COMMUNITY

Last four photos of the swing sequence...

I like the line from the building right over your head at beginning of the swing.. it can tell you alot.. Look at where you finish up.. your head is still on the line.. that is a good indicator that you are not swaying off the ball.. if you did, you wound up in same spot.. The only thing i would suggest is.. you see your little "chicken wing elbow at the end of swing?? This is a "hang on" kind of shot.. your wrists aren't getting through .. maybe because of your grip..looks like you have a strong right hand grip and a weak left hand grip... get both Vs (thumb and first finger) pointing to right nipple... make sense??

Jon gave you a great observation about the head staying still. The weight shift is probably the cause of the club not getting parallel at the top. In the video you don't really have a transition at the top Dave so the weight shift doesn't allow you to get square at impact and makes your swing a bit more steep.

Try that silent 1-2-3 count in your head as you take the club back. 1 is set up on ball; 2 is top of swing (try not to be so quick at the top); and 3 is impact. You do "chicken wing" a bit but just keep that left arm as straight as you can. Open your left foot at set up about 15 more degrees to help promote more hip turn. Tempo is key... keep it slow.

Thanks for your observations and suggestions! Yes, I have been working on my grip lately. I have worked on left hand V to my chin and RH V to my right shoulder. I will try both Vs to the shoulder when I hit the range tonight. Would you also recommend this kind of stronger grip with a 3 wood?

And after you slam the ball right down the middle be sure to reach around and remove that wedgie.

Thanks Jay. If I understand you correctly, you are advocating more of a weight shift in the downswing, is that right? As opposed to on the backswing.

lol yes - I will do whatever it takes. :)

Grips are like women... stick with one.. don't switch.. it will get you in trouble... same grip for all clubs.. putter is debatable..

Yes, your weight is hanging back a bit and you need a little shift to the middle. Getting the club more parallel at the top will help that.

Also, ignore what Vince says and you will typically be better off.

Jay is on to something. Opening your front foot will help you make more turn and get the club down the line. But to me, it looks like your upper body is starting your downswing instead of your lower half. When your hands start down first, the tendency is to be steep and/or release them too early. That's what you see in frames 7 and 8. This usually leads to the hands being behind the ball at impact results in slices or high fades. To keep yourself from hitting slices, you break down your left arm to get your hands back in front of the ball at impact and let your hips catch up. If your timing is good enough you can hit the ball straight but you are probably missing some length. This was my biggest problem for a long time because I was swinging much harder and my hands would get ahead of me. When I learned about the swing sequence and swinging from the ground up I got much straighter and longer.

When you make your full turn back, pause and practice bumping your left hip and knee toward the target. You will feel how it triggers your upper half to start the downswing. Next is to try to feel your abdomen turning your shoulders towards the ball. This combination is what gets you clear of your hips, creates club lag/speed and generates length. Next is to "stay connected at the top." This means swing with your torso and the arms/hands will follow (if they are in the right position). Try placing a hand towel under your left armpit while you swing. If it drops before you finish (like your last frame) you aren't staying connected but rather "chicken winging." The towel should fall out in front or on the left side of you at the finish. If your lower body is leading you, it will be much easier to stay connected through the swing.

The towel drill and the 9-3 drill are ones I do nearly every range session because they make me visualize and feel like my hips and torso are doing the work. Not my arms and hands.

Hope you dont mind the swing critique. Good Luck

You guys are the best! I'm going to keep working and will update periodically with my progress. I appreciate all of your feedback and advice.

I was only trying to point out that when one swings with enough effort is is possible to create such force as to suck your own drawers between the cheeks. I ment it as a compliment.

You are full of the stuff that comes out of that crack that I'm pulling!