Forum > Video and Media

Christopher Watmore

I've just got round to uploading a couple of swings I recorded last week to youtube.

Hadn't seen my swing on video for several months and also had the new camera to test out.

Here is the Driver Swing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlExZk5pwgc

Here is the 7 Iron Swing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnIj4D0JuEc

Hopefully when I get my Explanar in a couple of weeks I can begin to make some changes for the better.

Matt Collins

Pretty good swing.  Nice rhythm and great follow through.

One thing I notice that may cause problems in consistency.  Your takeaway takes the club quite a bit outside the line, then you sort of do a little loop to drop the club back on line.  Its actually quite nice, and is much better than an over the top slice move.  But Id say you could be more consistent if you takeaway was more neutral, on plane.

Do you draw the ball and sometimes suffer from your bad shot being a little hook.

All in all Id say it is easily a single figure handicap swing.  Lots of potential and pretty good.  16 handicap-your putting must be bad!!!! 

Patrick Bourke

Christopher Watmore

Yeah the iron swing is the one that always gives me the most concern. I look at it and see what you guys see, club starts outside in the takeaway, gets picked up then I loop it over and swing it back through.

I've wondered for a while whether thats been caused by me being stood too close to the ball at address not giving me the room to turn the club away on the correct line and then I've had to create this little loop action to bring the club back to the ball properly or else if I returned it on the path of the takeway I'm going to heel/shank everything.

Matt your quite correct in that my normal ball flight used to be a draw, but now its more of a push or block. Guess thats a result of me coming from inside to out and now not using my hands to release and square the club up, because obviously if I get the timing wrong I will produce a big hook.

Patrick you're quite correct as well in your observation that the most consistant club for striking in my bag is the Driver or my fairway woods/rescue clubs. The plane of those seems to be much better and far more neutral.

Christopher Watmore

Filmed two more sequences yesterday with my Camera and utilising its High Speed mode to really see the swing in a speed that makes things more visible:

Driver Compilation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uM2ihyKrgM

6 Iron Compilation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIsYdixsPPg

Think I'm needing to raise the Explanar a couple of notches to get the Club moving slightly more upright. Also got to work on getting my Shoulders and Hips turning in the swing. I seem very much over the ball the whole time. never turning behind it or really turning through it.

Wayne Santorini

What ball flight are you getting Chris??? just a couple of points I've noticed.

Your right knee slides/drifts back on your takeaway.

The clubhead is taken out at the point of your takeaway rather than straight back.

The clubface is closed more than it should be at the parallel point.

At the top of the swing the clubhead has gone passed parallel.

Your feet appear to be closed, rather than level (but that could be where the camera is)

Jimmy Davis

Jimmy Davis

Wayne Santorini

That's because it's easier to watch someone else's swing rather than your own Jimmy.

A little tester for you (if your interested); get 2 mates to help you, 1 stands face on, 1 directly behind you.

Set yourself up to hit a ball and then proceed to swing but at the top of your backswing say "Back" and when you hit the ball say "Hit", maintaining your momentum.

Ask your mates where was the clubhead was when you said those words, and even with your handicap I bet your out

Knowing where your clubhead is at anytime in the swing is great knowledge.

pm me if I've not explained it properly and I'll give you my mobile number.

Jonny P

Looks like you pick the club up with your hands and arms rather than turning away from the ball with your upper body - that would be why the club gets outside the line on the first move back and why it looks a bit loopy.

I'd try hitting some balls without thinking about your arms - let your body move them. You won't get outside doing that - and in theory should be more consistent.

However, worth pointing out that taking it outside the line on the way back is only a problem if it's causing you problems. It may not be what the magazines tell you as 'the ideal position' - but if it's what you do, it's what you do.

Christopher Watmore

Firstly my ball flight is a steady draw, worked on incorporating that into my game to help achieve better distance and its also the safe shot to hit around the two courses I frequently play. I wouldn't say my bad shot is a big hook, I hit one or two occasionally but they are more like the one in the video where its come right off the heel end of the club. Normally my bad shot would be a push or block.

The wrist break early in the backswing stems a little bit from adopting the Mickelson technique for short game. Seeing as I always start my practice routine by chipping and pitching sometimes that wrist move transfers to my full swing. Not a problem as such but probably more of a problem when I release the wrist hinge of the way down. I think I release a little too early in the downswing.

Taking the Club outside during the takeaway is a fault I've put into the swing to correct the equally destructive fault of taking the club too inside on the takeaway. Rather the take the club out and then drop it back in then take the club inside and come over the top. I know which produces the more destructive shot. Also I think taking the club away slightly outside helps me keep my arms extended more in the backswing and stops me tending to collapse the left elbow.

As for the Club going past Parallell at the top well I've never taken much notice about that, as someone by the name of John Daly would always say, "Who made the rule that the club has to be Parallell at the top?" Its one of those things. If your flexible in the right places it can be hard to stop the club short. I used to have a short backswing where my left arm would only get horizontal with the ground in the backswing. I've worked to get a bigger swing and perhaps have gone a tad too far but it is what it is now.

I just need to work on getting the planes matching, one plane up and same plane down. Might cut out my draw but least it'll look better.

