To start off the lesson today I made certain that my right elbow was leading during the practice chipping motion. When my right elbow disconnects from my midsection and get space going back, I get all out of sorts at impact. If I can keep my right elbow in, keep my knees soft and together and use my core to turn back and through, my right elbow leads through impact and I strike the ball well. It then puts me in a good place to relax my left side and move my right side to the top of the follow through.
Patrick started twisting me and wants me to really focus on my left hip not giving up early which also causes my right hip to collapse. In essence, my hips should feel more on the target line rather than turned away from the target. My shoulders and back should be turned away from the target but I should not compromise my spine angle and my hips to do this. This is what creates torque and tension.
I have gotten much better with the downswing as I am very balanced and my left side is getting softer and softer. I can not use my core to finish at the top of the follow through quite well. Patrick is pleased with my left shin being firm and staying planted.
An addition that is starting to become important in my backswing is the club feeling like it is outside my hands at the very top of the backswing. I feel the club outside my hands all the way through most of the backswing but at the top it “goes behind me”. Patrick is working to make the clubface stay closer to the target line and outside my hands at the top of the swing. This is the motion where you see athletic golfers look like they cock the club at the top of their backswing.
It is fascinating because every amateur golfer wants to do this but they don’t have the understanding nor the flexibility in their body to keep the club in front of their chest throughout the entire backswing. I am getting my timing down more and more with this and it is starting to feel good at impact.
I do have a slight fade at this point but that is because I give up right before impact and come “over the top” or across the ball. Remember, my coming “over the top” is much later now; just right before impact. It used to be as soon as I took the club away.
I told Patrick I wanted a 15-45 minute homework assignment every night in which I focus on a very small and specific movement. Tonight, I am to focus on keeping my hips wide at take away and throughout the backswing. He wants me to retain the posture and firmness in both my right hip and left hip. He wants me to focus on just the takeaway for 15 minutes then focus on the full backswing for 15 minutes and then polish it up with any remaining energy.
