Help With My Swing (videos)

[iteachgolf]

Anyyone catch the Friday broadcast of the St Jude where Faldo was saying how the stack and tilt was bad and he advocates a full transfer of weight.

 

He seems like a reliable source.

Why is he possibly a reliable source? He doesn't teach. He largely knows what he knows based on what Leadbetter taught him. Funny thing is Lead is now teaching Immelman and others he teaches to be more centered or "stacked". Most tour players have no clue what they do or why it works. Faldo attacks Plummer and Bennett every chance he gets. His own swing recently flat out proves he doesn't understand. He is 6'3 and ripped but Fred Funk can hit it further. His full weight transfer and "staying in your spine angle" are why he faded from the game quicker than he needed to. He went backwards in distance when everyone else moved way forward.

 

EDIT(video added) :

 

I'm pretty sure he is hanging back and that is exactly why he cuts across it hitting a big cut in this swing. It's also obviously he doesn;t understand why it happened and in his slow motion swing I see a big sway going back and he looks like the baseball player at the simulated impact position. The exact OPPOSITE of what the OP wants help with.

 

 

I had just turned on the replay on Friday night of St. Jude and Faldo went into the bash on S&T because they were showing Baddeley at the time. His remarks were something along the lines of: it will take a while for AB to make the changes back to a swing that isn't as unconventional or awkward. Seems like he took the opportunity to make a "drive by" gratuitous slam of S&T. He stopped short of a whole diatribe against Plummer and Bennett but made it clear he disliked the pattern and discredited its merits.

 

Whether you agree with the pattern or not you don't see them taking on other methods or instructors on tv directly. Especially since I don't feel he has taken the time to really learn the principles. Nothing wrong with being suspect but if you have the means to get it straight from the horses mouth at tourney's do some work and investigation first. Obviously he has not!

 

I think Faldo in his prime stood up a little more through the ball to get some more swing speed. None of that in the new swing. what do you think?

In his prime he was longer and yes it was because his hips were more forward and his spine went into full extension. As the years have passed he stays in flexion longer and longer causing more and more distance loss. There is a good Swingvision video of him showing how sloppy his knee and leg action has become.

[spider]

Anyyone catch the Friday broadcast of the St Jude where Faldo was saying how the stack and tilt was bad and he advocates a full transfer of weight.

 

He seems like a reliable source.

Why is he possibly a reliable source? He doesn't teach. He largely knows what he knows based on what Leadbetter taught him. Funny thing is Lead is now teaching Immelman and others he teaches to be more centered or "stacked". Most tour players have no clue what they do or why it works. Faldo attacks Plummer and Bennett every chance he gets. His own swing recently flat out proves he doesn't understand. He is 6'3 and ripped but Fred Funk can hit it further. His full weight transfer and "staying in your spine angle" are why he faded from the game quicker than he needed to. He went backwards in distance when everyone else moved way forward.

 

EDIT(video added) :

 

I'm pretty sure he is hanging back and that is exactly why he cuts across it hitting a big cut in this swing. It's also obviously he doesn;t understand why it happened and in his slow motion swing I see a big sway going back and he looks like the baseball player at the simulated impact position. The exact OPPOSITE of what the OP wants help with.

 

 

I had just turned on the replay on Friday night of St. Jude and Faldo went into the bash on S&T because they were showing Baddeley at the time. His remarks were something along the lines of: it will take a while for AB to make the changes back to a swing that isn't as unconventional or awkward. Seems like he took the opportunity to make a "drive by" gratuitous slam of S&T. He stopped short of a whole diatribe against Plummer and Bennett but made it clear he disliked the pattern and discredited its merits.

 

Whether you agree with the pattern or not you don't see them taking on other methods or instructors on tv directly. Especially since I don't feel he has taken the time to really learn the principles. Nothing wrong with being suspect but if you have the means to get it straight from the horses mouth at tourney's do some work and investigation first. Obviously he has not!

 

I think Faldo in his prime stood up a little more through the ball to get some more swing speed. None of that in the new swing. what do you think?

In his prime he was longer and yes it was because his hips were more forward and his spine went into full extension. As the years have passed he stays in flexion longer and longer causing more and more distance loss. There is a good Swingvision video of him showing how sloppy his knee and leg action has become.

