Wayne D’s Swing | Wayne DeFrancesco

Wayne D Looking for a Swing that’s Easier on the Back

Up until a few months ago my back was feeling OK and I was pleased with the progress I was making with my swing. However, the arthritis in my right big toe has gotten to the point where it is affecting the way I walk (every step hurts) and that, of course, is a very problematical thing for anyone, especially someone like me who already has serious back issues. I shot 80 in a one- day event about a month ago, and it was especially frustrating because my hips and lower back were so stiff and sore I simply couldn’t do what I wanted with my swing. I always like to prepare before I play in a tournament, so I’m going to be practicing and playing more than usual so I can feel ready to play, although over the years I have gotten much smarter about not overdoing it.

Wayne D’s Swing: May 2018

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I’m still at it, this time getting ready for the 2018 competitive season by trying to improve my ball striking and hopefully pick up some distance off the tee. I played fairly well in the Middle Atlantic Match Play tournament, finishing T-10 in the qualifier (this is against all the section guys, not just the seniors) and then won two matches before losing on the 18th to a very good player I have taught in the past. Here I go back to some of the things that I still see in my 2001 victory at the National Club Pro, namely a brisker overall pace for the swing, especially the backswing, an earlier engagement of the hands and wrists in the takeaway, and a harder “catch” at the top to flatten the shaft more and more aggressively. I have also incorporated one of Hogan’s setup ideas, as I’m squeezing my knees toward each other at address to try to alleviate some of the problem I have with not being able to clear my left leg quickly enough in the forward swing. It’s an interesting feeling having my knees pressed toward each other (which gets me to the insides of both feet) while my elbows are bent away from each other (helping me flare my right arm so that it does not pinch in front of me in the backswing.

Simpson, Reed and Watney: Cupped Left Wrist at the Top

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

Lately we have seen a lot of the top players utilize a flat or bowed left wrist at the top of their swings, namely Spieth, D. Johnson, Keopka and Rahm, but here I focus on 3 recently successful players in Patrick Reed, Nick Watney and Webb Simpson, all of whom get to the top with the left wrist definitely cupped. Some of this has to do with grip type, but in general cupping the left wrist keeps the clubface more open, and with the addition of forearm rotation tends to point the club either on plane or left of the plane at the top. Hogan stated that he liked to roll the face open and cup the left wrist right from the start of the swing all the way to the top and being a Hogan fan, I have always taught that it was a good idea to maintain the bend in the back of the left wrist to the top and starting down, which I think is a simple idea for students to understand. The cupping of the wrist helps my own swing by adding wrist cock, which enables me to increase my lag and produce more speed, something I am conscious of since I go 5’8” and 160 lbs. I also throw in here a couple swings of Bryson DeChambeau, who uses an extremely weak, palm grip and seems to be eliminating all forearm rotation in the backswing keeping the clubface constantly closed, the opposite of Hogan. DeChambeau is hitting the ball as well as anyone on Tour, while Reed just won the Masters, Watney finished second at the Wells Fargo, and Simpson is in control of the Players Championship.

Wayne D Working on Bunker Technique

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I hadn’t been in the bunker with the camera for a while and since I am changing my technique a bit from an out to in path with an open stance and open face to a more square stance and a shallower approach I thought it would be a good idea to see if I were really doing what I was thinking about. As you will see in the first attempt I am still keeping the shaft in front of me and coming from quite a bit out to in.

Wayne D. Changing Swing Shape- February 2018

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I’ve been trying to figure out why I consistently lean into the front of my left foot in transition, a move which I believe throws off my sequence and eventually is one of the causes of my throw release and forward exit. I am now focusing on the lifting of my hands and arms from P3 to P4 while I straighten my right knee, which, along with a bit too much rightward movement of my upper body in the backswing, leads to the move I hate. In this video you can see my left arm looks more horizontal at P4, which gives it a deeper, more Hogan-like look.

Wayne D Practice Session: January 2018- Working on Using the Ground and Creating Better Impact

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I thought this was a great practice session as I was (finally) successful in adding hip flexion and loading into the ground in both the backswing and transition, then addressed my recent (last 8 years?) tendency to throw release the club through impact with my irons. By the time I achieved a drive/hold release and got the club to move from P7 to P8 on plane I found myself pushing up off the ground and straightening my left leg in a much timelier fashion.

Clearing the Left Hip Faster: New Thoughts

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I’ve been watching my left foot step forward in transition, my left leg stays forward too long in the downswing, and the club exit above the plane to the right forever with my longer clubs, especially the driver. I can see it, and I’ve had numerous ideas about how to fix it, but the pattern still exists and seems impervious to correction unless I give it total attention, which is detrimental to the rest of my swing and doesn’t work on the course in competition. I do have an excuse in that I have a fused lower spine and my trunk mobility is challenged, but I always feel as though the correct understanding of the issue and the right thoughts could correct the problem and change the pattern.

Wayne D’s Driver Swing: Big Change from One Swing to the Next

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

My driver swing has always been my weak link in my competitive play. My misses are too extreme, and when I mishit the ball I lose too much distance. This video highlights the pattern that I believe has plagued me forever. I am heartened by the fact that at least now I know enough about my own swing and tendencies to be able to make such a drastic difference in one swing simply by seeing what I was doing and being able to correct it immediately.

Wayne D. Swing Analysis: This is Pretty Good

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

It’s been 3 years since I had my back operated on and 1 year since I had my elbow operated on and I’m feeling like I can finally do some of the things I teach and talk about all the time. I had somewhat of an epiphany when I did videos of Tommy Fleetwood and Tiger and watched their pelvic movement in transition. I always lose height and pressure between P2 and P4, and I wind up driving my weight too far into the front of my left foot, which slows my hip rotation (my left hip is too far forward to be able to clear in a timely fashion), encourages me to drive my right leg toward the ball, and my swing exits well to the right of the plane. This is not a recipe for success.

Basement Tapes: Wayne D. on Vacation: General Swing Thoughts

By Wayne | Videos: Basement Tapes

I’ve had 4 days of not touching a golf club but as a certified addict I’ve certainly been thinking about it. Keep in mind that the general ideas I put forth here and the specific body movements I talk about are about my own swing, while it should be obvious that you have heard all of this at one time or another before. One of the huge advantages of being relatively healthy for the first time in a good while is that I can put more time into practice, and as I work by trial and error (the errors coming out in competition) I can work toward being able to focus on the most important and stubborn items and possibly make some progress.

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