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This lesson continues the pattern of having swings sent in from good players seeking to improve a swing that is already way better than the vast majority of golfers. It just goes to show you how difficult it is to identify flaws in a nicely sequenced swing and to figure out just what can be done to make things better. Derrick’s swing has tons of good stuff in it: great sequence with a “hard catch”, good lines with the club not really varying much from being “on plane”, and plenty of lag with a nice looking impact. Most of the complaints I get with swings like this have to do with club/ball contact or overall consistency, but Derrick reports in that there are days where he doesn’t get the distance he usually expects. Given this important bit of information it confirms what I notice and highlight in the lesson, which is Derrick’s lack of upper body coil in the backswing. I often encourage my students to start their swing with the feeling you would get if you made your first move back with a medium sized beach ball pinned to your chest. I give them the “impact bag” I have at the club which is filled with headcovers and ask them to turn it back. They immediately feel the coiling of the lower and mid back as they move the bag by turning the entire upper trunk as opposed to just the arms. I could see Derrick adding consistent distance to his shots by utilizing these muscles more effectively, and it could have the additional benefit of making his swing feel more body oriented and thus more easily repeatable.
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