 

Ha I knew you'd use the correct terms of flexion and extension. obviously I am just a student not an instructor. :) thx

[golftrainer]

Anyone can have a handicap. Mine just isn't used in tournaments. I know many PGA tour players that keep a handicap including Rocco Mediate, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, and Charles Howell. Btw in the two professional events I played in last year I took 1st and 6th with a scoring average of 70. I also teach about 1400 lessons a year and if you include video lessons several are USGA qualifiers and mini tour players. Helll I teach a 7 year old who occasionally shoots under par and won 7 tournaments last year including two with a score of 35. When he started he was averaging over 60 for 9 holes. As far as weight shift goes I do not agree that he should shift it to the right. I also don't agree that the front knee should straighten around impact. Shouldn't straighten completely until club is horizontal to the ground or later.

 

You go get'em :clapping:

 

I don't understand in these forum type settings how people get so personal and harsh.

 

Just be nice!

 

Line up 100 golf teachers and they'll tell you a hundred different ways to hit a golf ball :beruo:

 

I like the idea of taking it in our own hands and deciding what works for us as individuals. I have taken dozens and dozens of lessons, to never improve my swing, and I am the most dedicated golfer you will find, just ask my wife. I do mirror drills all day long; I have hit 300-500 balls a day for several weeks straight, and it goes on and on, but what I am now finally finding out, is to do my OWN research (like in this forum) and head to the range.

 

With that being said, there are a ton of very knowledgeable guys in here, who all have something good to say, so take it for what it's worth, and BE NICE!

[golftrainer]

No advice on the swing, but the videos look really good... you have me thinking about a new camera. Did you use a tripod?

 

It's the best golf purchase i have ever made (casio fc-100). I bring it to every range session and record a few videos to see if what i'm feeling is actually correct. I always use a tripod as i'm by myself. I simply take out 3 clubs and stick the tripod in my golf bag and then i put my golf bag down my line. This way i dont look like a huge dork hitting golf balls.

 

like so...

 

 

That's a beautiful course (range) your on. Do you mind me asking where that's at?

[glc3344]

No advice on the swing, but the videos look really good... you have me thinking about a new camera. Did you use a tripod?

 

It's the best golf purchase i have ever made (casio fc-100). I bring it to every range session and record a few videos to see if what i'm feeling is actually correct. I always use a tripod as i'm by myself. I simply take out 3 clubs and stick the tripod in my golf bag and then i put my golf bag down my line. This way i dont look like a huge dork hitting golf balls.

 

like so...

 

 

That's a beautiful course (range) your on. Do you mind me asking where that's at?

 

That's not me. Its from a website that sells golfing cameras which is where i got the idea of putting the tripod in my golfbag so im not sure what couse or where it is located. Sorry.

[iteachgolf]

 

Here is a good one where he tried to back S&T and when he hears that Mike Weir is hitting it further than last year then claims its the club.

 

 

 

This one is obvious that the Ames video is tilted to the right making him look like he is leaning more away from the target than he really is. The funny thing is at the top Mike has MORE axis tilt away from the target than Ames. Ames is closer to the S&T model than Weir and actually works off the S&T pattern as well.

 

 

So do you think he is still credible as a teacher, especially when it comes to the pivot? To me it's clear he has no clue what he is looking at.

[Tmiller72]

I actually felt bad for Faldo while watching that comparison of Ames and Weir.

[iteachgolf]

I actually felt bad for Faldo while watching that comparison of Ames and Weir.

I knew it was going to be good when I saw how much they tried to skew the camera angles. It really seemed like he didn't even watch the videos before doing the analysis. Looking like he just assumed he was going to see Mike Weir with less axis tilt than Ames. Open mouth insert foot.

[midgiteyehigh]

Funny you should say I don't understand physics. I was a double engineering major. Can moving off the ball creat a little more speed? Yes. But golf is about distance and accuracy. Moving off the ball makes that second part much more difficult. As far as what impacts distance more heavily I'd say centeredness of contact, amount of shaft lean, amount of spin and its axis, and clubhead speed. Now let's talk physics. Shifting your weight to the right and then back left can add speed and I won't argue that but isn't adding enough speed in order to outweight the loss in consistency. For more clubhead speed the hands need to move in a circle. Lead arm will work in and across the chest and this easier to accomplish with a deep centered turn rather than a sway of the ball. The more in and on the circle your hands move the more angular momentum you will have. Hogan and Snead were into their lead let at the top of the swing and were the longest players of their day. So ill say to you before you criticize someones knowledge I'd do more research and have some real world experience. As for the 50/50 thing think about it this way. If your head stays cenetered between your feet and you don't sway(beltbuckle in center as well) how can you possibly be 10/90 when both your upper and lower C0G are centered. To be 10/90 you couldn't be centered. You could sway but that causes other issues.

