***Official Bushwood Country Club Lounge***

[smittysbar]

Okay, here is a place for the Golfers to talk about tournaments, clubs, swing help or thoughts.

Today is the Players Championship, which I think ought to be the 5th Major. Largest pot in the PGA. The daunting 17th, which seems to bring excitement every year. At least we will get to see Sergio blow up yet again.

I am ready to see some water balls!

[smittysbar]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Hi folks!

Looking for some advice. In e last six weeks I have reluctantly moved from the "baseball" grip to the conventional interlocked finger grip. During this time I've struggled with leaving the club face open. When I do make good contact, I'm striking the ball well and hitting it further than ever. I use a 3 wood off the tee, as I've always had trouble hitting a driver. I usually hit the ball 215 - 220. Playing with this grip I get may hands working together and have been hitting the ball in the 240-250 range, with a long drive of 275 on a 470 yard par 4.
I'm really struggling maintaining my swing throughout the round. I think I begin to go over the top and hitting huge slices off the tee or even with an iron.
Example: I played Saturday and started off hitting great shots going par, bogey, par, par, par, par.
I'm on the 7th hole at +1 (and thinking great thoughts) When it all comes apart. Slice off the tee on a 380 yard par 4, hit approach fat and drop it in the water. Follow that with a drop and blade my wedge into the high rough for another lost ball penalty, and three putt for a +4.
Hole 8 175 yd par 3. Pull my tee shot 15 yards wide of the green, because I'm afraid of leaving th club face open and slicing the ball into the woods, but make a nice pitch over sand and drop the ball within 3 feet. Miss the ****ing putt for a +2.

Hole 9 : yank tee shot again overcompensating for fear of the slice hit a tree and it kicks around in there like pinball until it kicks out in the fairway about 85yards in front of the tee. Hit approach, club face open and it goes nearly into the woods 30 yards left of the fairway. Hit wedge onto green and 3 putt on a steeply graded green.

So in the end I was + 9 or 10 after being +1 after 6.

I need advice on what I can do to help work through this problem of open club face.

On the range just try going after it at the bottom, making sure you finish. Make sure your elbow isn't flying either.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Coming over the top is most often a fault of trying to hit the ball with your right shoulder. Don't hit at the ball with your right shoulder, feel like you are trying to hit the ball to right field (if you are a righty) while allowing your bottom hand (your right if you're a righty) to turn over the weak hand (your left if a righty) in the follow through.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

WTI,

If it makes you feel any better, I was +1 sitting in the middle of the sixth fairway last night. I'd hit a great drive and had about 155 in off a downslope. I yank the shot into the front lip of the bunker on a severe upslope.

I procede to blade the shot onto another hole, where it takes me three shots to get down for double. I hit into some jackasses' foot crater on 7, digging a bunker shot out to 30 feet for another bogey. On 9 I'm four over and steaming, but 60 yards out on the par 5 after two shots. I procede to blade a lob wedge into the water over the green and take an 8.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Hi folks!

Looking for some advice. In e last six weeks I have reluctantly moved from the "baseball" grip to the conventional interlocked finger grip. During this time I've struggled with leaving the club face open. When I do make good contact, I'm striking the ball well and hitting it further than ever. I use a 3 wood off the tee, as I've always had trouble hitting a driver. I usually hit the ball 215 - 220. Playing with this grip I get may hands working together and have been hitting the ball in the 240-250 range, with a long drive of 275 on a 470 yard par 4.
I'm really struggling maintaining my swing throughout the round. I think I begin to go over the top and hitting huge slices off the tee or even with an iron.
Example: I played Saturday and started off hitting great shots going par, bogey, par, par, par, par.
I'm on the 7th hole at +1 (and thinking great thoughts) When it all comes apart. Slice off the tee on a 380 yard par 4, hit approach fat and drop it in the water. Follow that with a drop and blade my wedge into the high rough for another lost ball penalty, and three putt for a +4.
Hole 8 175 yd par 3. Pull my tee shot 15 yards wide of the green, because I'm afraid of leaving th club face open and slicing the ball into the woods, but make a nice pitch over sand and drop the ball within 3 feet. Miss the ****ing putt for a +2.

Hole 9 : yank tee shot again overcompensating for fear of the slice hit a tree and it kicks around in there like pinball until it kicks out in the fairway about 85yards in front of the tee. Hit approach, club face open and it goes nearly into the woods 30 yards left of the fairway. Hit wedge onto green and 3 putt on a steeply graded green.

So in the end I was + 9 or 10 after being +1 after 6.

I need advice on what I can do to help work through this problem of open club face.

Maybe with the new grip you are letting the clubhead drop a the top of your swing and you just can't catch up and square the club from there.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Coming over the top is most often a fault of trying to hit the ball with your right shoulder. Don't hit at the ball with your right shoulder, feel like you are trying to hit the ball to right field (if you are a righty) while allowing your bottom hand (your right if you're a righty) to turn over the weak hand (your left if a righty) in the follow through.

