Golf Thread

Played 3 times since Saturday...

Saturday - played pretty well, 41 points with 2 balls off the tee on 3 holes!!

Sunday - played like a muppet, got the shanks (not had that for over a year) and almost walked off at one point it got so bad.

Today - played so so. Had 6 pars and a few single bogies. Thought I had sorted the shanks, but oh no, 13th tee....shank!! 2nd ball....shank!! GRRRR what the heck am I doing? :(

Looks like I will be going for a quick lesson later this week. Although I really cannot understand where the shanks came from, as I had been hitting my irons really really well up until Sunday. Strange
 
Shanks come from something really really simple that you are doing wrong / or different from your normal golf swing. I had a similar issue and the cause was nothing more than me dropping my left shoulder about an inch and a half lower than normal, everything felt like a normal swing, but because of that drop I kept bringing the club into the ball on the heal, and thus shank, followed by several loud calls of "four right, ***bleep***".
 
a shank is very close to a perfect shot. Keep playing and they will go as quick as they arrived. I get a dose of the "shanks" every couple of years and I just need to stick with playing and they go again.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, guess I should just stick at it. Nothing quite as annoying mind you, it has to be the single worst shot in golf! :(
 
Hey guys,

I got back into golf last year after not having played since 2000 when I was 15. Had a couple of lessons this year and was told I was coming over the top so this is what I am working on. Played on a course for the first time yesterday and didn't do too badly (apart from my putting!). Anyway, thought I'd post my swing for some critique as you guys seem to know what you're talking about and I'm desperate to get better.

Cheers.


Diggsy said:
Nothing quite as annoying mind you, it has to be the single worst shot in golf! :(
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I've been shanking the ball a bit recently, it came from nowhere, hadn't been doing it at all. I think without realising I started standing slightly closer to the ball and when coming back to impact my hands where moving away from me leading to the shank. This coupled with an out-to-in swing path. At least I think this is my cause for it.
 
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KNGMNKY said:
Hey guys,
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No expert myself on swing technique however, at the top of your swing you are very "jammed" up with your arms/shoulders etc.

My bad shots come from a similar position when I swing with just my arms and don't turn my shoulder and pivot on my hips.

See this video

Tigers maybe not the best "technical swing" in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nESDTgMck0U

At around 30-32 seconds - look how much more room between his chin and his shoulder. you seem to get a bit jammed up due to swing "around" yourself rather than up the way a bit more. Look at his hip turn as well. (albeit his club face is quite open at the top)

Not knocking your swing at all mate - (would hate to see mine on video!!!)
 
booyaka said:
No expert myself on swing technique however, at the top of your swing you are very "jammed" up with your arms/shoulders etc.

My bad shots come from a similar position when I swing with just my arms and don't turn my shoulder and pivot on my hips.

See this video

Tigers maybe not the best "technical swing" in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nESDTgMck0U

At around 30-32 seconds - look how much more room between his chin and his shoulder. you seem to get a bit jammed up due to swing "around" yourself rather than up the way a bit more. Look at his hip turn as well. (albeit his club face is quite open at the top)

Not knocking your swing at all mate - (would hate to see mine on video!!!)
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Whilst I agree with that 100% (Rory's is the best swing in world golf by some margin) but you have to admire how well Tiger does swing it (in that video), the power and poise he demonstrates from take away to finish with such flexibility. That is something I simply won't ever be able to match, my body simple can't flex like his does, and I can't get my arms that high or wide through the swing.

However, not the end of the world, as you only have to look at Furyk for an odd swing to know that all the matters really is club head position on ball to put it where you want and repeat.

Whilst Rory McIlroy has the best, I also greatly admire KJ Choi's swing. Power and repetition works wonders and shows that you don't have to be out and out impressive with a swing to get great results.
 
booyaka said:
Not knocking your swing at all mate - (would hate to see mine on video!!!)
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No worries mate and thanks for the reply. I see exactly what you're talking about. It's funny I was actually looking at that vid of Tiger earlier and noticed compared to mine you can actually see his face! I take it this is what you mean, that I shouldn't tuck my head down as much?

From looking at my vid too I'm already aware of my hip turn or rather lack of. To me, my right leg doesn't look right. Like I'm moving too much weight on top of it rather than rotating and using it to support me.

Thanks again. Anyone else? :D

Edit: Ha, I see as well now that it's my right shoulder which actually lifts my head up on the follow through as my bloody chin is in the way!
 
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booyaka said:
No expert myself on swing technique however, at the top of your swing you are very "jammed" up with your arms/shoulders etc.

My bad shots come from a similar position when I swing with just my arms and don't turn my shoulder and pivot on my hips.

