Over the weekend I hit balls at UNC Finley a couple of times and it is amazing how far I have come. There is still plenty of room for improvement but I can suck in my right side, take most of my arms out of it and get a rather big shoulder turn. Now, we just need to put the icing on the cake.
Today was a backswing day and Patrick really twisted me up while my lower body resisted. For the first time in awhile, we discussed the left hip and left leg on the backswing. I have a habit of allowing this hip to just go but I should feel more of a resistance in the left hip which will make the swing feel like a, wait for it, swing. If my left hip doesn’t fall back, it creates an angle with my hip that feels pointed down at about 30 degrees once the backswing is complete.
Patrick also wants me to be “lazy” with my arms after the take away. The left lat, not the left hip, is to drive under while the arms are lazy. When I do this and continue to brace with my right knee I can really feel the swinging motion that is the golf swing. That said, there are still some flexibility issues as my lower back is very tight when I don’t let my left hip turn on the way back. I am doing much better with my right side sucking in and my right elbow continues to get more relaxed.
Now that we are getting deeper and deeper with the shoulders while resisting with the legs, I have a lot more space and time to get back to the ball. I get a little jumpy sometimes and do not hit the ball great. That said, when I do hit it well, it is very good. Now it is a timing issue and an acceptance that my upper thoracic creates the majority of the backswing which, in turn, creates the power in the golf swing.
UPDATE: For a very long time I hit the ball fat or on the toe. It was frustrating for months. Now, in May 2021, I am hitting it more in the middle of the club and generated swing speed by actually swinging slower. It is a crazy game.