Usually coming over the top is a result of taking the club back inside and then re-routing it in an attempt to not shove it right.

90% of missed shots are missed on the back swing.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by philfree

Usually coming over the top is a result of taking the club back inside and then re-routing it in an attempt to not shove it right.

90% of missed shots are missed on the back swing.

Rather than overburden him with mechanical thoughts about sequencing, trying feel thoughts first often lead to the same fixes without mental paralysis.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by philfree

Maybe with the new grip you are letting the clubhead drop a the top of your swing and you just can't catch up and square the club from there.

Originally Posted by philfree

Usually coming over the top is a result of taking the club back inside and then re-routing it in an attempt to not shove it right.

90% of missed shots are missed on the back swing.

You are talking about two separate errors here. One is cause by a lack of proper release and the other is a swing path error.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

You are talking about two separate errors here. One is cause by a lack of proper release and the other is a swing path error.

Yes I replied to two different posters.

As far as which is more cumbersome between taking the club back properly or not hitting or hitting with you right shoulder I don't know. I guess it depends on wether one is a swinger of the club or a hitter. I'll tend to instruct from the swingers point of view.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by philfree

Yes I replied to two different posters.

As far as which is more cumbersome between taking the club back properly or not hitting or hitting with you right shoulder I don't know. I guess it depends on wether one is a swinger of the club or a hitter. I'll tend to instruct from the swingers point of view.

We were all responding to WTI.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

We were all responding to WTI.

Excuse me for losing track. You are correct. Could we at least agree that most golf shots are missed on the backswing?

[Cornstock]

Originally Posted by WilliamTheIrish

Hi folks!

Looking for some advice. In e last six weeks I have reluctantly moved from the "baseball" grip to the conventional interlocked finger grip. During this time I've struggled with leaving the club face open. When I do make good contact, I'm striking the ball well and hitting it further than ever. I use a 3 wood off the tee, as I've always had trouble hitting a driver. I usually hit the ball 215 - 220. Playing with this grip I get may hands working together and have been hitting the ball in the 240-250 range, with a long drive of 275 on a 470 yard par 4.
I'm really struggling maintaining my swing throughout the round. I think I begin to go over the top and hitting huge slices off the tee or even with an iron.
Example: I played Saturday and started off hitting great shots going par, bogey, par, par, par, par.
I'm on the 7th hole at +1 (and thinking great thoughts) When it all comes apart. Slice off the tee on a 380 yard par 4, hit approach fat and drop it in the water. Follow that with a drop and blade my wedge into the high rough for another lost ball penalty, and three putt for a +4.
Hole 8 175 yd par 3. Pull my tee shot 15 yards wide of the green, because I'm afraid of leaving th club face open and slicing the ball into the woods, but make a nice pitch over sand and drop the ball within 3 feet. Miss the ****ing putt for a +2.

Hole 9 : yank tee shot again overcompensating for fear of the slice hit a tree and it kicks around in there like pinball until it kicks out in the fairway about 85yards in front of the tee. Hit approach, club face open and it goes nearly into the woods 30 yards left of the fairway. Hit wedge onto green and 3 putt on a steeply graded green.

So in the end I was + 9 or 10 after being +1 after 6.

I need advice on what I can do to help work through this problem of open club face.

As these guys are all saying, most golf swings are either made or doomed from the backswing. A thought/exercise you may want to have is that you are standing at the plate playing baseball and the catcher is squatting behind you with his glove up. Your thought should be to bring the club directly back into his mitt, not bringing the club inside. From there go waist-high with the toe of the club straight up.

If you can start out with these two checkpoints it creates room for your arms to move throughout the rest of the swing. Often times slices are a result of improper swing path building into a number of improper compensation movements. This thought can lay the groundwork for a good swing.

[philfree]

This thread needs a post.

I've ben out a few times playing 9 holes. Today the weather chilled and I took a notion to walk 9 holes carrying my bag. It felt good! I shot a 38 with a double on #2. Missed a 4 ft birdie on the last hole.....Beautiful 7 iron and a missed putt.

Golf is good.

[Stinger]

Originally Posted by philfree

This thread needs a post.

I've ben out a few times playing 9 holes. Today the weather chilled and I took a notion to walk 9 holes carrying my bag. It felt good! I shot a 38 with a double on #2. Missed a 4 ft birdie on the last hole.....Beautiful 7 iron and a missed putt.

Golf is good.

Where did you play?

[philfree]

Originally Posted by Stinger

Where did you play?

Deer Lake

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Went out yesterday for the first time in two weeks and shot a 41 that included a quad on a par 4 that is normally hybrid-gap wedge for me. Also missed two birdie putts inside of 8 feet and bogeyed another par 4 from 30 yards off the green.

Frustrating.