Hammer swing?

[Drumdog]

I've always hit the ball like this and would really like to correct it.

When I come back to the ball through the impact zone, instead of closing the club face and rotating my hands through, I swing the club through and hit the ball like I was holding a hammer in my right hand and trying to drive a nail through a board that is vertical. (does that make sense?)

When I describe that, even I wonder how I can score as well as I do!

How can I fix that?

Thanks in advance !!

 

[amollerud]

Do you hit the ball higher than you want? I think I get what you mean and it isn't a bad thought. I have 2 things I would want to look at. Is your miss a big hook? Is contact fat and thin from time to time. Active hands through the hitting zone are caused by poor body turn through the golf ball. If you could answer the couple of questions here I can get you some additional infor. Thanks.

 

[Drumdog]

Yes...I do hit the ball higher than I want.
My misses aren't generally a big hook...I miss to the right....high and right is the path when I miss.
Yep...I hit the long irons mostly thin and to the right with the occasional fat shot. I'm really inconsistent with the long irons.
I've pulled the 3 and 4 out of the bag and gone to 2 hybrids, which I hit well and really like them.
I really have no idea where my 5 iron is going to go when I have to hit something in the 180 to 190 range.
The fat shots occur mostly with a short iron.

If it helps, here are my club distances...

Driver - 280 -300
3wd - 255
3 hybrid - 225
4 hybrid - 205
5 iron - 190 when I hit it right
6 iron - 172
7 iron - 160
8 iron - 150
9 iron - 140
pw - 125
52* - 110
56* - 100
58* - 85

 

[amollerud]

It sounds to me like you flip the hands through the ball. One of the best things for you to work on is getting your hands infront of the ball through the ball. To get this feel this is what I would like you to try at the range.

Get into your normal setup with the ball in the proper position. From here I would like you to try and hit a punch shot. This feel of getting you hands out in front will quiet the hands and help you get the feel you need to lower the ball flight. Try it and let me know how things go out there.

 

[Drumdog]

I tried it on the range today before my round. It felt very strange, but I kept at it.
I took that feeling to the course and shot my all time low score....72 !
I missed a slider 4 footer on 18 for birdie, or I would have ended up 1 under.
Here's the stats on the course...
Par 72
Blue: 6,874 yds
Blue: 126 Slope
Blue: 72.1 Rating

I only missed 2 fairways. One was on a par 5 uphill that I drove through the dogleg by 1 foot. The other I missed the fairway by 3 ft.
I parred both of them. The hands drill and the swing with that thought still feels funny, but it's hard to argue with success !

Thanks!!

 

[amollerud]

Great to hear!! Keep at it and let me know how things go for you.

 

[Drumdog]

Great to hear!! Keep at it and let me know how things go for you.

Here's an update for you coach!

I applied your drill several times on the range and then played in the Meadowood Amature tournament this last weekend where I shot that 72.

Saturday - 77 Windy day and the drill really helped me keep the irons low and into the wind. Hit 2 of the best 190 yd 5 irons in my life!
Sunday - 74 Another windy day and kept the irons low. 2 under at the turn.
16-17-18 bogey-bogey-bogey due to bad decisions kept me from winning the tourney.

Finished 3rd in the first flight....= $262.50 in clubhouse credit.

On an even better note...your tip has helped me accomplish my goal for the year. I really wanted to get my hdcp down to a 5.
Ghin came out on Friday and my hdcp is now . . . . . . 4.9
I've already set next years goal to get it down to . . . 2 or better.

Thank you very much!

 

[amollerud]

DD that is awesome! Keep up the good work and let me know if there is anything more that I can do to help.

 

[Drumdog]

Hey coach, I thought I would give you another update....

I have still been using your swing tip on the range and on the course.
The last 8 rounds have been 77 or under and my ghin just dropped the other day to 3.0 !
I don't know if I can keep this up, but right now I have so much confidence standing over the ball that it feels almost ridiculous.
Thanks again for all the help.

 

[amollerud]

That is so good to hear. I am here if there is anything else I can help you with. Keep up the good work!!!