April, 2016 | Wayne DeFrancesco

Swing Comparison: Danny Willett and Jordan Spieth

I couldn’t resist doing this comparison as the two are hitting the same shot on the same hole with the same fixed camera from almost the exact same spot. They both hit incredible pressure iron shots, with Spieth going pretty much right at the flag and Willett favoring a bit more of a right to left trajectory. As with any comparison there are similarities (which we could all take note of and try to emulate as these are two of the best on the planet) and some striking differences. I always find these examinations to be interesting and educational. Enjoy.

Wayne D Working on it: April 2016

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

This is another video showing me working out problems in my swing. My biggest issue over the last few years has been my driver and I firmly believe that a big part of my problem has been my inability to deepen my right hip enough to keep the left side of my pelvis from moving forward as I reach transition, which in turn keeps me too heavy on the front of the left foot and unable to clear the left side of my pelvis enough to be able to “get around” on the ball and have the swing exit on plane.

Lesson of the Week: Nick Antonelli, PGA

By Wayne | Videos: Lesson of the Week

Nick is an aspiring club professional working in New Hampshire in the summer who comes down to Florida to see me about once a year, which is not optimum but certainly better than not coming at all. He, like a lot of the good players you see on the website, has a fluid and athletic swing with technique problems that keep him from hitting the ball with consistent contact and direction.

Improvement: Peter Procops, PGA Part 3

By Wayne | Improvement

Peter is doing a nice job of right loading, keeping in the box, and has a good transition sequence. The first things I see are his hands not releasing early enough with the driver causing a slight downward strike on the ball. His rehearsal swing is looking great but the full swing is getting a bit crossed at the top, this being caused by the right arm getting behind him at the top of the backswing. The most important issue to address here is; the high approach in-to-out path with a late release as that combination spells trouble.

Online Students: Phil Pfeiffer Part 3

By Wayne | Videos: Online Students

In this lesson you will see Phil over-doing some of the things we have discussed in his first two lessons, which I think is a very good thing as changes are rarely made unless the player exaggerates new ideas and feeling. Phil’s trigger movement here is a major deepening of the pelvis, but as he loads he drops down and back into his heels and his head backs away from the original forehead line.

Swing Analysis: Pitch Shots from the Match Play Championship

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I thought I would do a compilation of different pitch shots the players hit at Austin CC in the recent Match Play championship. here has been some debate recently about “using the bounce” versus “using the leading edge”, and here we see that good players have to have both techniques in their arsenal and must be able to call them into play when needed.

Playing for Money: Derek Gillespie Part 3

By Wayne | Videos: Playing For Money

I have high hopes for Derek. He has simple, powerful and efficient swing that needed a few tweaks when he first came to see me and now is really rounding into shape. Our first item in this 2- day session was to get the posture more up on the balls of the feet with the pelvis tilted a bit more. From there we wanted to quiet down his trigger movement, which was too much of a bounce and sit back thing with his pelvis getting more level right off the bat. This allows him to get the right hip deeper without having it sit under him.

Swing Analysis: Dustin Johnson 2016

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

All I can say is “wow”. There is no swing like this on Tour, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it ever. Dustin externally rotates his right arm to the max right from the beginning of the swing and keeps it that way through the backswing, where he takes it past parallel with the driver, all the way past impact, and while he’s at it he forward flexes his left wrist from the get go and also keeps it that way past the ball in the ultimate example of a “drive/hold” release.

Online Students: Pablo del Olmo, PGA

By Wayne | Videos: Online Students

This is a cool lesson to watch because Pablo (who spent time trying to play for a living and is now teaching) has a great looking swing and it’s only after some study in slow motion that I was able to pick out why he might struggle a bit with his ball striking and offer suggestions as to how to improve it. Of course, we have seen that many times, but the thing about this particular swing is the subtlety of the issues with sequence and right arm movement.

Improvement: Peter Procops, PGA Part 2

By Wayne | Improvement

Our next lesson continues on 9/16/2013, 57 days later (about 2 months). Peter’s sequencing was looking good after our first lesson. In this video the first thing I see is a tight right arm stuck to the side making for very little width and causing the right arm to look for depth ending up well behind him and across the line at the top of the backswing.

1 2 Next »

Monthly Archives: April 2016