 

I couldn't agree more.

 

I don't want to get in the middle of a heated debate, but I just know from personal experience that only bad things happened to me when I tried to focus on weight shift vs staying centered and grooving a full turn back and through.

 

I rue the day that I started teaching a big weight shift. Yes there have been some good players with big weight shifts. I was on the Jimmy Ballard train for the first 15 years of my teaching career. I taught 1,500 lessons one year at GT and I'm convinced that none of my clients left better ball strikers than when they arrived just because I worked so hard trying to get them into their right side. In fact I didn't know what the hell I was doing until the GD article came out in the summer of 07. I wasn't a TGM guy but the S&T led me in that direction.

 

I ridiculed those guys like you wouldn't believe. Now I've seen the light and I don't mind admitting that I was wrong and leading people in the wrong direction. I'll say it again, you can play by making a big move into you right side or back foot or whatever but it's just not the easiest most efficient way to do it. I've had two major back surgeries and I didn't realize how much easier it is on my back by staying centered.

 

I love it when people make the ball throwing analogys. I used them religously for years. Until I finally realized that we are not throwing a ball. It's ludicris and I cringe at the thought of all the people I effed up. Seriously, I'm embarrassed. But I'm a better teacher and coach right now that I've ever been.

 

iteach has forgot more about the golf swing than just about everybody on this forum. I pick my way through just about every thread he is in just to glean something I might be able to use to help my clients.

 

The power you gain with a big weight shift is negligible in my opinion due to the fact that your moving your forward swing bottom up to a foot with a big weight shift. Tigers move with the driver has become more centered since his return. I have video from just about every period of Tigers career and he's more centered now than ever. Tiger is a very astute swing geek. He is on the cutting edge of every new method or swing style that comes along. I'll guarentee he's also seen the light in regards to weight shift and it's effects on the golf swing. You can bet your a** he's picked apart every new swing style that has recently been in vogue.

 

I was very relunctant to change my methodology two years ago, but I could no longer ignore the obvious- if you want to be a good ball striker and in my case coach people to be better ball strikers, you MUST have a forward swing bottom, and moving off the ball with a big weight shift just makes it more difficult. That can't be denied at any level

 

Ernest Jones won two British amatuers on one leg. Want to guess which one it was?

[midgiteyehigh]

Anyyone catch the Friday broadcast of the St Jude where Faldo was saying how the stack and tilt was bad and he advocates a full transfer of weight.

 

He seems like a reliable source.

 

 

Nick Faldo is a wanker. He is a prime example of why great players very rarely make even nominal teachers. I'm saying GREAT players. Major champions. Jack was very astute, as was Jones, Hogan, and Tiger in my opinion. The problem with great players is there ego screams "look at all the tournaments I've won, don't tell me I don't know what I'm doing!" They were great players before they even knew the difference in a swing plane from an airplane. I call it the Trevino syndrom. "If you can't beat me, how can you teach me?" Although Trevino was a great ball striker, if Trevino taught everyone to swing like he did they would all have extremly bad backs.

 

Faldo was doing an analysis of Tiger at the Memorial and he was saying " Look at how Tiger is flexing his arms, shoulders and rotator cuffs" WTF?!?! Flexing his rotator cuffs? Are you serious? Rotator cuffs?

 

IMO Faldo is going to wear out his welcome. At least Johnny Miller has a modicum of contemporary swing knowledge. Faldo is a mess. Everytime I hear him speak I want to roll around in dog5hit.

[midgiteyehigh]

Anyone can have a handicap. Mine just isn't used in tournaments. I know many PGA tour players that keep a handicap including Rocco Mediate, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, and Charles Howell. Btw in the two professional events I played in last year I took 1st and 6th with a scoring average of 70. I also teach about 1400 lessons a year and if you include video lessons several are USGA qualifiers and mini tour players. Helll I teach a 7 year old who occasionally shoots under par and won 7 tournaments last year including two with a score of 35. When he started he was averaging over 60 for 9 holes. As far as weight shift goes I do not agree that he should shift it to the right. I also don't agree that the front knee should straighten around impact. Shouldn't straighten completely until club is horizontal to the ground or later.

