Losing Pivot Mid Round

[Vince13]

Hello Mike

Great site, your videos have helped me a ton. The Light Speed Video really clicked and I had picked up some good distance throughout all the clubs. However recently, mid round things start to melt down which I suspect is my pivot falling apart. It starts out by hitting shots really thin and then gets progressivley worse. Is there a drill or thought you can recommend that I can use mid round to get me back on track. Maybe it is fatigue is there an exercise I should be doing to strengthen that pivot?

Thanks
Vince

[Michael Jacobs]

Hello Mike

Great site, your videos have helped me a ton. The Light Speed Video really clicked and I had picked up some good distance throughout all the clubs. However recently, mid round things start to melt down which I suspect is my pivot falling apart. It starts out by hitting shots really thin and then gets progressivley worse. Is there a drill or thought you can recommend that I can use mid round to get me back on track. Maybe it is fatigue is there an exercise I should be doing to strengthen that pivot?

Thanks
Vince

Vince,
Glad you like the site and all of my videos. This is an excellent question.. Lets try and help you more specifically..........
Tell me more about your game - What are your typical scores? What kind of shape are you in? Are you susceptible to fatigue in your legs and hips? Are you taking a golf cart or are walking? WHat is your typical shot pattern on good shots?

[Vince13]

Vince,
Glad you like the site and all of my videos. This is an excellent question.. Lets try and help you more specifically..........
Tell me more about your game - What are your typical scores? What kind of shape are you in? Are you susceptible to fatigue in your legs and hips? Are you taking a golf cart or are walking? WHat is your typical shot pattern on good shots?

Typical score is around 90, a great round is mid 80's. I am in pretty good shape quite active, 45 years old 180lbs. I have had lower back issues but planks and push ups seem to keep it at bay. Usually walking. Typical shot pattern is a bit of a draw. When things go bad the pattern goes to thins then a weak cut or push.

Thx

[Michael Jacobs]

Typical score is around 90, a great round is mid 80's. I am in pretty good shape quite active, 45 years old 180lbs. I have had lower back issues but planks and push ups seem to keep it at bay. Usually walking. Typical shot pattern is a bit of a draw. When things go bad the pattern goes to thins then a weak cut or push.

Thx

VInce,

Good information, sounds like to me it may feel like the pivot is shutting down but all indications from what I hear are that the club is laying back into the contact or coming in to contact entirely too shallow. Have you noticed the direction of your divots??

[Vince13]

The divot is shallow and straight to slightly pointing right of target line.

[Michael Jacobs]

The divot is shallow and straight to slightly pointing right of target line.

Vince,

Divot direction is as expected based on your typical flight description. What is most likely taking place during your rounds is that you keep getting more and more shallow with the club head approach to the point of the club head coming in so low to the ground that it sounds like it bottoms out and then you scrape it on the way up when it starts to go awry.

Some things to note, when the club comes in to shallow I am referring to the club head approaching the ball too much from the inside and from too low of a club head relative to the ground. The more the club moves out to the right {inside out} the more of a sensation the golfer will have that the body pivot is shutting down. If you stand there and make some shadow swings with no club and ball, make a dry swing and swing your arms out to the right {away from your body as you approach impact} you will feel a pronounced pivot stall.

Now do the same rehearsal swing and swing your arms closer to your body on the way down to impact and feel like its more of an outside - in approach to the ball and sense the difference in how the body moves.

To sum it up, I would check my grip first and make sure its under the heel pad of the top hand like I describe in the Golf Channel Audition secondary tip. Next I would concentrate on my swing direction and reduce how much you are swinging out to the right {inside out} and you will see a difference in how your pivot stays in tune!!!

[Vince13]

Thanks Mike,

I have a round tomorrow with my regular foursome and I will follow your advice and report back.

[Vince13]

Mike

The round went very well. I hit some shots that just kept going and going. I needed to rethink club selection from 150 yards in which is great problem to have for a hacker all these years. I shot an 89 but many of the errant shots were due to lack of touch around the green.

Thank you again.

[Michael Jacobs]

Mike

The round went very well. I hit some shots that just kept going and going. I needed to rethink club selection from 150 yards in which is great problem to have for a hacker all these years. I shot an 89 but many of the errant shots were due to lack of touch around the green.

Thank you again.

Keep us posted Vince, let's continue to improve your game. As always feel free to post your swings up on forum and we will take a look

[Vince13]

Thanks Miike,

I will keep that in mind for next year. I am in Northern Canada and the golf season is pretty much done up here. Time to hit the gym over the winter. Do you have any golf specific fitness programs you can recommend?