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Graves_Golf_Academy
Administrator
15 Posts |
 Posted - 01/20/2006 : 15:33:51
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We get alot of questions on the chatroom and personel email about causes of left/right, etc.. shots. I wanted to review the 9 ball flight laws which hopefully will help in determining the cause. For some, once the cause is realized, the fix is obvious. For others, a little more "in depth" help is needed (why we have chatroom...)
1. Outside to In Path / Club face square (at impact): Pull
2. Outside to In Path / Club face closed: Pull Hook
3. Outside to In Path / Club face open: Pull slice (most common amoung novice golfers)
4. Inside to Out Path / Club face square: Push
5. Inside to Out Path / Club face closed: Push Hook
6. Inside to Out Path / Club face open: Push Slice
7. Down the line (on plane) / Club face square: Straight shot (ideal)
8. Down the line (on plane) / Club face closed: Hook (Starts straight and hooks)
9. Down the line (on plane) / Club face open: Slice (starts straight and slices)
Note: Extemely open - or - closed face positions can override the normal starting ball flights.
Hopefully, this will help some in diagnosing there swing issues. Just knowing if it is a path vs. face issue many times can help alot.
Tim
GGA
timg@swinglikemoe.com
Loss of Distance:
Problems we see quite often that hurt distance are the following:
1. Natural Golfers set up too high. Meaning the club runs in the palm/lifeline of the lead hand. THE CLUB IS NOT SUPPOSE TO BE IN THE PALM OF THE LEAD HAND. It is suppose to be towards the fingers of the lead hand, palm of the trail hand. If it is in the palm/lifeline of the lead hand, it is in one of the weakest positions of the head. In this position the following will occur: You will not be able to get a good if any leverage angle at the top of the swing. Obviously, will not be able to hold leverage through impact position if never obtained at the top of the swing. You will not be able to fully release the club as the club will be too high and will actually be inhibited by the trail forearm from completely releasing. (We have actually seen students who thought having a bruise on the inside of the trail arm was acceptable and even suppose to happen....).
Next: You must be able to relax and allow the fold/fold type golf swing to occur for good club head speed and distance.
Many Natural Golfers think when they set up that both arms are stiff (because of the distance from the ball). This is not true. The trail arm is actually slightly bent and definitely relaxed. The lead arm can be fairly "tight", but the trail arm needs to be relaxed and bend/fold easy in the backswing. If it does not, proper on plane positions and thus leverage angles at the top of the swing will not occur. Also, relaxed arms will swing much faster (relaxed muscles) than tight arms (tight muscles..).
Balance - Many Natural Golfers think you must have both legs straight (no flex) through the swing. Not true. You need to maintain good balance to swing the club at your maximum speed. If you do not, the body will conpensate for bad balance and the arms will not swing to the maximum (or even close to maximum) speed. Try to stand on one leg or with a very narrow stance and see how fast you can swing your arms. Having bad balance is about the same....
Finally, hitting the ball even a 1/4 inch off center of the club face can cost up to 30 yards with a 100 mph swing speed. Needless to say, missing the sweet spot can cost alot of distance. Many Natural Golfers struggle with distance from the ball. Can be issues due to balance, non-relaxed arms, hands too high, etc..... all causing the ball to be not hit off the sweet spot - causing loss of distance.
With a good single axis swing... proper grip, good setup (relaxed trail arm), good balance, proper distance from the ball, there is NOT a lack of distance with NG. In fact, I believe the single axis swing actually produces a more consistent longer ball flight because a good single axis swing will hit the sweet spot more frequently... just ask Moe!
Topping the ball:
Check the following as you are topping shots:
1. Ball is too far forward in stance and you are catching the middle of the ball on the upswing
2. More common, you are cutting across the ball and (path outside/in) and this path makes you pull away from the ball, thus clearing the lead elbow rather than folding it, and catching the middle to top of the ball.
3. Most common: You are releasing too early and the club is "flipping" up rather than sweeping through the ball/shot. This will definitely cause a topped shot.
Pop up Drives
Pop up drives are caused when you hit the ball with a downward blow vs an upward swing with the driver. The driver should be hit on an "upward" part of the swing.
Work on keeping you head over the back knee and work on not laterally sliding into the shot to prevent the driver from being popped up. Keeping the head over the back knee should give you the feel of the upward swing with the driver.
