JDMAC - My Golfing Story & Your Help

[JDMAC]

Howdy guys -
First post here and hoping to make this a home as i work with Michael to become a great player. For disclosure purposes i have only seen Michael for a 1.5hr session right before the season closed, so any trouble i have with my swing is of my own doing.

First, a little back story - I started playing golf when I was 16 or 17 and got hooked on the game at that point. I was a decent athlete and played most sports growing up soccer, tennis, baseball, and lacrosse. Even those I did not play in school I felt I was decent at including basketball. I ended up playing D1 lacrosse in college. Then there was golf – stupid game, ball doesn’t move, “I’m a good athlete” I told myself… shouldn’t be so hard. Of course I was dead wrong. Long story short on golf, I sucked and worked to become less sucky and actually tried out for the college golf team my senior year, but was not good enough to get it done… but I was determined to be good at the game.

I sort of plodded along through my 20s playing irregularly and trying to get something playable for the times I did get out there. My swing really sucked though.

About 4 years ago I hooked up with a teacher who helped me get from a 13 to where I am now, a 6. Been somewhere between a 5 and a 6 for the last 2 years now, but have been crazy inconsistent with rounds in the low 70s and rounds as high as 90. My short-game and putting have greatly improved over the last year, but my swing had gotten worse.

In my quest to be really good, i sought out MJ and have so far only had the one lesson with plans to work hard over the winter and to continue our work in 2011.

So, here we are. My swing is sort of a mess right now, since what I was doing when I came to see Michael for the first time was/is a big lean left move at the top and a very very pronounced spinning out of the left hip. It was how I was taught to create speed. I also had been goofing around with Manzella's NHA and the SD patterns going back and forth. I know, I am a putz. The 1.5hr session with Michael we worked on the pivot, the backswing body movement. I had an impossible time with it... it was so different from what I had done all my life and believe me I hit a lot of balls, so the bad move is/was ingrained.

So, enough of the back-story, to the swing…

me in my garage hitting stall on the P3proswing from early in 2010


From earlier this week trying to work on what Michael had shown me (I think unsuccessfully… still leaning left)


LINK #3: a practice swing front view where I THINK I have made progress on the pivot... maybe too exaggerated with the move off the ball, but better????


Michael et al, please let me know if i am heading in the right direction with the body move.

Thanks for the input and thanks for taking time out to read my diatribe and help me on my journey.

Best,
Jim

PS - i was trying the ball throwing drill and the backhand drill last night and i think i am making better progress than the above would indicate and feel like i was actually hitting some shots with my pivot last night - will post some more real swings as soon as i can.

[Michael Jacobs]

Jim,

Welcome to the website, consider it your new home. I hope more and more people take advantage of your example of posting your story and swing images. Makes for great discussion and it is always nice to see swing the learning curve for golfers.

I have take 2 screenshots from your backswing video:







These pictures show a much improved movement, a far cry from the leaning left backswing of old. As we look at the pictures here, I can see that you have accomplished many of the things that we discussed in our 90 minute session as far as the backswing is concerned.

Some new points to note, I would really like to see if the movements are the same under motion and in real time while striking a shot. The images we have above are from a practice stroke, which is great and the place to start but I would love to see this under true motion.

After this is accomplished under true motion we can then blend this into a much better downswing which will lead to better overall ball striking. Off to a good start, lets keep at it!!

When I watched the shot that you hit into the net from the down the line view it showed me a bit of a different move under motion....

[JDMAC]

Jim,

Welcome to the website, consider it your new home. I hope more and more people take advantage of your example of posting your story and swing images. Makes for great discussion and it is always nice to see swing the learning curve for golfers.

I have take 2 screenshots from your backswing video:







These pictures show a much improved movement, a far cry from the leaning left backswing of old. As we look at the pictures here, I can see that you have accomplished many of the things that we discussed in our 90 minute session as far as the backswing is concerned.

Some new points to note, I would really like to see if the movements are the same under motion and in real time while striking a shot. The images we have above are from a practice stroke, which is great and the place to start but I would love to see this under true motion.

After this is accomplished under true motion we can then blend this into a much better downswing which will lead to better overall ball striking. Off to a good start, lets keep at it!!

