Impact check

Last spam of the old year!

I feel like I’m on sort of a roll here, in that some of the pieces I’ve been working on for some time seem to be tumbling into place. Specifically the shoulder area; I feel like I might* have a handle on it now. Lead arm lock comboed with trail scap depression comboed with the delivery work we’ve been doing and to my eye this impact looks actually pretty solid. Am I missing any pieces?

As always, thank you so much, and Happy New Year!

Zach

PS- added a couple of backyard swings. These things are all inextricably linked, aren’t they? Turtle shell and glute activation tied to too much sway seemed to be the missing pieces in my stall. Correcting that by engaging those muscles almost gives me a chair to sit on(forgive the bizarrely specific final still, but I can see the chair in my mind and it’s very nearly this- it’s definitely hard plastic) from which I can finally feel the tug of my arms extending. Proper use of my abs, glutes, and adductor squeeze seem to lessen some of that kyphotic look I’ve always had, too.

It’s a lot, sorry to spam you so bad, but I’m excited about progress!

Waiting for you to curb my enthusiasm a bit ;)

Z

PPPS curbed my own enthusiasm a little. Watched the turtle shell again and realized I was doing it too late; which improved my rotation but kicked my path out. Hopped back on the “leave the club behind” and I think it’s better(last nighttime vid). Man, there’s a lot to this.

Hi Tyler!

Your demo during the conference call was quite helpful and illuminating. Some concept reworking for the left side seemed to eliminate the kyphosis and put me on the path to turning the ribs underneath and past the left arm while the shoulder is pinned. I also find it helpful to try and turn the right ribs through while the left shoulder is pinned- for me that seems to be a personal key to avoid the stall. The vids are kind of a practice saga in order from soon after the call to this morning leaving for work. Please pardon the reflective britches, and thank you for taking the time- I know you’re crazy busy. Welcome home from India!

Zach

Hi Tyler!

One last little bit.
You mentioned once that when one gets lost, one should return to one’s roots(to paraphrase a Hoganism). I think my swing dna just might be the across the line, long, lazy shallowing. Seems like I’ve traveled in a big giant circle, but a circle upwards, to get back to home, and this swing pretty much felt like home(from a long long time ago). Combined all the transition stuff with a modified step drill, mindful of impact keys, easy speed. Just feels right. This year I make driver a weapon again.

As always, thank you.

Yours,
Zach

I was missing low to high! While trying for a fade bias in particular, I would think that bit is crucial to avoid an overly steep approach.

What some instructors call “covering the ball,” which is leaning more towards it from DTL(chest lower to the ground), exists in service of a low delivery position, correct?

I’ll make it to the range later today, but that last piece just clicked in. Boy howdy.

TIA,
Zach

Update: made it to the range, and I’m convinced. I imagine it’ll take a minute to really integrate, but I didn’t get any of those topspin divers with driver that I hate so much.

Thank you!
Z

Made it to the range twice, second time with my PGA buddy. His critique of my swing is that I’m “loose in the wrong places,” meaning I have too much play in my wrists and elbows, and he has me in effect feel a straight arm triangle on my backswing and my downswing too, with the only appreciable change in my arm structure after about P2.5 being shallowing in the wrists. It certainly helps my launch numbers, and at least while he’s standing there I hit it really well. If I may ask, what’s your take?
Vids are during and immediately post sesh.

TIA!

Please forgive the ramblings of a crazy man… I’ll sum up the proceedings.

1. I made some impact progress, and to me it felt fairly significant- I really feel like I’m beginning to understand the body dynamics. Maybe in a childlike way, but I feel now like I can at least put all the blocks on the shelf.

I used the confidence of that to get my swing confidence feeling like it did when I was just out of high school and a fair player (I wasn’t quite good enough for college, but my index did crack 5 at one point).

2. Enter my PGA buddy with his Trackman. He showed me why my old swing only got me to 5- my swing direction was still +6 in to out relative to my body. The whole thing was in to out. That solved the mystery of random left balls when face to path looked ok, and overly shallow attack angles with irons, and the most maddening shot of all for me- the diving topspin snap hook. He tightened me up but I didn’t like the upper body dynamics I showed impact, so I had to re figure out how to fit STS mechanics back into a swing that feels like the whole thing is out to in- I felt like I had no room at the bottom- and eventually I rediscovered side bend. Side bend seems to be a key to fitting my tightened up, wider swing into the proper path. I find it a little tricky to practice with driver (there’s kind of a “bounce” in to and out of it, is there not?), but that’s the path I’m on now.

Nighttime swing below is exaggerating that bounce.

Thanks for putting up with me!
Zach

Update: a way I’ve found to practice that move for me is to hit from a very closed stance, and use side bend to get arm extension, with the dip peaking at follow through, then let the momentum take you back up out of it. It has the added benefit of keeping the back to target longer.

Cheers!
Z

Double update: the range swing is the latest iteration. I’m still very much liking the closed stance practice for me.

This has been quite a journey; thanks for allowing me to shout it out into the void.

One of my long term goals has been to be develop the ability to pick it clean with a de lofted short iron, bonus points if I could do so and fade it. I felt that that would really be a test of impact and low point control. Soooo… I got that going, which is nice.

These I’m happy with; I feel like elements are right-sized. Going to continue working where I’m working, but I’ve been kind of out and about gathering good drills, or at least what I think are good drills, for your consideration.

All the best,
Zach

Ugh! The hubris!

Today I learned the extreme difference between mocking up positions on the range and dynamically producing them in the real world.

I’m jammed up at impact; no room for my lead shoulder. Needs thoracic extension in the worst way. The rear view actually wound up about 15 feet away, and the score wasn’t terrible today, but I didn’t hit but about three solid shots the whole round. I feel like I need to pull out of the dive sooner, but otherwise, the forces at play are mostly the proper ones? Hopefully? Sigh.

Please forgive me thinking I found something. 😔

Your humbled student,

Zach

Continuing to work this out…

I revisited combo supination and right bend. If I set the sort of P9ish position you demonstrate there as a fixed, non negotiable point, my body HAS to go into negative torsion to get there. Then the game becomes how fast can I sling the club down there and still effectively brace my way up and out into that spot, correct?

Thank you,
Z

Ok, that was the right move.
I know better than to shout “eureka!”, but I feel much better than I did yesterday.

Fondly,
Zach

Hi Zach,

After a little hiatus during the holidays, I got a bunch to catch up on here!

Looks like we got a few things to discuss. I decided to answer more in video form this time, I hope it helps.

Happy New Year of happy golfing!
Tyler

Working with what you said about follow through arm motion and combining it with the scap retraction, I think I understand this better. It’s not so much rolling your forearms as *allowing them to rotate and the arms to extend in a way that decreases activity in the hands and wrists, correct? What you said about “protecting the clubface” struck a chord with me.

I’m still struck by the ripple effect that maintaining trail scap retraction through the strike is having, even with my chipping. It truly simplifies radius control as well as cleans up(unifies?) the pivot.

Cheers, Zach

Latest iteration, tempering the right hand low stop sign with lead arm lock. I think this is my combo of feels for follow through, unless you see something you really don’t like.

Cheers,
Zach