Improvement: Peter Procops, PGA Part 3

I start this lesson with the lines already in place. Click here to go to part 1 if you missed it. 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.
 
Peter’s Commentary:
 

My biggest challenge in this lesson was trying to incorporate the practice backswing and make it my real swing. I’ve always equated power (coiling) with turning on the backswing which put my right arm in a poor (behind me) position at the top.
 
The problem with the practice backswing is that I felt no power could be generated from there. I found out much later on that the reason why was because I needed more work on the downswing from that position, i.e., lowering on the backswing and downswing as I used the ground as leverage to push off.
 
I had to walk before I could run which meant I needed to start on my backswing.
 
I spent 1 hour a day in front of a mirror just on that practice backswing hitting balls, making sure my right arm was in front of me which got the shaft back on plane and not across the line. While doing that I also focused heavily on lowering, getting my right butt to go back as my head felt like it was going down a foot on the backswing.
I also spent time working on my downswing trying to create space for my hands to return back to address position by exaggerating lowering on approach. This was extremely hard for me……I was still under major construction and had to give up on results.
 
Getting my hands too far in front on the approach was also from being too mechanical was the easiest part of this lesson.
 
My biggest frustration during the series of lessons was taking a movement pattern that was programmed for 35 years and changing it to more of a dynamic swing. This would take more time and dedication than I would have ever imagined but well worth the ease and grace of a solid, fundamentally sound golf swing.
 
Being a perfectionist and not afraid of change sometimes could be a detriment in the short haul but if my body held up I was still determined.
 
PP

 
Click here for part 4
 

Join the forum discussion on this post