Should this help?

[Big Johnny69]

In my ever dying attemtp to rid myself of the occasional slice (I really don't mind my fade) I have been trying somethings I've been reading in the instructional sections of both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. But the article that has seemed to help me the most was a Tiger Woods article. In it, he was talking about his fwy wds and mentioned he tries to keep his back heel (right heel for right handed golfers) planted as long as possible. Or at least try to achieve that sensation. I've been trying this of late, and my irons and fwy wds have never been crisper (for the most part, the odd brain cramp swing still creeps in every now and then). Would this help with a proper weight transfer and keeping your head behind the ball at impact as opposed to a slide of the hips and having the upper body and head move ahead of the ball?

[BC MIST]

In my ever dying attemtp to rid myself of the occasional slice (I really don't mind my fade) I have been trying somethings I've been reading in the instructional sections of both Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. But the article that has seemed to help me the most was a Tiger Woods article. In it, he was talking about his fwy wds and mentioned he tries to keep his back heel (right heel for right handed golfers) planted as long as possible. Or at least try to achieve that sensation. I've been trying this of late, and my irons and fwy wds have never been crisper (for the most part, the odd brain cramp swing still creeps in every now and then). Would this help with a proper weight transfer and keeping your head behind the ball at impact as opposed to a slide of the hips and having the upper body and head move ahead of the ball?

When looking for improvement, ask two questions:
1. Where does the ball start?
2. Which way does the ball curve?

If the ball starts on your target line or slightly to the right, do not change your swing. If this is true then you have a club face problem and so that must be corrected. It may be your grip, in your case too weak, or more likely, at the transition, your grip is slipping or your left wrist is cupping, opening the club face, which is probably why the fade becomes a slice. The back of your left hand MUST be kept FLAT, through impact. If it buckles, the ball could go anywhere.

If your ball is starting left of target line, the problem is major and seeing someone who knows how to get you to swing down on proper plane is a must.

What wrecks most golf swings is the too soon activation of the right shoulder, right forearm and the right wrist. By trying to keep your right foot down you decrease the chances of this happening and as well as a large lateral slide, and better shots result. Moe Norman was the best at doing this.

I never think about a weight transfer as this must happen IF you hit down on the ball.

[mcgoo]

Nice post BC Mist

[flagolfnut]

I agree, trying to keep your right heel planted during a shot eliminates a lot of body movement (and a lot of problems) while still achieving the proper weight transfer. However, by focusing on keeping yourself grounded, it remains that your arms, hands and shoulders are still moving. But by eliminating the body movement by keeping your heel planted, you can now focus on the proper swing plane created with the upper part of your body without worrying so much about the lower part

[BigFlopper]

... your left wrist is cupping, opening the club face, which is probably why the fade becomes a slice. The back of your left hand MUST be kept FLAT, through impact. ...

So is there a conscience effort to keep that wrist flat at impact?

[BC MIST]

So is there a conscience effort to keep that wrist flat at impact?

From my readings, examination of pictures of Tour pros and from my experience, absolutely, "Yes!!"

From the time you get your left wrist into the flat position during the backswing, every effort should be made to keep it that exact position THROUGH impact meaning that the left hand MUST be ahead of the ball at impact. From watching others play, the break down of the left wrist, either by cupping it at the transition or by the grip actually slipping, causes erratic shots. The consistently straight hitters that I have seen keep that left wrist "encased in concrete" with no wiggle in it during the downswing.

Where this pays off the most is in the little pitches and chips where the left wrist stays flat and the right wrist stays bent. Most golfers flip their right wrist through impact.

Look at the shot of Hogan, well after impact. The right wrist is bent and there is no doubt that the left is flat. There is no rotation, pronation, flipping or conscious release here. Notice, too, how bent his right arm is, as well.

[Goshawk]

Geoff, there's no reason for you to get "on the toes" at any time until the ball is well on it's way. I don't like to have students rotate their back foot up to the toes until the back shoulder is past where the ball "was". Keeping the back foot "feeling" like it is still flat is a very good foundation for the downswing through impact. This stablizes the lower body and prevents "spinning out".

[Goshawk]

So is there a conscience effort to keep that wrist flat at impact?

Ironically, there was a segment on TGC last week that was very interesting and applies here. The basis of the experiment was to place a slightly bent spatula on the back wrist with a couple of sweat bands. At setup, the spatula is away from the back of your hand. During the backswing, when you make your wrist set, the spatula head touches the back of your hand. During the downswing and beyond impact, it STAYS there, almost until the arms are pointing at the target. He said this would generate a more solid and predictable impact. I haven't tried it personally, but looking at it over and over on my PVR it seems to make perfect sense. I wouldn't make a "conscious" effort to achieve this, but being aware of it should help keep both wrists "set" past impact.

[Big Johnny69]

Geoff, there's no reason for you to get "on the toes" at any time until the ball is well on it's way. I don't like to have students rotate their back foot up to the toes until the back shoulder is past where the ball "was". Keeping the back foot "feeling" like it is still flat is a very good foundation for the downswing through impact. This stablizes the lower body and prevents "spinning out".

Thanks, good to know I'm on the right track.

[Kiwi]

Left wrist flat... is that not the goal of the Rick Smith "glove". Thought about buying one but concerned that once I take it off to play I'll digress back to my old habits = inconsistent contact.

[BC MIST]

Left wrist flat... is that not the goal of the Rick Smith "glove". Thought about buying one but concerned that once I take it off to play I'll digress back to my old habits = inconsistent contact.