Pushing the Ball:
Typically, a push is due to a path of the club that is too much from the inside, usualy. Tim was correct however when he stated that it might also be a grip issue or it could be a clubface issue if you are not releasing. What I see so many times with a push is either a strong lead hand and an unreleased position or a person with a good grip and not releasing where the lead arm "holds on" to the club and does not fold correctly. I would Check the lead hand and then learn to release the club so that the arms can release correctly.
*Check Grip
*Check Address
*Check Backswing so that club is on plane /
not across the line
*Check Release.
Slice Caused by Out to In Swing:
There are alot of issues that can cause this.
First: Check your shoulders at setup. For many, open shoulders at set up lead to problem from the start.
Second: Check takeaway. If taking club inside on the backswing, will typically cause an over the top shot.
Third: Check angle (club position) at top of swing. If not on plane (butt end pointing at ball line), over the top definite possible outcome.
Pulling the ball:
#1. Make sure your club face is square at set up and impact. Straight pulls can be caused by a close club face.
#2. Check the grip that it is not causing the pull. If the grip is very strong and face is closed at impact, pull can occur.
#3. Typically path type pulls result in a slice with the longer clubs. If there is a tendency for the ball to move a little, check the path. Look at your divot and determine if going down the line or not.
Toe Hits:
Toe hits can be caused by outside/in path, but more often they are caused by being too close to the ball and the body pulling away from the ball at impact (not facing ball at impact). As the body spins/pulls away from the ball, toe hits will occur. Work on facing ball at impact, keep forward knee flexed through impact.
Shanks
The two most common causes of the shanks are: 1. Laterally sliding into the shot and getting ahead of the shot. Work on keeping your head over your back knee at impact.
2. Taking the club inside on the backswing and having to come across the ball to make contact with the shot. In this scenerio you are leading with the heel of the club and a shank is definitely a possible outcome.
I have been hitting fat on some of my shots (all different clubs), it almost feels as if the tilted triangle is causing me to dip my back shoulder. Any suggestions???
You could be tilting too much. For some reaon you are not getting the club handle leading into impact. The try to tilt less and point the club handle at the pivot point area at address.
It this doesn't help, you are releasing the club early. Visit our e-tips page and experiment with the PVC drill to understand the hitting motion into impact. You will see how the handle leads the club.
Todd
Fairway woods
Problem - Topping Fairway Woods
Answer -
I think fairway woods are the most troublesome because they are forward in the stance yet they are on the ground. This means that the hands must be leading the club and any slight release early causes topping or fat shots. You must work on Straight Line Motion and unifying the hands to work on the correct release into the ball.
You must be willing to take a step back and work on solid contact with the ball. This might mean understanding how to actually put the ball forward and then still get the fairway wood to strike it solid and get the hands leading. Rehearse the motion in a short swing....chip a few shots and then add speed. Work with the hands and see how they work into the ball...as you get an understanding, add speed until you can hit it solid every time.
The deeper face fairway woods are in my opinion, more difficult to hit. I prefer a lower center of gravity and shallow face. As far as what is better for single axis, please understand that hitting the center of gravity (sweet spot) on any club that fits you will give you optimum results if your golf swing is correct. THERE IS NO ONE CLUB or any one club that optimizes Single Axis....it comes down to the club that fits you. Yes, there is a club that optimizes YOU and YOUR single axis based on the fact that the club is built your your swing dynamics. Tim can give you recommendations on clubs for you if he has the correct information about you such as swing speed, measurements etc.
In any case, video your swing from face on hitting a 3 wood. Watch exactly what happens at imapct. This is a good start. Then try to change it with slow motion swings using straight line motion.
Todd
PRACTICE TIP - Curing the Slice
Curing The Slice with Moe Norman's Single Plane Swing
(By Todd)
Slicing the ball is caused by one of three events: 1) an open club face, 2) an outside in (over the plane) path of the club or 3) a combination of the two. The open face slice is a grip issue. Once you correct your grip, the only reason you slice is because of the club path being above the plane. Since this is a club path issue, there is only one cure for the slice: correcting your swing path.
The Grip Issue
One of the most unique aspects of Moe Norman was his grip or "hold" on the golf club. It was how Moe held the club and how he addressed the ball that enabled him to swing the club greater than any player that has ever lived. Moe's single axis address position is a result of establishing the swing plane at address. Moe accomplished this by how he gripped the club. But since the hands and arms are attached to each other, we must talk about the address position as we discuss Moe's Grip.
