Seeing your own swing for the first time....

hades

So, started my lessons last night, and to my surprise it included some video analysis. While i had always been complimented on having a "nice natural swing" what i saw on tape was the worse immitation of a John Daly swing i had ever seen. What an eye opener. Its amazing what you think your swing looks and feels like, and what its actually like.

Perhaps i was just deluded, but anyone else have a similar experience?

blue note

I imagine it's like hearing your own voice - "I do not sound like that!" I remember Padraig Harrington saying the first time he saw his swing he was horrified. If he's disappointed the rest of us have little hope.

FixdePitchmark

hades wrote: »

So, started my lessons last night, and to my surprise it included some video analysis. While i had always been complimented on having a "nice natural swing" what i saw on tape was the worse immitation of a John Daly swing i had ever seen. What an eye opener. Its amazing what you think your swing looks and feels like, and what its actually like.

Perhaps i was just deluded, but anyone else have a similar experience?

That is so me - swing was rubbish. People said to me I was a natural golfer. (lol), know what that means now. Swing improved after about 4 lessons and plenty of practice, still not great.

But, plenty of top pros have awfull looking swings / unconventional

Furyk
Darcy
Daly
B Watson.

Ben1977

Its an eye opener alright, but when its slowed down and you examine it, it starts to make sense. e.g. why I hit a slice, why I lack power. Its helped me understand the causes of my bad shots.

Yes it is ugly, loads of moving parts and so rushed.

hades

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

That is so me - swing was rubbish. People said to me I was a natural golfer. (lol), know what that means now. Swing improved after about 4 lessons and plenty of practice, still not great.

But, plenty of top pros have awfull looking swings / unconventional

Furyk
Darcy
Daly
B Watson.

It's almost conventional, set up, alignment, grip are all good. Then i start my take away, also good, nice and low to the ground with a wide arc. Then my elbows bend, dropping the head of the club below my left ear, (well over the horizontal) and my left knee bends so much it nearly touches my right knee. And then the unwind, i attack the ball so steeply i have to struggle to get my body out of the way. Point of impact is almost solid, but the hand speed needed to get to that position from the downswing is crazy and there's no hope i can reproduce it time after time.

Really looking forward to the process of getting it sorted. Look like a muppet doing the practice drills, but hey, no shame no gain.

FixdePitchmark

Ben1977 wrote: »

Its an eye opener alright, but when its slowed down and you examine it, it starts to make sense. e.g. why I hit a slice, why I lack power. Its helped me understand the causes of my bad shots.

Yes it is ugly, loads of moving parts and so rushed.

Yes mine is so rushed too - even on back swing. What is the point of that. It is not going to help the shot. Because it is so rushed i overswing the club.

hades

Ben1977 wrote: »

Its an eye opener alright, but when its slowed down and you examine it, it starts to make sense. e.g. why I hit a slice, why I lack power. Its helped me understand the causes of my bad shots.

Yes it is ugly, loads of moving parts and so rushed.

Very much so, when you can see why its going wrong, it should be easier to fix. Or at least identify it in the future.

I must say, i was happier with this approach than the last pro i was with, who had a fag in his mouth the whole time and didn't seem too interested.

GreeBo

It also helps to show why making swing changes is so difficult and why you are encouraged to exaggerate any changes initially.
A couple of years ago I taped two "versions" of my swing on the same day, both felt totally different (I was trying more of an earlier wrist cock in one)
On video they were identical.
Unfortunately golf is one of the few things where millimeters feels like inches... :P

slave1

Comments I ignored for many years alluded to great practice swing but with the real one I tried to thump and a lot of disasters.
I now take no practice swings from tee to green and IMHO have seen improvement, something to try maybe?

hades

Had my second lesson over the weekend and more video goodness.

Its great to be able to see what the drills and focused practice (the little that i manage to squeeze in) can change things around.

My old John Daly exaggerated overswing is now just around level. My left knee that used to nearly touch my right knee on my back swing is more solid. And the once steep angle of attack is more shallower on approach.

Phew, so i'm all sorted? Erm, as pointed out, my wrists break too much on and after impact letting the club head be ahead of my hands on impact. So more work to do on that, and to work on further my shoulder turn. As well as, remembering all the other things that he pointed out from the first lesson. Bad habits and the rest.

Onwards and upwards.