I'm sure most of you haven't seen my announcement in the bbv golf thread that I will be going pro within 8 years. Laugh if you must, and I won't blame you at all, but I truly believe it will happen.

Anyway, here are a few videos of my swinging at the driving range earlier this week. Each video has multiple swings. Some good shots, some bad. (mostly good lol)

I have a few things I know I want to work on, but I'll save my comments so I don't have any influence on any of your thoughts. I don't care if you're a 30 handicap or whatever, feel free to comment; you never know, it might click with me and help me improve.

FYI there's one video where I'm joking around giving a shout-out to twoplustwo and tuq/westhoff. So please save the "wangsta" comments.

Okay, let's start with a wedge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro0-FkIyZg4

And the rest are drivers from different views.

(the shout-out vid) I don't know typically sound like I'm busting a nut after I hit, as you'll see in the next few vids.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H2VHADTyV8


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlPmmjMaCd4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUFVqbB5X0Q

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

You can see what I'm working on by watching my slow practice swings on some of the vids.

I'll expand later.

Thanks!

Obv looks like you hit it pretty well.

Coupla things:
I'd like to see you look more relaxed at address.
I think you should probably turn the right hand over..
When you finish your swing with the wedge, your weight seems more firmly balanced on your left foot, where as with the wedge, it looks like you're more spinning on the back of the foot.

How many balls are you hitting a day? what is your over all practice routine, and how do you have the next 8 years mapped out so that you can get to your goal?

ah sweet, will take a look later when i'm not busy

tyty

Most swings I actually feel very relaxed. I admit in my early years I used to strangle the club. You see me tapping the club on the ground a few times before I take it back. I do this to keep moving which helps keep me relaxed. But I will take this into consideration my next few sessions and make sure I'm as relaxed as I think I am.

I definitely think I would benefit from having a stronger grip. My reason for not doing it now is because what I currently do is what feels comfortable, and I have different issues I think I need to work out first that will be easier to achieve without messing with my grip first. These issues have to do with my overall swing plane and my spine angle/rotation.

You said wedge twice, but I'm assuming you meant I finish more on my left leg with my driver, and my right foot doesn't come off the ground that much when I hit my wedge.

The reason for this is that I'm trying to rotate more in a way that doesn't cause me to throw my hips so quickly and in such a way that it causes me to have my right foot come off the ground too soon.

There are lots off pros that let their right foot come off the ground just like mine, but most of them seem to eventually work towards keeping it down longer. Hell, Kenny Perry doesn't let his right foot come off the ground until well after impact.

It's much easier for me to keep my right foot down with a short iron since I'm not swinging so hard. When I'm at the range and hitting a wedge/short iron I try keep my right foot down as more of a drill than anything else. If I go 90%+ after a wedge on the course my right foot will not be in the position it is on these videos at my finish.

I'm going to the driving range at least 5 nights a week because I used to work there and the owner wants me to get as good as I can so he gives me free balls.

The reason I think I can reach this goal is because of several reasons. One is that I've always been a very good putter. After playing with me over the course of three years, my best friend's dad was drunk one night and he told me I was the best putter he'd ever seen. He was like 50 at the time and has been a very good player since he was a kid. I only bring that up to try to give you some example of why I think I'm a tour quality putter - today - without just saying zomg I'm a good putter.

Another reason is the way my swing has progressed so far, and because I feel like I've studied the swing in such a way that it has allowed me to feel like I will have a tour quality swing within a year or two. I record tons of golf and watch it over and over again in slow motion. I practice my swing in front of the mirror every night for hours. (while watching tv/cruising the web, so not every minute of those hourse) I swing in slow motion, over and over and over.

You should have seen my swing when I first started at the age of 16. (I'm now 26 in Feb.) It was so bad the high school coach told the owner of the driving range that I worked for that he wanted to cut me but my scores were good enough that he just couldn't. He actually told him how ugly he thought my swing was. I was such a ****ty ball striker that I had to rely on my short game and putting, which I'm now thankful for.

So I watch guys like Luke Donald, Mike Weir, and others that are my size or smaller (I'm 5 9'). I see them with no more talent than I have, it's just they've figured out how to get the club on the back of the ball better than I have, so far. It might take me longer than them because for some reason my initial instincts with the club were way off, but I firmly believe that I will get there too.

Many people, like my best friend, thinks it's crazy for me to think I can make the Tour some day. I suppose my best answer for why I think I can make it is that the first step to doing it is believing.

i'll be 26 in March

Are you in Phoenix still?

