I actually had some time to practice today so I took a few pictures and did this video. It took me an hour to hit 100 balls, alternating between the new drill I posted this week (Takeaway-stop/ then finish and hit) and hitting full shots with no stop. My main goal was to stop lifting in the middle portion of my backswing, and stopping at shaft parallel to the ground allows me to concentrate on starting from there by driving my right hip back, flexing more into my right leg, and “catching” the backswing with a 45 degree drive off the right instep toward the left heel. If I do that I cannot raise up: indeed, I should be lowering as I get to the top and move forward.
As you will see, I managed to stop the lifting but the sensation of lowering was still far later than I “felt”. Once again, the problem with playing by “feel” is apparent. I can’t feel my mistake, which is why it is chronic. I know pretty much exactly what I want to do when I swing, and I know from analysis and experience that what I usually do is not what I want to do. If I give up on trying to change I will be stuck with a swing that I have decided will not allow me to strike the ball well enough to contend at a high level, so I am determined to get this right. If it weren’t a difficult move for me I would already have remedied the problem. I feel that this new drill gives me a great chance to finally incorporate into my swing something I have been lacking for years. I am already seeing marked increases in carry distance with all clubs, especially the driver, which for the first time I am able to carry over 270 yards. Hopefully my back will continue to hold up, as this lowering movement is a bit like doing a loaded squat on every swing.