How many people take a full swing

[zoic]

I am curious how many people actually take a full swing, going right to square on the backswing, and full around on the follow through.

Due to range of motion issues from too many left shoulder dislocations, I am unable to take more than a 70-80% swing. This has worked well for me though, even hitting the odd really long one (that would be 280-300 for me). I find I have more control than I did when I was younger and taking a much more full swing. For years (after the injuries) I would mostly punch the ball, but now I have increased my range of motion somewhat, and follow through much more, increasing distance and accuracy I find.

I would say from my observation of other golfers I have seen playing is that a majority take a full swing. It makes me wonder how many people would see an improvement by shortening their swing a little bit for more control.

[byerxa]

On a full shot I continually struggle with my backswing being too long. Ignoring the whole shaft to parallel thing, I am working hard on keeping relaxed and only swinging back to the point I can keep everything together. I tend to swing back too much which causes breakdowns, reverse pivot, too much wrist kock, and general loss of posture. Results are predictably bad. But if I relax and only go back as far as I can staying "relaxed", I hit the ball well and my follow through goes all the way around automatically with my weight nicely transferred to my front side. It feels like a 3/4 back swing right now, but in reality I am getting shoulders to 90* and club is getting close to parallel. Swing back too much and the reverse pivot tends to make me hang back and stab at the ball - very ugly.

[LobWedge]

I actually overswing. I get way past parallel, especially with the driver and fairway woods. It's the only way that I've found that feels comfortable timing-wise.

[mcnorth]

I have about a 3/4 backswing, just enough to get my lead shoulder under my chin and then come back. My follow through varies as one of my faults is really commiting to the swing.

[swingdoc]

ZOIC
I have found as an instructor that most people have this perception that they have to get the club up to parallel, when in fact if I get them to work on a big coil, and a great position at the top, a player can really unleash that energy down through the ball. I am a believer that when a player reaches that magical position with regard to a big shoulder turn and a minimal hip turn along with a great extension of their leading arm...wow what energy!!!! More consistency...easier to get to and through impact without having to create some magical move to get to the right position. Be the way, I too have had shoulder problems, one completely re-built so I know how you feel.

swingdoc>>>>>>Target Golf Centre

[swingdoc]

careful ZOIC, one thing to add, I have found that by a player feeling like there backswing is shorter, the tendancy is to feel like you have to swing quicker from the top to achieve that desired speed through impact, this is the wrong thing to do. I get my players to work hard on that pace thing!!!

[zoic]

Thanks for the feedback. I think mcnorth described it perfectly. I use an interlocking grip and do not let my wrists break, they are pretty well locked. It is not the best swing, but it works for me. If I let my wrists break, then I have to straighten them, and the results are more unpredictable. I do turn my upper body somewhat, but the hips mostly are used to change the weight back to the front foot as I start down on the ball, with a some turn at follow through. This is just my thoughts, if someone observed it or taped it then I am sure I would see things that I did not expect where happening.

[zoic]

No, I do not try to swing quicker much anymore, when I do I will know it because to it goes dead straight, but pulled way left of target.

[BC MIST]

I have about a 3/4 backswing, just enough to get my lead shoulder under my chin and then come back. My follow through varies as one of my faults is really commiting to the swing.

When the lead shoulder gets to a position opposite the ball, the swing is "FULL," regardless of where the arms are. The trail shoulder will not turn 90*as it works independently of the left.

Having a "full" shoulder turn with minimal hip turn is not wrong but is not essential for power and accuracy. On plane arms, educated hands and a stable body is. It is also not essential to have great extension of the lead arm on the way back as the only arc that needs to be long is the one you have on the downswing. "Shortening the radius of a large arc," (educated hands with on plane arms) is the key to club head speed, and those of you who have good flexibility have a huge advantage over those of us who don't.

What do the hands of the Tour pros do as they start down? They come almost straight back and then down(large arc) maintaining or actually increasing the wrist kock angle a little until the last split second (shortening the radius), and one does not necessarily need a "full" shoulder turn to accomplish this.

[Wknd_Warrior]

I'm about as flexible as a block fo wood, I only get close to a full swing with a driver. The longer arc lets me get away with a bit more body english.