Unfortunately, no.

I was down there for a couple months in the summer when I was playing poker full-time. It ended up being a horrible decision.

My friend had the hook-up for Oxycontin, and for cheap. I ended up blowing all but 1.5k of my money while down there and finally had to force myself to leave by buying a ticket the night before I left. Then I spent the rest of my money with a few weeks and went on to rack up a few k in debts.

I'm up in the Seattle area right now, but I plan to move back down to Phoenix in roughly one year if everything goes as planned. (hopefully earlier, but one year is prolly realistic.) I've been clean for several months now and will never touch the stuff again. I was lucky I didn't have 100k or something because instead of a 3.5 month binge I would have went on for a lot longer.

Don't know why I wrote all that, but oh well!

I've watched all your vids and the one thing that stands out...other than you have a pretty good action....is that you use your shoulders and arms far too much to generate your power.

I love the 'shape' of what you are working on, but you need to get more involved with your legs and hips in driving the rotational aspect of your swing.

Also, if you are serious about becoming a professional golfer, you should be looking at getting your feet wet far sooner than 8 years imo.

Check out the thread I'm about to make, should help you I think.

Butcho, I tried to ask you what your practice regime will be, and how you plan to get to tour in the next 8 years. In your response to me , you told me why you think you have what it takes, but I'm more interested in what you will be doing to get you there. Hitting tons of balls, working at the practice green.. Investing a lot in lessons? Going to college for golf? Joining a small tour? Focusing on playing some USGA events? Are you a poker player so you have the time available, etc?? Just stuff like that..

I think its awesome that you have a goal like that, and would never try to tell someone they couldn't reach it.

Also, congrats for getting yourself of the oxy's. I have some friends that have really struggled with that stuff, so I know how it can be.

I obv don't know what your preshot routine is on the course, but a major flaw I think I see is that you kinda just step up to the ball and smack it. You need to set the club behind the ball, line it up, then align your body to that.

I'm also thinking that you're standing a little too far away which is causing your spine angle to be too hunched over. This may be causing a pull every few shots? I would stand ever so slightly closer and a little taller.

I'm really tired, will give more/better info tomorrow.

Yeah...there doesn't appear to be any relationship with the target, awareness of the target in your routine.

Having said that, if I am working on a move in my swing I don't aim at anything....just focus on me and the ball and how it feels. Looked like you were doing that...rather than hitting specific shots.

Thanks, I'll check the thread out when I have some time later.

I like what you're saying about my legs and hips. I haven't yet figured out what drill or feeling or whatever I can practice to try to accomplish this.


Sorry, I got sidetracked when responding to you and didn't really answer you question.

The first tournament I'll be playing is going to be the Kitsap Amateur which is in April. I plan on playing as many tournaments as I can this Summer; probably like 4-5.

I'll move to Arizona in about a year. I don't know what my situation will be, but as of now I plan on getting a job at a course so I can get free golf and free range balls.

I also plan on trying out a few instructors, but again, right now I don't have the money for that. I'll probably try to convince a teacher to help me out pro-bono style. If that fails I'll just have to wait.

I've literally taken less than five lessons from an actual instructor my whole life. My golf buddies and I would try to help each other so it's not like I haven't had any feedback. I am hoping that with the right instructor I can get where I want to go if I can't do it on my own.

So to sum up my overall plan...

Work at a golf course right near me March 1st. I've already got the job lined up so it's a for sure thing. Play/practice every day. I've worked at golf courses before and sometimes you don't want to play because you've been there all day, and it almost feels like you're at work. But I'll be able to be home in less than five minutes so I can shower/eat/chill for an hour and go back fresh.
When I move to AZ again I'll make sure to line up a job before moving, and try to live within 10 minutes of the course.


I'll play as many amateur tournaments as I can until I'm good enough to get backing, or have the money myself to start at the bottom and go for it.
Hopefully get backing yearly for Q school. It was $4,000 last I heard but it's probably higher by now.
I'm quite the salesmen and I don't see how I wouldn't be able find backing for at least Q School every year once I reach a certain level of play.

I'm not playing any poker now, but once I pay off my debts I plan on starting up again if online poker is still what it is today. It's going to be tough while working full-time to play/practice as much as I'll need to, but there is enough time if I do step up and make it happen.

Let me know if you have any more questions.


I will post some other vids later of me swinging just days before this. In the vids I posted I'm actually experimenting with a different setup postion; trying to stand further away and bend over more.

