Hi Paul, today’s tip along with others on the subject of the down swing are really helpful to guys like me who played a lot of baseball, but no golf until 18 or so. Starting the downswing with the arms is a tough habit to break and initiating things with the hip turn is both unnatural and physically difficult for we older less flexible fellows. Holding the club in the hitting position with the hips turned 45 degrees is mentally helpful, but getting to that position from the top is easier said than done. At least I finally understand why so many well struct shots go 10 to 20 degrees to the left and why I look like I’m addressing the ball when hitting it. Little or no hip turn. Knowing a major fault is a good step in the right direction.
I love it when people have a baseball background. It is mind boggling to me when people say the baseball swing is nothing like golf.
I guarantee when you hit a baseball you turned your hips. If so, you need to incorporate this very same movement into your golf swing. Watching your ball tells you if you are doing it right or not.
In your case I would be doing tons of swings off the ground. Think about your baseball movement then gradually lower the club. See golf as having to hit a baseball over center field every time. To do this you need to base it on torque (coiling and uncoiling). Without having to look at the pitcher as in baseball you can get this coil in golf. Hope you see it.
Paul, I’m having trouble keeping my upper body behind the hip turn. It’s almost as though the hips/legs are pulling my upper body “off” the ball. This is causing me to come out of the stance. How do I correct this?
I’m a CPA. Therefore, my world is basically numbers. I have been following your tips for 8 or 9 months now. I do not play or practice very often due to lack of free time, but do practice the swing. My original goals were to cut my handicap in half – from 15 to 7.5 – and shoot my age some day. At 67 that is a pretty lofty goal, but I believe that if I continue to improve, by the time I turn 70, it will be doable, especially from the senior tees. I thought the handicap would spike upwards at first, but it did not. My last four rounds have been 85, 83, 83, and 82. This followed five rounds where my average score was 97. My swing is still not close to where it needs to be so I am excited about the future. I have heard you speak of “good” players. For a numbers junky like me, at what handicap does one fit your definition of “good”? I realize that there is more to being “good” than the handicap number, but it is the only tangible measure we have.
First, in saying you do not have time to play or practice I hope you are doing practice swings at home. This is one of the reasons I tell people do practice this way. Do 25-50 per night. If you can do more do so. Everyone has time for this. The hard part is getting people off the couch to go do them. Small price to pay for a great swing. So make sure you have 5-10 mins. to work on your game every night. This is what it is going to take to get you into the 70’s.
Next, you have had a few good rounds. Be very careful that you do not start trying to hit the ball too hard. If start hitting it thin, topping or slicing it you are using the arms. Immediately slow down, swing easier and keep the arms relaxed.
Good players to me would be a low single digit player. I would say a 4 hdcp or better. To get to this level requires the right fundamentals.
Thanks again for your insight. To me being real loose helps me make the powerless arms work. Now i noticed that my arms can be powerless but the swing can still be driven by my upper body. This results in a hit to the right. Im working down to the hips but it is tough to turn everything else off
Powerless arms means you are not hitting or helping it in any way with your arms. If you are using the upper body to hit the ball you would be hitting it left unless the face was severely open. I highly doubt you are doing this so I think you are disconnecting by getting your body too far ahead of the club which is causing it to be open through impact. If the face is ever open you need to manually roll the face over (feeling your arms) to get the clubface squaring. Once you get the spin fixed you then focus on the body rotation to straighten it out.
Thank you for your response. It will help me get back on track. I will
do considerably more practice swings. I believe that I have a fear of
failure. But now I have new inspiration because I have a new goal – to
get my handicap to three point something. It would make me very
proud to get to a level where Paul Wilson considers me a “better”
player. Maybe someday you will tell people of the nearly 70
year old that you took from a 15 to a three in a year and a half.
I am going into the yard to practice my swing now.
It can be done. Just stick to the plan. You are going to build a great looking golf swing (like a pro). The more you look like a pro the more you have the right fundamentals.
