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Swing path issues

Posted in: Swing Tips and Golf Fitness

Ian Liggett Amateur
Go to Last Reply 146 Views 5 Replies 1 Like
Went out as a single this weekend, and joined up with a couple of nice gentlemen about halfway through the round. After I hit my approach shot to 18, one of them said "I love how you always set up closed and hit that nice little draw" or something to that effect. Obviously I was aware of my shot shape, but I was under the impression that I was setting up square. After a range session yesterday, I discovered that I was setting up WAY right of my target (I'm right-handed), meaning that my swing path is pretty significantly out to in compared to the alignment of my feet. It's (mostly) working for me at the moment, but I'd still like to fix it eventually. I'm asking for two things: 1) A drill/practice method for proper alignment, if anyone has suggestions other than repeatedly addressing the ball and laying down an alignment rod with my feet and see where it points. 2) Your favorite drill/method for fixing swing path errors. Thanks!
larryrsf Professional Champion
# 1 7/30/2013 8:29:47 PM
Teaching pros spend their day changing the setup of their students. They nearly always turn the handle inside their hands-- to open the clubface and move their hands slightly forward or vertical, up near their front leg. Then as the backswing starts the clubface should open-- and be vertical when the shaft is about horizontal, waist high. A really good drill is to exaggerate this-- really become conscious of the orientation of the toe of the club. See it open during the backswing, pointing up halfway back, then pointing to the target on top, then coming down open and finally squaring up through impact and then pointing straight up again after impact. Open it slightly at setup and surprise yourself that you will bring it closed at impact. Your brain knows. It does NOT understand a closed clubface anywhere-- and that is a big slice waiting to happen. Of course lessons are the best way to get this right and learn drills to ingrain it. Larry
Mark Simmons Legend
# 2 7/30/2013 10:21:40 PM
Ian, in answer to your first question... When you are ready to correct your stance, place your club across your thighs parallel to the ground and see where the club points. This is a quick way to check your stance and you can do it when you are playing (unlike alignment rods) until the new stance becomes ingrained. Start by doing this at the driving range and make sure you carefully watch your new ball flight. You might have to make further adjustments to your setup to get the ball flight you want. If you track your ball striking (are you getting ball first then ground solid contact in the sweet spot, or are you hitting it fat, thin, toward the heel or toe) and track the ball's starting direction and path, and report back there are several of us on here who can tell you what other adjustments, if any, you need to make.
Don Freeman Professional Champion
# 3 8/3/2013 8:31:18 AM
The only cure is lots of work. I just learned that Matt Kuchar sets up the same way as you do. Slightly closed. He has an over the top move that he is tired of fighting, so he compensates with the closed stance. The result is a slight pull/draw, and of course a little more distance because of that. He plays it well.

Ian Liggett

Amateur

Go to Last Reply

146 Views 5 Replies 1 Like

Went out as a single this weekend, and joined up with a couple of nice gentlemen about halfway through the round. After I hit my approach shot to 18, one of them said "I love how you always set up closed and hit that nice little draw" or something to that effect.

Obviously I was aware of my shot shape, but I was under the impression that I was setting up square. After a range session yesterday, I discovered that I was setting up WAY right of my target (I'm right-handed), meaning that my swing path is pretty significantly out to in compared to the alignment of my feet.

It's (mostly) working for me at the moment, but I'd still like to fix it eventually. I'm asking for two things:

1) A drill/practice method for proper alignment, if anyone has suggestions other than repeatedly addressing the ball and laying down an alignment rod with my feet and see where it points.

2) Your favorite drill/method for fixing swing path errors.

Thanks!

larryrsf

Professional Champion

# 1 7/30/2013 8:29:47 PM

Teaching pros spend their day changing the setup of their students. They nearly always turn the handle inside their hands-- to open the clubface and move their hands slightly forward or vertical, up near their front leg. Then as the backswing starts the clubface should open-- and be vertical when the shaft is about horizontal, waist high.

A really good drill is to exaggerate this-- really become conscious of the orientation of the toe of the club. See it open during the backswing, pointing up halfway back, then pointing to the target on top, then coming down open and finally squaring up through impact and then pointing straight up again after impact. Open it slightly at setup and surprise yourself that you will bring it closed at impact. Your brain knows.

It does NOT understand a closed clubface anywhere-- and that is a big slice waiting to happen.

Of course lessons are the best way to get this right and learn drills to ingrain it.

Larry

Mark Simmons

Legend

# 2 7/30/2013 10:21:40 PM

Ian, in answer to your first question...

When you are ready to correct your stance, place your club across your thighs parallel to the ground and see where the club points. This is a quick way to check your stance and you can do it when you are playing (unlike alignment rods) until the new stance becomes ingrained.

Start by doing this at the driving range and make sure you carefully watch your new ball flight. You might have to make further adjustments to your setup to get the ball flight you want. If you track your ball striking (are you getting ball first then ground solid contact in the sweet spot, or are you hitting it fat, thin, toward the heel or toe) and track the ball's starting direction and path, and report back there are several of us on here who can tell you what other adjustments, if any, you need to make.

Don Freeman

Professional Champion

# 3 8/3/2013 8:31:18 AM

The only cure is lots of work.
I just learned that Matt Kuchar sets up the same way as you do. Slightly closed. He has an over the top move that he is tired of fighting, so he compensates with the closed stance. The result is a slight pull/draw, and of course a little more distance because of that. He plays it well.

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