Lead hand and Arm (Rod)
From a Face On View, Moe established a straight line with the lead arm and club shaft. Moe called this lead arm and club relationship the Rod. The function of the rod is two fold, get the club in the hand so that you can hinge the club in the backswing and hold the club so that the club face is on plane when the hand is hinged.
In order to create the Rod of the lead arm and club shaft, you must hold the club in the fingers of the hand and make sure the club is under the lead arm. By getting the club in the fingers of the lead hand in the heel pad and under the arm, you can hinge the hand correctly getting the club face correctly on plane at the top of the backswing.
Trail Hand (Claw)
The Trail Hand position is different than the lead hand. The trail hand is positioned so that when placed on the club, the club shaft and trail forearm form a line. This line is what we refer to as the single-axis or single plane. It is actually the impact plane and is the real genius behind Moe Norman's golf swing. This single axis / single plane is a result of the lead hand and trail hand position.
Hands Together (address position)
When the hands are placed together they unify. From the face on view, the V of the right hand points toward the trail shoulder. The V of the lead hand points toward the middle of the chest. The lead thumb tucks into the trail palm and at address and you now have established two lines. One from the face on view of the lead arm and club shaft and one from the down the line view of the trail arm and club shaft. This Rod and Claw position that Moe described. When you establish the Rod and Claw correctly, you will notice that the lead arm is above the trail arm at address. (Down the Line View) and that the shoulders will appear slightly right of the target line.
When you establish this "ideal" single axis address position, you begin to realize that Moe's golf swing is the accumulation of ideal mechanics. The arms, hands, shoulders and body is positioned to swing the club exactly on plane. In other words, Moe's golf swing exhibits an ideal way to swing the club. Simple.
The Path Issue
The "over the top" or "outside in" seems to be many golfers nemesis. Instructors often guide students to try to "hold the angle" or "stop releasing early" to correct the outside in path. Good advice but I rarely ever see it work. Why? Because it is not fixing the real problem. Let's take a look at Moe's golf swing and we can see why his mechanics hit the ball so straight. We can then understand path and see why Moe's golf swing was perfect for swinging the club on plane.
Address
(Down the Line View)
First, Moe addressed the ball with the club shaft and trail forearm aligned. This is the single plane and Impact Plane. I often refer to this as the club shaft / forearm plane. But I want to focus on another view of the address position, the face on view. When you look at this view, you see the Moe set up the club behind the ball creating a line between the lead arm and club shaft. You also notice that relative to the target, the handle is forward of the club head. Let me repeat that, the handle is forward of the club head relative to the target.
By having the hands leading the club where the club head never passes the hands, you can cure the slice and any other golf swing problem. Let's look at Moe's golf swing and from the face on view (and a few down the line views) to demonstrate how by establishing the relationship at address, Moe could maintain this relationship throughout his swing and swing the club correctly on path. In order to do this, we must discuss the pivot point.
The pivot point, which we clearly discuss in the Seven Principles of golf Improvement Video Series, is the point just above the lead hip where the club points at address. Interestingly enough, the club points toward this point throughout the entire swing. During the takeaway, the club maintains this relationship of pointing at the pivot point. This relationship is critical. It is how the club, hands and arms maintain the correct distance from the body, so that the hands can lead the club. If club movement is the result of hand and arm movement this relationship IS swing plane. So, if you want to stop slicing, you must learn to get the hands leading the club. You must establish the correct grip and address position, and then maintain this relationship throughout the swing.
Here are a few things that can cause you to lose this pivot point relationship:
Reverse Pivot in Backswing
Rotation of Forearms during backswing
Hinging Hands Too Early
The pivot point is a reference point that helps us understand correct arm and hand movement. As we discuss these faults, remember that the focus of all golf swing work is club movement and club movement is a result of arm and hand movement.
Fault 1: Reverse Pivot in Backswing
One of the great things about Moe's address position is that he establishes the spine tilt at address. Moe's spine tilt is directly related to moving your arms correctly.
The address position, arms, shoulders, spine and what I refer to as the tilted triangle, establishes the ideal spine position for the entire swing. And since
Your arms are attached to your shoulders. If you move your shoulders incorrectly, it becomes impossible to move your arms correctly and you will lose your pivot point relationship. Believe it or not, one of the main reasons you move your shoulders incorrectly is the way your hips are moving.