You don't really need a full swing for irons IMO, when you're 130 out it's not a driving contest.

[jonf]

You don't really need a full swing for irons IMO, when you're 130 out it's not a driving contest.

This is a crucial lesson (that I have learned over the last couple years). It doesn't matter what club you're hitting from 180 (or any other distance) as long as it goes where you want it to. The scorecard knows no difference between a 140 yard pw and 140 7 iron...hit what feels comfortable, and what works.

I had been worrying at the start of this year that I seemed to have lost about 10 yards on all my irons. This bugged me for a while because I thought: "oh crap, I can't hit it as far as i used to, I must have gotten weaker." (wouldn't have been surprising given my quality student diet of past, pasta, and more pasta). But I have realized that it really makes no difference at all that I have lost a few yards. I am hitting it closer to the pin...sure I'm hitting one club more, but I'm scoring better. It's one of those lessons that's hard to learn, but it seems to be helping my game (albeit slowly ).

[BC MIST]

This is a crucial lesson (that I have learned over the last couple years). It doesn't matter what club you're hitting from 180 (or any other distance) as long as it goes where you want it to. The scorecard knows no difference between a 140 yard pw and 140 7 iron...hit what feels comfortable, and what works.

You are very wise for such a young person.

Rather than trying to play like Tiger, VJ or Phil, perhaps, for the kind of golf most of us play, if we tried to be more like Corey Pavin, our games would be better. Accuracy, shot making, course management and good chipping and putting, is what it is all about.

[Golfbum]

Bascially a 3/4 swing for me. I have had one Pro lesson in 24 years. Last summer, and he told me that he would really rather not see a full "PGA STYLE" backswing on amateurs. He stated that most people lose control of their swing when doing that.

Now since coming back from a 7 week mid season layoff I started out with less than a 3/4 swing. Heck I was hitting a 20* hybrid the same distance as my normal 6 iron Now I am pretty much back to my full swing, however I have lost some strength in my chest and arms due to the operation. So I am still about one club short of what I used to be.

However here is a good example and as stated above the scorecard does not have a spot for "What Club"

Yesterday 3 of us were playing. I am 50, one guy is 51 and the other is 23. On a 150 yard slightly down wind Par 3 the kid hits wedge, 15 feet short of the hole. The 51 year old hits 8 iron, 15 feet short of the hole. I hit a smooth 7, 15 feet past the hole. Three different swings, 3 different clubs, but the results were basically the same.

I find now I hit 9 iron instead of wedge, and so on down through my clubs. My buddy told me yesterday "Who cares what club you hit? It's the end results that count" True enough, although I wish I had my distance back with my driver! I can go down a club or two with my irons, but I cant go down anymore with the driver

[jonf]

This is a crucial lesson (that I have learned over the last couple years). It doesn't matter what club you're hitting from 180 (or any other distance) as long as it goes where you want it to. The scorecard knows no difference between a 140 yard pw and 140 7 iron...hit what feels comfortable, and what works.

I was playing the other day at Cartier and ran into a situation that perfectly illustrates this point. I was playing as a single with a couple of other guys. I had been out-driving them all day (not by a lot, but I was definitely hitting the ball farther than them). We got to 17, and I was up first. Well, I figured "170, 1 club wind, 2 clubs worth of hill....I'll take my 2 iron". Hit my two iron well and somehow managed to hit the green. The two other guys had their 5 and 6 irons out. They asked my what I hit and I said "a hard 2". They both stood there for a minute trying to decide what to do. Now, the logical thing to do would have been to go back and grab more club, but instead they both thought they would just use their 5 and 6, swing out of their shoes, and pray. Needless to say, neither of them made it up the hill. Moral of the story? Leave your ego at home.

[Hacker]

My Dad told me this 25 years ago...

At the end of the round they ask "How Many?"

NOT

"How?"

And ya know what, despite the age difference and the fact that he has 1980s equipment and a fundamentally unsound swing, I've only beaten him ONCE in my life!

[zoic]

Oh so true. I tried for years to catch my brother, but this year, the easier I swing, the more I beat him by, LOL.