I think that started happening a little more at my second range session today. It felt kinda weird actually, but the transition confuses me from time to time. Basically it felt like I was bringing it back in "one piece" (not a lot of wrist movement bc I'm trying to bring it straight back), then at the top (I'm really at like 75-80% backswing prob) I just transition and my wrists kind of naturally hinge pretty hard. Feels weird having them hinge "after" I start my lower body movement, but based on this John Rahm swing video (linked earlier in this thread) that seems okay, he doesn't really get a lot of hinging until the downswing I feel like.

I'll try that drill when I get a chance

I think

this worked

pretty well actually

This is probably the hardest part of the golf swing to do. At least for me it is. Your natural instinct is to start swinging the club towards the ball. Letting it drop first or pulling it down first isn't natural. I still can't do it and I feel like I've tried everything. If you find a way I want to hear about it.

6/17: 1/2 bucket with wedges, maybe 100 chips or so. Just wanted to document what I did yesterday in a brief session, chipping is really coming along I think (still far away, but so much more feel for holding through and so many less mis hits)

6/20: New clubs got extended and I hit them today at the range for 1.5 buckets along with some chipping (which is coming along well). It feels awesome when I hit it good, got some extra jump on some for sure, but I'm still mis hitting it all over the place trying to figure out the hinging thing. Also trying to take the ****ing club back steep. And I still can't half swing.

Here are some tasty mis hits (actually one was perfect, three were mis hits, can you spot the one?!)

grunching as i haven't participated that much recently...

your swing has really improved....... from a point about halfway on backswing to halfway on downswing you look like pga player....

it's weird you how seem to have alot of lag halfway down and then you dump it all right before impact...... but be warned, i wouldn't overthink it. swing generally looks good.

this might exist but i feel like there needs to be a program where you can superimpose pga pro's swing on your swing. you have tons of similarities to the pro's swings now but still some big differences.

Agree swing looks very good. Ever try the tour striker? Might be very helpful in your case.

I think the majority of his lag loss is attributed to having a weaker grip and not manipulating the club in such a manner that he's almost forced to let the clubhead catch up in order to square it.

IMO you're so close that you don't need a tour striker, and I would really start to concentrate on your grip once you've gotten your backswing plane to where you like it.

So when you're ready to start something new, I'd think about strengthening your grip and doing what you can to make sure you don't hit the ball left. It will almost force you to hold the angle because if you don't you're going to hook the snot out of the ball. Also it looks as though your hands are disconnected from each other a bit in your grip, I'd work to get them on the club as more of a singular unit.

Minor things though, you're swing looks pretty awesome as is. Your transition has be jealous!

Here's a pretty good video explaining why a strong grip is generally the way to go. You can manipulate the release with a weak grip and still come in square and with lag/delofting, but it seems like an unnecessary movement if you're starting from a blank slate.

6/22: Shot 97 from the Blues at a new course (69.2/118).

• Drove it relatively well
• I have trouble "trusting" really letting my wrists stay soft/neutral/weak and hinge hard and smash it. When I do the contact I make is pretty insane-- I definitely hit a 180 yard 7i when I was trying to get it there from 168 on a par 3.
• Wedges were awesome, as usual
• Putted well, no 4 putts and made one from the fringe (~15 feet), probably ~12-14 from 3-4 feet too
• I think I played slightly above average, I think my EV is going to be 100 almost everywhere

i've strengthened my grip quite a bit recently with mixed results.

my drives are unbelievably good.... and i'm using a really stiff driver. no slice and perfect ball flight..... and with whippier shafts i always seemed to hit a block when i tried to swing really hard. i know maybe we shouldn't swing really hard but it's difficult to stick to much more relaxed swing when you are on course. and i personally think aggressive swing/stronger grip/stiff shaft work really well together.

fairway woods and long-mid irons have been very good in general. some poor results but generally good

mid to short irons not so good............... i experimented looking at the hands when you take very strong grip and the hands must be way in front of ball or you'll snap hook everything. so i find your swing bottoms out way before you thinnk it will - an arguable good thing with the driver but terrible with shorter irons.

so i'm thinking of stronger grip with driver and weaker grip with shorter irons. not sure if i'll do graduation in grip between them or have more of discrete cutoff. probably gradual.... i think this will work and i see alot of people online who've done it successfully.

i do think that was a good explanation that throwing away lag at last second might be due to weak grip.......... most hackers throw away lag gradually on the way down. you dump a split second too soon. but you are SO CLOSE and you swing looks really good.

note (nittiness overanalytical warning): strong grip requires a real clearing of the hips but i have thought too much of this. i just think a strong grip requires you at least to get your hands really far forward at contact. i also wonder if players who have a tendancy to melt down on sundays and/or at majors have strong grips which require body release and specific hand position and freeze up under the pressure. seems like someone like moe norman's swing would be pressure-proof - although i realize he has strong grip and didn't have huge power

1: chunky monkey
2: thin to win
3: held that pose way too long for it to be bad
4: squirrel cheeks make me think you don't have the nuts

do i win?

I don't even remember which one was good tbh, those seem like reasonable reads though

Heading to Vegas in the near future, if anyone who has >5 posts in this thread wants a free round of golf in exchange for course management tips lmk

i might take you up on that .... i'm thinking of going to palm springs through vegas soon. and i am very good with helping people with their swings although frankly most were much worse than you were/are.

also, i may be through banff/calgary in the next couple of weeks as i may go to winnipeg to canadian tour caddy for a player.

i am a very good putter and can probably help you there alot. perhaps help with chip/pitch too.

you should hit up dominic....shouldn't matter if he has >5 posts itt or not, he's a very active golf forum poster that lives in vegas.

5 posts was arbitrary, mostly just wanted to reward anyone who was paying attention, he was one of the people who encouraged me to start the thread so he'd have to qualify

Holy **** it's hot out here. I forget how I ever played golf in this weather

So by near future you meant tomorrow? I'll be in Vegas in about 3 weeks.

That's why I didn't want to take you up on your offer, that and the fact that I haven't picked up a club in over a year.

Why "weird", looks like a perfect release to me. (8i side view)

no way that's a perfect release.......... i think the shaft might be leaning slightly backwards as he hits........

i do think that OP maybe shouldn't worry about it too much......

but undoubtedly he is giving up his lag way too much as he approaches the ball. it's promising though as many people probably never have enough lag to to start with.

Agreed

I played a few days ago and shot 103 at Spanish Trails in Vegas. I played fine.

At some point during my next round I ****ed up a muscle in my rib cage on my left side, it kept getting worse so I just stopped playing. Going to rest it for a few days but it's kinda painful at times (but totally fine at others-- hurts more doing something like opening a car door than it does doing a pushup).