The reason I'm doing this is because I've always struggled with standing up a bit on the way down leading into impact. I want to have my shaft on a more shallow plane coming down the the ball. When I stand up, it bring the club down more vertical which is easier to hit off line.

And see below for the answer to the pre-shot routine.

This is exactly it. Although, thinking about it I maybe should still pick an exact target and go through a pre-shot routine every swing. I'm not really sure what's best, but for now I'm just going to try to get the feel/motion I'm looking for without aiming at least some of the time.

Thanks for the replies so far.

I'll expand further on my exact thoughts on my swing later tonight and see if anyone knows any good drills or has anything to add or critique about what I'm going for.

Don't mix the two types of practice. Work on your swing with no target, then once you feel the swing is where you want it....dial it in to targets and start choosing a specific shot/flight etc you want at a specific target.

Practice technique and practice golf, don't practice technical golf.

Very nice swing. I think your position at the top (I managed to freeze it there) of the wedge swing is basically perfect. However, contrast the position of your right elbow in that swing (very tight to your body - looks like maybe a 4 inch gap) with the position of your right elbow at the top of your driver swing. Your elbow is kind of flailed out, which contributes to the fact that your club is across the line at the top (whereas in the wedge swing your club was just a HAIR across the line). This probably comes from trying to use your arms too much to get the club back.

upload to swingacademy for better analysis

yeah i shoulda mentioned this, good call sir

you have one very obvious, very common problem that everyone (but about 2 other ppl I imagine) will miss.

gonna let that stew for a day or two b/c I just hate Tiger so much, then I'll tell ya what it is (if tndf doesn't mention it)

Makes sense, thanks.

Yes, thank you. This is one of the main things I'm working on first. (tightening up with longer clubs/woods)

If you notice in my slow practice swings I to try to get the feeling I want and my arms are basically perfect at the top when I swing in slow motion or even just take it back to the top without actually swinging at a ball. I feel completely wound up as far as I can go, but when I step up to hit the ball I feel that I come out of it and stretch extra far up and back; causing my right elbow to fly out.

It's just so ingrained in me to take it as far back as I do I'm having the damnedest time getting in the proper position.

Now I just need to figure out how to do it

I have Spenda on ignore, anyone care to share what he said?

jk jk

I have more than one very obvious, very common problem; care to share what you're referring to?

I'm sure I've thought of what you're going to say, but what I'm looking for are things you think I need to work on, and most importantly, what I can do to help change.


Here is a video from today. It's just 4 swings. I was trying to stand a little closer to the ball with the thought that it would help force me to turn more around my left side. I feel like I almost dive forward with my hips on the downswing instead of turning around the left leg properly. (hope that makes sense)
I was also trying to use the feeling of stretching teh bow for as long as I could as tndf talks about in his thread he recently posted.

I studied these swings in depth and I feel like I'm in a lot of good positions; some even better than the previous swings I just posted. I think I have the club coming down on a better plane by standing closer and getting the feeling of really clearing my hips out of the way, instead of the lunging thing.

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


If someone could take a moment to compare these four swings with some of my others from the other videos I would appreciate it. I think I see some differences but I could be bias and just looking for it so I think I see it.

In no way to I think the swings are dramatically different, but I do notice some minute changes that I like.

It's almost like I need to change my tempo a bit to get prevent myself from taking it back too far. It's just weird that I'm going to walk over and pick up my driver right after I type this and take it right back to the top, feel totally wound up, and be in a perfect position. All without forcing it. Yet I step up to the ball and it's - obviously - a whole different ballgame.

I am excited though because these positions are so easily achieved in slow(er) motion and I can just feel how good it all comes together. (if that makes any sense)

And ideas on this tempo issue I'm talking about?

checking it out now. there are some great golf minds on this site here, but i will definitely check it out and throw some vids up. thanks.

on the driver videos, it doesnt look like you open up your left foot. is there a reason for this?

Butcho,

I like your swing in at 1:27 the best.. As far as what you're doing at the top of your swing.. One thing I try to tell myself is to be 'soft at the top'... I don't know if this means to take a pause or not, its just a feel I get some times when I'm playing well.. I think its a combination of feeling the proper feel in my back, and position at the top of my back swing.. but it just feels right.. From what you're talking about, it seems like you might not be completely relaxed when you're hitting..

gl , ..

I would never hit balls at a driving range without having 2 or 3 clubs laid on the ground. One at my feet and the other 2 on either side of the ball.