See this video

Tigers maybe not the best "technical swing" in the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nESDTgMck0U

At around 30-32 seconds - look how much more room between his chin and his shoulder. you seem to get a bit jammed up due to swing "around" yourself rather than up the way a bit more. Look at his hip turn as well. (albeit his club face is quite open at the top)

Not knocking your swing at all mate - (would hate to see mine on video!!!)
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One thing I notice in that video, Tiger (and quite a lot of Tour Pro's) have a little inch or two drop at the top of their back swing before engaging the drive through the ball. In that video he doesn't have it. Just a point I thought I'd make...
 
KNGMNKY said:
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Difficult to get much information from a front on video, much easier to diagnose from DTL (down the line) most of the time. One of the main things i can see is during and after impact there is still a fair amount of flex in your left leg. Sometimes this causes a little jump/slide and is possibly a cause of your shanks when it goes pear shaped timing wise.

Would be interested to see what the rest of your swing looks like in a DTL video as it looks pretty sound from front on :)
 
KNGMNKY said:
Thanks mate, I have a DTL video with a 9-iron on youtube from earlier on in the month if you fancy a look. I'll be taking more videos over time and will keep an eye on that left leg! Cheers :)
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A pretty fundamentally sound swing imo, as stated in the description of the video you realise you have an over the top move. Nice backswing, looks pretty much one plane and a good enough shoulder turn. The problems arise as soon as you start your downswing. There is a move back down the line you took the club up on, but then you start to go ever so slightly out over the top.

Ideally i'd like to see the same setup and takeaway, but the first move from the top being a little drop to find the slot and get on plane perfectly.

Seen as you all seem to like McIlroy on here i'll make the point with this video. Watch at the top of his backswing, the first move is a little drop to find the slot, keep an eye on his leg straightening also.

Btw i love that FC-100, thinking of getting one to get a closer look at my swing :D
 
roid said:
Btw i love that FC-100, thinking of getting one to get a closer look at my swing :D
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You should, it's a great little camera, glad I bought it.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I hope to get some practice in soon. I did feel on Monday as if I was dropping it inside a bit more on the downswing but I'll get some DTL videos to make sure.

Thanks :)
 
Gutted, level par through 15 holes, with a clear birdie chance on the drivable par 4 18th and double bogey / bogey / par finish for a +3 73 (net 66) which at my club due to the ridiculous standard scratch of 67 (possibly dropping to 66 today) means only a .2 cut or maybe nothing at all. Grrr
 
Dale said:
Gutted, level par through 15 holes, with a clear birdie chance on the drivable par 4 18th and double bogey / bogey / par finish for a +3 73 (net 66) which at my club due to the ridiculous standard scratch of 67 (possibly dropping to 66 today) means only a .2 cut or maybe nothing at all. Grrr
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I sometimes feel that standard scratch was invented to really **** people off. The last two medals at my place SSS has been 68 when its usually 69 for no apparent reason really, all the scores were similar to most medals and conditions were also very similar.

Good job on getting through 15 at level though mate.
 
Looking forward to some good golf in June. Got myself a couple of nice corporate golf days coming up, nothing too fancy just local courses, but it's with a good bunch of people and the prizes are always worth a shot (won longest drive and overall last year which netted me a day out at London Irish and also a PS3 - asked for the PS3 to be donated to the local childrens ward as i already had one).

Then i get to play Alwoodly for the first time, which i have heard is better than Ganton in Yorkshire so really hope the game holds for that one, i'm hoping to turn the table on a couple of mates though, they organised it and they play off 5 and 6, they thought i was bringing a lad who is about my level but he has dropped out so another mate who is a pro is coming along, hohoho, he played there last year in the open regional q's and just missed making the full open qualifier by one shot, he hit a 69 off the back tees, missed a sitter on the last green to fail by one shot! :D

Also got Aldwark Manor and hopefully Stoke Park. Then got 10 days in the Algarve in July and 5 days in Murcia in August! Woohoo, roll on the summer months!
 
played in a doubles comp last night, got thrashed 4&3 by a 20&21 HC, my mate and i play off 15-11HC, didn't play that well but won't have matter if we were, those guys played well well under there HC. I have never saw a guy hit a ball so hard, 330 yard drives, he drove a 346y par 4, birdie for that hole and the game, the rest of his game was pretty steady, was expecting some part of his game to be under par, they went on a spree of 6 holes and they were -4 for them, whats the point......
 
Played nine holes last night with some chaps from work. Third time I've managed to grab a round this year (been very busy) I scored 18 points over the nice holes playing to a HC of 25. Which is 4 points more than I scored over 18 when I playing in the works event at which I won the wooden spoon :(.

Still not happy with my swing but I need to regain my confidence as I'm not striking the ball as I used to which is costing me shots!
 
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