Greetings Coach An update I am having trouble keeping my head down during impact.My swing trigger is HINGE AND TURN .I start the turn, the club starts to come down and my head goes along with the turn before the club meets the ball. I tell myself DON’T DO THAT .but I am having trouble keeping my head down before follow through.I know I should be able to stop doing this BUT
You’re swinging too hard. The harder you hit, the more you will try to see what you hit. Immediately slow down to 50%. Hit solid shots then speed up ONLY the lower body to gain more power. Slowing down will get the arms and hitting out of your swing. Tee it up on the range to make it a little easier.
hi Paul since I’ve been coiling with my shoulder and uncoiling by firing my belt buckle to the target I seem to hit a lot of thin push fades and push slices. many shots are coming off excellent but there is a lot of inconsistency right now. am I doing this because Im sliding too much or trying to hit too hard maybe? or does trying to fire my lower body too fast or hard causing the sliding and thin shots? I know you cant say without seeing my swing but is this a tendency when transitioning from arm swinging to coil and uncoiling to hit with powerless arms? hope that med some sense haha
Very well explained & the special effects were helpful (not to mention pretty cool). Having a “birdie” show up at the end of the lesson is always a good thing too.
I have a question about the finish of the swing. In your swing, which I am emulating, you end with the club touching your head at the level of the ears. From above, the club is cutting the target line, at the end, at a 90 degrees angle.
When looking at a lot of pros and top amateur players, I notice that they end with their club close to parallel to the target line or a little less. Michel Wie is an extreme case. She really ends with her club pointing at the target.
Is this something that we should or should not aspire to, or it is simply a result of how flexible these people are and we, older people should not try it?
Hi Paul,
Talk about a timely tip! i have been working on powerlees arms by using my lower body, and transferring my weight, and keeping my head down till my shoulders come through. The result of this has been a lot of pulls and pull hooks. i think this tip might be the secret ingredient to a better swing. i may be too focused on keeping my head still and transferring my weight that i am coming over the top. When i am at the range i try to imitate your swing, but haven’t picked up on all of the subtleties yet.
thanks,
ter
Never keep the head still. Taller setup. Rotate shoulder instead of dipping them down and the head should move. As you coil you feel the weight load into the back instep 80%.
If you are over the top you are leaning forward in the downswing. Just work on the tilt behind it then turn to the touch the legs position. Watch your ball and you can tell if you are doing it or not.
Hi Paul,
i went out yesterday with this tip in mind and there was a huge improvement. As an engineer, i really appreciate the mechanical analogies you use in explaining various aspects of the swing. i just watched the “how to cure a slide” tip, which i think i may be doing occasionally. What i noticed that also made a difference is when i am able to keep the angle of tilt between my upper body and my legs through the shot. i believe on my bad shots i come up and out of the shot too soon. Some of that may be me still trying to hit with my arms or it may be my lack of flexibility. i’ll keep plugging away.
thanks,
ter
Marvelous pictures ,Paul: Great ENGLISH Teacher ,PERCY BOOMER ( He was from the Isle OF WIGHT ) ,prewar WW2 is known as the ” TURN IN A BARRELL “Man. ,you” ll be known to posterity as the ” TWO BARRELL ” Man or ” TWO CYLINDER “Man.
It couldn’t be better demonstrated .
Now you have to ” fire ” the two cylinders in succession full Speed to acheive great distance straight shots .
Glad you liked it. I like cylinder as opposed to barrel as the sides of a barrel are curved. Stay within the cylinder and you will achieve great power (loose wrists too).
You may remember that I attended the school Nov 14, 15, & 16 last year. I’m still struggling because of inconsistency I think because of a slide however I’m working on it. This tip struck a chord with me since I tend to pull a lot of shots or push fade. The question I have for you is: should you straighten and lock your left knee when you reach the top of your backswing to act as a post or axis for you to rotate around?
That birdie liked the tip too!
Thanks,
Ruben Lopez
You are thinking about firing the lower body from the top of the backswing. You only have 1/4 of a second to impact. If you start down not thinking about it you will hit the ball then try to do it. This is way too late. The push is sliding so this is definitely important to fix. The pull is you pulling the club down with your arms tilting your whole body forward in the downswing. Firing the lower is like hitting the accelerator on a car. It forces the upper body back creating the tilt through impact. You need to fix one of these problems. Then you work on the other. I would fix the slide first. This shot can get you in a lot of trouble.