 

You go get'em :clapping:

 

I don't understand in these forum type settings how people get so personal and harsh.

 

Just be nice!

 

Line up 100 golf teachers and they'll tell you a hundred different ways to hit a golf ball :beruo:

 

I like the idea of taking it in our own hands and deciding what works for us as individuals. I have taken dozens and dozens of lessons, to never improve my swing, and I am the most dedicated golfer you will find, just ask my wife. I do mirror drills all day long; I have hit 300-500 balls a day for several weeks straight, and it goes on and on, but what I am now finally finding out, is to do my OWN research (like in this forum) and head to the range.

 

With that being said, there are a ton of very knowledgeable guys in here, who all have something good to say, so take it for what it's worth, and BE NICE!

 

 

I see what you're saying but it's hard to be nice when some shadetree slapdick makes a blanket indictment of your craft and career. By the time Dan got through ripping him a new colonic apature he had backed so far off topic had it been a TV show I would have changed the channel out of embarassment. He was a lot nicer than I would have been. I guess it cimes with the territory if you teach for a living. Theres always going to be some slapdick that thinks he's the next Ledbetter just because he knows that there is no such thing as centrifugal force. He better pack a lunch if he's gonna spar with my boy.

[Shanks For The Memories]

I see what you're saying but it's hard to be nice when some shadetree slapdick makes a blanket indictment of your craft and career. By the time Dan got through ripping him a new colonic apature he had backed so far off topic had it been a TV show I would have changed the channel out of embarassment. He was a lot nicer than I would have been. I guess it cimes with the territory if you teach for a living. Theres always going to be some slapdick that thinks he's the next Ledbetter just because he knows that there is no such thing as centrifugal force. He better pack a lunch if he's gonna spar with my boy.

 

 

Um... there is such a thing...

[golftrainer]

I rue the day that I started teaching a big weight shift. Yes there have been some good players with big weight shifts. I was on the Jimmy Ballard train for the first 15 years of my teaching career. I taught 1,500 lessons one year at GT and I'm convinced that none of my clients left better ball strikers than when they arrived just because I worked so hard trying to get them into their right side. In fact I didn't know what the hell I was doing until the GD article came out in the summer of 07. I wasn't a TGM guy but the S&T led me in that direction.

 

I ridiculed those guys like you wouldn't believe. Now I've seen the light and I don't mind admitting that I was wrong and leading people in the wrong direction. I'll say it again, you can play by making a big move into you right side or back foot or whatever but it's just not the easiest most efficient way to do it. I've had two major back surgeries and I didn't realize how much easier it is on my back by staying centered.

 

I love it when people make the ball throwing analogys. I used them religously for years. Until I finally realized that we are not throwing a ball. It's ludicris and I cringe at the thought of all the people I effed up. Seriously, I'm embarrassed. But I'm a better teacher and coach right now that I've ever been.

 

iteach has forgot more about the golf swing than just about everybody on this forum. I pick my way through just about every thread he is in just to glean something I might be able to use to help my clients.

 

The power you gain with a big weight shift is negligible in my opinion due to the fact that your moving your forward swing bottom up to a foot with a big weight shift. Tigers move with the driver has become more centered since his return. I have video from just about every period of Tigers career and he's more centered now than ever. Tiger is a very astute swing geek. He is on the cutting edge of every new method or swing style that comes along. I'll guarentee he's also seen the light in regards to weight shift and it's effects on the golf swing. You can bet your a** he's picked apart every new swing style that has recently been in vogue.

 

I was very relunctant to change my methodology two years ago, but I could no longer ignore the obvious- if you want to be a good ball striker and in my case coach people to be better ball strikers, you MUST have a forward swing bottom, and moving off the ball with a big weight shift just makes it more difficult. That can't be denied at any level

 

Ernest Jones won two British amatuers on one leg. Want to guess which one it was?

 

Very well said :)

 

It seems the most recent swing is more centered, and if anything seems more of the weight stays on the lead leg. I've read that a lot lately. Also, turning more "into" the right leg and not so much on it (weight shift), which for the older golfer who has limited strength and flexibility gives them a chance to still hit the ball and with decent power.

 

I have fought "swaying" for many years, and I think it was because I was trying to make an almost 100% weight shift. As you said, we hear the comparison to throwing a ball, etc...,but I agree with you, it's not quite the same.

