Greetings Coach Do you actually see the club go by or is it just blur ? In my practice swing i see clearly the club go by .At address i do not look directly at the ball but just over top of it about an inch or two.I do this because i dont want to think about the ball but my swing trigger. I hit the ball fine but i dont see clearly the club pass through. I’m not that much concerned with it because the shots are usually on target but it bothers my that i cant see the same thing when a ball is there PS through impact i dont see anything in my mind and i don’t know why. What say you
The club is just a blur. You should be seeing this blur as the club passes through if you are still looking where the ball was. If you are not topping it then this will be okay. As you know, most people look early so this is a great test.
Another good test, somewhat easier than many of yours. The reason for it is as you state. I don’t want to sound like a “smartass” but did Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson not lift their heads almost before they had hit the ball.
My own game continues to improve as a result of your teachings and the Dashboard facility is excellent in highlighting the areas you need to work on.
Look forward to the next test or drill.
Glad you like the dashboard. I appreciate the feedback.
Sure, 3 pros (you forgot Duval) watch the ball early but they are not losing their spine angle. When average golfers look early they lose their spine angle. So don’t watch you ball as you hit it. Then you will not lose your spine angle.
Paul ,All my training is done at home ,(I never go to a driving range ) without a ball ,they are mere “Dry runs “of my swings .
To make sure I know where the ball is ,I have a strap laid out on the ground accross where the clubhead should encounter the “supposed “ball .
So when I play for real ,I don’t care at all where the ball is ,I KNOW IT’S THERE, and that I will contact it :I don’t consciously “LOOK” at it, my thought at the time of contact is to pull the hands and arms the furthest possible forwards and to keep my head back .I don’t restrain my head from swivelling and I’m not anxious to see where my ball goes ,because I’m very ,very consistent and my ball flight is always straight .
I’ll try your drill to find out what happens to my spine angle ,I believe it stays as it should ,inclined to the right
You asked in an earlier tip if these are tests are helping? Most definitely yes they are. Started your swing and are finally seeing results. Played in a league with 2 players that I did not know. There comment was, his swing is so smooth that it looks like every shot should be perfect. This is why after years of arm swinging why I decided to change. A comment like this makes you realize that your swing is the way to go. It shows that the hard work is finally paying off. Keep the tests coming they are working and helping me understand what you are trying to accomplish. Thanks.
That’s great. The crowd went silent as soon as I started posting the tests so I thought I might be going too hard on people. Glad you like them. I think they are fun and a great way to indicate how good your swing is.
Glad you are getting comments on your swing. I say this to everyone who works on my method. As you get it people will ask you where you got that swing.
This test/tip worked really well for me, tried it at the range and then hit 10 greens in reg yesterday in comp. Ball striking and accuracy was so much better by maintaining the spine angle.
Very good. I keep promoting a taller set up and more level shoulder plane. I doing so you can get the coil and uncoil of the shoulders. If you tilt too much they see-saw which is not consistent at all. Keep doing and checking this. It is huge.
Paul, there is another fault that is similar but does not involve looking up. Rather it involves blinking. If you blink, which causes a loss of contact, somewhere during the swing, it can affect the outcome. I have a tendency to do this sometimes and simply have to concentrate on not blinking. Strange but true.
It has been a while since I have made a comment, but I have a friend who has been my playing partner in our club’s annual match play tournament. His saying is “hit and spit” as his way of thinking about watching the spot where the ball was at address. I often have to remind myself as a way of delaying the action of looking up too soon.
Paul, your “tests” are spot-on; they’re just what’s needed to continually monitor our progress in your golf instruction program….Please don’t stop, and continue being “hard” on us——we need it!!! Thanks again for your marvelous teaching technique and insight!!!!
What if I have trouble seeing the ball after hitting it? It doesn’t happen all of the time, but very often I will hit my shot and then have to ask my friends where did it go. This is frustrating. By the way I went to a pro to get some help and he just made two minor adjustments: widen my stance a little, and stand a little straighter and closer to the ball. He said I had a very nice smooth repeatable swing. After I made those adjustments I did start hitting the ball better. Width of stance and how far I was setting up from the ball are hard things to get right. They were very small adjustments, hardly noticeable so I’m glad I got that extra set of eyes to help me with my swing. Correction: it is your swing and it is a good one.
thanks,
terr
When I first worked on spine angle I lost my ball too. Once you get the angle you will hit the ball to the same spot in the sky. Once you do, you will now where to look. I did a tip on it here:
It all starts with grip and setup. So you were probably a little out of position. Glad he got you back in position. Must be a good feeling when a pro has little to say about your swing.
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.
18 Responses to “Test Series – Do You See Your Ball?”
May 8, 2015
johnhoyleGreetings Coach Do you actually see the club go by or is it just blur ? In my practice swing i see clearly the club go by .At address i do not look directly at the ball but just over top of it about an inch or two.I do this because i dont want to think about the ball but my swing trigger. I hit the ball fine but i dont see clearly the club pass through. I’m not that much concerned with it because the shots are usually on target but it bothers my that i cant see the same thing when a ball is there PS through impact i dont see anything in my mind and i don’t know why. What say you
May 8, 2015
Paul WilsonJohn,
The club is just a blur. You should be seeing this blur as the club passes through if you are still looking where the ball was. If you are not topping it then this will be okay. As you know, most people look early so this is a great test.
May 8, 2015
daviddonaldsonAnother good test, somewhat easier than many of yours. The reason for it is as you state. I don’t want to sound like a “smartass” but did Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson not lift their heads almost before they had hit the ball.