After an encouraging start, I’ve hit a bit of an impasse. On the range, the body was working quite well. I take it to the course and disaster. I couldn’t hit my hat. My main issue is the feeling of not having enough time to get to impact and my hands take over and its back to the old swing. I would say on the range I’m pretty straight and the powerless arms are working maybe 30-40% of the time. Tonight I hit over 200 balls with no improvement. I sense there is one move I haven’t got yet. How do I get the feeling of getting more time at impact, instead of rushing the hands in at the last moment? I’m sticking with it, as I love your teaching programme. just a bit frustrated at the moment.
This is you going out there are trying to hit the ball as hard as you can and trying to play great golf. This is NOT how I want you taking it to the course.
Also, hitting 200 balls is you hitting ball after ball which is not what I want you to do either. You need to build the swing. You pikc a position or two. You can find them here: https://ignitiongolf.com/start-here/
You hit 1 ball and do 3 practice swings trying to do the positions perfectly. You hold it and check it. If you want to hit a few in a row you hit few balls then back up and do 3 times as many perfect practice swings. It is all about the movement and you mastering the positions. If so you build a great swing. A great swing hits great shots.
So see it differently. Every move from now on counts. Forget the ball. You need to ask yourself “did I do the position I was trying to do” not “did I hit a great shot.”
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12 Responses to “Playing Catch Up”
September 18, 2013
RonCalabreseHi Paul, today’s tip along with others on the subject of the down swing are really helpful to guys like me who played a lot of baseball, but no golf until 18 or so. Starting the downswing with the arms is a tough habit to break and initiating things with the hip turn is both unnatural and physically difficult for we older less flexible fellows. Holding the club in the hitting position with the hips turned 45 degrees is mentally helpful, but getting to that position from the top is easier said than done. At least I finally understand why so many well struct shots go 10 to 20 degrees to the left and why I look like I’m addressing the ball when hitting it. Little or no hip turn. Knowing a major fault is a good step in the right direction.
Thanks, Ron
September 20, 2013
Paul WilsonRon,
I love it when people have a baseball background. It is mind boggling to me when people say the baseball swing is nothing like golf.
I guarantee when you hit a baseball you turned your hips. If so, you need to incorporate this very same movement into your golf swing. Watching your ball tells you if you are doing it right or not.
In your case I would be doing tons of swings off the ground. Think about your baseball movement then gradually lower the club. See golf as having to hit a baseball over center field every time. To do this you need to base it on torque (coiling and uncoiling). Without having to look at the pitcher as in baseball you can get this coil in golf. Hope you see it.
November 8, 2017
KenKingPaul, I’m having trouble keeping my upper body behind the hip turn. It’s almost as though the hips/legs are pulling my upper body “off” the ball. This is causing me to come out of the stance. How do I correct this?
November 8, 2017
Paul WilsonKen,
This is how I got it many years ago. Simple:
Watch Back of The Golf Ball: https://ignitiongolf.com/watch-backside-golf-ball/
September 18, 2013
LenKoblenzHi Paul,
I’m a CPA. Therefore, my world is basically numbers. I have been following your tips for 8 or 9 months now. I do not play or practice very often due to lack of free time, but do practice the swing. My original goals were to cut my handicap in half – from 15 to 7.5 – and shoot my age some day. At 67 that is a pretty lofty goal, but I believe that if I continue to improve, by the time I turn 70, it will be doable, especially from the senior tees. I thought the handicap would spike upwards at first, but it did not. My last four rounds have been 85, 83, 83, and 82. This followed five rounds where my average score was 97. My swing is still not close to where it needs to be so I am excited about the future. I have heard you speak of “good” players. For a numbers junky like me, at what handicap does one fit your definition of “good”? I realize that there is more to being “good” than the handicap number, but it is the only tangible measure we have.