[Sub-80]

@ midgiteyehigh

 

I respect your honesty on this topic :good:

[midgiteyehigh]

I see what you're saying but it's hard to be nice when some shadetree slapdick makes a blanket indictment of your craft and career. By the time Dan got through ripping him a new colonic apature he had backed so far off topic had it been a TV show I would have changed the channel out of embarassment. He was a lot nicer than I would have been. I guess it cimes with the territory if you teach for a living. Theres always going to be some slapdick that thinks he's the next Ledbetter just because he knows that there is no such thing as centrifugal force. He better pack a lunch if he's gonna spar with my boy.

 

 

Um... there is such a thing...

 

Um...well yes and no. In describing the physics in the golf swing it's a misused term describing a lack of centripital force.

[mwinklaw]

iteachgolf,

 

I'm being honest here: maybe I don't fully understand your methodolgy. Please explain the basics of the swing you teach (i.e., the swing sequence from start to finish). Everyone that I have taught to not shift their weight (mostly due to physical restrictions) produce an extremely spinning shot that is hard to control (e.g., it balloons).

[iteachgolf]

iteachgolf,

 

I'm being honest here: maybe I don't fully understand your methodolgy. Please explain the basics of the swing you teach (i.e., the swing sequence from start to finish). Everyone that I have taught to not shift their weight (mostly due to physical restrictions) produce an extremely spinning shot that is hard to control (e.g., it balloons).

 

Ballooning comes from a steep angle of approach. I don't teach anyone the same except I try to keep everyone fairly centered as it is the easiest way to control low point. Ball flight is determined my plane and which plane I teach people to swing on or shift to depends on physical abilities, tendencies, and desired ball flight. You can swing on any plane from the hands only(shallowest) to the square shoulder or higher(steepest) while being centered. They key with not getting people to swing across the ball is to have the arms stay on the rib cage and will feel close to the body. The further out they get the more upright they will swing. Then the key is simply getting them to compress the ball without any throwaway at impact (which is where I start beginners).

[jdgolfsmasher]

[quote name='iteachgolf ' post='1756523' date='Jun 15 2009, 08:28 AM'][quote name='mwinklaw' post='1756490' date='Jun 15 2009, 11:00 AM']iteachgolf,

I'm being honest here: maybe I don't fully understand your methodolgy. Please explain the basics of the swing you teach (i.e., the swing sequence from start to finish). Everyone that I have taught to not shift their weight (mostly due to physical restrictions) produce an extremely spinning shot that is hard to control (e.g., it balloons).[/quote]

Ballooning comes from a steep angle of approach. I don't teach anyone the same except I try to keep everyone fairly centered as it is the easiest way to control low point. Ball flight is determined my plane and which plane I teach people to swing on or shift to depends on physical abilities, tendencies, and desired ball flight. You can swing on any plane from the hands only(shallowest) to the square shoulder or higher(steepest) while being centered. They key with not getting people to swing across the ball is to have the arms stay on the rib cage and will feel close to the body. The further out they get the more upright they will swing. Then the key is simply getting them to compress the ball without any throwaway at impact (which is where I start beginners).
[/quote]

Iteach, wow that is awesome, "arms stay on the rib cage.." I bet this feels like it wont have any power but it will since the body is more connected and working all together as one? You don't happen to have a webpage with some of your instructions/tips or anything do you? I like to read what you post all the time and would love some step by steps if you had them

[iteachgolf]

I do not have a website, thought has crossed my mind, but my thoughts are pretty well expressed in my post here. If my situation changes in the future I will consider putting something togather.

[titleiststafferpga]

Ok, I could not resist..........I have studied the swing for a LONG time and this is what I do for living. Back to the original post..........first, your club moves back on a wonderful plane both on the back swing and on the through swing, so keep on doing what your doing there. I would ONLY have you work on your setup. Your weight distribution at address is way off in my opinion, especially if you are going to be a rotational (one-pane) swinger of the club. Since you are a rotational swinger, your weight needs to be 50/50 if not feeling like 60/40. Your hips actually do a wonderful job on the down swing and all the way through to the finish, but too much movement has been made on the back swing due to the weight distribution at setup. I promise you if you work on a 50/50 setup or even 60/40 you will notice a much more "ontop of the ball" feeling at impact, the ball flying in a more penetrating ball flight and most importantly, CONSISTENCY!

Keep us posted!