Ok Paul,
Love the tube graphics. I have not played in a while, but when I practice on simulator my mishit is the same. My club coming too far from inside 6 or 7 degree and clubface closed 3 to 5 degrees which causes pulls, pull hooks. Obviously not over top, I turn my hips and do not slide, ive worked on this for years and my knees do touch in follow through, so i know thats not the issue. I feel its coming from decent turn but not enough weight shift. Could you give me your thoughts as well and a list of the best videos i need to watch and work on.
I find it hard to believe you don’t slide. You are attacking way from the inside. This means your whole body is tilted too much right as you are attacking the ball. This is from sliding. Some people slide and don’t realize they are sliding. The initially slide, the left leg buckles through impact then they lock it. This give them the impressing they are not sliding when really they are.
You need to get your body less tiled back as you hit the ball. Check your back foot to see if your back heel is 3-4 inches off the ground with irons and 5-6″ off with Driver and woods. If so there is not way you are going to be too tilted when you hit the ball. Also, the lead leg need to be locking as soon as you start the downswing. It is 1/4 of a second from the top to impact. If you start locking is as soon as you come down it will still be a little bent at impact. It should be locked at 3/4 through when your back arm is parallel to the ground. So start locking it as soon as you come down knowing full well it will not be locked until the 3/4 through point.
Also hit a few balls in the simulator feeling your whole upper body not leaning back as you hit the ball. When you do you will see the numbers change. Report your findings.
BTW – It took me all day every day for 2 months to cure my slide so as much as you think you may have been working on the right thing you may not have been. If you were not thinking of locking the lead lead at the start of the downswing you may be deceived into thinking you are not sliding. I have seen this many times in the past.
You were exactly right. Pete identified a slight slide on my swing analysis and that is the reason I am coming too much in to out. He also pointed out that the slide is causing the club to be more down my back and not parallel to the ears in the finish. So I am going to change my downswing trigger to locking the leg instead of turn the hips. His analysis was awesome and really pointed out the things I need to be working on. The swing analysis is a great service!
Paul – thanks for the tips. The tilting makes sense to me and will practice a bit. Lately, I have been hitting the ground behind the ball. Would this mean I am tilting forward too much or not enough.
Hi Paul,
It is that transitional process between the backswing and the follow through that is the toughest for me. When i do the tilting coming forward i think i have too much weight on the back foot and i end up hitting it fat. When i try to make sure i’m hitting off my left foot i pull it left or top it. Sometimes i slide and i’m out to the right. (i thought that result was from turning my hips too fast, but another tip made me realize i was sliding.) i am signed up with my golf course to get a bucket every day, so i will be practicing, but is there some other tip that can help me make that transition from one axis to the other? i have lots of other problems, but this one is the hardest for me to overcome.
thanks,
ter
Hanging back is too much weight on the back foot. Sliding is certainly not great either. Keep in mind you have had a lifetime of trying to hit the ball with your arms. In doing so this tilts your whole body forward in the downswing which sends the club over the top so you need your whole upper body angled behind the ball as you hit the ball. Every pro in the world does this. Yes, if you get the tilt but keep all of the weight on the back foot you will hit it fat but if all pros do this then this is the area you want to focus on. I get this tilt due to rapidly firing the lower body. It is like hitting the accelerator on a car. When I fire my upper body hang back. To get this just take it in 2 stages. This does not mean you are going to hit great shots. Get the first part. Then get the second to hit great shots. This is because you will hit some fat from hanging back too much and some pushes from tilting too much. Who cares though. You are trying to master a piece of the swing. Staying behind the ball is so dramatically different than tilting forward it should only take you a few days to get this. Once you do then working on getting off of the back foot by turning.
Slow down and get the tilt. Then get off the back foot. Then drive the lower body faster for more power.
Being an illustrator and graphic designer, I dig the cardboard tube overlay on the video. I tend not to hang back my torso but to follow through to my finish position with my knees touching and my club behind my ears.
Question: exactly at what point does the second axis start? Is it after impact, full release point, at the three-forth mark of the swing…
You are in transition until the back arm is at the 3/4 through point. From there you are swiveling your head and starting to look for your ball. in doing so your whole body is being aligned over the lead leg. So yes, anywhere after the release point would be fine. The swing happens so fast though that it is usually at the 3/4 point.
Hi Paul. I like to think of it as going from A (top of the backswing) to B (staying behind the ball) to C (finish point). You like that swing thought?
I used to think A to B but that always got me going over the top and over my front foot too soon.
Paul…Why not setup in reverse K position with head already over back leg?This seems to make it easier for me to get fully loaded over inside of my back foot in backswing.