Any similar drill device will give you the "feel" of the desired result, but will not train your wrist to go into the correct position when you play. Muscle memory is a myth. However, if you alternate between using the glove and hitting shots without it, but trying to get your wrist flat, you have a good chance of succeeding. It will take very little time to get the correct "feel" of the proper position, after which it is up to you to first, consciously, get the left wrist flat, and then hit balls without consciously keeping it flat.

Using the "32 Ball Routine" ** hit 4 balls working on the flat wrist and then 4 balls thinking about something else, and repeat 4 times. This will maximize your chance of it becoming a habit, sooner.

I would suggest that you initially work on a short swing first, where your lead are goes no further back than parallel to the ground, until you know that you can keep it flat. Then extend your swing a little further and then further, still.

** "Double Connexion," Carey Mumford.

[BigFlopper]

... if you alternate between using the glove and hitting shots without it, but trying to get your wrist flat, you have a good chance of succeeding. It will take very little time to get the correct "feel" of the proper position, after which it is up to you to first, consciously, get the left wrist flat, and then hit balls without consciously keeping it flat. ...

I've been working on this over the weekend. I found that the only way to keep that wrist flat is that the rest of your body (ie the lower body) must respond to facilitate the flat wrist. If the lower body stops rotating as you approach impact, there is no way your wrist can hold back (nor does it want to) the club head from passing it and breaking the wrist down. Keeping the right wrist bent through the swing has the same effect.

Slow motion swings and hitting balls with short swings while doing whatever it takes by the rest of your body to keep that wrist flat will give you an idea of where things need to be at impact. For instance, the hands are a fair bit ahead of where they are now at impact.

Once getting the feel of that wrist at impact, I'm trying to get the overall feel of my body the postion is at impact. I'm not sure if this makes sense or not.

The hardest is the driver, but the work continues...

[mberube]

Geoff, thanks for this post and Lyle, thanks for the reply.

I’m playing my worst golf in years. My index has gone up from a 4.X to a 7.8. I just can’t get out of the tee box and we all know that at HP it’s an automatic double on most holes. I’m push slicing the ball it’s crazy. I’m spinning out my hips and my hands can’t catch up.

Lyle, your post has given me hope. I have been trying to keep my back foot grounded as much as I can through impact for the last couple of games. I’m not saying it cured everything but it helped a lot.

Obviously I lost all confidence so it will take some time to get everything back on track but TY for the tip. I played Kanata yesterday and I hit monster drives that landed where I was aiming and with a small draw. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mike

[mberube]

Geoff, there's no reason for you to get "on the toes" at any time until the ball is well on it's way. I don't like to have students rotate their back foot up to the toes until the back shoulder is past where the ball "was". Keeping the back foot "feeling" like it is still flat is a very good foundation for the downswing through impact. This stablizes the lower body and prevents "spinning out".

That’s exactly it. I was and still am, a shot her and their, pushing aggressively with my back foot on the downswing and through impact. I was so confused that I lost confidence on every aspect of my game.

Mike

[BC MIST]

yle, your post has given me hope. I have been trying to keep my back foot grounded as much as I can through impact for the last couple of games. I’m not saying it cured everything but it helped a lot.

Obviously I lost all confidence so it will take some time to get everything back on track but TY for the tip. I played Kanata yesterday and I hit monster drives that landed where I was aiming and with a small draw. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

IMO, a push/slice should take little time to cure as it indicates that you are still swinging into the ball from the inside. Those who may have fought a hook often allow the lead arm to separate from the upper chest coming through and this encourages an blocking action and an open face at impact. Putting a tee or a head cover under your lead armpit may be all that it takes to square the face up.

While it is taught by many, having a straight lead leg at impact also encourages a "coming out of the shot" motion and again the push/slice. A slightly flexed lead leg at impact, again IMO, is a great cure for those who spin out and/or come off the ball.

There is no doubt that the body must be in a stable position for the arms/hands package to work properly(flat lead wrist). Frequently, if the right arm/shoulder/wrist becomes active too soon, the lower body has not moved forward sufficiently, often due to "hit anxiety". Hitting down on the ball cures a lot of this as it is virtually impossible to hit down on the ball without the body moving forward.

[mberube]

IMO, a push/slice should take little time to cure as it indicates that you are still swinging into the ball from the inside. Those who may have fought a hook often allow the lead arm to separate from the upper chest coming through and this encourages an blocking action and an open face at impact. Putting a tee or a head cover under your lead armpit may be all that it takes to square the face up.

While it is taught by many, having a straight lead leg at impact also encourages a "coming out of the shot" motion and again the push/slice. A slightly flexed lead leg at impact, again IMO, is a great cure for those who spin out and/or come off the ball.

There is no doubt that the body must be in a stable position for the arms/hands package to work properly(flat lead wrist). Frequently, if the right arm/shoulder/wrist becomes active too soon, the lower body has not moved forward sufficiently, often due to "hit anxiety". Hitting down on the ball cures a lot of this as it is virtually impossible to hit down on the ball without the body moving forward.

Yep and I’m about 60% spin out and 40% stable at the moment. When I spin out, I blade the ball. When I think of keeping my back foot flat, I hit down on the ball and it comes out high and straight or draw.

I think all this started because I was trying to maximize my total weight transfer on my front foot. That eventually made me push aggressively with my back foot to push my weight on the front foot without me noticing it “SPIN OUT”. If that makes any sense.

Mike