My own game continues to improve as a result of your teachings and the Dashboard facility is excellent in highlighting the areas you need to work on.
Look forward to the next test or drill.
May 9, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
Glad you like the dashboard. I appreciate the feedback.
Sure, 3 pros (you forgot Duval) watch the ball early but they are not losing their spine angle. When average golfers look early they lose their spine angle. So don’t watch you ball as you hit it. Then you will not lose your spine angle.
May 9, 2015
RaymondCHASTELPaul ,All my training is done at home ,(I never go to a driving range ) without a ball ,they are mere “Dry runs “of my swings .
To make sure I know where the ball is ,I have a strap laid out on the ground accross where the clubhead should encounter the “supposed “ball .
So when I play for real ,I don’t care at all where the ball is ,I KNOW IT’S THERE, and that I will contact it :I don’t consciously “LOOK” at it, my thought at the time of contact is to pull the hands and arms the furthest possible forwards and to keep my head back .I don’t restrain my head from swivelling and I’m not anxious to see where my ball goes ,because I’m very ,very consistent and my ball flight is always straight .
I’ll try your drill to find out what happens to my spine angle ,I believe it stays as it should ,inclined to the right
May 10, 2015
BRUCEGUMBELYou asked in an earlier tip if these are tests are helping? Most definitely yes they are. Started your swing and are finally seeing results. Played in a league with 2 players that I did not know. There comment was, his swing is so smooth that it looks like every shot should be perfect. This is why after years of arm swinging why I decided to change. A comment like this makes you realize that your swing is the way to go. It shows that the hard work is finally paying off. Keep the tests coming they are working and helping me understand what you are trying to accomplish. Thanks.
May 10, 2015
Paul WilsonBruce,
That’s great. The crowd went silent as soon as I started posting the tests so I thought I might be going too hard on people. Glad you like them. I think they are fun and a great way to indicate how good your swing is.
Glad you are getting comments on your swing. I say this to everyone who works on my method. As you get it people will ask you where you got that swing.
Not sure if you saw this tip yet:
How To Tell If You Have An Ugly Swing: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-tell-if-you-have-an-ugly-swing/
Keep up the good work.
May 17, 2015
BenedictCoffeyHi Paul,
This test/tip worked really well for me, tried it at the range and then hit 10 greens in reg yesterday in comp. Ball striking and accuracy was so much better by maintaining the spine angle.
Much appreciated
Ben
May 18, 2015
Paul WilsonBen,
Very good. I keep promoting a taller set up and more level shoulder plane. I doing so you can get the coil and uncoil of the shoulders. If you tilt too much they see-saw which is not consistent at all. Keep doing and checking this. It is huge.
August 23, 2018
BradleyDanylukHey Paul, Would raising up to early and not seeing the ball in the way that you stated above be a power leak, cause less distance? Thanks Brad
August 24, 2018
Paul WilsonBradley,
Yes, because you are going to hit pushes and push fades. I did a tip on it here:
Push Fade: Looking Early Locks The Hinge: https://ignitiongolf.com/looking-early-locks-hinge/
I sent you an email. Please reply when you have a chance.
June 19, 2019
mikeschickPaul, there is another fault that is similar but does not involve looking up. Rather it involves blinking. If you blink, which causes a loss of contact, somewhere during the swing, it can affect the outcome. I have a tendency to do this sometimes and simply have to concentrate on not blinking. Strange but true.
December 13, 2019
prm436165It has been a while since I have made a comment, but I have a friend who has been my playing partner in our club’s annual match play tournament. His saying is “hit and spit” as his way of thinking about watching the spot where the ball was at address. I often have to remind myself as a way of delaying the action of looking up too soon.
December 14, 2019
Paul Wilsonprm436165,
Interesting way of thinking about it. Whatever works.
December 13, 2019
RandMellorPaul, your “tests” are spot-on; they’re just what’s needed to continually monitor our progress in your golf instruction program….Please don’t stop, and continue being “hard” on us——we need it!!! Thanks again for your marvelous teaching technique and insight!!!!
December 14, 2019
Paul WilsonRand,
Glad you like them. I will keep doing what I do. Tons of stuff in the works for the future. I will let everyone know in the very near future.
December 13, 2019
terrybadgerWhat if I have trouble seeing the ball after hitting it? It doesn’t happen all of the time, but very often I will hit my shot and then have to ask my friends where did it go. This is frustrating. By the way I went to a pro to get some help and he just made two minor adjustments: widen my stance a little, and stand a little straighter and closer to the ball. He said I had a very nice smooth repeatable swing. After I made those adjustments I did start hitting the ball better. Width of stance and how far I was setting up from the ball are hard things to get right. They were very small adjustments, hardly noticeable so I’m glad I got that extra set of eyes to help me with my swing. Correction: it is your swing and it is a good one.
thanks,
terr
December 14, 2019
Paul WilsonTerry,
When I first worked on spine angle I lost my ball too. Once you get the angle you will hit the ball to the same spot in the sky. Once you do, you will now where to look. I did a tip on it here:
Stop Thin and Topped Shots (pick out of sky): https://ignitiongolf.com/stop-thin-and-topped/
It all starts with grip and setup. So you were probably a little out of position. Glad he got you back in position. Must be a good feeling when a pro has little to say about your swing.
How To Tell If You Have An Ugly Swing: https://ignitiongolf.com/how-to-tell-if-you-have-an-ugly-swing/