Conference 7.286::golf

    one drill that helps swing the club the correct distance is to swing
    with your feet together.....
    
    each club varies in length from wedge to driver and if you swing
    with your feet together until your left(right for lefties) shoulder
    is under your chin all the time keeping your head relatively still
    you'll swing the correct distance for that club. It will also prevent
    you from overswinging because if you overswing you fall over....
    
    this drill teaches what good balance is as well......
    
    you have to stay on plane because your not overswinging...this assumes
    of course you are swinging on the correct plane (for you) to begin
    with......
    
    and it also shows that you don't have to "slug" the ball to get
    good distance....I get better distance sometimes with this drill
    than I do when trying to hit a shot with my normal stance because
    with my normal stance I sometimes try to kill it....sound familuar????

    
    Hi,
    
    	I feel obligated to reply to this topic, being that I have been
    	over-backswinging since I started playing golf. Last season I
    	began working on eliminating the problem. This is what has 
    	helped me;
    
    problem - I found that I had no idea where the clubhead was at the top,
    	   so to keep track I would bring the clubhead around until I could
    	   see it out of the corner of my eye. Then start my downswing.
    
    fix -    I had to rely on feel to tell me when I was in the correct
    	    position at the top, instead of eyesight. I am doing this by
    	    taking the club back in front of a mirror, or on sunny days at
    	    the range... I can use my shadow. Having a friend monitor you
    	    is probably best, because you'll be able to keep your head
    	    down etc. Anyway, keep taking it back no farther than parallel
    	    over and over again. After a while, you'll know by feel
            (physical memory) when your at the top... and avoid over-
    	    backswinging.
    
    	  It's also a great way of memorizing distances less than a full
    	  club. Like a half wedge shot etc.
    
    
    	good luck,  if you try anything that works be sure to add it here.
    
    	Walta
    
    	
    	   

    I've found another 'mental' method that works well on the course and at
    the range.  If during a round, I find that i'm over-backswinging
    (usually resulting in topping the ball) with my woods especially, I
    think "Swing only half-way!"  his almost always results in a good,
    clean and typically long shot. I usually try to use this when I begin a
    round, until I'm fully streched, or near the end, if I feel tired.
    
    The reason this works well is that there is little or no need for
    recreational golfers to really swing more than 75-80% (using 100%) as
    perfectly parellel to the ground at the top for any club.  Many of us
    watch the Pro's who swing to 100% + and we believe we too must follow
    their lead.  Especially when accuracy is a must, you want to shorten
    the backswing, since a straight line is the shortest distance between
    two points, why full swing?
    
    I have watched many older players who have limited degres of movement,
    shoot great rounds of golf,BECAUSE THEY HIT IT STRAIGHT.  Give it a
    try!
    
    John                                
    
    P.S. I also think the 'swing with feet together' is a helpful drill,
    but not as effective when you're on the course, unless you're chipping.

Many years ago, in a previous incarnation, I gave a lot of 
lessons, and overswinging was a common problem. In many cases it 
was just a simple case of the left hand opening at the top of the 
swing. This means the plane of the club can go anywhere and the 
results can be snap hooks, slices, the lot.

Go to the top of the backswing and check your left wrist. If it's 
in a slightly cupped position you may be slackening off a touch. 
If so, firm it up (not white knuckle tight!) with the last three 
fingers of the left hand and see the difference. 

It may be that this isn't the cause of your problem, but always 
start looking at the basics before moving on to anything more 
radical.

Good luck,

Ross

    	When I was having trouble trying to keep the ball away from the
    	right side of the fairway off the tee, I slowed down my backswing
    	and now take only a 3/4 backswing.  It was awkward feeling at 
    	first but with a lot of playing and practice it came to feel
    	comfortable.  I am at the point now where it does not take any
    	thought but comes naturally.  I even handle my irons the same
    	way and I get better control and line.
    
    	Had a 76 yesterday at the home course so something is working
    	right. Tied my career low.
    

      A possible answer to overswinging is the timing between the hands and
    the hip turn. During one of my lessons, I was told that overswinging 
    causes one of two things to happen. Either your hands arrive at the
    impact point well before your hips or they arrive too late. In either
    case, your off your swing plane.
     The solution, as told to me, was to get them to the point of impact
    together by paying attention to the tempo of the swing. Swing hard or
    easy, but both hands and hips must be at the same tempo.
    
     I found that when I need those extra yards, I concentrate on slowing
    my swing down and trying to hit the ball easier.
    
    
                           Ken
    

    Thanks for all the helpful advice, folks. I went out to the range for
    about an hour last nite and just tried to swing slow and easy from a
    3/4 backswing. By the end of the bucket, I was beginning to get the
    timing down, and the ball contact was much more consistant and solid. 
    Ok, I'm sold. Now. I watched Trevino win that seniors tournament on
    sunday evening, and I noticed that that sucker never, and I mean never 
    gets close to parallel at the top of his backswing!  Further, many of
    the guys on the senior tour don't. How in the world do they get the
    distance that they do? I'm not a big hitter. For me, 215 - 225 yards
    carry with the 1 wood is a monster drive. Usually I'll get it out there
    200 -205 and with some roll and a decent long iron I'm OK. But these
    guys seem to generate megawatt power with just a short compact swing.
    How DO they do that?

    years and years of practice which brings one to the realization
    that power in the golf stroke comes not from the type of power that
    lifts weights but from the kind of power that keeps a flywheel
    turning...
    
    
    in other words..."power in the golf swing comes from timing and
    rythmn...not brute strength"

    re .8
    
    

    re .8
    
    I see that the reply that I tried to reply yesterday has disapeared
    (wtf?) Anyhow what I tried to say way that I was afraid you would say
    that. I have given up trying to hit the ball as far as Arnold Palmer,
    now I'd like to hit it as far a s Betsy King ;-{.   Prictice firing
    that right hip I guess....

    One other comment that might help is:-
    
    I try to 'feel' my hands high in the backswing. I believe you're
    more likely to overswing if you let your arms wrap round you rather
    than keeping the left arm (if you play right-handed) relatively 
    straight. However, don't keep the left arm too stiff. 
    
    You'll find that having high hands will give you a comfortable
    backswing which is full-enough. Another thing worth thinking about
    is the distance you can get by taking the club back and through
    like a chip shot - good distance with no real backswing and no
    tension. Try and build it up gradually.
    
    
    Phil.