months. On the improve for sure.

Cheers

Darran

You want less spin in the wind.

Pretty much. It's always blowing a bloody gale here, and can really become a problem with my fade.

Cheers

Swing looks pretty good to me i thing that stands out for me is possibly turning the left foot out a bit (could be due to camera angle) may help you clear the hips easier. I suspect your bad shots are pull left or hooks due to your right foot rolling over.

I'll update the thread with my current swing tomorrow night. Am heading to the range with the camera this time.

Cheers

Darran

Darran,

Thats a very nice swing. Well done.

What were you aimed at? The large tree in the right middle of the picture?
What is your desired ball flight? What are common bad shots you make that you'd like to elimanate? Answers to those questions would help people in knowing what to suggest to you, and what not to suggest.

From a down the line view it looks like your feet, hips, and knees are aligned out to the right, and your shoulders and elbows are aligned to the left. Are those things you are aware of and do on purpose in your swing?
In the face on view it looks like your spine is tilted slightly toward the target and your ball position may be a little far back in your stance.


The same as with your driver your lower body alignment appears to be to the right while the upper body is aligned further to the left. Also like your driver your spine looks to be tilted slightly toward the target, and your ball might be a little more back in the stance than desired.

In the future if you have the chance try to find a way to keep the camera stationary while filming (a tripod being the prefered method ). Its difficult to evaluate the swing when you draw a line on the picture and then the camera moves (changing what the line covers). Also when filming try to position the camera so that it is at belt buckle height and lines up with your belt buckle at setup from face on, and is positioned half way between your stance and the ball from down the line since those are the best angles to evaluate the swing.