I am working on some things, experimenting with some feels and seeing the results. I am posting last week’s and this week’s swings and you might see many differences, or just a few.
My goal is to find a feel, through some trial and error, where I am able to release the club while having everything work in sync. This will allow me to forget about the swing and just focus on playing golf and scoring.
As usual, I welcome all of your thoughts and opinions and I will give mine tomorrow. I will tell you some of the changes I made…or thought that I did.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYtdV4NG9Vk]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OdRhqJhQFY]
Streaming Video Series
Your 4/11 posture seemed much more rigid. More squat, tension not as free flowing. On 4/18 you seemed to stand taller and be able to power through to the left side more fluidly and with greater speed.
I am really looking forward how this swing will do on the Nationwide. We want every single hole in detail then!
Looks good. It looks like there is a little “jump” at the ball instead of a smooth ever accelerating turn into the ball. Just out of curiosity, were you hitting a fade with that shot?
I wonder if the video was taken at the same time in the session, same stretching & warm-ups.
The first one seemed just a tiny bit more jerky.
The later one was very smooth and flowing.
In the 2nd one, the chick beside you was all arms.
They were taken a week apart. It was colder on the first day.
Were you going after it a little harder with the most recent swing? Your left foot is turned more towards the target than last week. Also, can we see some iron shots and many some different wedge shots?
Most of us are pulling for you!
I think you lifted the club a bit with your arms in the new video.
I guess it was your intention to produce a steeper takeaway in order to be in a better position on top?! To me this looks a bit artificial but i´m not an expert ;-). Furthermore it seems to me like your pulling the club down from your position on top…this maybe allright if you´re on plane but if I did that I´d come to the ball way from the inside. However I´m not sure about that second point. It´s hard to get everything on a youtube video. If you feel like your tempo and rythm was good, than I think this new position on top is very good.
I´m looking forward to seeing your view of this swing =)
Gunnar
Monte, do you think that a takeaway on plain is not possible with a clean shoulder turn? Do the arms have to lift the clubs all the time through the back swing in order to get on a good position on top?
Gunnar you got the same eye I do for that takeaway, but I see a difference here in his body turn also.
In his older swing he has a bit of a hitch move of his shoulders starting the swing first. With his newer takeaway it’s put him in a bit higher position and it looks like he is able to drop his right shoulder much more down plane to start the swing than OUT as he previously was doing.
If I were to venture a guess his intention for these new swings was to keep his right elbow above the left as he took the club back.
To Gunnar and Steve. Nice observations. My intents will be clear in tomorrow’s post.
Someone is working on their takeaway. 😀
I think your swing looks great. I can’t wait to follow your adventure at Q School.
Sorry to change the subject a bit, but have you ever done a “What’s in the Bag”? I’d love to know about the clubs you use including the length of your driver shaft and the flex, the distances for each club, whether or not you used any hybrids, etc. Just a thought.
Good luck next month.
I have all Titleist. Will be more specific in a post soon.
Monte do you try to replicate “game” conditions on the range with your routine with each swing? I thought you might because you keep the pile of balls behind the rope so you have to move to get a ball instead of just standing in one spot. But I noticed that you never looked at your target at address and I imagine you do during a “real” swing.
I have the balls behind me so i don’t rapid fire them. I do replicate game conditions when i nhit balls, but not when I am working on something.
Monte,
Can you talk a little bit more about what you mean by lifting your arms in your take away? I know I have asked you before about this, but I think I am still confused and it sounds like others are as well. It seems to me we *have* to lift our arms in the takeway in order to get to the correct position at the top of the swing. The arms form less than a 90 degree angle to the body (measured at the arm pit) at address. At the top they are 90 degrees or a little over 90 degrees assuming they lie along or just above the shoulder line. This angle can only be changed by lifting the arms. Is the key to have this arm lift synchronized with the shoulder turn or am I way off?
That being said, I see in the video that your arms start in a bit and then curve up toward the top. Could this be because your arm lift isn’t synched with your shoulder turn?
Thanks,
Christian
I will have something on this in tomorrow’s post. If you want even more clarification, then ask me after you see what i write tomorrow.
Yes, you are correct. My shoulder turn and arms aren’t quite right.
Monte,
have a look here. I made a comparison of the 2 down-the line swings.
http://picasaweb.google.de/Bunkerdude58/Golffotos#5462263444898771954
Nick
Great pictures Nick.
4/11 swing: Seemed like you had a little higher hands at address and came back a little more inside.
Looked a little stiff.
4/18 swing: Lower hands. Clubhead perfectly on plane to top. Maybe a tad laid off. Much more fluid.
It looked like a little head slump after the second shot like you didn’t care for it.:)
Awesome observations. You will see in tomorrow’s post that your were correct.
On the 4/18 video, your hips rotated a bit more on the backswing on the first swing than on the second swing. You were a hair more laid off at the top on the second swing.
Having a golf swing you can manage is about finding the side you can play from so you don’t have to be perfect. I am better laid off than across the line.
Looks much better. I can sit here and nitpick the heck outta it but a great golf swing doesn’t mean your going to be a great player.
You and I agree.
More hip turn in 4/18.
If you can get rid of the Fairlee in your swing you will be just fine.
What’s a fairlee? Do you mean foralay? “Which foralay across her snowy breast”: Spenser.
Hi Monte, hope I’m not to late with my critique. Hard to tell in the video, but it seems to me like your setting up with your hips a little open in the 1st video, maybe the camera angle. It also looks like you might be reaching for the ball a little in both videos, not letting the arms hang naturally in your setup.
At the top of the backswing, it looks like your left wrist is maybe a little too bowed, but if your getting the desired ball flight, then it’s not a problem.
Impact position in the 2nd video is great, very dynamic, I love being able to see the space between the forearms at impact.
Just going from a video is difficult, seeing the ballflight would help in knowing what might help your swing. The face angle at impact is very hard to see in a video.
Cheese,
The first swing looks a little inside then up at the top, with a little bit of a funny move to rout it back on plane. Your second looks on plane better and all through the backswing and the transition in much better. Pretty good for big foots brother!
Here is my response.
LINK