Golf Lesson 2: Let’s get turnt
I have an over-the-top swing.
My attack angle to the ball was over a negative ten on the trackman, which is not good, borderline horrific. While there are multiple contributing factors to this the largest was, I wasn’t taking a full turn in my backswing.
When I say taking a full turn, I don’t mean overturning, or trying to generate a massive amount of power by exaggerating my motion. I was barely turning my shoulder. I think this was rooted in the idea that if I was taking a full turn, I was trying to “crush” or “swing too hard” when those issues revolve more around tempo. Utilizing a full swing with tempo apparently produces some excellent results. (This is the analysis you all subscribed to.)
Also, I am inflexible as all hell. I have been trying to improve it by doing the Fit for Golf stretching program but need to incorporate more twisting motions in my stretching routine beyond what is in there.
With the simple act of having my front shoulder turn into my chin, my attack angle was cut in half and consistently went between a negative 2 and a negative 4.
When I focus on it when I swing, I can feel the difference and usually see a better result. However, making it go from something I have to think about to something I have ingrained are two totally different things, that is where the work comes in.
How do you install a new motion in your swing?
Oh, yeah I know “turnt” means something different, I was just attempting to be clever.
Regards the backswing, as you've written about issues with front shoulder to chin and degree of rotation/ over rotation...
I read in one of the (many) golf teaching tips of the right handed pro who before each swing takes his right hand off, makes a fist, puts it under his left elbow and takes the left arm back away from the ball/address position. The position sought/obtained is left arm extended straight back from ball arm perpendicular to ground, right fist under left elbow. Now place right hand on grip. Return club to address, swing away. This drill, pre swing routine has begun to pay dividend in reducing the slice, produced by over rotation in the backswing, which is followed by downswing casting producing the outside in shaft.
Regards stance and keeping weight shift where and when you want it. I supinate when I run, I wear out the outside of my heals on running shoes. Bad news for me on golf as my flat stance has had weight on the wrong side of the shoe and in backswing....I'm behind. In my gym work, I've started to use the half yoga ball half flat platform. It's a balance ball, I stand with a golf stand and begin swinging my arms, get my hands together mimic a golf grip. After I couple times, my balance improved and then I'll go to one foot balancing. I've begun to have my weight centered.
Lastly, of significant help I've listened to the pod cast "The Sweet Spot." Two sessions have been particularly helpful with mental training, one was in two parts regards playing your best golf in 2023, the other was with an author of gambling and trading books but also now works with golfers. I've written too much above to summarize these two contributors but I highly recommend. My wife and I have driven from Oregon to Florida and on the long stretches of road (particularly Texas) these podcasts have been great for helping me understand the thinking / mental side of golf and how to shape that part of me and my game.
Best of Luck
Russ