Because you are falsely pre-setting this position. This will lead to you over-tilting in the down and through swing hitting pushes and push fades. Do you see any pro doing this? No. Try it. I guarantee in 5 mins. of doing it you will start hitting pushes and push fades. Let me know what happens when you do it.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
34 Responses to “2 Axis in Your Swing”
October 26, 2015
johnhoyleGreetings Coach An update I am having trouble keeping my head down during impact.My swing trigger is HINGE AND TURN .I start the turn, the club starts to come down and my head goes along with the turn before the club meets the ball. I tell myself DON’T DO THAT .but I am having trouble keeping my head down before follow through.I know I should be able to stop doing this BUT
October 26, 2015
Paul WilsonJohn,
You’re swinging too hard. The harder you hit, the more you will try to see what you hit. Immediately slow down to 50%. Hit solid shots then speed up ONLY the lower body to gain more power. Slowing down will get the arms and hitting out of your swing. Tee it up on the range to make it a little easier.
October 26, 2015
markhancockhi Paul since I’ve been coiling with my shoulder and uncoiling by firing my belt buckle to the target I seem to hit a lot of thin push fades and push slices. many shots are coming off excellent but there is a lot of inconsistency right now. am I doing this because Im sliding too much or trying to hit too hard maybe? or does trying to fire my lower body too fast or hard causing the sliding and thin shots? I know you cant say without seeing my swing but is this a tendency when transitioning from arm swinging to coil and uncoiling to hit with powerless arms? hope that med some sense haha
October 26, 2015
Paul WilsonMark,
These shots are all found in the Dahsboard under PUSH or PUSH FADE.
Sounds like you are driving your hips too hard. I just did a tip on this.
Here is sliding:
Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-slide
You Better Check This Especially If You Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/slide-turn-foot-out/
Easy Way To Cure A Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/easy-way-cure-slide/
Watch:
Golf Swing Timing For More Distance: https://ignitiongolf.com/timing-more-distance/
October 26, 2015
RYDGJRVery well explained & the special effects were helpful (not to mention pretty cool). Having a “birdie” show up at the end of the lesson is always a good thing too.
October 26, 2015
Paul WilsonGary,
I was talking all that time and didn’t know it was there. Pretty funny when it showed up.
October 26, 2015
DavidWeinsteinHi Paul
I have a question about the finish of the swing. In your swing, which I am emulating, you end with the club touching your head at the level of the ears. From above, the club is cutting the target line, at the end, at a 90 degrees angle.
When looking at a lot of pros and top amateur players, I notice that they end with their club close to parallel to the target line or a little less. Michel Wie is an extreme case. She really ends with her club pointing at the target.
Is this something that we should or should not aspire to, or it is simply a result of how flexible these people are and we, older people should not try it?
Thanks Paul
David
October 26, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
I want you to go around until you are perpendicular to the line. Any more and you run the risk of hurting yourself. Tiger is paying the price.
Watch:
When Is Your Swing Over?: https://ignitiongolf.com/swing-club-touching-head/
October 26, 2015
DavidWeinsteinThanks for a great clarification.
October 27, 2015
terrybadgerHi Paul,
Talk about a timely tip! i have been working on powerlees arms by using my lower body, and transferring my weight, and keeping my head down till my shoulders come through. The result of this has been a lot of pulls and pull hooks. i think this tip might be the secret ingredient to a better swing. i may be too focused on keeping my head still and transferring my weight that i am coming over the top. When i am at the range i try to imitate your swing, but haven’t picked up on all of the subtleties yet.
thanks,
ter
October 28, 2015
Paul WilsonTerry,
Never keep the head still. Taller setup. Rotate shoulder instead of dipping them down and the head should move. As you coil you feel the weight load into the back instep 80%.
If you are over the top you are leaning forward in the downswing. Just work on the tilt behind it then turn to the touch the legs position. Watch your ball and you can tell if you are doing it or not.
October 28, 2015
terrybadgerHi Paul,
i went out yesterday with this tip in mind and there was a huge improvement. As an engineer, i really appreciate the mechanical analogies you use in explaining various aspects of the swing. i just watched the “how to cure a slide” tip, which i think i may be doing occasionally. What i noticed that also made a difference is when i am able to keep the angle of tilt between my upper body and my legs through the shot. i believe on my bad shots i come up and out of the shot too soon. Some of that may be me still trying to hit with my arms or it may be my lack of flexibility. i’ll keep plugging away.
thanks,
ter
October 28, 2015
RaymondCHASTELMarvelous pictures ,Paul: Great ENGLISH Teacher ,PERCY BOOMER ( He was from the Isle OF WIGHT ) ,prewar WW2 is known as the ” TURN IN A BARRELL “Man. ,you” ll be known to posterity as the ” TWO BARRELL ” Man or ” TWO CYLINDER “Man.