When I watched the shot that you hit into the net from the down the line view it showed me a bit of a different move under motion....

Thanks MJ. The shot into the net i had not had the "gotcha" moment of what it feels like to actually pivot. I thought i was, but it wasn't even close. The practice swing is the only video i have taken thus far working with the new movement. I will take a video asap of a real swing. I was working hard last night at the range on my pivot, still making a full pivot, but turning around the neck more and less exaggerated movement off the ball. What helped me initially to go from my lean left to where you wanted me was thinking about turning my rear end towards the target and sticking my right cheek out . I was working on your backhand drill and the throwing the ball at the ground as well as back and forth swings feeling the pivot, the counter, then the downswing. I hit some beautiful "pivot-driven" shots through the bag last night and i have no idea if my hands and arms are optimal yet, i'd imagine not, but i hit a number of shots with a lagging clubhead takeaway, a full pivot and a downswing powered by my pivot or led by my pivot. Definitely a whole new feeling for me. Excited to keep at it and will get some swings up here shortly. This is fun!

[JDMAC]

Played this AM in the cold, wind, and light rain on Long Island and hit the ball very well, putted poorly, but altogether a decent round for this time of year. I felt like i didn't pivot on 2 drives and sort of half-assed another that i got away with.

I had my buddy film this after we finished. Seems my old habit of sneaking my grip (left hand in this case) stronger as the round progresses is in play here, but i wanted to get Michael's take on my pivot and the swing in general.

I wasn't thinking about anything hands/arms/path related... just thinking about making a good pivot and seeing what happened.

This is a 6i. The result was a 5y draw right at my target.



PS - Realizing working on this i have never actually made a good pivot on a golf swing before in my life and that a lot of frustration "working" on my swing before should have been directed here. That was a damn good first lesson.

[Michael Jacobs]

Played this AM in the cold, wind, and light rain on Long Island and hit the ball very well, putted poorly, but altogether a decent round for this time of year. I felt like i didn't pivot on 2 drives and sort of half-assed another that i got away with.

I had my buddy film this after we finished. Seems my old habit of sneaking my grip (left hand in this case) stronger as the round progresses is in play here, but i wanted to get Michael's take on my pivot and the swing in general.

I wasn't thinking about anything hands/arms/path related... just thinking about making a good pivot and seeing what happened.

This is a 6i. The result was a 5y draw right at my target.



PS - Realizing working on this i have never actually made a good pivot on a golf swing before in my life and that a lot of frustration "working" on my swing before should have been directed here. That was a damn good first lesson.

Jim,

Glad to see you are working hard at it... My next office hours, I am going to break that swing down for you and forum members.

[JDMAC]

Thanks Mike. The clubface issue i see here and see in a couple other videos i have taken seems to have popped up with me trying to lag the clubhead on takeaway... going to work on getting the clubface back to where it was, ie parallel to the back of my left wrist/arm and keep working on the pivot.

Looking forward to your thoughts on this.

Much appreciated and hope you are well.

Jim

[Michael Jacobs]

Here is some frozen clips from the swing JDMAC posted on Youtube and on our site. Any thoughts or ideas before I add my two cents??

[Steve Greffen]

Looks like a pretty good move to me, I like what he is working on. The fact that he hit a nice draw at the target with this swing shows there were some good impact conditions going on.

My comment is that the ball looks a little back in his stance at address which creates some difficulty to get into the left side on the downswing making the pivot have to "back up" a little bit at times to hit the ball cleanly with power.

I will listen to what Michael says about my comments and what he sees and would suggest. Good winter activities!!

[JDMAC]

Thanks for the thoughts Steve. I will keep ball position in mind although I think the camera angle is offset and is playing tricks a bit.

Crickets from everyone else, eh?

My only other thought is that i better hit the gym over the winter so i don't start having to ape the Stadler boys bodies and swings - I am already pushing it by donning a white belt .

[Matt Bryda]

JDMAC,

IMO you are on your way to some good changes with your swing. I agree about the camera angle being taken from too far to the right (looking left towards you) in the face on view.
You would have never done your athleticism any justice with a lean left backswing.
Adjusting the pivot will give your arms/clubs new space to move through and will add versatility to your swing and allow you to play more shots if you choose.

Matt