Pulling The Chain

Hi guys/gals,

Got a bit of a problem. I had a golf lesson and can nolonger hit the ball.

Now, what my pro said was that at the start of the forward swing feel as if your pulling a chain with your hands. I have pulled this bl**dy chain daily since 28th December 2008 and can I heckers like hit the ball.

! will be seeing my pro again (hopefully grab him tomorrow) but in the meantime my questions are:

1) Has anybody else been pulling the chain

2) Does starting the downswing with the hands mean exactly that or should there still be a tad of latter movement first.

3) Is there another way of describing "pulling the chain" - I am sure my pro is right and it is me that has not grasped some point of what he means  which is screwing me up big time.

Any help ?

Sounds like he's yanking YOUR chain to me Robbie!  Got admit, I haven't got a clue what that is supposed to feel like and I would be as confused as you. 

What I will say is sometimes after a lesson when the pro has got me working on something specific in the swing (position at the top, etc) I concentrate so much on that it screws up the rest of my swing.  I get around this by only practcing that part of the swing rather than a full one to ingrain the feeling and muscle memory.  I then try to drop the focus and concentrate on a full swing with the change hopefully now coming naturally. 

Hi Robbie

As a newbie to the game, I probably have nothing advice wise to offer you..sorry mate, just thought I would share a similar experience that I had last night. I had a lesson last night and came away feeling so dejected...I couldn't hit a ball for toffee!  I'd had 5 good lessons over the past few months and thought everything was going well.  Well, last night it just all went wrong.  I think I'm trying to take everything in that the pro is telling me but I'm paying to much attention to stance, grip, head position, coiling hips, backswing, wrist position at top of backswing, striking the ball, follow through....that it all just got too much.  I think I convinced myself that I couldnt hit the ball.  Trying to hit a 3 wood was laughable and embarrasing.  Then again, what do i expect...only started playing in August 08.

Damn this game, damn it to hell : )

I'll be back practicing again soon though...!

"pulling the chain"

- "Sends swing down the pan?"

...more seriously I have heard this expression before and had it described as trying to start the down swing without releasing the wrists too quickly...i.e. straight down in an attempt to encourage starting the down swing on the inside as opposed to coming over the top. 

...although obviously your pro may mean something completely different ? :unsure:

Chris...yes, I have tried so hard with the chain pull that I have forgot the rest of my swing.

Matt...As a newbie your going the right way bud - lessons before bad habits get ingrained.

Chris...My pro did mention that I came out to in slightly which I did not realise also meant over the top. I think you have got it.

Cheers Guys........

 Robbie, you may be taking it too literally resulting in an overly steep downswing . Are you hitting it fat? Give it a try whilst ensuring your head is still.

Cheers Wayne thats exactly what the pro is after...

Patrick...Your so spot on - I hit it fat or, so far behind the ball the divot goes further...

Wayne has 'the comment' and John P has also hit the 'Bull' on this one - not that I have actually sorted it all out good and proper. The thing is what is the most beneficial 'image' to try to adopt and apply when you swing at the ball differing images suite differing players. I concur with JP in that trying to keep the right elbow close to the body is worth considering also I have tried recently to drop the right shoulder down and behind the ball on the downswing to get behind and inside the  'rotation arc' (that's me and it has been working but who knows this may be disastrous for others)

I like this thread because I would love to consistenty draw the ball with the driver but rarely achieve ! 

So I am not the only one Paul,

had another range session saturday and was hitting the ball sweet..

had a game of golf yesterday and could not hit the ball - crater divots 4" inches behind the ball........

Until the 15th when things went pretty well.......

Role on the weekend....

It's magic, Stuart.

I will give this a coating of looking at - could be a plan..

And I'm nowt without a plan....

Got to hand it to you Rob, hacking and digging your way round 18 holes and you still had a smile on your face and a sense of humour, I don't think I could have done that. 

He's been too knackered carrying me around the golf course to type Wayne...

Yeah Tony, no matter how bad it gets - never give up mate - good times are just around the corner...

Just my corner is a tad longer than normal...

Gonna try this elbow in the pocket routine.

I'm perfectly on plane with my irons but this might help with the driver as i'm struggling at the min.

Thanks Wayne Ive been helping Rob put his divots back, you could say greenkeeping really

All these excuses after earlier boasts of 300mph swing speeds Stephen, is there a comp coming up? 

Yes tony, he's going to organise a north east high handicap comp, of coarse you and Robbie will have to be in the elite group.

Brian I think Rob would be in the "value for money section" also known as the moles

Green Keepimg Tony... must be bl**dy big greens mate - they start at the tee then...

Just because my divots look like mole hills now - at least I can navigate them back to the car park when it gets dark....

Tried this put right elbow in right pocket lark and I seen right away the chain pull - magic darts the only way is up....

Forgot about comp coming up - my 300 yard 3 wood only goes 170 yards now....

The main things I have noticed about my swing is that my upper arms stay connected with my torso when I swing.

Before I had lessons my upper arms would come away from my torso and my ball would go all over the place.

The second thing I do is the 'Right elbow into my right pocket.'

I heard/read this somewhere and when I tried it my slices stopped!

Even though I've had lesson and I try to do what I've written above it still appears that I'm coming over the top.

Most of my drives will start left of where I'm aiming and fade/slice back to the target.

The problem for me is that about two or three times a round my drives will be pulled, they go left and stay left!  About two or three times a round I'll hit a nice, straight drive.  The rest of my drives go left and fade back to the fairway.

When I first started playing golf everything was a fade/slice, so I knew I could aim down the left and and the ball would come back onto the fairway.  Now I've had lessons I have to aim straight down the middle of the fairway, because my ball can go left, straight or right of the target!

Another thing I was told on my lessons was to point my club at the ball when I start my downswing.  This might only be for the first six to twelve inches of the downswing, but it seems to work.

The problem I've got at the moment is doing all this during the same swing!  When it happens it's great, when I miss one I hit a poor shot.

Russ

I'm not backpeddling at all.

If you want to validate my 112mph swing claim and you are vein enough, call the place I did it and ask for Dave. 0191 2680008.

My driver has suffered because 90% of my practice has been working with mainly a 6 iron trying to improve my swing with tips from people on here and lessons.

My new driver isnt as long as my old one but I can still hit it a long way if I go for it, but I am hitting more fairways by swinging within myself - something I was advised by members on here!

Anyway - will be giing this a go tonight or friday with my driver!

Russ, in all probability it is because possibly at address your shoulders are slightly open, which places your right forearm in front of yor left, when it should hang passively inside the left.

If the set up is not correct then the backswing cannot possibly be on the right plane, and even keeping your right elbow close to your body will not make the slightest bit of difference if the top part of your body is open.

My next lesson (week today) is "the big stick"....

With my success rate to-date I can hardly wait.......

Notice how this guy (a) is pulling the chain and (b) the right elbow heads towards to right pocket:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORiOoIhWf7s&feature=related

When on course I sometimes just tuck my shirt sleeve up at tad and hold it under the arms similar to the glove...

Pro's do this regular....