The hips must rotate in the backswing. I say hips because your hips are actually one bone; your pelvis bone. When you move one side of your pelvis bone, the other must also move accordingly. When your hips shift without rotation it causes the lower spine to move away from the target. This lower spine movement causes the upper spine to move forward inhibiting the shoulder movement thus, causing the arms incorrectly. This is the reverse spine tilt often referred to as the reverse pivot.
This "reverse pivot" is actually just "non rotation" of the hip joint.
It is important that your trail hip rotates which rotates the lead hip. This hip rotation results in one very important thing. It allows your lower spine to remain stationary. When your lower spine is stationary, you can maintain your spine tilt. And since your shoulders are on the other end of your spine, they can also move correctly.
If you learn to move your hips correctly, you can maintain your spine tilt which will allow your arms and shoulders to move correctly.
Fault 2: Rotation of Arms during Backswing
If you rotate the arms too much in the backswing, the club gets too flat. It is almost impossible to get the club back onto plane if the shaft is flat in the backswing because when the arms rotate back the club shaft gets too steep.
One day, while I was holding a club, I asked Moe to show me the feelings of his golf swing by swinging the club with me. Here is what Moe showed me:
Backswing feeling: the club goes inside and up.
Downswing feeling: The shaft flattened into what Moe called the vertical drop.
Finish: Extend through the target, pulling the flag.
What I found extremely important about this motion was that Moe showed me a flatter or dropping feeling of the club. Moe explained that the club "dropped". And what I have learned in my many "aha" practice moments is that it is not the hands that "drop" the club. It is the rotation of the forearms in the downswing that creates the vertical drop.
And as I have discussed many times before, the swing path is a result of correct arm and hand movement. Incorrect arm and hand movement is what causes incorrect club path.
Fault 3: Hinging Hands Too Early
Another reason incorrect club path is that you hinge the club too early or "pick up" the club in the backswing. This "picking up" of the club is simply the hands hinging too early which gets the club lifted and off of the correct path.
As you may have noticed, much of my descriptions of the golf swing includes the word "causes". This is because on many occasions during the golf swing, one thing can cause another thing. For example, a strong grip causes a closed club face or rotation of the forearms causes a flat shaft in the backswing.
This cause and effect relationship reveals the dynamic sequence of the golf swing. By placing one foot in front of the other, you walk. Do it faster and you run. There is a sequence and timing of events that separates walking from running.
The same holds true for the golf swing. Sequence is important and you can't swing the club on plane if you trying to move certain parts fast and certain parts slow.
So the question becomes, which comes first when it comes to the golf swing, learning the sequence or the timing? And in my opinion, Moe Norman never consciously worked on the timing of his golf swing. It was a result of hitting golf balls. In fact, Moe used the task of hitting a golf ball to determine the sequence of events. And the events are what we call timing. In other words, Moe learned to walk before he learned to run.
Hinging the hands too early is out of sequence with the arms and shoulder movement causing the arms and hands to move the club above the correct path. By correctly hinging the hands in the backswing at the correct place, you can get the club exactly on plane and swing the club from the inside, eliminating the slice.
Good Luck - let us know if we can do anything to help you with your game or swing.
Remember - ALWAYS PRACTICE WITH A PURPOSE
We get alot of questions on the chatroom and personel email about causes of left/right, etc.. shots. I wanted to review the 9 ball flight laws which hopefully will help in determining the cause. For some, once the cause is realized, the fix is obvious. For others, a little more "in depth" help is needed (why we have chatroom...)
1. Outside to In Path / Club face square (at impact): Pull
2. Outside to In Path / Club face closed: Pull Hook
3. Outside to In Path / Club face open: Pull slice (most common amoung novice golfers)
4. Inside to Out Path / Club face square: Push
5. Inside to Out Path / Club face closed: Push Hook
6. Inside to Out Path / Club face open: Push Slice
7. Down the line (on plane) / Club face square: Straight shot (ideal)
8. Down the line (on plane) / Club face closed: Hook (Starts straight and hooks)
9. Down the line (on plane) / Club face open: Slice (starts straight and slices)
Note: Extemely open - or - closed face positions can override the normal starting ball flights.
Hopefully, this will help some in diagnosing there swing issues. Just knowing if it is a path vs. face issue many times can help alot.
Tim
GGA
timg@swinglikemoe.com
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Todd Graves, Tim Graves, Scott Renfrow, Brent Reid |
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Faults & Fixes
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