It couldn’t be better demonstrated .
Now you have to ” fire ” the two cylinders in succession full Speed to acheive great distance straight shots .
October 29, 2015
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Glad you liked it. I like cylinder as opposed to barrel as the sides of a barrel are curved. Stay within the cylinder and you will achieve great power (loose wrists too).
October 28, 2015
rubenlopezHey Paul,
You may remember that I attended the school Nov 14, 15, & 16 last year. I’m still struggling because of inconsistency I think because of a slide however I’m working on it. This tip struck a chord with me since I tend to pull a lot of shots or push fade. The question I have for you is: should you straighten and lock your left knee when you reach the top of your backswing to act as a post or axis for you to rotate around?
That birdie liked the tip too!
Thanks,
Ruben Lopez
October 29, 2015
Paul WilsonRuben,
Great to hear from you.
You are thinking about firing the lower body from the top of the backswing. You only have 1/4 of a second to impact. If you start down not thinking about it you will hit the ball then try to do it. This is way too late. The push is sliding so this is definitely important to fix. The pull is you pulling the club down with your arms tilting your whole body forward in the downswing. Firing the lower is like hitting the accelerator on a car. It forces the upper body back creating the tilt through impact. You need to fix one of these problems. Then you work on the other. I would fix the slide first. This shot can get you in a lot of trouble.
Watch:
2 Things Flatten the Plane: https://ignitiongolf.com/2-things-flatten-plane/
Then:
Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-slide
You Better Check This Especially If You Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/slide-turn-foot-out/
Easy Way To Cure A Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/easy-way-cure-slide/
October 31, 2015
DrewOk Paul,
Love the tube graphics. I have not played in a while, but when I practice on simulator my mishit is the same. My club coming too far from inside 6 or 7 degree and clubface closed 3 to 5 degrees which causes pulls, pull hooks. Obviously not over top, I turn my hips and do not slide, ive worked on this for years and my knees do touch in follow through, so i know thats not the issue. I feel its coming from decent turn but not enough weight shift. Could you give me your thoughts as well and a list of the best videos i need to watch and work on.
November 1, 2015
Paul WilsonDrew,
I find it hard to believe you don’t slide. You are attacking way from the inside. This means your whole body is tilted too much right as you are attacking the ball. This is from sliding. Some people slide and don’t realize they are sliding. The initially slide, the left leg buckles through impact then they lock it. This give them the impressing they are not sliding when really they are.
You need to get your body less tiled back as you hit the ball. Check your back foot to see if your back heel is 3-4 inches off the ground with irons and 5-6″ off with Driver and woods. If so there is not way you are going to be too tilted when you hit the ball. Also, the lead leg need to be locking as soon as you start the downswing. It is 1/4 of a second from the top to impact. If you start locking is as soon as you come down it will still be a little bent at impact. It should be locked at 3/4 through when your back arm is parallel to the ground. So start locking it as soon as you come down knowing full well it will not be locked until the 3/4 through point.
Also hit a few balls in the simulator feeling your whole upper body not leaning back as you hit the ball. When you do you will see the numbers change. Report your findings.
BTW – It took me all day every day for 2 months to cure my slide so as much as you think you may have been working on the right thing you may not have been. If you were not thinking of locking the lead lead at the start of the downswing you may be deceived into thinking you are not sliding. I have seen this many times in the past.
March 4, 2016
DrewPaul.
You were exactly right. Pete identified a slight slide on my swing analysis and that is the reason I am coming too much in to out. He also pointed out that the slide is causing the club to be more down my back and not parallel to the ears in the finish. So I am going to change my downswing trigger to locking the leg instead of turn the hips. His analysis was awesome and really pointed out the things I need to be working on. The swing analysis is a great service!
Drew
March 5, 2016
Paul WilsonDrew,
Very good. Glad you liked it. Funny how more members don’t take advantage of it. I would have been all over it when I was learning the swing.
These tips should help:
Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-slide/
You Better Check This Especially If You Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/slide-turn-foot-out/
Easy Way To Cure A Slide: https://ignitiongolf.com/easy-way-cure-slide/
September 15, 2016
ShaneJonasHi Paul,
I cant find how to get some those of those $20 video lessons. Can you paste a link for me please.
September 15, 2016
Paul WilsonShane,
I sent a message to my assistant Pete as he does them.
You can find out more info here:
http://paulwilsongolf.com/las-vegas-golf-lessons/swing-analysis/
Look for an email from him.
November 4, 2015
RobertGibsonOUTSTANDING!