Jonny P

Chris - you get passed paralell through overswinging your arms - Where as Daly gets there by having a massive turn and the fact he was brought up swingin clubs way to heavy for his little frame.

Wayne Santorini

Christopher Watmore

I'm sure when I get my body working more effectively in the swing and make the proper shoulder and hip turn the club will look further past parallell so I'm not going to work about that. You don't hit the ball at the top of your backswing.

All I want to really worry about is those few feet before and after impact as the club position there effects where the ball goes.

Wayne Santorini

**All I want to really worry about is those few feet before and after impact as the club position there effects where the ball goes.**

Say's it all really Chris!!!!

You don't mind your body working extra hard to get the clubface into the ball on the correct plane, cos it's out to start with then????

If your only worried about the few feet before and after why take the club so far back to start with

Jonny P

Chris - you may benefit from the 9-3 drill (should be some stuff if you google it)

Christopher Watmore

Wayne you have to take the club back otherwise you'll get penalised for pushing. Also have you tried to hit a ball 300 yards with only an 18 inch backswing and follow through? Its impossible.

I just have some views that I've picked up from seeing some Pros and Coaches. I was at the Open this year watching one guy on the range who was concerned about his club crossing the line at the top of his swing. The Coach actually said to him, "It doesn't matter what you do with the club at the top, you could stick the club up your backside if you want, however as you return the club to the ball square you hit it fine, so don't worry about it. I'd only change it if you couldn't get the club back to the ball."

I could make loads of changes in the backswing and they may not have any impact on what I do with the club at impact.

Wayne Santorini

As a Pro his swing is more developed to compensate getting his through swing on plane.

The whole point of the backswing is to get you into position for the swing to start.

John Pettitt

Jimmy Davis

Tony Dunn

Wayne Santorini

We all do more or less than we think Jimmy, it's why we use golf coaches/pro's.

Being more aware of where the clubhead is does help you to be in tune with what you need to do to bring it down to hit the ball on its follow through.

Paul Everett

A cracking swing Christopher. If I was to get into that same position at the top of my backswing I would be in traction for the rest of the year!!

From the comments on here it obviously isn't perfect, but hey, you are certainly progressing in the right direction. To my untrained eye the follow through looks very proffessional.

Wanna swap swings?? 

Christopher Watmore

Tony and Paul thanks for the comments. Yes I often hear from people that even the swing at present should see me playing off a much lower Handicap then what I am presently off. I think the problem is I hit the ball consistantly one day then another day I'm awful and normally I'm awful when it matters i.e. In a Comp when my Handicap can go up and down. Also I've moved to a new club this year and the length increase is causing me problems because I'm not getting a lot of distance with my clubs so am struggling.

The finish position is good Paul, thanks for noticing that. Again people do comment that I get through the ball well and always hold my finish position well. Shows I'm comitted to the shot, despite the swing I've made.

I did another quick video last night after my session in the Gym on my Explanar. Does it look as though I'm turning my body more in the backswing and limiting the swing with the arms? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJN5hjFGzJg

Wayne Santorini

Theres a lot of movement with the body chris, but you wouldn't move that much if you were swinging a club on a golf course.

I accept its hard not to move, especially as the roller is weighted which showed in your wrist flick after just a minute on it???

I'll pm you my number.

John Pettitt

That looks like a great machine to get the feel of the correct plane.

Not attempting to be critical for one moment Chris, but it looks to me as though you are slightly falling back on the swing. Whether this is due to the weight of the rollers, only you will know.

Christopher Watmore

Not sure of the falling back John could you explain a bit more what you mean so I can look for it? I must say its the first time I've ever swung a Golf Club in Trainers and on that plastic mat in the Explanar it was a bit slippery, especially as when I erected the Explanar some water (I assume Rain) came out the top part of the hoop and made the mat even more treacherous. Could also be because I was really trying to make sure I moved and perhaps overexagerated the movement like Wayne's noticed. Certainly from today when I hit a few balls with a proper club I don't think I moved as much as I felt on the Explanar, but I was aware I was making more of a body move then before.

As for the wrist flick Wayne, I do find the weighted roller a little uncomfortable because I have small hands and wrists so it does put some strain on those. However the flick in the video is a result of me aggrevating a blister on the 3rd finger of right hand which was rubbing on my left index finger making it more uncomfortable. Normally I have no problem apart from some soreness in my wrists. Often times when using the Explanar I'll wear a glove on both hands just to protect my delicate little hands and fingers from blisters which I seem prone to getting even playing normal golf.

Paul Everett

Christopher Watmore

The roller is 2.25kg in weight Paul.

The Explanar Frame is adjusted to the user. When you first come to use it, there is an attachment to help you determine what it needs to be set to to find the optimum plane for you. Obviously based on how tall you are and what your posture is like, you will need to use the correct setting for you.

The Explanar is adjusted by the pole in the middle. It has several different settings on it from -5 to +5 and you basically, remove the securing pin, raise or lower the frame and then re-insert the pin.

For me setting +1 seems okay but I've recently put it up to +2 and thats what it was on in the video, to try and get me to stop coming so inside on the downswing.

John Pettitt

Chris, if this swing of yours is producing an excellent ball flight then there is no reason to change it. I like your nice smooth action, only wish I could do that myself these days.

If the results are irregular then only minor tweaks are needed.

Patrick Bourke