Thanks again,
Len
September 20, 2013
Paul WilsonLen,
First, in saying you do not have time to play or practice I hope you are doing practice swings at home. This is one of the reasons I tell people do practice this way. Do 25-50 per night. If you can do more do so. Everyone has time for this. The hard part is getting people off the couch to go do them. Small price to pay for a great swing. So make sure you have 5-10 mins. to work on your game every night. This is what it is going to take to get you into the 70’s.
Next, you have had a few good rounds. Be very careful that you do not start trying to hit the ball too hard. If start hitting it thin, topping or slicing it you are using the arms. Immediately slow down, swing easier and keep the arms relaxed.
Good players to me would be a low single digit player. I would say a 4 hdcp or better. To get to this level requires the right fundamentals.
September 19, 2013
PaulSacchettiPaul,
Thanks again for your insight. To me being real loose helps me make the powerless arms work. Now i noticed that my arms can be powerless but the swing can still be driven by my upper body. This results in a hit to the right. Im working down to the hips but it is tough to turn everything else off
Paul
September 20, 2013
Paul WilsonPaul,
Powerless arms means you are not hitting or helping it in any way with your arms. If you are using the upper body to hit the ball you would be hitting it left unless the face was severely open. I highly doubt you are doing this so I think you are disconnecting by getting your body too far ahead of the club which is causing it to be open through impact. If the face is ever open you need to manually roll the face over (feeling your arms) to get the clubface squaring. Once you get the spin fixed you then focus on the body rotation to straighten it out.
Watch:
Manually Square the Clubface: https://ignitiongolf.com/impact-squaring-clubface
Manually Square the Clubface (Follow Up): https://ignitiongolf.com/impact-squaring-face-follow-up
And:
DRILL: Connection: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-head-cover-armpit
Connection: https://ignitiongolf.com/connection-backswing
September 21, 2013
LenKoblenzHi Paul,
Thank you for your response. It will help me get back on track. I will
do considerably more practice swings. I believe that I have a fear of
failure. But now I have new inspiration because I have a new goal – to
get my handicap to three point something. It would make me very
proud to get to a level where Paul Wilson considers me a “better”
player. Maybe someday you will tell people of the nearly 70
year old that you took from a 15 to a three in a year and a half.
I am going into the yard to practice my swing now.
Thank you so much.
Len
September 22, 2013
Paul WilsonLen,
It can be done. Just stick to the plan. You are going to build a great looking golf swing (like a pro). The more you look like a pro the more you have the right fundamentals.
July 22, 2018
DavidfergusonAfter an encouraging start, I’ve hit a bit of an impasse. On the range, the body was working quite well. I take it to the course and disaster. I couldn’t hit my hat. My main issue is the feeling of not having enough time to get to impact and my hands take over and its back to the old swing. I would say on the range I’m pretty straight and the powerless arms are working maybe 30-40% of the time. Tonight I hit over 200 balls with no improvement. I sense there is one move I haven’t got yet. How do I get the feeling of getting more time at impact, instead of rushing the hands in at the last moment? I’m sticking with it, as I love your teaching programme. just a bit frustrated at the moment.
July 23, 2018
Paul WilsonDavid,
This is you going out there are trying to hit the ball as hard as you can and trying to play great golf. This is NOT how I want you taking it to the course.
You need to watch this tip:
Definitive Tip For Taking Your New Swing To The Course: https://ignitiongolf.com/taking-new-swing-to-the-course/
Also, hitting 200 balls is you hitting ball after ball which is not what I want you to do either. You need to build the swing. You pikc a position or two. You can find them here: https://ignitiongolf.com/start-here/
You hit 1 ball and do 3 practice swings trying to do the positions perfectly. You hold it and check it. If you want to hit a few in a row you hit few balls then back up and do 3 times as many perfect practice swings. It is all about the movement and you mastering the positions. If so you build a great swing. A great swing hits great shots.
So see it differently. Every move from now on counts. Forget the ball. You need to ask yourself “did I do the position I was trying to do” not “did I hit a great shot.”
You need to watch this tip too:
It Is Luck: https://ignitiongolf.com/bad-swings-luck/
You can do it.
FYI – slowing down would give you more time.