November 4, 2015
Paul WilsonRobert,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
November 12, 2015
RobertSimonPaul – thanks for the tips. The tilting makes sense to me and will practice a bit. Lately, I have been hitting the ground behind the ball. Would this mean I am tilting forward too much or not enough.
Any suggestions on making better contact?
Thank you,
Bob
November 12, 2015
Paul WilsonBob,
Here you go:
Stop Fat Shots When Working On Moving Your Head: https://ignitiongolf.com/fat-shots-moving-your-head/
Fat: https://ignitiongolf.com/fat-shots-cure
You can also find this and every other cure in the DASHBOARD under CURES > FAT
May 7, 2016
terrybadgerHi Paul,
It is that transitional process between the backswing and the follow through that is the toughest for me. When i do the tilting coming forward i think i have too much weight on the back foot and i end up hitting it fat. When i try to make sure i’m hitting off my left foot i pull it left or top it. Sometimes i slide and i’m out to the right. (i thought that result was from turning my hips too fast, but another tip made me realize i was sliding.) i am signed up with my golf course to get a bucket every day, so i will be practicing, but is there some other tip that can help me make that transition from one axis to the other? i have lots of other problems, but this one is the hardest for me to overcome.
thanks,
ter
May 8, 2016
Paul WilsonTerry,
Hanging back is too much weight on the back foot. Sliding is certainly not great either. Keep in mind you have had a lifetime of trying to hit the ball with your arms. In doing so this tilts your whole body forward in the downswing which sends the club over the top so you need your whole upper body angled behind the ball as you hit the ball. Every pro in the world does this. Yes, if you get the tilt but keep all of the weight on the back foot you will hit it fat but if all pros do this then this is the area you want to focus on. I get this tilt due to rapidly firing the lower body. It is like hitting the accelerator on a car. When I fire my upper body hang back. To get this just take it in 2 stages. This does not mean you are going to hit great shots. Get the first part. Then get the second to hit great shots. This is because you will hit some fat from hanging back too much and some pushes from tilting too much. Who cares though. You are trying to master a piece of the swing. Staying behind the ball is so dramatically different than tilting forward it should only take you a few days to get this. Once you do then working on getting off of the back foot by turning.
Slow down and get the tilt. Then get off the back foot. Then drive the lower body faster for more power.
Here is the tip on manually tilting:
Cures – Manually Tilt To Stop Pulling: https://ignitiongolf.com/manually-tilt-cure-pull/
Also:
2 Things Flatten the Plane: https://ignitiongolf.com/2-things-flatten-plane/
You could also do these drill constantly:
DRILL: Stop Coming Over The Top: https://ignitiongolf.com/stop-coming-over-the-top/
Drill: Swing Up with Driver: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-swing-up-driver/
Then these for more leg drive:
DRILL: My Favorite Drill – Variation 2: https://ignitiongolf.com/favorite-drill-variation-2/
DRILL: Swing Off Ground Variation: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-variation-favorite-drill/
DRILL: Listen to Club Swinging: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-listen-to-club/
DRILL: How To Really Increase Power: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-really-increase-power/
January 22, 2017
JohnBensonBeing an illustrator and graphic designer, I dig the cardboard tube overlay on the video. I tend not to hang back my torso but to follow through to my finish position with my knees touching and my club behind my ears.
Question: exactly at what point does the second axis start? Is it after impact, full release point, at the three-forth mark of the swing…
January 23, 2017
Paul WilsonJohn,
You are in transition until the back arm is at the 3/4 through point. From there you are swiveling your head and starting to look for your ball. in doing so your whole body is being aligned over the lead leg. So yes, anywhere after the release point would be fine. The swing happens so fast though that it is usually at the 3/4 point.
July 3, 2017
StianOttersenHi Paul. I like to think of it as going from A (top of the backswing) to B (staying behind the ball) to C (finish point). You like that swing thought?
I used to think A to B but that always got me going over the top and over my front foot too soon.
July 3, 2017
Paul WilsonStian,
I like it if you were thinking this way as you do a drill. In your real swing you would be thinking A to B.
July 25, 2017
JohnPorterPaul…Why not setup in reverse K position with head already over back leg?This seems to make it easier for me to get fully loaded over inside of my back foot in backswing.
July 25, 2017
Paul WilsonJohn,
Because you are falsely pre-setting this position. This will lead to you over-tilting in the down and through swing hitting pushes and push fades. Do you see any pro doing this? No. Try it. I guarantee in 5 mins. of doing it you will start hitting pushes and push fades. Let me know what happens when you do it.