Practise Swing Feels Good

Hi all

I've just joined this golf user group and I've already found heaps of useful tips. I do have a question though. Before I hit the ball I always take a practise swing ( this applies to the range and the course) and I always find that the practise swing feels great. But when I approach the ball and begin my address everything starts to feel wrong from the grip to the back swing and finally at contact. Is this a common problem with new golfers or is it just me??

Ray

Ray,

You have just touched on the difference between a Pro and a hacker............. The Pro hit the ball with the practice swing a hacker get tense, looses his mind, talks to himself, gets blurred vision, lump in the throat and finally misses the ball.

Welcome to Golf and the never ending search for the practice swing hit.



Ian.

p.s every now and then it will happen that's why we keep playing.

Just remember - play like you practice. That is, when you take your practice swing, you are not trying to hit a ball, you are swinging through the impact zone. Try the same thing when you have addressed the ball - don't try to hit the ball, swing THROUGH the ball.

To help yourself, try to make your practice swing feel and work as much like your actual swing as possible.

Line up to something on the ground (leaf, acorn, light spot in the grass, whatever). Setup around that spot the same way you would the ball.

Take your practice cut.

Then, since your practice swing felt divine, go through the same thing, but setup to your ball.

A guy I know often closes his eyes once he's setup - the logic is he can't hit what he can't see, so he just has to swing away, free and easy.

__________________
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For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

I usually get people I am instructing to do this at the range. I do know some who close their eyes just before impact, but it is not don't consciously and not recommended.

Swinging with your eyes closed works extremely well for people who have trouble with stoping after impact while chipping and putting.

Thanks for the tips, I'll try them out this weekend at the range.

I do notice that when I have a practise swing I "swing the club" but when I try to hit the ball I'm trying to "hit the ball" rather than swing, could that be part of the problem as well?

and can I add that this forum is a FANTASTIC idea. It supplies great, speedy and friendly advise.

Ray

Yes - that is what I was saying in my first post:

Best of luck and let us know how things went for you!

I was swinging rather than trying to hit the ball on the course today. Shot 96 (i'm happy with that ). I still laps back to the old " hit the ball routine" every now and then but most of the shots were swings.

Thanks for the tip Gord, and by the way are there any drills to help focus on swinging and not hitting the ball?

Ray

Get a book from Mike Hebron called "GOLF SWING SECRETS AND LIES" http://mikehebron.com. I seen it at our library as well. This guy insists he "how to" advice never works. What beginners need most of all is "awareness" of how a golf club actually works, where the shaft, face and head of the club have to be AT IMPACT with the ball. This book is one of the best books I've ever read (you have to over-look the American spelling and grammatical mistakes though. He shows pictures of various golfers throughout the past 100 years and how similar their swings are in order to prove that the physics of golf and design of the golf club etc require the ball to be struck in a particular manner.

Just remember this: The club head must be BEHIND the hands at impact. This is how the club is designed to work, always has always will. If your hands don't keep up with the club head, the head looses stability.

Due to how the ball compresses at impact and stays in contact with the clubhead for an instant as the head moves through the swing, if you hit the ball at 3 oclock on the ball (9 oclock is pointing to the target) the ball will go initially left then slice right. The ball should be struck at 4 oclock on the ball so that as the ball compresses and then decompresses by the time the ball is actually moving it will be going towards 9 o'clock, not 8 o'clock.

Keep you eyes on that precise point on the ball as you do your take away and swing through this point, then look over as the ball travels away to the target. If you watch a precise point on the ball, you will be less likely to move your body and your swing off-plane.

I'm no PGA instructor, but this information combined with the lessons I took from an instructor that follwed Hebrons advice has made an enormous difference in the way I approach golf. Golf is a game where you have to figure it out for yourself in the end -- you have to hit the ball yourself -- no one can do it for you.

James

I have to admit that I'm one who used to do the same thing. With myself it was a fear that a sweet swing would be a poor shot. So I would swing bad and have a reason for bad shots. Once I trusted my swing I was able to swing the same swing with a ball infront of me.

Ive never had the problem with a full shot but with chips and putts I know exactly what your talking about. I go from have a nice smooth backswing to a short stabby piece of **** that goes no way near where its meant too- bloody annoying!

Trying the drills put forward and they are helping!

I've also bought new gloves that fit like a glove ( ha ha get it ) and I've noticed a huge improvement in my swing when hitting the ball. I'm now not sure if part of my problem was to do with an ill fitting glove ( it was too big ).

I 'm getting good confident hits with the shorter clubs (sw to about 6i) but still struggle with the longer clubs. The handle feels like they are rolling around in my hands at or just before contact.

Any thoughts?

The glove will make a difference if it does not fit correctly - you generally tend to grip too hard then and that limits the release at impact.

Describe your ball flight pattern (high or low, starts straight, left or right and turns right, left or goes straight) so that I can better understand your problem. Also, do you take a divot? If so, which direction do your divots point?

Thanks Gord I will try and provide some info about my ball flight and divot asap. However I need to pack my bags as I will be in China for about a week.

I will be playing as the Mission Hills Golf Club (180 championship holes), have you heard any reviews on it?

Ray

Gord,

I feel like I make good contact, but am not getting any distance., 6 iron about 135 yards.. I also feel like I am "slapping" at the ball and not completing my swing. I hit a straignt ball with an occasional pull or push. Any input.