It appears from the video that your feet are aimed slightly to the right, although it's impossible to know since we can't see your target.

If you want to become a professional then you must get very diligent about your practice routine.

FWIW, the Arizona Golf Association runs some pretty good tournaments and the competition is fairly strong (at least it was about 8 years ago when I played in them). If you can win 3-4 AGA events a year then consider going pro.

new set-up looks worse to me

Hey Butcho, watch that first vid of mine again....particularly the part where I mention pulling the bow off the ball....but then not getting across the line.

You have an excellent move into and through the ball, which is great...because you must have that to play golf at any kind of decent level. What you need to work on is how you load up and store the energy in the club.

You get a bit across the line and this starts to pull you toward the ball in transition...you seem to recover well but you don't want to have to. I would consider that a power leak as well, since we get our best power when the grip end of the club is furthest point from the ball.

I think the new swing is slightly more powered by the core (instead of arms/shoulders)...the shape of the swing is the same without doing a detailed analysis, but the basic shape is pretty good. Just work on loading that 'bow' off the ball, don't come back to it.
Cheers.

well see, now I don't have to explain, because as I thought tndf would cover it.

The main problem I saw was your swing is either too long or you get across the line at the top. It's a little tough to tell on a youtube video but either way your downswing gets immediately off-plane because of the flaws at the top of your backswing. You actually get the club into a great position just shy of the top of your backswing, where it might appear slighlty laid off but I really like where the arms/hands/shaft are at that point. Also, the added length of the backswing has caused your shoulder plane to level off a little bit.

All of this, like tndf said, cause you to have to make adjustments in your downswing, which means that under pressure you're going to depend too much on timing and rhythm. Common adjustments I tend to see from your position at the top is going to be a loss of posture in your downswing. You have great lower body rotation which really helps however the club still isn't on plane half-way down.

BAH I was going to take some screenshots and stuff but it's just too tough on youtube. Hopefully we can find a better place to store videos.

If there's any reason it's because I used to open it up forty five degrees which really restricted my hip turn. I really haven't been focusing on my left foot position to be honest, and probably won't until I've addressed a few other issues.

Thanks.

Yeah I was actually going to mention to make sure you guys watch the swing at 1: 27 because I feel like it's the best out of the four. I really like where my club is the frame just before impact.

Thanks for the comments I'll mess around with it.

I know what you're saying, but as tndf talked about there are two different ways to practice. When I'm just working on feel I'm not going to lay out clubs to line up, but I absolutely agree there is a time and place for that.

My feet are aimed up a bit to the right, but again, I'm doing that on purpose to try and get a certain feel. (might not be helping, I'll play around with it)

Thanks, I'll check out what I can online.

There are just so many different setup positions amongst good players it is hard for me to look at either of mine and say that I can't play well from those positions. In the end, I don't know what setup is best.

It doesn't really matter too much though when no matter what setup I take I have the flaws that I do with taking it too far back and letting my elbow fly out, etc.

I like this, and I think it's going to be achievable why maintaining better posture throughout.

Thanks.

This is where I'm wondering if an overall tempo change is necessary to achieve a better club load.

I think what I need to do is buckle down and try making a ton of half speed swings to get my sequence correct while actually swinging through the ball.

I'm going to the range tonight so I'll post some half speed swing vids later and expand further on what I'm referring to.

I was talking about my swing with my best friends dad the other night. I was taking it back to the top and he was saying how it looked just a bit laid off. I told him I would kill to get to that position when I'm actually swinging, and I think someday I will.

Hopefully what you're saying is what's going on...meaning, after I get into a better position at the top my plane will greatly improve coming down.

Thanks, I agree.

It's almost like I need to try to keep bent over as FAR as I can on the backswing.

When I take a slow swing or a practice swing, whatever, I maintain my posture and doing that doesn't allow me to take the club back any further. It's impossible for me to get it into the position I do when I really swing. I could seriously stretch as FARRRRR as I possible can, and still, the club will not come across the line or past parallel.

So it seem I need to focus on really maintaining my posture on the backswing and into the transition. This will probably force my tempo to change a bit on it's own.

And yeah, youtube ****ing sucks. Maybe you can save the videos somehow and play them in Windows Media player? I dunno cuz I've never tried it, but watching swings on youtube really does blow.


Thanks everyone for your help so far. I'll be posting a few more vids either late tonight or tomorrow if I feel like they're offering something new to look at.